Finding Firefly

Posted in geek speak, sports TV and current events

After my near-psychotic addiction to The Big Bang Theory a few weeks ago I decided that I had to look for something else to quench my thirst for entertainment while I wait for Penny and Leonard to come back in September for season three. So I scoured the world wide thingamajiggy and I found Firefly. No that's not about my adorable blog buddy Firefly, who we all think about lately due to recent events in her life. Cheer up Firefly, wink wink.

I'm talking about Firefly, the show created by acclaimed writer-slash-director Joss Whedon that aired on the FOX network way back in 2002. I remember seeing an episode or two of Firefly a couple of years back and I found the show very interesting. That was where I first saw Summer Glau, before she had me hooked on her Terminator stint. She played the character called River Tam, who apparently had psychic abilities. Then I heard Firefly being talked about on The Big Bang Theory - with the main characters being geeks and all - and Summer herself appeared as a guest on the show. So I thought that was it; I'm downloading Firefly.

The story revolves around a spacecraft, a Firefly-class vessel called Serenity, and its crew. Set in a future where moons have been terraformed to become capable of supporting life and the universe is governed by the Alliance, the crew members of Serenity venture into the depths of space in order to eke out a living doing odd jobs that usually involve transport of cargo, be it legal or not. What interests me most is despite having aired only 14 episodes the show has managed to play out so many different aspects of humanity. Yes it is a science fiction series, but all the characters are human. No aliens. A show set in the future, with spaceships and lasers but no aliens. How often do you come across something like that?

Another interesting point is that I never realized there was such a term as "space westerns". Pardon my ignorance. It's like watching those old western movies with sheriffs and tumbleweed, with a dash of Star Trek. Firefly talks about human courage and friendship over adversity and diversity. The show even traipsed over the topic of lesbianism, although for the life of me I can't see why they even had to. I'm not complaining though. Oh no.

Too bad the series only lasted one season. I personally thought it wasn't that bad. In fact, search the net and you'd be surprised to see that a larger part of the show's popularity emerged after its cancellation. A full feature film based on the defunct Firefly series called Serenity was released by Universal Pictures in 2005.

Now that's one hot Summer.

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Poker Face

Posted in funky music, video

I just think this version's way cooler than the original. Leave it to someone like Chris Daughtry to turn crap like this into real music. Credit goes to my colleague Jules for telling me Daughtry had this version of Poker Face. I liked this video so much that it earned a spot on my blog. Besides, I couldn't think of anything else that was interesting enough to write about today. So here's the video, folks. Enjoy!

...can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my poker face...

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Harry Potter and the Half-Good Film

Posted in geek speak, infuriatum, sports TV and current events

Before I begin, I would like to apologize to those who actually liked the movie - all 4 or 5 of them - because they may not like what I have to say about the sixth installment of the Harry Potter movie series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Having read Book 6 I personally thought the movie, for lack of a better term, sucked on so many different levels. I supposed being "based on JK Rowling's novel" must've meant "loosely based" to the film makers. If they had deviated any further from the book they would've probably made a movie that was completely outside the realm of HP fiction. This is by far the most disappointing book-based movie I've ever seen. I hate it when they make bad movies out of good books. Good thing I've only read a few, although they've already managed to bungle Dan Brown's novels and now this? Well at least JR Tolkien's books made better movies.

I know they couldn't fit the entire story into the sixth HP movie, but as the movie progressed I couldn't help saying "shortcut" every few scenes. I was so sure Dumbledore's funeral would've made it into the movie. How about the scene where Harry, under Dumbledore's non-verbal spell, stood frozen under his invisibility cloak while Snape killed the Hogwarts Headmaster with the Avada Kedavra? I mean, has the director even read the book? I'm sorry, but I honestly felt they could've done so much better. They weren't even trying.

Casting was also terrible. Lavander Brown was pulled out of High School Musical, Narcissa was nothing like Bellatrix, and Slughorn looked nothing like a Slytherin and was underweight. Fenrir Greyback could've been bigger and more disgusting. I sure hope they have more scenes for Ginny in the next film. Not that I'm anticipating, but I really hope they make up for this joke of a movie in their next production.

Really now Professor, you're Slughorn?

I just loved the actors who played Rufus Scrimgeour and Madam Pomfrey. Oh right, they weren't in the movie. Well Madam Pomfrey was there but she had no lines and was hardly even noticeable.

And what's with that kiss? I was looking forward to that scene where Harry got out of detention with Snape, after missing their Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, to find the Gryffindor common room packed with celebration because they had won the House Cup? That's where Harry and Ginny were supposed to kiss. Maybe the film makers thought it was more romantic to imagine making out in the Room of Requirement.

Now I didn't hate the entire movie. There was this scene where a weakened Dumbledore got rid of all those Inferi from the lake with a magnificent display of firepower. That was a really good scene. It was probably the only part of the movie that I actually liked. Oh and there was also this scene where Hermione hit Harry in the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Really now, slapstick?

Hermione Granger really blossomed in this film though. Emma Watson was absolutely stunning.

I sure hope they don't make a mockery of the Battle of Hogwarts in the next movie. They've already left out so much in this one, I won't be surprised if people will actually be glad the movie series is over after The Deathly Hallows film.

It only goes to show that when they make movies out of books, especially if you've read that book, don't expect too much. Maybe you and everybody else has read the book, but that doesn't mean the director has read it too.

Note: It looks like they are planning to do better with Book 7 after all. I just found out that the last movie will actually be a two-part finale. Good.

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1:56 AM

Posted in mundaneity, sports TV and current events

Uneventful.

Today was as exciting as watching paint dry. One good thing did happen though. My all-time favorite local basketball team, the San Miguel Beermen, won Game 4 of their best-of-seven finals series versus Ginebra San Miguel. The series is now tied at 2 games apiece. I want San Miguel to win, but something in my gut tells me I should bet on Ginebra. But then again I'm not much of a gambling man.

Or am I?

Maybe I just don't gamble per se, but I would like to think that I'm some sort of a risk-taker. And believe me there had been a lot of risks in the past that I wish I didn't take. All those "if only's" and "what could've been's" are starting to bear down on me. The cliche would say something about spilled milk or something; I'm still busy trying to clean up after all the mess I've made.

And it's not just those things that could have been that bothers me. Lately those that shouldn't have been are slowly eating me up. Here I am again skirting over a topic I only half-wanted to talk about. See me throwing around made-up words and seemingly incoherent verb tenses here?

You know it's really hard to write about something you neither want to write nor talk to somebody about, but that something's just screaming to get out. It's a sad thought, really. It's like there are so many things going on and you're right smack in the middle of it - yet you still feel so distant. It's like a drug. Or maybe it's not like a drug.

I know I've written so many times about regret. There's just no helping it. I have been burdened by a lot of stuff and I need to clear my mind of them. Writing about regret seems to help. If anything, it gives me a way to release some of the tension. I know I haven't been the most prolific writer recently, but I'm trying. It's just that sometimes, trying simply isn't enough.

One of these days I just know I'm going to screw up again. That's part of having so many mistakes in the past, one tends to anticipate the next failure. I seriously think I need professional help. If only I weren't in the Philippines... oh there goes another one!

Like I said, today - just like most other days - had been uneventful. Nothin' doin'. The story of my life.

Don't even get me started on tomorrow.

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Crazy Powder

Posted in familia, humor mongering

Leave a 3-year old with some baby powder alone and this is what you might find. That's my neice Keia doing some re-decorating of her dad, my brother Mark's, room. She spread a cupful of powder on the floor. Mark was pissed, but the floor smelled great, even better than floor wax.

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