Mama Grendel Likes to Wear High Heels

November 13, 2007

 I'm absolutely certain that Robert Zemeckis' BEOWULF will raise eyerows of purist Literature professors, or for that matter, anyone who actually had the guts to read the entire epic (If such people did exist). And if my memory of Junior High School English serves me correctly, didn't the titular hero battle Grendel fully clothed? And was Grendel's vengeful mother really a seductive high-heel wearing tramp? Then again, with a visually arresting spectacle such as this, why complain?

I'm no fan of motion capture animation. But this one, I actually enjoyed. Its riveting action sequences are more than enough to divert your attention from the CGI characters' lack of pupils. Plus, the battle scenes did look astonishingly real.

 After complete misfires such as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and The Polar Express, this one is (finally) a step in the right direction.  Watch this if you're an animation pundit. Or if you want to see a fat, computer-generated Anthony Hopkins.

 

Behold, The First Filipino Miss Earth….

November 12, 2007

And she's not even from the Philippines!

 

In a pageant full of surprising results, Jessica Nicole Trisko, a 22-year old Eurasian from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada beat 87 other global beauties to win the title of MISS EARTH 2007. Comprising her royal court are: Pooja Chitgopeker of India (MISS AIR), early favorite Silvana Santaella of Venezuela (MISS WATER) and Natalie Glebova dead-ringer Angela Gomez Duran of Spain (MISS FIRE).

Rounding up the Top 8 were: Peru's Odilia Garcia, the Republic of Georgia's surprisingly sexy Nanka Mamasakhilisi, Thailand's Jiraporn Sing-Ieam, and Switzerland's Stephanie Gossweiler

Completing the roster of the Top 16 were: Sweden's Ivana Gagula, Martinique's Elodie Delor, Romania's Alina Gheorge, South Africa's Bokang Montjane, Czech Republic's Eva Ceresnakova, Nigeria's Stacy Garvey, Lebanon's Amale Al-Khoder, and Dominican Republic's Themys Fabriel.

To anyone who was expecting the Latin streak to continue this year, Trisko's unexpected victory would indeed come across as a complete shock.  Even more shocking was the exclusion of early favorites from Brazil, Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, and hometown girl Philippines from the semi-finals. (At least the latter won Miss Photogenic. Ho hum.) If anything, this year's results showed the triumph of substance over mere physical beauty. Although many would quibble about Trisko's rather unconventional beauty, anyone who actually watched the pageant would immediately argue that she was the only finalist who answered the question with coherence and confidence. India's  Chitgopekar (love the last name!) didn't fare badly either. Although her catwalk skills could use some polishing, her exhuberant personality cannot go unnoticed. Had she not been betrayed by her nerves in her final answer, who knows? She could have earned her country the first Miss Earth as well. 

If anything, this year's results showed the triumph of substance over mere physical beauty, proving that Miss Earth does take its cause very seriously.

* Full review to follow soon. * 

Of Thunder Thighs and Powerful Pipes: My Take on The Beyonce Experience

November 8, 2007

My sincere apologies to the unsuspecting woman at the bottom right.  It wasn't my intention to include you in the photo, especially in your momentary lapse in poise. This was just the best picture I could take of Beyonce, given my inept photography skills and our obvious distance from the stage.

As far as the line-up of songs goes, we got more than what we bargained for. Aside from the expected singles like Crazy In Love and Irreplaceable, Beyonce also performed some of her hits from her Destiny's Child era, like Independent Women and Bootylicious. Dreamgirls fodder was kept at a minimum. Only Listen (already a track in her second album to begin with) and a few lines from the show's title theme made into the repertoire.

 With that being said, I really had fun last night. Even if my feet  hurt from standing on a Monobloc chair for nearly two hours staright! Weeks before, I wouldn't even have imagined myself being in that concert. It was only thanks to RJ's obsession with Beyonce, coupled with his determination to watch the concert with a companion that I was able to score a ticket. So there. (Thanks, RJ! Expect me to pay you the bal ance two payrolls from now. =P)

Halloween, Solar Style

October 27, 2007

  So this is what Halloween in the workplace feels like. Yesterday, Solar hosted a Trick or Treat for the employees' kids. It was a pleasant surprise to see everyone in the spirit, especially us folks at the 11th floor. Everything was so festive! Each channel's workstation was decorated, there were kids all around, a handful of artists and interns even brought their pets.

Unfortunately, nobody really understood my costume. I was supposed to be an outbacker. Guesses ranged from the ethnically accurate (Crocodile Dundee, Steve Irwin) to the just plain outrageous (Indiana Jones, Japanese tourist, and Kim Atienza).  

Yesterday was also a despedida-of-sorts for our resident interns from La Salle (right) as it was also the last day of their OJT. I must say that having students from the same alma mater around for a couple of months was indeed a fresh breath of nostalgia for me. Not only were they of great assistance to the Marketing Department, we also had some good laughs. I'll certainly miss having them around.  

Anyhoo, see more costumes and wacky decorations here.

Lost Among the Rubble

October 19, 2007

      

Really. Seriously. They expected us to buy that crap about those LPG tanks?

I am still in complete shock. Even if I wasn't within hitting distance of the flying shrapnel.

I was there only a couple of days ago. And the day before that.

I could easily have been there this afternoon, considering that I work only 15 minutes away.

Whether this was a security lapse, a thinly-veiled terrorist attack  a political diversionary tactic, or all of the above (?), my heart goes out to all those gravely affected by this unfortunate incident.

I pray for our nation's safety and for the lives lost.  

 

Despite those spooky animatronic babies….

October 16, 2007

 

 

KNOCKED UP is easily the most sincere and most  balanced comedy I've seen this year. It's witty without trying too hard, raunchy without being over-the-top, sweet without being viscously sappy, and poignant without being manipulative. It is, to say the least, a well-executed film. 

 

Directed by Judd Apatow (The 40-Year Old Virgin, Anchorman), it tells the story of a mismatched couple's sudden brush with parenthood after a drunken one-night stand. Soon, they decide to face each other's idiosyncrasies in order to work things out between them and their unborn child. 

Though the plot can easily be dismissed as sheer fluff, the movie derives much of its strength from the magnetic performances of the two leads, especially Katherine Hiegl. The script is also chockfull of brilliantly-wrought lines that sound almost like they were written by Woody Allen on crack. 

My favorite quote would have to be, hands down, the one uttered by Paul Rudd's character 3/4 through the film:

 Marriage is like a tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond, only it doesn't last 22 minutes. It lasts forever. 

 

Desperately Seeking Priscila

October 15, 2007

  I know nobody really cares about Miss International these days.

But I really hope Mexico's Priscila Perales takes home the crown this year. She was my bet to win Miss Universe 2006. Unfortunately, she was unjustly excluded from the Top 5.

 So I'm really hoping that tonight is Priscila's revenge!  

 

I also have high hopes for the following:

India's Esha Gupta, whose honey and chocolate skin brings to mind a younger Diana Hayden (Miss World 1997) 

Spain's Nerea Arce and Turkey's Asli Temel - who exemplify true Meditrannean sensuality.

France's Sophie Vozeulaud - the first deaf-mute woman to represent her country in an international beauty pageant. (If she wins, that'll really show that bitch, Julia Morley!)

and of course,

Japan's Hisako Shirata - who was earlier chosen as Miss Photogenic and is likely to make waves through her own merits, and not just homecourt advantage.

That's all! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tonight!

In all honesty…

October 14, 2007

I am having mixed feelings about attending Silver Quill this year.

True, I'm up for two awards: Best Cover Story and Best Review. And yes, I will get to see some colleagues whom I haven't had the luxury of meeting for centuries.

It's just that I feel rather queasy being in a company of a crowd that's not exactly my crowd anymore. A lot have changed since then, including the very structure of the organization I once actually considered myself a part of.  I also feel nervous being up against nominees who are younger and much more bibo than I am. And, of course, who can also forget that travesty of an event last year, which felt more like a 3-hour powerpoint presentation than an awards night. Diyos ko….

Nonetheless, I am still honored to be nominated, what with this being my final year of eligibiltity and all. So I'm hoping for the best this October 20. Should I attend, I guess there's no other recourse than to treat it as a chance to reunite with all my fellow TLS alumni…

 And should the results turn out in my favor, that'll be the added bonus.

"We always knew you were a whoopsee…"

October 11, 2007

 

 Last Tuesday, I was most fortunate to score an extra ticket for United International Picture's invitational screening of STARDUST. This is my first non-Solar movie premiere since I was dragged kicking and screaming into A Love Story last August. The second since that tired third installment to Shrek last May.  

Based on Neil Gaiman's novel and directed by Robert Vaughn, it tells the story of how an encounter between a young village lad  (Charlie Cox) and a fallen star (Claire Danes) turns into a wild goose chase involving a power-hungry prince (Mark Strong) and a youth-obsessed witch (Michelle Pfeiffer).

 

Well, I must say, I really enjoyed it.  Now for some other key points:

1.) Charlie Cox was surprisingly effective in the lead male role of Tristan, considering that this is only his 6th onscreen movie.

2.) Claire Danes' sweet and sincere portrayal of earthbound star Yvaine almost made me forget that she once called our country "ghastly" and "full of cockroaches"

3.) I'm a sucker for beautifully-wrapped diabolical villains . That's why, Michelle Pfeiffer…You rock! 

4.) The film reminds me so much of 1987's The Princess Bride. In fact, Septimus (Mark Strong) kinda comes across as a darker, more brooding version of Inigo Montoya. (My name is Inigo Montoya, You killed my father! Prepare to die!)

5.)  Uhm, is Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro) really meant to be that, uh, flamboyant? Answer me if you wish. Just limit your response to a "yes" or a "no".

6.) The offscreen narrator is Sir Ian McKellen. Wala lang.

7.) I want to read the book.

8.) It's a fun film. Watch it!

- end -

 

 

 

Tumbling

October 10, 2007

Came in at work extremely late yesterday morning. But it's okay. At least, now, I am only one pending project away from burrowing myself out of this backlog which I've been fighting for the past two weeks.

And it's all thanks to one thing.

In the office, we have this term called "TUMBLING", which in our vernacular means:

The desperate act of defying all physical, emotional and chronological odds in order to accomplish an impossibly high number of urgent tasks.

So, let's say you have to author an entire sales kit for October and it's already September the 26th?

What's the solution? Tumbling.

Or if some over-eager account executive (I'm not naming names…hehe) suddenly - rabidly -  bombards you with Creative Brief Forms and all storyboards are expected three days from now?

Siyempre, tumbling!

Yep. Like I said, that word pretty much summarizes the past couple of weeks for me.

Tumbling. You know what, if this keeps up, you might see me as an Olympic gymnast pretty soon.

Or at least a stunt double.

All right, readers, this is the part where mental imagery comes in. 

 

 

Animo LaSalle!……and, er, Pacquiao!

October 8, 2007

Okay, I missed the match.  

I was at ATC, braving what seemed like Typhoon Ineng's hangover to have coffee with Marga.  I only learned about our victory while we were literally passing by TGIF and watched the last 10 seconds of the game from outside the restaurant. Seryoso! Oo na…Corny na…..:-P

As for Manny Pacquiao, well, I couldn't care less about finishing the delayed telecast of his match.

I already knew he won anyway. 

At least I know that Kyla didn't mess up the National Anthem like Christian Bautista did a few weeks back.

Anyway, congratulations to the Green Archers and of course, my Alma Mater!

No matter how the press bashes us, or how certain airheads up north stereotype us, we still prevail…

Indeed, this victory couldn't be sweeter!

Animo LaSalle!

That'd be all. I'm gonna sleep now.

 

Back Again

October 1, 2007

First things first, I actually made this account late last year. Around December 26 methinks. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to sustain it the way I hoped to.

Blog nomadity seems to be my theme for 2007. This year alone, I've created 3 other URL's, including one unsuccessful attempt to resurrect myself in Live Journal. But none of them seem to satisfy my illusions of internet fame. LOL.  Then, I figured, how can I put such a cool-sounding URL to waste? Huh?

So, here I am. Back in http://chuckiechavez.i.ph 

This feels rather bittersweet, actually: Me starting another blog in the spate of a severe creative drought. 

You see, for three months now, I've been working as a copy writer for 2nd Avenue. As much as I love my job (so far), interstitials and tie-ins are really a distant cry from, say, features or reviews. In features, I have the luxury to beat around the bush, to stretch my ideas into bloated 500-word paragraphs. But in interstitials, it's a completely different story. There, I can only put so much of my own input because a big chunk of my work has to be devoted to keywords pertaining to the product. Is that constricting or what?  So, everyday since I started has been the same old battle to keep my thoughts from constipating. The same never-ending quest to find my perenially-absent muse. Do I even make sense here? Ewan…

Anyway….Here's hoping I can sustain this blog this time around. 

 Because one thing's for sure…I want my verbosity back.