TONY'S MOVIE REVIEW: Nicolas Cage Hams It Up as Count Dracula in 'Renfield'

Me encantan vampire movies and except for that dreadful love story trilogy which made Pattinson and Stewart worldwide stars, I have enjoyed immensely many iterations of this genre, based on the classic by Bram Stoker.  

In Renfield, Count Dracula is portrayed by Oscar winner Nicolas Cage as he hams it up before the camera - ghoulish make up and all! However, he is not the main character here though.  Nicholas Hoult is.  Yes, that guy from that zombie movie who learns how to become human and fall in love.  Hoult though, is more handsome in this movie, now that he's a full grown male adult.  

The movie uses the same plot point in the original Bram Stoker novel with Hoult, being the lawyer Dracula tricks to become his loyal servant.  Renfield though, is an action comedy spiced up with a little existential angst - answering philosophical questions like - why am I codependent in a relationship or why am I not happy or how do I take control of my life?  This subplot of the story plays an important part since this is where Dracula gets his nourishment.

To add to the complications in Hoult's character, the movie introduces Awkwafina, whose comedic skills are shown here.  Interestingly, although they do look like an odd pair - there is great chemistry between Hoult and Awkwafina - and it's a testament to their skills as actors.  The interplay of their characters is fun to watch.

The movie has some funny scenes though - and expectedly, since this is a vampire movie - gore and violence are the order of the day.  I am surprised though by its R16 rating since the video games many young boys play nowadays are far more violent.

I also enjoyed watching Shoreh Agdashloo here, who plays a matriarchal bit** crime leader in very snappy suits.  It's admirable that they put three Asian-looking actors in the major roles to give the cast a more diverse look.

This is a fun movie to watch and it's not the horror movie you were expecting if you want to scream or get tense.  It's more of a cute action horror movie with classic literature characters given a post-pandemic uplift.

Ranking My Favorite Songs in P!nk's Trustfall

 

Pink has released a great album 'Trustfall' and although, I haven't really listened to her other albums, her latest album is such a gem!

Here is my ranking of her songs with #1 as my favorite and the lowest number as the one I least like.  If I were the record company, these would be the order of release of the songs in her album -

Turbulence

Never Gonna Not Dance Again

When I Get There

Runaway

Long Way to Go

Just Say I'm Sorry

Our Song

Lost Cause

Feel Something

Hate Me

Last Call

Kids in Love

Trustfall

SB19 Tops My FABE OPM Top 10 Countdown Again

 

Local boy band SB19 tops My FABE OPM Top 10 countdown this week.  Their song WYAT (Where You At) ascends to the top spot.

Here are my ten favorite songs by OPM artists for the week ending April 14, 2023 -

#1 WYAT (Where You At)                SB19 (#2)   

#2  Ozone - Itulak ang Pinto           Unique Salonga (#3)

#3 Muli                                                Ace Banzuelo (#4)

#4 Need It From You                        Manila Grey (#5)

#5 Pero                                                Zack Tabudlo (#6)

#6 Tumitigil and Mundo                BGYO (#7)

#7 Dati-Dati                                       Sarah Geronimo (#8)

#8 Puede Ba                                      Maymay Entrata / Viktoria (#9)

#9 ILY ILY                                        Alamat / Lyca Gairanod (#10)

#10 Pagod Na                                  Janine Berdin / Sam Mangubat (NEW)

HARRY STYLES GETS HIS FOURTH #1 SONG IN MY INTERNATIONAL TOP 10 COUNTDOWN

 

Harry Styles puts another #1 song on top of My FABE International Top 10 countdown this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending April 14, 2023 -

#1 Daydreaming                                           Harry Styles (#2)  

#2 Far Away                                                   Carly Rae Jepsen (#3)

      

#3 All Your Exes                                           Julia Michaels (#4)

        

#4  Iffy                                                            Chris Brown (#5)

       

#5  Despues de la Playa                              Bad Bunny (#6)

       

#6 Cozy                                                          Beyonce (NEW)

#7 Stagger                                                      Poppy (NEW)

#8 Heart to Break                                        Kim Petras (NEW)

#9 Turbulence                                              P!nk (NEW)

#10 We                                                           Arcade Fire (NEW)

MOVIE REVIEW: 'About Us But Not About Us' - A Timebomb of Secrets and Lies

 I've always wondered how Pinoy audiences would warm up to movies like 'About Us But Not About Us'.  The way this movie is presented reminds me of the 'Before Sunset' trilogy where the two main characters also talk in the whole movie while meandering in the streets of their chosen European city.  I'm happy that FINALLY, we have our own version of that talkie movie but don't be fooled.  This movie has more landmines than the 'Before Sunset' trilogy, which was basically a love story.

I thought this was a love story but it's not.  I don't want to delve too much into the dialogue since I really want people to watch this movie and go through the same rollercoaster ride that I did.  What I can say is that the script by Jun Lana starts off innocently enough but he deftly shows the true nature of each of the characters as the movie or the conversation unfolds.  By just using their conversation as the storytelling tool, it actually makes people like me who want to imagine stuff, picture the scenario in our own heads, much like what reading a fiction book does to our minds.  Since there is no action filmed, everyone is free to conjure the scenes in their minds in the way each of the character describes it. It was actually a lot of fun to do - but I'm not sure if this is everyone's cup of tea.

The script is topnotch because there were many things I did not expect.  As I said, I thought this was just a love story LOL

What is even more rewarding is seeing these two actors from two different generations do justice to the roles given them.  I think, just for award purposes, the producer has to decide who is lead and who is supporting because it would be too bad if both Sarmenta and Canlas cancel each other out if both are seen as the lead.

 This has been done many times in the Oscar competition in Hollywood although they say it's category cheating.  I see it more as giving rewards to great performances and I think Canlas would be the lead here - since his character is more exciting - and Sarmenta would be the supporting since his character is the one reacting more to what Canlas is saying.  Just a thought.  Both of them should win acting awards for this tale of three queens and I'm sure they won't mind if one wins the lead award and the other, the supporting award.

I have seen Canlas in Kalel, 15 and as I said in the review of  that movie, he reminds of me of the young Christopher de Leon.  This young man can really act and he should be given challenging work everytime, much like what Leo de Caprio has been doing in his career.  Sarmenta, you'd want to hug and he kind of reminds me of me - a bit naive, a bit trusting, although my moral compass is grayer than his character LOL  Tamang tama lang ang timpla nya sa role as a closeted gay person.  Are the two believable as gay men?  Yeah, they are usually called paminta in my world so it was fun to see them portrayed in a very big screen.

Will you be bored watching a movie which is all just talk?  Depends if you have the attention span to listen to the dialogue because everything is there.  It is a timebomb just ticking as there is a manipulator here and there is a bit of naivete in the other.  I was actually shocked by the audacity that I felt in the end.  Some people are indeed wolves in sheep's clothing.

Btw, the main characters in the movie are both gay but this should not detract straight people from jumping into the fray.  It's a movie about relationships and anybody, regardless of gender can relate to it.  And I'm quite sure everyone can relate to a thing or two in this menage-a-trois, maybe either to a bigger or lesser degree.  

MOVIE REVIEW: 'Here Comes the Groom' Taps Similar Story from Director's Earlier Work

 

The first soul swapping movie that really made me laugh was Tom Hanks' 'Big' and since then, there has been a long list of similar movies with different iterations - from Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday to Angelica Panganiban in 'Here Comes the Bride'.  While I was watching 'Here Comes the Groom', I was trying to remember what local movie used Magnetic Hill and the similar car crash scene.  I thought it was one of the Kimmy Dora movies, but after Googling, it turned out to be an earlier work of director Chris Martinez, 'Here Comes the Bride'.  I remember how hilarious that movie was in the adept hands of Angelica Panganiban.

Enchong Dee does a similar spirited approach to the similar predicament his character is experiencing, but this time, another four pairs of actors switch souls, allowing each of the brilliant cast of the movie to show their acting prowess.  My favorite of course, is Keempee, who is from my generation.  His work here reminded me of Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.  Kaladkaren who switches with Enchong is also quite convincing as a male barako, considering she has to be in women's clothes acting as a man and totally downplaying her supposed femininity.

Eugene Domingo, who seems to be Martinez's muse is as funny as ever, this time, as a grandstanding public official, and I can sense hints of sarcasm in the movie as her actions parody the shallowness of today's politicians.  She's always a joy to watch.

Everybody in the cast has great comedic timing and I have read how the younger fans are raving about Maris Racal and Awra.  Even Tony Labrusca, the only one in the cast who had to look serious, looked quite convincing as the closeted best friend of Enchong Dee's character.  Their scenes together will surely make many gay men happy - what with those two guys' impeccably chiseled bodies!

Fino Herrera, whose video has been a hot tip in the gay Twitter community, looks quite hot here as well, sana pinashirtless din sya LOL but he does look stockier here than in his controversial video.

Kuya Kim reprises his role here as the person who saves everyone's souls and brings order back to their lives.  

It is a riot of a movie and if you are looking for something carefree and funny and light, this movie is your go to movie this summer MMFF.  

Jacky Chang and Kurt Fick Top My OPM Top 10 Again

 

Jacky Chang continues her domination of the local Top 10 countdown, as her collaboration with Kurt Fick, 'Sulti Pa Lang Ka', moves up to the top spot.

Here are my ten favorite songs  by OPM artists for the week ending April 7, 2023 -

#1 Sulti Pa Lang Ka                          Kurt Fick / Jacky Chang (#2)

#2 WYAT (Where You At)                SB19 (#3)   

#3  Ozone - Itulak ang Pinto           Unique Salonga (#4)

#4 Muli                                                Ace Banzuelo (#5)

#5 Need It From You                        Manila Grey (#6)

#6 Pero                                                Zack Tabudlo (#7)

#7 Tumitigil and Mundo                BGYO (#8)

#8 Dati-Dati                                     Sarah Geronimo (#9)

#9 Puede Ba                                      Maymay Entrata / Viktoria (#10)

#10 ILY ILY                                      Alamat / Lyca Gairanod (NEW)

Gregory Douglass Tops My International Top 10 Countdown Anew

 Gregory Douglass tops my FABE International Top 10 countdown anew with 'Alibis'.  I think it's his third #1.  This actually comes from an old album released more than a decade ago.  I discovered Douglass through the gay magazine Attitude.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending April 7, 2023 -

#1 Alibis                                                          Gregory Douglass (#3)

      

#2 Daydreaming                                           Harry Styles (#2)

      

#3 Far Away                                                   Carly Rae Jepsen (#4)

      

#4 All Your Exes                                           Julia Michaels (#5)

        

#5  Iffy                                                            Chris Brown (#6)

       

#6  Despues de la Playa                              Bad Bunny (#7)

       

#7  Every Summertime                               NIKI (NEW)

#8 Give in to You                                          Dan + Shay (NEW)

#9 I Got You                                                   Becky Hill  (NEW)

#10 indieedgycool                                         GAYLE (NEW)