Queen Margarette Hotel, Philippines

Located at the heart of Lucena City, Quezon, Queen Margarette Hotel (Downtown) is a peaceful haven with a modern twist.

As an addition to the original Queen Margarette Hotel, its downtown branch lives up to its reputation. Looking at the establishment from the busy streets of Lucena City, QMHD does not look any more special than nearby hotels. With a basement parking that could really use a major renovation, guests would initially lower their expectations.

As we entered the hotel though, the humble corridors of QMHD seems to become more inviting with its friendly staff. There was a solid Wi-Fi connection for guests to enjoy. Checking in, one could only get pleased with the modern-inspired rooms. The cable television had an excellent signal, the room design was just right, and perhaps the bathroom is its best feature.

Located at the 2nd floor, the buffet breakfast was very satisfying. It gives the audience a nice view of the city and lets them enjoy sumptuous dishes. QMHD is one of the best places where tourists can have a relaxing and stress-free stay.

VISIT THEIR WEBSITE: www.queenmargarettehotel.com

Movie Review: On the Job (OTJ)

On the Job is one of the best Filipino films that I have ever seen, if not the best one this year. 

You know that OTJ will not be an ordinary film just by the trailer. Filipino trailers rarely assure the audience of its international standard in just a couple of minutes, but OTJ did just that. Directed by veteran Erik Matti and packed with experienced actors, it is but too tempting to see action hit Philippine cinemas in the nick of time. 

The casting was nothing else but a genius call to put such good actors together in OTJ. From epic stars like Joel Torre, Leo Martinez, Michael de Mesa, Rosana Roces, and William Martinez to rising ones like Empress and Gerald Anderson, it was sure that acting will not be a problem. Angel Aquino and Joey Marquez are the best support to the awesome performance of lead actor Piolo Pascual. No doubt on the expertise of director Erik Matti, to whom Philippine cinema owes a standing ovation for putting the genre back again. Effects were high caliber, with one scene building up the next; not mentioning the cool intro. Im not an IT expert, but Im guessing that the HD camera did so much to improve the quality of this film. 

I'm sure that a lot of you would prefer to see Hollywood flicks with too familiar scenes than risk it with OTJ. But let me tell you that watching this film will be one of the smartest things you can do for the Filipino film industry. We need more films like this if we want to raise the bar higher, if we want to make a statement that we have a place in the international screen. 

image from imageshack

On the Job made that statement for us, along with the underrated films that many of us never saw. But more that the film itself, In the end, On the Job forces us to realize something that we often neglect or fail to see: the ugly truth, that we live in a society where a hope is a partner of helplessness, where corruption lurks just beneath low bridges, and where death is just around the corner. 

MY TAKE: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Movie Review: Man of Steel

Superman gets another shot to save the planet as Snyder adds "Man of Steel" to the list.

Man of Steel is not your average Superman movie. It brings in a lot of knuckles and hits you a couple of times straight through the heart.

TRAILER
The film's trailer got mixed reviews, some claiming it ain't enough to increase the viewers' cravings. Nonetheless I think it had just enough mix to set the right expectations for the film. From the looks of it, the trailer tells us that this film will not feature the Superman we are used to. There will be changes, big changes as to the storyline and other stuff.

CAST
Cavill is the right man for the title. No questions on his built, he was clearly ready to portray a steel-like physique. He exceeded expectations with superb acting and that Superman-stare. I wasn't sure at first if Amy Adams can do it, but she did a pretty decent job to play a stronger and fiercer Lois Lane. Michael Shannon may have some overdone tricks but it worked just right for most parts.

EFFECTS
Man of Steel was a roller-coaster ride. CGI played excellently, with every fight scene keeping us from breathing. Though some tracks may be similar to what we heard before from The Dark Knight or Inception, those booming instruments surely helped keep the thrill up.

It won't be surprising if this film will get mixed reviews, but Man of Steel may just be the right stuff to kick off the Justice League. It had the action and the perfect heart pinch to make it one of this year's best Superhero films.

Storm's Coming

MY TAKE: 4.25 out of 5 stars

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770828/
Photo Courtesy of digitalspy.com

Life without Facebook

Today is my birthday. 

Just like my recently formatted PC, my virtual life takes a huge turn at this point. Here I am. Keying in random letters; forming words to build this blog account.

Why don't you join me?