parts 7 & 8

CLIPS NO. 4, 5, 6...

A DANGEROUS LIFE:parts 2 and 3

PART 2 brings us deeper into the after math of Benigno Aquino's assasination.There is a brief video clip from actual TV shots showing the extent of the funeral crowd that attended his burial.

Part 3 introduces us to the personal life of Tony, the Reporter who had a relationship with a young Filipina while his wife was still in Australia. Then Tony was also summoned to Malacaniang to talk with Imelda Marcos, played by Tessie Tomas...

"a single man" stands out

When I saw A SINGLE MAN the other night on DVD, I thought the late George Reeves (one of the first actors playing SUPERMAN in the'50S)came back to life.I have to check the box to find out who the actor was. It was Colin Firth. With those black rimmed glasses on, he was a dead ringer for George Reeve's Clark Kent.

In this movie, he played a College professor who has just lost a partner ( male one ) and somehow, when a movie is about homosexuality, one is tempted to take the DVD out and put in something else.

But the first five minutes ( the most crucial part of a movie ) caught my attention and I continued watching it just to see how it ended.

Of course you want to know at least what the basic plot is. Well, Colin Firth's character has just lost a partner ( male, of course )of 16 years. The partner drowned accidentally in an LA beach. Quite a long time to stay together. So he got depressed, lost his zest for life. He wanted to end it all during that week end.

So he prepared everything needed for his funeral. He emptied his bank deposit box and on a table in his living room, he laid all papers, letters to different people, maybe his will, his funeral clothes, and yes, the suicide weapon: a handgun.

Julianne Moore ( whom I fist saw as a charcter in the soap opera AS THE WORLD TURNS, played his girl friend before he met his deceased boy friend. The day his boy friend died, Colin went to her, crying like a baby in her arms, and somehow, I would think the two would be reconciled.

Yes and No. They became good friends again, but that's all there is. He did not tell anybody his plan of shooting himself in the mouth. There was a funny scene ( the movie, inspite of its sombre theme has comic episodes which helps break the tension ) where he tried lying down in bed, finding the best position on how to insert the pistol's barrel into his mouth.

Which brings us to the moot question. Did he or did he not die in the ending?..THat's what I wanted to find out so I persisted in watching it, thwarting all kinds of drowsiness just to see if he was able to blow his brains out..

Wanna find out?.Rent the movie. I rate it 4 stars out of 5. Its worth the rental fee if only for the crispy and well written dialogues ( and the good acting by ALL characters, major or minor ones.---#

"An American Guerilla.."a movie review

It is really amazing what you can find by just surfing around the net when there is nothing better to do. This movie ( available only in VHS )is one of those gems from the '50s do exist in the cyber markets.. I hope would be released in DVD soon.

It started with the departure of Gen. McArthur to Australia, leaving our country's defenses in shambles. All American forces were told either to surrender or hide in the mountains until the tide of war will shift in favour of the Allies..

The start of the story captured accurately the tension filled days as the Americans were burning all papers, maps, etc. so the Japs will not find anything they could use. Ramsey ( Tyrone Power) decided to to stay in Leyte.


Then, he made an attempt to follow McArthur to Australia. For transport, he set up a small banca filled with provisions ( including a small piglet ). The banca has outriggers plus a sail..But the boat was very small for a Phil-Australian voyage.

There was a small farewell party at the shore as the banca started drifting to the sea. All were waving and bidding farewells and blowing good luck kisses to the travelers.. Women placed leis on the travelers necks, just like in Hawaii.

Fifteen minutes later, a strong wind blew across the sea and the banca capsized. The party on the shore were screaming at the calamity. All occupants started swimming back to the shore. The first to arrive was the piglet, all wet and frisky, looking for something to eat. One observer said: "He is the most sensible passenger of that banca!"

It was non stop suspense and action from that point. Especially when the Japs arrived and started a cat-and-mouse pursuit with the guerillas. There are many unforgettable scenes. Like that time when one American fugitive was hiding under a bush while a Jap was close by looking for him. All of a sudden, the fugitive felt something in his bare feet. He happened to be close to an ant hill, and the ants started feasting on his white feet with their mandibles. Ouch!

The relentless Japanese pursuer was played by Cris de Vera. I was still very young and impressionable when I saw this movie. I was mildly traumatized when I saw him interrogate a rich Haciendero who harboured Ramsey for a bit. The way he slapped him made me think that Japs are cruel people.

The climax of the film took place in a church where the guerillas were hiding. The pursuers learned their prey was inside the church from a kid. The Japanese commandant saw the kid was eating something. He smiled at the kid and checked what he was eating. It was a US made chocolate bar.

Then there was the chase inside the church, and the shoot out in the church yard. Finally, alleluia! There were planes droning over head and they belonged to Uncle Sam.

The ending scenes showed a clip of Gen. McArthur waving to the Filino crowd in Layte, and also Tyrone Powwer, opening coke bottle with an opener hidden in his blet buckle.

This movie beats the crop of war movies that came out recently. A title worth waiting for----#

ONE NIGHT IN STA.ISABEL

One Youtube video I decided to save ( and to share with piano music lovers ).

In this video, see the music which is being played..I think this recording was made by A. Rubinstein, an honest to goodness virtuoso which others can only admire, listen to when they want to fill up their unbusy afternoons.

There are many kinds of piano players in the world. One play with notes ( or properly said, play with music scores stuck in front of their faces ) and one by oido..Playing by memory or by ear. Oido I guess means hearing.I belong to this second one..

Yes, I can read music scores, but playing them correctly on the spot, egad! It needs a pianist like Rubinstein to do that. Or someone who have such zeal and patience in practicing 8 hours a day on the keyboard. I heard a colegiala do this years ago when I was still studying at the Adamson University.


Our neighbouring school then was Santa Isabel. There was a time when we performed a concert and we rehearsed at night on their stage ( where the concert was to be shown.) In one of the several evening rehearsals, our regular pianist did not show up and we had to ask someone to take his place. She was an intern in Sta. Isabel( she studied in the College and at the same time boarded there ) who volunteered her piano skills. Then I put a music score for her on the piano to play and DID she do it! In the Pilipino lingo, minamani lang niya! Translation in English, she played it with gusto like eating peanuts!Do not take my word, that's my PERSONAL translation !

So we rehearsed well that night with a different pianist. We went over the pieces for the concert like:STOUTHEARTED MEN from New Moon, AVE MARIA by Schubert, SOME ENCHANTED EVENING from South Pacific, etc. I was the one who taught the choir their SATB ( Soprano-Alto-Tenor-Bass) parts. I told you I can read and write music very well. I just can not sight read that good!! Quite a gargantuan job considering Adamson was still privately owned at that time and the President-Owner did not really care for music in the school.

Anyways, that is already history ( water under the bridge ) because right now Adamson U. is already a Catholic school having been bought by the Vincentian fathers during the '60s.

But going back to that night at Sta. Isabel, I can't help admiring the girl who pinch hitted for our absent pianist. She was a genius. She played all the music scores so perfect. And her disposition was so sweet. She was always smiling. She did not display any kind of DIVA tantrum


Even now, I still wish I could play like her. She ( like any pianist who can do good sight-reading ) can interprete for us what the music composer had written down on his piano while composing a piece for all future generations to enjoy. These are the Music Artists: Chopin, Schubert, Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Lizt, Rachmaninoff, AND including our own Francisco Santiago or Levi Celerio.---#

Ray Coloma, et al

some classic movie themes

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER




EDDIE DUCHIN STORY




THE STAR




THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY




THE PROUD ONES ( a western classic )