Best Pinoy Movies

One time in Jessica Zafra's blog, readers were asked to lay down what they think are the best Filipino Movies of all time. It was a great exercise, and we participated. Here goes our list with some comments

1) Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?
we consider this  precursor of Forrest Gump. Fantastic direction and location shoots.

2) Tuhog
A masterpiece by Jeturian. Fantastic acting by all the players, even Ina Raymundo, who we thought was only good as a token leading leading-lady in action films, delivered a fine performance. 

3) Ang Tatay Kong Nanay
Brocka and Dolphy combined for what should be a template for any producer attempting to build a solid dramedy.

4) Kakabakaba ka ba?

The best pinoy comedy (and probably musical) ever. It's amazing to recall that Armida of Aawitan Kita is in here.

5) Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros

The best indie that came out of Cinemalaya,Cinemaoneoriginals, and all the other programs of recent years.

6) Scorpio Nights

For the depiction of the Philippine version of suburban life. We call it "looban" in the Philippines, and the dynamics of any looban setting can make hundreds of good movies.

7) Oro, Plata, Mata

Although cartoonish on the last act, the movie has solid narrative and well-grounded characters.

8) Huwag Mong Salingin ang Sugat Ko (The Buenavista Story)

Last movie by Brocka. Very political, sensible, relevant, brave, and purposeful until the end.

9) Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington

This is how a 'pop' commercial film should be made for this generation.

10) Facifica Falayfay

Another Dolphy classic that trailblazed the local comedy genre.

11) Saan Darating ang Umaga?
Great ensemble cast.

12) Orapronobis

Good, urgent, pulsing narrative, almost like a docu on how the CAFGU system is abused. Also demonstrates how pinoy movies should not need one bida (leadrole) to be great.

13) Kapit sa Patalim
Another brave Brocka, which has legitimate advocacy.

14) Pepeng Kaliwete

Great FPJ action film. Solid, no supermanish one-against-1000 gunfight. Also, solid anchor on history of American Occupation and the humble conditions of sugarcane farmers.

15) There's an episode from Lovingly Yours, Helen The Movie that is compelling and complete enough--not the one that killed Julie Vega (namaligno), but the episode about brain cancer starring Vivian Foz (?). but Im ambivalent since my tita passionately insists that the version broadcasted on TV is tighter and better.

16) Isla. 
Cho Kajo and the perya ferris wheel. First learned about Betamax's rewind-scan function because of this movie.  hehe

17) Karnal

Fantastic depiction of rural, paternalistic life. Solid acting from Vic Silayan.

18) Temptation Island

Classic Fantastic Camp.

19) one andres de saya sequel that we caught on piling piling pelikula

cant recall which one. basta meron isang maganda sa series na ito

20) Hihintayin Kita sa Langit

Wuthering Heights. The filmmakers deserves kudos in delivering a non-traditional love story based on this classic book.

21) Somewhere
mostly for that climactic scene where Rudy Fernandez's eyeball popped out of its socket)

22) Hiram na Mukha 
for Hugo Rodan; fantastic performance by Christopher de Leon.

***

I havent seen Endo, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Banawe, any by Mario O'Hara , Burlesk Queen. Making this list reminds me that I should do equal effort in looking for these films as much as the Scorseses, Truffauts, Allens. 

Philip Roth, retiree

Ah, Philip Roth just retired. I can't fully grasp the concept of a writer retiring, especially someone as prolific as he is, but this is now what he's declaring to the world. (although I think the qualifier is: he's retiring from writing novels).

Read also the nice blogpost by Remnick on the New Yorker and the article from nytimes. Interesting quote:

Nearby was an iPhone he had bought recently. “Why?” he said. “Because I’m free. Every morning I study a chapter in ‘iPhone for Dummies,’ and now I’m proficient. I haven’t read a word for two months. I pull this thing out and play with it.”

(it's also amazing how he chose to announce his retirement first through a french publication).

To me, the magic of Roth's writing lies in its unabashedness and forcefulness. When youre reading even his early work, it's already evident that there's just no topic he'll not go through if thats where the plot and story should go, or are built to go. I remember one scene in Patrimony, his recollection of his relationship with his father (against the premise of Philip's papa's suffering a dreaded disease), where Roth recounted how he helped his father bathe one time, and then he can't help but ruminate on his father's penis--what is right or wrong with it, how's the crookedness, shape, and size, and how his own fares against his father's. 

Sabbath's Theater and Portnoy's Complaint remain to be two in my top 10 novels primarily, surely, for their braveness. They gave me inspiration and belief in the magic, value, and possibilities of fiction during college, and they sustained my love for reading. Roth's books are among the first ones that urged me to raid National Bookstore's bargain bins. The papers of his book, by the time Operation Shylock, et al reached the bin, are already yellow, but of course his words are timeless. 

The last Roth that I've read is American Pastoral. It is not as good as others are declaring it is. It is supposedly his masterpiece, but the ending, especially, does not work for me. And the book has just too much rumination and meta-things to be as 'moving' as the others. I plodded along just to finish American Pastoral. His best remains Sabbath's Theater, at least among those Ive read (The Facts, Patrimony, Prague Orgy, American Pastoral, Professor of Desire, Portnoy's Complaint, Goodbye Columbus). I cant claim to be an expert because these in total are not even 30% of the master's output (which was one quality book a year recently).

I will definitely get Nemesis--his declared last novel.  

Give Roth the Nobel Prize already. 

Un-Yummy Roast (SM Bicutan)

Yummy roast in SM Bicutan is anything but yummy. 

You can see that the asado thing (reddish meat) is all dry.

Even the chicken is bland.

Tofu, which is hard to bungle-up, is also funny tasting in this place. It seems like they were not contented letting the natural flavor of soya come out, they had to mix-in some sort of chemical that bites the tongue. We also dont know what was the brown, shit-looking thing, that they've put on top.

Although prices are cheap, at par with Jollibee, skip Yummy Roast. This restaurant doesnt deserve to last one year.