Just updating...I'll get back to regular TV blogging soon

On cable ---

- Prison Break has premiered last Monday on the Crime/Suspense channel. It goes on at 10 PM
- My Name is Earl comes to Jack TV very soon
- Seinfeld will replace F*R*I*E*N*D*S reruns in a couple of weeks, on Star World. Incidentally, my Seinfeld DVDs have been playing in my DVD for two weeks now. I'm introducing my son to this show, he is sporadically watching it and fortunately, he gets the show about nothing!

Everything else ---

- There is little to watch or pick on p2p (torrents) because it's the Olympic fever
- I am missing a lot of Conan O'Brien...is it still on ETC?
- We still don't have ETC 2nd Ave. Darn. I want my Ellen!!!
- PBB Celeb Edition is heading towards sucksville and I'm only watching it out of habit
- I am crushing on American Idol's Ace Young. He brings out the 16 year old in me. Hahaha!
- TAR9 on Feb 28, the Philiminator (and maybe even his bulge, haha) is back in one week's time.

And how was TV for you the past weeks?

Movie Break: Munich & Everything is Illuminated

Took a break from TV to watch Munich and Everything Is Illuminated, both films having Jew themes.

The first one, Munich, made me too depressed. The film is filled with rage and angst, you can definitely feel it. My favorite scenes were of the first 20 minutes of the film, showing how skillful a film-maker Spielberg is. He really knows how to tell his stories. And while Munich wasn't exactly a spectacular film to me, it could still be one of his best.

Spielberg did a very elaborate contrast between two groups: the terrorists and the victims, by showing it in the first 20 minutes of the movie. He showed one part where the families of the victims are crying on TV (for the safety of their loved-ones --- from the terrorists), then cut to another scene were the families of the terrorists are crying on TV (for the same reasons, the safety of their loved ones --- from the autorities). Spielberg also employed a clip of news (I guess this one is real footage) where the newscaster announces to the world the identities of the victims, one by one; then cut to the head investigator showing his men pictures of the terrorists and describing them, one by one.

I was moved by those scenes, the contrast, to the point where I broke down in tears (which I could not turn off even if I tried holding it back!). I got the message right there: In violence and war, there are no winners. And I gathered the message this film wanted me to pick: A war will forever be ugly and pointless. Even if you've successfully fulfilled your mission, what is the point? People have died so you can achieve it. And even then, you still have not achieved it.

As the dialogue in this film go...

Man 1: Will this never end?
Man 2: Does your nails grow back?

Ain't that super sad?

**********
So depressed was I of this film (Munich) that I decided to look for something to make me feel better. I decided to watch something which I have been wanting to see for a long time...

Everything Is Illuminated is a book by Jonathan Safran Foer and adapted on the big screen. Someone tells me the book had a better storyline (ain't that always the case?) but having not read it, I found the movie quite a delightful surprise. For one thing, it's quirky and offbeat....something I've always found interesting. The treatment reminds me a tiny bit of Amelie. The jokes border on Mel Brook-ish (History of the World Part 1), that I thought, if this were a Regal Films production, I might find it utterly corny or even stupid. But fortunately, I was laughing out loud. The unfortunate thing about this type of movie is that when it shifts from comedy to drama towards the middle of the film it may have to undoubtedly fail to find its heart while getting the message across. But I didn't think this one had a problem because I liked the story's development and presentation. With the tragedy of the Holocaust as a back story, the movie worked at bringing comedy and tragedy together, effectively. For once, I didn't have to grieve over the victims of persecution even while I empathize with them. It's a light-hearted "holocaust" movie, if I may say so.

Favorite moments:
- the introduction of Alex's (a ladies man who loves Michael Jackson and hiphop and everything American) "blind" grandfather (he isn't, he just pretends to be one) and his seeing-eye dog (bitch) named Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. (daughter of his grandfather's dog, Sammy Davis Jr, who already passed away)
- the arrival of Foer (Elijah Wood's character) to Ukraine, and to Foer's surprise, amidst a marching band hired by Alex (his translator/guide) to play the American Anthem.

Watch both films, if possible on the same day. One film to make you think and ponder or maybe even grieve and say, "Why Lord why?" (if you're feeling too dramatic!); and the other film to also make you see the ugliness of war and persecution and hate and race barriers...but it's not too heavy, you could even afford to laugh through it.

Back to Jologs Mode

Lack of updates, sorry.
Still watching a couple of shows --- Grey's Anatomy was good this week. Ellen Pompeo wasn't (kulang sa acting!)
But for the most part,
Am back to jologs mode.
24/7 feeds on the net
Even have one on cable
Hubby thinks am pathetic
I think so too.

Philippine Idol

From here.

IT'S CONFIRMED.

ABC 5 has acquired the franchise for the world-famous talent search "American Idol" (AI) from the show's producer, FremantleMedia.

"It will be called 'Philippine Idol,' " said Perci Intalan, ABC's vice president for Creative and Entertainment Production. He called Inquirer Entertainment from Singapore, where he was meeting with Fremantle Asia execs over the weekend.

The local Idol will be the fifth in Asia, he said. "The others are in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. There are over 50 'Idol' productions all over the world." AI was inspired by "Pop Idol," which originated in the United Kingdom in 2001.

ABC 5 is eyeing a July launch.

Terra Daffon, senior vice president for Corporate Affairs, said ABC 5 started negotiating with FremantleMedia two years ago, when Filipino-American Jasmine Trias placed third in AI.

"ABC 5 has built a good working relationship with FremantleMedia through the years," she said. "In the past, the network acquired two of their game shows-'Family Feud' and 'The Price is Right.' Now we're airing AI's season five."

AI 'bible'

The price tag for the AI franchise is reportedly in the millions of dollars.

"It's a big sum," Intalan conceded.

"It's definitely not peanuts, but we expect to recoup the investment," Daffon said. "You're actually paying for the technical know-how. Along with the franchise comes a production 'bible,' a manual that all licensees follow to ensure consistency of all 'Idol' productions anywhere in the world."

"It's literally as thick as a bible," Intalan said by way of describing the manual. "There's a new and old testament! Imagine, two volumes of an encyclopedia combined. It contains all the production details."

"For example," Daffon explained, "the look and the measurements of the set, the lighting, the requirements for host and judges. Also, the conduct of the auditions, which we are planning to hold in Manila, Cebu and Davao."

Wonder who the judges will be.

One more reason to get addicted...

TV Guide reports:

CALL IT "BIG IDOL": ABC is teaming with Endemol USA (the folks who brought you Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) to import the Spanish hit Operacion Triunfo, an American Idol-Big Brother hybrid in which aspiring pop stars live and study together in a school of performing arts that doubles as their home. Talk about singing for your supper!

There's another reason for me to stay unproductive.

Screaming Mindy

There could be days when I feel like her:



She's Mindy. And she's in shock. Her husband and a friend were building their own ammunition and the husband now lies on the operating table...with a bomb in his body cavity, waiting to explode. So the hospital goes on "code black". A code black is when ---

--- institutions use colors (e.g. “Code Red”, “Code Blue”) to identify specific types of emergencies. “Code Red” and “Code Blue” are both terms that are often used to refer to a cardiopulmonary arrest, but other types of emergencies (for example bomb threats, terrorist activity, child abductions, or mass casualties) may be given “Code” designations too. Colors, numbers, or other designations may follow a “Code” announcement to identify the type of emergency that is occurring.

Don't know what happens yet. It's a two-part episode. Bummer.

In the meantime, in the house today, I think I'll have Code ...Seven Colors of the Rainbow. It's chaos. Have too many things needed to get done so ... see ya later!

Grey's Anatomy
Season 2 Episode 17 - It's The End of The World, 1
Original Airing: Feb. 5, 2006
Network: ABC

TV Tragedy

I unconsciously wore a black ABS-CBN shirt this morning, prodding my son to ask if I was mourning for those who lost their lives at the Wowowee Stampede. (Incidentally, I also have a few GMA Network shirts ... it pays to have friends and relatives in the media, you get freebies!) My 8 year old, supposedly naive and clueless at his age about things like this, understood the gravity of the tragedy that befell those who died in the stampede (and hundreds more injured). He says this happened because many Filipinos lived in poverty (he actually said the word "poverty"... when I was 8, I didn't think I knew that word, let alone use it in a conversation!). And he only had one thing to say to the victims: what a pity.

So, today ... maybe it was fitting that I wore this black ABS-CBN shirt. For I do feel I have to mourn. It is indeed a pity we have fellow Pinoys who literally have to die, just to at least have some hope or luck. It is desperation. It is a reflection of how much the needs of the poor are being neglected.

More than that, this is also a reflection of how little desire we Filipinos have for working harder, so that we can have better lives.

And it is a pity, the world had to see this on their TV.

Gunther gets some Secret Agent Action

Last night on 24...

Jack's kill count --- zero. No one died last night, can you imagine? Anyway...

Aaron, the secret service guy, who reminds me so much of Gunther (Friends), finally got some action! Not to give anything away (coz 24 is something you have to be glued on from start to finish and major spoilers will just ruin it!), Aaron finally got to say more than 2 lines. And he also got to kick some ass. Well, actually, Jack did, but he got to help make that happen.

Also last night, President Wuzz got the biggest brush off nyehehe....

Best scene of the night for me was this one:

Huhuhu...

Hard to talk about this show without spoiling anything!

Anyway, no Commander in Chief tonight. The real president is giving his SONA. :P

24
Season 5 Episode 6 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Original Air Date: Jan. 30, 2006
Network: FOX