Ever since his starring role in
the drama series “Something in the Rain” in 2018, Jung Hae-in has been hailed
in South Korean pop culture as the country’s “Younger Boyfriend,” in reference
to his role as the paramour to an older woman. Despite his own reservations on
the connotations, Jung is now one of the latest stars of the Hallyu, or K-pop
culture wave. And thanks to “Something in the Rain” having aired in ABS-CBN’s
free-to-air Asianovela Channel since July, he has a sizable Filipino fandom
too. They certainly came out in force for Jung’s fan meet tour last Saturday.
Monday, September 30, 2019
RUBY ROSE Reveals Near-Crippling INJURY Sustained Shooting “BATWOMAN” for THE CW
Major comic book franchise fans
can be very opinionated when it comes to who might be cast to portray their
characters from print to screen, especially if it is live-action. Thus, the
furor regarding the casting of Australian model-actress Ruby Rose as “Batwoman”
on The CW has been quite notable. While Rose is already established to TV
audiences recently for her prominent role in “Orange is the New Black” on
Netflix, her taking on the role of Bruce Wayne’s crime-fighting cousin has been
bogged down by the feminist-leaning promotion of her series. But the physical toll
of being Batwoman became apparent with Rose’s revelation of a recent stunt work
accident.
CONGRESS Representative Files “ANTI-IMPORT” BILL for Philippine Collegiate BASKETBALL Leagues
One notable facet of organized
competitive basketball in the Philippines, from the collegiate leagues to the
pros in the PBA, is the prominence of “imports,” foreigner players signed on to
teams for a season or two to bolster their manpower against opposing squads.
While celebrated at times for helping favored teams to many victories, imports
also get perceived as crutches at best, or statistical hogs at worst. A member
of the 18th Congress would go so far as to say that over-reliance on
imports may have led to the humiliation of Gilas Pilipinas at the recent FIBA
Basketball World Cup, and is pushing for prohibiting them at the collegiate
level.
Memorable “KARATE KID” Supporting Actor ROB GARRISON Dead at 59
1:31 AM
Cobra Kai, Rob Garrison, The Karate Kid, Tom Hurwitz, William Zabka, YouTube Premium
No comments
Fans of the iconic 1984 martial
arts film “The Karate Kid” who can identify more members of the bullying Cobra
Kai karate dojo than just the primary antagonist Johnny (William Zabka) will
probably remember Tommy. Played by Rob Garrison, he is easily recognized for
his taunt about putting main character Daniel (Ralph Macchio) “in a body bag.”
When Garrison reprised his role years later for YouTube Red’s “Cobra Kai”
sequel series, franchise fans got a chuckle when his character, suffering from
a terminal illness, dies and gets put in the body bag himself. That scene
becomes more somber with news that the actor himself has passed away in real
life.
PIOLO and CLAUDINE Co-Starring in Upcoming MOVIE after 15 YEARS
When one has to rattle off a list
of names of several major talents on ABS-CBN, one of them would have to be
versatile star of TV, film and music, Piolo Pascual himself. After all, he was
pretty much a fixture of plenty of Kapamilya-produced primetime tele-seryes and
films over the past few years, though the most recent work he had done in that
field were two films and a four-month TV drama all in 2018. Aside from showing
up at the ABS-CBN Ball this year, Piolo has not been in any recent network
productions, though that will soon change.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
FIRST AIRPORT in CHINA CLOSED After 109 YEARS of Service
Whenever a public utility
institution that has been a fixture of any given local shuts down, it is sure
to invite a lot of people dropping by if only to see the old place go. One
particular example would be transport hubs like airports. The 1998 closure of
the old Hong Kong International Airport in Kai Tak drew quite the nostalgic
crowd for the former air hub that was immortalized for its Runway 13 landing
approach passing low over Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. Last week another
international airport, this time on the Chinese mainland, also memorably shut
its doors on over a century of service.
ELAINE DURAN Sings BASIL to Win “TAWAG NG TANGHALAN” S3
There are certain local television
shows that can be said to stand the test of time. One of them would have to be
the amateur singing competition “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” first aired in 1953 on
the channel now known as ABS-CBN, until it ceased operations at the start of
Martial Law in 1972. In 1987 the show experienced a brief one-year revival
until 1988, but is now a TV viewing staple again since 2016, as a major segment
of the Kapamilya network’s noontime variety show “It’s Showtime.” Said
iteration just concluded its third season last Saturday after a fifteen-month
run, with a singer from Mindanao being named the Grand Champion.
MARVEL and SONY RECONCILE Over “SPIDER-MAN;” Collaborating Again, SOLO and MCU
It does not take a dedicated
Marvel fan to know that Spider-Man is one of the superhero comic-book brand’s
premier super-characters, the way Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are to
Marvel’s rival DC. Over the years, the interpretation of Spider-Man on film was
shouldered by Sony Pictures, to which Marvel sold the film rights in the
previous decades. Following the consolidation of Marvel movies under Disney’s
Marvel Studios, an agreement was made with Sony to share Spider-Man, with Sony
getting the box office and Disney-Marvel Studios getting the merchandising and inclusion
of the character in the MCU. However this deal was broken in August, leading to
the studios parting ways.
Monday, September 23, 2019
UK Tour Operator THOMAS COOK Goes Under; Tourist Customers STRANDED
In 1841 a British cabinet-maker
named Thomas Cook began offering excursions by rail to groups of travelers,
first with campaigners of the temperance movement and eventually tourists. From
this unassuming start grew the tourism travel and hospitality company Thomas
Cook, seeing the boom of mass tourist travel through the late 19th
and 20th Centuries. The agency would change hands several times,
from nationalization, to ownership by banking consortiums and eventually a 2007
merger with MyTravel Group, becoming Thomas Cook Group plc. Unfortunately the
company also became an example of how even a famous brand can fail, when TCG
went defunct and utterly collapsed this Monday.
BATMAN DAY, Celebrating 80 YEARS of DC Comics Superhero, Commemorated by WORLDWIDE SIGNAL LIGHTING Relay
Nobody is quite sure why it is
celebrated on the third day of September, when the notable date would have to
be in May when the characters debut comic book issue came out. But all the
same, Saturday this past weekend was commemorated as “Batman Day” by superhero
comic book fans not just in the US but around the world. This particular
celebration was a milestone in itself, seeing as the Batman character debuted in
the pages of “Detective Comics” issue 27 back in 1939, or a full 80 years ago.
That momentous occasion must be why Batman Day 2019 was more epic than usual.
JAMES REID Becomes INDEPENDENT Artist But Will Remain with ABS-CBN
For Philippine showbiz
aficionados who want to fandom over a good-looking half-Filipino half-foreigner
star of TV and film, one of the top picks would have to be Filipino-Australian
actor-singer James Reid. He has certainly come far from his debut as a housemate
on ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash 2010,” and from there he has become
one of the biggest young stars drawing followers to the Kapamilya network, be
it shows, movies or his song albums. Recently James has undergone some changes in
his management that fueled rumors of a possible network change from ABS-CBN to
GMA7. He is quick to shoot that speculation down.
PRIMETIME EMMYS Bid “GAME OF THRONES” Goodbye with Concluding Awards
From its premiere on HBO close to
a decade ago, in 2011, “Game of Thrones” has been primed and promoted to be a
strong contender for television programming accolades. And the medieval fantasy
series, created by D.B Weiss and Dave Benioff based on the books of George R.
R. Martin, did not disappoint its mother network. It went to double-digit
nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards from its first season, and scored some
impressive multiple wins over the years. This Sunday, the 71st
Primetime Emmys would finally give its last awards to the show that concluded
in May this year; while fewer in number now, they remain very notable
achievements.
TIM COACH is GILAS COACH Only for 2019 SEA GAMES
The Philippine Men’s National Basketball
Team, Gilas Pilipinas, has not had the best year in recent memory this 2019.
While it managed to get into the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, its campaign
was riddle with bad luck, facing against high-tier national teams and falling
to mid-tier opponents as well. It also burned through two coaches in the
process. Chot Reyes was suspended during the qualification phase due to the
court brawl between Gilas and Australia. His replacement, Yeng Guiao, held himself
responsible for the squad placing last in the tournament and retired in the
aftermath. Another coach must now step up for Gilas.
SAMSUNG Urges GALAXY FOLD Users to EXERCISE CARE in Video
Early this month, Samsung proved
true to its word when they said that their most ambitious product yet, a
foldable smartphone-tablet hybrid device, would finally be released after its
abortive original date. Formerly scheduled for April, the Galaxy Fold phone
proved to have a fragile constitution, at least when tech reviewers found their
advance units suffering from easy breakdowns in the folding hinge, the
touchscreen, the works. The Korean electronics giant postponed pre-orders and release
while they worked on fixing the shortcomings. By July they were confident in
the revamp to announce the Galaxy Fold for September 6. While the problematic
issues were addressed, the device still proved rather fragile.
ARJO ATAYDE Praised for “NUANCED” AUTISTIC ACTING in “GENERAL’S DAUGHTER”
12:01 AM
ABS-CBN, Arjo Atayde, Autistic Society of the Philippines, Entertainment, The General's Daughter
No comments
While “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” still
remains the king in the lineup of ABS-CBN’s primetime tele-serye, the other
shows that follow it on weekday mornings are no slouch either. Immediately
following the police drama is a military thriller involving a rogue general’s
obsessive ambition with installing himself as a national tyrant, and the
efforts of the disgraced army officer whom he raised as a false daughter, to
stop him.
“The General’s Daughter” starring
Angel Locsin is two weeks away from finishing, but the high stakes have got
viewers riveted and emotional. One massive tearjerker in these home-stretched
episodes has been the death of two supporting characters, one of which along
with the actor is now being lauded for positive autistic portrayal.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
TOM WELLING is CLARK KENT Post-“SMALLVILLE” in The CW’s “CRISIS”
9:40 PM
Arrow, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Entertainment, Smallville, The CW, Tom Welling
No comments
As DC Comics rolled with the
world into the 1980s their top creative teams decided that it was time to pare
down the label’s numerous alternate versions of characters in similar yet different
settings – the multiverse concept – and establish a single uniform universal
timeline. This was the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” limited series of 85-85,
which featured some incredible alternates of the same iconic characters.
This storyline is what The CW is
trying to replicate, on a more grounded scale, with their “Arrow-verse” shows.
Thus far, they have stars from sources as diverse as the campy 1966 “Batman”
series and the middling 2006 “homage sequel” “Superman Returns.” But last
weekend the network scored a jackpot.
Friday, September 20, 2019
AIRBNB Offering IPO Next Year
There is quite the number of
stories regarding big companies today that started out only through the initial
efforts of a handful of people. Over a decade ago, two working roommates advertised
their apartment living room, turned into a bed-and-breakfast, via a website
designed by their tech partner. From this humble beginning was born Airbnb,
more often than not the place to go online for simple and reasonably affordable
homestay lodging or tourist experiences. The San Francisco-based company has
grown and expanded all these 11 years since, doing so as a privately-held
company. But that is soon about to change.
Indie Film “VERDICT” is Philippine FOREIGN OSCAR Bet for 2020
3:19 AM
2019 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, 92nd Academy Awards, Film Academy of the Philippines, Lifestyle, Verdict
No comments
The 2019 Pista ng Pelikulang
Pilipino ended just this Thursday, September 19 after a week of showcasing
another fresh crop of films from the country’s rising independent filmmakers.
One of the indie movies shown there, while not one of the official entries,
just received a great honor along with a greater responsibility. “Verdict” from
CenterStage Productions got a limited screening at the PPP, as it was already
an entry for two earlier international film festivals namely Toronto and Venice,
the latter of which awarded it a special jury prize. Next, “Verdict” is going
to the US as the country’s official bid for an Oscar Award.
BTS Fans Petition KOREAN Defense Ministry to Keep Group TOGETHER During their Upcoming COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE
For dedicated fans of Korean pop
culture and its many performers, particularly the good-looking heartthrob
males, from actors to idols to boy bands, there is always that dark shadow
hanging over everyone’s adulation of the K-showbiz guys. That is the two-year mandatory
military service required for all able-bodied South Korean men (and something women
could volunteer for). It is a necessary burden that makes all males in South
Korea equal, and something nearly impossible to receive exemption for. A number
of K-Pop groups have had to part ways as its members get called to report for
duty. Even international Korean sensation BTS is not exempt.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
2017 Indie Rom-Com "KITA KITA" Getting INDONESIAN Remake Premiering OCTOBER
11:32 PM
Cita Itu Buta, Entertainment, Indonesia, Kita Kita, MM2 Entertainment, Movies, Remake, Viva Films
No comments
Two years ago, there was a really
nice romantic comedy feature brought out by Viva Films and Spring Films starring
Alessandra Da Rossi and Empoy Marquez. “Kita Kita” had the distinction of first
premiering outside the Philippines in Osaka, Japan, due to the story being set
in the country recounting the love life tribulations of two Filipinos residing there.
It was a favorably reviewed film but a modest sleeper hit for 2017, having been
moved then from its original planned inclusion in the 2016 MMFF. For those who
have actually watched it, they might be pleased to know that it is getting a foreign
remake.
SEGA GENESIS MINI Retro Gaming Console Now RELEASING this FRIDAY
The statement “everything old is
new again” got an additional context a few years ago with a trend that is
sweeping the home videogame console market.
It started when Nintendo, one of the current three pillars of the
console gaming industry, released a “Classic Mini” version of its legendary NES
console in 2016, loaded with a selection of popular 8-bit titles for nostalgic
gamers. Since then it has followed up with a Mini take on its SNES console,
which other companies like Sony and SNK have tried to replicate. And then there
is Sega, taking the plunge to relive its console-making glory days with the
Sega Genesis Mini, released Thursday.
“BREAKING BAD” Getting MOVIE “EL CAMINO” on NETFLIX, Limited THEATERS
4:44 PM
Aaron Paul, AMC, Breaking Bad, El Camino, Entertainment, Netflix, Sony Pictures Television, streaming, Vince Gilligan
No comments
AMC has always been one for
gracing its audiences with hard-hitting shows. From the struggles of human society
to remain civilized in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, to the evolution of an
ordinary academic into a life-destroying monster, they certainly got the right
blend of action and character drama going for fans. That latter series, “Breaking
Bad,” lasted five seasons on AMC and Netflix, and ended back in 2013, but it
still has a good grip on the imagination of viewers, who might have wondered
what happened to Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) following the death of his high
school teacher-turned-drug-lord boss. A surprise reveal by Netflix tells us
what.
"Boutique" Airline SKYJET Gets New 25-YEAR FRANCHISE Signed by President
In 2012 an air charter company
that ferried tourist travelers between Manila and Batanes was granted an air
operator’s license to upgrade itself into a formal domestic commercial airline.
Thus, Magnum Air Inc. became known as SKYJET Airlines, a “boutique” local air
carrier providing quick links from their hub at the NAIA to top island
destinations such as Batanes, Camiguin and Palawan (two airports). SKYJET has
even attempted to open an overseas route connecting to Taiwan in 2014, but
cancelled following aircraft anomalies on the maiden flight before it could
depart. Five years later the airline is
ready to go international again, armed with a franchise signed by the
President.
NBCUNIVERSAL Unveils “PEACOCK” Streaming Service
Where digital streaming media
online is concerned, the time of universality in terms of source platforms is
fading into the twilight. In its place is a period where all media providers
that could, would put all their online content in their own exclusive services.
Disney, Warner Media, CBS and the like are all taking steps to separate their
respective libraries and force binge-watchers to stick to ideally one. In
response, the former “universal” streaming services must develop their own
exclusive original content to compensate for what has been pulled. NBCUniversal
is following suit with its own platform, the name of which has now been
revealed.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
PACQUIAO Told to FIGHT MAYWEATHER OR RETIRE ALREADY by ARUM
It is now close to two months
since Manny Pacquiao, serving Philippine Senator, celebrated one-time
eight-division world champion boxer, and pride of the Filipino, defeated
American Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past July. For casual
followers of Pacquiao that sounds like routine news, though the victory was by
split decision and not one of the overwhelming KOs the Pambansang Kamao was
famous for. Observers might attribute that to age; Manny is 40 going on 41.
That is also the factor that longtime Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum is pointing
out with his latest challenge to the Pac-Man.
“PRINCESS BRIDE” REMAKE Rumors Upset Fandom, But were Apparently DEBUNKED
The 1987 film from 20th
Century Fox, based on the screenwriter’s own 1973 fantasy novel, may have had
an average box office run despite good critic reviews. But in the decades that
followed “The Princess Bride” became a cult classic and fountain of internet
memes, regarded highly by fans and already preserved in the National Film
Registry. So when a Sony Pictures executive interviewed for a profile on the
movie’s producer dropped hints at a possible “Princess Bride” remake, the
original cast and the internet went off on a meme and catchphrase-laden online
campaign, only mollified later when it was revealed the remake prospects were
just talk and not concrete.
AMAZON TV’s “LORD OF THE RINGS” Spinoff Series Returning to NEW ZEALAND for Location Shooting
6:19 AM
Amazon TV, Entertainment, New Line Television, New Zealand, The Lord of the Rings
No comments
Back in the first decade of the
21st Century, New Zealand had plenty to show off about. After all,
it was Middle Earth, or so goes their tourism promotions at the time, to cash
in on the hype of New Line Cinema and Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy,
which was shot on location there. The natural locations were breathtaking, and
some of the constructed locales for the film have remained as permanent
attractions. When Amazon announced its plans for a “Lord of the Rings”
streaming series, fans were apprehensive at the news…until the company declared
that they returned to Middle Earth for production.
SMHC Announces New BULACAN AIRPORT to BREAK GROUND this December
Somebody only has to visit the
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the primary air transportation hub in
the Philippines’ National Capital Region, and they will know that it has long
been straining at the sheer volume of airliner and passenger traffic that goes
through it. It has long been proposed that a new airport complex to service
Metro Manila and surrounding areas be built, with the San Miguel Holdings
Corporation getting a project award from the Department of Transportation (DOTr)
to begin work on an airport in Bulacan. Despite a challenge from environmental
groups, the contract has been finalized allowing SMHC to start working on the
project by year’s end.
Famous ITALIAN Animated Series “WINX CLUB” Getting LIVE-ACTION NETFLIX Adaptation
12:01 AM
Entertainment, Fate: The Winx Saga, Iginio Straffi, Netflix, Rainbow Group, Winx Club
No comments
Global streaming giant Netflix
has over the years managed to expand its audience by not just offering a wide streaming
library of licensed property content, but also its own stable of original
productions. These range from films to series, either live-action or animated
(western or anime-style). Even then these Netflix Originals are based off of
licensed properties themselves, like the once-MCU-connected superhero series
like “Daredevil” and the anime-style adaptation of Konami’s “Castlevania”
videogames. Now, Netflix is looking to adapt a franchise not from the Americas
or Asia, but Europe. The long-running stylishly-animated “Winx Club” series
will become a live-action miniseries.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
JUDY ANN SANTOS Returns to TV as ANTAGONIST in “STARLA”
As one of ABS-CBN’s top primetime
soap opera (then tele-serye) stars, Judy Ann Santos has gone on to portray
quite the number of character types over the preceding years. She has, much
like Vilma Santos, grown up with her roles, from her breakout lead part as an
awkward but kind-hearted girl in “Mara Clara,” to a police agent and even a
super-heroine. After being scarce from Kapamilya programming for a while, Juday
is ready to return to TV, and in a role she arguably has not tackled to a large
degree before. How does Judy Ann as a bad guy come across to you all?
WEDNESDAY is “RAMBO DAY” Ahead of “RAMBO: LAST BLOOD” Premiere
While he has played a wide
variety of characters in his lengthy career, Sylvester Stallone fully accepts
that he will always be immortalized in cinematic history as two characters,
boxer Rocky Balboa and shell-shocked yet heroic ex-Green Beret John Rambo. Both
franchises starring these characters had their blockbuster heydays in the
1980s, although Stallone has somehow managed to revive them to notable success
in the 21st Century, even when his now-aged but still formidable
portrayals were a far cry from his stereotypical action-hero looks from decades
past. In fact, his latest movie turn as John Rambo is premiering this Friday,
but the fandom is celebrating him some two days earlier.
RP Basketball Patron MVP PANGILINAN Talks 2023 FIBA WORLD CUP Joint Hosting, 2019 Handover Ceremony
At first blush, the
recently-concluded 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China would be something
that Filipino fans of the sport, and of the men’s national team Gilas, would
prefer to damn from their memories. Of the 32 participating national teams,
Gilas placed dead last with a totally winless campaign, being humbled both by
FIBA top contenders and even middle-ranked squads. But as the closing ceremony
took place in Beijing September 15, following the epic Finals triumph of Spain
over Argentina, there was a scene where Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming
handed the FIBA flag to a Filipino business magnate familiar to basketball
fanatics: MVP.
BLACKFACE Accusations on Latest AD Spurs LIZA SOBERANO to EXPLAIN
In this day and age of political
correctness, certain norms, ideas, concepts and more have long been discredited
as offensive to society as a whole. One of them is the practice of “blackface,”
or the use of theatrical makeup to portray a character of dark skin tones,
particularly Africans or those of that descent like African-Americans. The practice
has fallen out of favor in the US since the turn of the century, though other
countries continue to use it without much fuss. But when actress Liza Soberano
appeared on a Jollibee advertisement made up in “dark” skin and an Afro wig,
social media detractors exploded, leading to her explaining herself.
APPLE ARCADE Online VIDEOGAME Subscription Service OPENS Ahead of Thursday LAUNCH
One major element in the
historical evolution of electronic videogames is portability. These games had
their start with bulky arcade machines set up in commercial venues, then
transitioned to home consoles, from which sprang handheld game systems which in
turn partly inspired mobile gaming (going from simple preinstalled games in
cellphones to more complex apps with the coming of smartphones). In the race to
push the boundaries further, Apple has come up with a novel new experience
blending mobile gaming with a massive online service that could be utilized universally
across all Apple platforms. This is Apple Arcade, and apparently the tech giant
has released it ahead of its launch.
Monday, September 16, 2019
GMA7 Answers Safety VIOLATION Charges from DOLE Investigation Regarding ACCIDENT and DEATH of EDDIE GARCIA
Last June, the Philippine
entertainment industry suffered a major loss. Legendary veteran actor Eddie
Garcia, 90 years old at the time, died late that month. While his was already a
ripe old age, the circumstances of his passing were contentious, seeing as he
had been shooting a scene for an in-production new TV series when he tripped on
some wiring and hit his head, resulting in a neck and cervical fracture. GMA7,
the network producing the soap that Garcia was co-starring in, was placed under
scrutiny by government agencies for the lack of medical personnel on scene to
help the actor in case of accidents.
“POKEMON” Anime Hero ASH FINALLY Becomes a MASTER in Japan
3:06 AM
Ash Ketchum, Disney XD, Entertainment, Pokemon anime, Sun and Moon Ultra Legends, TV Tokyo
No comments
For a generation or two of fans
who grew up on Nintendo’s runaway hit game franchise “Pokémon,”
and who have also followed the similarly long-running anime adaptation, they
might still recall the opening lines of the first theme song, about being the
very best like no one ever was. That was the goal of the “Pokémon”
anime protagonist Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in the original Japanese). But while he
is a formidable trainer with a strong roster of “pocket monsters” led by his
partner Pikachu, throughout the anime’s seasons (each adapting a specific “Pokémon”
game title series) he has always found himself being eliminated in the league
tournament finales; until now.
MICHELLE DEE Representing Country After Winning MISS WORLD PHILIPPINES 2019
1:10 AM
Lifestyle, Melanie Marquez, Michelle Lee, Miss World 2019, Miss World Philippines 2019
No comments
Perhaps the qualities of a beauty
queen can be considered a hereditary trait. That might somehow explain why model,
athlete and actress Michelle Dee has also taken the same path as that of her
nationally illustrious mother Melanie Marquez, winner of Miss International
1979 who became a major celebrity and celebrated coach for image enhancement
and personality development. Granted, Dee is choosing a different major
international pageant to compete in, Miss World 2019 this December. But first
she had to win the crown for the selection competition of Miss World
Philippines this past Sunday. Long story short, she was victorious.
Eighties Band THE CARS’ Front-man RIC OCASEK DEAD at 75
It is no exaggeration to state
that many music artists who have jumped onto the new audiovisual platform
provided by MTV/Music Television during its initial years in the 1980s were
elevated into, if not outright legends, then musical household words for fans.
One such group that has gotten good mileage out of having their songs presented
as music videos on early MTV was the American new wave rock band The Cars,
which emerged from the late 70s as part of the generation that blended rock and
synthesizer pop. Also a big factor in their popularity was the vocals of front-man
Ric Ocasek, who died Sunday.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
ABS-CBN BALL Showcases KAPAMILYA Star Power While Remembering GINA LOPEZ
Operating a charitable social
welfare program, especially for children, can have significant financial costs,
even if said program is but a part of a larger corporate organization like
ABS-CBN. One source of funding the network devised was to allow its talent
training and management arm, Star Magic, hold annual balls featuring the many
film and TV stars under their umbrella, which of course also translates to more
exposure for the Kapamilya Stars. After several years this yearly ball/charity
event has become one of the big banner events in the Philippine entertainment
industry. This year, the Star Magic Ball has simply become the ABS-CBN Ball,
and with its rebranding comes even bigger spectacles from participating
talents.
NEW Costumed Contestants PREVIEWED for “THE MASKED SINGER” Season 2
It must feel liberating for a
famous celebrity to do something under the guise of anonymity. Why not sing in
front of a studio audience in a concealing costume? A South Korean TV network
went with that concept and applied it to a singing competition reality format. Their
original show proved popular enough with overseas viewers to generate localized
spinoffs. The US is just one of them, with “The Masked Singer” impressing audiences
at Fox to earn it two follow-up seasons, one of which is premiering later this
month. But already some of the new anonymous contestants have been revealed in
a Sunday sneak peek.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
NETFLIX’s “THE CROWN” Show-Runner Admits SPOILING Season PLOTS to ROYALS
“The Crown” is easily one of the
most-watched exclusive series on Netflix, with many viewers tuning in to stream
episodes in the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and the British Royal Family from
shortly before her reign to…probably up to the present if it keeps getting
renewed. Its third season is getting close to release while season 4 is already
assembling is cast. One idle question of “The Crown” audiences is whether or
not the real-life Royal House of Windsor watches the series. As the show-runner
reveals, not only do they watch, and that the Queen is (somewhat) a fan, but
they also have the privilege of getting season spoilers.
At 100 YEARS of PHILIPPINE CINEMA, SEPTEMBER Proposed for “PH MOVIE INDUSTRY MONTH” in CONGRESS
7:37 AM
18th Congress of the Philippines, Dalagang Bukid, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Lifestyle, Philippine Film Centennial, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino
No comments
Here is one nice piece of trivia
for Philippine cinema. A hundred years ago to the day, a pioneering Filipino
filmmaker named Jose Nepomunceno produced and directed what is historically
recognized as the first locally-made movie, the silent film “Dalagang Bukid”
starring Atang de la Rama, a future National Artist. Considering that this is
the first full century since the traditional start of the Philippine movie
industry, a number of voices from that industry today are petitioning Congress
to give this day, or rather the whole month of September, an annual commemoration
to celebrate, that of Philippine Movie Industry Month.
SONY Plans for Cinematic Universe of VALIANT COMICS Foiled by PARAMOUNT Picking up “HARBINGER” Film
3:55 AM
Entertainment, Harbinger, Movie, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Valiant Comics
No comments
Marvel and DC may be the first
brand names in mind when it comes to western comic books featuring superheroes,
but there are more of them in the wider comic publication market. One of these
publishers with a solid following of its own is Valiant Comics, formed in 1989
and, following alternating periods of having parent companies and independence,
is now a subsidiary of DMG Entertainment. With the big success of Disney-Marvel’s
MCU, and the moderate one of Warner-DC’s DCEU, Valiant partnered with Sony to
produce film adaptations of its own superhero comics, prospectively known as
the “VCU.” Its two initial offerings are “Bloodshot” and “Harbinger,” but now
the second film has gotten another studio.
YENG GUIAO Relinquishes GILAS Coaching Duties Post-FIBA World Cup DISASTER
The absolutely winless
performance of the Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team, aka Gilas
Pilipinas, during the soon-to-conclude 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China,
was the culmination of a streak of bad luck that has hounded the squad from the
qualification rounds. And the one on the helm as head coach has put himself
front and center by claiming full responsibility for their failure. Yeng Guiao
had been called up to replace Chot Reyes who was slapped with a suspension,
along with most of the Gilas team, following the 2018 bench-clearing brawl with
Australia during qualification. And upon stepping down after the FIBA cup, he
is shouldering all the blame.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
“STAR WARS LEGENDS” Continuity Material Might Come to “MANDALORIAN” on DISNEY+
"The Mandalorian" on Disney+ is a streaming
TV series based in the “Star Wars” universe that is trying to build on a
concept fiddled with by the “Rogue One” and “Solo” spinoff movies. That is the
live-action “Star Wars” production which has zero involvement from the
Skywalker family or even the order of Jedi. But this concept is not exactly
new. It was already thriving back when Lucasfilm was a partner of 20th
Century Fox, and the original plus prequel trilogies were augmented by novels,
particularly post-trilogy sequels, written by an ensemble of authors under the “Expanded
Universe” media franchise.
Say Hello to the APPLE iPHONE 11, Coming September 20
It was really just a matter of
time before Apple unleashed the iPhone 11. After all, the tech giant makes it a
point to do such major releases in September of the year, which is of course
the present month. And the iPhone line is pretty much an annual affair, with
every succeeding model filled with greater ability than before, a selection of
new features both intriguing and eyebrow-raising, and finally a pricing that
has been going up, up and away. Well, the iPhone 11 finally got up close and
personal with the public this Tuesday, and amazingly Apple managed to spring
some nice surprises.
Art of TV Celebrity Landscape Painter BOB ROSS Being EXHIBITED
From 1983 to 1994, just a year
before his death, American painter and art instructor Bob Ross enthralled
audiences with his show “The Joy of Painting” on PBS, where he demonstrated
speed-painting of fantastic landscapes within a half-hour using the “alla prima”
or “wet-on-wet” oil paint technique. From a TV idol he would transition to
being an internet icon when episodes of his show began streaming online,
immortalizing his many catchphrases like “Happy little trees,” “beating the
brush,” and uncommon paint shades like “cadmium yellow.” But the hundreds of
paintings Ross did for his show never saw public exhibit beyond their TV appearances;
until now.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
GREEN DAY Coming to MANILA for the FIRST TIME 2020
These days the Philippines is
well-established as a significant stopping point for the concert tours of major
foreign music acts. And that is not just the regional stars from the rest of
Asia (K-Pop comes to mind), but also from the west be they from Europe (Westlife)
or the US (Carly Rae Jepsen). And they are not stopping any time soon. Another
American act that will be visiting the country is a familiar sound for rock
bands, especially those who have been regular MTV viewers in the 1990s and 2000s.
Much like the lyrics of their 1995 song, Green Day is coming around to Manila.
JACK MA Steps Down as Chairman of THE ALIBABA GROUP
Sometimes, it still amazes just
how quickly China was able not just to keep up but become a pioneering figure
in electronic commerce. It is not for nothing that Chinese companies rank
pretty high in online business especially now. One particular big name in that
regard is the Alibaba Group, founded in 1999 by a group led by Jack Ma, now one
of the most recognizable business magnates in China thanks to this company
which had the 9th highest global brand value as of 2018. It has been
over two decades since Ma co-founded Alibaba, but now he has decided to walk
away from it.
MUPPETS Comedy Series CANCELLED from DISNEY Streaming Even Before Launch
One can now literally count down
the days before Disney officially throws its hat into the video-on-demand
streaming ring, after worrying the likes of Netflix and Amazon with its advance
promotion for its exclusive service platform. Disney+ will boast a massive
library of content from the mother studio itself, plus that of its major
subsidiaries Marvel and Lucasfilm. It will also feature new original
programming only accessible with them, from live-action to animation,
feature-length to regular series. But amazingly even as these streaming films
and shows are raring to go, there have been some that are already cancelled
before they even get viewed by audiences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)