MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES

AMERICAN GUERILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES

I still consider this the best movie about the Philippines during the war. Unfortunately it is not yet still released by 20th Century Fox . I am still waiting for it having seen it several times back home ( at the Dagupan theatre ) and a number of times on television here in Toronto, when we just arrived. It stars Tyrone Power, the matinee idol in the '50s. The movie had a lavish budget and it featured cameo roles of well known Filipino stars of that time: Cris de Vera as a Japanese officer, Ben Perez, Rosa del Rosario, etc.

Two box sets of his movies and several single DVDs of some of his numerous works are already out there in the shelves, but unfortunately, no AMERICAN GUERILLA yet. One set includes his costume-adventure movies like CAPTAIN OF CASTILLE, BLACK ROSE, BLACK SWAN, etc.

The movie follows the basic formula common in Hollywood war movies. When the war broke out, one American GI opted to stay behind in the country, staying in a remote barrio in Leyte. In here he waited for the return of General MacArthur to the Islands. A short clip of the real General was featured at the end of the movie. The plot and action scenes were very realistic and some scenes they said, were done in Lingayen .

Tyrone's co stars were: Tom Ewell and Michellene Prelle. Several Filipino music themes were adopted including a tinikling dance, which was interrupted by the arrival of a Japanese patrol looking for the American Guerilla in hiding. The movie was also shot in Technicolor, a very rare previlege for movies during that time since color technology was still expensive then.


Other movies of this genre include: BACK DOOR TO HELL, starring Jimmie Rodgers ( the singer ) and a very young Jack Nicholson. A Filipina female co-star is Annabelle Huggins. If one remembers, she was involved in a rape case that made the headlines in Manila during the '50s.

CAVALRY COMMAND ( aka DAY OF THE TRUMPET ) This stars John Agar ( the ex-husband of Shirley Temple ) and Pancho Magalona. John starred in several minor action movies, including RIO GRANDE with John Wayne. Pancho Magalona is the father of the late rap star Francis Magalona. Pancho and his beautiful wife Tita Duran were much known as movie idols by the Filipino teen agers during the '50s. Pancho was featured in another movie filmed in the Philippines called MERILL'S MARAUDERS. Some scenes were shot in Clark Air base and in the hilly part of Tarlac. The movie's main star is the late Jeff Chandler. However, the story is not about the Philippines but about the Burma Road during the war..

CAVALRY COMMAND, by the way, was shot in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. ---#

THE CHANGELING CHANGED LAPD DURING ITS TIME

For me, THE CHANGELING is Clint Eastwood's best work. I like it better than his other new film GRAN TORINO.

But it is also a brutal, heart rending and very scary movie. Not ideal for a relaxing movie night, but there are lessons that could be picked out by any viewer. Some incidents are just implied but as any movie goer knows, what you do not actually see and can only imagine is the scariest of all.

Another iTem that makes it sickening are the corrupt practices done by a few Police Officers in Los Angeles, circa 1928.


The movie started quietly with a page in the daily life of Angelina Jolie playing a single mom, taking care of an 8 year old son. She promised to bring him the next day which was her day off to see a movie.

So the next day, he did not go to school. Then Angelina's office called her for a very urgent overtime work. The boy stayed at home alone, and she said she would be home as early as possible.

When she arrived at 5:00 pm, her son was nowhere to be found. Not in the neighbour's, neither in the park nor in his usual hang outs.

So she called the Police. The Desk Officer politely said they could not take action until 24 hours have passed. It was then and up to now, the standard procedure. He said the Department has not enough manpower to look after everyboy who might have just gone out to spend a night with some friends.

Here is where the dilemna started unfolding a series of unspeakable events that are very disturbing because the movie was based a true story.

There is no easy thing about being kidnapped, abducted or unlawfully detained. The victim becomes a virtual prisoner at the mercy of a captor ( or captors ) who has only selfish and immoral ends to satisfy.

The narration of the movie moves quite smoothly sustaining its tension and releasing it little by little at first. Then it explodes into an unpredictable climax. I am glad the ending is a satisfactory one. Unlike some crime movies, all the villains were punished.

I believe Angelina Jolie deserves the best Actress Oscar for being able to portray credibly very complex and high strung emotions.---#

SOUND OF MUSIC : the PLAY

I had the chance last night to watch the stage presentation of THE SOUND OF MUSIC last night at the Princess of Wales Theatre here in Toronto. With me are my two grandaughters who share my passion for movies, music and mmmmm..good food!


We arrived at King street around 6:00 pm, the play would start at 7:30. Eventually, Emma said : " I am hungry". The two has just came out of school when their Mom picked them up. There was a Swiss Chalet near the theatre, but near Swiss Chalet was a Korean restaurant. 3 against one, they voted for the Korean restaurant. The food was good, ( Teriyaki shrimp dinner, Teriyaki chicken, then softcrab tereyaki.) When the food arrived, we barely had enough time to eat them before entering the theater gates which would close 5 minutes after the overture would start.

The play. Well, if one has seen the movie the play seems to be a washed out version. Sooner or later, both versions would be compared with each other. Some songs ( and scenes ) were deleted from this stage version which irked me slightly. And some songs from the movie were used in the play . The PA system was not so loud.

On the other hand, the stage manager did a few tricks which would really elicit a soft WOW from the audience ( which comprised of many children ). They could transform a dark abbey into a gorgeous mansion in just a few seconds. The stage background also rotated not only a vertical axis but also on a horizontal one. One has to see the play in order to visualize better what I am writing about.

Somehow, I believe the version of this play which I saw in St. Paul College in Manila years before the movie came out was much better than the one I saw last night. In the St. Paul College version, Capt. von Trapp was played by Vic Silayan, a seasoned Filipino movie star, and Maria by June Keithley.

The deleted scene was the song EDELWEISS which was sung in the von Trapp living room. Vic Silayan did it with a guitar in fron of the von Trapp children, Christopher Plummer did it in the movie version, also strumming a guitar. But in the play last night, the Captain sung it only once ( during the concert only ) sans a guitar. It is one of the important key scenes in the play. I consider it a travesty!.

The St. Paul version was directed by Fr. James Rueter, SVD. St. Paul College Auditorium was bigger in size than the Princess of Wales. Vic and June were a far superior pair, in singing and acting than the ones we saw last night.

One of the producers of the Princess of Wales version was Andrew Lloyd Webber, the most popular and opulent stage producer now a days. I have already seen on stage his other works: CATS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. This stage version of SOUND OF MUSIC ( originally written by Rodgers and Hammerstein ) could not gain a foothold beside them...