Here goes...

One would think that after over two decades of experience producing hundreds of movies great and small, Regal Films would have gotten its act together as a shining example of project management in filmmaking and promotion. Still, audiences had to wait for nearly five hours for the Zaturnnah movie to start. The ticket said 7:00 pm, and normally the projector would roll at around 8:30 pm. But no... the film started at close to midnight.

I don't mind waiting. I really don't. I've waited for people for hours on end, and people have waited for me in turn. What I don't appreciate is not being informed properly. If I had known earlier about the complications (word has it that the MTRCB was still screening the film at 7:00pm), then I could have had dinner, explained to my guests about the delay, prevented my mom from standing for four hours, and watched another movie. Or, I could have gone back to the Summit office and laid-out some articles. I would have been okay.

Since no one thought of at least texting me about the hitches, I did my own texting to someone from Regal. It was already 10:30pm, and it was also only then that I found out that there were "print problems" and that the movie would start close to midnight. Yeah, thanks for the early heads up.

Because I was already royally pissed, I left the movie theater before the ending credits rolled, and didn't bother attending the post-screening back-patting at Italianni's.

So the Cinema Evaluation Board gave the Zaturnnah movie an A grade, meaning that Regal benefits from a 100% tax rebate. That's great: maybe they could use the extra money to enroll in a project management course.

With that out of the way...

Leaning against the wall underneath the lighted fire-exit sign at the right side of the theater, I watched the movie in a foul mood, which called to the fore my bitch-critic mode. No, I didn't take the seat reserved for me. You would do the same if you were in my shoes.

(semi-spoilers ahead)

Pacing and rhythm were loose and skippy in places, and the editing could have been tighter. Fight scenes were passable, but the martial arts sequences were too short. The tail-end of the Climactic Tussle wasn't as climactic as I had hoped. Special effects seesawed between impressive and "eh?"

The cast was good. Rustom Padilla deserves at least a nomination in all the award-giving bodies. Zsazsa Padilla was being true-to-form as a versatile actress, though I was hoping she'd reflect bits of Rustom's manner. (Zaturnnah, after all, is Ada trapped in a woman's body.) Pops Fernandez was a pleasant surprise, except those few times Queen Femina makes pakyut. Alfred Vargas did his job well. Chokoleit had a good number of funny moments.

I heard that the audience during the "premiere morning" enjoyed the film, and were screaming "part two!" Yes, I think the general movie-going public will find a lot to like in the Zaturnnah film. And I think it's going to make money.

Question is, will there be a part two?

Comments

decorator said…
i have to say... i super admire mommy! super gracious!

carl... f course there will be a part 2...


please! i beg!
Susana Baylon said…
oo nga super late nag-start ang premiere, i was there as early as 7PM, but it was worth the wait. =)

vince's music was good. sana mag-release ng soundtrack.

chokoleit was fabulous as didi!
Anonymous said…
A PART TWO!?

NO-WAY-JO-SE!. Unless you flesh out a second part yourself in print Sir Carver. I don't want to see the series mutilated as it is. ;_;

(I want mah Queen Femina bitching in ENGLISH GADDAMIT SAMMABITS!! )yncex
haaaay was there and i share the frustration! actually nag-walk out ako after 4 hours of waiting.

kaazar! for this premiere night, zsasa zemplangz!
Closet Queer said…
First time to discover your blog (thanks to Migs). An admirer of your work I was looking forward to this until one disappointment after another.

Maybe I'll see this. Maybe I'll just watch ze musical again.

I'm starved for a good graphic novel. (I'm a newbie at this) Any recommednations?
vincedejesus said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
vincedejesus said…
Negotiations with Regal regarding the cd didn't go well... that's why there won't be a movie soundtrack :-(

But the ZSAZSA ZATURNNAH ZE MUZIKAL CD (enhanced and remastered) will be commercially released soon. YES! Thanks to M2K Music Licensing, Ballyhoo Records will distribute/release it in January 2007 and will be available in all record bars and even ONLINE!!! Oh, di ba?
Anonymous said…
deco... syempre may part 2. :-) Papatayin mo ako kapag wala.

susana... glad you liked it. :-)

mopz... let's see what happens. I hope my story will be worth the wait. :-)

migs... yeah, vince told me all about your experience. :-)

closet queer... really depends what you're into. For Pinoy graphic novels, Arnold Arre's Mythology Class and After Eden are good starts.
amenicman said…
Saw the movie! I just thought that there were some scenes that was hilarious in the graphic novel,the muzikal- and the early script drafts that just fell on the movie. Sayang. For one,the scene where Femina swallowed the stone and the amazonistas thought that she was playing charades came by na parang dinaan lang . Vince music was one of the best elements of the film( which was a lift from the musical,anyway)Pops,Rustom were great as well- MM
Anonymous said…
MM... hello! I hope you had a great Christmas! I agree--execution of some sequences could have been worked on more thoroughly, one being the climax! :-) I have a few ideas about how I'd like them to visually turn out (and I'm sure you do, too ;-) ) but, well... done deal. People seem to be enjoying the movie, nevertheless, judging from the two times I saw it.

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