Crossed some films on my “Want to See” list. Continue Reading…
Archives For latin america
I cannot utterly believe WHY I’m posting this, but… while rummaging through my dusty albums, I discovered the first album I ever EVER bought, back when I was 10? This is WHY we love the early to mid-90’s because the 90’s were tacky… if the 80’s were tacky in American and the rest of the world, we certainly caught up in the 90’s, people.
For past reasons of why they ruled, check the following links:
Part I
Part II
Part III (Disney Edition)
Part IV (Ruth rules Edition)
Forget about leg-warmers, puffy hair and big glasses… though Beals and Matlin certainly blossomed. *tsk tsk* – My 90’s were tacky… flamboyant primary-colored suited boy bands waving and wooshing their flamboyant fans while singing Locomia, LOL’ Or velveted rancheras singing Querida… originally performed by my Latin version of Elton John, with Juan Gabriel. LOL’ But back to the album I found people… Continue Reading…
We’re back with a new edition of why the 90’s ruled!! For past reasons of why they ruled, check the following links:
Part I
Part II
Part III (Disney Edition)
This time, I’m gonna be talking about the coolest VJ in MTV Latin America, and that was Ruth! The orange-haired Argentinean who graced MTV Latin America for long enough so she could make an impact on my TV viewing. She was chill, she was hip… she was just what VJs are supposed to be.
According to Wikipedia, Ruth is a host and an actress, and became one of the main figures for the Latin American youth thanks to her job as a VJ for over 10 years. I mainly knew her from her show Conexion, but she also hosted, co-produced and wrote several other interactive programs… which make her even cooler.
You see, MTV was cooler at that point in time… VJs didn’t try hard to be hip and cool. MTV was actually about music, and reality tv and crappy series weren’t part of the scheduling. You could actually keep your tv on MTV, and no one would think that was weird. There was also Daria, Beavis and Butthead, and even Ren and Stimpy!
And why the heck am I writing about this? Well, I was watching old tapes, and I had recorded some of Ruth’s show Conexion. I actually ended up watching the whole show, and it made me nostalgic about watching MTV, lol. I barely watch any MTV, maybe I occasionally end up watching it at 3 or 4 in the morning, but you wouldn’t catch me watching it during the day.
Nowadays, I tend to watch more VH1, but it’s not necessarily good either, but it’s better than MTV’s programs… most of the times. I remember that in Canada I began watching MuchMusic, which is like Canadian MTV… after a while, I was more of a MuchMoreMusic type of person, almost like the Canadian version of VH1. I did watch quite a bit of CMT too, but that was in Canada – Cable in Peru did had, at one point in time, CMT in their listing but it didn’t last much longer than a month.
I saw my first episode of Brazil Next Top Model. Yes, the Top Model fever made it to South America. At first sight, BrNTM had really great aesthetics… so I just had to give it a peek. First, the colors are very ‘hot’ right now, with blacks, magenta and cyan… so it was hard not to be attracted to the brand.
Brazilian super-uber model Gisele Bundchen was to host, but declined – instead BrNTM’s got Fernanda Motta, who gives the show a whole lot different look than it would’ve gotten if Bundchen had accepted. Fernanda’s got dark thicker eyebrows, darker hair – she kinda reminds me of Amanda Peet. Anyone else think so? Check out her pic in the BrNTM’s site (here). She’s got a lower voice, than high-pitched Tyra Banks, who… let’s face it, has given ANTM a woo-ha-ha vibe to the show… so in the end, BrNTM seems a more serious version of America’s…………. Next…. Top…… Model. lol’
Technically, I don’t like BrNTM’s editing… seems a bit choppy at times, and sometimes it lengthens shots and *snores* – yeah, that’s basically it. While I was watching the episode, I couldn’t wait for the scene to end and get it over with. This first photoshoot was a bit boring too, and I guess I must’ve missed this bit in the subtitles, but some of the shots were f-ugly.
Judges have no personality. I’m sorry. I didn’t care much about what they were actually saying because they said the same thing over and over – I’d much rather watch Mrs. Jay talking to Tyra and Nigel… okay, Twiggy falls in the “same thing over and over” category. However, they did seem to be ‘harsher’ in their comments than the American version… kinda like how Janice Dickinson would say something, only LESS FUNNY and LESS ENTERTAINING. They would be better off showing us a report card with a checklist to see if they make it or not.
Contestants… I dunno if it’s because it’s my first time watching, but they or most of them seemed similar to me. I think there are like 2 that I can actually remember how they look. Livia, and Erycka – other than them, I can’t remember their faces or won’t tell them apart. There were like two others that had pretty faces, one of them reminded me of a friend… needs hmm, more variety?
On the subtitling part, this is on Sony – I feel like I missed a lot from the show from the subtitles. I’ve no idea why, but it is what it is. Better subs? Or maybe I’m just not used to hearing much Portuguese, but I’ve seen films in Portuguese and I know there are better subtitles than the ones you’ve been showing me, so don’t go there blaming my ability to read subs, because I know I’m good at it.
Overall, I’ve still to make my mind about this. I will probably give it another shot, but it needs to be less slow, less boring, and please keep the Brazilian Soap Opera vibe to a minimum (yeah, saw the commercial for next week’s episode). And of course, BrNTM in the end could be more talented and more serious, but THAT DOESN’T MAKE GOOD TV VIEWING.
Here is the shortlist:
- Better editing.
- Cut boring shots short.
- Add spice (a.k.a. personality) to the judges, or…
- Change jury to a simple checklist… check!
- More physical variety to the contestants.
- Better subtitles.
October 15th is Blog Day or something… and we are supposed to get talking about the environment that day. Oh yeah, blog day is a day when all people could blog about this one topic… I think it could be interesting, yet I really don’t know what I could talk about relating to the environment, so if you’ve got an idea, let me know.
Also, I re-started watching America’s Next Top Model Cycle 7, which has just began last week in Latin America through Sony Entertainment Television. So people, if you get Sony – tune in every Wednesday at 8pm Chile/7pm Peru Colombia and support CariDee, AJ, Megg, Megan, Michelle and Amanda! Lol’
I’m gonna show-off and say “zomg! I still can’t believe Megan left a message in my MySpace” haha – she’s awesome! Megg also sent a short message, so Rock ON!!!!!!!! ^^
Also began watching The Tudors, season 1, on People and Arts – I missed the episode on Sunday, and the repeat seemed like it was censored because it kept on going to commercials at weird intervals. It was okay, though… I was expecting more. I guess I’m gonna feel like this with The Other Boleyn Girl, which is a shame – it might be a better read, than watching it on screen.
I’ve also been meaning to watch Weeds, I’ve seen the first 2 or 3 episodes, and it was really good. I was looking for the DVD, and it was really cheap, but it turns out season 1 of Weeds is only Fullscreen, instead of Widescreen – and Lionsgate has no plans on re-releasing this as a Widescreen DVD. STUPID LIONSGATE. They just want $$, so people that don’t wanna buy the Fullscreen DVDS have to get the Widescreen Blu-ray discs – now, I haven’t even started buying neither HD or Blu so I won’t start just now.
God, I can’t take much of Hollywood’s new trend on remaking films. Seriously, it’s getting ridiculous!
Ok, so let’s take a look at a list of remakes from other countries…
Why don’t we start from the Oscar-winning, The Departed, remake of the Chinese Infernal Affairs?
How about some remakes from French films, like Original Sin, Taxi, Unfaithful, Wicker Park – all made between 2000-present. The Italian-based Swept Away, or The Last Kiss… and let’s not forget the newest Hollywood trend to remake every bloody Asian film that was EVER successful – The Eye, which apparently Jessica Alba is starring. Or the Japanese-based Dark Water, The Grudge, Pulse, The Ring, Shall We Dance? Or how about the Korean ones, The Lake House, or the new ones like Oldboy, Tale of Two Sisters, and even My Sassy Girl… probably starring Elisha Cuthbert.
Seriously, this just pissed me off by rumors of Lindsay Lohan being wanted for a remake of the film Jeux d’Enfants – aka Love Me If You Dare – starring the awesome Marion Cotilliard. I mean, the film was done what in 2002-2003, and they already want a remake? For real, if you’re gonna start making remakes from all foreign films that were ever a bit successful, why not make a remake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I’m sure that movie will translate really well for American audiences, and let’s not forget to make a remake of Amelie, and while you’re at it why not make Life is Beautiful in English too! Yeah, and those rumors about making Battle Royale… those are great too! How about making the American version of Amores Perros, or Y Tu Mama Tambien? I mean, you’ve already made Abre los Ojos, even casting Penelope Cruz in the same goddamn role! Why not make every Almodovar film in an American version.
And man… more remakes and remakes. I mean, I don’t really have a problem with watching a remake, I probably watch the film and watch the original. But it’s the fact that most films or most films that seem worth-it are remakes of something, and it seriously makes me wonder where are we going…
These are just a few of the remakes released between 2000-2007:
Okay, I’m sleepy. It’s 5 a.m. but I won’t be able to sleep if I think of forgetting about this when I wake up. Tuesdays mark “new CDs and DVDs” day, I should know, I was the one going on a shopping trip every Tuesday to get my favorite music and movies in Canada. Don’t do it here in Peru, mainly because there is not “new merchandise” day that I know of, and things just don’t get here in time.
Anyway, for anyone – I am the ideal consumer. If I like your product, I will likely buy it. However, products have been sucking lately… also because I hate thinking Blu-ray discs and HD are on the market now, so studios are not releasing two-discs DVDs anymore.
But let’s talk about music as a more general example. Continue Reading…
I wanted to rant about this on Thursday, but I totally forgot about it. So, Peru sucks… television-wise. I mean, I would love to be legal about all sort of stuff… for example, watching TV shows on TV, but I can’t do it, so I watch it on YouTube because I’m not willing to download 300MB for an episode. I can’t watch shows that I want on TV, because they either take 6 months for Sony Entertainment (in the case of America’s Next Top Model) to bring the new episodes, or they NEVER bring the episodes. So, networks, SUCK IT UP!
Recently, DirectTV just set up their signal in Peru, but they pretty much show what Cable Magico is showcasing in its regular lineup, and it doesn’t include channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX (America), FX (America) or CW Network. About 8 or 9 years ago, Cable Magico used to have ABC, NBC, CBS and The WB, which was GREAT because I used to be able to watch the episodes of my favorite shows the day they premiered in the States, and I didn’t had to wait for Latin American networks to subtitle them. For the past 7 or 8 years, I haven’t been able to.
What’s the point in me getting DirectTV, or any other Satellite TV Company when I will ALWAYS have to wait for shows because they don’t buy the rights to American broadcasting companies. However, if they DID give me the chance to get these channels, or channels from Canada, or the UK or all over the world, I would totally get Satellite. Right now, it doesn’t bring ANY benefits to me.
So, here’s the other problem~ YouTube keeps taking things out. You fucking bastards! (I said this was a rant!) – Ever since Google bought it, it’s been sucking more and more. One really fun video of Anya as a bunny got suddenly removed, and the account of the user who did it was removed- that was seriously not breaking any copyrighted material, that fan had all the right to do that video. I know of other 2 or 3 users whose accounts got deleted.
So, networks, if you don’t want your material to be watched online because it hasn’t aired in one region, then start airing your effing episodes everywhere, so people, who watch your show and are not able to get your signal, don’t watch on YouTube. And continuing with the CW Network example, you effing bastards – just send the signal to Cable Magico (and other cable companies around the world), so they can broadcast the same day. It WON’T get rid off the problem, but it will decrease the amount of people who watch online. Just like what happens with movies that open worldwide… There’s still online files, but there’s also people around the world who go to the movie and watch (unless your movie sucks) – but even IF YOUR SHOW SUCKS, they don’t pay to watch it… so there will still be people who will watch it.
For instance, I wanna effing watch Dirt… by FX – BUT, Cable Magico shows FX Latin America~ SO, they are not even mentioning Dirt… and I don’t even know if FX Latin America will show Dirt, because sometimes all programs jump around networks here. For example, since there was no The WB, Buffy used to be shown on FOX… but Dawson’s Creek was on Sony Entertainment Television. Other examples are… Nip/Tuck that airs on FOX, instead of FX… Lost airs on AXN, and According to Jim (who also belongs to ABC, the same as Lost) airs on Sony… and CSI airs on Sony, while CSI NY and CSI Miami air on AXN~ so many crazy jumps and changes.
There is no effing Dirt, no Ugly Betty, no ANTM, no Hell’s Kitchen, no Iron Chef, no new episodes of Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives just beginning season 3 (which I began watching 6 months ago in Canada).
Other channels that we should get… Food Network, MuchMoreMusic, Showcase and Bravo!
Ok, rant’s over.
