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January 05:
Post-Christmas mini-reviews.

Apart from a growing stack of bridal books and magazines, these are the things that kept Arn and me entertained over the holidays:

heywait (6k image)
Hey, Wait by Norwegian cartoonist Jason. Highly recommended by Ramonra, the book is actually one of my Christmas gifts to Arn. The story is very heartbreaking but is told so beautifully, all in simple yet striking images, that you'll want to go through it again and again just to inspect details you may have missed the first time. Warning: it gets sadder with every read-through.

spirited (4k image)
Spirited Away. What a charming movie! It's adventure + a little bit of comedy + fantasy in a Neverending Story kind of way (well the flying dog-beast reminded me of it) all rolled into one enchanting audio-visual experience. The shops in Japan were teeming with copies of the newly released DVD when we were there in October but I held off buying one until I got home, knowing I could get it cheaper here, heh. IMHO, it's Miyazaki's best yet (and today's his birthday!). You may read our pal Dimaans' more detailed review.

dmpsnday (6k image)
Dumped and Slow News Day by Andi Watson. After we read and fell in love with Watson's storytelling style via Breakfast After Noon and Geisha, we knew this double purchase would be a good idea. Both everyday-kind-of-relationship stories read so real that soon enough you'll feel that you're watching the characters right from your apartment window.

A Walk to Remember. We didn't get to see this film during its run though we got intrigued after Luis K told us that it was better than he expected (oops, did I just ruin your rep, Luis?). Anyway, Arn's brother Jing lent me the vcd a week ago so sige na nga, I gave it a chance. Being the mushmallow that I am, I liked it and actually cried at several parts -- wait let me finish -- also because I can relate (I have a brother who succumbed to leukemia when he was 6). Worth your 90 minutes of planet time.

Ang Agimat, the only MMFF movie we felt like seeing because (1) it's a fantasy-adventure movie; (2) we were not in the mood for melodramatic face-slapping finger-pointing hoohah; (3) the teaser actually "teased" us. Saw it the first week of its run and the theatre was packed with Jolo Revilla fans (the kid can't really act but the brooding pa-intense look holds promise). All in all? Better than we expected (we didn't expect anything much, really) but hardly what you would call "a good movie".

I'll be back with more soon.

9 comments

Carlo!!! Happy new
year to you too. Funny
ka ha pero oo nga,
bagay si Ramon
Revilla na Saruman! (:

Posted by Cyn
Jan 16 | 08:35 AM

Happy New Year Cynthia and Arnold!

Re: Agimat. Did you guys watch it to quench the pre-holidays "Lord of the Rings thirst"? After all, it had Ramon Revilla (with long white "Pantene-ed" hair)as Saramon..

Posted by Giancarlo Herman
Jan 12 | 04:57 PM

Astrid: Thanks for the
lead (kaya lang
syempre we're not
part of that egroups)
(; Congrats again re
PBBY!

Monra: But you've lent
us so much stuff
already hiya na kami.
When we return your
other books na lang (:
As for Forlorn Funnies,
haven't read it bec it's
still with Arn (he liked
it!) -- I'll remember to
get it later (: Thanks
again!

Posted by Cyn
Jan 10 | 05:22 AM

yeah i'll have to second that, kavalier and clay is one of the best books i've ever read, and i just recently finished his new one, summerland. if ever you want, ate cyn, just let me know and i can lend it to you guys! btw, were you able to read the forlorn funnies? how'd you like it? (honestly)

Posted by ramon
Jan 10 | 12:16 AM

i dunno if it's still available but someone was selling a copy of it for P100 in the alamat egroups.
and honorable mention lang po sa pbby. hopefully, i should be able to peddle it around before the year ends! thanks!
good luck on the your wedding preparations. don't get married at the manila cathedral!!! superstitions lang. :D

Posted by astrid
Jan 08 | 04:53 PM

Hey Astrid, yup that
Kavalier and Clay
seems to be popular
with comic crowd. We
have't had a chance
to read it yet but am
sure we'll be able to
borrow one from any
of our friends (as
everything we're
earning at the
moment is going
straight to the joint
account (: )

Posted by Cyn
Jan 07 | 04:12 AM

just wanted you to know that being comic book geeks and all, you really must get kavalier and clay (then again, maybe you already have.) i got it for christmas and i really love it. haven't finished it because i am cherishing every chapter. it's the golden age of comic books!!!

Posted by astrid
Jan 06 | 04:35 PM

You kidding Monra?
We love it!!! Thanks
so much again ha! (:

Posted by Cyn
Jan 05 | 08:33 PM

Whew! I'm really glad you liked Hey, Wait...! I was afraid you'd take me up on my money-back guarantee! ;P

Posted by ramon
Jan 05 | 08:07 PM