Movie Moments That Should Happen to Me in Real Life Before I Die

This list has been in my head for awhile now, and it’s nowhere near complete yet. I just have this urge to write them all tonight.

Have you ever watched a film that you connected with so strongly, you felt that it was specifically written for you, or with you in mind? Below are some scenes from movies I’ve watched that have an emotional impact on me. And since it’s free to dream, I wish that these would happen to me before I die, because that would be just perfect.

1. The Dial Tone Conversation
From the film, Adaptation., starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper. Written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. In this scene, Meryl Streep is high on drugs and calls Chris Cooper on the phone. Together they recreate the dial tone and make one of the best scenes I’ve watched ever.

I’m sorry. I’m weird. I get that. But if you’re the perfect guy (and it has to be a guy) for me, if we happen to meet somehow in the future, you would totally understand. And I don’t even have to tell you, ‘Let’s do this certain scene in Adaptation.’, because you’ll know off the bat. You’ll send me drugs via mail like Chris Cooper did, and I’ll get high and giddy and I’ll call you up and we’ll do this scene and I’ll nod my head and say, ‘That’s fucking amazing.’

2. “I’ll have what she’s having.”
From the film, When Harry Met Sally, starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, directed by Rob Reiner. This scene needs no more introduction, so here you go:

I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll ever be as bold enough to fake an orgasm in a public place, but I’ve always wanted to say, “I’ll have what she’s having,” with such flair. Hah!

3. Tiny Dancer
From the film, Almost Famous, starring Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe. In this scene, the tension is high and emotions are all over the place as the band tries to keep it together. An Elton John classic comes on the radio, and everybody just almost simultaneously sang through it, letting go, just being in the moment.

I’m in the love with this scene forever and ever. I’m fortunate enough that this has happened to me a few times now, in different places, different cars, with different people. And I want it to happen again. They say everybody’s always in search of that fleeting moment, the one that grabs you for a few minutes and is then lost to you forever. This is one of those. If you have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, there’s this excerpt of Charlie riding with Sam and Patrick in the pickup truck while The Smith’s Asleep was playing on the radio. It was then at this moment that he said, “I feel infinite,” and oh, how I knew what he meant.

4. “Baby, you are gonna miss that plane.”
From the film, Before Sunset, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Written and directed by Richard Linklater. Celine and Jesse are listening to Nina Simone’s Just in Time, an utterly lovely song, and just when the credits started to roll, the story is just beginning, and you know in your heart that Jesse will never leave Celine, never ever, and you just feel this warmth envelop your heart, and gosh, I’m babbling.

There was a time in my life when I wish I could have said that, you know, standing in front of the man I love. He was about to leave, but there’s nothing I can say, no. But there will be another love (I hope), another man, another one who’ll stay this time around. And I’ll wait.

5. Hello, It’s Me
From the film, The Virgin Suicides, starring Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett. Written by Jeffrey Eugenides and directed by Sofia Coppola. The boys call up the Lisbon sisters on the telephone, and they speak to each other through songs.

What can I say? I’m a romantic. Apart from wanting to create that perfect dial tone, I would like a conversation to last all night with not one of us speaking, and we’ll just listen to songs all night, until the music runs out.

6. “Piano lessons?”
From the film, Big, starring Tom Hanks. Directed by Penny Marshall. Here, Josh (Hanks) is trying out the keys on a giant keyboard and ends up making a duet with his boss, playing Heart and Soul and Chopsticks.

I don’t know if I’ll ever come across a giant keyboard, but I hope to be able to play this perfectly someday.

7. “FFFUUCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!”
From the film, Little Miss Sunshine. Paul Dano’s brilliant scene when his character learned that he won’t be able to go to pilot school because he’s color blind. This is after having been in a vow of silence for a very long time:

Well I’ve actually done that a lot of times haha.

8. “Wherever God takes me.”
From the film, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. This is Harold and Kumar at their destination, finally, FINALLY getting the burger!

I really, really can’t stop laughing at this one. First, I want to be able to whip out my shades and say Doogie Howser’s “Wherever God takes me,” deadpanned. I will do this very seriously, and make one big exit. That will be such a laugh. Second, yeah, of course I want to look for that one-and-only burger!

9. Kiss
From the film, Amelie. Starring Audrey Tatou and Matthieu Kassovitz, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Very unconventional yet sweet kissing scene

10. Singing in the rain
From the film, Singin’ In the Rain. Here’s Gene Kelly dancing and singing and making me wish I could do this too someday:

And there you have it. Do you have any scene in mind that you’d want to happen to you, too?

Things That Surprised Me This Afternoon Because I’m a Doofus

Web. It’s all web. How to say this — that has been the first two weeks of my year. Full of cobwebby things to think about, to think through, so I’m still the perpetual girl who’s losing her mind ha-ha-ha.

I refrained from writing here because there’s nothing to say really, but it’s a free afternoon, I’m not in the office because of the flu, and it was just so nice to lounge in bed and watch tv and browse the net while I’m at it. So, while there is nothing to tell of my life, there is something to discover about pop culture. Sadly these are things I know only now, which is kinda weird and sad. I’m that out of touch.

Things That Surprised Me This Afternoon Because I’m a Doofus
1. Brad Renfro is dead!!! Remember him? He’s like our teenage sex god from the 90s. He and JTT starred in that movie, Tom and Huck. And— what? Why? He was so young. This hit me in the gut like the time when I learned Jonathan Brandis was dead. WHYYYYYYYY. The eleven year-old girl in me can’t process this.
2. River Phoenix was a close friend of Keanu Reeves (this I learned after I looked up Keanu while watching Speed just now). Joaquin Phoenix is River’s younger brother. And I never made the connection. Joaquin’s name is really Leaf. And I just watched Joaquin get creamed in Gladiator last night.
3. Keanu had a wife and daughter who died. He refuses to talk about it.
4. Rufus Wainwright, whose music I love, is gay. Wow. Works for me.
5. Johnny Depp used to partly own the club where River Phoenix died.
6. An installment of Project Runway is set to run here in Manila. But who could ever be the Filipina version of Heidi Klum? Ack. Please kill me. PLEAZZZE. They already murdered Philippines’ Next Top Model.
7. Jonathan Brandis committed suicide. I wrote about that in my entry years ago, I was in fucking mourning. Why am I suddenly so mournful of all these people? Crap.
8. And remember Devon Sawa? They say he’s on meth now.
9. Some of the characters in 28 Days Later appeared on more popular films that I actually watched, and I had no idea.
10. Does a trapper keeper still exist these days?

You know how this is proof that I should really start a 90s-themed blog?

Fox Mulder is back!

Or at least, I hope he is. According to my daily dose of lulz entertainment, Mulder and Scully are finally doing a sequel to the first X-Files film, which was shown what, ten years ago?

FUCK! I FUCKING LOVE FOX MULDER!

There. At least I got that out of the way.

But really, Fox Mulder was the first love of my life. He was the first walking penis to grace a geek television show EVER, in my opinion. And before the hotshots of CSIs (shows I totally love, by the way) came along, Scully was the reason why I was tempted to be a forensic scientist when I was in grade school. YES.

So. I don’t care if I sound too insipid or too ditzy or what-have-you. You wouldn’t understand anyway, such giddiness, if you have never watched X-Files in your life ever. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read and harbored and read and read again over the course of my pre-adolescent years, or how many photos and calendars and posters I’ve plastered all over my bedroom wall when I became a full-fledged horny teenager. My enthusiasm about the show was so great that:

1) I have (positively) influenced my father into science fiction and have cemented a relationship with him over the years through various interest of conspiracy theories, shadow government manipulations, extraterrestrial life what-ifs, and the like. Years later when X-Files would be proclaimed dead, over, and lost to us forever, my father and I moved on to new shows, new films, new music, new interests, things that keep our minds thinking and thinking, a bond lost on other people who know us but keep us happy and continuously searching for new things to devour;

2) I have also (negatively) influenced a friend into a Fox Mulder obsession, until her interest in him grew so great she was able to channel it to other people as well, thereby creating a cult when we were in the sixth grade. HAHA! We love Fox Mulder so much we thought we love David Duchovny as well, the actor, and blindly appreciated all the films he’s been in post-X-Files, even if, years later, we admit that everything was crap. HAHA!

Isn’t it funny, it was only a few days ago when that friend and I reconnected, and how it was all we can ever talk about: X-Files this, X-Files that, how we remember each other in random moments of our separate lives because of this fucking show. And now, this news! Haha! I would say it’s just a stroke of luck, but if you’re an X-Files prodigy you would say otherwise.

But if you are, if you are an X-Files fan indeed, won’t you stay awhile and reminisce with me?

Do you remember:
a) Quantico, Virginia, and Mulder’s quaint little office, that cramped space, with this poster?

b) Mulder’s little nickname, Spooky?
c) Agent Walter Skinner, that dirty little bastard?
d) The Cigarette Smoking Man and his minion, that son of a bitch, Krycek?
e) Samantha?
f) Scully’s cancer?
g) The tension between Scully and Mulder and how, each time, everybody just prays for them to have sex already and get it over with?
h) THE KISS! on Season 8?

and so much more.

Woohoooo fuck, am I excited. You may not know it, but various behind-the-scenes people (cinematographers, directors, producers, etc) from various shows popular now like Lost, 24, Alias — shows that I’ve enjoyed watching, too, have come from X-Files. Yup! I say this with absolute glee, because isn’t it fantastic? Only goes to show that X-Files was one of the best TV shows of its time, and the genius has spawned into several new shows that we all enjoy today!

And I just don’t know how to end this post now, because the giddiness is not dwindling down! And I am starting to end my sentences with exclamation points!

So here, let me end by saying that all in all, I have just confirmed to myself that I am still a certified geek, will always be, and everyone will just have to live with it!

No wait, here’s another:

FOX MULDER, I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!

There.

_________
photos taken from here and here

It’s a sad, sad day

The TV Links guy got arrested.

From Ray Corrigan:

The guy that runs the TV links website has been arrested after FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) encouraged the Gloucestershire police to get involved.

“Sites such as TV Links contribute to and profit from copyright infringement by identifying, posting, organising, and indexing links to infringing content found on the internet that users can then view on demand by visiting these illegal sites,” said a spokesman for Fact.

A lot of people are saddened horrified outraged by this news. I know I am.

Mostly the anger stems from the question, What did he do wrong?, and more importantly, Why him?

It’s always like that, yes? The Big Fish gets away with everything. And those geniuses who were smart enough to stand up next to the Men always, always get their balls cut off. The Men just can’t accept being royally fucked.

And since the lot of us, those who were educated by such site who brought the Unavailable to the masses, can say it a lot better than me:

From Jack Schofield:

And if linking is illegal, how many of us are guilty?

…

It’s a pity the Gloucestershire Police started with such small fry. There are a couple of multibillionaires called Larry Page and Sergey Brin — the founders of Google — who provide vast numbers of links to content that is being illegally distributed. Indeed, as everyone knows, they actually host plenty of illegal content on their own video site, YouTube, which has a UK operation.

Is the message that it’s less criminal to host illegal content on YouTube than it is to to link to it from a site such as TV Links? Or is it just that FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and the police won’t tackle anybody with enough high-powered lawyers to fight back? Is The New Freedom blog correct in saying: “They just have so much money that they have become above the law.”

…

In future, do I risk being thrown in the slammer for linking directly to a YouTube video? What if I just say “go to Google and search for ” or whatever?

(More discussion after the jump, plus the view from the other side, for a sense of Equality, which, most of the time, these bastard sharks are completely unknown for.)

I Dream of Cheesecake

1.
Ah, MY FUCKING HEAD! My head is pounding. I know I haven’t had much to drink last night, still, my brain feels like it’s being pounded on by a meat tenderizer. When I met up with my friends for dinner, catching-up and more conversation, we didn’t even had an alcoholic drink in sight. All we had is that fancy schmancy mocktail. Of course, I might have had one too many cigarettes in one sitting, surpassing my limit of four sticks a day. Seeing my friends again, I had a combination of happiness and an unbearable sadness swirling in my chest, that when I came home I plopped on my bed, took out my hidden stash of beer, dranked in the dark, watched porn Amelie, because I’m such a sad fuck.

There I was, raising my beer to an imaginary friend, flat on my back on the floor, listening to Yann Tiersen spin his magic, the music coaxing goosebumps to appear on my arms, when I suddenly thought of cheesecake.

(photo mooched from Lancewood)

It was the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep.

2.
And then I had this dream. I was in this episode of FRIENDS, and I was hogging all the damn cheesecake. Fucking cheesecake is driving me nuts. MUST HAVE CHEESECAKE!, my brain screamed at the oblivion.

(photo filched without permission from Crystal Farms)

When I woke up I have drool all over my shoulder.

3.
When I got to work today I was feeling pretty fucked up, not only because I’ve got a major hangover the size of a sumo wrestler; I can’t stop thinking about cheesecake. I can almost taste it in my mouth: that creaminess, that seemingly succulent dollop of cream, on the tip of your tongue, filling your whole mouth, wanting to be consumed, devoured.

Look at this, I mean, LOOK AT THIS:

(photo shamelessly taken from The Scent of Green Bananas: Food From a Guambat)

Tell me you don’t want to eat that. Tell me. Just tell me.

4.

(photo sheepishly stolen from BBC Good Food)

And now for the recipe (taken from the link above):

New York Cheesecake

FOR THE CRUST
85ml butter melted, plus extra for tin
140g digestive biscuits, made into fine crumbs
1 tbsp sugar, granulated or golden caster

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
3 x 300g pack full fat soft cheese (Philadelphia is good)
250g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp plain flour
1½tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
1½tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
284ml carton soured cream

FOR THE SOURED CREAM TOPPING
142ml carton soured cream
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

5.
So far, the best cheesecake I’ve tasted so far is the Raspberry Cheesecake from Burgoo.

And because I am on this frenzy, I think I might have to go there in the weekend just to quell this dire need to eat cheesecake! Other places I am looking at right now:

(photo borrowed from Kurma)

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Raspberry Cheesecake Shakes
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake
Black Sesame Cottony Cheesecake
Tiramisu Cheesecake

6.
I am on the verge of bawling hysterically. Because I can’t concentrate on work (not that there’s a lot to do anyway), I busied myself with watching an episode of Will and Grace, and holy shit, Debra Messing is EATING A WHOLE CHEESECAKE ON HER OWN. With a big, solid, valid spoon smack dab in the middle of the whole thing.

And now I want my whole goddamn cheesecake too. I want to buy a whole cheesecake with my name on it. I want to be hysterical, warding off people going near my cheesecake, getting all territorial and hot shit.

(photo grabbed from Big Oven)

Oh god oh god oh god I’m coming.

I Will Buy A Camera, Even If It Kills Me

I pledge allegiance
to the SLR flag
of the whole Republic of Photographers
for which it stands,
one legion
under the beauty of the world,
indivisible,
with mad skillz and good film
for all.

I will buy a camera. Even if it kills me. Even if it means saving my salary and not blowing it all off on books and DVDs. I will buy a camera.

I have been growing crazy these past few nights because it has dawned on me that I’ve been part of the throng who now have a dispensable income. And this means that I have the fucking money to buy a camera. I must buy a camera, goddamit! I’ve been tortured for too long by people who own one.

I’ve asked the advice of several people whom I trust regarding these things: What’s a good brand and model of a camera? What camera is perfect for someone who thinks she has a good eye for photographs and yet is totally clueless on the SLRs of the world? What’s a good beginner’s camera? And more importantly, what’s a camera that I can afford?

I’ve been given some very good suggestions and answers, and some of my picks are listed below. Because a digital SLR would simply kill the pockets, for my first camera I thought of going for the “prosumer” cameras. It’s good enough, and I think I can seriously begin studying photography using one of these. By the by, I plan to really save up for a DSLR, but not anytime soon.

Here are the cameras in my order of preference. Please note that I am not an expert in anything, and I’m merely going by my own sense of “aesthetics” (urrrgggh I hate that word) of what I want in a camera. Any comments or suggestions are welcome (Photos are taken from Amazon.com and Digital Photography Review):

1) Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Specifications:

- 6 megapixels
- 12x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom (conversion lenses optional)
- auto and manual focus
- auto and manual exposure
- JPEG file format
- ISO 80-800 (High ISO auto)
- movie mode w/sound
- 4 AA batteries
- 2.0 inch LCD
- SD card storage (16MB included)

I like cameras with a gun-metal gray color. I also think that the features are great. 6 megapixels is certain to wow me since I’ve been relying on a 1.3 megapixel camera phone these past few months to get me by. Based on the reviews, this is a serious amateur’s camera, and I think I quite fit that bill.

2) Canon PowerShot S5 IS

Specifications:

- 8 megapixels
- DIGIC III Image Processor
- Movie mode with sound
- JPEG file format
- 12x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
- Lens shift Image Stabilization
- Auto and manual focus
- ISO 80-1600
- Auto and manual exposure
- 2.5 inch swivel/vari-angle LCD
- Secure Digital storage memory (32MB card included)
- 4 AA batteries

This also packs quite a lot, but more or less has the same features like the first one. Why it became my second choice instead of the first is that for the price, I’m convinced the S3 would be really worth it.

3) Pentax K100D

Specifications:

- 6 megapixels
- Pentax KAF bayonet lens mount
- auto and manual focus
- image stabilization
- auto and manual exposure
- ISO 200-3200
- JPEG and RAW file formats
- 4 AA batteries or 2 CR-V3 lithium batteries
- 2.5 inch LCD
- SD card storage

Actually, my friend says that the Pentax K100D is a DLSR already, and is a good introduction for those just getting into photography. It’s really frustrating for me how expensive it is. I grew up in a household who worships the Pentax brand, and until today I have yet to own one.

4) Canon PowerShot G7

Specifications:

- 10 megapixels
- 6x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
- Auto focus, auto and manual exposure
- “Shift-type” image stabilization
- Movie mode with sound
- JPEG file format
- ISO 80-1600
- 2.5-inch LCD
- Secure Digitial Card storage (32MB card included)
- Lithium-ion battery

This really looks good. Based on its specifications, it seems to be a very good camera. However I still get put off by the price.

5) Nikon Coolpix P5000

Specifications:

- 10 megapixels
- 3.5x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
- Auto and manual focus
- Auto and manual exposure
- ISO 64-3200
- Movie mode with sound
- JPEG file format
- Lens-shift vibration reduction
- 2.5-inch LCD display
- Secure Digital storage (26MB internal)
- Lithium-ion battery

And then we arrive to this model, which also features 10 megapixels but only has a 26MB internal memory. I am really clueless when it comes to these things, but isn’t it better to have a bigger memory, especially when your photo packs a lot of pixels? However, I don’t really know how they engineer the structure of said cameras, so I’ll shut up now. On the other hand it’s very similar to the Canon A640, and is dubbed to be the “perfect everyday camera”.

6) Canon PowerShot A640

Specifications:

- 10 megapixels
- Movie mode with sound
- JPEG file format
- 4x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
- Auto focus, auto and manual exposure
- 2.5-inch LCD display
- Secure Digital Card Storage (32MB Internal)
- ISO 80-800
- 4 AA batteries

And here is the Canon PowerShot A640. They say it’s “perfect for casual users”.

7) Samsung NV11

Specifications:

- Image Sensor: 1/1.8″ CCD, 10.1 MP
- Lens: Schneider 7.8-39mm, F2.8 – F4.4
- 5X Optical Zoom, 11.4X Digital Zoom
- LCD: 2.7″ TFT LCD
- Shutter: Auto: 1 – 1/2000, Manual, S Mode: 15 – 1/2000 , Night: 15 – 1/2000
- High Sensitivity up to ISO 1600
- 10 megapixels
- USB cable charging

This camera boasts of a Face Recognition technology, which is quite something. I also like the solid look of the camera, like it wants to be taken seriously. The Schneider lens are a good touch, too.

So there. Those are pretty much what I’m looking at as choices. I know my comments sound inane, but really, I did not just spend a whole afternoon browsing websites and looking at what’s pretty. I’m really really really serious at this thing – I want a camera. I’m going to get one.

And god knows, if my salary is not enough, I will rob a bank. Who’s got a gun I can borrow?

How About Some Zombie Rape

I take no credit for this. The following images were merely borne out of sheer genius from the guys over at I-Mockery.com. I was always fascinated by zombie films for reasons I can’t fathom, so when I saw this recently I was really really really excited. I think this is the root of all my horrific fascinations when I was a child, the one source that bred all the little wingdings of evil residing in my mind.

I remember Thriller very well. Wacko Jacko’s album was the greatest selling album of all time, or so says the Guinness World Records, and I remember my father having a vintage LP of this record, and he would play it all afternoon to make me and my sisters sleep. Talk about being lulled to neverland. Hah!

I was born three years after the song and the album has long been popular, but never mind the years, man. Never mind that Jacko fucks little children up by holding them upside down out the window, or touching their mini-me’s in their shorts. I still think the world wouldn’t be complete without his penis-cupping dance moves or his appearances in other films like The Planet of the Apes.

The music video itself was very long, fourteen minutes full of zombified greatness, and I quote:

I don’t care if you disagree with me about Thriller being the best, because if you do, you’re wrong. But one thing that we can certainly all agree on is that Thriller was amazing, especially for its time, and it really changed the way music videos were seen from that point onward. It set the new standard and any big/popular music video that was made afterwards was inevitably compared to it in one way or another. And even despite all of Jackson’s bizarre career fuckups over the past decade, no music video has even come close to creating the fan frenzy that Thriller generated.As a kid, it was like being allowed to see a horror movie that the parents wouldn’t normally let you watch. There was so much excitement surrounded by it and everybody was fairly convinced that Michael Jackson would soon be elected President of the World. And while I guess it’s good that never happened, it’s sad to see what’s become of music videos today. You see, Thriller came out back in 1983, when MTV was actually good. It was a real music television network that actually showed music videos instead of shitty sitcoms about spoiled teens and their struggles to overcome further pampering.

This brought a question in my mind: since MTV has gone to hell, how many kids haven’t actually seen or will never see Thriller? That thought is probably scarier than the music video itself. But damnit, I’m at least gonna do my part by paying tribute to it because everybody should see Thriller in its entirety at least once. So here it is; my recap of the video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller!

And so, without further ado, here’s some of my favorite scenes from Thriller:

Thunder! Lightning! Some weird eery music and a man masturbating beside you!

ZOMG I forgot to take the baby out of the dryer!

I have seen ze baby and he has a nice little winkie! *drool*

ZOMG that’s my baby PUPPY you’re talking about!!

Har Har Har! I know! Ze pee-wee of ze puppy feels nice to touch! Har Har! *drool*

ZOMG I THOUGHT YOU ONLY LIKE LITTLE BOYS!!! ZOMG!!!