Filipino Indie Films. The new Industry.

I've grown up watching lots of Filipino and Hollywood movies in the 1990's. My personal favorites then was Terminator 2, Liar Liar and Forrest Gump. Yes I know, my favorites were weird considering that I was so young before, they should be cartoons and other animated stuff but I got to watch my favorite cartoon movie "Beauty and the Beast" when I was in High School! 

I guess I really am growing up backwards. These days in my "teen years" which I ended last September 4 by turning 20, I love watching animated movies like "UP" which made me teary eyed, the closing of the "Toy Story" franchise. That was part of my childhood, the very firsts animated films I watched, and the latest movie which I watched in 3D, the cute "Despicable Me".

Then I got interested in Filipino films, comedy and then some love team movies of Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto, Aga Mulach and whoever his leading lady is never fails. Of course how can I forget the best love team in my opinion, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. I really Idolize john Lloyd Cruz because he can have so much character and he's a real "Leading MAN" if you know what I mean.

After John Lloyd and Bea's "One More Chance" I really didn't like any other Local films. With One More Chance, everything was new, the storyline, the character, the settings, everything was good. The story was a masterpiece. No one comes close to it, well at least during the last 3 years (It was filmed 2007).

Then after One More Chance, Filipino films really just got more "profit minded". I know the Film industry is business BUT! that's given, these past releases has just been so frustrating, Filipino film makers aren't just into the "Art" anymore, everything is so technical and predictable. The stories are either recycled or ripped off from a holly wood film. Especially the Film Festival where it would highlight the best movies of the year, but no, It shows the crappiest movies of all time. The only movie I think that has a good storyline but got bad reception was "Wapakman". ok the Superhero thing and graphics really sucked, but the moral story about "Family first" and "Family Responsibility" was heartfelt. No one makes masterpieces anymore these days. Movies like "Oro, Plata, Mata" and "Ganito kami noon, Paano kayo ngayon?"

I now enjoy in Indie Film hunting. Since I can't catch Cinemalaya Festivals, I go to Quiapo to buy DVDs, I know it's illegal but hey, It's just for my own personal use, I'm not gonna rip it and put it up on torrent, I'll just keep it so that someday when the Filipino film industry get's crappier, I can just play these films all over again to remind me how films used to be good.

With Independent films, You get to see unique and sometimes weird story lines which actually makes it batter than the budgeted films. Everything is new and raw, sometimes not knowing the actors and actresses is good because you don't expect any character he or she might portray. Here I am typing to the rest of the world bashing the Filipino film Industry, well may this be an eye opener to those up there. Indie is the new Film industry in the Philippines, and it's not crappy. I've only watched a few but I liked it all.

here are some of the films I watched.

SA NORTH DIVERSION ROAD (Very weird but awesome)

SA ILALIM NG COGON (Surprising Story line)

LAGARISTA (One of my favorites! Interesting Love and Life story)

BIYAHENG LUPA (A tragic but entertaining story)

These are just some of it, but if I compare it to mainstream movies? Lagarista might be actually in the top if you're talking about Love.

Sigh. What happened to Filipino film Industry?