2014 BEST, SO-SO AND BAD MOVIES I’VE WATCHED… SO FAR

It is a great year for movies and awesomness. It is a fun filled year for sequels, spin-offs and original stories alike and the movie industry has never been so booming. From January up to July, I’ve watched and rated some of the best, so-so and bad movies, although technically I haven’t watched all of the films in the past six months (and still continues to watch).

By far, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is my top pic for this year because of the reason that it’s not just pure action, stunning visual effects and acting but also it comprises of an in-depth story that focuses on trust and betrayal in an entirely whole new level, although Marvel did a really, really great job on Guardians of the Galaxy but what lacked was the deep story that CapAm has.

Divergent was a great shocker for me, I never liked watching it on the big screen because as a dystopian themed novel turned movie: The Hunger Games is still my favorite and repetitive theme films don’t really entice me. But then again, I was amazed by the good story it has. The film tied up with X-Men:DoFP because it has the element of a good storytelling, except for a fact that Divergent was less in directing and acting, while DoFP was less in impact.

Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans was undeniably great. With its uniqueness that reinvented a whole new kind of storytelling and bizarre setting; it’s the one to beat when it comes to Best Original Screenplay.

Lucy on the other hand has no great story but was totally amusing and it’s one of the best there is in 2014, as well as 300: Rise of an Empire and the hilarious A Million Ways to Die in the West.

In the bad movies I’ve seen so far, there are two blockbuster hits that I kind of question why people will still be enticed to watch these kind of cinematic cliché? And I’m talking about the same-old-same-old story of Transformers: Age of Extinction which didn’t differ from all other Michael Bay films and in addition was a total mess, and it was very noisy! The Amazing Spiderman 2 was not of the exception as well. After Sony’s months and months of pushing the promotion to an epic level, the film was an epic fail. Story was so bad it’s so stupid and cliché, as well as the visual effects that looked like a computer game.

 

Below is the complete list of what I’ve watched so far with their one to five star rating, according to Best, So-So (in good sense), So-So (in bad sense) and Bad movies, together with some links of my full movie review.

 

BEST

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER – ★★★★★

DIVERGENT – ★★★★ 1/2

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST -★★★★ 1/2

SNOWPIERCER – ★★★★

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – ★★★★

LUCY – ★★★ ½

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE –  ★★★ 1/2

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST – ★★★

 

SO-SO (in almost a good sense)

NON STOP – ★★★ 1/2

PURGE: ANARCHY – ★★★

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 – ★★★

LEGO MOVIE – ★★

NOAH – ★★

NEIGHBORS – ★★

TRANSCENDENCE – ★★

THE OTHER WOMAN – ★★

 

 

SO-SO (in almost a bad sense)

MALEFICENT – ★★ 1/2

13 SINS – ★ 1/2

UNDER THE SKIN – ★★

POMPEII – ★★

OCULUS – ★★

BLENDED -★★

ROBOCOP – ★

THE EXPENDABLES 3 – ★

 

BAD

A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 – ★ 1/2

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION – ★ 1/2

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 – ★

THE HUNGOVER GAMES – NONE (it’s really, really bad)

 

What movies in the past six months you did like and didn’t like? What movies did I miss? 🙂

CAFÉ FUN | CAFÉ NAMOO REVIEW [PHOTOS]

 –          ★★★★

With an extensive popularity of Korean themed café’s in Cebu, there’s one that opened recently this 2014 and like just some other café’s, it’s comfy but with an addition of fun.

Café Namoo is located at 2F Northgate Centre, Banilad, across Gaisano Country Mall and surely a true blue Korean themed one because of its obvious interior design that looks like an expanded and bigger version of Café Noriter. You can stay seated on their double-deck style compartment seating that is really exciting with comfortable pillows that is perfect for friends who you can chat with for hours and hours or with lovers who could stay and relax.

Post-it notes are all over the café, just like some of the Korean themed café’s you will see downtown, like Noriter, Sunday 2PM, and Café Maru. There are non-sense posts around, posts of love and some advertisements, just like what I did.

They have plenty of beverage offers that you will see on their counter, but then, I’ve noticed that the marquee above the counter was blank, and I hope to see the entire menu there one day.

Try their Ice Choco Latte for P145.00 that is a satisfying treat, also their famous and best-seller Java Chip Frap that costs P170.00 and is a real best treat they have. Their beverage offers ranges from P140.00 – P170.00.

Ice Choco Latte

Java Chip Frap

What lacks is that they haven’t yet any cake offers which I think will be available soon.

But what’s interesting in this café is the ‘Balloon Room’ which the name speaks for itself and it’s a true pleasure to seek. You can enjoy plenty of balloons and experience your childhood once more. This is what Café Namoo differs from the others, and it’s fun.

Check out Café Namoo and experience the goodness of Korea once more.

CONTACT

Cellphone: 0927 364 7138

Facebook: Café Namoo

SCHEDULE

10:00AM to 1:00AM

RATINGS

Place – 5

Choco Latte – 3

Java Chip Frap – 4

Value for money – 5

Overall – 4

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VIVA, PIT SENYOR! | SINULOG 2014 [TIPS] [PHOTOS]

(Tips are usually in Italics)

VIVA!

It’s once again the Festival dedicated to Sr. Sto. Nino that contributed to the inception of Christianity in the Philippines and defined Cebu.

Cebu, known as the Queen City of the South, is famous for the Sinulog Festival that gives tribute to the young Jesus, Sto. Nino, which was brought by the Spanish people (via a statuette) that was led by the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan.

Sinulog is annually held on the 3^rd Sunday of January: Grandiose floats and costumes plus fluid-like dances, true to the name ‘Sinulog’ that came from the Cebuano word ‘sulog’ meaning ‘like the movement of the water’; this is culminated on the last day of the 9 day celebration.

Every year, there are plenty contestants coming from different places in the Philippines contending to win for the best dance interpretation to win in the Sinulog Contest. The Grand Parade will first have to show off the contestant’s dance interpretations in the streets of Cebu City leading to Abellana which will be the arena to show off their fab dances to the judges.

Everyone from various places, Filipinos or Foreigners alike enjoy the mardi gras that gives the best street dance feel due to the loud drum beats that make you move and shout ‘PIT SENYOR!’. Even children are held on their parents’ shoulders to let them see the colorful parade on the streets.

SINULOG 2014

Probably the most crowded Sinulog I’ve ever attended, and also everyone’s opinion.

There are a lot of sight sees that you’ll enjoy in every corner of the city. You’ll have to enjoy every painted faces to street dances people do. Also, henna tattoos are a trend too, and everywhere you go; there are people who cater to giving you that Sinulog vibe.

Fuente Circle is one of the best places to go during daylight; which you can visibly see every float passing by. Some with famous local celebrities that usually defined what is like being a Filipino. But most floats have extraordinary designs. Ahead of the floats are their dancers who usually make stops to some spots to offer a dance to street judges.

People could also try to roam around starting at Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, (Sto. Nino church) dance your way to the crowd at Jones Street reaching Fuente Circle.

The wonderful floats go all the way from morning until the evening. And right after every contestant is done; there the fireworks begin.

I personally enjoyed this year’s Sinulog because it was not sunny at all; everyone loves the sun, and I do, but sometimes it’s just too painful out there; but not this year, it’s purely cloudy, it drizzled in a while but did not bother everybody at al.

 

I noticed the trend of GoPro cameras nowadays that takes videography, photography and selfies to the high level… literally.

AYALA FIREWORKS

Every spot in the city; there’ll be fireworks.

One in Abellana, right after the last contestant is done with their presentation: another one is in Crown Regency in the heart of the city, one at SM City Cebu and the most celebrated and waited is the Ayala Center Cebu Fireworks.

Ayala is not just famous for their mall, but for their annual Sinulog fireworks show that costs them thousands to millions of pesos. But not just that; Ayala Fireworks is famous because of their unique and spectacle show.

They don’t just show you explode here and explode there kind; you will see heart shaped blasts or Saturn shaped or a smiley: all you need to do is ready your camera and tick at the right time when it explodes.

The extravagant firework show always ends up in a humongous firework blasts that lights up the entire vicinity that gives magnificence to everyone that is watching.

If you’re wondering where I had my dinner; Ayala is a perfect place to go. BUT, there’ll be less chance to dine perfectly and fast there. My partner and I ate at Simply J’s Restaurant. I purposefully did a reservation ‘just in case’ we can’t dine in Ayala, and that was the case. But the place is miraculously almost deserted when we arrive there.

There are couple of affordable restaurants just within the vicinity of Ayala mall for you to dine yet not be able to miss their grandiose fireworks show like Simply J’s, Kuya J or Rodeo Grill.

SINULOG NIGHT LIFE

Then the real party begins!

Everyone works their way in Mango Avenue to party! If you ever want to get wet and wild then this place is surely for you. Just make sure you’re ready to get down and dirty because the crowd will be crazy.

Baseline, Alchology, and Yo.u are the bars that you usually hear where the party is to the extreme. Bottles of alcoholic drinks are surely on the grounds wherever you go. Everyone you’ll see is surely drunk when the clock hits 12 for sure.

That surely was the most crowded because I encountered problems passing through Mango Street but nevertheless… still alive!

 

VIVA, PIT SENYOR!

Sinulog 2014 was crazy.

Next year would be another blast, for sure.

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