Recently, Ladbible posted about 9 songs, which are known for having real, unchoreographed, spicy scenes. The actress didn’t want her name in the credits of the movie because of all the flack the movie got, but Ladbible put her name not just in the article but in the title of the article itself.
I confess to going incognito and skimming through the movie posted somewhere online, and I agree with those who said it wasn’t very good as far as the dialogue, the cinematography, etc., are concerned.
As for the spicy scenes, there is something to be said about it being real and graphic. I personally don’t even know how the ML and FL were able to perform with all those cameras moving around them, zooming in as often as they did.
To be fair, I have to admit that the realness of the steamy scenes probably portrayed how we see those scenes in our heads when we read a spicy book. I can even unabashedly say that what made me laugh and clap was probably not something any guy would want a girl to laugh and clap about.
It was the scene mentioned in the Ladbible image, specifically the start when the ML went from slack to ramrod in five seconds! Yes, I timed it, lol! I even made slow “woop” sound effect while timing it.
You might be wondering why that scene, in particular, caught my eye. Am I some sort of perve? Of course! Just kidding, lol! To be completely honest, I find the human body so fascinating. I know that women have something similar happen but on a (physiologically) smaller scale but it isn’t something we get to see unless we watch porn.
Is 9 Songs porn?
I think that 9 Songs straddles the line. It isn’t just sex, there is an actual story, although I confess not paying too much attention to it. While the spicy scenes are very explicit and do show close-ups of the ML’s and FL’s genitalia, it didn’t feel as though the director interrupted them at any time to get a better shot, he just kept shooting and fixed it later in editing. The spicy scenes felt real as if the actors were not acting at all but rather in the moment.
For the audience, it feeds on a kink … voyeurism. Because that is what it was … us watching a loving couple in the throes of passion over and over again in many different ways.
Is 9 Songs any good?
I can’t really say it is awful since I didn’t watch enough of it to form that opinion. It is supposed to be a rock and roll movie, but I confess to skipping all those parts. I won’t even be able to tell you the names of the characters without looking it up as I don’t recall hearing their names mentioned.
However, despite focusing mostly on the multiple controversial scenes I was able to follow their love story, and it is a love story.
People should take off their blinders and realize that this is what romantic, passionate love looks like.
Given how graphic it is, this kind of movie is probably not something I would want to watch in the cinema, but it is probably on-brand for streaming services like HBO.
Is it worth a watch? Not for the kiddies, this definitely comes with an adult rating. For mature adults, though, I probably wouldn’t recommend it for mixed company unless you are that intimate with each other. The spicy scenes may cause libidos to rise.
When Magic Mike came out in 2012 I was quite eager to watch it (admittedly) because of Channing Tatum. I fell for his boyish charm and delicious body in Step Up and followed his acting career since. To date, there are three Magic Mike movies. The first one came out in 2012, the second in 2015, and the latest one came out this year in February 2023.
As with the previous movies, Magic Mike promises and delivers hot, sexy dancing with half-naked men on stage. What makes this installment unique for me is that it explores the romance between an older woman and a younger man. How hot is that? Also, even I have to admit that I thought casting Salma Hayek in the movie was hot!
Complex dance routines
Does anyone else here remember her in the 1996 Quentin Tarantino film called From Dusk ‘Til Dawn where she played the role of the sexy snake dancer in the club? If you are curious about it, go ahead and click on the image on the left to bring you to the video clip of that scene.
The highlight for me in this movie is the uber-sexy private dance Channing gave Salma Hayek in the first few minutes of the movie. I don’t know how much acting Salma was doing there since she really looked like she was into it. In her shoes, I certainly would! Yes, please! Let me touch Channing’s chest and abs, too!
First of all, it’s Channing Tatum giving the lap dance. Second, the dance is called Permission and you can see from the movement that he isn’t touching her or doing anything without her permission. Third, as they traverse the room I marveled at their athleticism and the sexy choreography.
The dance in the rain looked like it must have been difficult to choreograph and execute but Channing and (I think it was) Kylie Shea executed it flawlessly. The precision and the emotion you could see portrayed in the dance were just amazing to watch. The number is long but worth watching. I actually paused and had to rewind it just to watch it again. It was just that good!
Gif taken from the Sydney Morning Herald website
Where’s the old cast?
Will the old cast still be there? Yes, but not to dance. All they give us is a group video call. Instead, we get a new group of hotties put together for this male revue.
The new cast of Magic Mike
They are all excellent dancers but raw when compared to Channing. Some of their movements look outright lascivious instead of effortlessly sexy. Curious about this movie yet? Here’s the official trailer to give you a sneak peek.
Is it just me or is Channing looking better with age? I’ve heard him say in interviews how he goes through a very strict workout and eating regimen every time they have to shoot Magic Mike just to be sure his body is in the right shape. I’ve seen him “off-season” when he just lets it go so it is easy to believe him when he says that he starves himself for the shoots.
Boxers or briefs?
If I may add, Channing in boxer briefs is so damned hot. To be honest, I’ve always found regular briefs or those tiny little Speedos made me uncomfortable … like a guy would just pop out past the waistband if he got aroused. Boxers bothered me, too. I don’t think it is healthy to just let it “all hang out”, you know? It’s just one step away from commando. If the guy is well-endowed you’d have a snake going down his leg.
Boxer briefs are the perfect marriage of the two. Black boxer briefs are sexy as hell, especially on Chan.
Slipping back into Magic Mike
Acting-wise, the role is not very demanding for him, I think, and since it is the same role, slipping into it even after 8 years was probably easy. That being said, I thought this was definitely fun to watch.
I had the opportunity to watch The Little Mermaid (2023) on May 24 at Robinson’s Magnolia’s Movie Theater 5 with my family and it was beautiful! It was like watching the animated version that first appeared in 1989 but with some variations in scenes and added songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you’ve watched Hamilton, In The Heights, Vivo, you will immediately recognize the songs he wrote as Lin has a very distinctive style. In an interview with Collider, this is what Lin had to say:
“So much of my work on The Little Mermaid was that wish fulfillment. I actually didn’t write any new songs for Sebastian the Crab because I love his songs so much. I was like, “I can’t. Nope, not me. I can’t do it.” I did get to write for some of the other characters in that movie. Every song you love in The Little Mermaid is still in The Little Mermaid, we just found some new moments to musicalize. That’s really tricky.”
The songs we know and love in the original Disney cartoon that was written by Alan Menken are still there, including my favorite song from the movie, Part of Your World, originally sung by Jodi Benson.
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Halle Bailey as Ariel (aka the Little Mermaid) confused me at first because I thought that Halle Berry would be too old to play the role of a teenage mermaid. The similarities in their names are definitely cause for confusion. I’m glad that got cleared up in this article on movieweb.com. I don’t know why there was such a hullabaloo about her playing Ariel, she was fantastic as Ariel. Maybe I’m just color-blind because, to be honest, the fact that Halle is not white was not the first thing I noticed about her in the movie.
It is possible that this was not a great concern for me since I grew up watching stage plays in school and then later in the bigger theaters. I attended an all-girls Catholic school and when the drama club put on a play they didn’t usually match the perceived appearance of the character role. Whoever was the best in playing the character, was the one assigned to play it. In this rendition of The Little Mermaid, the best person happened to be Halle.
Other notable performances
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric was a great choice. His acting was on point and he certainly has the singing chops for the role. I also thought it was perfect that his physique was not like romance book male leads. It made him seem more … attainable, perhaps the word I am looking for. He’s fit, just not buff, which I felt was appropriate for the character.
Before watching The Little Mermaid, I had never heard of Jonah Hauer-King. To be fair, I also haven’t been watching a lot of movies lately. This movie certainly put him in the leading man category for this and future films.
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula
Melissa McCarthy as Ursula is surprising but in a good way. I know her best in her comedic roles so seeing her acting villainous and not trying to draw a laugh is refreshing! I’m glad to know she has more than just comedy in her toolbelt.
She looked so much like the cartoon Ursula but better! More glam, way prettier, and somehow more menacing. The way she modulated her voice was so on point, I got chills. By the way, I chose a pic of her as Ursula because I was just really amazed at how she looked in this movie.
A question that is often asked about Ursula is whether she is an octopus or a squid. Based on the dialogue where she referred to King Triton as her “squibling” (wordplay of squid and sibling) I think it is safe to safe she is a squid. However, no matter how many times I count it, she only has 8 tentacles so that should make her an octopus … unless we count her arms in the limb count.
Daveed Diggs as Sebastian
Daveed Diggs plays Sebastian is certainly a far cry from playing LaFayette in Hamilton. Nonetheless, he was able to deliver the role of stodgy majordomo, unwilling babysitter, and later, desperate matchmaker to a tee.
I don’t know what an authentic Jamaican accent sounds like, but he carried one off pretty well to these uneducated ears.
Awkwafina as Scuttle
Awkafina plays Scuttle, the kooky seagull that likes to tell Ariel stories about humans and their gadgets and things. Even though the original voice actor in the animated version was male, I don’t think it was ever really stated that Scuttle had to be a specific gender so it worked. If at all, I think it worked better with her in the role, because she easily gave that busybody vibe I was expecting from Scuttle.
Awkwafina is not a name that is easy to forget. 1) She’s like Madonna or Prince … doesn’t use a last name so that makes her stand out. 2) Her voice is distinctive … raspy and loud and full of character. I think I saw her for the first time in Crazy Rich Asians and after that, it felt like the name Awkafina became synonymous with funny female Asian.
Sebastian and Scuttle have so many scenes together and their dynamic is fun! Not counting Ariel’s solo, I think my favorite songs in the movie are Scuttlebutt and Kiss the Girl, which they sang together.
My thoughts on the movie
Thank you, technology, for making it possible to have underwater scenes without actually being underwater all the time. I loved watching the way their hair moved as if they were underwater. Was a lot of the underwater scenes wirework? Even in the scenes where we see Ariel swimming I had to look closely to see if she was actually in the water or in the air on wires. Movie magic is awesome! However it was done, I applaud it.
I think my favorite action sequence was at the beginning with the shark. That was scary! I’m glad we opted not to watch on 3D. As for musical numbers, it will have to be Kiss the Girl, hands down. The harmonies, the choreography, the special effects … they all worked together to create that masterpiece number.
I think this movie bears repeating. Maybe next time I will watch it in 3D.
Crimes of Grindelwald (pronounced grin-del-vald) is the latest installment in JK Rowling’s wizarding world. It continues where Fantastic Beasts (that appeared in 2016) left off. As many reviewers can tell you, it is difficult to write a review without spoilers but I will do my best to make as little spoilers as I can. 😀
The story begins with the audience seeing Grindelwald (played by Johnny Depp) imprisoned within the Ministry of Magic is America. We learn that he has been there for several months and is to be transferred to the London Ministry of Magic. We then get to witness his eventual escape which establishes the conflict in the story.
The story then shifts to Newt Scamander (the hero of our story, played by Eddie Redmayne) in the Ministry of Magic in London. It is here we are also introduced to two new characters to the story: Lita LeStrange and Theseus Scamander (he’s a hugger), Newt’s brother. These two new characters play an important part in the story.
Theseus Scamander, Lita LeStrange, and Newt Scamander; photo credit to eonline.com
We are also reunited with characters from the first Fantastic Beasts movie. Keep in mind that Fantastic Beasts was set in New York and, therefore, the primary characters are American.
Before watching the movie my daughter and I were speculating if George’s presence in this movie means his memory will be erased every time. And Queenie is not an Auror so how does she and George get involved in this installment of the story?
Tina (American auror), Newt, George (American muggle), and Queenie (American witch) photo from vitalthrills.com
We also discover that Credence is still alive and that he meets Nagini (who appeared in the Harry Potter series) in her human form. At the end of Fantastic Beasts, it was implied that Credence died, that his special ability as on Obscurial. I was glad to know for sure there was more to his story than that.
Nagini (played by Claudia Kim) and Credence (played by Ezra Miller) photo from eonline.com
Nagini’s participation in the story is more of a supporting role while Credence served as the person the story revolves around.
By the way, before this movie, I didn’t know that Nagini was a person, not a regular large snake! We only learned this in this movie (not a spoiler) which makes me think that she remained a snake much as Peter Pettigrew remained a rat (called Scabbers by the Weasley family) to hide in plain sight. Or maybe she got stuck in that form? I guess we will find out eventually.
In the story, Credence is on a quest to find out who he was. The importance of his character in the story is hinted at several times but does not fully reveal itself until you reach the end of the movie. We know he is a powerful wizard because he was an Obscurial (this was mentioned in Fantastic Beasts 1), so we presume he came from a powerful wizarding family, but which one? What is your guess?
What are the story plots of The Crimes of Grindelwald
Credence searches for his identity
Who is he?
Where did he come from?
How did he end up being adopted and raised in America by that wicked woman?
Grindelwald’s mission and/or motivation
Why is he such a big baddie in the stories?
What did he really do?
How is able to get so many followers?
Why does he kill indiscriminately?
Dumbledore’s relationship with Grindelwald
Since Albus Dumbledore is supposedly the only one who can defeat Grindelwald why doesn’t he just do it?
Where Dumbledore and Grindelwald involved in some way?
Newt’s involvement
Does he work for Dumbledore?
Is he very powerful magically or is he powerful because of all the knowledge he has?
Why does he have a travel ban?
How does he end up working with
My thoughts as I watched the movie
New creatures, yey! Some lovable, some scary, and some are both. We’ve met some of them in the original movie series (Harry Potter).
Niffler
Old creatures, we loved from the first movie. I have to give Niffler a special mention because … well, he is just so darned cute! He’s an incorrigible thief (reminds me of Tasselhoff Burfoot) but it is hard to take offense since he does not do it out of malice. Tee hee, and the babies, aww, the babies!
Johnny Depp as Grindelwald – Reading other reviews online, some loved it and some hated it. I don’t care what anyone else says, I think he did great! The way he flicks his wand you’d think he’d been doing it all his life. 🙂
Jude Law as Dumbledore, perfect! I thought he nailed the part. I also thought it was good to see Professor Dumbledore in his youth. He displayed the gentleness, the sense of humor, and the power we have come to expect from watching and reading Harry Potter.
Possible spoilers:
Lita LeStrange is engaged to Theseus, but why do I get the feeling that it is Newt she is in love with?
When faced with a Bogart:
Lita’s greatest fear is a white sheet? Is it a ghost?
Newt’s greatest fear is inanimate?
The cast of Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Gridelwald is fast-paced and exciting and, at times, can leave the audience breathless. It is a must-watch for Potterheads everywhere and family-movie kids of all ages can enjoy.
Like many of my peers I laughed, anticipated the endings and shed many a tear as I watched these commercials of Jollibee for this season of hearts 2017.
Kuwentong Jollibee Valentine Series: The Vow
From the moment the scene opened I already had my suspicions about how it would end but the romantic in me denied it and watched with bated breath just to see exactly how it would end. For those who haven’t seen it I don’t want to spoil it for you so watch the video below first.
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FRIEND-ZONED! Ouch! But what a lovely statement they placed at the end …
Para sa mga patuloy na nagmamahal nang walang hinintay na kapalit.
Translation: For those who love unconditionally …
Sniff!
Kuwentong Jollibee Valentine Series: The Crush
This one was 95% silent film and the story was cute, light … it was the story of beauty and the geek. And the ending was … sigh, wonderful! My heart just soared.
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They say it is now the age of the geek. Nowadays being a geek is cool, yes! They close the video with this line …
Para sa mga hindi nag-give up sa pag-ibig.
Translation: For those who did not give up on love.
This commercial made me feel warm and fuzzy all over. 😀
Kuwentong Jollibee Valentine Series: Date
This one … I tell you, this one, I was already starting to cry from the get go. I just knew it had to be something tragic. Sniff!
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My throat clenched. My heart twisted in my chest. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see. My tears were not just welling in my eyes, they were sliding down my cheeks non-stop. No other commercial ever (that I can recall) has ever affected me so strongly as this.
And to end the scene with this …
Para sa pagmamahalang walang katapusan.
Translation: For love that never ends.
As a parent I marvel at the boy’s inner strength. What he did would be hard for anyone to do without breaking out into tears. I still have both my parents but just the thought of losing even one fills my heart with sadness.
And after a series of emotional ups and downs my sisters and I turn to each other and we wondered who the ad agency of Jollibee is. Whoever they are, they just got themselves some awards right there.
The Kuwentong Jollibee Valentine series reminds us that not all love is romantic love. Thank you, Jollibee, for reminding us that love is not just for lovers.
To love and be loved is the greatest thing in the world.
3 words 8 letters … don’t be afraid to say them to the ones you love …
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I LOVE musicals, and of the many musicals I have watched (and/or listened to) over the years Miss Saigon is quite possibly on the top of the list. I love it so much that I often find myself singing duets of songs from the soundtrack on Smule. 🙂
One of the first duets I did on Smule was The Movie In My Mind with a wonderful singer called Falsetto Musika. I could only wish I had his range. I know I could have done better but I think I did a decent job considering I had laryngitis at the time so I couldn’t really belt … and the dogs outside were barking in the background (hopefully not at me). 😀
Enough about me, though. Let’s talk about Miss Saigon.
The Movie In My Mind
I have wanted to watch Miss Saigon from day 1. When it first ran, they only performed in Drury Lane in London miles and miles away … beyond my powers to watch. The desire to watch it only increased with the samples we were given such as Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman’s performance of Sun and Moon and The Last Night of the World.
Sun and Moon
The Last Night of the World
And after watching those and other videos and listening to the soundtrack the desire to watch Miss Saigon became even stronger and with the passing of the years my desire has not waned.
Later it finally made its way here to the Philippines (with Lea Salonga as Kim) and I really, REALLY wanted to watch but just couldn’t afford the tickets. And I thought once again … “I hope they come up with a movie version of this so I could watch it”.
And after 25 years of waiting the movie in my mind is finally the movie I can watch.
25 years of waiting for Ms. Saigon
I rushed to SM Megamall from my class to meet my friend, Kasuy, and catch Miss Saigon in Megamall’s Cinema 5 before the show started at 5:05 pm. Since I took an Uberpool instead of UberX the trip took longer than expected but I made it! Huffing and puffing, I made it with a few minutes to spare before the movie curtains rolled up.
The cramps, the mild asthma attack … it was all worth it. I was transfixed on the screen and singing in my head with all the songs as I finally got to watch MISS SAIGON.
The cast was different and there were a few adjustments to the lyrics but the story remained the same. The 25th-anniversary performance of Miss Saigon met my expectations and then some.
Miss Saigon is a retelling of the story of Madame Butterfly which was set in feudal Japan. It tackles, instead, the trials of war during the Vietnam war and revolves around the characters Kim and Chris. I was so involved in the story that I often found myself chuckling in amusement or choking in sadness with my tears streaming down my cheeks.
I was awed at the cinematography, the lighting, the set design. I was equally awed at the choreography, the singing … and suffice it to say I was awed by the acting.
The actors
Being the super fan that I am I couldn’t help but compare the actors with the original cast, after all, Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman are tough acts to follow.
In my personal opinion, Eva Noblezada(who plays Kim) did an excellent job and sounded a lot like Lea back in the day. She has a very sweet voice and she acts like she isn’t acting, which made it easier for us to relate to her character.
Now and then, I caught a glimpse of Kim’s Lea which for me was a good thing because it meant that I focused more on the character and not on the actress.
Chris was played by Alistair Brammer and he perfectly depicted the “sensitive, disillusioned soul” who fell in love with Kim. Vocally I would say he actually sang better than Simon Bowman. 🙂
The phenomenal acting of Rachel Ann Go, as Gigi, came as no surprise. While part of us wished Isay Alvarez who was the original actress in the role was in the cast, Rachel did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, she was so good she made my arm hair stand on end.
Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer
Jon Jon Briones as the Engineer did a bang-up job and Jonathan Pryce would have been proud. His depiction of the role was definitely very Asian and, in my opinion, was more sleazy and playful. Each person who has played The Engineer has placed their own unique stamp on the role and Jon Jon has certainly made himself memorable to me.
Was it better than Jonathan Pryce’s? I wouldn’t say that. I would, however, say, it is different … in a good way. As Jonathan Pryce even said in the song when Jon Jon asks “am I good?” and he responded, “yeah, you learned it from me.” Cheeky! Lol!
The Gala Finale
After the 2nd intermission, the screens start to brighten and we see the silhouette of Kim, the same pose she had when the play started. But this time when she raised her head and removed her hat we (the audience) saw … Lea.
Lea Salonga at the 25th Anniversary performance of Miss Saigon
The gasps, the applause, the joy! I will confess that I had hoped she would appear and the show did not disappoint. After she sings a duet with Rachel Ann Go … The Movie In My Mind, which brought the house down.
Rachel Ann Go and Lea Salonga sings The Movie In My Mind
Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman reunite for the 25th anniversary
And then Lea goes into a little spiel and says (I paraphrase) … in playing Kim for Miss Saigon she has performed with many Chrises but we never forget our first … and from the wings steps out Simon Bowman – to the hoots and applause of the audience. They then proceed to sing (and re-enact) The Last Night of the World, complete with smooches. 😀
Out of the darkness steps out Alistair and Eva, and they join Simon and Lea in the duet (yes, including the smooching, lol!) At the high point of the song, the couples switch partners and Lea ends up with Alistair and, yes, the smooching continued, while Simon and Eva settled on hugs. 😀
The Kims and the Chrises
It was hilarious and unexpected! But I don’t think anyone took offense. I certainly wasn’t offended. I was even laughing along with my friend and said, “nakakarami na si Lea ah!” 😀
The Engineers, Jon Jon Briones, and Jonathan Pryce
The last song of the night was by Jonathan Pryce as The Engineer singing The American Dream. Halfway through the song, Jon Jon joins him and from the back in a car enters Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg, and Cameron MacIntosh.
Miss Saigon is on a LIMITED RUN
If you would like to catch it you can buy your tickets at smcinema.com or the ticket counters of selected SM theaters. When I say it is a limited run, I mean it. You can only catch this phenomenal movie today, November 12, and tomorrow, November 13, 2016.
Still unsure if you should watch or not? Maybe this trailer will convince you.
I can’t really say it is awful since I didn’t watch enough of it to form that opinion. It is supposed to be a rock and roll movie, but I confess to skipping all those parts. I won’t even be able to tell you the names of the characters without looking it up as I don’t recall hearing their names mentioned.
The highlight for me in this movie is the uber-sexy private dance Channing gave Salma Hayek in the first few minutes of the movie. I don’t know how much acting Salma was doing there since she really looked like she was into it. In her shoes, I certainly would! Yes, please! Let me touch Channing’s chest and abs, too! 
If you would like to catch it you can buy your tickets at 
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