Nice observation on the indie films. These so-called indie films are somewhat extensions of the "reality" TV genre, and if not, are just trying to be avant-garde through their cinematography. But they have nothing interesting to offer. I believe that they are just being made for the sake of producing a film for international film fests but do not really mirror any sort of attempt at telling a story.

I remembered the time when our batch in Philo was the host for the Philo Week, and Walfisch and I were tasked with the filmshowing...and instead of going for the deeply philosophical or the blockbuster flicks, we chose 2 somewhat unknown films like "The Trigger Effect" (1996) which was really a story about social breakdown amidst a blackout, and "Fallen" (1998) which was a detective story with religious overtones. We would've wanted older films, which I think are still the best, but alas, there was no video store then that would offer such choices.

But if there was such a choice, I would have definitely gone for "Citizen Kane" by Orson Welles and "Rashomon" by Akira Kurosawa.
It's like forcing them to read the primary source rather than just browsing through secondary sources.

if you want those kind of films, they have it at VIDEO 48 along west avenue. naka beta at vhs format pa yung iba. yung mga hard to find films nanduon lahat. kaya hindi na sila hard to find anymore hehehe. it's expensive to order films via the internet but kung may kamaganak sa US, ok din at makakapagpadala sila.
so far, Cinema Paradiso is still worth studying sa Film Class. You will also appreciate it kahit personal viewing lang.

Hehehe. Thanks, father. Marami na rin kasing lumabas na "pirated" na "hard-to-find" films and documentaries kaya kahit papano, nakatulong sa paghahanap. Video City has also a surprisingly good collection of films like "The Sea Is Watching" and "City of God"...
Right now, siguro maganda din dalhin ang mga seminarista sa mga film festivals like the Euro Film Fest or the ongoing Eiga Sai (Japanese) Film Fest. Tingin ko kasi minsan "shared" dapat ang viewing experience.

masarap talagang mag watch ng may kasama para nakakapagshare ng viewpoints hindi lang share ng popcorn hehehe.n robinsons usually sponsor film festivals..minsan mga euro films.meron din asian films.mostly pinoy indie films. kaya lang dumarami ang mga indie na may gay themes. sana madiscover nila other good themes for fillms.hindi lang puro sex or violence. marami ring makatuturang tema tulad ng vanishing filipino values among the youth, religious experiences of the unchurched, education in the barrios, etc...ano pa magandang subject na gawing film?

Ang masama kasi sa current media, puro sensationalism na lang ang focus. Bakit? Kasi yun ang bumebenta. Nakakalungkot lalo pag nanonood ng balita, mostly mga biased opinions ang pinapalabas nila lagi. Di ba dapat may uncompromised viewpoint pag dating sa mga news?

So, in this viewpoint, lahat na lang ng facets of daily media ganun na din ang nangyayari, pati na rin yung so-called na "indie films". Kaya ano madalas na themes nila? Sex, drug abuse, violence. Kasi alam nila yun ang gusto mapanood ng tao. Kaya nga, it's no surprise that the current generation (especially here at the States), de-sensitized na sila sa mga taboo topics of yester-years, and it shows in their daily life and values. Karamihan sa kanila bastos, promiscuous, tapos gino-glorify nila yung "thug" mentality. Magsalita nga ng English, di pa nila magawa ng maayos, Amerikano pa man din sila! Naisip ko tuloy, pupula lalo yung tenga ni Fr. Dars sa kanila pag narinig niya yung language massacre na ginagawa ng mga bata dito.

Wow, pakiramdam ko tuloy, matanda na talaga ako...

Anyways, sana magkaroon uli ng cultural revolution of sorts, gaya nung Renaissance-era, yung bang massive shift towards greater cultures. Although sa tingin ko wishful thinking na lang yun.

By the way, maganda nga yung Papillon! Well-thought movie, plus great acting, panalo all the way! Tapos nandun pa si idol ko hehe

Sa akin until now may effect pa din yung Movie ni Jeremy Irons at Robert De Niro na THE MISSION... hanep talaga pag kaka gawa nun

psalm37 wrote:sa film analysis, makikita mo kung ano ba pinapanuod mo: yung gusto mong mapanuod o yung gusto ipanuod sa iyo? alin ba nauna nung gawin at ipalabas ang isang film? yung gusto ba ng tao o yung gusto ng film maker? or both? haaay kakabaligtad ng utak hahaha. pero the truth is: those controlling the media, be it sa film, tv, radio or the internet, always consider the people's needs. but in most cases, media shape the people's life. they sometimes dictate to us what to think or feel, what to want, what to buy, what to do. kaya yung mga indie films na yan ay maaaring reflection ng gusto ng tao or kung ano ang gusto ng mga filmakers na ikintal sa buhay natin: na ok na ang mga sexual permissiveness ngayon, natural na ang mga patayan, parte na ng buhay ang mga kalakaran ng droga, etc...
its up to us how to view it. pero isa yun sa mga problematic questions sa media: who controls who?

Parang eto yung isang instance about the argument concerning Art and it's definition. Paano ba nasasabi na yung isang portrait, or musical piece, is a work of art? Concensus ba? May guiding body ba na nag-report nito? Or is Art purely a subjective feeling?

Pero tama po kayo, ganyan po katindi ang influence ng mass media sa mga tao: they can dictate what people should wear, what to eat, where to go, how to speak. Sadly, mas media is a creature of the corporate world, so subject ito sa mga whims ng ilang tao. And usually, ang determinant ng isang bagay if it is media-worthy, is not on it's contribution to the improvement of humanity; rather it's value is measured on it's marketability, by how much dollars it can generate.

Well, in a broader sense, para na rin yang question about beauty, should it be objective (with set parameters) or subjective ("is in the eye of the beholder")?

Anyway, as with all things related to arts, whether it be films, paintings, music, there are what we call mainstream (those that cater to the mass appeal) and the underground movement (those that cater to specific tastes), and I think this will always be the case, unless we all wake up one morning as mindless beings sharing one taste in everything.

Pero what makes it all come together despite all our different tastes is a universal theme that underlies every work of art, whether it be the concept of good, bad, sadness, death, etc.

Going back to filmmaking, tingin ko it's all about trends pa rin theme-wise. Nasa sa filmmaker pa rin naman ang huling decision: if he prefers in pleasing a wider spectrum of viewers vs. pleasing a specific demographic. We, as viewers, are just in it for the ride, ika nga. And besides, sabi nga ni Butthead, "If nothing sucks, nothing would be cool." So, I guess etong current trend with the pseudo-indie films will run its course naman.

bakit sa CCP at sa UP, hindi applicable ang censorship???
bakit sa SM, bawal ang R-rating?
bakit ang murahan bawal sa TV programs pero ang halikan at pagsasayaw ng halos wala nang saplot pwede sa TV? noontime pa? hahaha

psalm37 wrote:bakit sa CCP at sa UP, hindi applicable ang censorship???
bakit sa SM, bawal ang R-rating?
bakit ang murahan bawal sa TV programs pero ang halikan at pagsasayaw ng halos wala nang saplot pwede sa TV? noontime pa? hahaha

May news dati about MTRCB wanting to put some sort of censorship at the UP Film Center. Baduy.

One example also is "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."
The title was being censored...but the actors said that it's just a title, but when when it comes to gore, mutilation, and rape scenes in other movies, it's okay.

Tricky din kasi ang censorship...mahirap magdraw ng fine line lalo na kung may corruption involved.

suggestion dati ay magkaroon ng isang cinema na purely uncensored by mtrcb...ang work kasi nila ay mag rate lang ng film or tv, not censor.pero censorship ang ginagawa nila. mag classify lang ang dapat nilang gawin.ang gulo nila.

psalm37 wrote:suggestion dati ay magkaroon ng isang cinema na purely uncensored by mtrcb...ang work kasi nila ay mag rate lang ng film or tv, not censor.pero censorship ang ginagawa nila. mag classify lang ang dapat nilang gawin.ang gulo nila.

dapat po siguro father ay i review talaga ang functions ng MTRCB... can they also suspend t.v. hosts for their misdemeanor? censorship po kasi is against the right to self-expression... attention : MTRCB CHAIR CONSOLIZA LAGUARDIA...

hay naku kung titingnan natin ang word na censorship anu ba talaga ang kahulugan nito? alin ang censored alin ang hindi alam ko na ang nagiging kawawa dito ay ang pag abuso sa salitang "ART" anu ba talaga ang art di ba ang art ay isang uri ng likha na nag uugat sa cultura... anu ang cultura? isang sining ba ito o isang pamamaraan ng buhay para sa ikauunlad nino? at ikauunlad ng ano?
therefore if ART is for the pursuance of something that is good then we should base censorship under this banner pursuance of something good... and morally nad humanely speaking sex should not be part kahit pa sabihin mong art or part of the movie yan pwedeng pwede gumawa ng isang gore movie nawala sexy scenes this should be the trend and challenge sa film makers

Kabayan, may tinatawag kasing erotic art eh. Exploration of sensuality, ika nga. Okay lang naman yan basta wag lang maging pornography na. Di naman kasi important ang issue ng morality sa art, more on creative expression. Pero siyempre dahil maraming conservatives, kelangan ng censorship, lalo na sa mainstream media.