Movie: H2G2 -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I finally got what H2G2 means. HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Universe tells the adventure of Arthur Dent the lone male survivor of the recently destructed planet Earth, accompanied by eccentric friends and fellow-travelers and aided by the most important book in space, The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Universe. Fortunately, the movie, more or less, follows the tone and story of the Douglas Adams’ work to a tee. Aside from the adventures of Dent, viewers will be entertained by voiced-over animation excerpts from the Guide itself, which has one of its selling point is the phrase “Don’t Panic” imprinted on it. In the movie, the guide book’s entry was narrated by actor writer and comedian Stephen Fry, whose delivery aided by the cartoons provided a dry yet knock-out sense of humor.

The special effects were magnificent and gave life to the funny side effects of the improbability drive sequences crucial to the important scenes in the movie. The destruction of the Earth was should we say magnificently accomplished.

Marvin, voiced by Alan Rickman, the manic depressive robot was at his neurotic and cynical best.

H2G2 first came out as a six –part radio play for the BBC (BBC Radio 4) in 1978. The show was a success and a Christmas Special followed it in the same year. Afterwards, as a second series came out and was aired every night during the week of January 21, 1980. . The successful radio programs written by Douglas Adams became the foundation for his Hitchhiker novels. Incidentally, the titles of the first two novels were the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

The books became the basis for a three-part comic book and several other works like a a photo illustrated edition, published in 1994. A TV series based on the radio series was also produced in 1981.

Adams died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California. He was 49 years old.

Some interesting facts:

There were occasions that Adams had to be forced to write. In order to complete the book “So Long and Thanks For All the Fish “, Adams was locked in a hotel suite with his editor for three weeks.

The fish used as a universal translator in the story is called a babel fish. Now type in babel fish on any search engine see what you will find.


The story and the movie will be one of the better, if not the most witty and sarcastic, science fiction – comedy made to date.

A pity though that only a handful of people were there to watch the film.

Reasonably priced DVDs?

There seems to be an influx of cheaper DVDs entering the Philippine market. A forthnight or two weeks ago, I was at a video store at Rockwell and noticed a DVD of the movie Love Actually only selling for 275 pesos. And last weekend, I saw a shelf of original DVDs priced between 299 to 350 pesos for sale at the video store at Gateway.

In the Philippines it pays to wait till the price of VCDs and DVDs drop. If you control the urge to buy the film for a few months you will the price of VCD drop in half and the DVD off by a hundred or so pesos. It pays to be a patient man.

Now these newly priced and definetly an improvement from the original price DVDs are still bit expensive compared to the bootleg versions. Maybe they need to lower the price further.

If you scan the titles on sale though you might find that some of the titles is a steal at its present price. There are special/director's cut double disc versions of classic or popular movies that seem to be good buys.

The movies that seemed to be good buys, because they are special double disc editions and I like them*, are the following:

Martin Scorcese's Goodfellas
Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven
George Lucas' THX1138

All three discs contain extra and special features that are worthwhile. What I found interesting is the documentary about Zoetrope Pictures. The film company established Coppola and had as its VP a young George Lucas.

(*This last reason seems to be valid for me alone so you might have your own criteria for what is good or bad movie for you - better see the DVDs for yourself)

Other interesting films for sale, again at least for me, were the following:

Lost Boys 2 Disc Edition
Interview with the Vampire
John Boorman's Excaliber

The collection of titles for sale are of course not limited to the titles mentioned and taste differs from person to person so it might be wise to take a look at the present titles for sale.

Batman Rules

Just when you thought Hollywood movies had reached its nadir then it hits you with Frank Miller's Sin City and now Batman Begins.

Christian Bale is the Batman. Who would have thought that the boy in Empire of the Sun would be the Batman. But he is the Batman. The movie is a perfect example of movies adapted from comics. Furthermore, the new helming of the movie has succesfully transformed the movie from its predecessors in that it seemed to have choosen between its two persona, the campy Batman of 1960s and the more darker Batman comic fans are familiar with.

Do not get me wrong I like Adam West as Batman. My siblings and I almost never missed the re-runs of the Batman show. I can still here the theme song of the show ,ta nananananana nanana Batmannn Batmannn Batmmann. Watching on the same Bat time and same Bat channel. Tim Burton tried it with success with his first movie and got lost in the second. And well the last two Bat movies were Bat toast as far as I was concerned.

So here comes Batman Begins. The retelling of the Dark Knight's story for the new millenium.

The movie is basically a retelling of the beginnings of Batman. Most of the fans would be familiar with the tale of Millionaire Bruce Wayne, his Butler Alfred, police officer Gordon, the latest love interest of Bruce (aka the Batman) in the movie. The writer(s) and the director though spins an interesting yarn. Story and action of the movie keeps you riveted to the silver screen.

The mostly British cast performs more than adequately. Batman Begins is blessed with highly competent actors who give depth to their characters. Michael Caine brings to life the sarcastic butler Alfred. Gary Oldman loses his accent and is Jim Gordon. Morgan Freeman does justice as the laid back but supportive executive from Wayne Corp. Katie Holmes an effective eye-candy as the love interest and friend of Bruce Wayne. Rutger Hauer as competent as ever and Cillian Murphy from the movie "28 Days Later" effectively portrayed Dr Crane, another rogue from the Batman mythos. Ken Watanabe who plays an important part and then there was Liam Neeson, moviedom's favourite mentor. Mr Neesom seems to have cornered the market left by Alec Guiness as the old Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi who is conveniently dispacthed with impunity by the bad guy before he completes the training of the movie's hero. This was his role more or less in Star Wars Episode 1, Gangs of New York, and recently in Kingdom of Heaven. After seeing this movie I take it all back. I kowtow to you. I retract everything I said or joked about you being the mentor who dies too soon. Yes Tonbe, I take it all back mea culpa! mea culpa! mea culpa!

Again this was a perfect example of how the collaboration and collective work of the Director, the writer, the cast and the crew made this wonderful film. I think this is the best batman movie based on the comic book character and his exploits.

One thing I noticed though lacking in the movie. It did not have much or an special effect at all and please note I DO NOT CARE! The movie did not need flash to keep you entertained.

If you do not watch this movie you will miss one of the best batman movies ever.

Till the next time same Bat time and bat blog este channel.

Tananananananana Tanananananana Batmannnnnn Batmannnn

DVD: The True, The Good & The Beautiful

Watched this movie with friends last June 12, Indpendence Day. The documentary's wit has not lost its touch. I was able to watch this film a few years ago and loved it then.

Initially, Imelda opposed the film's showing in the Philippines. She was succesful in getting a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from a local court. In the end she allowed the showing of the film on the condition the director dropped the word "Documentary".

Diaz directed this documentary film about Imelda and she does by mixing the actual interviews of Imelda with images, stock footage and recently shot films, taken from the Marcos Period to what was at that time the present. She then spices the film with interviews both friendly and critical to Mrs Marcos. The result is a well-balanced and often time funny portrayal of Imelda.

It was a movie about Imelda using Imelda and her words. Diaz serves up the former First Lady and Iron Butterfly as a complex and comic figure. Most of the time her own words and mannerisms condemns here to her fate as an eccentric old lady who once ruled the whole archipelago.

The film follows Imelda's rise and fall and eventual resurrection in Philippine politics. Images left burning in my mind was the fate of Ferdinand Marcos as he lay dying in exile in Hawaii away from his country. Was it a just reward? Perhaps it was, but you cannot but feel pity. And glancing at our present fix I just cannot get over the feeling or hunch that would it have been better if people power had not happened. But that is pointless now and conjecture on that is as effective as cupping a corpse.

Indeed the film went "beyond the shoes" in bringing the tale of Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

What we watched was the original DVD and unforunately it was a bare-thread version. no extra feautures save for the trailers of other movies. I just checked out the CineFilipino site, the company producing and marketing the DVD, and it would seem they came out with a special edition complete with the commentary and deleted scenes. I could just hear my jaw drop.

Check out the CineFilipino site, a few DVDs there are worth buying. As for me I am waiting for Tagalog classics they will be releasing.

Imelda - Power. Myth. Illusion.
Cast: Imelda Marcos
Directed by: Ramona S. Diaz
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Subtitle(s): English

Star Trek the Motion Picture

Some critics and film reviewers dubbed it as the motionless picture. The first full-length movie of the Enterprise crew.

It was said that the director Robert Wise focused on developing the movie in the style of Space Oddysey. And it is highly evident in the scene where Kirk comes aboard the Enterprise. The viewer is entertained by a slow meandering of camera shots as Scotty and Kirk approach the Enterprise.

The whole crew is present and accounted for and back to the positions they filled when tv show ended several years ago. Of course in order to this one had to demote the present captain of the enterprise with the arrival of Kirk and write in the usual but necessary death of Enterprise crewmen so that the entry of Bones and Spock would be smooth. The unfortunate crewman the science officer and doctor died while they were being beamed up. I do not know with you but hearing the screams through the graphics seemed more riveting than seeing their actual fate.

And of course there was the late Persis Khambatta , Miss India 1965, still probably one of most beautiful to come out of a Star Trek movie or episode - a friend of mine would actually differ with me on this, he liked Joan Collins who played Edith Keelerin the Harlan Ellison penned episode entitled "City on the Edge of Forever". This was Joan Collins long before Dynasty.

The movie does improve with age that is all I can say. Of course it just might be confirmation bias on my part.

I got the original VCD version, which was priced at 150 pesos. The sound seems to be a little weak. Adjusment with the TV volume seem to work. And was marketed as the director's cut.

When they aired when Harry met Sally

During my self-imposed holiday, which lasted for four days, I was able to catch one movie being aired on cable tv. The movie was Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan Comedy-Romance "When Harry Met Sally". The movie is witty, sarcastic, romantic but not overly sweet.

The film tells the tale of the romance between Harry and Sally, but I am sure most of you already knows this.

A good non-slapstick comedy-romance movie.

Frank Miller's Sin City

Today was a saturday and people were about enjoying the weekend. I had just come from the cinema and a few side trips along the way. A couple of new movies were having their commercial run. I had opted to watch Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarentino and Frank Miller's adaptation of Frank Miller's Sin City.

Anyway, so here I was on my way home when the rain struck and I was stuck between Aurora boulevard and gateway. Not knowing what to do my eyes wandered an saw this newly opened cybercafe. So now I am here writing this post about Sin City.

I first encountered Sin City, its first story anyway the Hard Good Bye, when it first came out for Dark Horse comics. Having read Frank Miller's Batman: Dark Knight Returns made me hungry for more of his work and when I learned from the comic store that he was coming out with Sin City I reserved a copy. I was not disappointed.

Here I am in Cubao several years later and I just finished watching the movie Sin City. The movie is a compilation of three stories from Sin City, namely the Hard Goodbye, the Big Fat Kill and the Yellow Bastard. And I was not disappointed.

Marv from the Hard Good bye stays true to form. And so is Kevin from the same story. I must say this has got to be my favorite of the three stories in the movie.

And I will say this Elijah Wood has done the impossible, he has gotten out of the mold of Frodo. There were attempts from him in the past with the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) but not as good and convincing and iconic as this. You have to see it to believe it.

I also learned that Rodriguez resigned from the Directors Guild of America because he wanted Frank Miller to co-direct the movie. His main reason being he did not want to only "adapt" the comic book stories but to "translate" them to film. This decision eventually cost him another movie. After viewing the movie, I must say Rodriguez was right and kudos to him.

This has got to be the best adaptation of any comic book so far. The movie is consistent with the story of the book and adds a few twist in its non-linear story telling. For those who have read the comic books you will not be disappointed with this one.

I truly enjoyed the film. Although, there were one or three sour points. And with this I mean some scenes that seemed to be edited or cut from the movie. I do not if the censors or the film distributors did this but it was sloppily done and the motive for doing it seemed to be stupid.

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A Born Free movie by any other name

Yesterday, I watched the latest animation film that hit Metro Manila. In this movie four fauna from the New York Zoo find themselves, through a series of odd events, in the wilds of Madagascar, basically an cartoon films about domesticated animals in the wild a fish-out-of-water story.


The four New Yorkers ham it up and survive in the wild. The movie is full of slapstick and comedic tributes to the movie Born Free, Hawaii Five-O and Louis Armstrong's song "What A Wonderful World". The Born Free and Hawaii Five-O homage was clearly done for the adults in the audience since it would be rare for anyone above thirty to remember the movie or the theme Born Free and Steve Magaret's Hawaii Five-0, I could be wrong.

The animation was as expected flawless and the entermaint value light. It will not emulate the critical success of Shrek.

It is entertaining in a mainstream and standard Hollywood fare type of movie way, look out for the antics of the penguins and the lemurs. And do not leave till you see the end credits.

SPOILER comment -

The enemies of the lemurs were called Foosah. Is that a rehashing of our word for cat Pusa?

What I do find disturbing is the trend of most film today to rely on flash to sell the story.

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