*****
I offered my previous loops around the grandstand grounds to the victims of that ill-fated incident and their families. It was really devastating and a shame.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

Here comes the man. 
For more photos of the NOC-CNM vs. Smart Buddy game in which the NOC guys secured the win, feel free to check out our Play Shots Smart Basketball 2010 Game 2 album.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

My buddy and I had the chance to watch Peter Shaffer’s controversial and award-winning play Equus at Onstage in Greenbelt 1 on its 2nd to the last playdates last Saturday night, directed by Audie Gemora and topbilled by Red Concepcion as Alan Strang. [I heard great comments on Concepcion's alternate Marco Mañalac]. The very same play became more recognized when Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe made his US theatrical debut playing Strang in 2007. This strictly for adults only dramatic piece revolves around a child psychiatrist’s attempt to examine and treat a 17-year old boy (Strang) who has a very strange obsession with horses. Coming to grips with his self-worth and personal goal, the boy deems horses (a horse named Nugget in particular) as gods and, eventually, fails to differentiate his thing for them with carnal desires. [Some terms were deliberately altered and toned down to suit readers of all ages.]

So, what about the play? Both of us had the same take on it. It was all right, nothing super spectacular. Plus some completely bare scenes for 10 minutes or so on the second half. Don’t get us wrong, we both have a high regard for all theater artists, and, by far, we have given the Equus‘ cast the utmost. It ran for about 2 hours and 30 minutes (with 15-minute break). That long (longest among the five plays we watched in five years). Imagine the memorization, immersing into the characters, and improvisation. Tough. Here’s the list of what’s hot and what’s not:

• The production design was not so splendid, but it worked satisfactorily.
• The lighting was decent— muted yet affecting.
• The improvised “horses” with heads and platform shoes made of wire mesh and with the bods of real half-clothed Herculean guys (probably models) were adequately convincing, ingenius for that matter. Their simple rendition of horse’s mannerisms like stomping one leg and bobbing its head from time to time was understated and believable.
• The entire back of the actor who played the lead horse Nugget looked like that of a woman.
• The clear delivery of veteran actor Miguel Faustman as the shrink and the younger resident Rep actor Red Concepcion was also something.
• At some point, the narrative had a tendency to exhaust you like a long playlist that does not seem to stop. Well, it is a heavily phrased psychodrama to begin with.
• Disappointingly, there were still latecomers, showing up in the middle of the acts and parading their shadows in front of those who tried to find their seats on time. Discipline people. My goodness.

The point is, my buddy and I both think the raves are just overrated. Or, maybe it’s just us. Maybe because we haven’t been as affected as were in I Laugh You or Tuesdays with Morrie. Or, maybe we were feeling so unruffled that night and witnessing a dense drama did not blend in with the mood. Anyway.

******

Glad to see Mayee and Macky, former officemates at TMI, in the line. They grabbed fine seats by the way. Ours were OK, row A upper center orchestra. But rows A-F lower center orchestra was a cut above the rest. Early bird reward.

Hmmn. Thankful here. For having a partner like him. Who I don’t have to force to go to plays, be it an intimate acts or a huge production. Who is not hesitant to watch chick TV series and flicks (even if the row is majority female viewers, or the other channel is showing a good NBA match). Who shares almost the same opinion as mine on Dear John and Remember Me not being another typical Hollywood love stories but different angles of two filmmakers on the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. [Had they revealed this detail in the synopsis, the twist might not have had the same effect]. You see, I’m that thankful.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

Our UP acad oval sprint last Saturday afternoon was good (although Sunday’s car-less oval would’ve been better). I like the fact that the admin has implemented a one-way traffic scheme, designating the oval’s inner lane to bikers and joggers. The next day, however, was our cheat day in time for our Inception date, consuming loads of carbo and fats. But the closing moments was Burger King, which has shifted to trans-fat-free cooking oil. Swear, ask nutritionist-dietitians. Unfortunately, I missed the run yesterday, too whacked to wake up. Past 6AM is already a late call time for me. The sunlight is more demanding than the number of rounds I have to complete. Good thing Thursday was rest day to make up for our product release overtime last weekend. Back to early morning run.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

It all started with the URCC Havoc’s unfamiliar fight card. But instead of watching a series of untried matches this coming Saturday after his b-ballgame, we ended up buying Upper Box A tickets for the Rain or Shine vs Derby Ace and Alaska vs Ginebra plays at the last minute. It could have been a hot PBA night time, but I didn’t know there was such a thing as Standing Room Only in Araneta. No idea really. So, we settled on selling the PBA tickets (thanks to the two guys who trusted us), and purchasing two prime seats to watch Inception. It turned out to be a clever choice. [The succeeding paragraphs contain spoilers.]

Let’s say I’m biased. I’ve been a fan of Christopher Nolan since watching Memento in one of my film classes (Film Editing, I guess) way back in 2002. My admiration has been reinforced by his Insomia and The Prestige. The guy is one insane storyteller. Awesome insane at that. His new film Inception is another decent addition to his strange and creative screenplays. The three or four layers of dream within a dream sequences (in which each dream is experienced by a different person) is wicked. The made-up world designed by Ariadne (Ellen Page) is quite an entertainment. The streets of Paris folding in, people walking vertically, cars passing by upside-down. And then there are floating slow-mo fight scenes in a hotel hallway without gravity. I could give it the best fight of all-time award. [No, it does not have the effect of typical Chinese action films in which characters suddenly leap and then perform a choreographed Kung Fu fight on air.] The whole film is a cosmic play of visuals. Of course, Leonardo DiCaprio‘s acting as Cobb is a reliable stimulant as always. He really looks older, mature, which I think was a drawback in his earlier years when he could have already carried out heavy roles.

For me, this is an honest movie. Ironically, it is about dreams. I can say this because the “kicks” really occur to us when we dream. Once we realize that we are just dreaming and we want the dream to end, we do the suicidal fall— jump off a bridge, smash a car, plunge into a blackhole. Another thing is that, in reality, we cannot figure out how a dream starts. We simply realize that we are already in the middle of something.

The Extractor, the Architect, the Forger, the Chemist, and the Dreamer transport audience to the fantasy world. The ability to put an idea into someone else’s mind through layers of dreams inspires viewers to think more than skin deep. The programmed kicks take the audience back to “reality”. And all of these components fuse in one massive loop. In terms of narrative, there are lots of cheats, ambiguities in the movie. Something that other viewers might not like very much. But then again, this is a film about dreams. And in dreams, loopholes are real. My suggestion is watch it again. Enjoy the first time, dissect the next.

===============

I wasn’t able to review Twilight‘s latest installement Eclipse in detail. Nothing much to expound anyway. Except for three things.

• I agree with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison) when he says “Does he have a shirt?” in a roadside scene with Bella infront of the shirtless muscle dude Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Why, among the wolves, is he the only one who has that well-toned body?
• Kristen Stewart‘s (Bella) acting in this film is better, more alive than her acting in the previous installments.
• The tent scene wherein Jacob and Edward are talking while Bella is comfortably sleeping in Jacob’s embrace is, hmmmn, too sloppy. Well, the text version has the same effect on me. To my buddy, the moment was nauseating.

*****
Gateway‘s digital cinema is all right, but Greenbelt cinemas still feel and smell better. No offense.  

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

We turned on the TV at around 430 AM (Manila time). They had already been playing the second half of the World Cup 2010 final match between Spain and Netherlands. The score was still nil-nil. The audience were motionless— all anticipating for one clean shot. Jersey number 10 Cesc Fabregas made a few attempts to score but to no avail. Actually, he almost did. The ball, unfortunately, was touched by the defender. At the 116th minute of the extra time, the Spaniards did it. Jersey number 6 Andrés Iniesta’s kick brought the team to its first World Cup title, breaking the hearts of the Dutch squad and followers. And the best part of that particular match— I was able to witness the goal. Hardly ever (which also happened to Brazil-Italy match during FIFA Confederations Cup last 2009). Wooot! Looks like Paul the Oracle Octopus‘s pick is right again. Marvelous.
Netherlands 0-1 Spain

Video courtesy of http://theoriginalwinger.com.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.

Today is quite a milestone. One of the most important dates granted to mankind. Well, this is just me talking. And that’s just my meek opinion. I have nothing much to say, really. Nothing fancy’s going on or ever happened. No such thing as “blown out of proportion”. Everything’s subtle— like a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly, like a small amount of water turning into clear ice cubes, like a 34-story skyscraper window cleaner stroking a squeegee against oversize glass panels at regular intervals. Like those kinds of weird analogies. Things are lingering, safe, calculated, handy, and, apparently, sublime. As I said, I have nothing much (I mean, nothing THAT much) to say. Bottom line— I dig what I have right now. In all honesty. And I suppose, the Hide and Seek entry in my playlist could fill the gap. I hope you have a reliable player installed; it’s just 4 minutes, more or less. But if you find the song dreary or lethargic, feel free to stop anytime.

This collage could’ve been more pulsating if Pa, Ma, and Ian were just here in Manila.

For more photos, please check out Nin’s Birthday album.

****
Buddy ko and Gab, waking me up with that cute yummy cake was very touching. *kugos* Getting sugar high in bed was an effective upper.

© 2010, brewings. All rights reserved.