Lakbay2Love - A First Biking Feature Film

We don't normally see local movies that features an advocacy, much more about our environment from protection, preservation, to the nurturing, and to re-building those that have already lost its gem.

When I first heard the movie title Lakbay2Love around November last year, I wrongly judged it as another movie genre with a predictable ending of "...and they found each other and lived happily ever-afer..." story. My judgment didn't end there as when I saw the trailer, I dismissed it again as a movie revolving just about love but masked under the hood of biking with the same predictable ending.

Dennis Trillo, Solenn Heussaff, and the Firefly brigade members during Lakbay2Love's Outdoor premier at UP Diliman

I am not much of a movie-goer but I also admit that I seldom watch our local movies aside from those with social relevance such as Juana C the Movie and Erik Matti's OTJ.

Taking back my negative judgments of Lakbay2Love, it defied my stereotype judgment about our local movies. It still has the love story around it yet it is not filled with so much cheesiness and corny lines. The movie's storyline is actually simple, with pivoting love-triangle between Solenn Heussaff (Lianne, videographer), Dennis Trillo (Jay-R, biker/forester), and Kit Thompson (ex-BF/biker). Mind you though as the ending is not what you might expect where the other guy went heart-broken and the other one winning the girl's heart at last!

The whole story was balanced between the journey of love and the joy of biking with some comedic touch from Ms. Patricia Ismael (Monday, Lianne's friend). It will definitely attract the attention of the millennial generation and make them stay at the same time to become aware about what's facing us with the destruction of our forests.

I've watched the movie during its outdoor premier last January 29 at the Ampitheater of the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Bikers and other viewers at the Concert party before the movie premier

Spearheaded by UP bike share, the premier started with a bike ride around the academic oval led by Dennis Trillo and Solenn Heusaff together with the Firefly brigade members. Journalist Howie Severino who is still limping from his recent bike mishap was also present. The bike ride was followed by a concert from the UP Music Circle and other performers such as Joey Ayala, Gig Manila, ‘lil Noizy, The Ransom Collective, and Oh, Flamingo! Dennis and Solenn also serenaded us with their bike-version of the song "Overdrive" by Eraserheads.

Dennis Trillo and Solenn Heussaff singing their version of "Overdrive"

Different biking destinations in Luzon where also featured in this movie. The La Mesa Forest Reserve at Quirino Highway, in Quezon City; the blue zone and Roxas Loop at Timberland Heights, in San Mateo, Rizal; the Ten Commandments at Camp Sinai in Pintong Bukawe, also located at San Mateo, Rizal; Gungol Rock in Ampucao Ridge, Itogon, Benguet; Bzkleta Classic bikes in Parang, Marikina; the crowded streets in Quiapo, Manila; and several locations in Benguet featuring the Ifugao wooden scooters where our Forest-builder, environment advocate, Cordilleran-biker Mr. JP Alipio was also featured for a few seconds.

The most exciting part was the raffling of the three Trek bikes that were used in the movie by Solenn, Dennis, and Patricia. I think my luck was rubbed-off as I didn't win any of the three bikes, or any of the consolation raffle prizes that were drawn from the start until the end of the premier. The sadness though was augmented with a photo-op with Solenn Heussaff at the backstage.

Last photo-op with Solenn after raffling her Trek bike

Lakbay2Love catches both the attention of biking enthusiasts, the not-so-hopeful romantics, and environmentalists. While for people who are not into biking, or have grudge with bikers, I urge you to watch this movie and understand biking from this viewpoint.

Bikers don't just pedal their lives away because they don't have money to buy a 4-wheeled vehicle, but because of what it can do for the personal health and the zero-carbon footprint of biking. It is a movie where viewers will come to realize that the appreciation of nature must also come with the responsibility of taking care of our environment.

Director Ms. Ellen Marfil narrating what inspired her to do the film

Trip: Lakbay2Love as directed by Ms. Ellen Marfil under Erasto Films is considered the first biking-feature film in the Philippine Cinema, a first also in the "green-carpet" outdoor premier.

The movie will open in Cinemas tomorrow, February 3, 2016.

*Special thanks to Ms. Gay Domingo for the invitation.

Ifugao wooden scooter that were also used at the movie

1 of 10 pure metal Batavus delivery bikes around the Philippines w/rich features such as integrated rear-wheel lock, 3-speed internal hub, RFID security tag, and coaster-brake hubs

The UP bikes

Mr. Joey Ayala, whose bike was stolen long ago, sang his rendition of the Lupang Hinirang

Great young talents of The Ransom Collective - you should hear their piece along with Oh, Flamingo!, Gig Manila, and UP Music Circle

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If You Wanna See, Watch Juana C (Spoiler Alert)

With the many political scandals that happened in our Country ("ZTE scam", "Fertilizer scam", "Maguindanao Massacre", "Pabaon system", etc.), many of the Citizens with able-mind of this generation realized the real deal about what's happening in our society. We've realized that the crab mentality of which our National heroes hated about the Spaniards, still exists today -- we've inherited it, or in a much better phrase, we chose to inherit.

If you're still innocent of what I'm talking about, and you want to understand more what's really happening around the political veil without having a heart attack and rise in blood pressure, then you should definitely watch Juana C. the Movie. It will open your eyes and still make you laugh your heart out, utter your most creative "OMG" that you can make, and moan on the combination of kinky and comedic portrayal of real events around us. It's not a downplay of the issues surrounding us, but a lighter way of telling the people to once again wake up and get out of the bad norm that we're getting used to. As Jim Paredes puts in his tweet: "#JuanaCtheMovie challenges everything about stardom as only Mae Paner can. Outrageous. KICK ASS movie that spares no villain in PH society."

I did not know what's Juana C and who's Juana Change is until I get to watch the Premier of her movie. It started with 3 short films (which I think were one of those in her youtube channel) that talked about hypocrisy, the unsung Heroes and what those living heroes really needs, the real side of Women about RH bill, and trust-issues in our Armed forces due to their own issues that hounds them, which in contrast, are now having a full transformation through their Army Transformation Roadmap program. I'm just not sure though though if these short videos will also be shown to the Cinemas as commercials before the movie starts.

Juana C talking to her parents who lives on a small village yet fluent in English

The movie initially took place at Brgy. Kaploc (a fictional village near Wawa river, Montalban, Rizal), where Juana and her 2 other Valedictorian and Salutatorian friends were born, raised, and graduated in High School. Their barangay was already facing exploitation of the natural resources coupled with land-grabbing of People in power and money, silencing the villagers through buying them or worst... (you know what's next! or you don't? Then watch the movie now, lol).

Juana C. was the only hope of the village to get them out from this exploitation if she get better education but, the temptations and lure of the socialites and high-metro living took Juana C. to a different path than planned. Where will she end up? Now that's for you to find out at SM Malls, Ayala Malls, and Robinson's Cinema starting today, June 5 until June 11, 2013.

A Run United runner on her left

At the end of the movie, I can't stop wondering about the statement narrated in one of those short films: "Are we already numb from these numerous scandals that it became a normal thing already of our day-to-day lives?" Have we indeed? Is it enough to just cast our vote to say that "we did our part"? Or in case of most people, is it okay to fill-up all the empty slots in our ballot just for the sake of voting? Sometimes, hearing more good news about our Country also blinds us from seemingly less-important details, white lies, lesser evils of those who are in political power and higher stature around us. Things that we ought to know about becomes a distant and unimportant matter to touch, until one day, someday, it corrupts again our entire system.

Juana C., an Indie comedy film and first by Laganap Productions is a comedy film of our time with much more sense (although it's not for Children below 16-years of age). Truly it is a bomb that touches the political and real-life issues on a fearless, comedic, and witty spotlight!

At the premier night were Ms. Risa Hontiveros,
Jasmin Baptista (Masterworks), and iFM DJ Kitchie Daldal

with General Palakpak (Niño Muhlach)

with Eva (Annicka Dolonius), the socialite "Arrenean" student

with Ms. Mae Paner herself as Juana Change

Here's a trailer of the movie: Juana C. The Movie Trailer
you may also get Juana C. Theme song here.

*Special thanks to Ms. Marcie Linao

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Fast 5 - Movie Review

Last May 4, 2011 - I was able to watch a movie screening of the "Fast and the Furious 5: Rio Heist" during the TeleServ's Night-Out with the Bloggers event. Cinema 4 movie house of Gateway was packed with, well, obviously Bloggers. Familiar faces and even some of my runner-blogger mates were also present to check the speed of the cars tearing the Cinema screen.

The movie was full not just with action, but also some humor and wit that made us stretch our facial muscles as we laugh. The environment was so comfortable, I almost feel like we are but one family inside the Cinema. We are indeed - Bloggers alike!

So, just a quick review without going much into deeper details as I might be spoiling the story to those who have not yet seen the movie.

Stars:
Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner
Vin Diesel as Dominic "Dom" Toretto
Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto
Gal Gadot as Gisele Harabo
Dwayne Johnson as Marshal Luke Hobbs
Elsa Pataky as Elena Neves
Joaquim de Almeida as Hernan Reyes
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Tego Calderon, Matt Schulze, Don Omar

Personal Rating: 9 out of 10

Negative:
During the car chase between the Cops, Reyes, and the "Team Rio", while Dom and O'Conner are pulling the bank vault from behind their car, I couldn't imagine how they managed to speed off and maneuver the car in such a high-speed and heavily loaded chase. My brain just keeps on telling me under the Physics law (my brain got refreshed about Physics from this movie), the vault should've already pulled them off the road and there's no way that they could escape that far with that load. Well that's a movie after all!

Positive:
Aside from the action, very nice cars, effects, and the sexy presence of the Characters of Gal Gadot and Elsa Pataky, the teamwork and their love and valuing for family still touched me and made me thought however bad-ass a human can get, we still cannot judge the entirety of their character.

For a better read and review about this movie, I highly recommend the following sites:

1. Common Sense Media
2. Screenrant
3. Screen Crave

With fellow Blogger-Runners during the Fast 5 Screening

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