These are screenshots from the Sneak Peek with Peter Jackson for The Desolation of Smaug. The trailer is still in the works. I can’t wait to see the CGI for Smaug and the Necromancer!

4:12 pm  •  24 March 2013  •  37 notes  •  View comments

I love attending these ComiCons. I like seeing cosplayers with different get ups, the make up, props and the works. I admire their creativity and resourcefulness. Everyone seems so friendly too. It’s cute to see families attending all wearing costumes as well.  The cosplayers are all too gracious to pose for photos. Thank you for that. This is like one of my “heavens” for me. Despite the long lines and the huge crowds where you can hardly move, it is an enjoyable event. I’m always looking which of my favorite anime, comics, or movie character I’m going to encounter.

I didn’t have that much pictures compared to last August’s Fan Expo. My main priority was to meet Sean Astin. I figured that I’d encounter many more cosplayers in the future but meeting Sean Astin is once in a blue moon. Sir Patrick Stewart was there too! Unfortunately I didn’t get to take a picture of him but from what I heard that he’s a pretty nice guy.

I am in a tight budget. I had no intention of buying anything from ComiCon but this shirt is too awesome don’t you think? I was so excited to wear it! I realized too that I think I need to shed off some pounds. :(

The Art of Studio Ghibli

Maleficent. I’m really excited for the live action movie especially since I’m a fan of Angelina Jolie. So far Disney’s Alice in Wonderland didn’t disappoint and I heard Oz the Great and Powerful is worth seeing too. I have faith in this movie.

One hot zombie. I want to try this and possibly transform into….Freddy Krueger?

I love the hair.

The Tale of Two Sailor Mars. Who do you think wore it better?

I am Toronto’s reckoning.

I have this fascination with Chinese period dresses.  I was mainly influenced by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Fushigi Yuugi.

I want a Gothic Lolita Dress! I think everything I see in ComiCons are in my bucket lists. I better hurry because age is chasing me down. Of course I still want to look young when I were these dresses and costumes.

Mystique!

The prince(sses) of Asgard

Back from the rabbit hole

The wookie and storm trooper hoodies are pretty cool. Maybe next time I have the budget for that.

Oh look more goodies!

Looking forward to Star Wars Episode VII. But then again, Darth Vader is dead so WTH?

The force is strong with the boy.

No, I am your father!

A father-daughter moment. I saw Princess Leia and lost her through the crowd. I tried looking for her and couldn’t find her! When I was about to go home, I saw her coming out by the entrance! The force was with me. Darth Vader reminds me of those Uncle Sam posters. “I want you….to join the Empire!”

Rogue is badass.

Pixie!

9:00 pm  •  13 March 2013  •  2 notes  •  View comments

The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee, where gardeners are held in high honor.   (Faramir, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

First thing I thought of when I saw this photo was “Crap! My hair is a mess!” Since I bought my entrance ticket in advance I thought going inside will be a breeze! Wrong! The line was intense. I thought that they would separate the ticket holders and the non-ticket holders just like what happened at Fan Expo where there were different entrances. The weather was sunny last Saturday and a “little” bit windy but I don’t care. I need to get inside even if I have to wait in line!  I have to see Sean Astin at all cost!

This might be sound shallow but I think God has given me something to be happy for. I started to think that maybe he put me here in this place so that I could meet one of the lead actors from The Lord of the Rings franchise. It’s not everyday that you could meet a celebrity you admire especially from your favorite movies. It’s like God has given me this opportunity in a silver platter. I’m alone here, with no career, no prospects, no friends(physically). But as I learned from the horror movie Feng Shui “for everything you gain, you lose something else. And for everything you lose, you gain something else”.

Anyway going back to Mr. Samwise Gamgee, all the wait was worthwhile!  I felt that Sean Astin is really a nice person! I could see that he was very accommodating to all of us fans in line to meet him. I even got worried that I might not get to come up to him because there was a time when the ushers won’t let you line up anymore when Sean Astin was gone for the Q&A. I understand that they just want to keep the line from going longer but I just waited and waited in one corner until they let people fall in line again. Finally I was able to buy my photo OP ticket! The photo op was delayed because I think Sean wanted to accommodate all the people in line for the autographs. See he is so nice!!! So after the little delay the photo OP started. The line was finally moving! I was going to meet him! I can’t believe it! This is it! I asked the girl in front of me if she’s excited and she said yeah and a little nervous too. That’s exactly how I felt too. By the way that girl found me in instagram!  How cool is that!

Then it was already my turn and of course I said hello! And he noticed that little dog print from VS Pink hoodie and he said “Oh you have a little dog there!” I am glad that I wore that hoodie because I cannot initiate a conversation when I am starstruck. We took the picture and I said to him It’s nice to meet you! He replied “Nice to meet you too!” and he shook my hand! It was such an amazing moment for me. It’s hard to believe that I just see him in my Lord of the Rings DVDs and now I have a picture with him and I shook his hand! I feel like listening to “The Ring goes South” from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack because I think that song sums up how that moment: EPIC. It would even be more epic if I could meet the whole Fellowship but I’d have to be in a dream world for that to happen. But forget about that because what happened in reality is something I will treasure. I will cherish this “preciousssssss” moment forever for all the ages of Middle Earth.

5:22 pm  •  11 March 2013  •  View comments

A day with a Hobbit! Happy Saturday!!! I’ll scan it and upload my photos from comic con soon. Got myself a cool shirt too. And yes I got to shake hands with him! ! #seanastin #samwisegamgee #thelordoftherings #thehobbit #torontocomicon

8:37 pm  •  9 March 2013  •  1 note  •  View comments

I was on my way to the supermarket and…BOOM! It couldn’t be more crystal clear. Is this a direct sign from God? #tonesofhome #philippineairlines

4:25 pm  •  2 March 2013  •  View comments

The perfect pair

1:41 pm  •  22 February 2013  •  8 notes  •  View comments

1:37 pm  •  22 February 2013  •  529 notes  •  View comments

mangocianamarch:

janisoffside:

I just have to say this. I’m glad to know that there are people who share my sentiments on this matter. Yes I am really very affected when it comes to Middle Earth. It is no secret to all that I love the first Hobbit movie, An Unexpected Journey. But I am alarmed and quite displeased to learn that in the second and third installment there will be a romantic link between Kili and Tauriel the Mirkwood elf. Tauriel is NOT a Tolkien character but a creation of Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens. She will be played by Evangeline Lilly(Lost). I found it hard to accept her inclusion while PJ exlcuded other real characters from the Middle Earth Universe like Tom Bombadil, Glorfindel etc. I have nothing against the actress too in fact I was a fan of Lost. (Although I wanted Kate and Sawyer to end up together instead.) But I just can’t accept the Kili and Tauriel romance! C’mon PJ I expected more from you! Even if it isn’t out yet I already feel disappointed. But I guess I would have been even more disappointed if it was a Legolas and Tauriel loveteam which I heard was supposed to be the original plan of PJ but because the fans became upset with that idea that he had to drop it! PJ should know by now that Legolas is untouchable! Never underestimate the power of fan girls!  Bakit ba kasi siya determinadong idagdag yang si Tauriel sa kwento?! Baka naman kabit niya yung artista kaya pinilit niyang ilagay.Joke lang nag-Tagalog na ako baka may makabasa. Haha

GIRL, CHILL. Also, sit down, because this is going to be long but educational.

Peter, Fran and Philippa aren’t your normal fangirl-y “AHMAHGAH YES AND THEY SHALL KISS AND LOVE AND HAVE DWARF-ELF BABBIES COZ AHMAHGAH THEY SO PRETTY.” Just as you say PJ should never underestimate fangirls, I think the fans should never underestimate just how much Peter Jackson knows and loves the world of Middle-Earth and its characters and settings as written by Tolkien. He knows what he’s doing by creating the character of Tauriel. I don’t know if you’ve read the novel - you probably have - but you’ll notice that there is actually no strong female character in the novel at all. Tolkien made up for that in LoTR with characters like Eowyn and Arwen, and of course in the Silmarillion, you’ve got Luthien, to name just one. There’s no such character in the novel “The Hobbit,” which drags the story down a little. The creation of Tauriel wasn’t JUST to give Kili something to do. Tauriel isn’t just some random Elf, she’s the Captain of the Guard, if I remember correctly, so she’s actually responsible for locking the Dwarves up in Thranduil’s dungeons. She’s also very likely to be involved in the Battle of Five Armies, considering Thranduil sends his army to the mountain to negotiate the matter of the abandoned treasure even before the Battle starts.

(PS - I know you said it was a joke, but I still think it was insulting of you to think that the only reason that she’s in the movie is that the actress is somehow having an affair with Peter or whatevs. Peter puts a lot of thought into his casting, he wants to get it right, and he’s known of Evangeline Lilly for a long time, I don’t think he’s going to put her in the movie just because she was blowing him or something, besides he’s not that kind of person. I don’t know why we as Filipinos jump to that kind of conclusion almost all the time, I think we’ve been watching too many gossip shows about our own manufactured celebrities and love teams.)

And as for the “romance” between Kili (a Dwarf) and Tauriel (an Elf), I don’t think you have to worry or be this needlessly angry. I don’t know if you’ve forgotten or didn’t know, but Gimli became insanely fascinated by Galadriel when the Fellowship arrived at Lothlorien. It was because he grew up with an inherited bitterness towards Elves, and he had an idea about Galadriel that wasn’t true. So when he saw her and how beautiful she was, he was so taken aback that he became INFATUATED with her. Infatuation is not romance. It’s a fascination bordering on affection. Before he left, he asked Galadriel for a strand of her golden hair. That was all he wanted, although everyone else in the Fellowship got cool knives and awesome ropes and all that. All he wanted was something to remember her by. Galadriel was so moved that she didn’t give him just one, she gave him THREE. Now consider the fact that Kili has grown up with Thorin, who has experienced firsthand a slight as handed to him by an Elf. Fili and Kili very likely inherited the same resentment, bitterness and grudge against Elves, and considering that they weren’t even AT Erebor when Smaug attacked (I’m not sure that they were born yet), they had probably never even set eyes on an Elf before reaching Rivendell. Rivendell Elves. And even at Rivendell, they chose to stay out of the way of the Elves, and none of the Dwarves EVER thanked Elrond for his hospitality. When they get to Mirkwood, they get captured and thrown into dungeons because Thorin won’t tell Thranduil what the hell they were doing in his forest. It’s more than likely that the only thing that happens when Kili sees Tauriel is the very same thing that happens with Gimli and Galadriel. It wasn’t romantic, but it was affectionate. Peter, Fran and Philippa aren’t going to write them having an actual relationship because they understand the true relationship between Elves and Dwarves. They know that an actual romantic relationship between two Middle-Earth races that are WAY too different is never going to happen. I mean, relationship between Men and Elves are complicated enough, and they’re very similar (except for the fact that Elves are immortal), look at Beren and Luthien and Aragorn and Arwen. What Gimli and Galadriel prove though is that affection can, in fact, happen, and that’s probably all that’s going to happen with Kili and Tauriel.

And can we just talk about the exclusion of some characters for a while please, because it irks me so much that they come up as a point of contention when the topic is about the creation of Tauriel. I’m gonna say it again: Peter, Fran and Philippa are STEEPED in Tolkienverse. They KNOW these characters and personalities and settings. Peter has been reading the books since he was a kid, and he first wanted to make the movies when he was 18. Do you honestly think he would have just excluded Tom Bombadil and Glorfiniel and etc. DELIBERATELY, just on purpose, or without reason? Of course not. If you’ve got the Extended Edition DVD of “Fellowship,” you’ll see there that they tried so very, very hard, especially Philippa, to keep Tom Bombadil in the movies, because he was a beloved character and was actually one of her favorites. But as they continued to flesh out the script they realized that he was actually slowing the movie down, plus a lot of what he was doing could be done by other characters who would be in the movies for much longer than he. It broke her heart to take him out, but they had to. Instead, they gave a lot of Tom’s stuff to other characters, like Treebeard (specifically the part about the trees going back to sleep, among others), Gandalf (exposition), etc. Some things were easy to take out, but characters were never one of them, and they knew that.

I’m sorry to rant all over your post, I know it’s just your opinion, but I think your opinion is based on something petty, and I felt like you needed to know that there was more to Tauriel than met the eye. I was pissed at first too, trust me, but then I remembered that Peter wouldn’t create her JUST so that the male demographic of the audience could have their fill of female boobs in this trilogy, and then I was okay. Besides, Tauriel wouldn’t be there if there hadn’t been some sort of approval from someone in the Tolkien camp, and there was, so that’s that. I actually also really like Evangeline Lilly, and I used to think that the only reason she got the role in The Hobbit was cause she used to date Dom Monaghan, so the connection was there, but that was a bull-headed thing to think, so I let go of that notion within a few days of thinking it.

Thank you very much for your input. It was just my shallow opinion though I am quite surprised I got a response. I never expected anyone would actually reply! Blogs are rant pages too and I could see that you’ve made a rant of how you’re getting annoyed with all the people who are judging Tauriel’s character.  We all have our own opinions but I think a backlash of her character is inevitable especially from Tolkien purists and fans.

I hope that I didn’t make you think that I’ve lowered down the IQ of the fandom because I am purely stating my own opinions. Maybe I just didn’t like the inclusion of a female character just so that there could be a potential sideline love story between Tauriel and Kili to spice up the movies a little bit. Perhaps I’m a little biased since I want Glorfindel to be included and there would not be any Silmarillion movies in the future so it will never happen. Yes I do have the extended DVD edition box set such lovely packaging! Regarding Glorfindel, they had to remove him because they have to expand more on Arwen and give her more participation. The movie execs would need a female (Tauriel) to draw the attention of the male population since Arwen does not appear in The Hobbit. I never had an issue with Aragorn/Arwen or Faramir/Eowyn love stories mainly because they had a basis. I wouldn’t even mind if he included Arwen and how she could have met a young Aragorn in the Hobbit movies as along as it would be in good taste. He can also include when Galadriel goes to battle and destroys Dol Guldur if he wanted to show female empowerment.  PJ could have included too the tale of Beren/Luthien or Turin/Nienor in the movies too for all I care but that seems unlikely. I’m sorry too that I offended you about PJ and EL being an item. I meant it as a joke. I mean no harm at all. I’m sorry if it sounded disrespectful to you and from my view you as a bigger fan of those individuals you got hurt for them.  Do know though that there are some celebrities who have “kapit” who get roles that they don’t deserve. With that I end this note and because I cannot do anything about Tauriel, I will just have to accept her. Good day and you need to chill down too. Namarie!

12:05 am  •  19 February 2013  •  5 notes  •  View comments

I just have to say this. I’m glad to know that there are people who share my sentiments on this matter. Yes I am really very affected when it comes to Middle Earth. It is no secret to all that I love the first Hobbit movie, An Unexpected Journey. But I am alarmed and quite displeased to learn that in the second and third installment there will be a romantic link between Kili and Tauriel the Mirkwood elf. Tauriel is NOT a Tolkien character but a creation of Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens. She will be played by Evangeline Lilly(Lost). I found it hard to accept her inclusion while PJ exlcuded other real characters from the Middle Earth Universe like Tom Bombadil, Glorfindel etc. I have nothing against the actress too in fact I was a fan of Lost. (Although I wanted Kate and Sawyer to end up together instead.) But I just can’t accept the Kili and Tauriel romance! C’mon PJ I expected more from you! Even if it isn’t out yet I already feel disappointed. But I guess I would have been even more disappointed if it was a Legolas and Tauriel loveteam which I heard was supposed to be the original plan of PJ but because the fans became upset with that idea that he had to drop it! PJ should know by now that Legolas is untouchable! Never underestimate the power of fan girls!  Bakit ba kasi siya determinadong idagdag yang si Tauriel sa kwento?! Baka naman kabit niya yung artista kaya pinilit niyang ilagay.Joke lang nag-Tagalog na ako baka may makabasa. Haha

8:29 pm  •  17 February 2013  •  5 notes  •  View comments

The Houses of Healing - Howard Shore ft. Liv Tyler

3:31 pm  •  5 January 2013  •  62 notes  •  View comments