Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Something old, something new

My hard disk and Creative Zen are stacked with movies like The Kite Runner, Across the Universe, No Country for Old Men, The Great Debaters and old pinoy must-sees such as Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang and Batch 81. Yet, I haven’t seem to find the urge to really watch them.

Instead, for the past few days or weeks even, I was contended to re-watch films and TV series episodes that I’ve seen many times over. It’s one of my sometimes irritating eccentricities but that’s me.

Listening to the same dialogues I’ve heard before and even memorized, looking at the same scenes I’ve already seen, and knowing exactly what will happen next is kinda comforting.

Maybe that’s it. There’s something comforting about old stuff. It’s familiar, it’s easy and it’s already there. But yes, there are times when we really have to embrace the new.

This was what Shelter – a movie I accidentally watched – was all about for me.

The plot of the film was simple: Zach is a poor boy living with his sister and his nephew. He loves them so much and takes his responsibility to them seriously that he’s torn between staying with them and following his dream of becoming an artist. For a time, he has chosen the former.

Until Shaun came along and made the situation more complicated.

Shelter is said to be a gay film. Indeed, it has gay characters, it has a gay coming out subplot, it has a sweet and hot love scene and it does show half-naked bods (surfers!). But it goes beyond gay themes.

The word “shelter” gives an image of a safe haven. But it is bound to happen that we have to go out and face the unfamiliar, the uncomfortable and the difficult. For the familiar, comfortable and easy are not what life is really all about.

When Zach finally chose to pursue art school and at the same time embraced his homosexuality, it was liberating. And sweet.

The prospect is scary but the rewards may be great. The tricky part though is that it is not a breeze to do it. Always, it is not a case where we can just pack our bags, leave most things behind and start afresh.

The even trickier part is to embrace what’s new without totally letting the old one go. When we embark on the new, we also take what we can of the old for it is not always bad the same thing as the new is not always good.

I may like to watch the same films, see the same episodes, read the same books, and live the same life day in and day out. But there’s always something new that comes along that is pleasant, worthwhile and, yes, liberating when I grab it by the balls.

Oh yeah, the film’s soundtrack is also cool. It’s something new that I fully intend to look for, get and put together with the old stuff I have.

17 comments:

Port Moresby Diarist said...

...date the same boys?

... said...

i like to watch that movie. i think i can relate. i have given up my dreams 8years ago for my family. i'm not happy pero kuntento na ako. ='(

Dabo said...

ei.. dude taga bulacan ako eh hehehe

mababait lang sa akin ang mga taga batangas.. yung fave friend ko na si liz, nasa dubai ngayon ay taga balayan.. at kakilala ko na buong pamilya nun.. si mink taga batangas din.. si mama rose na nasa singaporetaga mabini naman.. yung former boss ko na super bait sa akin nasa sydney taga batangas din..

hala..now it made me realize.. lahat sila nasa abroad...

Dabo said...

you know what gripen told me about shelter last monday and he told me he loves it.. that i should watch it..

--- --


anyway to comment on the post.. to consolidate everything you said..without you claiming it.. you are simply sentimental.

cheers!

MANDAYA MOORE: Ang bayot sa bukid said...

may nabili akong shelter sa pirata weeks ago. di ko pa napapanood. nabusy ako sa gossip girl. hehehe

Gayzha said...

This sounds enchanting :)

Wilberchie said...

parang lyk ko atang iwatch yan!

Anonymous said...

@port: I wish na totoo kahit yung first word man lang... hehe
@mel: do so. there's always room for change.
@dabo: nyak. kala ko pa naman kabayan. hehe. i am sentimental. but i usually know when to let go. ;)
@mandaya: mahilig ka sa pirata? hehe. hindi pa rin napapanood ang gossip girl ... later project!
@gayzha: it is!
@wilberchie: do so. ;)

[G] said...

kasama ba ito sa collection na makukuha ko next week? throw in the old porns as well. chos!

KRIS JASPER said...

"embrace what’s new without totally letting the old one go."

nice line.... it's like holding on to old routines, but really curious to experience new things.

PrincheCHA Fiona said...

paguwe mo paheram! :p ahihihihi

wanderingcommuter said...

you really made the film really interesting to watch, its a must see then... sige hahanapin ko na din...

just in case, pampadagdag ng burden mo, try looking for bangkok love story, formula17, no regret at beautiful thing---all with the same genre. hahahaha!!!

Anonymous said...

@gibo: pag-iisipan ko. wala akong old porn. puro contemporary art. charot!
@kris: exciting pag ganun... hehe
@fiona: sure! feeling ko isa sya sa films na magtatagal sa hard disk ko. hehe
@wandering: haha. dagdagan pa talaga. i've seen formula 17 and beautiful thing...;)

Turismoboi said...

san ko makukuha ang movie na to?

the boomerang kid said...

i got the dvd from my friendly neighborhood (pirated) dvd shop weeks ago. managed to watch it last weekend lang and i was pleasantly surprised because it's an extremely enjoyable little film. loved the story, the soundtrack, and the actors. very tender and sensitive, saw it twice again and the effect did not dissipate.

i first saw the actor who played shaun in wasteland (if i remember the title correctly), kevin williamson's not-so-successful follow-up to dawson's creek.

Anonymous said...

i miss everything about the 90s. nung 90s wala pa masyado gay movies which made it more exciting to watch them during that decade.

Anonymous said...

hmmm... i've seen this dvd in makati cinema square several times and i snubbed it. i think i'll get a copy on my next trip. thanks for the reviews