Cinemalaya X

The first Cinemalaya weekend just passed and I was able to watch 7 films in total.  Dyown and I were extremely happy with our picks because every movie we saw was well worth our time.

We were also able to catch the gala of Nora Aunor's Hustisya and the theater was filled to capacity.  I was told that there were a lot of fans that had tickets but still weren't able to get in.

It is really a great experience to be at the CCP this time of the year.  I was able to catch up with my first boss, Ricky Lee.

I was also able to get my photo taken with Francis Xavier Pasion who directed Bwaya.

And since I'm not over Purok 7 yet, I had to have my photo taken with Julian Trono before he was mobbed by all the high school girls.

Hogi also dropped by that night to catch up with us.

As I said, I immensely enjoyed every film that I watched but if I were to rank them, it would look like this:

1. The Janitor - thoroughly enjoyable movie, could very well be a commercial film.
2. Bwaya - beautiful shots, Angeli was superb.  I also couldn't get my mind off the scene where the real Divina was hugging the actress playing her daughter.
3. 1st Ko Si 3rd - funny and sad, I left the theater thinking if I would end up living with regret.
4. Ronda - Carlos Morales must be ad-libbing but it sure is funny. I felt depressed when I saw Ai-ai's character finally smile knowing that her happiness is short-lived.
5. Kasal - Arnold's portrayal is very believable and we are drawn to him.
6. Hustisya - Nora Aunor and Rosanna Roces are both a joy to watch. Beautiful script.
7. Hari ng Tondo - A fun movie but this is Tondo beneath pink colored candy clouds.

I'm not a cinephile but I do enjoy a good movie.  Thank you to Cinemalaya for great movies year after year.

Ghost the Musical, Manila

Ghost the Musical is currently on its last weekend at the RCBC Plaza and I urge you not to miss this theatrical adaptation.

The musical may not be as popular as the recent behemoth, "Wicked" but what it lacks in spectacle, it more than makes up for its heart.

I wasn't familiar with any of the songs and was surprised to find out they have been written by Glen Ballard of Jagged Little Pill and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.  The songs cut across different genres but my favorite would have to be Three Little Words.  Listen.

I have seen the movie a few times but I wasn't too sure if it would translate well on stage so my expectations were low but I was blown away.  I loved it and it appears that I wasn't the only one.  Thanks to social media, you can vouch for whatever it is that I'm saying by the reactions of the netizens, celebrities and ordinary folks, like me, alike.

Reviews from major broadsheets have also been mostly positive. 

Plus, aside from the very heartfelt performances of Cris Villonco (you can feel her pain) and Christian Bautista, Ima Castro brings the house down.  Aren't you curious as to how this scene is translated on stage?

Last 5 performances this weekend!  

Tickets are available at Ticketworld.  

L’Entrecôte, Singapore

Phoebe recommended L’Entrecôte at Duxton Hill for steaks and fries.  The restaurant is unique because it serves only steaks and fries as their main dish.  From a short background on their menu, the restaurant believes in serving one great dish than a selection of anything less.

The place is beautiful and cozy that I just had to take pictures.

We were initially turned off by their service when the waiter, presumably eager to go home because we never saw him again after taking our orders, snapped at us for no reason at all.  This shocked me and pissed Phoebe off.  Good thing he was relieved by another person who seemed happy to see us there. 

The main dish is priced at S$29.90 (Php 1046) and comes with a serving of walnut salad, steak with their signature mushroom sauce and unlimited fries.  Very reasonable.

They don't immediately serve all the steak, so the portion shown on the picture is about more than half the actual serving.

Since Em-J and I are not wine drinkers, we ordered fruit juices to complement our meal.  Cranberry juice tasted generic.

We loved the food so much that we decided to eat there again and this time our meal came with a glass of wine.  Apparently, this is included in the price.  If that's not enough for you, which is the case for Em-J, you can go big at S$39.90 (Php 1397).  He didn't notice that much of a difference, though.

There were a lot of selections for desserts.  I immediately decided on the lemon tart (S$12, Php 420) which was good.

Em-J and Phoebe decided against their initial choices and went for the recommendations of the staff or was she the owner? They ordered the Profiteroles de L’Entrecôte and the Half-Baked Chocolate Cake (S$14, Php 490 each).  Desserts, though good, were not as spectacular as the main dish so we skipped them the next time.

We also loved how beautiful the quiet area of Duxton Hill looks.

L’Entrecôte
36 Duxton Hill
Singapore, 089614

Nearest MRT: Outram Park
Take the Cantonment Road Exit
Head on straight and turn left before reaching Pinnacle
Turn right at Craig Rd
Turn left and go up the flight of steps to Duxton Hill