MOVIE:Praybeyt Benjamin - Too Lazy To Fight!

by Louie Ross Perez

WARNING: If you're a Vice Ganda fan and can't accept criticisms, please don't read this.

This is the kind of film wherein the producers, director and the actors have just one purpose in mind, earn money, never mind the quality! I don't know how much time they spent in writing the script, but my friends can write better. Production value is so poor and really, the film is a mess. If not for Vice Ganda, the film is unwatchable.

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Benjamin Santos VIII (Vice Ganda) carries a burden with his men. The Benjamins of the Santos clan traditionally grow up to be soldiers, fighting in whatever great conflict is occupying the country. This tradition ended with his father (Jimmy Santos), who followed his dreams to become a scientist. Benjamin has no plans of becoming a soldier, either, but circumstances soon point him in that direction. A terrorist group takes the entire country hostage, forcing the army to enact a draft. Benjamin enlists in order to take his father’s place. He leads a small band of misfits through basic training, using his unique outlook to get ahead.

There's so much going on, there's too many unnecessary characters, I can't feel that the protagonist and his team members are in danger, and the fight scenes, the ideas were just over the top lazy! The film’s humor is similarly all over the place. The best gags are grounded in the relationships of the characters.  There's this scene wherein his family visited him for the first time at camp and they just see each other in the mirror, that was funny, not original but still funny. The film is pretty ugly, too, with messy shot continuity and plenty of out of focus shots.

Vice Ganda, is undoubtedly the key to the success of this film. Need I say more about his abilities to make people laugh. Even with a clunky material, his delivery can pretty much save the day. I've got nothing much to say to the other casts, they're just too many that no one has been given significant moments to shine, with the exception of Jimmy Santos. He still got the chops of comedy that can be very adorable.

Vice Ganda said in his interviews that he and his director were amazed on how good the movie is. When I watched it, I felt that I was fooled and betrayed. I don't know what he meant by saying his movie is good, but it certainly not a good movie, it's bad! Vice Ganda is a good comedian and should be given a better material next time.

Praybeyt Benjamin still has its moments. But it's far from "Septic Tank" and "Zombadings" when it comes to quality. I heard that this movie is now earning almost 200million and I'm sure a lot of people will still watch it. But in my opinion, the movie should not have been made in the first place. The movie is just too bad for my taste. No Part 2 please!


Rating: 1.5 stars

MOVIE REVIEW: Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si REMINGTON - It's more than just ZOMBIES!

I expected to laugh my heart out and have fun and I did and I really did, but I was surprised that this film has more into it than its very striking title. The film was brave. Tackled a sensitive topic with much sensitivity and depth.

As a young boy, Remington (Mart Escudero) would regularly make fun of gay people, yelling at them on the street, derisively calling them bakla. One day he happens to do this to a gay man (Roderick Paulate) in the cemetery and decides to place a curse on the boy. Years later, much to his horror, the curse starts taking effect. Every night, he has strange dreams of being assaulted by a demon, and he wakes up to find that he’s slowly changing into that which he hates the most. His speech and manner all change, and he’s becoming attracted to his best friend. To make things worse, there appears to be a serial killer in their town targeting gay people.

Actually the film didn't need the zombies to be great and funny. But the thought put into it is very clever. Showing us what other people think about homosexuals that it's unnatural and something to be feared. You would hear a lot of gay lingos once Remington begins his transformation. People are laughing really loud that sometimes I couldn't hear the dialogues but putting subtitles into it is genious.

Aside from the film being really funny, it tackles homosexuality with much sensitivity and depth. The scene where Remington is already willing to be gay and he finds nothing wrong about it while Hannah (Lauren Young) told him that gay people do not give up is something remarkable. Also the scene of John Regala with Remington when he already agreed to be gay for his son.

When they told me that the name of the lead star is Mart Escudero, I said "who?". I don't know him really. But after millions of Filipinos watched this movie, he will not be forgotten. He is really good. He is so convincing as Remington. You would know that he studied the character really well and executed it with so much confidence. His scene in the toilet was really funny, especially his stairway scene with his bestfriend Jigs.  In that scene I heard people screaming with kilig, diri and laughter. It was so funny I must say, He should win best actor, really.=) Watch his audition video here:

                                                              (video from you tube)

Supporting cast was pretty solid. Should I say more about Eugene Domingo and Roderick Paulate. Their roles were short but sweet. Lauren Young is simply not a good actress and I must say her role is also the downside of the movie.  Her character came from Manila but didn't even had a hint that Remington is gay even with the tight shirt and the gay lingo. Don't know Kerbie Zamora until now, but Mart and him have great chemistry. Janice de Belen and her assistant were good too.

Zombadings is a subversive film. I've never seen a Filipino film like this before. I honestly didn't like the scenes with the zombies because I don't think they're needed, but it will not demerit the film to be great. It's brave and well made. It's smart and takes on a revolutionary approach in what Filipinos think of gay people. Some people may not understand, but this film and "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" took the indie films into another level. A must watch for movie lovers.

Rating: 4.5 stars



LIFE:Angry and bitter posts? Worth the consequences?

by Louie Ross B. Perez


Disclaimer: I'm writing this post not to point out anyone or a specific group of people. This is just a commentary on what's happening to social media in absence of rules and norms.

It has been my habit to check my Facebook everytime I wake up, I eat, I went to a break or taking a ride going home, or even before I sleep. And I wonder why people post things pertaining to a person or a specific group of people with anger and bitterness by their side. They will bash the person's private life, the people around them, their credibility, the educational attainment sometimes even the upbringing. Whatever things they would like to say just to express their disappointment. Sometimes the words are pretty strong to

ignore. 

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So as me being me, I began to think about it. I put myself in a person's situation wherein I am either heartbroken, cheated, backstabbed and all, a sudden rush of emotions will confront me and since social media is so accessible I will find it convenient to express my feelings through my account. I want to share my frustration to people.

But the question is, should the whole world know what we feel? Will all of them care? Can it fight our frustration when we do it? I don't think so. Especially when we're not even sure of what we feel. It will just worsen the situation.

I will be brutally frank about this. When we post not so good and let's say bad comments about other people in Facebook,  I would say it is a sign of us being COWARDS.  Hiding in the protection of the quote "Kung ngreact ka, eh di guilty ka!" ( If you react to my post, then you're guilty of what I'm saying!).  People wanna share their misery to others, as they say, misery loves company. But are we sure that they all care, are we sure that they share the same sentiments with us? Nah, I don't think so. Hundreds of comments on our posts do not assure us of their empathy. True friends who found our quote of anger and bitterness will not like our status, or worst comment on it. They will be the ones to text or call us to ask what we really feel and offer their valuable advise to you. And one of them will be "don't post those things, just talk to me or better yet talk to the person." Here are five facts that I see that will prove that it is not worth it.



5) It will not solve anything. You will just become a part of the problem.

4) It will bounce back, instead of destroying your target's reputation, it will be yours that will be put in trouble.

3) You will have friends. Fake friends.

2) You will destroy relationships.

1) You'll get used it, you'll do it everytime, until no friends will be left for you.

Facebook is a great invention of our generation. It opened a lot of possibilities and opportunities to many people. But it is sad that others abuse it to destroy relationships and the credibility of other people. Guys in the surfing world, let's be responsible of our actions. If we wanna say something, if we want to confirm something, if we want to give feedback or if we are sincere of our relationships...don't post, talk! God gave us eyes to see, the ears to listen, and the mouth to express our feelings. Course it through them, not through our fingers!