the incomparable mr. bean

when you go around asking people if they knew anybody named rowan atkinson, chances are you’ll get a blank stare and a shrug. but just mention “mr. bean” and more often than not, you’ll be met by a flash of recognition followed by a snicker or a loud guffaw. after years of overturning the boob tube and the silver screen, rowan atkinson (as the incomparable mr. bean) has managed to achieve global recognizability that many comedians can only dream about. frankly, he’s almost an institution all by himself.

rib-tickling antics? check. physical stunts that would rouse a contortionist’s envy? too easy. creating absurd mayhem out of a serious situation? uhh please. he can do that without even taking a deep breath.

yep, he can do these things. without saying a word, mind you. sometimes, he doesn’t even need any support characters. but seriously, how is he as a dancer? check this out.

kind of makes you wonder what those Chippendale dancers would say about this.

much ado about mobile phones

being an avid cell phone user these past few years, i had thought that by now i would be fairly immune to the usual hype that would flare up every time a drool-worthy mobile unit comes out in the market.

for the most part, i can usually turn a blind eye or a deaf ear whenever these habitual flares occur — fairly easy when you have your budgetary constraints to consider (ahem). but when news about the iPhone’s coming began to hit the airwaves, my ears definitely “perked up.”

after reading about that $200 price tag (8GB version) and some of its nifty features and functions, i knew i was fighting a losing battle. without prompting, i began to imagine what it would be like to have this gadget strapped to my wrist. it got to the point where i was ‘planning’ what color would suit me best (black or white) and what phone accessories would best compliment my needs — things like cell phone headsets, cases, chargers, dock, etc.

in short, i got swept away by my own imagination. and it turned out i wasn’t the only one. for a while there, we were entranced by the idea of owning this mobile gadget and all that it represented. actually it’s not that hard to understand, judging from the way thousands of excited would-be buyers reacted to iPhone’s global debut.

after waking up to its hefty price tag (local prices are quite baffling, to say the least) though, i realized and acknowledged to myself that if i really want one, i would have to go back to my drawing board and think some more.

still, the prospect enchants.

film break: x-files 2

i have postponed this review for as long as i could, but there’s just no getting around the fact that X-Files 2: I Want to Believe is something of a letdown for me — and that’s after i had drastically lowered my expectations as a result of mostly discouraging feedback about the movie (critics and fans).

according to zarine, a few souls have described this film as something of an “extended X-Files episode.” after watching the film, i had to agree. in fact, if i had to rate it among the best X-Files episodes i’d seen, it won’t even land in the top 10. *sigh*

it’s a pity, really. few other TV series have a more rabid fanbase than X-Files, and although this won’t put me off the series (are you kidding?), i just wish chris carter took a more careful approach while filming this latest offering from his highly successful franchise.

so, what basically turned me off? i can’t put my finger on it really, but i can enumerate a few things that bothered me:

** i know this was dubbed as a ‘low-budget feature’ and X-Files basically has a dark theme, but i wish they had fixed up some of the shots — some scenes were too blurry for comfort, reminiscent of hastily shot low-quality films. that’s not exactly a big issue, but when a film has so many flaws this just magnifies its drawbacks.

** the fact that scully and mulder are no longer active FBI agents practically negates their potency as investigators — i hate to use the term “emasculate” here, but i think this lack of any ‘real’ authority and/or credentials to flesh out their theory sort of dilutes their appeal.
** mulder’s receding hairline, which becomes even more pronounced as soon as he shaves off his beard. and iv’e always though that scully’s hair was dark red (here it’s blond).

** lack of wow factor. i don’t know if this has something to do with the script or directorial style or screenplay, but the film definitely lacks something.

** cast of characters — aside from scully and mulder, and a late appearance by skinner, everyone else fades into background. sometimes it feels like no effort was made to even make these characters come alive. they’re almost like disposable syringes, which is a huge waste really.

there  are a few positive things about X-Files 2, mainly due to the undeniable (although a bit lackluster this time) rapport between scully and mulder. their earlier banter was a welcome respite. beyond that, everything’s a blur.

here’s hoping this won’t happen again. (after all, what’s the point of making a movie if it doesn’t even measure up to its regular episodic runs right?)

a word about poker lovers

for the longest time i’ve been baffled by the way some of my friends have been so hung up on poker. i used to think they were nuts for getting so worked up about a card game. it’s not just about the fact that they have lost or won the game, mind you. some of them would even go to the point of agonizing for days about certain plays that they have made and/or cursing themselves for doing (or failing to do) this or that.

after learning about the basics of the game, i began to get a glimpse of what these players go through. okay, so i’ll probably never gonna get that “itch” to play this game on a regular basis, but i have to admit there is something inherently addictive about poker. if you wish to do well at this game, you need to be something of an armchair battle tactitian, a fairly decent mathematician, an amateur psychologist, and a subtle intimidator and a master bluffer (i guess that’s how the term “poker face” got coined in the first place).

so, i guess it comes as no surprise that poker players have spilled across the internet. these dedicated professionals, better known as Online Poker players, have generated enough attention that there are even Poker Room Reviews and Poker Forums cropping up.

i think they even hold an annual world competition for this game (surprised?). i sort of remember that because i think ben affleck qualified and played for such event a few years ago.

robert downey as a black dude

wanna see how robert downey jr. looks and sounds like when he dyes his skin in order to look like a real, honest-to-goodness black dude? well, one way to do that would be to click the clip from the ‘tube (see below)

if you want to hear and see more of his droll antics, go and watch Tropic Thunder.

a short note: Tropic Thunder — a hilarious spoof on hollywood stars and war movies — also stars ben stiller, jack black, brendan jackson (as Alpa Chino), steve coogan, jay baruchel, etc. and watch out for cameo scenes involving nick nolte, tom cruise, matthew mcconaughey, tobey maguire, etc. ben stiller directs.