Shutter Island (2010)

It is not the first time the Leo Di Caprio & Martin Scorcese collaborated in a film, there was "The gangs of New York" , "Aviator" and "The Departed". Shutter Island is a suspense-thriller based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (Known for his book Mystic River). This is a story os Leo is Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Federal Marshall sent to Shutter Island, a mental asylum/prison in the seas off Boston in 1954.

He, together with his partner Chuck were there to investigate the sudden disappearance of Rachel, who drowned her own three children then escaped from her cell mysteriously. "It's as if she evaporated straight to the walls," to quote a line from the movie, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), who is ready to assist them and also to prevent them from finding the truth.

I actually felt very disappointed with this film, A lot of people that I know are expecting so much from this film which is why I am not going to post any spoilers. From the trailer, it's as if I was fooled that it will be not a dragging movie. The truth is, it's no different from other "insane type" movies we've seen in the past. Whatever happened to Scorcese? This film is a major give away, unlike the other movies he have done which makes you fell hanging, thinking deep.

The only scenes that I love were the flashback scenes showing Teddy as a soldier in a prison camp during World War II . The long tracking sequence showing American soldiers shooting German prisoners of war is very-very Scorcese.

Nevertheless, their acting was good. I must say that I should have read the book first. My bad :)

This is gracee now signing off :))

Borgy Manotoc as Calvin Klein Model :)

Borgy Manotoc , the grandson of the late dictator Pres. Ferdinand Marcos was chosen as one of the male models in a global fashion show set in Shanghai for the brand Calvin Klein!

Borgy is set to leave for Shanghai tomorrow, April 15, he will share the catwalk with American actress and CK model Eva Mendes. It is a first for a Filipino to be included as a model by Calvin Klein.

Back when I was in high school until now I still have this huge crush on him, even if a lot of people told me that he has big lips etc. what so ever,I really don't care, I just love him :))

Eva Mendes and Jamie Dornan are back in 2010 Calvin Klein Jeans Ads!

Eva Mendes is again topless in the new print advertisement for Calvin Klein Jeans shot by Steven Klein.

Can't wait to hear more news about this..

this is gracee now signing off :))

Remember Me (2010)

I was tempted to watch this movie because I wanted to know how Robert Pattinson portrays a role without the vampire mask and frankly, I don't see any difference. No offense with the Edward Cullen fans out there.

Robert Pattinson (Tyler) portrays a rebellious son of Pierce Brosnan. They have this feud ever since his brother died. His father was a very successful businessman and Tyler wanted to prove to his father that he is worthy of his attention, not only his attention but also his younger sister who looks up to him. Another angle in this movie was that, it also focussed on teenage discrimination. His younger sister experienced being bullied by her classmates to the point where Tyler got imprisoned because he smashed the window of the school out of severe anger.

When he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) he never thought he would fall for her. There's too many complications in their life plus the fact that Ally's father dislike Tyler so much. This threaten to tear them apart but they fought through.

The thing is, I really don't like the ending. I was surprised with the ending..SPOILER!!! I never thought that this movie was created to commemorate the 9/11 bombing. So, of course Tyler died in the process but before that, he has shown what happiness, love and sacrifice was all about to his father, sister and his beloved Ally.

Trust me, I was also surprised that he has a love scene here. :)

this is gracee now signing off :)

Put a ring on it :))

..very comic :)) love it!

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Care bears Mania :)

Don't you just miss Care Bears? :))

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Disturbing cups :))

7-Eleven hopes to highlight the Filipino’s Presidential options by making sure that all the Presidentiables—the top five, namely Manny Villar, Joseph Estrada, Richard Gordon, Noynoy Aquino, and Gilbert Teodoro alongside fellow candidates Jamby Madrigal, JC de Los Reyes, Nicanor Perlas, Eddie Villanueva, even the voter’s right to abstain, are represented. The idea is to engage the greater public in this national initiative anchored on the value of freedom of choice and underscore the importance of responsible voting.

this is gracee now signing off :))

Monsters in my Bed...

I used to have nightmares back when I was a kid...

I sept beside my mom more often than I can remember, as a kid, I never watched horror flicks nor horror shows just to elude myself from sleepless nights although as I grow up, I get used to watching Magandang Gabi Bayan Halloween special because the next day, it will be the talk of the day in school and if you didn't get to watch it, you'll be left behind.

But sometimes, our imagination gets too overload..which makes imagination seems to be reality. It made me think that maybe I am just over reacting. Or maybe this monster really exist. One would never know.

this is gracee now signing off :))

Commercial overload :))

I super love this commercial, back when I have this huge crush on Patrick Garcia and I thought, If I can only see him once then I can die :) See what a kid can get into..but trust me, this commercial make it big not only for the product but also for this girl, I forgot her name Chantal I think, she became part of TGIS before...

Those were the days... :))

This is gracee now signing off :))

God have mercy on us...

I already post a blog before at friendster regarding what a tremendous photographer the late KEVIN CARTER is (1994 Pulitzer awardee)..he took his job as a photojournalist by heart which in the end took his life away, he committed suicide after setting his photoshoot of people at Sudan. He took mercy of people at Sudan who seems to be begging God for death rather than living such a helpless life.

Most of his works were focussed on how people live their life in Sudan like this malnourished baby, it was hard enough to see the street children here in our country, how much more this children who doesn't have enough food in their belly to last the day?

It made me realize a lot of things, that even if i complain more often that I can ever remember, even if there are times that I am so ungrateful, God is really good to all of us. There will be blessings iven for the unfortunate, we maybe having difficulties now but God is always watching over us.

Click the words above for the link of a very important video..Be an advocate..help save the people who are dying of hunger..start your move by being sensitive..don't waste anything...

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Being "OUT" is a trend :)

While people got loco overload when Ricky Martin admitted he is gay, not that i'm surprised but I am also waiting for him to cover a magazine and inprinted on it.."I know right? I'm Gay.." :) This are some of the stars who were covers of a magazine and were proud to admit in the whole world that they like the opposite sex.

And the caravan is getting longer :))

this is gracee now signing off :))

We are all HEROES

Saw this from a blog of -> Paula Mariz and it really caught my eye. I actually love it. Here, we criticize Filipinos, we are the good ones - we are the black sheep. We are actually humans. We commit mistakes but at the end of it all, we Filipinos have something very rare that compare to other nationalities, this..we can really be proud of. We stand up, chin up above all the bad struggles that we have experienced and hence..we look forward to all of it with a FAITH. Thankfully, I am in full gratitude that i am a Filipino.

this is gracee now signing off

2012

The year 2012 has been surrounded by conspiracy for years. The Mayan calendar says that the world will end, and many people not only believe it, but devote their lives to said prophecy. With the year 2012 rapidly approaching and a general unwell feeling in the masses, many more people are starting to believe that the Mayans may have been right.

The film stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson and is directed by Roland Emmerich, (who also did some of the disaster genres earlier big releases including Independence Day, Godzilla, 10,000 B.C and The Day After Tomorrow). The movie follows Cusack and his family as they try to escape the end of the world, which has been caused by solar flares larger than ever before, bombarding earth and heating up its core until the crust starts to melt, thus starting the end of the world.

First of all, this movie is extremely long, nearly three hours actually, and while the movie may have needed to be this long to get all the points across, I’m glad it wasn’t longer.

Overall, this movie is an intense, fun ride from start to finish. The fact that this movie takes every disaster film and mashes them up together is incredible. The scenes are amazing, and it really shows you the magic of movies. For Emmerich to have an idea like this and be able to have it come into existence in such an incredibly over the top way is truly the power of film. If you want to see a movie with a bunch of crap blowing up for close to three hours and not need to have the film based so much in reality, and if you don’t mind some campy acting and bad jokes, this movie will blow your mind. I recommend this to any action fan as the ultimate movie of 2009.

this is gracee now signing off :))

Paranormal Activity

Let me be the first to say that I don’t like horror or thriller film for the most part, The first part is always boring anyways. That being said, the movie Paranormal Activity was released nation wide in theatres not too long ago. The movie, which is a lot like the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project, started as a film by a couple of film student with a budget of around $30,00 and ended up being around $500,000 by the time it was released theatrically. The movie was originally released at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in 2007, and from there had a was screened a few more times over the next two years while they were trying to sell the film to a studio. The really interesting thing about this movie is the fact that there are at least three different versions of the film, and possibly more that we don’t know of. The original version of the film, which is the first version screened, was dispersed to different distribution companies and has since been circulating the internet,. The second version is what we have seen in the theaters, and the third version had only one public screening with an extremely different, controversial and graphic ending.

Paranormal Activity stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, and was written, directed, and edited by Oren Peli. The movie follows a couple in their suburban house through a paranormal haunting. As we find out, Katie has been haunted by ghosts since she was a kid, and they have come back again to haunt them in their new house. Micah, her fiancé, goes out and buys a video camera to record what might be happening and to document the incidents. That’s basically the plot of the movie. Before watching this movie, I remember hearing about it for a few weeks prior to its national release and how it was the scariest movie in year. The general overall hype for this movie was through the roof. After watching this movie, I thought it was absolutely one of the worst horror movies I have ever seen.

The first like 30-40 min are ridiculously boring, and though there are a few freaky and weird moments near the end, I found the eventual payoff was not worth the full trip through the film. Though the acting isn’t necessarily bad it, is by no means good. The one thing that I give this film credit for is really what they did with the money they had; with a budget of only $15,000, this movie isn’t bad. Had they have used a few million and the backing of a major studio, I think this film would have been a lot better. Then again, that would also have taken away from the movie’s interesting aspect of proving that anyone can make a movie—as long as you have a great idea, some good friends and a good credit rating.

I do suggest giving this film a chance, as everybody has a different opinion on this film, and you should really find out for yourself. A lot of rumors are going on that there will be a sequel to this movie (c'mon..)so take it to yourself andwatch it.You might be..bored or surprise or scared. :)

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When In Rome

I'm going to be very active now by posting the recent movies that I have watched. Ceck it out now :))

When in Rome is the newest romantic comedy to come to theatres. It is directed by Mark Steven Johnson, and stars Kristen Bell, Josh Duhmel, Will Arnet, Alexis Dziena, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Kate Micucci, Danny DeVito and Anjelica Huston. The movie follows Beth Harper, (Bell) as she realizes how badly she wants to fall in love, after she attends her little sister’s wedding in Rome. Not having had a very good time at the wedding, she ends up wading in the Fountain of Love, an ancient fountain said to help those who toss a coin into the fountain find love. She decides to keep some of the coins, not knowing that, by doing so, she is “taking the love” from the people who threw these coins in. This had the effect of forcing them to fall head over heels in love with her. The feeling throughout most of this movie is either laugh out loud funny or weird and awkward funny and I was upset to find out that almost all of the funniest moments in the movie were all partly shown in the trailer for the movie.

The acting is definitely not amazing, but is well done, while being fairly goofy and corny to really match the feeling of the movie. I think the only person in the movie that I didn’t like the casting for was the main girl. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was her look or the way she acted or talked, but I just didn’t like her nearly as much as any of the other characters, which is sad, since the movie is based around her finding true love. The best parts of the movie, I found, were definitely involving the spellbound men chasing after her— and not only the things they go through and say to her, but it was the perfect casting for each character. While I don’t think this is a movie that everyone would enjoy or needs to see in theatres, I do believe that this is definitely one of the funnier, lighter romantic comedies to come out lately, and it’s definitely worth a look if you’re into the genre.

this is gracee now signing off :))

10 Most Valuable Books in the World

From the first book ever printed to the most valuable comic book to the children’s picture book worth the most money, check out these ten books that will bring a pretty penny to anyone lucky enough to have one in their collection.

1. The Gutenberg Bible. In 1456, the Gutenberg Bible was the first book ever printed with moveable type. About 180 versions are believed to have been printed originally. Many of the remaining Bibles have been broken down into sections. Only 21 are believed to be completely intact. A fully-intact Gutenberg Bible is valued at $25-35 million.
2. Codex Leicester. This 72-page notebook contains the scientific writings and sketches of Leonardo da Vinci. In 1717, Thomas Coke, who was named the Earl of Leicester, bought the notebook. It was bought from the Leicester estate in 1980 and renamed Codex Hammer, after the art collector who purchased it. In 1994, Bill Gates purchased the notebook for $30.8 million and renamed it Codex Leicester. Gates’ purchase of this notebook made it the most expensive book ever sold.
3. First Folio. The first edition of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623, is widely considered one of the most important books in the world. This first published work by Shakespeare contained 36 of his plays and was 900 pages long and was published seven years after Shakespeare died. In 2008, a British man was accused of stealing one of the 228 remaining copies of the First Folio, that copy’s worth being estimated at £15 million, or about $22.6 million.
4. Birds of America. This book by John James Audubon contains scientific descriptions and illustrations of native birds of North America set in their natural surroundings. The book was published between 1827 and 1838 by a British publisher and was well-received. In March of 2000, one of the last 120 remaining copies was sold for $8.8 million to Sheikh Saud of Qatar, making it the most expensive printed book sold.
5. Traité des Arbres Fruitiers. Translated to "Treatise on Fruit Trees," this book was published in 1768 and was the most successful work by French botanist Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau. The book detailed 16 different fruit species as well as multiple varieties and accompanying illustrations. It went to auction in Brussels in 2006 where it sold for 3,360,000 euros, or about $4.5 million, at that time.
6. Geographia. Ptolemy’s Geographia was a compilation of cartography as it was known in the 2nd century. In 1477 these maps were printed in what was the first atlas. In 2006, one of only two known to exist in private ownership was sold at auction for $3.9 million dollars. It was previously owned by Lord Wardington, a British map and atlas collector, who died in 2005.
7. Mercator’s Atlas of Europe. Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish cartographer who created the cylindrical world map projection that is still used today. In 1967, a Dutch schoolmaster on vacation in Belgium discovered a stack of old maps bound in folio style. They were later determined to be Mercator’s maps of Europe from the 1500s. In 1979, Sotheby’s sold this atlas to the British Rail Pension Fund, then it was later sold to the British Library in May of 1997 for a reported $1,243,000.
8. Tamerlane and Other Poems. This was the first book written by Edgar Allan Poe and was published anonymously with the author named as only "a Bostonian." The book of poems was said to be written when Poe was only 14 years old. In December of 2009, a copy of this rare book (one of only 12 known) was sold at Christie’s auction house for $662,500, making it the most valuable piece of American literature ever sold.
9. Action Comics #1. Published in June of 1938, this comic book introduced Superman, considered to the be first superhero, to the world. In February 2010, a copy of this rare comic book sold from an anonymous seller to an anonymous buyer for $1 million dollars, making it the most valuable comic book in the world.
10. Where the Wild Things Are. This 1963 first edition of Maurice Sendak’s popular children’s book is estimated to be worth $10,200, if it is in excellent condition and has the original dust jacket. As far as children’s picture books are concerned, this is the most valuable one, with the next closest being And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, a 1938 first edition by Dr. Seuss worth $8,400.

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