Playing catch up

I'm back. I'm so sorry for the long absence; I'd been pulled away by, as the book The Little Prince calls it, matters of consequence. But I'm reviving the child in me now and setting the adult aside, so I'm recommitting to my passions, one of which is writing for you. Yes, you.

So, how have I been doing lately, entertainment-wise?

GAME OF THRONES

I've mentioned my being hooked on Game of Thrones in the more recent past. I'm done reading Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. I'm resting my eyes before I go deeper into A Storm of Swords.

Actually, that's not true. The real reason for the pause is that someone told me her husband wanted to punch someone while reading A Storm of Swords. And that he wanted to stomp on his copy of A Feast For Crows. Too much emotion for me.

I'm happy, though, that Peter Dinklage, the actor who plays the "dwarf" Tyrion Lannister, won an Emmy in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. It's not easy for fantasy series to bag a major award.

True Blood

I'm still also into True Blood, which recently wrapped up Season 4. I haven't seen the final episode yet, but this season just put the last nail in the coffin for me, as far as watching Twilight is concerned. Alcide, the werewolf character, has a bigger role this time, and if you thought Jacob was hotter than Edward, Alcide is hotter than, well, hot.

There was a lot of reasons to envy Sookie this time around, and I can name them for you: Bill, Eric and Alcide. Season 4 was for Team Eric. Though I haven't watched the season finale yet, I can say Team Eric is mighty satisfied.

Zombadings: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington

This is a must-see. If you are complaining about the lack of good Filipino films and you haven't seen this one, you will have zero credibility, at least with me. And maybe among my friends.

Not only is Zombadings a whole lot of fun, it's also a smart film that bravely tackles gender intolerance. The people behind it, Raymond Lee (producer and screenwriter), Michiko Yamamoto (screenwriter) and Jade Castro (director and screenwriter), managed to pull off putting together populist entertainment and an empowering message.

If you haven't watched it yet and you can still catch it, stay until the end of the credits.

And Other Things To Look Forward To

Dexter didn't bag an Emmy this time around, and people point to Season 5 as the one that wasn't as good as the others. I enjoyed Julia Stile's guest role, but yeah, Dexter wasn't the Dexter I loved. Season 6 is coming up, though, and teasers have been saying he's back to his old self. Episode 1 of Season 6 is airing on October 2.

The Walking Dead ended in a major cliffhanger. I don't know when it will air yet, or if it will have more than 10 episodes this time around, but it is coming for sure this year. And because we've already entered the -ber months, that's not a long wait!

Jason Mraz in concert. In October 30. In Araneta Center. He is so single and I am so going.

And, Mamma Mia! The fabulous musical on which the Meryl Streep film was based is gracing the Cultural Center of the Philippines in January and February 2012. The official run of Mamma Mia! starts on January 24, 2012 at the CCP Main Theater.

Things Are Looking Up, Indeed

What about you, what have you been watching and what are you looking forward to? Let's start talking again.

Email your comments to [email protected]. You can also visit my personal blog at http://althearicardo.blogspot.com. You can text your comments again to (63)917-9164421.