For your viewing pleasure

Weeks before Lent, I watched an old movie on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). It was the silent movie version about Ben Hur which was made in 1925. It starred silent movie actor Ramon Novarro as Ben Hur and Francis Bushman as Messala. The actors of the 1925 movie over reacted in today’s standards because to be able to communicate their emotions they had to contort their faces, open their mouths too wide, exaggerate body movements, sway their arms and kick their legs in bigger strokes. The 1925 Ben Hur utilized more than 100,000 people as extras and had a production cost of $4-M, an astronomical figure in those days. The production did not make money but some consider it as one of the best movies of all time.

I have seen Charlton Heston’s version of Ben Hur a number of times. It opened in theaters in 1959 and is one of the most popular and most viewed during the Holy Week. But I must admit I was fascinated by the silent version. Even without sound, the film was riveting. Camera shots and angles were much ahead of its time. Particularly riveting was the chariot scene where Ben Hur and Messala were engaged in a chariot duel.

I read somewhere that the 1959 remake of the movie even copied some shots of the silent version! Some people insist that in Charlton Heston’s Ben Hur, the chariot scene looked similar. The 1959 version of Ben Hur won 11 Oscars, the same number of trophies Titanic won in 1997. Ben Hur is just one of the many old, classic movies shown on TCM. I have also had a glimpse of the Wizard of Oz, National Velvet, Splendour in the Grass, among others. And I just love the glamour of Hollywood of the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s – the coiffed hairdos, the fashionable hats they wore, the hand gloves which made actresses look regal.

TCM is one of the channels offered by SkyCable, the country’s leading cable TV provider. SkyCable has something new and different for its subscribers.

I also like watching Travel and Living. My favorite programs include Jamie Oliver’s cooking show, Frank Floyd’s and of course, Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain is suave, good-looking and could pass for a movie star. He’s got class. And he defines style as having no reservations which is the title of his new show.

On the other hand, Frank Floyd is on the very rustic side. Once I saw an episode of Frank Floyd set in Africa and he was there roasting a whole pig. To us, cooking a whole swine is lechon and it is the centerpiece of every table during fiestas. But Floyd cooked the hapless pig upside down and burned the whole thing. He fed the roasted pig to some African tribes who amusedly watched him.

Floyd should see how Warays or Batangueños cook their lechon painstakingly. It is a very long process. It takes almost two to four hours to roast a lechon. And you have to do it in very slow flame while basting it with water. I wish to invite Frank Floyd to come and visit the Philippines and sample our lechon and he can even join the lechon parade in Batangas.

"SkyCable gives you the best of everything. SkyCable gives you the channels that are not in your neighborhood," says Arlene Torres, head communications, SkyCable.

SkyCable offers three different packages: SkyCable Silver, Gold and Platinum. SkyCable Platinum is the country’s first digital cable TV package and consists of first-rate, never before seen channels. Two premium platinum packages are initially available: Metro Pack and HBO Pak.

Metro Pack has four Discovery Channels (Real Time, Travel and Living, Home Health and Science) and two kiddie channels (Playhouse and Boomerang). Aside from these are the new channels (Wine TV, CNN Headline News). With 20 additional channels, the Metro Pack is sure to have the right mix of programming for your varied and discriminating tastes.

HBO Pak is for the movie fanatic in you. It has three additional HBO movie channels namely HBO Hits, HBO Signature and HBO Family. Because it’s digital, subscribers can enjoy crisper video reception, increased channel surfing flexibility, on screen program schedule and description through the Electronic Program Guide. It also has parental control functions so parents can lock certain channels to prevent young ones from viewing them.

If you notice certain interruptions in what you are viewing on cable TV, chances are you are not on SkyCable.