K-DRAMA Star JUNG HAE-IN Charms Philippine Fans in MANILA FAN MEET

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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 18^th 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.

Read More

Memorable “KARATE KID” Supporting Actor ROB GARRISON Dead at 59

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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 19^th and 20^th 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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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 71^st 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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

ARJO ATAYDE Praised for “NUANCED” AUTISTIC ACTING in “GENERAL’S DAUGHTER”

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.

Read More

TOM WELLING is CLARK KENT Post-“SMALLVILLE” in The CW’s “CRISIS”

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Indie Film “VERDICT” is Philippine FOREIGN OSCAR Bet for 2020

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

2017 Indie Rom-Com "KITA KITA" Getting INDONESIAN Remake Premiering OCTOBER

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

“BREAKING BAD” Getting MOVIE “EL CAMINO” on NETFLIX, Limited THEATERS

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.

Read More

"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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

“PRINCESS BRIDE” REMAKE Rumors Upset Fandom, But were Apparently DEBUNKED

The 1987 film from 20^th 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.

Read More

AMAZON TV’s “LORD OF THE RINGS” Spinoff Series Returning to NEW ZEALAND for Location Shooting

Back in the first decade of the 21^st 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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Famous ITALIAN Animated Series “WINX CLUB” Getting LIVE-ACTION NETFLIX Adaptation

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.

Read More

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?

Read More

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 21^st 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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

“POKEMON” Anime Hero ASH FINALLY Becomes a MASTER in Japan

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.

Read More

MICHELLE DEE Representing Country After Winning MISS WORLD PHILIPPINES 2019

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

At 100 YEARS of PHILIPPINE CINEMA, SEPTEMBER Proposed for “PH MOVIE INDUSTRY MONTH” in CONGRESS

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.

Read More

SONY Plans for Cinematic Universe of VALIANT COMICS Foiled by PARAMOUNT Picking up “HARBINGER” Film

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

“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 20^th 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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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 9^th 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.

Read More

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.

Read More