Albus is gay - JK Rowling

It came as a shock that J.K. Rowling made a revelation that she thought Albus Dumbledore was gay and that he had feelings for Grindewald, which feelings led him to conquered him after he realized he was not after his friendship but his knowledge of the Deathly Hallows.

It made me think of other Harry Potter characters who could be gay, and I thought of Sirius - his affection for James and later on Harry (which is probably fatherly, him being James' son). It was not mentioned that Sirius was ever interested in women (when Lupin and even Snape were).

Just speculating. :)

Lovestruck by Stardust

I went to Greenbelt 3 yesterday hoping I could catch even a single film of the line-up of 21 featured in the Spanish Film Festival this year, but at 4:30pm, both the 4:30 and 7:00 pm screenings were already sold out (and my m-pass has no load as G-Cash loading is temporarily unavailable - darn). A person away from the ticket booth, we had to quickly decide which movie to see. We settled with Stardust, choosing it over December Boys which I had seen last week. We went inside the movie house, barely in time to see the movie title being flashed on screen but the back story was probably playing for at least 5 minutes.

The movie turned out to be one of the most enjoyable, entertaining movies I've seen in many months. In fact, I really, really liked it! It is the only movie I've seen this year which I'd like to see again.

I've heard of Neil Gaiman a few years back but I though he was just another writer in the fantasy genre, and I even had the wrong impression that he does graphic novels only - blame that on Fully Booked's yearly Philippine Graphic Artist's Awards. The movie is an adaptation of his Stardust novel, which is way darker than the sanitized and wholesome movie version. I have made arrangements to obtain a copy of the illustrated novel and, hopefully soon, write my thoughts on it.

Stardust the movie is full of memorable, lovable characters - the villains Septimus and Lamia included. Michelle Pfiefer is just so enchanting a witch! I love the goat turned man, the boy turned goat then turned lady; the magical construction of the inn set up as a trap, and the traveling via the Babylon candle. Oh wow, that's all I can say.

Charlie Cox is my new screen crush - he was transformed from an adorable cute village boy into a dashing, sexy hunk, with longer, wavy locks and enviable trench coat, thanks to the scissors, skill and supplies of Captain Shakespeare played by Robert de Niro.

If there is a perfect fairy tale for adults, this movie Stardust is a perfect fairy tale for me - finding one's true love and living happily ever after. I perfectly understand one of the movie reviews saying it is a perfect date movie. I love that part where Yvaine, thinking that the Tristan the mouse couldn't understand a word she's saying, poured out her heart in telling him that as a star, the only thing that made it bearable to continue looking down on Earth, with its wars and sufferings, was love, and that she loves him, without asking anything in return (unlike Victoria, Tristan's infatuation) but to be loved back so she could give her heart in exchange for hers. Aww. And oh, how I wish I could glow like Yvaine when near someone I love! Truly a magical scene - the one where Yvaine was dancing with the Captain, and how she glowed when Tristan danced with her. Super kilig!

Hay, this is how I should feel after watching a movie - I should feel good! I should watch more movies like this. But I bet there won't be anything which will come close to how this movie made me *glow* in a long time.

Watch Stardust!

Cine Europa 10

(From the Embassy of Sweden in the Philippines website:)

Continue to experience the magic of film and experience once more the charm, grandeur, diversity and uniqueness of the culture and heritage of the European Union.

Watch out for Cine Europa 10 as you enjoy both contemporary and classical films from the EU.

From Summer in Berlin to United Kingdom's Shooting Dogs to Hungary's Sex and Nothing Else, this year's Cine Europa promises to be bigger and better because with films coming from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

This year's festival is doubly significant, not only because this is the 10th year of Cine Europa, but also due to the celebration of the 50th year of the Treaty of Rome, that lies the origin of the European Union.

The 10th year of Cine Europa will be marked by an opening of a memorabilia exhibit in Shangri-la Plaza on 2 October with EC Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and UK Ambassador Peter Beckingham providing messages for the European Union. Ms. Lala Fojas, Vice-President of Shangri-La Plaza, will provide a welcome message.

The memorabilia exhibit spans the 10 years of Cine Europa and features posters, photographs and other memorabilia items produced in the last decade of the film festival.

Cine Europa, which started in 1998, remains to be a distinctive acknowledgement of the partnership of the European Community with the Philippines by way of sharing with the Filipino public the diversity and uniqueness of European film culture.

The film screenings for Cine Europa 10 will start in Cebu City's Ayala Mall from 5 - 8 October 2007, will move to Gaisano South Citimall in Davao City from 11 - 15 October 2007 and will finally travel to Manila's Shangri-La Plaza from 18 - 31 October 2007.

Admission to the screenings are free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Complete list of movies (from the European Union website):

Summer with the Ghosts AUSTRIA

A film is being produced at the medieval fortress of Finterstein in Austria, at the great displeasure on the resident ghosts. Peter, the film producer is visited by his daughter Caroline from Montreal, who is on summer holiday. As her father is busy, she begins her own exploration of the fortress.

The Kiss BELGIUM

Sarah, a beautiful and gifted girl of 15, lives in a wealthy but dysfunctional family. She holds on to one dream: to run away and to become a professional ballerina.

Dead Man's Hand BELGIUM

A wacky comedy about a frugal husband who spends his days repossessing goods purchased by big spenders–while an old friend teaches his neglected wife how to shop on a grand scale.

Kolya CZECH REPUBLIC

A bittersweet comedy set in Prague about an aging bachelor saddled with a small boy from Russia. It is set in the late 1980s, the period just before the fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia.

The Leap DENMARK

Tobias Jacobsen is 42. When the doctors tell him he is fatally ill, the earth opens up beneath him and he finds himself plunging into the abyss.

FC Venus FINLAND

A romantic comedy of men and women, and the differences between the two. It is a story of success and failure, the joy of winning and the fear of losing–and football.

La Mome FRANCE

From the streets of of the cutthroat Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love.

Summer in Berlin GERMANY

A story of two girlfriends, who, from their balcony–between heaven and earth gaze down at their turbulent and difficult universe, where the right men are all too often exactly wrong, and to get ahead even a good-looking woman had better be strong.

Just Sex and Nothing Else HUNGARY

Discovering that her lover is already married, Dora, a 30 year-old playwright, decides to give upon men. She focuses on satisfying her own desire to have a child and starts to look for a donor.

Inside I'm Dancing IRELAND

Michael has cerebral palsy and has spent all his life in residential care. He knows nothing beyond the walls of the Carrigmore Home for the Disabled. Until, that is, he meets new resident Rory, a wise-cracking rebel who will not allow his Duchenne muscular dystrophy to sap his spirit.

Facing Windows ITALY

Giovanna is a bookeeper in a company which packs chickens. She is married to a man who has
a precarious job. Overburdened and stuck in a greying marriage, Giovanna begins to reflect on
her life and turns to a young man who lives across from her.

You am I LITHUANIA

A contemporary tale about an architect-dreamer building a futurist house in a tree, within a gloomy forest.

Ellis in Glamourland THE NETHERLANDS

A world famous glamour guru is in town publicising her hugely successful help book. In a moment of brashness at a publicity presentation, she randomly selects unsuspecting hotel cleaner and single mother, Ellis, promising to turn her from "ugly duckling" to "beautiful swan". The setting is a snow-covered landscape towards the end of World War II. The film revolves a day in the life of a soldier, who was tasked to escort his prisoner with orders to shoot him.

Meeting the Enemy SLOVAKIA

Carol, a 12 year-old Spanish-American girl from New York, travels with her mother to Spain in the spring of 1938, at the height of the Civil War. Separated from her beloved father, Carol arrives in her mother's home village and transforms the secretive family environment.

Carol's Journey SPAIN

Måns and Roro are best friends and work as park attendants. The days calmly pass by until Måns all of a sudden has serious problems getting an erection and Roro is faced with the fact that he has one week to avoid being married off.

Jalla! Jalla! SWEDEN

Baptista has 2 daughters: Kate and Bianca. Everyone wants to wed the fair Bianca, but nobody's
much interested in problem child, Kate until Baptista declares that he won't give Bianca away
in marriage until he's found a husband for Kate.

From the Embassy of Sweden in the Philippines website:

Film screening of Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander" at Shangri-La Plaza Mall

The Swedish film entry (classical category) to this year's Cine Europa is Fanny and Alexander directed by renowned Swedish film director, Ingmar Bergman.

Fanny and Alexander will be shown on Friday, 19 October 2007 at 8:00 p.m. at the Cinema 1 of Shang Cineplex, Level 6 of Shangri-La Plaza Mall. H.E. Ambassador Inger Ultvedt and the rest of the Embassy staff will be on hand to welcome Embassy guests and regular Cine Europa moviegoers.

Synopsis:

Swedish cathedral town at the beginning of the 20th century. There is a theatre valued by all, a university heavy with tradition, a large and mighty minster. The town's popular theatre was bought in the middle of the 19th century by a wealthy businessman, Oscar Ekdahl. At the time the film begins, Helena Ekdahl is a widow, familiar with her role as head of the noisy Ekdahl family. She has handed the management of the theatre over to her eldest son and his wife. At first the story is chiefly about the Ekdahls and their troupe of actors, and everything is fairly idyllic. By degrees, it takes in the cathedral and its bishop, Edvard Vergerus. He is a broad-shouldered man with a gentle voice, a well-fitting cassock and a hatred so fierce that it is not destroyed until his body is turned into a blazing pillar of fire. However strange it sounds, the 10-year-old boy, Alexander, is responsible for his death. Fanny is his younger sister. Fanny and Alexander is the story of one year in the life of the Ekdahl family.

Additional Screening Schedules:

23 October 2007, Tuesday, 4:45 p.m. - Jalla! Jalla!
24 October 2007, Wednesday, 2:00 p.m. - Fanny and Alexander
27 October 2007, Saturday, 7:15 p.m. - Jalla! Jalla!
28 October 2007, Sunday, 4:00 p.m. - Fanny and Alexander

From the Goethe Institut website:

Germany contributes two films to this year's Cine Europa, the film festival of the European Union. Multi-award winner The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) is the story of Gerd Weisler, an East German security agent tasked with collecting evidence against the playwright Georg Dreyman and his girlfriend, celebrated theatre actress Christa-Maria Sieland. Troubles arise when Weisler's work makes him acutely aware of the meagerness of his own existence and opens to him a completely new way of life which he has ever more trouble resisting. Summer in Berlin (Sommer vorm Balkon) is the story of two friends who, from their balcony, gaze down at their turbulent and difficult universe, where the right men are all too often exactly wrong, and to get ahead even a goodlooking woman had better be strong.