a look back

i'm back. i had to attend to a couple of things before i could finally turn to writing. they weren't anything major really, just a couple of those unresolved things that have been hanging around forever.

as zarine has pointed out, this blog (i've retained the original tagline "Recycled Thoughts") is almost 1 year old — yep, it's been that long. and if i remember right, one of the first entries i've posted was a rant on the limited movie choices available during the holidays. well guess what, it's that time of the year again — Manila Film Festival kicks off on Dec. 25, which means that in about a week from now and extending up to the first week of January (or even longer, like last year), we will be inundated by pinoy movies again.

nothing wrong with that really, except for the fact that many interesting foreign movies are also released around this time. which means, i'll have to wait until 2008 to watch I Am Legend. aaarrghh!

speaking of movies, i was able to watch The Golden Compass about a week ago and Elizabeth: The Golden Age last night. The Golden Compass was basically a disappointment, which is saying a lot for a fantasy nut like me. Nicole Kidman was effective in her role as the conflicted and duplicitous Mrs. Coulter, but the movie (based on the first book Northern Lights of Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials) was hard to follow and at the end of it, i promptly lost interest. with a $180M budget and A-list stars, this is really a big letdown. the polar bears were awesome though.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age isn't as good as its predecessor. It's watchable though, and cate blanchett's wardrobe as England's monarch is incredible. cate blanchett is simply a joy to watch as she grabs hold of your attention and never lets go until the ending credits roll. although Elizabeth: The Golden Age has a lot of flaws, ms. blanchett is ably supported by a brilliant cast (geoffrey rush, clive owen, etc.).