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Mar 16
 I was watching the Oscars when they were showing the nominees for documentary films when I came across Food Inc. for the first time. So I went out to find a DVD of the movie as I was rather curious because of the tag line it had, “you’ll never look at dinner the same way again.” And they were right.
The film in a nutshell talks about how the food industry has transformed over the years and how in the present, only a handful of corporations actually control the entire market. So when you go to the supermarket and you can hardly pick out a product because of all the variety you see, well, think again. As much as there are so many brand names that give the illusion of variety, these are all made by the same corporations.
The eye-opener in the film was actually how the quality of food has changed. Sure, the quantity is a lot more than it has ever been, but to what consequence? I guess that’s what the movie is trying to get us all to see. And believe me, the consequences are pretty disturbing especially when you realize how and where your food is coming from.
I’d be lying if I said that I knew where, much less cared about how my food came from before, and that would probably be the reason why we are all at this point right now. I think if everyone was made aware of where our food actually comes from, we would be thinking twice about eating what we do every single day. But because we don’t know and because we couldn’t care less, we are all “healthy” contributors to the sad state we are all in right now. Such a shame.
The documentary also points out some of the travesties that have been so glaring in the agricultural industry in the US yet the government turns the other way. Why? Well, because of the money this type of business generates. And while the rich get richer, the farmers who actually have lands that grow these crops and house these animals, are the ones buried to their necks with debt and lawsuits so they are forced to comply or lose everything. Not much of a choice now is there?
I can’t speak for everyone but since I watched “Super Size Me,” which was another documentary that spoke about the fast food industry a few years ago, I’ve been more aware of what I should and shouldn’t be eating. It didn’t stop me from eating fast food though. But this film was a real eye-opener that finally made me do something about what I eat instead of just not giving a damn even after digesting such disturbing information. If you guys have not seen this film, take an hour of your time to do so, and I promise it will do you good.
 As a last thought on the matter, I tried to start eating healthy because of this film by taking in more veggies and swearing off on fast food like burgers and the like, but it’s pretty darn hard. You would be surprised why though and it isn’t why you think. I went to the websites supporting the cause (I put them on as links below for reference) and these sites give you the best advice they can on how you should eat. One of them was to eat organic food and buy from farmer’s markets as the products there are not contaminated by all these chemicals and are truly grown fresh. So I went to Healthy Options (a store that sells organic products) to see what they had and now I know WHY people would be hard-pressed to change their eating habits and why it would be practically IMPOSSIBLE to remedy the situation we are all in now.
I’d say I’m in the upper-middle class, to say that I can afford to buy relatively more expensive things if I wanted to. And if you think about it, what could be more important than buying things that can and should make you healthier. But when I went in that store, I really looked at all the products one by one, just to see what all the zero fat, no trans-fat, no chemical, organic stuff, was all about. So great, let’s buy a few, but…
Sure, there was a bit of variety, not a lot though, and you could handpick what you could eat, much less what you wanted to eat, but the problem was the PRICE. And this is where it’s going to hit everyone who watches this film. You may be inspired and your eyes may be wide-open, but can your pockets handle the cost of living a healthier life? If you can buy ketchup in Unimart for P70, why would you go to Healthy Options to buy it for P355? You can count on the cost of everything else in that store to be around that same ratio from your normal supermarkets compared to the organic kind. So I’m at a dilemma right now and I’m sure those who can’t afford it wouldn’t even think twice.
Reference Sites:
Food Inc : Official Site
Eat Well Guide
Food Matters
Organic Food Info
Jan 15
 I was quite curious as to how the tandem of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law would come out on screen as the trailer seemed quite funny. And surprisingly, the movie was humorously entertaining, and probably better than a lot of the movies that were shown in the past year. I really don’t know much about the real Sherlock Holmes, except that he’s a uniquely great detective with a doctor for a sidekick named Watson. And right now, I’m curious enough to want to read some of those short stories of his written by Doyle after watching this film.
The movie starts with an occult-sorcerer-serial-killer named Lord Blackwood being caught by the duo of Holmes and Watson. He is hung but not before scaring the life out of the prison and the entire town. Blackwood then mysteriously resurrects and continues with his killing spree spreading fear all around him. Holmes, befuddled yet unwilling to accept that the occurrences are supernatural in nature, goes on to find the clues only he is capable of unraveling. Add the challenge of figuring out what his past love Irene (played by Rachel McAdams) is in the picture for, makes the plot quite interesting and entertaining.
Robert Downey Jr. played Sherlock Holmes unbelievably well. His witty humor coupled with the exuberance of cunning he showed in his fight scenes were truly unique for a sleuth, as only an actor of his caliber could deliver. And for Watson, Jude Law was also as good. I never liked any of his movies but this one showed his true versatility. His demeanor while half unwilling to help Holmes but the other half totally willing, made the clash within himself hilariously funny. It’s possibly one of the best tandems on screen to date! Talk about best friends for life! This one takes the cake!
The movie was a fast-paced cat-and-mouse hunt and is riveting as well as funny in a lot of aspects. It was a tad bit over 2 hours but I sat there like a little kid enjoying what was quite a masterpiece of a movie. A very unique one that everyone who loves mysteries should definitely go see. I also liked how the movie ended as it closed the book on Lord Blackwood but opened an even more mysterious arch-enemy of Holmes in Professor Moriarty. And how is Irene connected to the mysterious professor?!
I don’t think there was a wittier and more entertaining movie from the past year, and what a difficult act to follow for whatever is to come in 2010. Great directing also by Guy Ritchie! I’m excited to see the second installment of this! Hope it’s very soon!
Personal Rating (out of 10): 8.6/10
IMDb User Rating (out of 10): 7.7/10
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong
Genre: Action, Adventure
Duration: 128 minutes
Links: Official Site, IMDB
Dec 21
 There is nothing better than going into a movie with the thought that it was praised to the high heavens by even the harshest critics and still come out of the theater saying it was better than they had said. Avatar simply blew me away. It has been a while since I finished the end credits to a movie, as it has always been a practice of mine to do so when it leaves me in utter awe and applause, and this movie was definitely one of them.
In what was probably the best example of photo-real CG on the big screen to-date, this movie simply blows away anything that has been shown before it. The interactions between the characters and the environment is truly incredible. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so engrossed in a movie and seriously wanted to believe that I was actually part of it, and Avatar certainly took it that far. The world of Pandora was simply amazing and I was in constant awe at how intricate the details were for everything they created in this world.
The storyline is also pretty good. It’s not really a new idea or anything of the sort, but the way the story was developed along with the characters was quite inspiring. The story revolves around a paraplegic marine who was given the chance to walk again through the use of a unique alien body called an Avatar. Fortunately for the main character Jake, his twin-brother had died and he had practically the same bio-stats so he was a perfect fit for his brother’s Avatar.
His job was to gain the trust of the natives, called the Na’vi, so that Parker (played by Giovanni Ribisi) can harvest the precious metal hidden under their lands without having to resort to the destruction of their world. What follows is Jake’s journey as a human that ends in his conversion to the ways of the Na’vi. He learns their ways and realizes in the end that their world is worth saving even if it means betraying humanity in the process.
The portrayal of both Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) at first seemed rather eerie, but as the movie goes on, it seemed to be rather apt for the entire plot. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) was played to a tee by the star of Alien, and there were actually scenes where I was expecting the Alien to come out and kill her, hehe. The cast was great although I’m not a big fan of Ribisi and he didn’t do anything in this movie to make me change my mind either. The total package still made this movie one heck of a hit. And I have to say, if you watch the trailer on TV and look at the pictures, it does this movie no justice, and is a far cry from seeing it on the big screen. So please, move your butt to the theater as it is well worth it.
Thinking back at the batch of great movies this year, I think this one is the best of 2009. Avatar is simply epic. I would strongly recommend for you to watch this in the big screen as DVD’s played in your flat screen will do the movie, and yourself, a great injustice. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to watch this in 3D yesterday but I definitely WILL. You should do the same  Kudos to James Cameron and his crew for creating Avatar! This isn’t a movie you can just talk about, you have to go see it.
Personal Rating (out of 10): 9.3/10
IMDb User Rating (out of 10): 8.9/10
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Duration: 162 minutes
Wallpapers: Jake Sully, Neytiri, Stephen Lang, In Flight, Neytiri Pose, Eye of Na’vi, Under Attack
Links: Official Site, IMDB, Pandorapedia
Jul 04
 My favorite animated film just hit theaters yesterday and what a hilarious 94-minute ride it was. I was pretty skeptical at first as to what possible storyline could still be made after 2 great Ice Age hits, but they did one heck of a job. I don’t recall the last time I laughed so hard watching a movie and this is definitely the BEST of the three films so far. I actually think adults might enjoy this movie more than the kids will, but for sure, this is a movie no one who wants to laugh their hearts out should miss. I looooved it!
The storyline of the movie moved from one of survival to friendship and now to family. In the third installment, Ellie and Manny are expecting their first child and as with many soon-to-be dad’s, he becomes obsessed with making things perfect and safe for his new family. Diego chases an antelope and ends up running out of breath with the antelope making fun of him in the end while Sid is his usual slobbering self looking for his place in the herd (or out of it). And of course, the side story of Scrat’s never-ending pursuit of his acorn but humorously finds love this time around… or does he?
The speed bump in the movie comes in when the herd meets Buck, played by Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead fame, MI3, and Star Trek), a hermit possum who has a few bells ringing after a life and death encounter with Rudy, the largest carnivorous dinosaur in the world. He has been foraging through the world underneath the ice and joins the herd in the hopes of saving Sid from a Momma Dino.
The cast is again as great as ever with the two crazy possums in Crash and Eddie tickling your funny bones in practically every scene. And with the new character in Buck leading the way blessed by Simon Pegg’s awesome English accent and the ride the herd takes to save Sid added to the tinge of how a real family should be, makes Dawn of the Dinosaurs a truly heart-warming and entertaining third installment!
There was a part in the movie that was probably one of the most hilarious movie scenes ever where the herd was on track to find Sid and had to cross a chasm of “poison green fumes.” You guys need to watch the movie to know what I’m talking about and I won’t spoil it for anyone but I guarantee you’re going to laugh like crazy. So what are you guys waiting for? Besides the disappointing 7.7 rating by IMDB, I highly recommend this movie and it’s definitely not even close to that rating!
Personal Rating (out of 10): 8.8/10
IMDb User Rating (out of 10): 7.7/10
Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Josh Peck, Sean William Scott, Simon Pegg
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Duration: 94 minutes
Links: Official Site, IMDB
Wallpapers: Manny, Ellie, Diego, Sid, Crash and Eddie, Buck, Baby Dinos, Momma Dino, Scrat, The Herd
Trailers: Apple Website
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