Showing posts with label it's more fun in the philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label it's more fun in the philippines. Show all posts

Thursday, August 2, 2012

REEL DEAL: MANILA'S LEGACY reBOURNE


After Major Hollywood features, such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and Brokedown Palace in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, Manila will once again star in a Movie

After seeing him as the Hawk eye on the Blockbuster film the Avengers, Jeremy Renner is set to out an bang the big screen with his latest action- suspense movie THE BOURNE LEGACY.


BOURNE AGAIN?

The Bourne films are a series of action/thriller spy films based on the character Jason Bourne, a former CIA assassin suffering from extreme memory loss. Matt Damon, who played as Jason Bourne in the main Bourne trilogy, will not be reprising his role for this movie. The actor made it clear that he would not do the fourth film without director Paul Greengrass, who directed both Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum.

On the fourth installment, a new character is bourne; Aaron Cross played by Jeremy Renner.  The New Bourne movie will tell a story that deals with the consequences of the actions of Matt Damon's character Jason Bourne. The original Bourne trilogy gets rebooted as a new assassin (Renner) is recruited and trained for the shady purposes of the Treadstone Project.




FILMING, IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!

Manila's rich cultural heritage and it's history as a shooting location won over the Production team. Several locations was also considered in making the movie -- Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam and Jakarta in Indonesia bid for the said project; but Manila captured Director Tony Gilroy's vision for the movie.

The team sought the help of the President of the Philippine Film Studios; Lope V. Juban, Jr. --- who has a long history of assisting foreign film outfits while shooting in the Philippines.

According to Juban, “The Philippines has played almost any country—Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama... It is only now that we are filming Manila as Manila, which is great for us.”

Aside from shooting in Manila, El Nido in Palawan showcased its beauty in the Film.

In an Article posted on the Manila Bulletin's website, Gilroy explained:  “We started in South Korea, shot in and around New York and then moved to the mountains of North Calgary in Canada. We also went to Manila, in the Philippines, and the South China Sea. We even shot a sequence in Abu Dhabi,”

“I’ve never been able to write without going to the real places where the story took place, so that need to work on location was already there as a screenwriter,” he says of his work method.



... ACTION!

The “Legacy” filming began in the San Andres neighborhood, which the production team describes as a.. “ramshackle houses and dark alleyways typical of the city’s lower- and middle-class areas.” And, of course, based on news reports and endless announcements proudly made by whoever was authorized to reveal such information for the day, most of us also knew where the other filming locations as well: the Ninoy Aquino International Airport; the historic Intramuros district, known for its Spanish colonial architecture; the Manila Yacht Club; the Marikina covered market; the Metropoint MRT train station in Pasay City; and El Nido in Palawan.

But it’s not like we’ve made it too easy for the production team to work here. With parts of the chase scenes being filmed at the Navotas Fish Port—apparently known as the fishing capital of the Philippines, according to the same movie release—every morning during the shoot, the crew had to scrub, clean and dry the market.

The production design team of Kevin Thompson also reportedly removed hanging tarps, added skylights and supporting posts, and scrubbed the floor to lessen the overpowering fish smell. While this must have been quite a relief for the foreign cast and crew, the clean up did serve a practical purpose: making the location safe for the complex stunt work to be performed there.

Stunt-wise, Jeremy Renner (who plays Operation Outcome agent Aaron Cross/Kenneth Gibson) and Rachel Weisz (Marta Shearling) had played at being cornered by local authorities in the scenes filmed in San Andres, where the two make a daring escape by sliding three stories down a narrow opening between two buildings. Apparently because of “very specific requirements,” the set—a narrow three-story structure lovingly nicknamed by the filmmakers as “the chasm”—had to be built by Thompson’s team as well.

Producer Patrick Crowley also relates, “When we looked at the locations [in Manila during the pre-prod], he [Unit Director Dan Bradley] was with us, and then he said, ‘I’m going to stay behind for a week. We waited for Dan to just sit and meditate and come up with great ideas. He’s come up with some things that have never been done before.”

Bradley’s mind whipped up a motorcycle chase that would take place on Manila’s crowded streets; much of it would be filmed with Renner in the rider’s seat. “When you’re doing something in which there’s somebody on a motorcycle and they’re not wearing a helmet, you have to have the principal actor do that,” says Crowley. “So we had Jeremy very much involved, and Rachel as well.” This is partly what terrified Weisz with the stunts they filmed here.

Bradley’s team also retrofitted several jeepneys that figured prominently in a key chase sequence with Renner and Weisz, filmed on Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, the main route to the presidential palace. According to the figures released, approximately 90 cars and more than 300 extras were used for the sequence, which shot on a mile and a half stretch of Magsaysay Blvd. through three major intersections over several weekends.

“Manila’s a tough city to work in: There are traffic jams, and it’s hard to move around,” remarks Crowley. “But the people are so gracious and excited about films. They know more about the ‘Bourne’ movies than I know about the ‘Bourne’ movies.” And surely everyone here is excited to see this one.

“The Bourne Legacy” opens locally on August 8. Produced by Universal Pictures, and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment.


SOURCE

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

GET LOST: CORONizing Palawan: The Arrival/ Mt. Tapyas

What makes a good trip a truly memorable one? Is it the the people you're with? is it the food? or is it the place itself?


It was 6 months ago when the backpackers planned their trip to puerto princesa, palawan. everyhting is set and had our flight booked , hotel reserved and our activities plotted. but a week before our trip, 5 backpackers backed out and i was the only one eager for our trip.

luckily, my officemate juyjuy invited me to join her in her coron, palawan trip. her friends backed out on their trip as well....

enough of the melodramatic intro...

a day before our palawan trip, i'm still having second thoughts of joining juyjuy...i have an early shift the day of our trip and i haven't asked my boss' permission. but everything seem to fall exactly on the right place, at the right time...i managed to tell my boss about my flight and he agreed to let me go...

5:00 am...
i was bombarded with a lot of text messages from juyjuy. she kept on reminding me that our flight is @ 7:10 am
onboard airphilippines express bound to coron, palawan 
I started packing my stuff around 5.30... left our house in cainta at 6:10 am... rode a cab for a good 30 mins for Php 210 [around US$5-6]... i arrived at NAIA [Ninoy Aquino International Airport] around 6:40... i immediately texted juyjuy and started looking for her... around 6:50, we went to the check in counter of Airphil Express [PALexpress] and was shocked to realize that our flight was rescheduled... we have to wait until 9:30 am before we can board the plane...




I was anxious to know that we'll be riding a Dash 8-300 airplane with the propellers on both sides... we left manila at exactly 10:00 am and arrived at Bosuanga airport 40 minutes later. the view from the plane was absolutely breath-taking... we manage to see a couple of islands because of the clear weather...


coron's incredible landscape
one of coron's majestic island

Shuttle Ride: JOHNVIC:: 0921-2727862 
First thing we've noticed after landing at Francisco Reyes Airport [Bosuanga, Coron, Palawan Airport], was the warm smiles and very accommodating people of the province. we've waited 15 mins for the shuttle to be filled with locals and tourists. thanks to the Local Government of Palawan, the 1 hour 30 mins. travel time was now lessened and you can reach Coron town proper for 30 to 45 mins. max. It'll cost you Php 150 [$ 3.50-$4.00]/ person. the side scenery was none the less amazing and you cant help but admire mother nature's beauty...


Since we arrived almost 3 hours late, we missed the tour that we're supposed to be joining and decided to think of another plan to spend the day... we're not wasting a whole day just because of a delayed flight..

We went to one of Coron's first and original floating hotel.... Krystal Lodge. 

KRYSTAL LODGE:Krystal Langit:: 09493330429/ 09267231212 
The Shuttle Driver aka kuya johnvic dropped us in an esquinita . It was scary at first, but after a few steps, we were greeted by mangroves and a long and narrow wooden bridge. I was trying to scare juyjuy by jumping up and down to shake the bridge when suddenly--i stopped... Not because the bridge has fallen down but because i was mesmerize with what i saw. For the first time in my life, i saw houses on stilts. It was like on TV. We were greeted by ate Mylene-- "The Care taker". Finding great deals was Juyjuys forte. she managed to get a room for the 2 of us for only Php 600.00 ($14-15) a night.

wooden bridge to krystal lodge
what's in store for a 600 peso room? Everything!

  • >unlimited wifi access (smartbro) 
  • unlimited coffee refills 
  • great view of the sea 
  • clean, relaxing, comfortable and well-ventilated rooms 
  • free choclate bars from nanay cely! (seasonal :D)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRYSTAL LODGE 
If you want to get away from the buzzing sound of the bars, i would definitely recommend this place. plus,  a great view of the sunset and the stars at night will sure come a long way. Aling Cely "the owner yeah!" just arrived few days ago from N.Y and started telling us stories on how the Krystal Lodge started. (She gave us free chocolates by the way... "bribe?" --- nahhhh!) Established in 1994 with just a simple Hut, Aling Cely "the owner" and her Husband "the other owner :p " decided to stay in coron after an engineering project. Many Tourists , both foreign and local, enjoyed visiting their house on stilts and requested the Langit's if the could spend the night over and just pay for the rent. Seeing the potential, the family secured necessary permits from the local Government and the DENR, and decided to open an Inn.


The Boulevard

After unpacking our stuff, Juyjuy and i decided to eat Lunch. We left the lodge and went to the public market to look for an Eatery. You can get one full meal for less than Php. 50.00 ($1-1.50). After Lunch, we head on to the Boulevard to check out the blue waters of Coron. 



 We decided to Brave Coron's tallest spot! Hello! Mt. Tapyas. A clear view from Krystal Lodge, it's more of a Hill than a Mountain. Ate Mai told us that the best time to climb Mt. Tapyas was around 4 pm. Just a Quick 10-minute walk, we we're greeted by Locals on the foot of the mountain. a staggering 700-step climb awaits us. For the "Not-into-mountain-climbing" peeps like me, there are waiting shed every 100 steps so you can take a breather. It took us almost 2 hours to reach the view deck and just in time for the sunset. The view from the top was absolutely breath-taking.


* TOP 3 MUST HAVES...

  • WATER.... I MEAN PLENTY OF WATER! 100 GALLONS 
  • TOWEL.... TO WIPE YOUR FACE SO THAT YOU WONT LOOK OILY ON ANY OF YOUR PHOTOS 
  • CAMERA... FORGET THIS AND YOU WONT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE! 

* WHERE TO START?
  • TRICYCLE... COST PhP 8.00 (c .25) FOR LAZY PEOPLE 
  • WALK... WALK... WALK... AROUND 10 MINUTES FROM THE MAIN ROAD/ MARKET 






































GET LOST: TAGAYTAYkada


jae, karl, aeia,kim, jake and me!

 We went to tagaytay a month ago... we spent the night at a vacant lot drinking... eating and enjoying the laughs. we left manila at around 10 pm and took us an hour to get there. the first thing you need to do if you're going to tagaytay or if you happen to pass through it, is you need to stop by 7-11 on the junction... btw, the cost of the gasoline from manila to tagaytay and back is Php. 600 [that how much gasoline we have on the tank and we were able to get back to manila-- i think that's enough]

We took the Roxas Boulevard - Baclaran -Coastal Road route... then we pass through the towns of Bacoor, Imus and Dasmarinas, Cavite via Aguinaldo Highway. you know you're heading the right way if you pass by SM Dasmarinas and Robinsons Palapala. At the end of Aguinaldo Highway is the Tagaytay Rotonda (roundabout) where a statue of Ninoy Aquino, a BPI with ATM, Days Inn, Max's Restaurant and 7-11 store as landmarks.

other ways of getting to tagaytay?

Option 1: via SLEX Sta. Rosa Exit, the most popular and easiest, is a straight drive all the way to Tagaytay Public Market (and right smack into Tagaytay Econo Inn) where you turn right going to Tagaytay city proper and Nasugbu/Balayan/Lemery Batangas or left going to People's Park in the Sky. Usual travel time from Makati CBD is 1.5 hours.

Option 2: SLEX Greenfields Exit, an alternate route to Tagaytay that pass by Pramana, Nuvali, Eton City and Paseo de Sta. Rosa, ideal to avoid traffic buildup on Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay National Road on Saturday mornings thus making it the fastest route to Tagaytay on weekends.

Option 3: SLEX Southwoods exit then Governor's Drive in Carmona going to Dasmarinas. Turn left on Maguyam Road just before the Shell Station to your left.

Option 4: Another route for the adventurous to Tagaytay is via Daang Hari that passes by Molino, Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas and Silang. It bypasses the traffic chokepoint of Bacoor rotonda but not SM Dasma and Robinsons.

Option 5: From Sto. Tomas, Batangas via StarToll in going to Lipa City, take Sambat exit and follow the national road to Talisay then go up Ligaya Drive, the zigzag road to Tagaytay (sometimes called Bitukang Manok, not for the faint of heart and newbie drivers)

you can also take the bus along EDSA for only Php. 150 ++ and get off at the tagaytay rotonda...


you can buy your supplies of booze and food at 7-11 before looking somewhere to spend the night..
if you have a car and on a tight budget, you can just park at the vacant lot near PAGCOR for no extra cost... the vacant lot is being used for biking and horse back riding and has a clear view of the taal volcano during daytime...you can also stay at Amora's Home near the picnic grove for as low as Php. 1200 or if you want to have a clear view of the lake and the volcano, starflower tourist lodge will be a good choice. room rates starts at Php. 1800

After spending the night drinking, eating and laughing, we went to the palace in the sky [it was supposed to be pres. ferdinand marcos' unfinished rest house] at the break of dawn... entance cost Php. 15 i believe... we saw a weird looking insect and named it after our friend maki [he wasn't able to join us because his mom was sick] 

i remember going to the palace i n the sky when i was in grade school during fieldtrips alongside the coca-cola factory and rizal's house in laguna.

well, it doesn't look nor feel and definitely doesn't smell like a palace anymore... the local government [if they are the one who's running it] is not making a good job in maintaining the place... tsk..tsk..tsk...


we got this shirt from one of the shops in the palace in the sky for Php. 120... there are a lot of novelty items and pasalubong in those shops. 

after taking some pictures, we went to the famous Mushroomburger in Aguinaldo Highway... we chomp on mushroom burger [cost: php. 45 - 100 ++] for breakfast and ate at mc donald's for brunch before going home...