Check out my poetry at LeoLutero.tumblr.com. Follow me please. Tumblr is an artsy place and my tumblr blog (or tumbleblog or tumblog) is my contribution of a rather embarrassing dream to become a poet.
Sample poem (I wrote this while trying to be emotional while packing my bags. I will be flying to Manila tomorrow morning.):
Is it wrong to dream of a career as a movie critic? Is bashing really unnecessary in personally assessing the quality of a film produced with truckloads of money which could have easily been spent on the welfare of the poor?
Quickly: the movie is a must-watch not because it is perfect (nothing really is) but the production has genius here and there and it is wildly entertaining.
I was initially excited to watch the movie because I have never seen any of the timeless tale remakes (Robin Hood, Mirror Mirror) that has been sprouting up these days. I was really into the dark magic, gothic, period quality in the film. And we can't not talk about the interesting assignment of roles, the girl who is perpetually poker faced on the Twilight series plays Snow White.
The movie is definitely not for kids. There is a lot of blood (not all coming from humans) and a lot of death involved.
Let me examine the film with the use of some of the film's characters. I am compelled to do so because the characters were very interesting in the film.
The Evil Stepmother/Queen Ravenna played by the gorgeous Charlize Theron
Her majesty queen starts off as an impressive portrayal. The genius of the wardrobe, production design of the movie becomes apparent with scenes that involve The Queen. (Take note of the scene where she bathes in milk (or some white paint) because although not entirely new, was very beautifully executed.)
Because the queen's power is mysteriously connected with avian entities, she will wear a gown made of black feathers. It was so nice. Sorry but my fascination with fashion must come through. It reminded me of an S/S 2001 piece from the awesome late Alexander McQueen.
For movies like this one, it was fairly easy to assess the production value by its ability to double as a fashion film. This Queen was so well staged it could have been an entire collection she wore inspired by her (also notice the bird skull details used on one of her gowns).
For the role, the shrieking and awkward intonation reveals a certain level of craziness from the queen but it becomes sort of repetitive approaching the middle of the movie. She keeps on shouting the same set of tones and volumes that you begin wondering if that was actually an accent.
Snow White by Kristen Stewart
One of the things that delayed me from watching the movie comes from several reviews that said Stewart's look was unsuitable for the role. I'm not sure if it is the affiliation with the bestial and necrophilic (but at the same time, a blockbuster) series Twilight that turned her into this actress unimaginable as a muse. And I was heavily distrusting her skills when it comes to screen acting. We can't say that she showed us a promising future with her previous performances. I'm sorry to make it sound like a pageant but let us place her beside Theron for a moment and ponder.
Then, after several scenes in the movie, it is apparent why Stewart was casted. Her look was different and this movie was supposed to be different. Stewart's image is pale, the red thin lips give an unconventional twist. Her not-so-feminine, introvert image was perfect for the Snow White they created. But the acting was just off.
When Stewart dares to veer away from her poker face, she shows a look that could only mean either "where the fvck am I?" or constipation. There are scenes in a lot of films where you have to get a very important yes or no from a character's facial expression and guessing from Stewart's face is just futile. I think that a perfect workshop for Stewart would be exposure to the average set of human faces and their corresponding meanings.
Even Stewart's comatose is not convincing.
I don't hate Stewart but her performance did not deserve a lot of claps. Although I don't understand the reason why her fame rocketed I am still hopeful for some critical success in her career.
The Huntsman by Chris Hemsworth
There is some peculiar visual coordination between Hemsworth's physique and weapons with a handle.
His character is a drunkard who had a painful past - a background I am not a big fan of. The Huntsman kind of pops out of nowhere in the film which is sad because he plays such a significant role. It felt like his existence was solely to make a story therefore irrational. And the verbal background here and there doesn't do it. The guy is a good actor. He plays the role well.
The Seven Dwarves
I am sure that the developers of the film spent days on developing the dwarves' characters. They were adorable in a grown up man hero way which I am not particularly sure how to explain. They were nicely and smoothly included in the movie.
The movie has some hits and misses (like the Catholic Church references which were unwarranted). The hype was good that it led me to reading the lyrics of Florence and the Machine's featured song Breath of Life which I had liked long before the release of the film. The whole movie is watchable but the only problem is that there were a lot of cramped elements that made the film too short and hard to understand totally. Of course, there are films that compel you to complete them inside your head but this one just becomes "Eh, that is what it is." Still, it's a bad thing if you miss watching this movie.
I'm in the middle of a dramatic decision-making process whose output can definitely affect my future existence. The problem is I don't find it appropriate to actually say what it is now so it is very hard to squeeze a decent blog post out of it. So what to talk about now?
Cool cat V-neck shirt from Lonely Planet (nux, fashion blogger)
I'll be making my way back to Iloilo in the afternoon tomorrow. Then I'll have five nights before my ticket to Manila expires. This blog post is just to alleviate the pain of having to move every now and then.
My friends often comment on the lack of dining finesse in me.
Even as an ignoramus when it comes to the art of dining, I appreciate the field very much. As a young high schooler, I used to reenact cooking shows in our kitchen. Diluting Milo with drops of water and putting them atop a stove to make cookies (with cousins, of course) was my favorite recipe. My cousins though have advanced from our cookie-making days to more daring recipes. This one is theirs.
Tanduay Eggs. It's self explanatory. Tanduay (a locally produced cheap-ish rum that comes in flattened bottles), eggs and some added ingredients.
Ingredients include:
Onion sprouts*
Ginger*
8 Chicken eggs
Soy Sauce*
Sugar (to taste)
Tanduay Rum (to taste, or tolerance)
(*for the amount, please refer to the photos. I do not speak culinary measurements.)
Directions:
Hard boil the eggs. While they boil, mince the garlic and onion sprouts.
Take the shell off the eggs. This is the most therapeutic part of the whole process. Then slice the eggs in half and prepare a pan for frying.
We fry the already boiled eggs. This recipe is really friendly to the people I know who wince at undercooked eggs.
Then we make the sauce:
Add soy sauce, sugar, Tanduay, garlic and onion sprouts to a hot pan.
Add it to the pile of fried boiled eggs, have a highly choreographed photoshoot, then boom, product is ready to serve!
(Yes to my first recipe post, try it out! It's so good to eat!)
When I answer the question "Where were you born?", it launches a brouhaha wether I am telling the truth or not. I was born in Zamboanga Sibugay, an inland province in Mindanao. Not a lot of people know about the place so they immediately assume I made it up or picked a random name from a long list.
I'm here in Zamboanga Sibugay having a good time with cousins. They have five bottles of Bacardi 151s and we are about to have fun. I won't be able to blog so much (attending to hangovers or getting one) so here is a pretty photo:
I went to EK with high school friends before going home to Iloilo then to Zamboanga. Yay!
It is my summer term finals week and I am cramming everything in the syllabus into my brain here at Starbucks.
Here are some tips that I do not guarantee will work on you. I am no expert in studying (proof: I focused on my skills to rap last semester instead of studying chemistry overnight. The end result was a really bad final exam result and mediocre rapping skills) but I have been forcing myself to study for over ten years already.
Here are some tips I came up with while mocking my technique:
1. Don't stay in your room. As a college dorm resident, I have a small space. My study area and bed share the same room with four other people. All my memories in this room include staying up until 2 AM watching the latest "New Girl", "Community", or "Game of Thrones" episodes. Just a mental image of my place reminds me of the distaste I have for studying. That is why I move out of my room every time I need a study binge. Plus the bed is a professional seductress.
2.Ready the notes. Nothing is as annoying as settling down in a cozy coffee shop and realizing you don't have any material to dig your head into. That is just sad. And I have this notion that studying only a part of the subject is as worse as not studying at all. Spreading papers across the table will also help you anticipate the amount of effort needed.
3. Lower the self-esteem. Some people think that studying is an admission to inferior mental abilities but you have to admit and shout to yourself that studying is a necessity. No matter how lucky your congenital characteristics are, studying will help you and wearing your IQ around your neck won't guarantee a passing score in exams. Convince yourself that you need studying, that you are insufficient and a dummy. That is inspiration.
4. Consume. The brain is an old machine. It needs more fuel per punch when it is bombarded with information. Although Sudoku won't drop the pounds, sugar will help keep the head active. Tip is eat when you want to if you're studying. All-nighters are not Nicole Richie moments.
5. Rewrite the hell out of everything. When I was younger, my key to memorizing bible verses for my school was by singing them. This method was very effective in keeping my Christian education grades and the neighbor up. Over time, my method grew less embarrassing into rewriting. Rewriting notes keeps them in my head. Additionally, it is a goal in life to develop very good handwriting. If you've seen my longhand, it is Victorian excessive. Practice. Practice.
6. Listen to music. As an audiophile and hipster, I'll go cray cray studying in silence (Imagine yourself talking inside your head over and over again, eek!). My current study tunes include:
"Closer Than This" - Sta. Lucia
"Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode
"Easy" and "Heartbeat" - Tahiti 80
"We Are Young" (Alvin Risk Remix) - Fun ft. Janelle Monae
"These Hands" - The Belligerents
"Jamming" - Bob Marley
"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" - The Smiths
Bjork's "Biophilia" Album
If you read your notes to the beat of the song, it usually becomes more interesting (or intelligible). Music also keeps you awake.
(Notice: This playlist is also an anticipation for summer.)
7. Avoid comfortable situations. Starbucks might be cozy but my body's failure of homeostasis and their air conditioning equals a feeling of north pole. I "forgot" my jacket and it's so cold sleeping would kill me here. Some discomfort will remind you it is not time for sleep.
8. Take active breaks. These are breaks where you do something else (for example writing a blog post). Studying is like tequila, you can't down a bottle in one go. It will destroy you. So you have to take it apart and distribute it through the amount of time you have.
This list was originally written for myself. It might do you harm, haha.
