Let's watch a movie at Resorts World??!??

That was my very first reaction, actually. I signed up at THIS site to be included as one of the thirty bloggers to watch the premiere movie showing at Newport Cinema at Resorts World. My husband, Jojo, has his own blog too. You can find it HERE so I also signed him up.

Coming back from Malaysia, I immediately see the semblance between Resorts World Manila and Genting Highlands. Sure, we don't have the cable car, the huge indoor and outdoor amusement park but it definitely has the same feel. It's no wonder. Resorts World Manila is a joint venture between Genting and Megaworld! ;-) Needless to say, they also have condos put up here. It's right behind the St. Lourdes Church.

Resorts World is strategically located across NAIA 3. This place holds a lot of promise if and when (I hope!), all of the international flights at NAIA 1 is transferred to Terminal 3. Add to that a path or underground walkway from the airport to the Resorts World area and we're all set! There's still a lot of construction going on and this area is really nowhere near done. But for now, you can find the Marriott Hotel, our only 6-star hotel in Manila: Maxims, and Newport Plaza. On the other end of Marriott -- the third building, is where all the casinos, shops, restaurants, and now, cinemas, are located.

From a recent trip in Macau, I could immediately see the Newport Plaza's similarity to the Venetian Macao Hotel. I kid you not. For real! The establishment has potential. Once it's done, you'll see designer shops lining the first floor. There's only about two shops open on the first floor, I think. One is a watch shop, and the other, a jewellery store? It's really exciting though. The same owner of Rustans -- The Store Specialists, will be tasked to open a number of high-end shops here. I imagine all the other stores will be up and running in 6 months? Maybe just in time for Christmas or sooner.

There's one casino on the first floor too. Although Newport Plaza, altogether, seems empty, there were a lot of people at the casino though. The place was bustling with sounds of slot machines, people, and a live band right in the middle. We didn't go in the casino but we could see all of these from the hallway.

The second floor has about four restaurants that are open already. One is UCC, Red Crab Resto, a New Orleans restaurant that serves ribs and steaks, and another one right beside it -- Republiq. The third floor has two shops open: Bench and The Face Shop. When I asked them how late they close, the saleslady told me that Sundays to Thursdays they're open until 10 pm. Fridays and Saturdays they're open an hour later than that. Cool! ;-)

On the topmost floor -- the fourth floor, are the cinemas. I think only two are open and running right now. We watched "Salt" at Cinema 2. It being a premiere, representatives of Resorts World talked about future projects. One that got me and Jojo really excited is their plan for Cinema 1. How wonderful! It's the first time I've heard of something like this. It definitely beats the Director's Cut cinema of Mall of Asia. They were saying that for Cinema 1, they will only have 80 seats inside. And get this: each seat can be fully reclined and will have a sort of cubicle for utmost privacy. With the ticket comes bottomless drinks and unlimited popcorn too. But that's not all! (Gee, I sound like an infomercial!) ;-) Each seat has a button. Press that button and along comes a 'butler' that's personally assigned to you! Wow! ;-) Talk about spoiling yourself. ;-) Although I wonder why you'll need a butler for a 2-hour movie. I joked to Jojo that maybe the butler can be called on if maybe you need someone to scratch your back or something...;-) Hahaha! No word yet on how much this whole thing will cost per person. I'm very interested though. I'll keep you posted once I find this out.

For now, I checked on the prices and Cinema 2 showings cost 200 pesos per person. Cinema 2 shows "Salt" and Cinema 4 shows "The Last Airbender." Cinema 4 showings cost 300 pesos because they're in 3D. I believe movies are running now between noon to 11 pm.

As for our whole movie experience, we really did enjoy it! You can't recline the seats in Cinema 2 but the back of the seat adjusts a wee bit based on the weight you put in front of it. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is that they're not too sturdy so they're much more comfortable. There's a lot of leg room and it won't be too much of a bother for the people sitting beside you if in any case, you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie. There's enough room to pass through there without fear of stepping on their feet. There's enough room too so none of them will have to get up to let you through.

The screen though, I think, is taller than it is wide. As a consequence to this, you won't have that great of a view if you sit in the first five or six rows. We were sitting in the fourth row but I think our view would be much better if we had moved back. As for the sound system, everything was loud and crisp. You can really tune into the movie and drown out any rustling or any annoying side conversations.

I can't comment on the popcorn because we didn't get to try it. We were already full from the cocktails and hors d'oevres that were provided at the premiere. If the popcorn tastes like the one at Powerplant, I'll be one very happy camper though. ;-)

As I said, Resorts World is very promising. I can't wait until all the shops and restos are open. For now, I guess you should visit this place while you can still have privacy. Everytime you want to avoid the lines at Greenbelt 3 or PowerPlant, why not just hie over to Newport's cinemas? After the movie, you can have coffee and dessert at UCC or go to Velocity --Marriott Hotel's sports bar or play casino or hey, shop at Bench or The Face Shop. ;-) I imagine this place will get crowded someday. Enjoy it now while you can still walk around freely without all the crowds. ;-)

Three Well-Crafted Films You Should Watch...

It's the summer vacation for me, so if I'm not catching up on my TV series, I'm watching a whole lot of movies. And that's emphasis on A LOT. Because of the number of movies that I've seen through the years, I think it takes a lot now to impress me. I might even be harsher than the critics that decide on who should be nominated at the Oscar's! ;-)

Lately, I've seen boring, predictable, and formulaic movies such as "Valentine's Day," "Dear John," "She's Out of my League," and many others. I've also seen unheard of, probably straight-to-DVD movies like "Chloe," "Me and Orson Welles," "Coco and Igor," "Beautiful Kate," and "Defendor." I gave all of these movies a chance and well, none of them impressed me. It made me think that maybe they just don't make movies as they did before. It's all for commercial appeal now. Movies of this generation altogether lack substance, weight, and most of them just don't have a lot to say anymore. Well, I was ready to make that conclusion. That is, until I came across these three movies: "Unthinkable," "Everybody's Fine," and "Brothers." Although of different genres, all three movies made me think, made me cry, made me angry, got me scared, and just had this huge effect on me! It's been a long time since I've had that movie experience!

There will be no spoilers here but here's a brief rundown of the films, a synopsis, and reasons why I loved them:

1.) EVERYBODY'S FINE

GENRE: Drama
MAIN CAST: Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell
SYNOPSIS: An ailing widower goes on a roadtrip to visit each of his children after all four of them unexpectedly calls to say that they can't make it to the annual Christmas reunion at his place.
MY THOUGHTS: After reading the synopsis, I know you might be thinking that there really isn't much to it. What's the big deal about this movie? Well, not only was this movie very well-acted. But this movie just covers so much in how it tackles themes of loneliness, getting old, family dynamics, relationships, meeting family expectations, fatherhood, inadequacy, and many others. There's just so much to relate to in this film. And I know I'm not the biggest "baby" out there, but this movie just had me in tears. I was just so touched! The movie reminded me of my Dad. In fact, Robert de Niro's character could be like any one of our fathers. The movie allowed me to see things from a father's perspective. It allowed me to empathize -- to see and feel the things that they often have trouble putting into words and communicating to us.

I'm not going to go any further because I don't want to ruin the movie for you. Just do me a favor and be prepared with a whole box of Kleenex. They will come in handy for sure. ;-)

2.) UNTHINKABLE

GENRE: Drama, Thriller
MAIN CAST: Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Ann Moss, Michael Sheen, Stephen Root
SYNOPSIS: A terrorist plants 3 nuclear bombs in unknown places in the United States. An FBI agent and a black-ops interrogator caught the perpetrator. At what lengths are they willing to go in order to get this terrorist to reveal to them the locations of the bombs that would save millions and millions of lives?
MY THOUGHTS: The story doesn't seem to completely stand out from the others that we've seen that's like it. In fact, before watching it, it might already seem formulaic to you. You're probably thinking that there's the methodic and brainy terrorist in the mix, two agents playing good cop-bad cop, and whole time factor -- the bombs will explode in a few hours and they'll have to find-it-before-it-kills-them- idea. Yes, these may be included in the story but what makes this film excellent is its shift in focus. The film discusses a very controversial and powerful morality issue. In fact, it forces you to question your own too. This is amidst the backdrop of a well-developed conflict and tension in the story. It's very gripping and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! It's just an excellent movie. Make sure you don't watch it by yourself because like me, I'm sure you'll be bursting to discuss this movie with someone else too. ;-)

3.) BROTHERS
GENRE: Drama, Thriller, War
MAIN CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepard
SYNOPSIS: A wife and her daughter try to move on after her husband goes missing in Afghanistan. They are helped and comforted by her husband's once screw-up brother.
MY THOUGHTS: Movies that depict the terrors of war often show it from what happens firsthand in Afghanistan. There are guns, bombs, explosions, fighting, and the like. But really, to convince us how awful war can be, it is more effective to do this by showing us what happens after a soldier survives all the terror. The war doesn't end in Afghanistan. What happens after is even more frightening! The movie delves into that disturbing territory. What goes on in the mind of a person who has seen the evilness of others first hand? What happens if he considers himself as a part of all the evilness too? It's heavy stuff. This movie was a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt fear, anger, concern, and guilt all at the same time! And Tobey Maguire, wow! He truly has the chops for acting. No pun intended but his role here was a huge leap from Spiderman. He's a more serious actor here and honestly, I think he should've been nominated for his portrayal.

PHOTO CREDITS:
http://www.tribute.ca/tribute_objects/images/movies/Everybodys_Fine/EverybodysFine.jpg
http://www.comingsoon.net/nextraimages/unthinkableart.jpg
http://moviecultists.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/brothers-movie-poster.jpg

Sex and the City 2 -- My Review

By this time, I'm sure a lot of you already had your girls' night out and saw SATC 2. I actually saw it just two days after it premiered in Manila. And what are my thoughts on it, you ask?

Well, just like the first Sex and the City movie, SATC 2 was a whole lot of fun! It was a nice escape after a tiring day at work. In a way, it's like playing 'dress up.' You see Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha in these absolutely gorgeous designer clothes. The setting of the movie (well for most of it, anyway), is in Abu Dhabi. It's all like a dream -- being transported to an exotic, almost surreal world that we, frankly, don't know too much about. And to add to that, the four girls are treated to complete luxury. There's the first class plane ride with suites or cabins (I didn't know those existed!), the individual chauffer and transport, the beautiful and almost ostentatious hotel suite, and so much more! Seeing all these, me and my four girl friends (how suitable hey? ;-), agreed that we didn't at all feel the 2 1/2 hours. It went by so fast! And we sat there at the end wanting more! ;-)

Admittedly though, I think that I liked the clothes in the first SATC installment better. The clothes, accessories, and fashion presented in this sequel were very pretty, don't get me wrong. But I thought there wasn't that one outfit that made me hyperventilate as much as the black Zac Posen dress on Charlotte in the first SATC movie. ;-)

But I still want all the clothes, bags, shoes, and accessories from SATC 2 though. ;-) Yes, I want them all! All! ALL!!!!! ;-) Hahaha! If I could choose between the two, I'll just prefer to own all the clothes from the first SATC though. Just a tad more. That's all. ;-) For this movie, if I were to pick ONE favorite and coveted item, it would have to be these Loboutin shoes on Carrie! Loooove them!

Well, this is, after all, a movie. So, what about the plot/story, conflict, characters, etc? From the first SATC, this sequel followed the natural progression of the lives of the characters. I liked how "real" the conflicts are. I mean, yes, these characters may lead such glamorous lives in New York, but there's that whole universality of the issues that they encounter. Like Carrie, all married women worry about losing the "sparkle" in their marriage. Like Charlotte, all mothers worry about not being adequate and that guilt of not being the best for their chidlren. All women, like Samantha, worry about getting old. And alll powerful women -- like Miranda, have to deal with gender biases in the workplace, etc, etc. In this movie, SATC successfully continued to make the characters endearing to all of us. We see parts and bits of ourselves in at least one of the characters. For this, I can say that the movie was very well-executed. There was a lot of focus on Carrie, being the lead character and all. But I wish that enough focus could have been given to Charlotte and Miranda though. Their issues just kinda seemed to work out on their own from the start of the movie to the end. There were a lot of opportunities for more doses of humor if they followed through with this as well as incorporated the two gay characters more. We see Anthony and Stanford in the beginning and that was that. They had their own issues too that were never resolved.

In my opinion, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) would have to be the star of this movie. She was just soooo funny! Absolutely hilarious! ;-) She was just so endearing. During her 'fragile' moments, you can't help but cry with her too. I especially loved that spiel that she had about being a mother. The whole theatre was quiet and I saw a lot of them in tears. It's all very real. If you're a mother, I imagine you would find comfort in knowing that you're not the only one going through it. Even glamorous and wealthy women who look like they lead perfect lives go through them too. ;-)

I highly recommend this movie to all the women who have NOT seen it yet. The question is, do I think that men -- husbands, boyfriends, straight male friends, could sit through it? To be honest, I don't think so. First off, there are no car chases or guns to amuse them in this movie. ;-) Yes, that's a stereotype. But frankly, I just don't think men will get it. In fact, while at the theatre, there was a guy talking to the screen during one of Carrie's scenes with Mr. Big (the television discussion one). He was going: "What's HER problem??!??" Yes, yes, Carrie was overreacting in that scene. But all women have those moments of "insanity" right? ;-) I just don't think men will get it. For me, the 2 1/2 hours seemed like a breeze. It went by so fast. But for men, I have a feeling that this will feel like an eternity to them. I'd like to be proven wrong though. Just an opinion. But I'd like to test this on my husband. When the movie is out on DVD, I wonder if he can sit through the whole thing and have a 'lightbulb' moment on the differences between men and women. ;-) Hahaha! But hey, you never know...;-)

PHOTO CREDITS
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/cine/story_large/2009/12/09/sex_and_the_city_2_movie_poster_premieres.jpg
http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/satc1.jpg
http://guidetoabudhabi.com/holidays/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shangri-La-Hotel-Qaryat-Al-Beri-Abu-Dhabi-Facade.jpg
http://thestilettoeffect.blogspot.com/2007/09/sex-and-city-movie.html http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/2009/09/02/sex-and-the-city-2-style-sarah-jessica-parker/

Looking Forward to November....

I've been browsing my favorite blogs, reading the paper, and basically, have been trying to get updated on the latest events and happenings in the metro. Wow! There's really a lot to look forward to in November! I can't wait! Have a look at some of the events. You might be interested in going to one of them. ;-)

MICHAEL JACKSON'S "THIS IS IT" CONCERT/TRIBUTE
WHAT: See how Michael Jackson -- a true legend and talent, prepared for what his concert would-have been. He truly was an incredible talent. He knew music well, could outdance anyone, and had a very big heart. Get to know the real "MJ" through this candid documentary. He was just misunderstood, that's all.

WHEN: October 28 - November 11, 2009

WHERE: All local movie theatres

FOR MORE INFO: Click the City Site (cinema schedules)


YULETIDE SOUK BAZAAR '09
WHAT: A fundraising event brought by the Got Heart Foundation. They'll feature 100 independent designers and entrepreneurs. I imagine this will be an excellent opportunity to discover interesting, creative, and unique items that you can buy for yourself or as a head start for Christmas shopping! ;-)

WHEN: November 7-8, 2009, 10 am-10 pm

WHERE: Rockwell Tent, Makati City

FOR MORE INFO: PH Best Deals Blog, Got Heart Foundation



ANTON'S ULTIMATE TASTE TEST III
WHAT: This is a venue for home bakers, chefs, etc. to introduce their food products and get feedback on them. With a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and above, you can be featured in the Awesome Planet website too to get more business out of your start-up venture. On the other end of the spectrum, you can join this event to be one of the "taste testers." That's what we're doing. ;-) You'll need to register though and I think they have a cap of 300 people. Get more info in the Awesome Planet website below.

WHEN: November 8, 2009, 11 am-2 pm

WHERE: The Fort, Taguig City (The exact location will be revealed once you register for this event)

FOR MORE INFO: Our Awesome Planet Site


CONSUMER ELECTRONICS FAIR
WHAT: Learn about the new technologies and gadgets available in the market and purchase them on the spot! I'm not too sure about this but most of the stuff here will probably be available at discounted rates. So make sure to have your credit cards handy! But before that, make sure to click on the link below to register to the event for free. That means free entrance! ;-)

WHEN: November 13-15, 2009

WHERE: World Trade Center, Pasay City

FOR MORE INFO: CEL Manila Site


WORLD PYRO OLYMPICS 2009
WHAT: It's the first pyro musical competition between Canada, Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Philippines, and the United States. This is an event professional photographers and "hobby-ists" look forward to every year. Because of its romantic atmosphere (a dinner offered in the VIP area), this is also a chance for couples and "would-be" ones to spend a special evening together -- underneath the stars and fireworks. ;-)

WHEN: November 21, 28 and December 5, 12, and 19, 2009, 6:30 pm onwards

WHERE: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (near MC Home Depot)

FOR MORE INFO: World Pyro Olympics Site


FIT N' RIGHT FUN RUN
WHAT: A fun run SLASH fundraising event where part of the proceeds will go to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng. There are cash prizes for those who win first, second, and third place in the marathon. Regardless of your ranking, you're automatically entered in a raffle to win a Lenovo laptop too! All these while trying to do something healthy! It's a win-win-win-win situation! ;-)

WHEN: November 22, 2009, 4 am call time

WHERE: Mall of Asia, Pasay City

FOR MORE INFO: Animetric's World Site

The "ber" months are officially here!

To be exact, the "ber" month started 12 days ago. ;-) You can tell that the holiday season is coming up by the number of events to look forward to. There's soooo many things going on! So if you're looking for something to do and a place to go, have a look at the list below. Click on the headings to be directed to a website which will give you more info on the event. These are mostly shopping events intended to prepare us for Christmas. But there are events there too to cover other interests. Have fun and hopefully I'll see you at one of these! You know I'll be there. ;-)

1.) Negros Trade Fair
Date: September 11-16, 2009
Location: Rockwell Tent, Makati City




2.) Mall of Asia Midnight Madness
Date: September 18-20, 2009
Location: Mall of Asia, Pasay City



3.) Manila International Book Fair
Date: September 16-20, 2009, 10 am-8 pm
Location: SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City




4.) Hobbes and LandesWarehouse Sale
Date: September 17-19, 2009, 9 am-5 pm
Location: Unit 3, Topy's Building, 3 Economia St., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City



5.) New Balance Power Run
Date: September 27, 2009, 5:30 am
Location: Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig




6.) 8th Spanish Film Festival
Date: October 1-14, 2009
Location: Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, Makati City

Movie of the Week: "Knowing"

I'm sure you've heard some nasty things about this movie. Aliens with sleek, blonde hair dressed like boy band members. Check. The whole pedantic Scientology take on the film. Check. Nicholas Cage's acting characterized by this single stoic look throughout the film. Check.

Yes, yes, yes, the film is all of these annoying factors and more. But you know what? Regardless of all of these, I still highly recommend this film to everyone.

First, this film has an interesting premise. Fifty years later, a boy and his father finds a piece of paper from a time capsule that's filled with numbers. They uncover a pattern in the numbers -- figuring out that it had a list of the dates of the major disasters in the world along with the number of casualties and the exact coordinates of where it happened. Three of these disasters haven't occurred yet.

That's the general premise. But there are subplots too that make the story more complex. There's the mysterious psychological history of the woman who wrote the prediction. There's the black stones that appear and follow the child wherever he goes. Oh and the group of albino men wearing black trenchcoats watching the house at night too. Is this a ghost story? A psychological thriller? A sci-fi/alien one? The mystery thickens and you never really quite figure it out until halfway through the film. I like that. I really enjoy movies that make me think.

The effects used in the film was just amazing too. I won't get into it too much so as to not reveal the whole plot. But one thing I can tell you is how freaky they really are. It sent chills up my spine! Definitely a feast for the eyes -- that is, if you can keep your eyes open through it. Really scary stuff.

"Knowing" should give you an exciting and thrilling movie experience if you can learn to ignore a few nuances. I honestly enjoyed it. Really now. I didn't know about the whole Scientology take on it until Jojo mentioned it to me after the film. I interpreted it as rather Christian. Biblical allusions were just represented in a different way. But all the same, the message was positive. At times, the movie deeply frightened me. And other times, it made me think. It's a good balance. I really enjoyed the film.

Go see the movie and judge for yourself. I'd like to know what you thought of it. ;-)