IMDb: Philippine Movie Industry "Now Clinically Dead," Says Director

This article was posted on the IMDb's studio briefing page, and frankly, it is not something to be proud of, is it?

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Philippine Movie Industry "Now Clinically Dead," Says Director
The Filipino film industry which only recently turned out more than 200 films a year, will produce only about 25 in 2006 and faces extinction without government support, a top director said Saturday. As reported by the Philippine Star, director Joel Lamangan told a forum in Quezon City, "The movie industry is now clinically dead." He warned that unless film producers receive government backing, foreigners will eventually produce movies depicting Filipinos, and "the country will lose its soul." He demonstrated the lack of government support by noting that at international film festivals in which Filipino films compete, producers have to pay for the meals of Philippine embassy officials in attendance.
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There are a few blog readers out there who sent me e-mails (you know who you are) telling me off. Some of them are asking me why I say things on my blog, why I criticize Filipino movies, why I say awful things about their favorite programs.

There's your answer. Need I say more? This precious entertainment industry of began her descent began in the 1990's when those profit-hungry directors and producers began to make those sleazy seven-day softcore pornography movies starring Ynez Veneracion, Angela Velez, Rosanna Roces, and all the other brainless boldies that came and went without any name at all.

Nextly, the already suffering industry received another blow from the growth of the CD and DVD pirates. The emergence of these illegal vendors sealed the fate of the industry.

Then it got worse with these Film festival garbage when everybody involved cried foul.

So how can anybody expect this dead industry to rise up? It should start with the ordinary people like us. We should make it known that we, the audience, are sick and tired of seeing the same kind of garbage on our television and silver screens. These producers need our money, and money is hard to come by nowadays; so the movie makers should give us proper reasons for us to give them our money.

Let's face it. All of these shows and movies they're coming up with is just not enough. Don't just aim for the money, kids... AIM FOR THE WORLD.

If you want our money, DO BETTER.

PBB Fanatics strike again!

I posted my review of 'Pinoy Big Brother' at the IMDb website a few months ago (September 10 to be exact) much to the dismay of the diehard PBB fanatics.

http://innocentyears.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_innocentyears_archive.html

I remember that this review was not in favor of PBB. However, it was not offensive either. Well, guess what? I saw this message pop up on my personal IMDb page:

"Pinoy Big Brother" (2005)
Foreign garbage in our midst, 19 September 2005

(This comment was deleted by IMDb based on an abuse report filed by another user)

Yes. The review was apparently 'reported' by some PBB fanatic who cannot stand my criticism. Well, what can I say? The truth hurts; and some of them blind fanboys will do anything to protect their beloved PBB no matter what the cost. I do not blame IMDb because most of the actions done on the website is mainly electronic response. The report was probably done by some lonely lunatic-stalker with multiple e-mail addresses who cannot stand criticisms, most especially against his beloved TV show.

Honestly, I pity these people who are blindly taken in by a TV show.

And finally, this proves that what i am doing may be quite effective in some way.

Review of 'Mulawin'

the long-running soap opera squeezed into 2 hours, 4 January 2006

Author: pope_innocentyears (innocentyears@yahoo.co.uk) from Philippines


So what will happen if an epic story which should take about many months to be presented properly is squeezed into two hours? Enter 'Mulawin: The Movie', GMA films latest fantasy motion picture to date. 'Mulawin: the Movie' continues the story where 'Mulawin the Soap Opera' left off, and that is the continuing adventures of Alwina and Aguiluz after their 're-discovery' of their bird-people ancestry which leads them back to a battle against an old enemy.

Remembering 'Mulawin' the soap opera, it is a well known fact that the storyline of the said show was fleshed out slowly and tediously for a couple of months; and even then the story went no place! Now, the same guys who did the show will be creating a movie version.

The finished product? a months-long soap opera squeezed into two hours. The editing and cutting of scenes resulted into sudden event changes, making the watchers go, "What the heck? What happened?" If the viewer blinks for even just half a second, he will never notice the plot twist that just unfolded before his eyes. character appear and disappear for no apparent reason, and even if there were any explanations, expect it to come as a single sentence from one of the characters, and then move on. By half the film I was so confused, I never even bothered to try and understand the rest of the story.

The special effects, again, just like the soap opera, lacks 'speciality'. Again, the 'flying' effects are poorly done, the actors are seen as obviously hanging from a thread with a harness. The creators seemed to have forgotten how special effects should not look like special effect; it should look like the real thing.

Blame it on the marketing strategy, but Mulawin was made to look like a great movie when in fact it is not. High expectations ultimately destroy a mediocre movie, and that is exactly what happened to Mulawin. I guess karma came in the form of 'Enteng Kabisote 2'.

Watching Mulawin with high or low expectations does not make any difference. It is still a poorly done movie with flaws clearly defined. Can we expect the same weaknesses and flaws when they come up with an 'Encantadia' movie then? Let us hope not.

Film festival and what not

Once again, the Metro Manila Film Festival is upon us. It is that time again when local fim producers get to showcase their talents amidst the escalating problems of piracy and bootlegging. Does anybody have anything to be happy about aside from the bravado of our local producers? Again and again we keep hearing the good news of how movies like 'Enteng Kabisote', 'Exodus', and 'Mulawin' are topping the box office; we keep on hearing about how much is spent on production and how much profit the particular movie made.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but was not the currently-showing Hollywood movies were removed from the moviehouses to give way to the Filmfest entries? Shades of genius, but it only proves the fact that local movies are no match to the sheer strength of Hollywood. And I do not blame audiences; who would rather watch the ultra chop-chop movie 'Mulawin' than 'Chronicles of Narnia'? Who would prefer watching the special effects of 'Exodus' rather than that of Peter Jackson's 'King Kong'?

It is a sad fact that anybody would turn to Hollywood for their entertainment rather than turn to local movies for the same. For the price of 100.00 pesos, the viewer gets to choose between a foreign movie and a local movie; a choice between a certified quality foreign film versus a locally produced try-hardest fantasy film with no other pull but star power.

Thinking practically, for a hundred bucks I would rather get my money's worth; cinema is way too expensive nowadays. I am pretty sure many people would do the same, but since they were left with no other options, the local movies would do just fine.

Enough about that, now here are the entires for the 2005 MMFF and my personal first impressions:

1. Ako Legal Wife - Supposedly, this one is the fourth installment of the much abhorred Mano Po sequels, but thankfully Mother Lily decided that the Philippines have had enough of these over-acting Filipino-Chinese and turn this latest one into a comedy instead; much like a parody of her Mano Po movies.

2. Blue Moon - As far as the trailer goes, this movie seems like a mixture of Pearl Harbor, Aishte Imasu, and all other mushy Filipino lovey-dovey movies whose market is obviously the teenyboppers who cannot get enough of the artificial love-team of Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras.

3. Enteng Kabisote 2 - The only logical and honest-made movie that is currently reaping the benefits. The creators of this movie knew they cannot create a serious fantasy movie that can compete with the try-hard fantasy wannabe movies, so they decided to make this one a comedy instead. Like 'Ako Legal Wife', nothing beats a comedy to make one laugh the hard times away.

4. Exodus - Supposedly, this one is a serious fantasy movie, but I have received reports that director Erik Matti chopped up this movie; a great beginning, a muddled middle and a so-so ending. However, I still reserve my comments after I watch it.

5. Kutob - One of the two entries in the MMFF which is in the horror genre. So far, I am not hearing any bad comments about this one, but I am not hearing any good ones either. To be perfectly honest I have not even seen a trailer. So should we care?

6. Lagot Ka sa Kuya Ko - One of two entries in the action genre.

7. Mourning Girls - No news on this.

8. Mulawin - So far everybody's been complaining about how this movie was hacked and slashed by the editors. Watch out for my review on this page.

9. Terrorist Hunters - Dennis Roldan as a bad guy. Reel and Real? Sorry Dennis, but I just had to take a shot.

10. Shake Rattle and Roll 2K5 - As if we have not had enough of the ultra-corny SRR mobvie back in the 80's and early 90's, here it is again; and take note: they changed the title from the cliched SRR part 1, part 2, etc. to SRR 2k5. This means there will be movies for the years 2K6, 2K7, 2K8, and so forth. Oh, the humanity.

Relax and See a Movie? Sure! Right after they bring back 'King Kong' back to the moviehouses.