Music, Movies & Memories

Manila is the center of trade even before the Spaniards came, the city received many accolades from various parts of the world. Manila is popularly known as the "Pearl of the Orient" because of its strategic location in Asia. No wonder why Spain made it as the seat of its power in the Philippines. I made this video as a tribute to Manila's beauty, its fine architectural landmarks which were neglected by the government as if they were made invisible in the eye of our modern history. This video is intended for education and history purposes, and also to call the attention of the government, historians, architects and engineers, to initiate the preservation of our beautiful past, so that Filipinos of tomorrow may value and appreciate that once upon a time in history, there was a beautiful reigning city, the great Manila of the far east. Music: Somewhere In Time (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) by John Barry

"Ang Tatay Kong Nanay" is a 1978 film by National Artist Lino Brocka starring Dolphy as Coring, a gay beautician who's left with a baby by his former ward Dennis (Philip Salvador). Coring named the baby Nonoy (Niño Muhlach). Nonoy grew up thinking that Coring is his real father. The story gets more complicated when the kid's real mother (Marissa Delgado) suddenly shows up to claim her son. I get used to Brocka's melodramatic treatment especially when the scene really demands it. Most of his films are heartbreaking and sometimes, you just have to accept the fact that watching a Brocka film is painful. Lino Brocka's films were a reflection of the society, he knew his target audience. "Ang Tatay Kong Nanay" is Brocka's homage to the plight of the gay community and during that time when the film was shown, gays were discriminated and under-represented. The film's central character shows that gays are also a human being and they are capable of d

ABS-CBN Film Restoration has marketed many of our film classics here and abroad. They also released DVD for us to enjoy in the comfort of our home. One of the best films they restored was the 1982 film, "T-Bird at Ako". Starring Vilma Santos and her long time rival Nora Aunor, T-Bird at Ako is a court room drama with witty dialogues that easily captured the senses of Filipinos. This film shows Danny Zialcita at his best - clever characters, witty repartee and social commentary. Suzanne Gonzales' performance as Nora Aunor's associate was really captivating, same with the performance of Odette Khan and Johnny Wilson as the prosecutor. The most impressive scene from the movie was the court room proceeding where the lawyer character played by Johnny Wilson spontaneously examine the credibility of the defense witness, Odette Khan who played a T-Bird accused of murdering the paramour of her live-in partner. You can buy a copy of this movie by clicking the link below:

'Sleep Walk' is an instrumental song written, recorded and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny. The song captivated the hearts of music lovers around the world. It entered Billboard's Top 40 and it was the last instrumental song to hit number one in the 1950's. La Bamba, a 1987 American bio film starring Filipino American Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens, used the song in the opening and final scenes. 'Sleep Walk' is a timeless classic that you will never get tired of listening if you're a genuine music lover. You can buy 'Sleep Walk' on iTunes. Just click the link below. Sleepwalk (Remastered 2010) - Single Santo & Johnny

At first, I was skeptical to watch "Bloody Crayons" until I read some of my friends' reviews about the film's positive feedback from the audience. Topel Lee, who is known for his Shake, Rattle and Roll film series (as episode director) and strong female characters (Kabisera, Amorosa), directed this thriller film featuring some of Star Magic's most promising young actors. The film's close-up shots were really awesome as it captured the story of each characters in details. The first half of the film has dull moments but it was normal as we can see how the characters evolved from tame to beast. Empoy Marquez as always is hilarious and he's the 'Kuya' of the barkada. The suspense started when they played 'Bloody Crayons', a truth or dare game that put their friendship to test. When they're finished with the game, some of their friends fell victims and they were trapped inside the house. They started to run for their lives, they're c