Rossel celebrated her birthday last night in a resort in Pansol and I was supposed to go but Boss is leaving for Dallas tomorrow so I couldn't take a leave today to make final arrangements and take down last-minute projects. Chevy tried to convince me into going by telling me Elaine is going back to Manila early in the morning; but, I've gone to one too many outings in Pansol to know that although I do get back to Manila in time for work, I won't be any good `coz I won't be able to sleep a z. I'd be a walking zombie.
Last night, while the girls frolicked in cold pool water, I went to meet CB in Galleria to catch a movie. We chose among Fantastic Four, Herbie, Pinoy/Blonde. We ended up with Shanghai Lily because I've had an inclination to R-rated films since I turned 18. hihihi. Little nympho.
As you can see with my review of If Only that I'm not a good critic. I cannot even be considered A critic. So it's only apt to criticize Shanghai Lily which is not a good movie and cannot even be considered A movie.
The movie revolves around the death of an American businessman in Shanghai, China. His wife Helen goes to Shanghai to investigate. Along the investigation, she meets a Chinese detective, a concubine named (Shanghai) Lily, Madame Tong - the owner of the whorehouse Hollywood Club where her husband was killed, and an opium-addict ex-whore. She fell in love and lust with another American Alex who she thought would help her forget her husband.
I suppose the main theme of the movie is sex, money and power as it says on the posters but it wasn't effectively depicted. All the viewer shall see are naked Chinese bodies and the annoyingly perpetual half-smile on Helen's face be she crying or orgasmic or terrified.
The biggest joke in the movie would be that every whore speaks english quite eloquently, even with the signature Oriental accent. They never seemed to grope for the right term. The punchline would be that there was a certain customer who the whore said was "stinking rich" but did not understand english. Hahaha! How credible.
Whatever Robinson's Cinemas reason was for showing this movie and misleading the movie-goers into a shitty movie by sticking a "Exclusive showing at Robinson's Cinemas" I don't care to know. Just that, I would watch Live Show or Lupe or Bugbog Sarado over it anytime. In fairness to R-rated Filipino movies, the actors do know better acting than the Chinese poseurs.
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Natalie Wood of West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause would have been celebrating her 67th birthday today if not for her tragic drowning on Thanksgiving 1981. I've seen her bio in The Mystery of Natalie Wood on Hallmark twice and it pulled a string on my heart both times, though I haven't seen any of her movies. Her life is one big tragedy.
*.* as if! @ 11:20:00 AM • • RBJ
®fLoi enjoy 2005©