STEP UP 3D: Born from a Boombox

     This movie , just like its dancers, is born from a boombox.

     

     If you've watched the first two Step Up movie franchises, you would think that the 3rd Step Up movie would still involve the Maryland School for the Arts, where elite professional dancers team up with the rough street dancers, blah blah ..But I guess this stand corrected since during the whole course of the film, I see no ballet or jazz dancers in their prim ballet shoes and tight hair buns, not even the Maryland School for the Arts. It's all about that type of dance we became used to label as hiphop or streetdance.

warning: spoilers :D

Basically the movie's divided into three parts: how The Pirates (Luke's crew) are battling their way towards the championship for the New York's biggest underground dance showdown.

BATTLE ONE    

  The Pirates versus the First Crew

 (I forgot the name, was it Red Hooks?)

atmosphere: Dusty dance floor

winning dance routine: Robot Rock

An excerpt from the Robot Rock routine. Damn coool

BATTLE TWO

The Pirates versus the Asian Crew (I forgot the name)

atmosphere: dance floor flooded with water

winning dance routine: Dancing on Water

Probably my most favorite dance routine in the movie

FINAL BATTLE

The Pirates versus The Samurai Crew

atmosphere: underground stadium

winning dance routine: Dancing with Lights

Something cool I found in the internet 

Take the Biggest Step of All in 3D

This is the best movie still I've seen so far

Meet the Pirates Crew

Another one of Hollywood's most creative movie kisses :)

Every Step Up couples always have their own ballroom dance

Cool Beans. Gonna make it my new wallpaper

     In between the major dance battles you will witness The Pirates crew's preparations inside their super awesome underground basement which was magically transformed into one sick dance studio, complete with shoe exhibits, a wall made of stacked boomboxes, a training area of metal bars, an area padded with foams to practice your back tumblings and other air jumps and even their own sleeping area! Really, it's a place for a dance nomad!

     Also, a dancer's usual struggle with academics and social life is also portrayed in the film through Moose. Yes, I believe Moose is the main actor AND dancer in this film. Luke (played by Rick Malambri) may be hot with his washboard abs and well-toned biceps, but he just can't dance as well as Moose (played by Adam Sevani). Not even Natalie (played by Sharnie Vinson) with her ripped and well-sculpted oblique muscles and toned arms, Moose is still the highlight of the Pirates' Crew winning dance routines. I bet without him, the Pirates wouldn't even get past Battle Two since nobody would accidentally destroy the dance stage and turn it into some flooded area. And definitely they wouldn't be able to come up with the light suits gimmick for the final showdown if Moose wasn't with them. Hello, meet the Double Major, Engineering and Dance :)

     Though the acting is not as great and award-winning, who cares? The highlight of the film is the dancing anyway and the main actors did a good job in portraying their roles to give a more natural feel in the acting one way or another. As for the story, it's good enough considering it's a dance film, where you have to come up with a story that will give enough avenue for lots of dancing and a bit of drama. So expect everything to be predictable and recycled. Unlike Inception :D

     As for the solid and stunning choreography, I think the Step Up 3D crew has brought something new on the table. From playing with dust, to water and lights, the dance routines are definitely jaw-dropping that would make you wanna go to the nearest club and dance like no one's watching. You're itching to dance yourself. And you can't help but notice some routines are Parkour and Capoeira-inspired. And yes, though movies in 3D this year are overrated (since it's like everything's been turned into 3D! :O), Step Up 3D Director Jon Chu did a good job in enhancing the movie's visuals with the 3D technology. The 3D experience enhanced the visual experience of the movie, especially in emphasizing the dance routines and giving more depth in a dancer's movement, making it look really real as if they're dancing five feet away in front of you. But even without the 3D technology, Step Up 3D can still pull it off.

     And who cares if the movie only got 48% review on RottenTomatoes. You can't please everybody, right? And it's not like every critic out there's a dance enthusiast. Come to think of it, there's more to dance films than the itsy-bitsy technicalities of film-making. :) At least the 3rd installment has the highest reviews compared to the other Step Up movies. Take it as that.

     Step Up 3D is probably my movie of the year so far. It gave its audience another unique kind of dance experience in theaters that the other two Step Up movie franchises missed to deliver. It has more dances (yes, expect pure dancing) and more cool stuff. And I'm not talking about the 3D experience. In fact, I think the movie doesn't need to be watched in 3D for it to be fully appreciated. The movie in itself -the solid choreography and dance routines that makes you wanna shout "Tis so sick man!", the innovative dance atmosphere which shows how man can literally adjust to its environment since a dance showdown is definitely the survival of the fittest (Dancing on Water routine FTW), the half-baked yet whole new story compared to the other Step Up franchises -makes Step Up 3D as one of my favorite dance films of all time.

PS: I forgot that I haven't watched Streetdance 3D yet :))

      And this movie's not that racist compared to The Last Airbender :P

*Disclaimer: the photos are not mine and are copyrighted to its respective owners.

Some Kickin' and Dancin'

     Just watched Step Up 2: The Streets a while ago and it hit me. The male lead role was actually the football goalie and Viola's (played by Amanda Bynes) ex-boyfriend Justin in She's The Man. The blond rugged hair, big eyes and sarcastic smile are what gave him away. Robert Hoffman.

     And it hit me again. Both male lead roles in She's The Man can actually dance. And both of them starred in the Step Up movie franchises. Channing Tatum, the guy who played Duke Orsino, was the male lead role in the first Step Up film.

      When I thought these guys have already impressed me with their football skills, they happen to have more up their sleeves.

She's The Man movie poster

Hoffman as Cornwall's Captain and Goalie

Tatum as Illyria's Captain and Striker

Step Up movie poster

Tatum as Tyler Gage, the rebel street dancer

Step Up 2: The Streets movie poster

Hoffman as the elite pro-turned-street dancer Chase Collins

     Football (but I'm used to calling it Soccer) and Dance. Well these are just some of the things I do aside from academics. Though I may not play and dance professionally (blame it on the acads :p), still it doesn't stop me from dancing when opportunity arises or from taking up Soccer as my Physical Education class for a semester. And I definitely prefer these two than hitting the gym. Some kickin' and dancin' can go a long way in helping you shape up and maintain your figure or even just simply keeping you healthy. There's just something with gyms that I find unappealing. Maybe it's just my own observation where most of the time guys do their own thing and with earphones plugged in their ears (no offense for those who go to the gym!) unless they have friends who work out with them (then THAT would be fun:D). Or maybe for the fact that gym exercises are too static for my taste -everything is just constrained, timed, counted, etc. Routines.

     In addition, I'm sure playing soccer and dancing has a lot to do with improving our hand-eye-body coordination than working out in the gym :))). It also lets us release our creative juices or work our brains out in all those choreographies and game strategies. Play a music and no two persons will dance to the beat alike. Observe a soccer match and you'll see something full of movement, contingencies and reflexes -which is definitely far from what you call static.

     These two are similar in a way. Soccer is just like ballet or any type of dance. It's about footwork. And when you think that you're competing with other people every time you dance or play ball, you're actually competing with yourself to give your best shot in the limited time you're given to showcase your talent.

     And that's the drive I'm looking for in which I couldn't just see in gyms :)

*photo credits to Yahoo! Movies.

JTA Musings 2: Once in my College Life

     The the day I knew I was accepted into the program, my thoughts were full the happy fact that dude, I'm going to study abroad. I'm excited at the idea of THE hell semester looming ahead, where I'm going to be struggling with 5 subjects with requirements that seem to have the same deadline. And I'm also excited of the idea of having my hell semester while I'm part of the core team of one of Ateneo's biggest events.

     "If I could pull this off, God what an ego booster!". Hahaha JK.

     The month of April was all about eagerness and anticipation. I'm excited to do my first homework. I'm excited to go to the first organization meeting. I'm excited to meet my fellow JTA coursemates. I'm treasuring every single moment of my JTA sem because I know that at moments like these, time just seems to be flying really fast.

     May is the gloomier one, and this is also the time where I start to panic a little because June's near ahead. The thought of turning 19 -Wow. Seems like yesterday I was just 18! But on the academics stuff, May is where we're starting to work on the first part of our group projects -and this was hard because we still got that not-really-doing-anything-much-yet hangover from April. And what delights bothers me is going to school when the regular semester has already ended -which means no human traffic HAHAHA especially in the SEC walk. :))

     June. Before I knew it, we're already halfway through the semester. @.@ And this is the first time in my entire life where I studied on the eve of my birthday! How cool is that. Really, when you're studying and too preoccupied with all those org and academic stuff, you can't help it but feel less excited than usual for your birthday. One year older? Ok, no big deal *back to philo readings*. BTW, at first I found it odd to be going to school with people around already. Hahaha May hangover :))

     July. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. HELL. This is the month where I'm almost already near to tears out of frustration. July is when I'm already expecting myself to breakdown any moment. July is the month when I bummed with Korean series the night before our final marketing pass because I seriously needed a break or else. Imagine going to the extent of telling yourself "This will all be worth it in the end" just to keep yourself going on and away from the thoughts of giving up. :)

     If I've started the sem with anticipation, I think I'm ending this one with hesitation. The day a friend of mine contacted me regarding joining this year's dance competition in September was the day I was forced to acknowledge the things/PEOPLE I will badly miss while I'm out there braving the Jang Geun Suk's homeland. Now I understand why some friends of mine prefer to forgo this opportunity despite being a once-in-your-college-life opportunity. Because in place of this you will also miss moments and people which could also happen once in your college life.

      Am I talking about backing out or regretting joining the program? No, and I really hope this would still be my answer by the time I get back in December. When I get there, I may be scared of opening my Facebook homepage and seeing tagged photos of my friends who are also having the time of their life with each other. I am also scared of losing my close friends: what if we will not be as close as before? Lastly, I'm scared of being homesick. No matter how many times our lecturer tell us that homesickness can now be cured with Skype and Facebook, I beg to disagree. Facebook, YM! and Skype, prove me wrong then! :)

      Go online [always while you can]. Write on their walls. BUZZ them. Send them emails. Give effort. Or else you might get used to the momentary life without them [which is not cool btw]. And they will get used to the few days without you.

      And I bet you don't want that.

Gaga Lovin'

I really love how Gaga's  voice always sounds better in live performances as compared to her music videos. And  I think her performances aren't complete without her playing the piano. Cool. I envy her talent.



And her choreography is just so catchy which makes you wanna learn it. Especially the Telephone and Alejandro dance :)

JTA Musings 1: Preserving my Sanity

     10 days to go till my 1st JTA semester ends.

     (cliche ahead) Seems like yesterday when my first day of JTA sem started and now here I am, struggling with the requirements from papers to presentations to long exams. Now I understand why JTA sem can be such a hell -juggling with four major subjects and one tough core subject! That's for the record. Yet as for my situation, pairing up JTA with Recruitment Week, well you could imagine fusing a week-long school event with your academics O.O But that's another story! I'll share it here next time [when I will finally have my free time back again, after this sem ends!]

     Back to JTA sem. I could still remember having a bet with my blockmate for whoever will breakdown first, loses. Haha. I personally pictured myself giving up on my requirements and just end up crying. But surprisingly, I haven't reached that level yet. Even during the Recruitment Week [which was my personal bet] when we would report to school 6am everyday (OMG that really was torture for me) and with all the piled-up quizzes and requirements which I temporarily neglected, I was still fine, I didn't breakdown.  Good for me! :)

     So here's a short list of what probably kept me sane these past few [hell yeah] months:

     KOREAN STUFF. I know some people would roll their eyes at me, thinking that Korean stuff is crap, listening to songs and watching dramas in a language which you yourself don't understand. Yes but what can I do I don't mind listening to songs which I can only comprehend a very few words and definitely I don't mind watching Korean series -duh that's why there's such thing as subtitles! Watching series like these really keep you sane especially when serious school stuff are eating you up and taking most of your free time. Though I felt guilty watching these stuff knowing that there's so much to do and so little time, I feel happy squeezing these stuff in my free time and I still manage to do everything on my checklist. So for this JTA sem, I'm proud to finish THREE dramas! :D

Personal Preference  

Another story with a gay theme haha

 

Full House

I love the Three Bears song! I shall learn it in Korean :D

My Girl

I think this is my favorite among the three :)

     So if you wanna know more about Korean dramas, click here and for online series, MySoju and Dramafans are my bestfriends.

      Also, Taeyang's smooth dance moves and sexy voice also did the trick and helped kept me sane -other way around? :). He's like Korea's Justin Timberlake, although he's short. Toinkz. And his performances tend to get a bit steamy to the level that one of his concerts was strictly off limits to minors :D

     Here's the music video of one of his songs. And the dance version is really worth embedding here :))

 --------------------------------------------

     FOOD. I've been eating quite a lot so I won't be surprised if someone will say that I've gained weight. I can't spare an hour for jogging or any other exercise.Not to mention that I'm an emotional eater. TSK. So screw those test results that made me eat happy food which are basically Korean ice cream ,chocolates, bananaque, Hong Kong stir-fried noodles, Wicked Oreos, frozen yogurt, burger, seafood and etc. :)

     FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I really think I'm screwing up my social life because of this semester and I'm pissed about it. I can't believe I'm postponing catching-up talks, hang-outs, whole day bonding 'till the 22nd! I'm such a bad friend and I really feel bad about it.  Still, weekly dinners and lunchtimes with friends, texts from my dad and wake-up calls from my mom are also one of the things that kept me sane this semester. Yeah!

     FACEBOOK. Of course.Seeing group photos where I'm tagged kind of comforts me from the screwing-up-my-social-life thing :D

     MOVIES. I'm looking forward to so many movies that I really can't wait to say goodbye to this stressful sem!

     SLEEP. Really I'm surprised that up to this time I'm still able to get enough sleep. I'm sure I'm not slacking off. Maybe sleepless nights was just an exaggeration? Or it could be overrated.. Or maybe I just couldn't hear my alarm no matter what. :)) 

     KOREA. Though this may not be my first choice, yet I'm really excited to go abroad that we even already made a partial list of the things to do when we're there :D :D So please, South Korea, don't fail me. just make friends with the North and everything's good.

     last but not the least ...

     PAUL THE OCTOPUS. I keep seeing the word 'octopus' or 'pusit' in my FB news feed that I can't help but google what's the fuss all about. Oh, it's about a psychic octopus of the World Cup. Coincidence or not, funny how this Octopus managed to be 100% accurate in his world cup predictions. Some critics say he's just a lazy octopus going for the box nearest to him. Yet some even say that Paul, just like other sea creatures, is going for the box with the flag attached to it that has the brightest colors (red, yellow, shades of orange, etc). Still, Paul gets death/dinner threats. :))Whatever. His predictions are as accurate as J. K. Rowling's Professor Trelawney. Paul's the New Nostradamus, haha. In the finals, Paul predicted Spain, yes the one with the box nearest to him and the tank and the one with the most striking flag. And guess what, Spain won. And Spain's flag with Paul the King is a winner :)) Congratulations, Spaniards! and special mention to Andres Iniesta, the guy who kicked the ball towards Spain's victory :)

Paul, the Unofficial King of Spain

    2 minutes 'till 3am and I still haven't started on my Final Philo paper which is due 3 days later. And I still haven't studied for my Orals too. And I still haven't touched my Finance book. Really, I should just click the 'Save Now' button and time to go back to reality. No use escaping from it, and I have to wake up 5 hours later for our mock presentation practice! For what it's worth, I think this year is gonna be a good one. *crossed fingers* I really can't wait to cross out all the days in my countdown till 22! So Ingrid, Basyah! Aja Aja! Korea here I come! :)

* photo credits to dramafans.org and koreandrama.org and Yahoo Sports