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Into the Wild (2007)
I have the original article...
In August 1992, I was stranded and abandoned about a ship in Atka, Alaska. Besides that, I have the newspaper, Anchorage Daily News, dated Saturday, September 19, 1992. On the Front Page, an article reads, "Dead hiker ID'd", written by Kris Capps. Apparently, I was stranded in Alaska during the final days of Christopher's life in Alaska. We were in the same State, but different locations. When I watched this movie, it brought back a lot of memories when I had lived in Alaska. I lived in Alaska from 1992 to 1995, and can "visualize" the life of Christopher, though I never met him. Since I had lived in Anchorage, many scenes in the movie were places that I've been to, a long time ago. My early life in Alaska wasn't nice to talk about, because I lived in a couple of shelters, and I remembered the McCandless news on KIMO TV 13. I remember the friends I made with Alaska State Troopers, and during that time in 1992, McCandless story was big news.
The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
The X Files is Back!
Well, this is the long, awaited MirandaSoft Report of my viewing of the movie. Since I'm in the Philippines, and not in Seattle, WA, USA, I had to wait a little bit longer. The release date of the movie was August 13. Well, I watched it, alone, in the cinema, on August 13. And, then I watched it, with my wife, in a different cinema, the very next day, August 14.
My IMDb comments of my favorite TV Show and Movie, X Files, were delayed, on purpose, as I did other stuff. I like this movie, a lot. Just like the 1st movie, "Fight the Future", 10 years ago, I'll be buying the DVD when it is released. For the 1st movie, I had the VHS and DVD version, but now have the VCD version of that movie, along with Seasons 1 and 2 DVD Collection.
As confirmed my movie cinema employees in SM Megamall, The X Files - I Want To Believe, didn't draw a large crowd. A local movie pushed it aside while "Death Race" movie killed it. I'm a true X Files Fan since the 1st episode of the 1st season. The X Files were popular in the Philippines, 10 years ago... Now, what happened? The X Files has very little popularity in Metro Manila. In 2006, when I moved here, it seemed like nobody heard of the X Files. What worse, or great (depending on how you see it), none of the X Files DVD Collections were pirated here. I have seasons 1 and 2, and nobody has seasons 3 through 9 in the Philippines.
Well, the X Files - I want to believe, should not have been called The X Files, as the X Files has already been closed. It should have been called, "Mulder and Scully," as Mulder and Scully are no longer FBI Agents. Though there were re-occurring player in the movie, this wasn't a real X Files movie, as there was No X Files case folder shown. It was about a missing FBI agent being led by a fallen priest, with parallel drama of the relationship between Mulder and Scully. My wife thought the movie was like a Soap Opera. It seemed like it to me. Well, after watching this movie, I can say that I have seen EVERY episode and movie of the X Files.
Have a nice day, everybody!
Untraceable (2008)
A Wake Up Call on Computer/IT Security
It's now 2008, people! Nearly everything is connected, online! This movie will wake up anyone that uses a computer, connected to the Internet, especially if they know little or nothing about Firewalls and Virus Scanners. This movie does downgrade a commercial agency and encourages Open Source. In, the movie, the so-called FBI office is using Linux-based operating systems, with at least one Microsoft Windows Vista-based system there. In the home of Agent Jennifer Marsh, she is using a computer running Microsoft Windows XP. Agent Marsh said a "Trojan" came in through a game her daughter got from a friend. Most don't know that the default account in Windows XP is an Administrator Account, which Agent Marsh uses on her desktop. That is verified when Owen Reilly was accessing Agent March's personal computer and looking at the photos of her and her daughter. I guess the movie wanted viewers to believe Owen was using Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client (RDC), but from what is seen in the movie, it appeared that Agent Marsh's computer was with Owen. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but Microsoft's RDC Logo is missing when he views the pictures. So that means, he's using the computer, locally, and not through a network. Also, when Agent Marsh's home was on a wireless video camera, computer geeks will recognize that the wireless video camera used is a Wi-Fi type and only has a short distance, and most likely requires an Access Point. In the movie, Owen is showed at a distant location viewing the video feed that is being sent through the internet site. In reality, Owen would have been in a nearby home or vehicle to do that, not miles away as the movie portrayed. The movie did not reveal the camera type... If it did, the goof would have been revealed. A popular Network tracing program, nmap was used in the movie. Linux & Unix Geeks, alike, will recognize that. But the revealing mistakes were... The use of Local IP address and not Actual/Internet IP addresses, meaning they were only using a LAN (Local Area Network) in the movie and NOT the internet. There were too many special effects used in the movie, which makes the movie less scary. The tortured cat and bodies in the movie were robotic, made to look real. Also, the sulfuric acid in the movie would not have done that much damage. It was like 5 parts water and 1 part sulfuric acid. The water would have to be replaced to cause the body damage in the movie. Also, in that scene, blood that came out with Griffin was still alive, was all gone when the FBI arrived at the torture chamber. Another mistake that I spotted in the movie was... Owen had too much equipment with him... How did he buy that equipment? Where did he buy that equipment? and How is able to transport all that equipment around without being seen in public? Owen is portrayed to working alone, but it is impossible to do all that alone. Now back to Agent Marsh's home PC and laptop. I guess didn't get any sponsorship from any commercial security software, such as that from Symantec/Norton and McAfee. Only software applications from Microsoft were used. The downside of that is, the movie does a great job in pointing out how insecure Windows is. Since I'm originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, I do know Portland, Oregon... Almost very well. In fact, I've driven along nearly all of those streets shown in the movie. And I've stayed in the motel that was shown in the movie, but not in the same room! I recognize the Portland police cars with their real State government license plates, unlike most other movies that uses generic patrol cars. In the movie, it looks like the night scene was taped between 2AM and 4AM, and I think the producers waited for a rainy night. Also, note in that night scene when Agent Marsh picked up her Treo 650 PDA/Phone and tried to use it, she did not press the Power Button. Instead, she held it up and showed that the screen was off. She claimed Owen had hacked her phone. In that reality, what was shown was impossible. They showed a Treo 650 with the Phone signal turned off, as noticed by not seeing any blinking. Also revealed was, Owen not having any Palm HotSync capabilities, which would have been needed to access the Treo 650 and even, install software onto it. One final about that Treo... It was nicely laid down on the cement, in the movie, and was not wet from the rain. It's an expensive device and probably belongs to one of the staff. Those that have FM Radios will note that 108.9 MHz is not used by any commercial FM Broadcaster, especially in Portland, Oregon. However, 108.9 MHz is one of the output frequencies of the FM transmitters for an iPod or some type of MP3 player. Chances are more like that it was with Agent Marsh, as she could have remotely turned it on and have it broadcast through her vehicle's radio system. I was able to watch this movie on Feb 20th at SM Megamall. I was able to watch the last part (first) and then the first part (second) before I had a business call. And then, I re-entered the cinema and watched the entire movie. I usually sit on the front row seat, and always look for details. I'll be back in Seattle in March 2008. I plan to get this movie on DVD when it is released because this is a movie that can be added to my IT Security collection and the promotion of OpenSource Operating System (Linux) while focusing on usability. All emphasized in the movie.
Whiz Kids (1983)
The Show that Started my Computer Life
The Whiz Kids TV Show was, primary the "kicker" of my computer interests. Just a few months before the first showing in October 1983, my dad and I went to Philippines, for my 1st visit. I met my cousin, Carl, whom built his first computer out of Zilog Z80 computer chips, and he gave me computer chips to bring back to USA, in August 1983, a week before the assassination of Benigno Aguino (August 21, 1983). The computer chips were from Zilog Corporation in Philippines. I place those chips onto a shelf because I was busy with the Commodore VIC-20 computer.
Shortly after the initial showing of Whiz Kids in October 1983, I began to interface my Zilog computer chips with the VIC-20. I wanted to be just like Richie; in fact, my room was almost set up the same way Richie had his in the TV show. I was only 13 years old at that time.
Though I watched Wargames in the Cinema, I could not miss an episode of Whiz Kids when it was on TV. My mother went to church on Wednesday night as I had to stay home to watch Whiz Kids.
Throughout my Junior High and High School time, I was best known as a "computer geek." In 1983, I was a power user of the TRS-80 Model III computer system. By 1985, I was a power user of the Apple Macintosh. In 1986, I was a power user of Commodore Amiga 500 and Commodore 64 computers. I didn't go to my High School Prom because of my Geek Hobby.
At my graduations, I remember having my friends over to watch my recorded shows of the Whiz Kids on Betamax. I remembered that I had every episode of Whiz Kids, recorded, but I don't know what happened to that tape, as of 1992.
I'm still waiting for CBS to release the Whiz Kids onto VHS or DVD... Now that I'm in the Philippines, I'm not sure if I can be able to receive any videos from CBS. I had been asking at the video stores, but there has been nothing on Whiz Kids even been shown in the Philippines.
A Love Story (2007)
Outstanding Tear-Jerker Movie! Highly Recommended!
August 22nd was the first (and only) time my wife and I could watch this movie because of her hectic work schedule at the local Cable TV company. We watched this movie at SM Megamall in Philippines. Her officemates already watched this movie before her and I watched it, last night.
Normally, I don't have tears during movies because I try to hide my emotions, but this movie had brought back memories for me, considering I've had many sour relationships, but I wasn't a playboy as what Aga Mulach played as Ian Montes. I'm a American Citizen and Filipino Mestiso (my dad was natively born in Philippines) and I (finally) got married to my wife in October 2006. -- Fortunately or unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as Ian was in the movie.
In many of the scenes, such as when Ian (Aga Mulach) and Karyn (Angelica Panganiban) were arguing after Karyn was at a party with her friends, my wife kept nudging me. Many of the things that Ian had said were, either the same or similar, to what I've said to my wife, but in very different circumstances, but mostly were at the start of my marriage and not currently. Ian said something similar to, "I need my wife... but you're never around." I remember saying that to my wife, more than once. I admit that.
High technology was not in this movie, with the minor exception of mobile phones and text messaging. I didn't see an internet connection, such as internet chat or e-mail being used or emphasized. The movie contained Motorola and Nokia cellphones, but no PDAs (such as Palm Pilots, Blackberries, etc.), as seen in other Love Drama stories.
Angelica Panganiban, acting as Karyn Torres, plays an immature part of the movie. She claims to be 22 years old, and my wife both agree that she is too young to have any real relationships. Her job as a flight attendant signifies that she has not decided what her future is going to be. My wife describes her as "too wild." Her attitude is focused on sex, first, and then relationship, second. -- In the movie, some parts were missing, such as what happened before Karyn and Ian slept together. The plot was missing. It went from meeting for the first time, to sex in bed. And then, meeting in a public place. I wasn't sure what Maryo J. De los Reyes (Director) wanted in Angelica's character. Did she want a prostitute that falls in love, or a desperate woman that does not want to work? I couldn't figure that out.
Maricel Soriano, acting as Joanna Villanueva, was missing through some very important parts of the movie. There was a lot of missing information about her marriage with Peter (Mark Gil). I guess that was Vanessa Valdez's (writer) idea to add suspense in the movie. I kept asking my wife, questions, because there was too much information missing. Even my wife could not figure out the missing parts.
Mark Gil (Peter) is a "person of interest" to me, since he was in "Mula Sa Puso." He doesn't have a Filipino name, yet he is a Filipino TV/Movie star. For some reason, he keeps his identity a secret, even to IMDb. When I seen him in A Love Story, I didn't recognize him, until he spoke. His Tagalog has unusual accents, maybe mixed with non-Filipino dialects. Most Filipinos don't notice that. His part in this movie should have been a lot more than just a few short scenes. From my perspective, he looks like he was just "planted" to fill in the roll of Peter. He was talked during many parts of the movie, but his acting just wasn't there.
Aga Muhlach (Ian Montes) wore a plain Cross neck-less throughout the movie, but there was no Christian/Catholic events in the movie. His character shows that his cross is for show-only, not for any religious conviction. I was expecting Maricel Soriano to have a church scene, such as in "Paraiso: Tatlong kwento ng pag-asa", but I didn't see one in the movie. I'm not sure if this was done to allow persons from all religions to watch the movie or not.
The movie missed adding any Wedding Scenes. In nearly all Filipino love story movies, a wedding scene (with a priest), is part of the movie. The movie emphasized on "anniversaries" but there was little or no emphasis on any actual marriage ceremonies. -- I was looking for this in the movie... Remember the movie and soap opera, Mula Sa Puso? The movie, "A Love Story", brings out the importance of marriage, or at least, a true relationship. The movie could be nicknamed as, "Don't cheat on your spouse or else!" It emphasizes events that really do happen but nobody pays any attention to it.
In case you have not seen this movie, yet. Please do so, as I highly recommend it. Ladies (and some guys, too), please bring tissue or towel, as this movie will make you cry.
Surf's Up (2007)
Caught and Educational Aspect in the Movie...
I was able to watch this movie on August 11th, 4 days before it's official release here in the Philippines. It was a Red Carpet Primiere, sponsored by Columbia Pictures, SM Cinema, and SkyCable. My wife works for SkyCable and all four of us went to watch the movie. (Me, My Wife, My wife's nephew, and my wife's mother.) During this movie, I caught a very educational aspect...
Friends are More Important than Trophies.
After the movie, I asked Josh (my wife's 7yr old nephew), what is more important? Friends or Trophies? He answered, Friends.
The movie degraded CHEATING, which I'm glad it had emphasized that. Cheating to win does not make "real" friends.
In reality, some parents want their children to "always" be Number 1, and those same parents punish their children when they are not number 1. The tag-line on the Red Carpet Primiere invitation read, "Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers that a true winner isn't always the one who comes in first."
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
It Struck Me, CLOSE to HOME!
Normally, I don't watch the Simpson cartoons and I wasn't interested in watching this movie, but my wife was with me, so we decided to watch it, together.
However, this movie was very different... My wife noticed that I became emotional during the movie... I told her that the movie reminded me of my life, growing up in the USA. How Homer treated Bart was very, very similar to how my dad treated me during my younger days. I told my wife that this movie reminded me of my past life in the USA. --- Nowadays, my dad (living in Seattle, WA USA) stays close to me, even though I am now living in Manila, Philippines.
Other than that, my wife said I act like Homer Simpson. Well, I don't think I do, but she said I do.
Considering I was living my 1st 35 years in the USA, I was telling my wife that the attitudes expressed in the Simpsons movie is very close to reality in America. The movie is intended on being funny, it's really a reality to those that live in the USA. I've lived in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, too. My friends and relatives thought all of the movie was made up, but I told them that I remember the announcement, many years ago, that the Simpsons cartoon will be made into a movie.
Overall, I don't recommend this movie for young children because of the drama within. The movie emphasized what rejection feels like and that's not good for a child to watch.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Loaded with Action...
I watched this movie on August 7th at SM Megamall, before the release date of August 15th. I sat at the front row, as I normally do, and because this movie is loaded with action, I was not able to take a nap. I watched this movie, twice on the same day, mostly because I had nothing else to do that day.
My wife had to work that day and I, for having watched all the past Bourne movies, could not miss this one. There were other movies I watched after this one, but this was the best movie I've seen that day.
Shortly after watching this movie, Rush Hour 3, was released and the Bourne Ultimatum slipped down at the cinemas.
I recommend this movie to anyone that want to see excessive amounts of action.
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Very Funny Movie...
Normally, I don't watch comedies, but I decided to watch this movie, earlier this month. In fact, I watched it 2 1/2 times during the same day because I had nothing else to do. I watched it at SM Megamall. After watching it more than twice in the same day, I was able to see the unseen mistakes within the movie. The police car to transport to the "embassy" was a generic police car used in several other movies and TV shows. In fact, the police car used was "too generic"... I noticed the cellphone on the driver side of the dashboard. -- Unless rules are changed in the USA, cellphones can not block the view of the driver, as the one shown in this movie.
There were only a couple things that should have been removed from the movie, but other than that. It was great!
Inang yaya (2006)
"Tearjerker"-type of Movie
On Monday, December 11th, here in Philippines, I decided to watch this movie, alone, at SM Megamall, as my wife had to work at her office. Since my Tagalog comprehension is limited, I wanted to watch a movie that has a GP rating and with young children, so I can understand the Tagalog language easier. So, I watched it, not knowing that this movie is a Tearjerker.
While watching it on Monday, I sent my wife an SMS that I am watching this movie and she told me she wanted to watch this movie, too. At this moment, I did not know this movie is a Tearjerker. (Most often, I avoid tearjerkers because I grew up under the condition that men are not supposed to cry.) Throughout the movie, many people were crying, then there were scenes that made people laugh, especially how Maricel Soriano acted when chasing for the taxi.
The scene that affected me, most, was when Ruby entered the Louise' home and she seeks the attention of Louise, but was constantly ignored as her mom continued to iron the clothes. -- For me, growing up in the USA, I am able to recognize & reflect at that emotional scene.
Ruby was restricted from doing and saying everything, as identified on the bus ride. -- When I was growing up in the USA, I recognized "restrictions" being raised by a Filipino father in the US Navy and American mother from New England part of the United States.
On Thursday, I watched the movie, again, but this time, with my wife, and she also enjoyed the movie. During this time, she saw me cry, however, she cried more and the group of people behind us and around the cinema, also cried. My wife enjoyed the entire movie. She said that the movie portrays the True Lives of People, worldwide. I would agree because I see the Nanny-scenes, almost daily, when living in the USA.
My mother in-law (mother of my wife) is very interested in watching this movie, as I type this comment for IMDb.
As I have seen many Filipino movies, from 1992 to present time, I strongly recommend this movie as a MUST WATCH. (The last movie I enjoyed as much, as "All About Love.") I plan to buy the DVD of Inang Yaya as soon as it is released.