TV Junkie

I have the following shows recorded by my PVR this winter...

• This is Us
• Mercy Street (season just ended this past weekend)
• Victoria
• Walking Dead
• Elementary
• Wallander
• Vera
• Hinterland
• 24 Legacy
• Designated Survivor (about to start again this March after a winter hiatus)
• Emerald City (season just ended last week)
• Madame Secretary (hasn't been playing this February...nothing in March)
• Grey's Anatomy
• How to Get Away with Murder (season just ended last Feb or March)
• Speechless
• Sleepy Hollow
• Timeless (season just ended this March)
• Survivor (season beginning again this March)

That's a lot of shows!  Lol!  Some of them have just finished their season finales while some have just started or are about to start again though so it's not like I'm following all these all at the same time.  But it's still too many shows that I can't even begin watching The Man in the High Castle yet.

I'm also waiting for Better Call Saul to start again this April.  Hehe!

TV Junkie

K, the more interesting shows are back and I don't know if I'll ever find time to watch them all.  Geez.  These are on my PVR:

• Sleepy Hollow
• Walking Dead
• Vikings
• The Good Wife
• Madam Secretary
• Downton Abbey
• The Amazing Race
• Survivor
• American Idol
• Better Call Saul
• Gotham
• Elementary
• How to Get Away with Murder
• The X Files (now over with only 6 episodes)
• Vera
• Wallander

Then I have the downloads:

• The Affair
• Homeland
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
• Project Runway seasons I had not been able to catch

It's crazy!

Filming

One weekend in the country... turns out filming was also going on in the street of the house where I was staying.  So of course we went to see it.. It was for a TV series, I think for cable.

The scene was an action scene by a water tower.  We were standing on the front lawn of the neighbor's house/property, behind the crew, watching them shoot and do several takes.  It felt like camping, just with more light.  Lol.

Too Much TV!

So many shows to see... Off the top of my head, I watch/downloaded the following lately:

• Homeland season 4
• Survivor
• Amazing Race
• American Idol (I know! :P)
• The Walking Dead
• Better Call Saul
• House of Cards
• Madam Secretary
• The Good Wife
• Vikings
• How to Get Away with Murder
• The Slap - love this show
• a version of Masterchef
• The Americans

 

2014 Fall Shows

So many shows this fall.  Once again it's hard to pick which one to see first.  There should be a rule that limits the shows the networks and cable networks screen in the fall.  It's too much.  Who has the time?  While in summer it's like a dead spot.  Not many interesting shows at all.  Geez.  Oh well.  These ones are recording on my PVR this season.  But it doesn't mean I get to watch them all this season.

1. The Amazing Race
2. Sleepy Hollow
3. Madame Secretary
4. The Honourable Woman
5. Survivor
6. Outlander
7. Parenthood
8. Cedar Cove
9. How to Get Away with Murder
10. Grey's Anatomy
11. Intruders
12. American Horror Story: Monsters Among Us
13. Walking Dead
14. Revenge
15. Once Upon a Time - cancelling recording of it sooner or later.. there's just not enough space.
16. The Good Wife
17. At least 2 BBC docu/shows.
18. Legends - I might delete this.
19. Elementary

Plus Les Revenants, an interesting French TV series I downloaded but I find creepy to watch in the evenings.  Lol!  :D

Utterly Precious

Just finished binge watching the last season of Breaking Bad.  It's just too precious to see Saul Goodman having a Hello Kitty phone and handing that to Jesse Pinkman. Lol!!

The Huffington Post has an article on it even. 

I think I'll download that Hello Kitty ringtone.  Lol!  :D

Books & TV

Good stuff I watched recently on TV:

- Australia with Simon Reeve (BBC)
- Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve (BBC)
- World's Most Dangerous Roads (BBC)
- Broadchurch (tv series)

- The Bridge (tv series)
- Lonely Planet Road Less Travelled - Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan episode

Just finished reading some books:
- Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham Dixon --> good read, a biography of the artist/painter Caravaggio

- The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova --> wouldn't recommend

The Hundred Foot Journey by Robert Morais - like

And now reading Van Gogh The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, a biography of the artist Vincent Van Gogh.

Lord of War

Just finished watching Lord of War starring Nicholas Cage.  I thought it'd be an action-packed film but turns out it was even better than I had expected.

I never knew of this film 'til I saw it this past week or so on the TV guide list (Bravo channel) on my HD TV service and decided to have it recorded by the PVR.

Anyway the opening sequence alone was pretty nicely done.  I also liked the montage at the end.  Both are stunning.  I find this film is a deceptively intelligent and creative delivery of a simple but relevant story and this is what makes this film rather brilliant.  It's quite a satire.  And the fact that Nicholas Cage's character Yuri was in his business suit the whole time even when in the desert dealing arms is quite an effective tool to emphasize just what he is relative to the whole story.  It's kinda genius.  hehe.

Kudos to the writer/director Andrew Niccol.  And it's only after I watched Lord of War that I learned that it's the same director behind one of my favorite movies -- Gattaca.  Geez.  lol.

I love the soundtrack/score too. Gosh. Especially the choice of song for the end/credits -- Warlord by Antonio Pinto.   See/hear youtube link below.  I like the sound especially by 1:28 and how it was used in the end credits.  *shakes head*

Carnivále

I just finished watching two seasons of HBO's Carnivále.  My gosh.  I'm glad I finally got around to it.  Thank goodness for torrents.  Lol!

Years ago when it was playing on HBO back home, a friend mentioned the show and really encouraged me to watch it. But I never got to watch any episode because I always end up catching it when it was playing right in the middle of an episode already, while I was browsing through channels.

Anyway, years later (this year in fact), I still remember that recommendation and decided to try it.  Well what do you know, it's now my favorite show.  Better than Rome, Game of Thrones, Lost, etc., if not the best.  I can't believe it.  If this show was broadcast at the time of Twitter and FB, etc., I think it may have had enjoyed more popularity.  But then again maybe not.  Many good shows today get the ax and the not so good ones remain.

And the actors were all good - especially Nick Stahl, Michael J. Anderson, and Amy Madigan.  Wow.  It feels kinda bad that Nick Stahl doesn't seem to be too active these days.  It's a pity.  (I also liked Terminator 3 where Nick Stahl was in, vs the second one).

The set and production design alone for Carnivále was worth buying the DVD sets for the two seasons for which the show ran.  It's like I just collected something historical, almost factual, but in very good art form.  My goodness.  I'm just so amazed by it.  HBO's Rome's set design/production effort paled next to this one.  Gosh.  *shakes head*  I liked Rome, Game of Thrones, Lost etc but none of them made me buy their DVDs.  I may have thought it but I never did/decided not to.  But for this show, I did.  Especially when it's probably getting harder to find original DVDs for it as time goes on.  It's a great show.  I wish it went on for more than 2 seasons but it's all right too that it stopped where it did.  Great ending. 

British TV Series

I like the music for the opening titles for the British TV series Garrow's Law. Actually I like the show, too; and its cinematography, especially.

I watched/currently watch the following British TV series:

• Downton Abbey
• Spooks or MI5
• Case Histories
• Garrow's Law
• Lark Rise to Candleford

The next British TV series on my to-watch list:

• the current season of Downton Abbey
• Parade's End
• Strike Back
• The Hunted

Planet Earth

One of those things on my wishlist... DVD or if I had Blu-Ray, a copy of BBC's Planet Earth. hehe.

Anyhoo, I know I've blogged this video before with music by Sigur Ros. I'm just gonna blog it again. :P I love this video. It's among the best and most emotive ones I've seen, and heard. Hope you like it too. Such great visuals. Beautiful. Sigur Ros's song Hoppilolla just slams it home more.

Great Intro

My gosh. I watched this film two nights ago and am so glad I did, if only for this opening/intro alone.




That's amazing cinematography, to the tune of Beethoven's music too. Pretty cool.

The movie itself I liked too. Production design, the cute kid.. so funny really. I wonder if Lee Pace never laughed while doing scenes with her. She's sooo cute!! Sometimes seems like she just said her lines candidly. lol.

Classic Disney Christmas Toons

Lol!  I love these.  They're classic.

My fave Disney character is actually Donald Duck.  He's so funny.  And these videos below are among my favorite Disney cartoons.  Watched these in my childhood and glad to see them again online.






This is another of my Christmas favorites, Pluto's Christmas tree.





Those chipmunks are annoying. I love Pluto. Lol. 

Fave Philippines Video

The Philippines. So beautiful. This Survivor intro did the Philippines justice. The shot of the Banawe Rice Terraces.. gosh! And those animals. And the moving aerial view. I suppose it kinda beats any video the Philippines's Department of Tourism has ever put out.




I haven't watched Survivor in a very very long time. 'Til they shot this 25th season in the Philippines and the opening or intro is truly the best I've come across with Survivor. Makes me wanna go back home (but skip Metro Manila and the rat race and crabs there). Lol!

Then it's got shots of the Survivor participants in slow motion... with true emotion, candidly smiling, or really emotional or just challenged. Pretty cool.

And it's in HD too.  And when seen on a really big screen HDTV... oh wow!

Whomever edited it, chose the right scenes at the right time to the right music. It's just stunning. The best. Well done. =)

I Love Fall

It's fall and I love it!  Love the weather, love the leaves, etc.  It's sunny but not humid.  It's breezy.  It's perfect!  Even bought a cute autumn wreath to decorate my hallway.  Hehe!

Plus there's so many good fall shows.  Some old ones are back and several new ones look promising.  There are so many I just don't have time to watch all of them.  These are the shows on my PVR:

• The Amazing Race
• Project Runway
• Revolution
• Elementary
• World Without End
• Revenge
• Grey's Anatomy
• Parenthood
• Last Resort
• Scandal
• 666 Park Avenue
• Once Upon a Time
• The Good Wife
• Survivor Philippines
• American Horror Story

More than a dozen shows!  Gosh.  Some shows I can put off watching 'til the winter I guess.  The ones I like watching best from the above?

• World Without End
• The Amazing Race
• Project Runway
• Elementary
• Parenthood
• The Good Wife
• Survivor Philippines - because it's set in beautiful Philippines.  Lol.
• American Horror Story

And the shows I'm anticipating to see:

• The Walking Dead
• Downton Abbey
• Homeland

Happy Thanksgiving!  Gotta get ready for a friend's thanksgiving dinner tonight.  Ciao!

TV Shows

The following are some shows I watch and one or a few that I don't.  Just a random blog...

1.  Masterchef US - Chef Joe is fierce.  I'd be so stressed out working with someone like that I think.  Gordon Ramsay ends up looking like an angel next to him.  However, he's like a super strict teacher but at least you improve with a mentor like that.  This is also one of my favorite shows.

2.  Game of Thrones - "Winter is coming".  Teehee!  My favorite.  Enough said.  Currently reading the books on this too.

3.  The Good Wife - always interesting

4.  Harry's Law - interesting and funny, well-written

5.  The Big Bang Theory - alllways funny, hehe!

6.  New Adventures of Old Christine - Julia Louis Dreyfuss is a great comedienne and watching this show is a stress relief too.  haha.

7.  House Hunters & House Hunters International - on the HGTV network.  I like it 'cause I'm curious to see how homes are in other countries, the design, the destination.  The ones they've featured, in France (Paris) and Italy (Florence) I liked those apartments, particularly the one owned by an artist in Florence.  Nice!  They were quite amazing and full of character and identity, plus good use of space.  The design and personal touches the current owners (not the ones seeking to buy) have there, wow.

My List of Overrated Films

The following big-ticket films disappointed me and made me wonder at all the fuss.  Will update this post every time I find another film overrated.

1.  Eclipse and all its sequels.
Just when I thought it's done with a part two, here comes a part 3.  Gah.

2.  Shutter Island (by Martin Scorsese)

3.  Inception (by Chris Nolan)
Tried to make its story seem smart but isn't really smart at all.  At least The Matrix movies got it right. lol.

4.  The Departed (by Martin Scorsese)
You'd be better off watching the original Hong Kong version Infernal Affairs, anytime.  And this won an Oscar? *shakes head*

5.  Hugo (by Martin Scorsese)
Attempted to resemble an artsy fartsy French film but story failed to engage the audience.  Too dull.  Felt sorry for the kid who was watching it beside me.  Glad I didn't have to pay to see it (saw it for free care of rewards points from card), but appreciated the cinema history lesson.  Liked the little dogs though. :P

6.  Mystic River (by Clint Eastwood)
No more Clint Eastwood films for me from then on.

7.  Star Wars prequels.
Should have stopped at the 3rd installment of Star Wars.

8.  An Education (by Lone Scherfig)

9.  Atonement (by Joe Wright)

10.  The Notebook (by Nick Cassavetes)

11. vintage drama movies starring Leonardo di Caprio
No thanks.  lol.


For now, it's safe to say that if a film is by Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese, count me out of going to see it. hehe.

How to Train Your Dragon...and then Some

*Sigh*   Would have been really great to have attended this were it at my own backyard so to speak.  Such a talented person, how do they get this ability?  Composing music is abstract to me..  Makes one wish to have an exceptional and distinctive talent of one's own.  Lol.  And if there's one reason I'd visit London, it's to watch and listen to the Royal Philaharmonic Orchestra perform in their turf if anyplace else isn't possible.

Below is someone's youtube post of music composer John Powell conducting the Royal Philharmonic with selected music of his creation for the animated film How to Train Your Dragon.

From 03:25 is my favorite. Amazing!  Argh get me out of here.  Lol!  Makes me wish too that this was officially recorded with professional camera work, with nearer shots of the composer and orchestra performing.  There's a part 1 to the video as well in youtube.

It might be illegal to post it so just as the original poster was advised to do, I am giving credit where credit is due:  The concert was for charity, Concert for CARE at the Royal Albert Hall.  By CARE International:  If you enjoy this video, we kindly ask you to make a donation to CARE International. The idea of the concert was to raise money for the charity and all the composers gave a huge amount of time to help support us.  Please contribute by donating online here: http://bit.ly/cs3cw6

I came across the above video after some online research on the soundtrack to the movie How to Train Your Dragon.  I just finished watching it tonight.  Gosh!  It's among my favorites now.  Beats Avatar, or even Toy Story 1, 2, or 3 I must say on the movie enjoyment scale.  Lol.  Too bad I didn't get to see it on IMAX.

And below is my favorite track in the film: Forbidden Friendship.  It's the song that made me look for the sountrack initially, until I couldn't help but notice that the rest of the music in the film are quite outstanding as well while watching it.  Incredible.  hehe!  Seeing the film makes me wanna have my own cute dragon.  haha!

I also liked that they used Scottish actors/accents for some of the main characters.  Despite the incongruity of it with the story supposedly about a Viking community, the accents were effective, the words very clear.  One of them sounded so familiar, turns out it was the Spartan Leonidas (300's Gerard Butler) doing the voice for the Viking leader.

At certain angles, Toothless -- the protaganist's dragon (above) -- resembles Japanese animation characters like those in Pokemon/Pikachu.  Lol!  Cute.

I loved cinematographer Roger Deakins's work here too (especially the forest scenes, the aurora borealis, candle light cast on the characters, etc).  Lucky cast, crew and tech whizzes for having this film in their portfolio.  I'd be extremely proud if I were one of them.  hehe!

Anyway, now you know which movie and CD are newly added to my wish list.

The Life Aquatic

I think this is my favorite scene in the film. 

It's just so cute and funny.  That whale... swimming in and out behind Bill Murray like he's having fun while these two adults are talking seriously.  Strange and funny contrast but it works!  Lol.  I can't help but crack up especially at that part when the whale enters the scene swimming by belly-up, totally care-free, just hangin' out.  haha!

I liked this movie's soundtrack too.  Particularly the guitar songs being performed by one of the characters (played by Seu Jorge) singing in a different language in some scenes.  Turns out they're his rendition of David Bowie's songs in Portuguese. 

Metro de Madrid Ad ft Filipinos

A friend in Madrid, N, just recently sent a youtube link to a Metro de Madrid (Madrid subway company) ad that featured Filipinos. The dialogue was in Tagalog, and Spanish subtitle is used since it's played in Spain. I Like-y!! See a snapshot of the ad below.


Despite the seeming pandering to stereotypical notions of the Philippines, it still somehow well-represented the culture. I liked the language they used, the choice of words, the dignity, etc...

Seeing the ad made me miss Madrid/Spain though, especially when I heard the voice-over guy speaking in Spanish. :( Brought back memories. 'Cause it reminded me of the TV commercials there, as well as, of course, almost everything else I heard while in Spain that really brought home the fact that I was in Spain. Waaaa!

The ad also reminded me of the good things about the Philippines. For once here's a nice representation of the country/culture without the unpleasant distraction of Western pop culture imbibed into it as it is imitated in local media.

Also, Filipinos don't have a bad rep in Spain. At least I didn't get that impression while I was there. They are all hard-working and honest and friendly.

Kudos to McCann Erickson and of course, to Metro de Madrid. I love Spain! :D

You can find another youtube video of its longer and somehow funnier version when you go to the link above. Thanks N, for sharing the link... =)