Brand new year, same old assholes

I believe the photo is from the AFP? French Press Agency?

My family welcomed the new year the same way we have for years now -- watching those wounded by fireworks being carried into the hospital right next door to where we live. There wasn't a whole of of them this time around, so I guess the Department of Health's campaign against fireworks really is accomplishing something.

I also went back to work yesterday, after failing at my holiday resolution to get some blogging done and make a dent on my reading backlog. I had everything planned for my first day back, and at first it seemed like everything was going swell. Everything I had planned for the day was progressing the way I wanted it to progress. But since 2011 seems to have it in for me, some deluded twatwaffle threw a monkey wrench into my plans and completely derailed my day.

However, I'm not letting it set the tone for the rest of my year. It's still pretty early, and there's still plenty of opportunities for me to make this year an awesome one for me. Here's hoping that any future complications won't be even tougher than yesterday's.

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Watch it while you still can!

One thing that I was able to accomplish was watch RPG Metanoia.

Truth be told, I was a bit skeptical about this movie the very first time I heard about it. Filipino animation isn't exactly what you would consider cutting-edge, and I was worried that it would be a gimmicky waste of my time like almost all of the films at the Metro Manila Filmfest.

I have never been so glad to be proven wrong.

From its thrilling opening sequence, to how well-written the characters and conflicts were, and even to its musical scoring, RPG Metanoia was such a pleasant surprise and a definite step in the right direction not just for Philippine animation, but for Philippine movies as well. A lot has already been said about this film, and I just want to focus on the fact that RPG Metanoia proves to our filmmakers that you can make a good, exportable film without it having to be about Filipino gays or living in the slums.

There is a moral, of course, and there are values that are being pushed, but RPG Metanoia doesn't do it in the ham-fisted way that mainstream movie productions seem to think will win awards. And unlike independent productions, it isn't grim and foreboding and it doesn't make you want to slit your wrists afterwards. A happy medium can be found!

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I love boys. I love tattoos. Boy with tattoos? SOLD!

HE HAS A NIPPLE PIERCING. HHNNNGGGGGHHH.


HE HAS TATTOOS NEAR HIS CROTCH. ALSO, HE SKATEBOARDS. BOY WITH TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS WHO SKATEBOARDS? THAT'S LIKE ALL OF MY KINKS.

There are three more pics over at Made in Brazil, who just named Mateus Hottest Brazilian of 2010. I have no problem with that.

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Finally:

On meeting Neil Gaiman

As everyone who follows me on Twitter already knows, I met and interviewed Neil Gaiman last Thursday. Those very same people also know that I crashed and burned quite spectacularly.

See, I wasn't really expecting that I'd be given an opportunity to actually talk to Neil Gaiman. I had contacted the organizers weeks before they even confirmed that Neil Gaiman was going to be coming here about maybe doing an interview, but when I didn't get a reply I thought that maybe it just wasn't in the cards.

Imagine my surprise when I got the e-mail asking me if I would be open to interviewing Neil Gaiman ONE-ON-ONE. I entertained thoughts of maybe wowing him with insightful questions and the like, or maybe just asking something that would make him laugh.

That would prove to be my downfall, as I spent the days leading up to the interview fretting over every single question that came to mind. By the time I was face-to-face with him, all the questions I was left with felt like shit warmed over.

He was very accommodating, of course, and didn't make me feel like a stupid twat. But, oh my goddess, did I beat myself up over that whole sordid fiasco. And all throughout the weekend all these great question that of course I would never get to ask now.

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Ian Mckellen's website says The Hobbit will start filming in July.