You Changed My Life!

John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo will reprise their roles as Miggy and Laida in the office romance movie You Changed My Life. Last year, they thrilled audiences with their love-hate relationship in the first installment titled A Very Special Love.Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, this sequel will have a new character to be played by Rayver Cruz.

The relationship of Miggy and Laida will be tested by the arrival of Rayver. Can their love stand this test? Find out when this co-production of Star Cinema and Viva Films opens on February 25, 2009.To get a sneak peek of key scenes from You Changed My Life, watch the music video below:





YOU CHANGED MY LIFE IN A MOMENT

The nights the sky was filled with clouds
My worried mind was filled with fear
I couldn't count all the lonely hours
Spent with memories and tears

I never thought I would see the day
When I could throw all my sorrow away
But then you came and you showed me the way
You have made all those times disappear

CHORUS:
You changed my life in a moment
And I'll never be the same again
You changed my life in a moment
And it's hard for me to understand
With the touch of your hand in a moment in time
All my sorrow is gone (is gone...is gone...is gone...)

I never thought that I could change
Could change so much in so many ways
I'm still surprised when I look in my mirror
To see that I still look the same

CHORUS:
You changed my life in a moment
And I'll never be the same again
You changed my life in a moment
And it's hard for me to understand
With the touch of your hand in a moment in time
All my sorrow is gone

(You changed my life in a moment)
You changed my life
(And I'll never be the same again)
I'll never be the same
You changed my life in a moment
And it's hard for me to understand
With the touch of your hand in a moment in time
All my sorrow is gone

(You changed my life in a moment)
Gone...gone..
In a moment in time
All my sorrow is gone...

Sagwan: The awakening of the flesh

Although the capacity of the theater is only 800, more than a thousand flocked to Cine Adarna in UP Campus last February 4, 2009 to watch the most daring and controversial films “Sagwan”.





An 18-year old sex virgin boatman, Alfred (Ryan Dungo), shares his journey to discovering life's pleasures as he battles his fears and hangups.



SAGWAN explores the emotions of Alfred as he reluctantly gives in to the awakening of the flesh that his peers indulge with wild abandon.The smooth-running river of his romantic relationship with his mute girlfriend Cecilia makes a turbulent turn as his discovery of his family's dark secrets awakens him from his innocent beginnings.One unexpected chance makes him realize that ultimate pleasure lies beyond who you are and who you're with.

LOVE OF SIAM: "as long as there's love naturally there's hope".

My friend brought with him the famous Thai’s “Love of Siam” Director’s Cut version (no missing scenes, no cut!) and we watched it with a full understanding of the dialogues since it has English sub-title. The one shown openly in the cinema was two hours and thirty minutes while the Director's cut version is three hours and ten minutes.I must admit that I'm not the only one in tears at the end of the movie, my friend did. It was the part nearing the end where Mew (Witwisit Hiranwongkul ) puts the nose on the gnome that Tong (Mauro Maurer) gave him and then he starts to cry.

Boys are potentially being tempted quite for awhile. What lies in the future for Tong (Mauro Maurer) & Mew ( "Pitch" Witwisit Hiranwongkul ) is for us to imagine if they end up together or have separate lives..

When I am watching a movie, I always look for a various types of symbols because it is where I want to see what symbolic efforts the movie is being recommended to watch.. Some efforts like the bee climbing up on the straw represents a struggle out of death, a gnome (whose nose is lost) conveys a missing factor in our lives, a belief in God.



Love of Siam shows the relationship of two teenagers who start to know the meaning of love and friendship that will be remain in the memory forever.

For sure, my friends in Riyadh will surely love this movie as I did.




Here is the synopsis of the movie taken from Wilkipedia:



Mew, a stubborn kid, is neighbor to Tong, an energetic boy who lives with his parents and sister. The two became good friends.



Months have passed and Tong's family decides to move. On the day of the move, Tong finds Mew sitting on a ledge overlooking a pier. Tong says his final words “Don’t allow others to make fun with you” and departs in a car. Tong looks back only to find Mew walking towards the car before coming to a stop and crying for losing his best friend.

Six years pass. The boys are reunited during their senior year of high school at Siam Square.
The musically talented Mew is the leader of a boy band called August. Tong has a pretty girlfriend, Donut. The meeting stirs up old feelings that Mew has harbored since boyhood, his love for Tong.
Mew's band, meanwhile, has a new manager, June. She looks just like Tong's long-lost sister, Tang. After meeting June, Tong and his mother, Sunee, devise to a plan to pay June to pretend she is Tang, in hopes that it will pull Tong's father out of his alcoholic dpression.
Mew is also the object of an unrequited crush of a neighbor girl, Ying. But Mew has strong feelings for Tong, which have inspired him to write new songs.
The boys share a prolonged kiss in Tong's backyard one night after a party in honor of the return of Tang. Prior to that Tong also spends the night with Mew, which causes his mother to worry.

At Christmas time, as Tong and his mother are decorating a Christmas tree, they have a heart-to-heart talk about making choices, and Tong asks his mother to let him make his own choices.

Tong then goes to Siam Square for a date with Donut. Mew's band is playing nearby, so Tong abandons Donut and tells her he cannot be with her. He then rushes to see Mew play and is guided there by Ying, who has accepted the fact that Mew loves Tong. After the performance, Tong gives Mew a gift, a missing nose from a wooden doll that Tong gave him when they were children. However, Tong tells Mew he can't be his boyfriend but that doesn't mean he doesn't love Mew.

The movie ended with Mew putting the missing nose back to the wooden puppet, saying "thank you" and cried quietly.

Here is the lyrics of the “song” inspiredly written by Mew to Tong in the movie:
If I said that this song is made for you, would you believe it?
It's probably not melodious, not affectionate, not beautiful like other songs.
I want you to know that if there's no love, you can't write a love song.
But for you, my dear, do you know? I wrote it easily.
You've probably heard hundreds and thousands of love songs
that's probably impressive but with a similar meaning altogether, but if you listen to this song,
song that's written simply for you.
For you to understand the meaning of it, our hearts will then have a connection.
Let it be a song on our pathways that consist only voices of you and me.
Together as long as possible.
As the meaning is told in a poetry that as long as there's love naturally there's hope.
Means whenever your love shines through the heart, I have a goal.
There is a lot of facts found in love, and in the past I used the time for the sake of finding the meaning.
But soon, I'd just know it, whenever you are near me,
That if life's a rhythm, you are as good as the words that is melodious and touching to the heart. Let it be a song on our pathways that consist only voices of you and me.
Together as long as possible.

As the meaning is told in poetry that as long as there's love naturally there's hope.
Means whenever your love shines through the heart, I have a goal.
There's a pathway for us to walk side by side and there are voices of you and me.



More Mauro Maurer's photos:

Not in my House!

I watched an indie film in Robinsons Galleria recently with my friends. Dapat sana panoorin namin yong Dose, but i was curious sa "Lovebirds".

The movie is tackling the story of a discreet gay and a conservative mother.

Lovebirds is Ronaldo “Roni” Bertubin’s third independent film. The movie stars Boots Anson Roa, Tommy Abuel, Adrian Ramirez, and Joseph Ison and introducing Andres Alexis Fernandez, and with the special participation of Johnron Tanada.




Although walang masyadong nudity, naaliw ako sa movie because of Boots Anson Roa. Siya yong mother na hindi matanggap ang gender ng kanyang anak na nagkaroon ng chat lover from Spain, Alexis.

In a situation na kailangan niyang itago sa mga tao ang tunay na pangyayari, kung ano-anong dahilan ang kanyang sinasabi para wag lang ma tsismis na ang anak niya ay may lover na gay foreigner.

Nakakaaliw ang dialogue niyang "not in my house", "not in my property" at "not in front of me".

It was one of the best indie films na napanood ko.

Synopsis: Alexis is a foreigner who came to the Philippines to meet his chat mate Mario. As a filipino culture, visitors are welcome by family host with welcoming party of food, fiesta and people. When Alexis visited Mario, Mario’s parents told the neighborhood that Alexis is a girl, but surprisingly it was Alex. Mario’s mother denied that he was Alexis and introduced him as Alex the brother of Alexis to the neighborhood. His parents known about Mario’s sexuality until at the end Alexis become closer and fell inlove with Mario. With all the laugh and cry. A story of a foreigner in another country, different culture, and acceptance of love will have all a happy ending.

Scaregivers...Tinulugan ko sa loob!

Me, my mom and my nephew watched Scaregivers kahapon sa SM Cinema 8 ng SM north before we do our shopping. Dapat sana panoorin namin yong Twilight, kaso my mother insisted to watch comedy dahil ayaw niya ng horror. Eh sabi ko horror naman yong Scaregivers. At least daw may halong comedy. So wala kaming nagawa kundi panoorin ang movie na ito. Pumasok kami ng sinehan 30 minutes after mag umpisa ang movie. Ito ang aking kwento sa aking napanood.

Nagnkaw sina Bill (Jose Manalo and Bob (Wally Bayola) sa isang Jewelry Store at naging successful naman sila at nakuha nila ang dalawa sa pinakamamamahalin na singsing ngunit sila din ay nahuli ng mga pulis. Sila ay nagpanggap na baliw sa pagkakaakalang hindi sila makukulong at naging matagumpay naman sila sa pagpapanggap dahil nung umpisa ng hearing e ung label na STOOL SAMPLE e nilagay nila sa peanut butter at kinain nila so ang labas sa mga tao don sa korte e kinakain nila ang kanilang dumi at sila nga ay dinala sa Mental Hospital. Habang nasa Mental Hospital sila madami silang nakikitang mga multo sa loob ng ospital dahil ang sabi sabi e galit daw ang mga multo sa mga nurse at mga nagpapanggap na baliw. Si Bob ang laging nakakausap ng nurse na si Liza Calzado at si Bill naman ay laging pinagpapakitaan ng lalaking multo. Sabi sabi din na kaya lagi ito nagpapakita dahil galit ito sa mga lumalandi sa Doktora na si Ehra Madrigal na nilalandi ni Bill lagi. Sa sobrang di na nila makayanan ay ilang beses sila nagtapat na di naman sila baliw ngunit di pa din sila pinaniwalaan dahil sa kanilang kilos na mukha naman talagang baliw hehe.. Ang pinaka twist ng storya ay si Paulo Contis na nagpanggap din na baliw ay sinubukan tumakas sa pamamagitan ng pagsama sa kabaong ng isang bangkay na si Iza Calzado na nagpakamatay dahil sa selos at niloko sya ni Paulo na niligawan ang nurse pa noon na si Ehra Madrigal. Ang usapan ay huhukayin si Paulo pagkatapos malibing kasama ng bangkay ngunit di na ito nahukay kaya namatay din ito at ito ang nagmumulto kay Bill na laging lumalandi kay Ehra. Si Iza naman ang nakakausap ni Wally na nurse na patay na din pala. Sa bandang huli nakalaya din sila sa pagsasauli ng ninakaw na singsing at nagaral ng caregiver at nakapagtapos at nagtrabaho don mismo sa mental hospital na pinasukan nila.

Ewan ko, pero nagigising na lng ako pag tumatawa ang mother ko sa mga eksena. In other words, naiidlip ako lagi. Di na namin inumpisahan pa, lumabas na kami after the movie. Nappakuwento na lang ako sa mother ko dahil siya yong nanood dahil kaming dalawa ngpamangkin ko, nakatulog sa boring na movie.he.he.he.he

Wala lang..nasa bahay lang kasi ako at nakatutok sa internet dahil sa malakas na ulan ito sa QC.

Hayy..miss ko na Riyadh..

FRIENDS I MISSED...

I downloaded a movie called "Mga Babae Sa Isla Azul" and watched it last night. It was released in 1997 featuring Ynez Veneracion, Isko Moreno and introducing my friend, Dave Montelibano.

A group of "Promos", models and a photographer who stay on an isolated island, do fashion shoots in the day, make-out at night and at the MIDDLE of the movie, encounter the bad guys (Loose criminals hiding out in this island)

Nauso before ang mga titillating movies kaya kahit walang kuwentang story at low-budget, may mga gumagawa ng ganitong klaseng pelikula. Actually, tawag nila pito-pito films, kasi nga it took seven days para gumawa ng isang pelikula. Lousy plot, lousy acting, lousy direction, lousy art direction... this film failed miserably at entertaining me intellectually! At best its probably funny watched drunk or stoned: Patrick dela Rosa as a fashion model, Isko Moreno as a Director in Speedos the whole time and Dave, who acted as the cameraman.

It was the first time that my friend Dave (Jeffrey in real life) appeared in a movie. Medyo nakakabitin nga daw yong shooting dahil madalian daw yong pelikula na yon dahil konti lang ang budget at maiksi lang yong role niya sa pelikula. That was the year ng kasikatan niya, where he worked as GRO sa isang club.. He got the looks. Minsan nga palagi siyang napagkakamalan na si John Lloyd Cruz. Hindi tulad ng iba, Dave tried to manage his finances at sinikap niyang mag-aral. Now, may sarili na siyang negosyo.


Dave is a very kind person and a nice friend. Kaya naman when I called him na pauwi na ako, he was excited and we plan everything na gagawin namin, together with my other friends, this holiday season. Actually, i–set aside niya na lang daw muna yong business niya para samahan niya akong mamasyal. Honestly, may hinihingi siyang pasalubong sa akin na hindi ko maibigay este maisama pauwi, kaya babawi na lang ako sa quality time na puwede kong ibigay sa kanya once na magkita kami.

Of course I will spend most of my time with my family. Uunahin ko muna ang family ko and make sure that everything will be fine, after that, I’ll try to manage to meet my close friends dahil tagal na rin naming di nagkita-kita and hopefully, I can accommodate all of them especially yong mga classmates ko (since it is our 20th anniversary), brothers in fraternity, my co-blogger Richard of Paluan, some of our SE talents, and my special friend whom I will surprise on his birthday and many more.

BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS: Figuring out what you really want...

Coming out and figuring out what and who you really want


Billy, a struggling young gay photographer (who likes Polaroids), tired of being the "other man", falls in love with Gabriel, a waiter and aspiring musician who is probably straight but possibly gay or at least curious. Billy tries to get Gabriel to model for his latest project, a series of remakes of famous Hollywood screen kisses, featuring male couples, while also trying to win his affections.

Entranced by Gabriel, Billy takes him on as a model and introduces him at gallery openings and parties, only to see Gabriel leave for better modeling assignments with well-known fashion photographer Rex Webster (Paul Bartel).

Gabriel gets the underwear modeling job and goes to Catalina. Billy follows after him to Catalina with Georgiana (who, on the rebound from her boyfriend Andrew, hooks up with drug-addled island resident "Gundy"). Billy crashes Rex Webster's underwear shoot looking for Gabriel but does not find him.



Billy eventually tracks Gabriel down at Rex's party later that night and the two talk on the beach. Billy relates to Gabriel how confused he was when he came out, saying, "I swore to myself that if I could ever be there for somebody, I would, so that that person wouldn't have to go through all the shit I went through. What I'm trying to say is, if you're having problems figuring out where you stand, even if you're not sure of what you're supposed to want—"; however, before Billy can finish, one of Gabriel's fellow models comes up. Billy realizes that the two of them are together and Gabriel tells him straightforwardly, "Billy, I'm pretty sure what I'm supposed to want." Gabriel tries to soften the blow, but Billy rebuffs him. Billy feels hurt and even wonders if Gabriel used him to get his modeling career off the ground.

"Never give up when everything fall into pieces.
Never even lose hope when everybody turns their back on you.
Remember that life is not about being fair, it's about surpassing the unfair reality."

Need a copy of Billy's DVD? write a comment in this blog.

Ratings: 4 stars

GAMITAN SA "PAUPAHAN"

Being treated as a commodity is a hurting truth we have to live by.

At first glance, you'll think "Paupahan" is another bold indie flick. The movie is set in slum area next to cemetery, made up of three unrelated but interwining stories of characters-all seemingly ‘living dead’-unfold in this anthology of lives of have-nots who have become commodities that are either for sale or for hire, in a most unlikely public cemetery just a stone’s throw from a squatter’s area( Kalye Sangandaan) in the city near the lake.

But as the story progresses, you are served with interesting stories of complex characters. Ang laos na callboy character ni Allen Dizon na pinasok ang pangbubugaw. The mother-daughter hate-and-love relationship of Snooky and Krista Ranillo. Ang busilak na pag-ibig ng isang matandang bading sa kanyang naging lover na inalagaan ang anak nito. Paghahayag ng gamitan issue sa mga third sex, at iba pa.

GLORIA( GLORIA ROMERO), is a caretaker of a rich family’s mausoleum, na may simpleng pangarap na gustong malibing pag namatay katabi ng puntod ng kanyang aswang si Donato who has long been dead.

DADENG ( GERMAN MORENO), Gloria’s gay neighbor who sells flowers for the dead in funeral parlor, is burdened by the child ( of a dead love-of-his-life) now a teen gay BYUTI ( KIRBY DE JESUS ), an incurable romantic who is head-over-heels in love with TOPHER ( JOSEPH BITANGCOL) ,a “user-friendly” bum, later revealed to be a closet “gay”. Dito ibinunyag ang GAMITAN ISSUE among gays. After everything have done, nag-hanap ng iba dahil sa matinding pangangailangan. Topher revealation of a NARCISSUS GUY, masyadong bilib sa sarili at ginagamit ang kanyang hitsura para mang akit ng “kapwa” niya bading. Dahil sa kanyang histura, ginamit niya ito para masunod ang luho, who turned out to be na ang gusto rin pala ay lalaki which admittedly, ay nangyayari sa totoong buhay. (Similar to the movie “Billy First Screen Kiss in Hollywood” na ang gusto pala ng prospect niya eh kapwa din niya model..he.he.he.he.he.. so common in Riyadh!)

Star ( KRISTA RANILLO ) ,is a trying-hard bit-player na nangangarap pumasok sa showbiz. She’d do anything for her ambition, kahit pumatol siya sa mga production staff just to get a role. Star has a ‘silent war’ with mother Lucinda ( SNOOKY SERNA), One common thing, though in this feuding mother-daughter tandem is their compulsion to work and earn. Lucinda brokers for neighbors who sell their kidneys and other vital parts for a fee. Ironically,she’s a chain-smoker who tries to survive despite her cancer-stricken lungs. While , Tonio Torres ( ALLEN DIZON ) ,is a male starlet-member of an all-male group called “Wild Boys”. Dahil sa tumanda na siya, nawala na rin ang amor niya sa mga matrona’t bading kaya pinasok niya ang pag bubugaw. Although matagal siyang naging callboy, he never go bottom. Pero kung kailan pa siya tumanda, saka pa niya naranasan sa isang mayamang bakla. For sure, you will shed tears because of the touching dialogues between Tonio and Star after Tonyo was sodomized.

ROBERTO SAN PEDRO( JAY MANALO ) ,an ex-convict, gets paroled by a powerful armed group who uses him as an assassin.A man of few words whose eyes reveal personal tragedies and utter bitterness ,he’s a reluctant hitman married to a nervous wreck, ANGELA SAN PEDRO ( ANGELU DE LEON), a good former public school teacher who has lost job after cracking due to extreme pressure.

Almost all of the above stories are resolved. Others are open-ended ‘coz that’s reality.