James Cameron's Avatar

1. The best movie of the year. I was actually motivated to write in my blog again. Imagine that.
2. Although I haven't seen the ordinary theatrical version, I can say for a fact that this movie was MEANT to be seen in 3D. Like the first time I saw Miller's 300, I couldn't stop telling myself how awesome the Avatar 3D experience was.
3. I am still quite amazed on how this motion picture turned out, although I don't know if the same high will be experienced if you watched the non-3D version of the movie first.
4. I wonder if this was all from James Cameron's head (like Lucas with Star Wars) or if this was just a creative collaboration from his production team? Can't wait for the DVD/BR special features.

5. Too bad - I heard the PSP game sucks.

6. Runtime was long but the story was well told. Although it did have its "love story moments" in the middle that made me ask "Where's the action?" (And then just minutes after, a full blown war ensues. Go figure.)

7. Okay I did find one thing that didn't exactly sit well with me: ***Spolier Alert*** It seemed stupid that the Na'vi and would fight and charge to death at the end without formulating some sort of tactical advantage aside from - "Their sensors won't work!"

8. Is this a prelude to the idea of a trend that only CG-heavy movies can really rake in the cash at the global level?

9. I gave it 4.5 DREIs but its actually closer to a five than to a four.

4.5 DREIs


1 - DREIs: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)
2 - DREIs: "Shite" No need to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)
3 - DREIs: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)
4 - DREIs: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)
5 - DREIs: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

Does Booze make the Heat better?

Iverson? No, thanks.

Boozer? Hmm...

Current Depth Chart:

C - J. O' Neal

PF - U. Haslem

SF - M. Beasley*

SG - D. Wade

PG - M. Chalmers

6th - D. Cook

7th - J. Jones

8th - C. Quinn

9th - M. Blount

10th - Y. Diawara

11th - D. Wright

*Riles and Spo indicated that there is a strong possibility of B-Easy starting as SF this year

**No word yet from Jamario Moon and Joel Anthony's qualifying offers, nor from Jamaal Magloire's status.

Depth Chart after acquiring Boozer (for perhaps Beasley and Haslem after matching salaries):

C - J. O'Neal / M. Blount

PF - C. Boozer

SF - J. Jones / Y. Diawara

SG - D. Wade / D. Cook

PG - M. Chalmers / C. Quinn

You can throw in Wright and to either the 2 or 3 positions but you can still see that that roster will rely heavily on the outside shooting of Cook and James Jones to open up the inside. The Booze and O'Neal pairing will clog up the inside immensely - you just have to hope that both their midrange game is working (just like when UD had that 10 to 15 footer on).

Still contract-wise and thinking of the 2010 cap space, this could potentially be a great pickup. It will just be extremely hard to let go of Haslem - the Heat's ultimate warrior and Beasley - youth and unbounded potential.

Revenge of the Fallen

Critics hated it. I loved it.

1. While watching, I couldn't help but think: "How much MONEY did they actually put into this movie?" - I would have to guess the number of (expensive) CG shots trumped that of Revolutions and Phantom Menace.

2. Andaming robot. Not needing to develop a back story for the characters, Michael Bay went all out using as much robots as he can without choking the audience. (Although, I hated the two gremlin-like twin robots he used - too much personality, I say - if that's even possible for movie robots.)

3. The story/plot was okay. They did need 2.5 hours to finish it though. But with all the eye candy, who cares if it was a tad too long?

4. Anyone notice Michael Bay's self-promotion with the Bad Boys II poster? And oh yeah, he used the same ecstacy/reefer drugged up funny scene with the Witwicky mom.

5. Shia Le Bouf was good. Megan Fox was good. Turturro was good. Although Duhamel and Gibson, felt like they were playing bit parts.

6. Congratulations, Michael Bay. You managed to make Megan Fox even more hotter.

7. The Decepticons went terminator-style and upped the ante with the robots-in-disguise thing. I'm still not sure on whether this was a good idea or not.

8. Revenge of the Fallen. Yep, better than the first.

4 DREIs

1 - DREIs: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)
2 - DREIs: "Shite" No need to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)
3 - DREIs: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)
4 - DREIs: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)
5 - DREIs: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

Noong Wala Pang Tint si PLU...

...pano ka nga naman makakatulog ng maliwanag...

Movie Reviews

Recently Seen:

Ip Man - I was hoping for something along the lines of an epic like Hero or even something just as entertaining as probably Fearless. Those standards proved to be way too high. Waaay too high. Ip Man = Fail.
2 DREIs

Fast and Furious (Old Model New Parts) - Yes, it is an upgrade over the monumentally bad Tokyo Drift. But really, not much else.
3 DREIs

The 13th Warrior - I saw this first in the theater (1999? 2000?). Recently got an AVI copy. Liked it before, still like it now. Probably the best movie adaption of the Beowulf saga.
3.5 DREIs

The Invisible - It is predicated in this movie that people that are near death can walk around the world "invisibly." As expected, not a whole lot went on; and just too many holes in the plot.
2.5 DREIs

The Horsemen - Starring Dennis Quaid and Zhang Zhiyi. Whodunnit Cops and Serial Killers. It seems that they used as much movie cliches as they can. Aside from bad acting and sciptwriting, it was just too easy to figure out.
1 DREI

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I saw the "unfinished" copy first, and then the final cut. I have to admit I liked almost everything about it, everything was relatively good - plot . But this is where Dark Knight sticks it to almost every other superhero movie - compared to the Joker, Sabretooth was just... forgettable.
3.5 DREIs

Punisher: War Zone - I saw one or two scenes with flashes of brilliance, but see Dark Knight reference above: Jigsaw = also forgettable.
2.5 DREIs

Dead or Alive - Surprisingly entertaining. I liked the fight scenes and the slowmo volleyball game. And besides, this movie had Holly Valance mostly half naked! Nuff said.
3.5 DREIs

The Spirit - Frank Miller is thought of as a god in the comic book industry. But even deity sometimes does stupid mortal things. Like making movies like these for example. Shot almost entirely in the same manner as Sin City, just infinitely more boring.
2.5 DREIs



1 - DREIs: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)
2 - DREIs: "Shite" No need to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)
3 - DREIs: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)
4 - DREIs: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)
5 - DREIs: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

Terminator Salvation

1. McG delivered. Action-freakin-packed. When someone asks you: "What is an action movie?" You say: "This is."

2. Chel and Drei were right though: not much in terms of the story itself - but the action more than made up for it.

3. Christian Bale was amazing. It is hard for anyone to play John Connor and he did a good job of doing it. Method acting paid off, I guess... (and yep, I heard his 15-minute internet audio cursefest on this set... on a side note, continuous cursing is hard to sustain over a two or even three minute period, Bale was relentless for that entire time... THAT is something.)

4. Sam Worthington (Marcus) will probably have a Hugh Jackman-like career from now on.

5. (Semi-Spoiler Alert) The Arnold Schwaenenzggreenegegegr CGI should NOT have been there. It distracted you from the entire action sequence. I was thinking, if you can't put in the "real" Arnold, then DON'T put him in. (on another side note, the movie industry has made great strides in terms of computer animation and graphics for the past couple of years... but this goes to show you how we are still so far off in terms of people CG realism on closeups.)

6. (Major Spoiler Alert) I was really hoping they were going to finish the story. But instead, even after blowing up Skynet's main base, John Connor said something like - "Skynet's Global Network still remains strong, but the fight isn't over..."

7. I can't help but think of parralels between the Matrix and the Terminator mythology. The machines in the Matrix (sentinels, etc..) are way way way way harder to beat than Terminators (even if Skynet had nuclear capability). I'm just sayin.

8. Overall, good action flick. Monumentally better than the last one. However, I just had some issues with the CG and the ending.

3.5 DREIs

1 - DREIs: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)

2 - DREIs: "Shite" No need to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)

3 - DREIs: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)

4 - DREIs: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)

5 - DREIs: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

Angels and Demons

1. The Da Vinci Code may have been a bigger box office and bestseller hit; but cinematically, Angels and Demons proved to be just above it in several levels.

2. More action, better paced, better acting (Obi-Wan did a fantastic job.)

3. Much like other book-to-movie adaptations, the book was more engaging. Although the movie itself, did not disappoint.

4. Just like The Da Vinci Code, I read the book before I saw the movie. I particularly liked the representation of the God Particle (anti-matter) and how Ron Howard integrated the use of the Hadron Collider to create it.

5. MINOR SPOILER ALERT: The thing that was missing though, and this was a huge part of the story in the book, was the Camerlengo's relationship to the deceased Pope. This was what I thought, what Dan Brown wrote as the match that started the whole fire.

6. I love wide-angle shots in a movie. It is sort of a like a gauge on how grand the scale of production is. And this movie had lots of it.

7. Replay Value: definitely worth buying an original DVD box set for. We got the original The Da Vince Code Limited Edition Box Set with Cryptex for the first movie. What box-set bells and whistles will they think of this time? Limited Edition Anti-Matter perhaps?

3.5 DREIs


1 - DREIs: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)
2 - DREIs: "Shite" No need to see this movie unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)
3 - DREIs: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)
4 - DREIs: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)
5 - DREIs: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

To Boldy Go Where A Few Has Gone Before: Star Trek Zero

Warning! Spoilers!

First, let me establish that I am a trekker. Not the all-out geek who knows all the sciences and can speak fluent Klingon, but I have always appreciated the TV shows and the movies. Particularly, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Picard, Riker, Data, Troi, Worf, La Forge, Crusher, etc..). I used to watch that show every week (Voyager and Deep Space Nine did not have the same intellectual appeal as TNG).

So with that in mind, I went to this movie with no expectations at all. I was thinking this is just sort of a run-of-the-mill prequel to the Star Trek Movies, and that the producers and writers just wanted to establish the history between Spock and Kirk. I was mistaken. This might very well be the best Star Trek movie ever made - everything was extremely well done. With my affinity for TNG - it is hard for me to say that. However, I was overwhelmed by how much thought was put into the plot and the scale that was placed in this production.

A few notes: James Kirk - great acting by Chris Pine, he portrayed the brash, young, Kirk masterfully and with great writing, his persona almost transcended the screen. Spock - one of the things I looked out for was if he remotely reminded me of Sylar, this movie will fail. Zachary Quinto made an extremely believable Vulcan and not once did Sylar cross my mind. Leonard Nimoy was here as well - for a good part of the movie.

There were a few references to Star Wars I noticed like: Luke Skywalker's adventure in Hoth and Qui-Gonn Jinn's "there's always a bigger fish" theory. I don't know, maybe its just me.

They now have the freedom to rewrite Star Trek's entire history (or historical events for that matter, characters did not change) because of the alternate reality they have created from Spock and Nero travelling to the past.

Overall, an entirely entertaining movie. Action-packed. Well-thought of plot. Sci-fi on a grand scale. Great acting and writing. Hopefully, they start bringing in TNG's mythology to the next movies.

4 out 5 DREIs

1 - Drei: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)

2 - Dreis: "Shite" No need to see these movies unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)

3 - Dreis: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)

4 - Dreis: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)

5 - Dreis: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

Movie Rating System

It occurred to me that when I look back at all my movie reviews, it would be helpful to me if I establish a rating system to easily categorize and distinguish motion pictures from movies that I can watch over and over again, to movies that merit buying an original DVD for, to movies that I should avoid like the plague.
The next question is: What rating scale would I use and what would be the factors that constitute each scale level? Rottentomatoes uses its own Tomatometer on a 0% to 100% scale from its approved critics; similarly, IMDB uses a 10.0-star scale to show its average user rating for a movie. Since, this blog is nowhere near the magnitude and scale of those sites, it seems logical to have a rating system designed for a smaller purpose. Besides, this blog is for my personal use anyway. To that effect, a 5 scale rating would suffice. And instead of tomatoes or stars, I thought I'd be true to this blog's namesake and give it a 5-scale Drei rating.


1 - Drei: "Avoid Like The Plague" Why did we watch this in the first place? (i.e. Bangkok Dangerous, The Hottie and the Nottie, Scorpion King 2, etc..)


2 - Dreis: "Shite" No need to see these movies unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. Movies with high expectations but falls short on almost everything. (i.e. Righteous Kill, Max Payne, The Island, etc..)


3 - Dreis: "Okay" Good movies that could have been better. Usually gets half good reviews, and the other half so-so. The experience will also depend also on who is watching. (i.e. Clone Wars Animated, Fast and the Furious, The Devil Wears Prada, etc..)


4 - Dreis: "Great" Almost all facets of the movie were masterfully done. Great in almost all aspects. (i.e. 300, Dark Knight, Transformers, Slumdog Millionaire, etc..)


5 - Dreis: "Revolutionary" It will change the entire concept of filmmaking and how films are made from this point on. It will serve as the new gauge for movies of the same genre. (i.e. The Matrix, LOTR, The Godfather, etc..)

And So It Ends...

Miami's season ended with a 91-78 Game 7 loss to the heavily favored Atlanta Hawks. I'm not entirely dissapointed with the whole season, but I really was hoping for at least second round outing. Miami almost got what it wanted in the regular season - they almost got home court advantage in the first round finishing with the 5th seed and eventually losing in seven to the 4th seeded Hawks. Overall, it was a relatively "good" season to start after the awful 15-67 W-L record last year.

With hindsight, here are my thoughts for this season:

1. Michael Beasley? He's good and he'll be better. He definitely will be a cornerstone of this franchise. I can see him as a consistent 20-10 player 2 to 3 years from now.

2. Dwyane Wade - There has been a lot of talk about whether D-Wade will be staying after his contract expires. People are saying he'll take a look at the roster and that there is no one there absolutely worth staying for for competing for a championship. Again, there have been no indications that he is considering leaving - but you never know. I think with the impending cap space and with Chalmers, and Beasley, and Spo - he's got lots of reasons to stay although the lure of a better roster somewhere else will still be on his mind. And the entire Heat Nation. But dang, the entire Heat Staff (and Wade) should be taking care of his body - it seems that at every season's end - he's nursing something bad. Definitely not a good sign for him.

3. The Trade - I didn't agree with it then, and I still don't agree with it now. If we had Marion instead of Jermaine, we'd be preparing for the the Cavs.

4. Jermaine O'Neal - exactly what he turned out to be - old and hobbled. Not exactly what we hoped for. Sayang. It means that we will be paying his contract next season instead of say - Carlos Boozer's.

5. Erik Spoelstra - he was in the midst of COY talk, and that's huge for a rookie coach. From 15-67 to 43-40 wasn't just about D-Wade's health - it was also about Spo's coaching. Go Pinoy!

6. Mario Chalmers -Like B-Easy, he'll get better. I expect him to work in the offseason with his shooting. His defense is spectacular - he tied the Heat franchise record for most steals in a game (9), and he has shown a propensity for hitting big shots as well. But, right now, it's just hard to see him as a starting PG for a championship caliber team. Hopefully, when I said "he'll get better" it means better in every basketball catgeory.

7. The Bench - Daequan Cook and James Jones, Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire. Looking at purely offensive and defensive awareness, this could be the bench for being competitive. However, with how the season ended, you'd think that there still is something missing. And there is - consistency - specially on offense. If Cook and Jones aren't hitting their shots, it makes it that much harder for Miami to win a game, any game for that matter.

8. 2010 - The year of the free agents. We can hope right? Ultimate scenario - Wade and Bron; 2nd Ultimate scenario - Wade and Bosh; Somewhat realistic scenario - Wade and Stoudamire; Nightmare Scenario - Wade walks. I think we'll end somewhere in between realistic and nightmare.

I Watched The Watchmen

I read the book. I liked the book. Then I learned that it was going to be made into a movie. This was the first time that I couldn't imagine how something could possibly be made into a movie. I mean I was just dumbfounded. "Unfilmable" is what some fans called it. It just wasn't made for the big screen. Even Alan Moore initially didn't want to be part of this. And rightly so, the storytelling of the comic just seemed impossible to tell without going beyond at least 10 hours (the movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes).
A lot was ultimately left out - the news snippets of each hero that provided the background, nothing to note about Rorschach's shrink who almost went crazy in the novel, and no Black Freighter back story. Even the ending was changed entirely- no octopus! Also, Dr. Manhattan's anytime and all time power was not efficiently explained in the movie.
However, I was amazed at Snyder's vision. I didn't think it could have been done. But he did. The film worked perfectly - the scenes were timed right, the action sequences were violent and always appeared to hit real hard. I didn't realize they made this movie so violent and so disturbing. And that was definitely part of its appeal. Two-thumbs up for the movie originally called unfilmable by the novel's die-hard fans.


Heartbreak Kid

The Final Set: 3.7.09

1. Thanks to Jas for the VIP tickets! The creative mind from MTV behind all billboards, posters, and ads for the event.
2. Awesome concert, just plain awesome.
3. Ely Buendia did NOT die.
4. There was, of course, the obligatory FrancisM tribute. It was said that Francis Magalona was supposed to rap his part in Super Proxy - Ely Buendia did the whole thing instead. I admit I had goosebumps though, when the eraserheads played one chorus from Kaleidoscope World and Raimund Marasigan held up the "Man From Manila" sign. Rest in Peace, Francis.
5. I was pretty fuckin' pissed off that we missed the first three songs because of the traffic around MOA. I would have sang my heart out at "Waiting For The Bus" - one of my all-time eraserheads favorite.
6. It occurred to me that a concert this huge, VIP seats are imperative. Imagine all the 9s and 10s around (a few 11s and 12s as well) and you get to rub elbows with a few well-known people.
7. The acoustic set was a nice touch - probably to get Ely Buendia some rest. We couldn't help but feel terrified everytime he paused and hanged his head down during the whole concert, in our minds we were thinking: "No! Not again!"
8. After the third and final set - Raimund Marasigan urged to the crowd to call his bandmates to play a few more songs. This was after probably half of the crowd exited already. They sang three more songs.
9. The last three songs (not part of the setlist) was the highlight of the day. They made mistakes and everything - it felt like this wasn't really part of the rehearsed show and that it was just a genuine jamming from former bandmates giving one last thanks to their fans.
10. You know when you exit a showing of a new movie and cameras are there to get the reaction of the crowd? Well there was a camera at the VIP exit and it turned to me while I was exiting. I did the devil rock sign and said "Go heads." I was secretly hoping that that will be showed at the DVD. But it occurred to me that I pointed at my tattoos as well - thereby ending any hope if it being included. Tattoos are often mistaken for a gang sign and MTV probably does not want to be affiliated with such. Bummer.
11. Just an amazing night, only knock on it was the traffic, the "jogging," the Prado-dead-battery-alternate-reality, and Mae Dei wasn't there. Still, easily one of the highlights to start the year.

Photos from Michelle Hidalgo

Jermaine O' Neal

Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Jermaine O' Neal and Jamario Moon.
Toronto fans are saying this is a good deal for the Heat. However, I can't help but feel Miami could have done a whole lot better for Marion.

A few good things to note though:
1. Marcus Banks and his awful contract are finally off of Miami's books.
2. Jamario Moon over Diawara on the depth chart.
3. Improved interior defense?

A few not-so-good things to note:
1. The Heat has now two former All-Star centers that are way past their prime. Way past.
2. Downgrade defensively at SF. Who'll be guarding Lebron, Pierce, Lewis, and Joe Johnson now?
3. Bye-bye Carlos Boozer.
4. The Heat just became even more injury prone. If that's even posible.

In the East, you need Marion more than you need a Jermaine. No one can stop Dwight Howard defensively anway and the Heat (Haslem and committee) have done a somewhat okay job against Bosh and KG. Granted Marion has had games where his presence was never felt. But when he decides to turn it up a notch defensively, he's played relatively good defense against the Kobes and the Lebrons of the NBA. After Marion, the Heat has no one that can play a lick of defense at the SF position. And I don't think that Moon is the answer.
I'd be ecstatic at a 17, 8 and 2 blocks from Jermaine. But realistically, I think the Heat just traded for a 13 and 6 guy that will play less than half of the remaining games.
I think Riley pushed this trade for a shot at home court advantage in the playoffs. But at what cost? This does not even guarantee a playoff seeding and it certainly doesn't make the Heat contenders. The Heat can't be in a Win Now mode, right? We are going in the right direction but we are definitely far from that at this point. Could there still be some trades before the deadline?

Just Like Mommy and Daddy

If there was any doubt that she's a rocker, I guess this video shows she's into Rock and Roll just like mommy and daddy. Rock on, baby!



Yeah, Seiichi may like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, but she still rocks all out to KISS.

Appleseed: Ex Machina

This may be the best animated/CG movie in probably.. ever. I mean I know that's saying a lot. But this movie even rivals Final Fantasy: Advent Children in terms of graphics and style, and way better in terms of characterization, story telling, and cinematics. You can definitely see John Woo's influence on the movie - not just with the birds but with the stylistic gunfights, the slow-motion, and the action.
The only thing is (I know this is a small thing compared to eveything that was grand in this movie, but...) I think the animators were still high from the Sentinel juice they drank while watching Matrix Revolutions. The problem was they KNEW that they were going to get a ton of comments about how the last scene was extremely like the Zion attack - but they did it just like that anyway.

Slam Dawg and Probe Nixon

I usually have an inner aversion to movies that have Best Picture Oscar nominations. This started around 1996 when the Academy chose to acknowledge snore-inducing bore-fests like The English Patient and Fargo. This was when 1996 also provided classics and infinitely-more-watchable movies such as Independence Day, A Time to Kill, The Rock, The Ghost and the Darkness, Trainspotting, among others were shown.
I have seen both The English Patient and Fargo. They were hmm.. okay.., even passable on some odd standards. But they are nowhere near where and what critically acclaimed movies should be. It is mind-boggling, even now, to think that at that time, these movies were the best for that year.
Sometimes though, they get it right when movies like The Departed and The Return of the King wins Best Picture, but more often than not, I just can't trust the judgement of these old people. Science-fiction, action movies, and comedies rarely get any attention.
This year though, I have seen three out of the five Best Picture hopefuls: Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The Benjamin Button movie had an interesting plot but was boring as expected. However, Slumdog and Frost/Nixon was better in every way than I expected. Slumdog Millionaire was masterfully done. Everyone has been talking about its wonderful story telling and characterization, but another aspect of the film jumped out to me - the soundtrack. Not the kind of soundtrack that you'll go and buy in the store because of the new songs but rather how the sounds were used to enhance the feeling and emotional awareness of the movie. Slumdog Millionaire is like a newly delivered Meat Lover's Pizza - it's fresh and it seems to have everything.
Frost/Nixon follows in the same mold as The Last Castle (and even Death Note) wherein two strong personalities try to outmatch each other. I have had only a little background with regard to the details of the Watergate Scandal but it didn't seem to matter when I watched this movie. It really was about two men and the people behind them preparing for what was an eventuality that would define their entire lives. The acting was superb and I really feel that Frank Langella at least has an edge over Brad Pitt on this category.
Although I haven't seen Milk and The Reader, I woudln't be surprised if either Slumdog or Frost/Nixon takes home either Best Picture or Best Director award. But if Benjamin Button somehow gets any of either award, then the "Academy" has just proven that even after all these years my aversion to them has real reason and merit, and would not have been baseless. Let's just hope my gut feeling is wrong and either one of the two films gets the Best Picture and Best Director award.

Got New Ink

ALIBATA wrapped around my right arm just below the elbow:

Ma-I-De-I-Sa-Bi-O
Si-Da-Ha-Ta-Sa-Bi-O
So-Ni-Ya-Su-Sa-Bi-O

1. Tattooed once again by my good friend Engel Lucas.
2. The tattoo cost me Php 2,200 although Engel initially pegged it at around 3k because of difficulty and overall craftsmanship.
3. Up until the last moment, I was undecided on whether I'd be using ALIBATA or TENGWAR. (Note: Tengwar Script is the Lord of The Rings font used in the engravement in the One Ring.) I eventually decided on Alibata as it was the much safer choice - Alibata characters are easy to read, write, and understand. And the artist had a fairly good background on tattooing this ancient Filipino alphabet.
4. Here is an image of my original draft sent to the artist.
5. Here is an image of the Alibata characters arranged in sequence that was eventually used for the final stencil on my skin.
6. The PAIN was even greater this time. But I think since my body was already aware of what kind of pain was coming, I did not go into the a-few-seconds-before-passing-out level like last time. I did, however, shout/scream/grimace at every prick of the needle.
7. I'm thinking that this tattoo looks very raw and uncomplete. I am thinking of putting each line in a red-green-yellow band. Rasta colors. Perhaps in another three months or so.

Complicated Unconscious Demon Exorcism

Drei Corops: nasabi ko na sayo na nung bata ako naisip ko konsepto ng ensemada kahit dehin ko pa alam na may ensemada
Drei Corops: gumagawa ako ng toasted bread and put star maragarine tapos budbod ng asukal
Drei Corops: nung pagtanda ko nakakita ako ng ensaymada nabadtrip ako
Drei Corops: kasi IDEA KO YON
Drei Corops: hahahahaha
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Filip Sabio: hindi mo lng alam pare
Filip Sabio: nung bata ka
Filip Sabio: at wala ka pa masyado malay
Filip Sabio: pinakain ka na non
Filip Sabio: subconsciously
Drei Corops: hahahahaha
Drei Corops: dehin!
Drei Corops: IDEA pure
Filip Sabio: na draw mo yung ganong
Filip Sabio: setup sa
Filip Sabio: ulo mo
Filip Sabio: at ginawa mo sya based from subconscious memory
Drei Corops: can be
Filip Sabio: ayan may explanasyon yung ganyan mo
Drei Corops: pare nakakapanood ka pa ba ng discovery channel
Filip Sabio: pero yung MATRIX idea ko
Filip Sabio: saken talaga
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: teka
Drei Corops: yung concetp
Filip Sabio: hindi pwede manggaling sa subconscious
Drei Corops: concept na peke ang mundo?
Filip Sabio: concept na
Drei Corops: madami nadapuan ng idea na yan!!
Filip Sabio: nabubuhay tayo sa isang
Filip Sabio: dein
Filip Sabio: ganito
Drei Corops: geym\
Filip Sabio: nabubuhay tayo sa isang mundo
Filip Sabio: na utak lng ang nageexist
Filip Sabio: everything around us is
Filip Sabio: SIMULATED
Drei Corops: ilan taon ka nyan
Filip Sabio: grade school
Drei Corops: pwede
Drei Corops: orig nga
Filip Sabio: tangina orig talaga
Filip Sabio: kse walang pwedeng mag feed sa utak ko ng ganon
Drei Corops: pare dugtungan natin sci fi concept ni chel
Drei Corops: sa future daw
Filip Sabio: ano
Drei Corops: lahat ng tao, may black box parang eroplano
Drei Corops: narerecord mga events right before you die
Drei Corops: kaso ang gusto ibuild ni chel ay dapat mali yung technology na yon
Filip Sabio: pare meron nang pelikulang ganyan!
Drei Corops: so may namatay tapos may mystery
Drei Corops: ano?
Filip Sabio: yung kay robin williams
Drei Corops: ows ano yon
Filip Sabio: teka google ko
Drei Corops: yung drama?
Filip Sabio: ano sya dun eh
Drei Corops: yung wat ddreams may come
Filip Sabio: DEIN!
Filip Sabio: gumagawa sya ng video
Drei Corops: bicentennial man whahahaha
Filip Sabio: out of the memories nung tao
Drei Corops: ONE HOUR PHOTO
Filip Sabio: na pinapalabas
Filip Sabio: DEIN
Filip Sabio: sa funeral nya
Filip Sabio: sya yung editor
Drei Corops: pano? technology?
Drei Corops: pyuture?
Filip Sabio: future
Filip Sabio: parang ganon nga
Filip Sabio: may black box
Filip Sabio: everything recorded
Filip Sabio: kaso nagka rebolusyon
Filip Sabio: yung iba ayaw ng ganon
Drei Corops: ay pota hindi orig sayang
Drei Corops: na ensaymada si chel wahahaha
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: pero baka orig din kasi di sya aware sa movie na yon
Filip Sabio: ayun
Drei Corops: dehin subconscious
Filip Sabio: "The Final Cut"
Drei Corops: walang way mapatunayan kung orig sakin yung tinapay invention ko
Filip Sabio: pare ganito lng yan
Filip Sabio: dein orig kse nag exist na
Filip Sabio: before mo maisip
Filip Sabio: whether may idea ka na
Drei Corops: same wid chel mubi
Filip Sabio: existing na sya o hinde
Filip Sabio: same nga
Drei Corops: dehin orig pero self congrats for thinking with no input hahaha
Filip Sabio: oo yun lang
Filip Sabio: haha
Filip Sabio: self congrats
Filip Sabio: "magaling ako"
Drei Corops: ayon...yun yung walang way maproove
Filip Sabio: pero hindi parin applicable sa lahat ng instance
Drei Corops: kung yung tinapay ko self congrats or subconscious input
Filip Sabio: kse nga baka may subconsciuous feed
Drei Corops: hehe
Drei Corops: ayon
Drei Corops: theory of self-congrats
Drei Corops: antithesis of self-congrats is subconscious input
Drei Corops: hahahaha
Drei Corops: pare eto na lang
Filip Sabio: The story is set in a world where implanted microchips can record all moments of an individual's life. The chips are removed upon death so the images can be edited into something of a highlight reel for loved ones who want to remember the deceased.
Drei Corops: ayyyyyy tangina sakto
Drei Corops: maganda kaya yang movie nayan
Drei Corops: eto pare sa channel 5 yung bagong 5 kanina lang nilipat ko channel
Drei Corops: kasi papatulan ko sana TV series local horror bida is Oyo Boy Sotto
Drei Corops: kaso PARANG EPEKTIB
Drei Corops: kaya nilipat ko na
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: concept is semi pwede na
Drei Corops: tignan mo kung orig concetp nila a
Filip Sabio: pare ibig sabihin lng non is
Filip Sabio: you are in the right state of mind
Filip Sabio: pansinin mo yung mga horror ng japan
Filip Sabio: kahit wala ka sa tamang horror takot state of mind
Drei Corops: wat do u mean
Filip Sabio: in the end
Filip Sabio: putangina takot ka din
Drei Corops: ahhh
Drei Corops: nagiging takot ka
Drei Corops: ibig mo sabihin nagkataon nasa mood lang matakot ang katawan ko ngayon
Drei Corops: kaya nauto ako
Filip Sabio: oo
Drei Corops: eto concept nung palabas pare
Drei Corops: gib opinion of originality
Drei Corops: title is DEMON CELLPHONE NUMBER
Drei Corops: simple lang
Drei Corops: may kumakalat na urban legend sa email
Drei Corops: na pag tumawag ka sa number na yon may demonyong tatawa tapos in 2 weeks yari ka
Drei Corops: may namatay na
Drei Corops: umabot sa part ng palabas na may imbestigador
Drei Corops: nalaman mula sa telecomm company na binura na yung number na yon dati pa
Drei Corops: iniimbestiga ni oyo boy kung sino may ari nun dati
Drei Corops: nilipat ko na nung
Drei Corops: nung yung isang tao na ginawa yon for TRUTH OR DARE
Drei Corops: nagreing ang phone
Filip Sabio: tapos
Drei Corops: pag sagot nya hinagis nya phone dehin na pinarinig sa audience
Drei Corops: tapos ayun fog machine
Drei Corops: and then sillhouette of goat with big horns with man body
Drei Corops: nilipat ko na HAHAHA
Filip Sabio: wahahahahaha
Drei Corops: orig ba yon
Filip Sabio: putangina solid
Filip Sabio: hahahahaha
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Filip Sabio: dapat hindi na lng pinakita
Drei Corops: tangina madaling araw na kasi wala nako balak takutin sarili ko with GOAT HEAD BODY SILLHOUETTE
Filip Sabio: sana sa huli na lng
Filip Sabio: parang si sadako
Filip Sabio: hahahaha
Drei Corops: may sa-orig ba konsepto nga mga putanginang channel 5 na to
Drei Corops: medyo hinde
Drei Corops: pero parang pwede na
Filip Sabio: pwede na rin
Filip Sabio: ...
Drei Corops: hehhhehe
Drei Corops: o ayon congrats sa kanila
Drei Corops: semi orig
Drei Corops: tangina lang yung title
Drei Corops: sobrang explicit
Drei Corops: "demon cellphone number"
Drei Corops: hindi man lang "the number"
Drei Corops: hahahahahahaha
Filip Sabio: hahahaha
Drei Corops: PARE MAY NAISIP AKO ORIG!
Filip Sabio: game
Drei Corops: konsepto ng humaharap ka sa salamin pero demonyo ang mukha mo dehin mo mukha!
Drei Corops: TANGINA PANALO
Drei Corops: tapos hindi mo alam bakit
Drei Corops: nakakabaliw ang effect
Drei Corops: yung cliche kasi merong being sa likod mo
Drei Corops: eto iba na...IKAW NA YUN MISMO
Drei Corops: O OKAY BA
Filip Sabio: what?//
Filip Sabio: dein ko nagets
Drei Corops: pag harap mo sa salamin
Drei Corops: di ba yung cliche
Drei Corops: pag harap mo sa salamin
Drei Corops: may goatman sa likod mo
Drei Corops: o kaya ghost man
Drei Corops: or sadako
Drei Corops: yung naisip ko
Drei Corops: pag harap mo sa salamin
Drei Corops: kita mo
Drei Corops: sakto ikaw
Drei Corops: damit
Drei Corops: from foot to neck
Drei Corops: pero head is GOAT MONSTER
Drei Corops: sarili mong reflection GANON
Drei Corops: diba nakakatakot
Drei Corops: lagyan mo ng magandang plot
Drei Corops: saka horror music
Drei Corops: etc etc
Drei Corops: WINNER HORROR EPISODE
Filip Sabio: so ano
Drei Corops: wala pang plot
Filip Sabio: so ikaw talaga yon
Drei Corops: naisip ko lang yung nakaktakot na konsepto ng yung mismong reflection mo demon
Drei Corops: wala pako sa level of idea kumbakit ganon hahahaha
Drei Corops: andun palang ako sa nababaliw ka kasi bakit ganon
Filip Sabio: ah kse sabi mo kanina
Filip Sabio: may being sa likod ng demon face in the mirror
Drei Corops: ah dehin
Drei Corops: yung being sa likod is the cliche
Filip Sabio: ang naisip ko tuloy ganito
Filip Sabio: sinapian ka ng demonyo
Drei Corops: ahhh hahaha
Filip Sabio: pero yung demonyo naging unconscious
Filip Sabio: nung
Drei Corops: remove being behind you concept haha
Filip Sabio: sumapi sayo
Filip Sabio: ang natira lng sa kanya
Filip Sabio: yung residual self image
Drei Corops: hahahaaha
Filip Sabio: so parang sinapian ka ng dormant demon
Filip Sabio: pero ang effect lng nya is
Filip Sabio: yung self image nya
Filip Sabio: yun ang nakikita mo
Filip Sabio: hahahha
Drei Corops: hahahah naging komplikado hahaha
Drei Corops: pero yung idea ko parang pwede
Drei Corops: next taym bigyan mo ko ungas horror concept mo
Drei Corops: dapat yung ungas
Filip Sabio: pare naisip na yan lahat
Drei Corops: pati yung akin?
Drei Corops: la pa yon haha
Filip Sabio: ungas pa nga yung complicated unconscious demon exorcism ko eh
Drei Corops: hahhaahaha naging mas malalim
Filip Sabio: haha nakakatawa lng yung concept mo kse
Drei Corops: tangina solid nga yung channel 5 naalala ko nahayok yung direktor nagpasillhoutte na talga ng demonyo
Filip Sabio: kung ano yung facial expression nya, yun din yung facial expression nung demonyo sa salamin
Drei Corops: ah madali lang yon
Drei Corops: no facial expression from mirror!
Filip Sabio: hahaha
Drei Corops: plain monster goat
Drei Corops: eto balik sa sci fi
Drei Corops: napanood mo na ba FREQUENCY
Filip Sabio: oo panalo yon
Drei Corops: ang daming time flaws and logical flaws non
Drei Corops: pero PWEDE
Filip Sabio: talaga
Drei Corops: pare kasi binago nya yung history NYA
Filip Sabio: parang wala kong nakitang flaw dun sa timelines nila
Drei Corops: nagawan nya ng paraan na maging buhay pala yung tatay nya
Drei Corops: ganito
Drei Corops: ang nangyari
Drei Corops: kumbaga sa multiple lines of reality
Drei Corops: dahil sa events ng pelikulang yon
Drei Corops: ang dating ay
Drei Corops: ay palundag lundag sya from one reality to the next
Drei Corops: para syang naging reality jumper
Drei Corops: for example
Drei Corops: ang reality nya ay patay tatay nya
Drei Corops: tapos nung bandang ending, may mga nangyari..so hindi pala namatay tatay nya
Filip Sabio: onga
Drei Corops: tapos habang inaatake sya ng kontrabida
Drei Corops: dumating tatay buhay pa pala
Drei Corops: pwede mong isipin
Drei Corops: na na quantum-leap sya sa ibang realidad
Drei Corops: sa realidad na may tatay pala sya
Drei Corops: parang ganon
Drei Corops: hahahaha
Filip Sabio: ahh
Filip Sabio: hmmm
Filip Sabio: parang nagrewrite lng sya ng history
Filip Sabio: tapos nagdagdag lng ng impormasyon sa utak nya
Filip Sabio: parang concept ng butterfly effect
Filip Sabio: ashton kuthcer
Drei Corops: e di hindi pala nag exist at all yung pinanggalingan nyang reality...PERO kung hindi nangyari yon hindi nya maliligtas tatay nya.......pero pag inisip mo ng malalim kung hindi nag exist yung reality na namatay tatay nya, hindi nya ililigtas...OR hindi nya KAILANGANG ILIGTAS
Filip Sabio: napanood mo ba yon?
Drei Corops: oo okay yon
Filip Sabio: yun nga parang ganon
Filip Sabio: negrewrite sya ng past
Drei Corops: pero mga magugulong banat na ganyan kaya ko naiisip na malabo magkatime travel
Filip Sabio: pero both realities aware sya
Drei Corops: ganun nga nga
Drei Corops: ganun na nga
Filip Sabio: awareness of both realities, madedecipher mo lng what is real and is not
Drei Corops: pare alam mo yung grandfather paradox at saka yung sagot sa paradox na yon
Filip Sabio: dein
Filip Sabio: ano yon
Drei Corops: sabi sa grandfather paradox
Filip Sabio: tangina
Drei Corops: "time travel not possible because.."
Filip Sabio: baka theory of dinosaur brain nanaman yan ah
Drei Corops: DEHIN
Drei Corops: totoo to hahahahaha
Drei Corops: pero ungas yung late perception dinosaur
Drei Corops: hahahahahaha
Drei Corops: pero eto totoo
Drei Corops: from discovery channel
Filip Sabio: ungas talaga yon o game
Drei Corops: grandfather paradox says time travel not possible
Drei Corops: kasi
Drei Corops: pano kung mag time travel ka sa past
Drei Corops: and kill your own lolo
Drei Corops: then you will not exist
Drei Corops: e di hindi mo na nagawa yon in the first place
Drei Corops: so paradox
Drei Corops: sumikat yon paradox na yon for a long time
Drei Corops: pero may sagot
Filip Sabio: tama nga noh
Drei Corops: ang sagot ay
Filip Sabio: parang loop
Drei Corops: oo
Drei Corops: pero
Drei Corops: astig sa sagot simple lang
Filip Sabio: pano
Drei Corops: ang time travelling is hand in hand with reality jumping
Drei Corops: multiple reality lines
Drei Corops: pag nag time travel ka sa PAST
Drei Corops: at pinatay mo lolo mo
Filip Sabio: new reality
Drei Corops: galing ka sa reality na buhay ang lolo mo
Drei Corops: ang origin mo...one reality line with living lolo
Drei Corops: pag travel mo sa past and kill lolo
Drei Corops: that is a different bersyon
Filip Sabio: tama nga noh
Drei Corops: so kung isesetretch mo pare
Drei Corops: mula dun sa reality na nag time travel ka to the past
Drei Corops: tingin ng mga kaibigan mo nawala ka na lang bigla
Drei Corops: kasi wala naman silang recollection na noong araw may pumatay sa lolo mo
Filip Sabio: tama
Drei Corops: lumipat ka na nga ng TIME...lumipat ka rin pala ng REALITY
Filip Sabio: tama
Drei Corops: ang tanong na walang makakasagot
Drei Corops: ay kung bumalik ka sa future....sa sarili mong present pala
Drei Corops: makakabalik ka ba sa reality MO
Drei Corops: na buhay lolo mo?
Drei Corops: OR mapupunta ka sa future ng NEW REALITY MO
Drei Corops: na hindi ka nag-exist...pero andun ka na e so pwede ka dun na lang tumira as NEW MAN
Filip Sabio: tangina
Drei Corops: DIBA
Drei Corops: KOMPLEKS
Filip Sabio: sakit sa ulo
Filip Sabio: pero astig
Drei Corops: pero astig
Drei Corops: time travel and reality jumps always together
Filip Sabio: pwede mong isipin na
Filip Sabio: eto may sagot ako
Drei Corops: geym
Filip Sabio: maaaring mali
Filip Sabio: pero eto
Drei Corops: okey
Filip Sabio: pwede ka magjump from one time to another, in the same reality
Filip Sabio: becuase everything ALREADY happened
Drei Corops: so pwede mo kausapin sarili mo
Drei Corops: pero DAPAT naalala mo na nung bata ka may nakausap ka na matandang ikaw
Filip Sabio: ganito
Drei Corops: and DAPAT wala kang baguhin
Filip Sabio: parnag pansagot lng sa grnadfather paradox
Filip Sabio: pinatay mo lolo
Filip Sabio: lolo mo
Drei Corops: ok
Filip Sabio: pero dapat hindi mo magagawa kse nga dapat hindi karin nageexist
Filip Sabio: according to grampa paradox
Filip Sabio: BUT
Drei Corops: but
Filip Sabio: dun sa time na nagdecide ka na bumlik
Filip Sabio: bumalik
Filip Sabio: ay nangyari na
Filip Sabio: so parang
Filip Sabio: dr manhattan
Filip Sabio: theory
Drei Corops: ahhh
Filip Sabio: na everything and anytime
Filip Sabio: has already occurred
Drei Corops: PARE!
Drei Corops: yang sinasabi natin
Drei Corops: lahat andito!
Drei Corops: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_paradox
Filip Sabio: wahahaha
Drei Corops: ang sinasabi mo ata ay NONIKOV SELF-CONSISTENCY PRINCIPLE
Drei Corops: tanginangyan
Drei Corops: tignan mo
Drei Corops: novikov pala
Drei Corops: ano say mo hahahah
Filip Sabio: tanginangyan
Drei Corops: ang kulit nung HEDGES
Filip Sabio: dapat jan
Filip Sabio: SABIO-CONSISTENCY PRINCIPLE
Drei Corops: oo kasi ORIG
Filip Sabio: kse AKO nakaisi[p
Filip Sabio: potah
Drei Corops: HAHAHA BUMALIK
Drei Corops: hindi ORIG
Drei Corops: SELF CONGRATULATE
Drei Corops: WAHAHAHAHAHA
Filip Sabio: theory of orig versus self-congratulatory
Drei Corops: oo
Filip Sabio: hahahahahaha
Drei Corops: hahahha
Drei Corops: tangina bumalik full circle
Filip Sabio: tainangyan
Filip Sabio: umikot
Drei Corops: parang yung dinosaur natin
Drei Corops: late perception of reality ONLY FOR TAIL
Drei Corops: not for eyes
Drei Corops: because short nerves can be
Filip Sabio: hahahaha
Filip Sabio: tangina kelangan ma save ko tong conversation na to for blog posting
Drei Corops: if for eyes tangina natusok ka na sa mata nakakita ka pa rin for 2 days more
Filip Sabio: hahahaha

Wii: Guitar Hero

We got a Wii last month. The game that we have played the most? Guitar Hero: World Tour. I admit that I when I got the console, Guitar Hero or Rock Band wasn't even at the top of my games list. I was looking forward more to Wii Sports or Wii Play or even Wario Ware. Besides, the Wii package I got in Greenhills had a free Wii Guitar, so essentially, choosing Guitar Hero and Rock Band out of the free 25 games that came with it was almost automatic.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't really sure that I'd like the game. Given that I have a fairly basic knowledge of playing guitars and such, I wasn't really sure I'd enjoy hitting the colored keys on command - just like 02 Jam or Dance Dance Revolution. I was thinking this is just kids' stuff.

It was the first ever game I played in our Wii console. I was amazed with how much you can "rock out" on the guitar. Imagine yourself hitting the strum bar on the same riff and moving your fingers through the colored guitar keys like changing chords . Imagine doing this to "Are You Gonna Go My Way," "Everlong," "Beat It," "Spiderwebs," "Freak On A Leash," etc.. and my favorite: "Eye Of The Tiger" Yeah! We got hooked.


Rebel Yell!


UPDATE (2/18/2009): I've now played - Guitar Hero: World Tour, Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock, Rock Band, and Rock Band 2. I have to say that Guitar Hero tops Rock Band easily. Guitar Hero has better songs and is more fun to play - I guess at the core, that's what counts for these games.