the dark knight returneth
As I've remarked in my other blog, Elvie and I watched Dark Knight last Saturday (leaving Ikai with her grandperes) at SM Muntinlupa at Cinema 3's first screening (which meant standing up to holler Lupang Hinirang as was the practice for first and last full shows of the day) and had a blast.
It was one helluva good, good movie. The 2.5 hours was worth the ridiculous ticket price the movie fetched. And as fellow blogger and former office-mate mentioned, the movie is indeed two thumbs up.
And a couple of time during the flick, I thought the movie was ending only to find the action picking up again.
Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman-Joker match-up is as gritty and as dark and as sinister as its counterpart in comics (not talking abou the 1950s Batman though when everything was cheesy and tongue-in-cheek). My wife who isn't a particular comics fanatic remarked her surprise and wonder on the depravity of the Joker character and that someone like him could be so evil. I answered, yes, Joker as portrayed in the darker and grittier Batman titles is indeed uber evil.
The Dark Knight is an awesome continuation from Batman Begins two years ago. The first Nolan installment of the Caped Crusader was good with some notable ho-humm and zzz parts. This latest Batman promised more action (indeed more action) and more characterization. In the first Batman, we were treated to the development of the Batman character. In Dark Knight, we were treated to the development of Batman's archnemesis, the Joker and the idea that the Batman-Joker tussle is tantamount to the idea of yin-yang -- that one cannot exist without the other.
In the words of Joker uttered to Batman -- "You complete me!" a reprisal of that famous line from Jerry McGuire in its most despicable application yet.
more superhero movies lined-up
DC and Marvel have stepped up the competition and moving to the new battlefield -- live-action movies.
While superhero movies are not really new, the movies that come out these days have actual substance -- they have good scripts, are becoming more and more loyal to the comics, and are their worth in ticket prices.
We've already seen X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Batman, the Fantastic Four, and Spiderman grace the silverscreens several times with sequels (Batman being the most recent with its Dark Knight) and more recently, Iron Man has finally come to the big screen plus the resurrection of the last son of Krypton in Superman Returns.
If internet news are to be trusted along with hints and clues of current movies, a long list of superhero flicks are still to be awaited.
Marvel Studios, the TV and movie arm of Marvel Entertainment, has lined up the following sourced from Wikipedia:
Punisher: War Zone (2008) - Marvel's favorite hard-hitting vigilante is back
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - obviously about Logan's origins
X-Men Origins: Magneto (2009) - explored briefly in X-men 1
Iron Man 2 (2010) - sequel to the highly-successful Robert Downey starrer
Thor (2010) - the Norse God of Thunder comes to the movie screen
The First Avenger: Captain America (2011) - another shot at an ole Stars and Stripes movie
The Avengers (2011) - incredible if they can pull this off
Spider-Man 4 (2011) - the fourth installment with Tobey Maguire in the lead
On the other hand these DC Comics characters, are slated to come out in live-action films although not all of them are produced by Warner Bros., DC's sister movie company:
The Spirit (2008) - the masked vigilante Will Eisner created in comics comes to life under Frank Millers screenplay and direction and slated for a Christmas release
Superman: Man of Steel (2009) - the sequel to Superman Returns with Brandon Routh still donning the blue and red costume
Watchmen (2009) - highly anticipated Alan Moore comics gets a loyal rendition in film
The Flash (2010) - enough with the numerous TV series, DC hopes to get the Flash running in theaters a couple of years from now
Green Lantern (2010) - reports say it's going to be a Hal Jordan story not a Kyle Rayner one nor a John Stewart or Guy Gardner one
Wonder Woman (2011) - no Linda Carter here
Justice League (2011) - after several shelvings, Justice League is finally back on track in development, we hope
Other hero-flicks to watch out for include:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - sequel to the 2004 movie starring Ron Perlman
Spawn (said to be 2008) - according to reports, this is a reboot of the character and not a sequel
The Witchblade (2009) - from the Top Cow comics and TV series of the same name
Madman (2009) - the Mike Allred comics
fare hike
During the bus trip to Laguna last Friday evening, I learned from the conductor that bus fares were going up starting supposedly today.
For instance, the one-way fare as of last week from the Buendia-Taft terminal to San Pedro, Laguna is P45. Starting today, Monday, bus fares went up to P60!
Egad!!!
I guess the fare hike was expected anyway because of soaring oil prices. As early as two weeks ago, a new fare matrix was announced for the Laguna-based bus companies plying the EDSA route.
I remember when I was studying in Peyups a decade ago and decided to forego with a dorm life and decide the life of a traveler, the one-way fare from Quezon Ave-EDSA to San Pedro (aircon bus) was P30.In the most recent fare matrix, the fare for the same route is already P97!!!
Back then, my daily baon was roughly P130-150 (about 70 pesos for fare). If I were a student nowadays going home to Laguna daily, my daily baon should be around P350 with about P250 dedicated to fare (bus two-way + tricycle + jeep) and the remaining P100 to be allotted for food and other expenses.
Sheesh! When my daughter grows up, how much will she take to school for baon? A thousand pesos a day??
Hard times, folks, definitely hard times.
vtr
Good news for us excited parents of Rika Antoinette.
Well, actually the entire family from both sides are actually quite excited with the prospect of Ikai appearing in a commercial one of these days.
I've sent the photos to one of the best child handlers in town and she has agreed to take on Ikai under her wing.
She has already asked us to prep Ikai to act (Ikai cry, Ikai laugh, Ikai sing, Ikai dance) and be ready to mingle with semi-strangers as our toddler daughter is to be scheduled for a VTR this coming September!
pilar and petra
Offimate and free spirit Paolo introduced me to Pilar and Petra today, a new eatery located along Urban street at the back of Burgundy Tower.
The place looked classy and pricey with its Minimalist styling but lest you think you're entering a resto ... you're not.
It looked classy enough to be thought of as a fine-dining establishment but much to any cono's disappointment, it's actually a glorified canteen/cafeteria and in the worse possible synonym -- carinderia.
You line up at the counter and choose your viand(s) and order your cups of rice. You are then directed to the cashier where you order your drinks, pay and then get a number.
It still retains its resto-feel not only because of the look but because the food you ordered gets served at your table. Plus, the tables are decked with placemats and they prep it up with your usual implements -- a napkin, a spoon and fork, plus a knife.
In one corner of the resto-canteen is a deli shop selling meats and cold cuts, wines, and some bottled foodstuff (pickles and fermented stuff I believe) which lends to the whole classy feel.
The look kinda reminds you of the former Restaurant 12 that once graced Greenbelt 3.
The food is actually great-tasting and in generous portions, and while not really worth its weight in pesos, it's an ok splurge once in a while.
My lunch -- kalderetang baka (P130), ginataang langka (P45), rice (P20) and Coke Zero (P45).
Talkin' 'bout stuff over steaming cups of coffee. Grab a seat and be part of the chit-chat.
