Until yesterday, the best online copy of the blockbuster hit that is Avatar was only a Telesync. Yes I have that copy, but no I did not watch it as the low quality annoyed me. However, I gave it to my friends who badly wanted to watch anyway.

But now the DVD Screener has been leaked, and given that only the Academy Awards voters have been given a copy, it probably came from them. Well, thank you, Oscars! I can finally finish watching Avatar.

It’s a long story, what I went through to watch Avatar. Basically, the movie was cut off before it ended. Because the lazy staff of Mindpro Mall wanted to go home early and their stupid managers had gone home. A fun night out turned ugly and we even had a shouting match with the supervisor the following day.

We got our money back after about 30 minutes of yelling and threatening the incompetent staff at Mindpro. They didn’t want to return the money. Their logic was that well, we should have listened when they asked us to enter the moviehouse before the previous screening ended so that we could have caught the end of the movie! What?! They expected us to watch the movie backwards??? And never explained when we bought the tickets that the movie was going to be cut off?!? Fuck off!!!

*Calming myself*

Ah, sorry for the outburst. It was just a very bad experience for me. In any case, I am never watching a movie there again. Boycott Mindpro, you hear?!

Wanted to watch the movie in Manila again, but ah, nobody wanted to come with me see it in 3D. And most everyone had already watched it. So I’m thankful for the torrent, at least.

Here is the link to download the Avatar DVD Screener. It’s a good copy, trust me.

Detox Tip #5: Watch Movies

Just watched Pirates of the Carribbean: At World’s End last night, with Gim (boyfriend) and Melisse (little sis).

Loved the special effects, was astonished (though by the third movie, shoulda been used to it) by how realistic Davy Jones and his part-men-part-sea-creatures crew looked. They were all computer-generated, no prosthetics save for Bootstrap Bill! Genius animators!! (One of my dreams, btw

I also loved the sweeping views of the sea – lots of richly hued sunsets and sunrises in this movie. Cinematic seascapes keep this girl happy. Hehe.

What riveted me, though, was really the pace of the story. I don’t think anybody could have afforded to get distracted watching the movie. I listened to every word uttered and still a lot of parts went lost by me. The pirate-swapping/backstabbing was more fun to watch than understand, really. I only got the parlay part, the whole Singapore part with Will backstabbing Jack, Sao Feng backstabbing Will and Jack backstabbing everyone else – that? That I got only after I read Wikipedia’s detailed explanation, hehe.

I think the plot was great, but it was maybe too much plot for a movie limited to three hours long. Lots of stuff went not much explained, that’s what I felt. For example, the death of the Kraken was absolutely random! Wikipedia explained that Beckett had actually commanded Davy Jones to kill the Kraken, but I never heard it during the movie.

Though reading Wikipedia greatly enlightened me, some questions still linger. What was really Calypso’s role in the movie? I understand Tia Dalma, and her being Calypso was a nice twist, which of course made me expect much from her. The only thing Calypso served, though, was to provide some answers about Davy Jones’ history. Calypso, in her fury, created a maelstrom, which I admit did provide a convenient plotline for serving great whirpool special effects, but aside from that, I feel her character was hugely neglected and underdeveloped. She should have helped defeat Davy Jones somehow, or maybe turned against those who freed her to try to save Jones, or something! She was freed – and then nothing. How disappointing.

Also, one bugging question: Why did Calypso not show up to meet Davy Jones ten years after doing his duty? Someone tell me! (Gim thinks maybe it was because Calypso became unfaithful to Jones, and his lover was… Jack! Hmm, may be…)

All in all, though, I loved the third installment of Pirates, despite the racy pace of the movie. The lovely scenes took my breath away and the ending was quite a surprise – not as predictable as most movies (read: Spiderman, but hey, loved the special effects on that one too). The love story between Will and Elizabeth was stirring but not overdone. Although I did feel that Elizabeth’s character was treated quite loosely – she professes love for Will but her lips often seem be to interlocked with those other than Will’s (Jack, then Norrington, then an attempt with Jack again…).

Liplocking aside, the hefty P80 entrance fee I paid for Pirates is not going to be missed. Loved, loved, loved the movie – special effects, story and all.

One complaint, though, and it’s not about the movie. It’ s about the moviehouse. I watched at Mindpro Theater, no choice, the only decent theater in Zamboanga. My gripe is that I went home last night quite shocked and so very sad. I thought that Will and Elizabeth were doomed to being able to see each other only once every ten years, forever! Not known to me was that there was a short clip at the very end of the credits that showed Will and Elizabeth meeting up ten years later, with their son! And that the significance of that was that Will was freed of his duties and free to finally be with Elizabeth! A fairytale happy ending!

And why did I miss that? Because damned Mindpro Theater cuts the credits right away!! You couldn’t even listen to the end of the soundtrack or get to read all the cast names. Grr. Isn’t that illegal or something??

Anyway, thank God for Youtub. I’m gonna be looking it up ASAP!

P.S. I finally have a high-speed Internet connection, yay! Had it installed just today. I’m sad though ‘coz I’ll be leaving soon, won’t get to enjoy it much, but at least I can now video-communicate from Manila (hoping I get myself wifi there too). Happiness all around!

Thursday night the Jesuit priests of the Ateneo de Zamboanga, dressed in simple white shirts and pajamas, determinedly marched up the aisle in Mindpro Theater to watch the Da Vinci Code.

As they entered, the packed moviehouse stared in pleasant surprise and grinned. In an instant, the crowd got livelier and more animated – perhaps discussing the Jesuits, perhaps anticipating the movie.

None relinquished their expensive seat up to a priest but many were a friendly greeting, and many pointed out the vacant slots. The priests settled themselves in the center of the theaterhouse, and gradually we all quieted down as the movie began.

As Gim and I observed from time to time from our vantage point, Fr. Kreutz gestured and discussed animatedly with his fellow priests throughout the whole movie.

(Many questions burned in my mind: Was watching movies in a public theater a regular thing for Jesuit priests? Why was Fr. Bill so interested in watching this movie? Were they rooting for a negative portrayal of the Opus Dei, their archnemesis, or not? Had they all read the book already? What were their opinions on the relationship of Jesus and Mary Magdalene?)

We noticed, too, a lot of familiar people in the audience. I saw Brian and the SACSI people, Ma’am Ivy (the Asst. Senior Dean) and the CSIT bunch, my former highschool classmates turned new Nursing graduates, businesswomen in power suits, college kids and their friends / partners, whole families and all. I’m sure the lower moviehouse housed a host of Ateneans as well.

But enough about the crowd. What about the movie? All I have to say is: Good movie. I recommend everyone to watch it. But read the book first.

Usually whenever a book is made into a movie (or vice versa), the first question always is: Which is better? For the Da Vinci Code, the answer is: neither is better, both are terrific, for their own aims anyways.

Read the book to appreciate the plot in detail (which the movie couldn’t possibly capture in only an hour), watch the movie to appreciate the setting (which the book ably described, but still, a picture paints a thousand words).

If you are, however, going to watch this movie with high expectations, don’t bother. It won’t move you, it won’t discuss Jesus’ divinity in-depth, it won’t stir up discussion about Christianity or the Crusade, it won’t address everything that made the Da Vinci Code book controversial.

But it’s a good movie – the perfect visual supplement to the novel.

Just remember – don’t believe everything you read.

Yup, it is! Well at least I think so. If you saw a flyer in your school’s campus declaring that Mister Donut was recruiting for staff and crew, wouldn’t it mean they were gonna build a Mister Donut outlet somewhere nearby? I have a good feeling about this.

The reign of Dunkin Donuts and Jollibee in ZC is finally going to be challenged. Thank God, that is what we need. More treats for Zamboangueños!

I have always preferred Mister Donuts to Dunkin Donuts. Maybe it’s the fact that there *isn’t* a branch here. You know what they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. But it’s also about the quality of their products. Dunkin Donuts in Zamboanga has the reputation of being kinda sloppy. The donuts themselves vary in sizes, sometimes they’re so small you think that the company’s trying to save on dough. Sometimes, too, they’re moldy. Really! Once Gim and I gave a Bavarian back because there were violet molds on its underside. The management told us that that always happened, it had something to do with their pans. We raised our eyebrows but didn’t press the issue, since they had replaced our food. I wondered to myself whether that meant they didn’t rinse their utensils. Ew. (Still, though, I’m glad they’re not like Chowking, which has the reputation of including cockroaches in their take-outs! Multiple Ews.)

Speaking of food chains, Jollibee is buying Red Ribbon! Did u know Jollibee has a total of 1079 stores? Here’s the breakdown: 508 Jollibee, 310 Chowking, 228 Greenwhich and 33 Delifrance outlets. It also operates 121 stores abroad including 88 Yonghe King stores in China. Wow, huh? In Zamboanga alone it has 5 Jollibee branches (Mindpro, Climaco, City Hall, Camins plus one being constructed in Veterans), 2 Chowking outlets (La Purisima and Climaco) and 2 Greenwich stores (Mindpro and Camins).

Wonder what that means? Do you think Jollibee may also soon be putting up Red Ribbon stores all over Zamboanga? That’s likely, I’ll say! Yipee! I also love cakes. Hmm, Myrna’s might soon be getting some competition!

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Brrr, it is cold. It’s raining again, but I’m not complaining. It’s nice to snuggle beneath the crook of your lover’s arm during cold weather. Just yesterday, Gim and I couldn’t get enough of one another. He loves to tickle me. I, however, hate being tickled. Someday, I think, I will die of a cardiac arrest induced by Gimmi’s tickling me.

Yesterday, I dissolved into a bout of uncontrollable tears when Gim pinned me to the bed by my arms, threatening to tickle me. He *had* been tickling me all over already for the past 30 minutes but I could still fend him off. It was only when he erased all my chances of defending myself from his attacks that I broke down and cried. (Sometimes, I just can’t help myself!) He let me go at once, of course, and was appropriately apologetic. Oh, but I could see a bit of merriment in those naughty eyes of his. Someday, Gimmi, I will tickle *you* to tears!

Hmm, ’till next time, then. I have to give my darling a phone call.