Carlo Borja: Movies

Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts

My weekly schedule is normally full. It almost seems impossible to insert other personal activities in there.

But, one leisure activity I always find time to do is watching a movie.

Whether it is in a movie theater or just at home watching Netflix, I won't hesitate spending 2 hours on it even on a busy day.

It might sound counter-productive but for me it really helps clear and re-energize my mind.

Also, I am not an expert movie critic. I don't judge movies based on cinematography, acting and those kind of stuff.

The reason I watch movies is I actually enjoy that momentary escape from reality.

For me, a good movie shifts my emotion for the next good 2 hours.

When I leave a movie theater in shock of what I saw, dropped my jaw from a wonderful story or smiling from a romantic comedy -- this is what I consider a movie that's worth watching.

I enjoy moments like that. It keeps me sane from all the work that is on my workaholic mind.

After all, I don't want to be just all work and no play. :)

Fun facts:

Shawshank Redemption is my all time favorite movie for the reason I mentioned above. If you haven't seen this movie, I guarantee you it will change your mood.
My current favorite movie theater is SM CDO Downtown Premier's Cinemas. (photo below).

Tonight we watched Fifty Shades Darker and I honestly do not know what to feel about this movie.

The objectification of women is strong.

The storyline was plain. I was even surprised that the movie ended abruptly.

It had a few giggles and good moments. But, that was it.

So, why all the hype?

Well, I guess the old advertising mantra that says "sex sells" is still true today.

I'm pretty sure that majority of the people went to watch this movie for that.

If you are into really good movies, then you might have to pass on this one. If you have nothing to do, then just join the bandwagon. :)

I just came home from watching Insidious 3.

There was so much hype for this movie. It had a creepy trailer.

I was basically expecting so much from the movie. But, it fell short of my expectations.

It was uhmm... okay. Not really that bad but not that great either.

The thing about bad movies is that they are:

1. A waste of time

I should have watched a better movie (I heard San Andreas is good). Or, I should have done something more productive.

2. A waste of money

Well, I paid a decent amount of money to see it in the theaters. But, it turned out to be bad. It's like ordering a restaurant food that you didn't get to enjoy.

3. Disappointing

This is self-explanatory. It even made me blog. lol

I believe Insidious 3 was an unnecessary addition the Insidious installment. The first two movies were good as far as I can remember.

This one felt like it was just added for the sake of making it a trilogy... or making money?

I don't know. Bottom line, just waste your money on something else.

It seems like private movie houses are getting more popular here in Cagayan de Oro City.

A few months ago, I posted about my experience in Stargaze and how I loved the place. It was the first private movie house here in the city.

Fast forward to today, we already have three.

A few weeks ago, we got the chance to try out Moviefy at Tomas Saco street.

It was awesome. I must say it was the kind of private movie house experience I was looking for. I loved every bit of it. Sorry Stargaze.

The owner himself was very accommodating. The place is cozy and well set up. Plus, the movie quality is really good. A big plus. It’s well worth the 300 pesos (minimum) per movie.

If you are a movie lover and you love watching movies in private, you definitely need to check the place out.

Here are their rates:

Regular Movies: 300php / Good for 3 persons / 75php for extra person (same rule for kids)
3D Movies: 500php / Good for 3 persons / 100php for extra person (Children below 10yrs not allowed)
Extended Version Movies: 400php / Good for 3 persons / 100php for extra person

Corkage Rates (per group/room):
Water,Soda (non-alcoholic) and Chips: FREE
Burger, Fries and the like: Php 50
Any kind of Pizza/s: Php 100

***Banned foods: Alcoholic Drinks, Lechon Manok, Fried Chicken, Rice Meals and other strong odored foods.

They don’t accept reservations anymore. There are only 3 rooms. So, expect them to be full most of the time.:)

Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Let me know your experience there!

I recently watched the movie Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman.

It was a movie I did not anticipate nor expected a lot from. We just watched it on a usual Friday date night. Surprisingly, I found it really good.

My kind of movies are the ones that me think deep afterwards. Think Inception, The Fight Club or Shawshank Redemption. These movies either boggle my mind, reflect on life or just plainly leave a lasting impression that will in a way change my life.

The movie Lucy quite gave me that feeling afterwards.

Seeing how the story developed, it made me realize how great the human potential is. We are only using 10% of our brain. 90% of it is still unexplored.

With that 10%, we have already made huge discoveries and invented brilliant stuff. How much more if we raise that up even just for a bit?

The movie explores the possibilities of using the brain to its maximum potential. It's purely science fiction since obviously no one has ever gone to that yet. But, everything that could possibly happen is just mind boggling. It's even scary.

Whatever that unexplored stuff may bring, I think the important thing is to never stop learning.

There is so much stuff to learn and you haven't even reached your full potential yet.

Image Source: moviepilot.com

Filipino movies have garnered such a bad reputation lately.

It might have something to do with the low budget romantic comedy, action and drama movies we have produced for the past decade or two.

Although I believe in that, I would also have to stress out that it must be because the stories we have been producing are lacking in substance. The really good films are rare and I have no idea where they can be found.

After watching On The Job, a film by Erik Matti, I felt really proud.

Watching a Filipino movie never felt this good. The story was brilliant. For me, it was an immersive experience of how dirty and corrupt our system is. The story was inspired by true events.

I feel sad that this film is not getting that much buzz locally. Our local cinemas only screened it for a week. Fortunately, they decided to give it a rerun because of popular demand. That was why I got the chance to see it. I'm glad I did.

This is the kind of movie Filipinos have to be proud of. The actors, even the ones that only had a few minutes of screen time were really good. The story was very well written. It made me think deep and ask a lot of questions. That is a good thing. It makes the movie even more memorable. The story stuck with me even after I left the cinema.

By the way, because of its brutal and intense action scenes, my girlfriend was a bit traumatized by the movie. Seriously. I had to kind of calm her down to get her back to reality.

It was a heavy movie indeed. And, I could not stress enough how good it was. It set a high bar for Filipino action films (or feature films in general). I just wish we had more movies like this.

Over a year ago, I made a movie review on Breaking Dawn Part 1. I said it wasn't that good. The story was weak but I enjoyed it anyway. I gave it a rating of 6. It was just a so-so movie.

Earlier this month, I watch the second part officially entitled "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" at the newly opened Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City. Of course, I came in the theater without expecting that much because of what I got after watching the first part.

But, guess what? This movie totally exceeded my expectations. I already said before that I am not a Twilight fan. However, this movie lives up to what it says. It's the epic finale that will live forever. The movie totally took away my negative impressions with the previous one.

The story was absolutely good. It was so intense I literally held my breath in some scenes. Plus, the movie had one of the best finales I've ever seen. It was definitely memorable. It concluded the love story of Edward and Bella well. And best of all, the soundtrack captured my emotions as I was immersed in that finale scene. It was perfect!

I think the movie deserves a 10. This was the only Twilight movie that left a lasting impression on me.

If you also still got a hangover of the song "A Thousand Years" after watching this movie, here you go:

“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

This movie may be old (released in 1994) and have a million reviews. But, it's worth blogging and talking about. This easily goes to my list of favorite movies of all time. Oh wait. It probably is my FAVORITE movie of all time. It's the best movie I've seen to date.

The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of a convicted man going through the rough system of a marine state prison (Shawshank). In the process, he changes the lives of the people around him and leaves a valuable lesson on hope, friendship and freedom.

Rarely does a movie hit me on a personal level. But, this movie totally did. It gave me that feeling of eternal hope, freedom and friendship that no movie has ever done yet. Profanity aside (in most of the script), watching The Shawshank Redemption gave me that 'cleansing' experience. That feeling where you get refreshed, renewed and have a new perspective in life. It may sound a bit exaggerated. But, yes. That was the best 2 hour movie experience I ever had.

This is one of the best stories ever written. Stephen King is an awesome writer. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were exceptional in this movie. The movie is unforgettable. I could watch this over and over just to get that renewed feeling of being hopeful in life. It must be true then. Hope is really a good thing ... and no good thing ever dies. This movie talks about eternal hope, it sticks on you and for that reason this movie will never die.

I will go direct to the point. This movie is so good and a must watch. Here are the reasons why:

1. The John Lloyd-Bea tandem never fails to still give us that magic and chemistry even after 10 years. I admittedly am a fan of the love team.

2. John Lloyd and his manly tears. It hits you right through the heart. Seriously.

3. It's a powerhouse cast. Ronaldo Valdez and Hilda Koronel were a great support. They made some intense scenes you surely wouldn't want to miss.

4. I may be biased on this since it is my favorite song but Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars was a good choice of soundtrack. It played at the right time and fit the mood of the movie well.

Undoubtedly, Star Cinema makes the best quality contemporary Filipino movies (remember No Other Woman?). Hopefully we'd get more quality movies like this so we'll get out of those stereotypical 90's pinoy movies with all the dancing and singing at the end (if you know what I mean).

The Raid: Redemption, an Indonesian action film is one of those movies I did not expect to be that good. I had little expectations but it turned out to be great.

If you are looking for pure hand to hand combat action, then this movie is totally for you. If you are bored with the usual car chases and gun shooting in most American films, then for sure this would be a refreshing movie to watch. I can't help but wonder at the amount of time they spent rehearsing every action stunt. The martial arts were awesome and they were executed well.

The story had its own good twists too. But, I got too focused on all the detailed, snappy and even gruesome action stunts that I kind of lost track of the story. It's still good and worth watching anyway.

7/10.

One of the qualities of a really good animated film (or a children's story) is the ability to capture the hearts of both kids and adults. I think The Lorax just did that. That's why I loved it.

The eco-friendly story of the film revolved around how important it is to take care of the environment while being presented in a brilliant and colorful 3D animation. However, what struck me most was the underlying message on top of the already good story it had. It's about initiating change and how one person can make a great difference in the world. To quote one line from the movie, "(referring to the seed of a tree) It's not about what it is. It's about what it can become." What a beautiful piece of wisdom. There's a lot more to learn from the movie by the way.

Anyway, the mere fact that this family movie left a bit of inspiration on me is enough for me to give it a good rating of 9. I think it's worth watching.

I finally got the chance to watch The Dark Knight Rises last night. I came in the movie theater with so much expectation since many people were telling me how good of a movie it was.

It was indeed good. It had an awesome story with some unexpected twists. The 'dark and twisty' feeling was present throughout the entire movie. However, it fell short of my expectations.

Why? Maybe because it was too long (2:40 hours)? Maybe because I wasn't that into Batman franchises and trilogies? I don't know. Even though it was supposed to be a really awesome movie, I thought it was just okay.

For those reasons, I would personally give it an 8. Later on, I might review the Dark Knight trilogy and see if it might change the way I viewed this movie.

I would easily give this movie a 10. Other than having a good story that complements the Spider-Man franchise, I absolutely loved the movie for these 3 reasons:

1. This probably had the best action sequences compared to the 3 other Spider-man movies.
2. Andrew Garfield delivered his character really well. He was really amazing. I think I prefer him over Toby Maguire as Spidey.
3. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's chemistry on screen is spectacular. It blended really well with the whole story.

John Lloyd Cruz stars in another Star Cinema Valentine offering this time with Angel Locsin. Expect no usual mushy romantic comedy you would normally think of getting from a Filipino movie love story because this one proves to be different. Rated R-13, this movie is daring and has a bit of a western taste to its story.

It might not appeal to kids and some teenagers because of its explicit sex scenes but overall, the movie was fun. Story wise, it was just common. But, John Lloyd's charm never fails and Angel Locsin's hot and sexy appeal was just right. Expect sexy and daring scenes from both actors, a few laughs in between and some presentations of relationship realities.

This movie shows how Filipino stories are starting to step up and becoming more like the daring western romantic comedy movies we've seen. I would give this an 8.

Before anything else, I'd like to make it clear that I am not a die hard fan of the Twilight series and I watched the movie as a regular movie goer who never read the book and doesn't even have an idea of what's going to happen in the movie.

Anyway, the first part of Breaking Dawn was honestly not a 'good' movie. By good, I mean having an epic story that would leave a lasting impression on me and even give me insights that I would carry on after watching and understanding the whole story.

It was not a good movie. I could even close it out to just an ordinary or a so-so movie. BUT, (there's a big but here) nevertheless I still enjoyed watching it. Despite the weak story, it still had some very intense, passionate and even humorous moments that would still make it a nice movie.

All I could even remember at the moment are vampires, werewolves, sex (vampire-human at that) and some gruesome moments. What makes this movie successful is probably just the fan base and the hype it creates. I wouldn't be surprised if this will NOT win an award. I wouldn't also be surprised if it WOULD. Fans would do anything anyway. lol.

It's just a 6. More like a 5 but plus 1 for the enjoyable moments and the good soundtrack!

Named the "Highest Grossing Filipino Movie of All-Time," this movie starred no other than the funniest comedian in Philippine television today -- Vice Ganda! and backed up by big names like Derek Ramsay, Jimmy Santos, Eddie Garcia and a lot more.

Though the story is typical and the values it exposes in the end are predictable, the movie guarantees tons of laughter and it did not disappoint. It proves that Filipinos love comedies and despite all the tough times we experience with our economy, we still spend a bit for anything that would make us laugh.

You will enjoy this movie. Really.
8/10

Need I say more? The title already says it all.

This is the first documentary that aired after Steve Jobs passed away. If you don't know him, it's worth watching to have an idea of how one man changed the modern world. If you already know him (like I do), it's great to reminisce all that he has done in the field of technology and the consumer market.

One striking line that was said in the documentary that could probably summarize everything about it was:

"He never really invented the computer, the music player or the smartphone. But, he transformed our thinking from 'Do I really need this?' to 'I can't live without it.'

The legacy of Steve Jobs will continue to have a ripple effect for the years to come. Long live, iGenius!

Cristine Reyes and Derek Ramsay take on the role of a happily married couple whose relationship was tested by a happy go lucky and carefree woman played by Anne Curtis.

Story wise, it was typical. The movie even had unresolved conflicts. However, you would definitely trade such downside for the very well written and memorable script. Seriously, you'll hear a witty exchange of lines from the actors. Also, the cinematography was really good. One of the best I've seen for a Filipino movie.

The real gem here was Anne Curtis. She was brilliant and she spiced up the movie. This is probably her most mature role and she delivered it well - excellently perhaps.

I'd say it's a must watch especially for those who are in a relationship. It's very relatable regardless of whether you're married or not.

I'd give this a 9. It's a quality Filipino movie.

This is not the typical romantic cheesy comedy that normally only makes you feel good for one night.

You're in for some treat with Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's an intelligent, fun and and certainly great romantic comedy film that will leave a lasting impression (at least for me though). I personally think it's one of the best romantic comedy films I've seen so far.

The entire movie was a string of wonderfully written stories about love and relationships. But, if I have to go to the bottom line, it only says one thing:

We all go crazy and stupid with romantic relationships and attachments. But, love remains that single most important thing worth fighting for.

8 out of 10.

Even though the movie presents a typical story about romance, adventure and life, I just can't help but be blown away by the amazing visuals and the lingering, excellent soundtrack which helps in the overall tropical, refreshing and fun feeling of the city for which the movie was named.

I'd give this an 8.

I'm Carlo Borja

Education

Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan

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Head of Online Marketing

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JOURNAL

1. A waste of time

2. A waste of money

3. Disappointing

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