Close Range: Wyoming Stories

I just finished reading a book, which is a collection of short stories by Annie Proulx. It is a compendium of eleven tales of the hard lives of ranchers and country wives in Wyoming; yes, this includes the famous Brokeback Mountain, which was adapted into a film starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Close Range: Wyoming Stories is a great read and very interesting. Proulx has a certain knack for painting great imagery of a laid-back place that always play a huge part in each story. They are poetic, teeming with life, humorous and at times heart wrenching. Brokeback Mountain came in last in the collection - like a reward for staying - and reading the previous tales made one understand more of what kind of hard predicament Ennis and Jack were in.

I loved the movie, and after finally reading the story in print, I fully understand why Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana won the best adaptation at the recent Oscars. It was a 35-page story packed with emotions, and translated on screen as what the reader would imagine it to be. They kept the best lines in the book and added some more - something of which cannot be said on any Harry Potter adaptations.

Next stop: I'll buy the DVD. I'll take Jack's line to Ennis: "I wish I knew how to quit you. "

Order on the fifth

Now that the official DVD of the Goblet of Fire is out, friends had asked me when the next Potter movie is coming out. Well, here is the news for The Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book adaptation: it should come out in the summer or spring of 2007. Production has already started and we should expect a teaser trailer by the end of the year.

If you have met new characters in the fourth film and loved the amazing dragon, the lake and the humongous maze, then brace for more. Harry's personality will turn a bit - teen angst. He is the CAPSLOCK Harry this time: petulant, dejected and left out.

Things to looks forward to:
1. The Dursleys will be back: big D and his gang; Dementors at Privet Drive; Harry's expulsion trial
2. Hermione and Ron getting their Prefect badges
3. Harry's anguish over Cedric's death. For all those Robert Pattinson (Cedric) fans, I heard that you'd see some of him in this fifth film; the Hufflepuff golden boy will appear in flashbacks (not as a ghost, I hope).
4. Harry's first kiss, and first date (yes, they should come in that order)
5. The Inquisitor Club (slimy Slytherin gits)
6. Grawp, Hagrid's younger 16-foot brother
7. Luna Lovegood (an eccentric fourth-year Ravenclaw who looks at Harry and Ron with dreamy eyes)
8. Ginny Weasley coming into the forefront (Bat-bogey hex)
9. Dumbledore's Army (a group of students led by Harry learning Defense Against the Dark Arts unbeknownst to the teachers); the Room of Requirement; fireworks mayhem
10. A new DADA teacher from hell: Dolores Jane Umbridge
11. The Order of the Phoenix (of course, the title wouldn't be quite right if they miss this out): Mad-eye Moody (the real one), Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shackelbolt, Nymphadora Tonks
12. Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black and Kreacher (an abominable house-elf). Will we get to see the tapestry of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black? I hope so, for it figures largely in the sixth and seventh books.
13. The OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) - it's the magical world's O-levels
14. Harry's one-on-one Occlumency lessons with Snape. And, of course, Snape's Worst Memory: a pensive scene back when he and Harry's parents were still at Hogwarts (young James, Lily, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were casted)
15. Nagini attacking Arthur Weasley
16. Dumbledore's arrest and spectacular escape (for book fans: Dawlish was casted so we should expect this scene)
17. The duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore, which should be awesome
18. Real battle between the good and bad wizards and witches (kiss ass!); someone falling into the veil: Sirius Black (oops!)
19. Bellatrix Lestrange: a Death Eater deep within the circle of the Dark Lord ("little bitty baby Potter")
20. The Prophesy that should be a kick in the gut for a cliff-hanger ending


Here are more parts in the book which has a huge chance of being left off, but would look good on the screen:
1. Hagrid and Madam Maxine going to the giants' lair (boring when Hagrid told this story, but a huge special effects feat on film)
2. Harry and the Weasley twins in a Quidditch scuffle that led them to be banned from playing anymore Quidditch
3. Thestrals: the invisible horse-like creatures that pull the carriages from the train station to the school. Harry and his friends will ride them to get to the Ministry of Magic
4. The Weasley twin's departure from Hogwarts; this should be awesome, but they have left out Peeves (a poltergeist that plays practical jokes on students: "GOT YOUR CONK!") in the previous movies.
5. Dobby the house-elf from Chamber of Secrets. We missed him in Goblet of Fire, and I'm pretty sure again this time, but he was the one who told Harry of the Room of Requirement (I hope they don't give that to Neville again)
6. Quidditch games (special effects cost a lot), but I do hope we'll get to see Ron's Keeper try-outs. How about the Seeker match-out between Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley? It's a great foreshadowing of Harry's love life
7. Harry and his friends meeting Neville visiting his parents at St. Mungos, a hospital for wizards (I'm really praying that they include this one; this is heartbreaking); crazy Gilderoy Lockhart (their teacher from Chamber of Secrets who lost his memory)
8. Firenze (the centaur who saved Harry in Philosopher's Stone) teaching them divination

The book was huge and there was so much going on that I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be able to pack into a two and a half-hour of film. Maybe they should start to consider extending it to three hours, fans wouldn't mind.

And oh, the sixth film should come hot on its heels (2008).

Pin Crasher

That's the name of our team last Saturday; made up of Herman, April, Arlene and me. We didn't win but we weren't that bad either. We ranked 11th among 24 teams, and I ranked 13 for the female bowlers of 40 something; not a bad standing.

I really did well considering my scores during practice. I scored 144 and 145 for my first and last games (without the handicap). Not bad, huh? Oh, just so you know, it was a 9-pin tap game. Go figure that out.

An Englishman will burn his bed to catch a flea

"Remember, remember, the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot;
I know of no reason, why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."

That is a popular English rhyme often quoted on Guy Fawkes Night, in memory of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. And this is where the movie V for Vendetta begins. Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of Roman Catholic conspirators, who attempted to assassinate King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and the members of both houses of the Parliament of England by blowing up the House of Lords (Palace of Westminster). Fawkes is largely responsible for the later stages of the plan’s execution, but they were, however, detected before its completion and were executed for treason and attempted murder.

Then we now move forward to the future of a totalitarian Britain, a time when the World War III has come and gone; a time when the United States of America is no longer in power, where everything was left in chaos. In order for England to prevail, the citizens became complacent under one law – a fascist state, where the government controls what people see on television, read in the papers, and when can they venture out in the streets.

"It is for their protection," as what the iron-fisted Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt) reminds the passive populace. He leads the single-party Norsefire that keeps control of the country through food shortages, suspended civil rights, secret police, a planned economy, and suppressing the nation's various political, ethnic and sexual minorities.

Then came V (Hugo Weaving), a knife-throwing, poetry-quoting caped crusader living like the Phantom of the Opera and hides behind the smiling mask of Guy Fawkes. He rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from being molested by the secret police and gained an ally. He is a terrorist and anarchist who started an elaborate, violent, and theatrical campaign to bring down the government by blowing up London landmarks. He then took over the government-controlled airwaves, to urge his fellow citizens to rise up against their tyrannical and oppressive government - telling them that they are all imprisoned and showed them the bars.

This is a story of a government who should be fearful of the people it governs and of a terrorist who can be called a hero. V for Vendetta is based on the ten-issue comic book written by Alan Moore (though he removed himself from the movie credits after being appalled with the script) and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd. The first-time director James McTeigue helmed the movie while the Wachowski brothers (Andy and Larry) of the Matrix fame wrote the screenplay.

The movie isn't a disaster as what other people may think. If people were bogged down by the pompous metaphysical mumbo-jumbo of the Matrix sequels, this movie with all its lofty philosophizing is very thought provoking. It focuses more on the characters than on exploding buildings and fight scenes. It is a movie with action, ideas and an uncanny vision of a possible future.

There's talk on this film about glamorizing terrorism and will strike to some as irresponsible or even treasonous, but I think it is a cheeky way to show that, indeed, one man's freedom fighter can be another man's terrorist. There surely is a certain seductiveness in the psychology of terrorism when you are sure you are on the right side; just think of the other movie Munich.

Quitters never win, and winners never quit, but those who never quit AND never win are idiots

I went back to the alley, after five long years, to play four games of bowling yesterday. I'd say, I did quite good base on my expected average: 60. I know it's pretty low, but I'm really not that good at all in that sport. I did fair well with these scores: 65, 73, 72, and 84. Abysmal, but who cares? I did enjoy it.

After such a long time, why go back to it again? We were just preparing for the fun bowl on Saturday sponsored by the Maybank Club. Chances of winning for our team may be dim, but, hey they also give out awards for those with the lowest scores! I think I have a good fighting chance on that.

Money can't buy love, but it sure gets you a great bargaining position

Can man ever have enough of everything? Will there come a time that he will stop and say, "Enough! This is too much. All I have is all I need. I'm happy now"? Is there a limit to man's thirst for knowledge, for power, and for wealth?

I had a conversation with a friend some time ago about readiness when it comes to marriage. Is financial stability a good gauge to know if you are ready for married life? I said, "Nope." It doesn't matter whether you have ten thousand dollars or one thousand pesos in the bank long as you are sure of each other and that the love that should bind you together is there.

Let me put it in another perspective. Think about the time when you were just earning 20 thousand pesos back in the Philippines in 1999, is it enough for your single lifestyle? Maybe just about enough to get you through a couple of gimik nights in a month. Somehow after two years you got an offer to work outside of the country and your salary almost quadruples. You were ecstatic; it's a huge difference from what you are making do with, and so you grabbed it.

Suddenly you realised that it wasn't really that huge at all, because in a foreign land you have to pay for all the bills this time - you're not living with Mom and Dad anymore. Yet you're not in the same situation you were in before; money isn't tight now: you can afford to buy more things and go clubbing once a week, and have enough money to store in the bank. Life is easy and without realising it your lifestyle changes: you need a higher paying job. The more money coming in, the more lax you are when it comes to spending. Before, you can take the bus, but now it's either your car or the cab.

So is ten thousand dollars in the bank enough savings to carry with you into marriage? If you're going to have a lavish wedding, I don't think it's enough to cover everything. Think, however, that the wedding isn't the whole of marriage but just the rite. People will say that love can't feed you or "Nakakain ba yang love na yan?" As long as the two of you are not going to live off as bums, things will work out right. Take it from me; I didn't have ten thousand dollars in the bank when I got married.

A man who follows his own wishes changes his attitude with time. Very soon he is not satisfied any more with the things he does. - Leo Tolstoy

News: the compelling realities all around us... that we are at a stage where we have trouble every day, we have bombs every day

One reason why I don't watch the news at TFC is that it simply gets me in a bad mood. The news you'll see could dampen your spirits, surprise you or enrage you; most of the time, I am outraged. The pictures rolling in the news aren't the ones that could make you miss your country very much and want to go back to; they're the ones that invoke the thought "glad I'm not there anymore," which to me is pathetic.

I made a mistake yesterday when I watched another edition of TV Patrol World - not sure why, maybe there are no other decent shows to flip through. The news about unconstitutional detention of members of the House of Representatives simply went trough my right ear and off with the other; I've grown numbed with all the hullabaloos in Philippine politics - it's just plain dirty. I am one of those who agree with my favourite blogger Jay David in his prayer. If all sensible Filipinos say that prayer together, do you think it can happen?

The news about the protests of the street sweepers caught my attention though and got me fuming. These MMDA street sweepers are claiming that they have not received any salary increases for more than three years now, neither do they receive any benefits that are due them, and top it all off, they even have to shoulder the expenses in buying the equipments they need in cleaning the streets. An old woman, who had been working as a street sweeper for thirty years now, even have to borrow shoes from her colleagues, who had already finished their shifts, because it's a mandate that they need to wear the prescribed shoes while working; hers were already wrecked and they have not received their so-called clothing allowances since 2004.

These people are only earning five thousand pesoses in a month (that's US$100 to you old chap). They buy broomsticks worth 15 pesos daily, dustpan for 45 pesos every week, and a piece of sack everyday for 8 pesos (for dirt collection), just so they could do their job properly; they even have to buy the "Clorox" and cleaning powders. This is like asking a programmer to join your company but he has to bring his own computer and pay for his share of electric bills. A government official answered that MMDA no longer has a budget to cover the cleaning materials needed for the year. What kind of budgeting do the people in the Philippine government do? No wonder Metro Manila is still as dirty as the mud-slinging politicians governing our country.

Your friendly neighbour... Man in Black

I've mentioned before that one of my two favourite superheroes is The Amazing Spider-man, and here's an update to the blockbuster movie franchise. I received this pic from the Sony Pictures (no, I don't have any connections with any of their people); I'm simply subscribed to the official Spider-man site that's why.

That picture isn't black and white; this merely confirms one of the villains our superhero has to face in the third movie - I've heard they're three. And whom that might be, you ask? It's Venom. There was a time when Peter Parker stumbled upon a black material that's alien from this Earth and he used it for a new suit (I guess he got tired of the red and blue ensemble or that MJ found it too tacky?) This alien thing affected his personality and tried to get into his system - more like the red stone for Superman, huh (I'm actually raking my brains here, not very sure). Peter somehow managed to take it out, but this biological thing possessed another being: Eddie Brock.

Mr. Brock, a journalist, is Peter's arch-nemesis at the Daily Bugle - more like Draco Malfoy for Harry Potter. I wonder what Venom would look like in the film; Topher Grace will be playing this part. But I have no fear when it comes to the Spider-man franchise; costumes are very close to what were drawn in the comic books - most of them villains and hero, anyway. That is one reason why I love the team who brought us the Spider-man movies: they tried to get as close to what we've read in the comic books. Spidey's suit is the coolest superhero costume I've ever seen in the movies. Why can't the Batman and Superman costume designers get it right? Batman with nipples or Superman with hipster briefs and a cape that isn't red enough, come on!

The other villain is the Sandman; now I wonder who might be the third one. Could it be Green Goblin with "Don't tell Harry" behind it? Well, it was hinted on the second film, but I've heard some rumours that he's going to be the Hobgoblin, which is kind of ridiculous because some guy named Kingsley is the Hobgoblin. I know that Norman Osborn is supposed to come back from the dead, but I know movies can't follow all the twists and turns of a comic book. The ending of the second film was perfect for the re-emergence of the Green Goblin.

I can't wait! But May 4, 2007 is still too far from where we are standing right now, I just have to contend with Superman in hipster briefs this summer. Darn!