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6 Feature Length Films On Philippine Basketball
Wed, Aug 6, 2008 by Pandaemonaeon
While digital filmmaking have been around since the 80s, it has re-emerged as a viable media for independent filmmakers in the light of readily-available (and affordable) DV-cameras as well as the growing perversion towards non-conformity. Many a promoter are aware of this movement and regularly host various festivals around the globe committed to screening digital works. Most notable of these is the local Cinemalaya Film Festival held annually at the World Trade Center.
The 15th Parallel recently attended the show and screened 6 of the top, basketball-themed productions, opting to shy away from the steady diet of poverty, terminal illness and gender-bending content expected from other offerings. And of course since we're a basketball site, silly fools!
Babaylan 5
Synopsis: A neo-surrealist film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky adapted from a collaborative screenplay by UP's College of Fine Arts and Surrealismong Handog ng Independenteng Teatro (SHIT). Frank and Anton are two homosexual atheists who find common ground in plastic balloons and muscle cars. After finding out that Anton had an affair with a paraplegic bananacue vendor, Frank murders Anton in a fit of jealous rage. Facing life imprisonment, the police offers Frank an alternative: find and defeat the Babaylan 5 - a cabal of supernatural beings.
The Skinny: The ambitious 229-minute opus tries to make the most out of its limited budget as the producers shun CGI in favor of old-school methods (i.e. latex costumes for the Babaylan 5 members) and clever improvisation. For the infamous "subterranean plane" sequence (shown above) which Frank enters to travel into the netherworld, the visual effects team superimposed various rorschach test, kaleidoscope and vomit patterns and looped them together to simulate the passage of time.
Blue Chips
Synopsis: A re-imagining of the 1994 drama of the same name. Blue Chips features the lives of three fictional team managers whose paths intertwine as they ruthlessly pursue marquee prospects (portrayed by Jojo Duncil, Tim Gatchalian, Mark Benitez) around the nation. Seeking to clear the stained reputation of their league, the board brings in Special Agent Rod Panopio (Christopher De Leon) to crack down on the prevalence of unscrupulous activities by any means necessary.
The Skinny: Favoring cat-and-mouse theatrics to the gripping drama of its predecessor, Blue Chips is a fairly decent take on the drastic steps team managers would resort to in the world of player recruitment. As expected, De Leon stole the show with his intense yet believable portrayal of the hard-nosed Panopio, key elements that are often lost in such roles.
The Point Shavers
Synopsis: In an alternate reality 2008 where Manny Salgado is commissioner and UAAP rules have been ratified to allow student-athletes to play an unprecedented 7 years, senior FEU star Arwind Santos sets out to investigate the attempted murder of teammate Mac Baracael. Convinced that point shaving syndicates are responsible, Arwind joins forces with former players' Gerard Jones and Cesar Catli to confront Baxter Sy (Eddie Garcia), Manila's influential kingpin. As they go deeper they eventually uncover a macabre plot even bigger and distant than expected.
The Skinny: Boasting an ensemble supporting cast led by Paolo Orbeta, Bonbon Custodio, Mike Cortez and (in a limited role) Robert Kave, combined with it's thorny subject matter, it's no surprise that Point Shavers was the most highly-anticipated screening in the festival. The response were overwhelmingly positive citing top-notch performances by Arwind Santos and a plot twist rife with consequentialism as some of the film's strengths.
How To Make A Thomasian Banner
Synopsis: A touching, coming-of-age tale that centers on the lives of several UST students led by Fionna (Carla Humphries) as they try to construct a gigantic banner for use in the next Growling Tigers game. However after their treasurer gets mugged and all funds are lost, the group reflects on their lives and where it is headed.
The Skinny: Garnering strong reviews from the press including FHM magazine's Tootsie Parsons who dubs it "(just like my sexual escapades) a revolutionary piece of timeless storytelling" as well as winning top awards from numerous independent juries like Beato Angelico and Youth for Christ, this film definitely did not disappoint. As a bonus, the credits show blooper reels including the design stages of the banner which was trimmed down from an astounding 500 feet to just 495.
Ai No Retoke
Synopsis: Loosely based on a sexually-explicit Yes! magazine article, Ai no Retoke tells the story of a lonely star player of a professional basketball team who engages in an adulterous affair with a receptionist of a prestigious plastic surgery clinic and her ensuing attempts at making life miserable for the star after he ends their tryst.
The Skinny: Even with nearly 32-minutes of footage removed, the film was still highly controversial with it's extremely graphic depiction of unsimulated sex (described by attending critics as "In The Realm Of The Senses" meets "Fatal Attractions") which not surprisingly led to massive walkouts as audiences file out in droves by the minute. Don't expect this to be screened in your local theater (or most countries for that matter) any time soon.
Wooly Booly: Redemption
Synopsis: Jimmy Santos returns to reprise his role as the titular alien to aid yet another erring high school basketball team to their quest of winning the school championship. Dagul guest stars as the mutating ball.
The Skinny: Slightly different from the Wooly Booly you'd expect. While it does have a fair amount of slapstick comedy, the subject matter is a lot darker with their opponent being backed by a powerful fraternity who goes so far as to murder (and on one scene, mutilate) other athletes who are unwilling to throw games. The director also hired former Bb. Pilipinas candidate Janina San Miguel as a consultant for Jimmy's trademark "broken english" spots.
Wed, Aug 6, 2008 by Pandaemonaeon
While digital filmmaking have been around since the 80s, it has re-emerged as a viable media for independent filmmakers in the light of readily-available (and affordable) DV-cameras as well as the growing perversion towards non-conformity. Many a promoter are aware of this movement and regularly host various festivals around the globe committed to screening digital works. Most notable of these is the local Cinemalaya Film Festival held annually at the World Trade Center. The 15th Parallel recently attended the show and screened 6 of the top, basketball-themed productions, opting to shy away from the steady diet of poverty, terminal illness and gender-bending content expected from other offerings. And of course since we're a basketball site, silly fools!
Babaylan 5
Synopsis: A neo-surrealist film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky adapted from a collaborative screenplay by UP's College of Fine Arts and Surrealismong Handog ng Independenteng Teatro (SHIT). Frank and Anton are two homosexual atheists who find common ground in plastic balloons and muscle cars. After finding out that Anton had an affair with a paraplegic bananacue vendor, Frank murders Anton in a fit of jealous rage. Facing life imprisonment, the police offers Frank an alternative: find and defeat the Babaylan 5 - a cabal of supernatural beings.
The Skinny: The ambitious 229-minute opus tries to make the most out of its limited budget as the producers shun CGI in favor of old-school methods (i.e. latex costumes for the Babaylan 5 members) and clever improvisation. For the infamous "subterranean plane" sequence (shown above) which Frank enters to travel into the netherworld, the visual effects team superimposed various rorschach test, kaleidoscope and vomit patterns and looped them together to simulate the passage of time.
Blue Chips
Synopsis: A re-imagining of the 1994 drama of the same name. Blue Chips features the lives of three fictional team managers whose paths intertwine as they ruthlessly pursue marquee prospects (portrayed by Jojo Duncil, Tim Gatchalian, Mark Benitez) around the nation. Seeking to clear the stained reputation of their league, the board brings in Special Agent Rod Panopio (Christopher De Leon) to crack down on the prevalence of unscrupulous activities by any means necessary.
The Skinny: Favoring cat-and-mouse theatrics to the gripping drama of its predecessor, Blue Chips is a fairly decent take on the drastic steps team managers would resort to in the world of player recruitment. As expected, De Leon stole the show with his intense yet believable portrayal of the hard-nosed Panopio, key elements that are often lost in such roles.
The Point ShaversSynopsis: In an alternate reality 2008 where Manny Salgado is commissioner and UAAP rules have been ratified to allow student-athletes to play an unprecedented 7 years, senior FEU star Arwind Santos sets out to investigate the attempted murder of teammate Mac Baracael. Convinced that point shaving syndicates are responsible, Arwind joins forces with former players' Gerard Jones and Cesar Catli to confront Baxter Sy (Eddie Garcia), Manila's influential kingpin. As they go deeper they eventually uncover a macabre plot even bigger and distant than expected.
The Skinny: Boasting an ensemble supporting cast led by Paolo Orbeta, Bonbon Custodio, Mike Cortez and (in a limited role) Robert Kave, combined with it's thorny subject matter, it's no surprise that Point Shavers was the most highly-anticipated screening in the festival. The response were overwhelmingly positive citing top-notch performances by Arwind Santos and a plot twist rife with consequentialism as some of the film's strengths.
How To Make A Thomasian Banner
Synopsis: A touching, coming-of-age tale that centers on the lives of several UST students led by Fionna (Carla Humphries) as they try to construct a gigantic banner for use in the next Growling Tigers game. However after their treasurer gets mugged and all funds are lost, the group reflects on their lives and where it is headed.
The Skinny: Garnering strong reviews from the press including FHM magazine's Tootsie Parsons who dubs it "(just like my sexual escapades) a revolutionary piece of timeless storytelling" as well as winning top awards from numerous independent juries like Beato Angelico and Youth for Christ, this film definitely did not disappoint. As a bonus, the credits show blooper reels including the design stages of the banner which was trimmed down from an astounding 500 feet to just 495.
Ai No Retoke
Synopsis: Loosely based on a sexually-explicit Yes! magazine article, Ai no Retoke tells the story of a lonely star player of a professional basketball team who engages in an adulterous affair with a receptionist of a prestigious plastic surgery clinic and her ensuing attempts at making life miserable for the star after he ends their tryst.
The Skinny: Even with nearly 32-minutes of footage removed, the film was still highly controversial with it's extremely graphic depiction of unsimulated sex (described by attending critics as "In The Realm Of The Senses" meets "Fatal Attractions") which not surprisingly led to massive walkouts as audiences file out in droves by the minute. Don't expect this to be screened in your local theater (or most countries for that matter) any time soon.
Wooly Booly: Redemption
Synopsis: Jimmy Santos returns to reprise his role as the titular alien to aid yet another erring high school basketball team to their quest of winning the school championship. Dagul guest stars as the mutating ball.
The Skinny: Slightly different from the Wooly Booly you'd expect. While it does have a fair amount of slapstick comedy, the subject matter is a lot darker with their opponent being backed by a powerful fraternity who goes so far as to murder (and on one scene, mutilate) other athletes who are unwilling to throw games. The director also hired former Bb. Pilipinas candidate Janina San Miguel as a consultant for Jimmy's trademark "broken english" spots.
Copyright © The 15th Parallel
