Random Thoughts

This week (November 5 to 11) is Money Market Consciousness Week. I don't think the celebration of this event every year has yielded results. Too many people don't know and don't care what money market is. Even I, a person who studied business and is a practicing CPA, have only a vague idea of what money market is.

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A few weeks ago, there was an explosion in Glorietta 2, killing 11 persons and hurting more than a hundred. On that particular day, I was itching to go to Wade (which is above where the explosion happened). Days before the explosion, I was planning on a buying a new pair of shoes from Wade. On that particular day, my resolve to buy a new pair of shoes was even greater since the pair I was wearing on that day does not match my pants. And so I thought of going to Glorietta 2 during lunch time. Lucky for me, somehow I wasn't able to go. Or else, I would have been one of those six feet underground or one of those hurt.

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After months or even years of searching, I finally found a copy of The Hours in pirated DVD. I also found a copy of Magnolia, The History of the World Part I (by Mel Brooks) and Cashback (starring Sean Biggerstaff).

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After having a copy of Blue Velvet for quite sometime, I finally was able to watch it. It was ok. I like Mulholland Drive better. Kyle Maclachlan was very young in Blue Velvet. Isabella Rosellini (the daughter of the Swedish Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rosellini) seems to look today the way she did in that movie.

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I also watch Death Proof and Planet Terror (yes, separately and not the Grindhouse film). Death Proof, as Roger Ebert put it, has some very exciting chase scenes but very long periods of dialogues where nothing seems to be happening. Planet Terror, considered by many as the inferior one, is better since it's something is happening all throughout the entire length of the movie.

The two films definitely capture the feel of b-movies, with all the scratches, jumps and even the burning of the film stock being shown.

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For the nth time, I watched Friends in DVD. I just love friends.

I love Phoebe who is "wonderfully weird" but I can relate very much to Ross who is geeky and knows a lot of things and trivia.

I just love the wedding of Phoebe. It was sooo romantic, with the falling snow and with her friend (who hasn't taken a bath for years and will only take bath when Tibet is free!) playing "Here, There and Everywhere" on steel drums.

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Mel Brooks film that I have:

1. Blazing Saddles

2. The History of the World Part I

3. High Anxiety

4. Twelve Chairs

5. The Producers - 2006 (produced by Mel Brooks)

6. Silent Movie

7. To be or not to be

8. Young Frankenstein.

I just love Mel Brooks.

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Q. Tarantino films that I have:

1. Kill Bill vol. 1

2. Kill Bill vol. 2

3. Reservoir Dogs

4. Pulp Fiction

5. Death Proof

6. Natural Born Killers (screenplay)

I have seen the first five and started on the sixth film. I stopped watching the last film since the film is violent ( as Tarantino films are) but lacks the direction of Oliver Stone lacks the style of Quentin Tarantino.

Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2 are good and so is Pulp Fiction. Death Proof has some good parts but somehow I was bored through most of the other scenes. Reservoir Dogs, well, it is finely written but again, I was bored.

Tarantino is a good scriptwriter and a better director. But I believe he has to cut down on unnecessary dialogues that lengthen his films.

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I saw Goodfellas. The film looks like and feels like a diluted The Godfather. Well, some people say it is more realistic in its portrayal of crime organizations. I just find the length of the movie tiresome.

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Don't get me wrong, watching a long movie is fine with me.... as long as there is something to the length. As long as something is happening during the movie. Take for instance, Gone with the Wind and Doctor Zhivago, these films are really long but I was not bored since things are happening that pushes the movie along.

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Last November 1 was the date I first went to Glorietta after the explosion. I was still apprehensive. Something may still happen there. On that date, there were very few people in the mall. It seems like the old tradition of going to cemeteries is still alive.

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Films that I'd like to have a copy of:

Stanley Kubrick Films:

- Dr. Strangelove

- Paths of Glory

- The Shining

- That other Kubrick film (his second feature film)

D.W. Griffith's Intolerance

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Groundhog Day

Giuseppi Tornatore's Star Maker

Films of Federico Fellini

- 8 1/2

- La Dolce Vita

- Fellini's Satyricon

- Michaelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura