All Posts By

Jay E. Tria

Movie Review

Review: Secretly, Greatly

The 2013 massive hit Secretly, Greatly tells the story of three North Korean spies sent to a small town in South Korea as sleeper agents, waiting for the call of their mission towards the reunification of Korea. One is a ruthless, genius lieutenant decoying as the village idiot, the second is the general’s son playing a wanna-be rock star, while the third is an ambitious young soldier posing as a high school student. Superstar Kim Soo Hyun leads the cast, and that usually is enough motivation for most to hit play. Let’s break it down.

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Movie Review

Review: Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno

Kenshin Himura sets the silver screen ablaze again.

Forgive the pun. Can’t help it. That statement was one of the many things scrambling about inside my head after 2+ hours of glorious samurai legend story telling. The second installment of this much-awaited three-part saga, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno delivered exactly what its predecessor promised, plus more tricks and twists care of director Keishi Otomo‘s artistic madness.

Let’s break it down. Continue Reading

Tourism

Things to Do on a Budget Trip to Singapore

My July Singapore trip was one of the most spur-of-the-moment trips I’ve taken (right after that random win for a free Shanghai trip), and since it was unplanned, my wallet was not ready either. A tricky situation to manage, specially with Singapore being a  notoriously expensive destination. Still with a lot of DIY-ing, a heavy dose of OC research and planning, and discipline to match the wanderlust enthusiasm, I was able to accomplish Singapore-on-a-budget! How? Read on.

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Movie Review

Review: Begin Again

It’s the kind of movie that gets me out of my couch and into a theater because it promises a handful of my favorite things – genuine music, quirky sundresses, Keira Knightley, Adam Levine, and Mark Ruffalo. I bought my ticket expecting a standard romcom, and my sister was quick to note that such low expectations are what made this film work for us. But I think that’s too crude an observation. Begin Again, though nothing legendary, is charming and honest, much like its awesome soundtrack.

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Movie Review

Review: Kisaragi

The 2007 Japanese film hit Kisaragi has been on my to-watch list for far too long. I’ve actually seen nearly the entire film on Youtube, only for the video to be cut about thirty minutes into the ending. Convenient. Years later, that elusive ending is finally mine. Thus, a review. Continue Reading