A few days ago, I was reading Roger Ebert's blog about 'Kinatay", a Filipino film which competed at this year's prestigious Cannes film festival.  He mentioned the film was unwatchable, so much so that he apologized for calling Vincent Gallo's "The Brown Bunny" the worst film in the festival's history.

It's not just Roger who dislikes the movie.  Several prominent critics from the Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and Variety have noted how bad they felt the movie is.  Of course everyone has their own opinion on what makes a film good or bad, but what is truly worrying about the the movie is how it was jeered at its reception and eventual awarding (more on that later).

Philippine news in the last day or so has been consumed by a supposed furor over a supposed "scandalous" sex video, containing intimate moments between Katrina Halili and Hayden Kho, a popular sex starlet and a plastic surgeon respectively.

Read that last sentence again.  Now ask yourself these two questions.

• Is this news worthy?
• Does it concern the nation?

Filipinos are known for being humorous.  We can find light-hearted solace in the most depressing of situations.  It's how most of our brethren, the impoverished and down-trodden, get by to survive life's daily travails.  Despite this, we are also the most thin-skinned when anything remotely Filipino related is made fun of or criticized.

The latest incredulous example is the Alec Baldwin's supposed "slur" on our nation.  According to this report, he has, "joined the ranks of internationally recognized celebrities who have maligned Filipinos."

Baldwin said in an interview on the "Late Show with David Letterman" last May 12 how he thought of getting, or buying, himself a Filipina bride.

"I think about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one, I don't care, I'm 51," Baldwin told host David Letterman.

Oh, the outrage!  Wait 'til the Russian consulate sends its complaints over the slurring of their people as well!

During a 1997 interview with the Associated Press, comedian George Carlin discussed his ideal obituary, life regrets, accomplishments, and his impact of fellow artists.

In the world of stand-up, the holy trinity is comprised of three people.  The first is Lenny Bruce, the second is Richard Pryor.

The third has re-joined his triumvirate in laughter heaven.  George Carlin (God knows you were one of the absolute best) is gone.  Bless you sir.

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is born an old man and ages in reverse until he becomes a baby and then finally vanishes from the earth. At age 50, he falls in love with a 30-year-old woman (Cate Blanchett), and must come to terms with the relationship as they literally grow in opposite directions

David Fincher (dir)
Brad Pitt
Cate Blanchett
Tilda Swinton
Julia Ormond
Elle Fanning
Elias Koteas

Chris Carter (dir.)
David Duchovny
Gillian Anderson
Amanda Peet
Billy Connolly
Alvin Joiner

What an incredibly depressing time these past two months have been for movie lovers.  Sydney Pollack, Stan Winston, and now dance legend Cyd Charisse has left us.

Secondary to my love of movies is my love of dance, and Cyd Charisse gave us that immortal scene as a gangster's girl to Gene Kelly's starstruck out-of-towner in the greatest of musicals, Singin' In The Rain. 

I don't think I've ever been as conflicted in choosing whether to recommend a film.  My close friends know how much I admired Ang Lee's Hulk (2003).  I called it, "the most introspective of the Marvel superhero movies that have come out so far."  And it still is.  Yet this latest version, directed by The Transporter's Louis Leterrier, makes up for its lack of insight with its blistering action.  So how should I judge a film that succeeds in what it sets out to do, but is wanting when compared to its predecessor?

The man who created some of the most frightening cinematic creatures of the last 30 years is gone.  Stan Winston, winner of 4 Academy Awards, gave life to the Terminator, the Alien Queen, the Predator, and the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, and is proof that some of cinemas biggest stars, aren't always in front or behind the camera.  Filmdom is a less wondrous place without him.