The 13th Flyby Avenue

Sigaw was a horror Filipino film done by a Filipino director Yam Laranas released back in 2004. It was one of the entries in the 2004 MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival), which won the award for Best Editing and Best Sound Recording. The film didn’t attract me at first and I was always skeptical when it comes to our very own Films. Don’t get wrong, but Philippines’ Film Industry had been very low in originality and creativity. Not to mention the low budget! But there are plenty of films that are indeed worth to watch. And Sigaw is definitely one of those selections…

Sigaw translates into Scream in English, but to avoid its confusion between the Hollywood’s same popular title, it was then changed to Echo… The Echo also had its released in Singapore back in 2005, and later in Malaysia. The following year, rumors had spread about its International remake. And again, I was skeptical. Lots of asian-horror remakes had been released already since "the Ring", and none except for "The Grudge 1" followed the same blockbuster hit. As far as my memory serves, every year an asian-horror remake comes out in theaters but doesn’t receive much success. They all have this common plots and elements, others even have bad actors, bad lines, and poor editing. But they just won’t stop remaking such asian-horror films, because people don’t also stop watching…
So enough about the common criticism. This post is supposed to promote a Filipino-made horror-film, which is to announce its release early next year, 2009!

Sigaw wasn’t really that bad. Right after I saw the film, I actually applauded it. Not everything was great, but it was somehow effective. It delivered the scare, although not that much to my taste. The story however was brilliant. It centers on a young man who moves into an old apartment building only to learn his neighbor is an abusive police officer who savagely beats his wife and daughter. When he tries to intervene, he becomes trapped in a curse…

On the remake they changed some of the situation. This young man who was good in nature from the original version was turned into an ex-convict in the remake version. The apartment that was just an old condo in the original version, then changed into the lead character’s mother’s apartment. Now how about that??  WHOLE PLOT: Bobby Reynolds, played by Jesse Bradford (Clockstoppers, Bring It On, Swimfan), attempts to make a new life for himself by getting a job, reconnecting with a former girlfriend and moving into his mother’s apartment, vacant since her untimely death. Upon arrival, he is soon plagued by strange occurrences in the apartment and bizarre encounters with his neighbors. When he begins to investigate, Bobby discovers that his mother died under unusual circumstances and he comes to the realization that her death is somehow linked to the tenants of the building, who he believes are now coming after him. As he struggles to uncover the truth, terrifying secrets are revealed and Bobby must find a way to fight the echoes of the past before they kill him and those he loves.

So is it original? Will let you judge on to that…

But wait, there’s more… Yam Laranas who directed the orignal also directed this remake! The only thing that made me excited. Iza Ignacio who was one of the leads in the orignal will also have her appearance!! Definitely a Filipino debut to date in Hollywood! Now I’m anticipating…

Some Source : The IMDB

  Love of Siam   (Rak Haeng Siam), is a Thai teen-romantic film directed by Chookiat Sakveerakul which garnered plenty of nominations and award wins in its release last December 2007.. But with its achievement came along a controversy about its sensitive content. I first found out about this film through a friend online who recommended it to me. After hearing about the title I searched it on the web, and I was quite skeptical after reading the synopsis. Here’s why : The film was marketed as a typical teen romance between boys and girls, but the gay aspect of the love story became very controversial. Thai-language web boards were posted with messages of support, as well as accusations by moviegoers that they were misled into watching "a gay movie." But this was all shallow judgments from narrow-minded viewers. After watching the whole film last Friday, I was hooked and had a hangover over it. Totally, the movie was a heartfelt experience! There is so much to absorb. The plot itself is already promising.

Two young boys are best friends living quiet family living in Bangkok. Their lives are disrupted when one boy’s older sister goes missing on a jungle trip. The shattered family moves away, separating the boys. Years later, now in their late teens, the boys meet again. One of them is now the leader of an aspiring boy band whose managing assistant bears a striking resemblance to the lost sister. The boys must deal with their family and social lives and their feelings for each other.

The story covers up everything about love!! Love for your family, friends, and in the most intimate relationship of love. Although some people have found and some could still find this film as a ‘gay-movie’, I totally disagree!! It’s the things people do with labeling that doesn’t fit to be right. This film shows a very broad views and aspects about love, and the conflicts that associated with it, in what we all hate to feel – Loneliness..

“When there is love, there is always loneliness…”

This was greatly emphasized in one scene where the two lead characters came about to be reunited again emotionally. Where Mew (Witwisit Hiranyawongku), expressed his thoughts about his loneliness to his childhood bestfriend, Tong (Mario Maurer). The transition showed along this scene was very, very moving! You have to see it for yourself. There was fear from a mother of losing another child, a fear of a friend of losing somebody he hasn’t yet have, it all points to Love and Loneliness that is always associated together. If you won’t add any malice to the particular scene, you’ll probably feel the same emotion inflicted to the lines that Mew delivers, and what Tong, his bestfriend feels for him about it and so the way he responds. Just imagine having somebody that was there with you in the most emotional time and moment of your life. Be it anybody, you’ll know it feels great that there’s somone comforting you, and understands you most especially when you least expect it..

“But as long as you love, you will still have hope.."

Ying (Kanya Rattanapetch), reached out for the meaning and asked Mew if she should still hope for the love she has for him…

Another character that steals the show was from Sunne (Sinjai Plengpanich), as Tong’s mother. She portrays the role of a loving mother and wife that will surely move everybody’s soul. I really felt her grief. In some point, and some scenes, you will find yourself close to tears..

Other things to relate to are the characters and the situations. If you have lost somebody, be it a sister, a son or a daughter, a brother or a friend, family or friends. Definitely, this movie is for everybody. Spare the whole drama misconceptions and open your mind and heart for this one. You might also find yourself questioning living life the best way out of the choices you make. That’s right, the film also quite showed about how to make choices, and choose the right one..

I praised the movie so much that the only flaw I noticed was that of the editing. But only with very few scenes and shots where the settings are not quite elaborated. You can still get the whole thing if you can follow well, which is of course, not be able hard to do..

The soundtracks are astoundingly phenomenal!!! It carries the viewer through its emotional message every step of the way in the entire film. The state of mind doesn’t matter here as of also the movie itself. It’s how you feel. And that’s the tagline of the soundtrack: "Just ask yourself who you think of when you are listening to love song.” The lyrics are pure, captivating, and well written. Very inspired as written indeed. I uploaded the tracks on my imeem profile.”

You, appreciated readers of my blog, might have already noticed my passion of film-making. And I must share, movies may tend to imitate life, but lessons are always there as one way to help and understand the reality of life better. It is already portrayed things that we don’t see, even things what we don’t wanna see. So there we may put ourselves in that situation, and consciously, have a better understanding right before we experience them…. As of this film, I salute the makers! It deserves a proper honor of appreciation. This is one of those very rare, strongest inspiration to me… =)

Soundtrack -Track listing  (click the title for full clip)

1. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") – performed by Suweera Boonrod (Flure) – 4:34
2. "Ticket (Day Trip)" – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul & August Band – 3:34
3. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:16
4. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:12
5. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Acoustic version) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 6:20
6. "Kuen aun pen niran" ("คืนอันเป็นนิรันดร์") – performed by Passakorn Wiroonsup – 3:07
7. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 6:02
8. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม ") (Original Mix) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 5:00
9. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") (Demo) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 4:23
10. "Ticket (Night Trip)" (Bonus Track) – Instrumental – 3:50

Fave tracks are no.s 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 10 

Awards

at Star Entertainment Awards 2007

The Love of Siam dominated Thailand’s 2007 film awards season, winning the Best Picture category in all major national film award events, including the Thailand National Film Association Awards, Starpics Magazine’s Starpics Awards, the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, Star Entertainment Awards, and Kom Chad Luek Newspaper’s Kom Chad Luek Awards.^[9] Awards won by the film include the following:

The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mario Maurer) and Best Composer (Kitti Kuremanee) categories in the Asian Film Awards at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but did not win.

Source: The Wikipedia 

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