COMCAST XFINITY Internet Revisits “E.T” With Original Lead in HOLIDAY COMMERCIAL

The trend for some major tech and telecommunications providers during the holidays lately has been to dip into the nostalgia well by creating ads referencing some pretty classic movies. Last year, Google melded their Google Assistant tech with the 1990 now-classic 20^th Century Fox holiday film “Home Alone,” reimagining the events of the movie with Kevin (reprised by actor Macaulay Culkin) now having access to smart speakers to run the house. This 2019, Comcast’s cable, internet and wireless arm Xfinity is taking a page from the above playbook, advertising their services while referencing an even more immortalized Christmas film: “E.T.”

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DISNEY JAPAN Streams KABUKI Reimagining of “STAR WARS” Sequel Trilogy

George Lucas, founder of Lucasfilm and original creator of the now-widely sprawling space opera franchise “Star Wars,” has long revealed that his work on the first film (1977) of the eventual series contains influences on “jidai-geki,” or Japanese period films set in the days of the samurai. The 1958 Akira Kurosawa movie “The Hidden Fortress” is cited as inspiring the initial viewpoint of “Episode IV” being the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, rather than the main character Luke. Japanese audiences are aware of course of the inspiration and a strong “Star Wars” fandom can be found in the country. Recently, they even adapted scenes from the “Sequel” trilogy into Japanese stagecraft.

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2019 SEA GAMES Unsold Tickets to be Offered FOR FREE

For major sporting events that will draw in competition from around the world, or at least the neighboring nations like the region-based Southeast Asian Games, it is expected that access to the games involved will require spectators to purchase tickets for seating in the stadium or arena. This is particularly important particularly for the 2019 SEA Games being hosted by the Philippines, as many of the facilities are either refurbished or newly built for the occasion. Nevertheless, there are still quarters of would-be watchers who are interested in getting game tickets without having to pay for them. After a few days of dithering on the issue, a reply was given.

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TOYS R US Returns to US with FIRST NEW STORE

Over 70 years ago, a Washington DC baby furniture retailer opened. This business would later grow into a megalithic toy and general children’s product retail giant, Toys ‘R’ Us. Spreading across the US and eventually the world, Toys ‘R’ Us for a time became known as the place to go for all the best-selling toys one could ever want. Its predominance, which led to the decline of smaller community toy stores, would eventually collapse following the rise of mass merchants and online marketplaces. Eventually the retailer filed for bankruptcy and closed stores in the US and a few other countries, though it would shoulder on in several other markets, biding time for a possible return.

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“UNANG HIRIT” Morning Show of GMA7 Turning 20 in DECEMBER

There was a time when Philippine TV networks did not begin their daily broadcast until the sun was already well up in the sky. Then a new trend began in the late 1990s when said networks shifted their morning openings to much earlier in the day, leading off their broadcasts with a combination newscast and early-bird talk show. GMA7 cannot take credit for pioneering the early morning show on TV, being the second of the country’s networks to put up their own. On the other hand, their morning show program “Unang Hirit” has remained unchanged in its early-day timeslot range.

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JONATHAN IVE’s Previously-Announced APPLE EXIT Took Place Sometime This Week

Last June, the global computer and tech giant apple dropped a bombshell concerning of their upper echelons of leadership. In June, Jonathan Ive gave advance notice that he is leaving Apple after close to three decades with the company, having joined in 1992 and helping to usher in a new design direction for their products, from PowerBooks to the “i” gadgets. This momentous contribution has led to Ive becoming Chief Design Officer for Apple, until he revealed his plans to leave and start his own design startup. He said his departure would happen late in 2019. It occurred this week.

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DC UNIVERSE Series “HARLEY QUINN” Show-Runners Talk About Lead Character

Not all comic-book super characters originate from the books themselves. Sometimes when comic-book superheroes get adapted into film or TV they might introduce new characters that become so popular, they get written into the comic-book settings themselves. One magnificent example of this is DC Comics’ Harley Quinn. Originally the Joker’s female henchman in the 1993 “Batman” animated series, she has since been established in the comics themselves, eventually becoming a standalone antiheroic figure and one of DC’s top-selling titles. In fact, her own animated series will be premiering on VOD service DC Universe this Friday.

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Storm KAMMURI Becomes TYPHOON, Entering PAR Around SEA GAMES Opening

Even as the ceremonial opening of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines approaches this coming Saturday, wary eyes are scanning the skies, particularly to the east, as a weather disturbance from the Pacific moves ever closer into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). This November already had Luzon weathering Typhoon Ramon (Kalmaegi) two weeks ago, and was spared from its follow-up Typhoon Sarah (Fung-wong). Another tropical depression formed on November 23 that quickly became a severe tropical storm as it approached the country, looking to arrive in the weekend when the SEA Games start. But before that the tropical storm, Kammuri, has already become a typhoon.

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TOM HIDDLESTON Discusses "BETRAYAL," "LOKI," MCU with JIMMY FALLON on TONIGHT SHOW

One of the cast members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Disney’s Marvel Studios that got a major push in star power thanks to his participation has got to be British actor Tom Hiddleston. Since appearing in 2011’s “Thor” as the antagonist trickster god Loki, he has been a darling to fans of the superhero film genre, with a popularity to match any of the heroic characters on the Avengers. Hiddleston also has a solid theatrical career, and it was initially about his Broadway run of the play “Betrayal” that led to his guesting on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” But of course, Marvel and Loki get discussed too.

Entertainment Weekly tells us that Tom Hiddleston had quite the evening this week when he showed up on “The Tonight Show” at NBC. Host Jimmy Fallon started off with a short discussion with the actor about “Betrayal,” the British play that he is starring in on a transatlantic run from West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre to Broadway, where it is wrapping up in two weeks. Of course, the favorite topic where Hiddleston is concerned is his role as Loki in the MCU, and he shared a secret regarding his casting for the first “Thor” movie.

To be plain, as Tom explains, Marvel Studios was focusing on “less-established” actors to take up the mighty hammer of Thor, to avoid past-role recall with the audience. And that is the thing: Hiddleston auditioned for a shot at playing Thor, not Loki. Fallon then sprung the surprise that Marvel Studios entrusted them with a copy of Tom’s audition footage. Said video, lasting only a few seconds, showed a blonde-haired Hiddleston wielding a prop Mjolnir while making a loud declaration, before dashing to the screen in emulation of Thor “flying” with aid from his hammer.

Tom Hiddleston also dropped a few words regarding how big his Marvel character has become, to the point that he became the lead star for an upcoming original MCU-set web series called “Loki,” which will stream exclusively on Disney+ sometime in 2021. Talk eventually returned to “Betrayal,” where Hiddleston briefly outlined the plot of a businessman cuckolded by his wife with their best man. The actor noted that he cried as part of his role in the over 200 performances of the play on Broadway, and even demonstrated to Jimmy Fallon how he could make tears come out at will.

The “Loki” Disney+ film will follow from the alternate timeline divergence from “Avengers: Endgame” where the trickster god escapes with the Tesseract/Space Infinity Stone following the events of the first “Avengers” movie set in 2012. Hiddleston will also voice Loki in an episode of the Disney+ animated web series “What If?” featuring alternate diverged MCU storylines also premiering in 2021.

Image from PopSugar

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BARON GEISLER Looking at Possible INTERNATIONAL MOVIE Casting Next Year

His time as one of the vilest antagonist characters ever to appear on ABS-CBN’s currently long-running hit action teleserye “Ang Probinsyano” opposite star Coco Martin may have already ended earlier this year in explosive fashion. But actor Baron Geisler is not worried about fading back out of the limelight anytime soon. While he is enjoying a nice long break following the production schedule of the primetime soap, Geisler is also privy to certain preliminary discussions. Said talks are about casting him back in the big screen that will start work next year. Even better, it will be an international production.

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JOHN BOYEGA Confesses “STAR WARS: RISE OF SKYWALKER” Script Briefly LISTED on EBAY Was HIS

Nowadays, film studios try to go out of their way in order to keep secrets and spoilers for their upcoming movies under wraps. This is doubly so for productions involving multi-film franchises. Disney now has plenty experience with this regarding Marvel Studios’ MCU and Lucasfilms’ “Star Wars” movies. Barring very special instances such as intentional leaks, the House of Mouse tries to run a tight ship regarding plot information. But sometimes stuff slips through the cracks, like a script for Episode IX of “Star Wars” briefly ending up in the online marketplace before being re-secured.

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SEA GAMES Organizers Assure Event PROBLEMS Resolved; Asks MEDIA to CALM DOWN

The games may have already started playing earlier this week, but for all intents and purposes the Philippines-held 2019 Southeast Asian Games have not begun in earnest until the opening ceremony kicks off this coming Saturday. On the remaining days leading up to the weekend, organizers and the government have been fielding inquiries and criticisms on the preparations, ranging from held-back funding, in-operational facilities and an apparently questionable menu for the women’s football team. Since then, some clarification on these mishaps and further explanations have been provided by the organizing committee, assuring that most publicized problems have now been resolved.

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1993 “THE FUGITIVE” Film Starring HARRISON FORD Getting a REMAKE

Harrison Ford may be equally famous as either smuggler-rebel Han Solo or as adventurer archeologist Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, but he has plenty more memorable roles under his belt than that. In 1993 he starred in “The Fugitive,” a feature-length remake of a 1960s TV series about a man on the run from the law, searching for the man who murdered his wife and framed him for the deed. In one movie the four-year TV show was condensed into an intense action thriller headlined by Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Now, that film is next on the remake production block.

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MAXIMS EVENTS AND CONVENTION: The PERFECT COMBINATION of CLASSY VENUE and AFFORDABLE PACKAGE in GENSAN

No matter what time of year, if you are planning a party, reunion, reception, team-building activity, conference or any other special event that is sure to draw in a lot of people, you are bound to decide that you need to take things outside your home, school or workplace to a more specialized venue. GenSan itself has seen the convention center and dedicated events-place market skyrocket to new heights. It thus comes down to choosing the right one for your special occasion. The top considerations for these things are an appropriately classy aesthetic and affordability. Many events places in the city would offer these, but not many of them mean it.

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DISNEY+ Updating with “CONTINUE WATCHING” Section, Like Other STREAMING Platforms

It has been over two weeks since it launched, but subscribers are yet to come down from the high that is the expansive online media library of Disney+, the hot new video streaming-on-demand service being offered since November 12 by the juggernaut House of Mouse. Viewers and binge-watchers are lapping up the various offerings despite the series of issues that made the platform’s launch a slightly troubled one. From complaints about the aspect ratio for earlier seasons of “The Simpsons,” to having episodes either missing or arranged out of order. Then there is the lack of a certain playback feature that other streaming services have.

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“DARNA” Casting and Script Almost FINISHED, Says JANE DE LEON

Small steps, even when small, will eventually reach the goal. That has been the attitude with which ABS-CBN Films and Star Cinema have been going through to prepare for the full-bore production on the long-awaited new film adaptation of Filipino super-heroine “Darna.” Said film, under the direction of Jerrold Tarog (“Heneral Luna”) would star Jane De Leon in the title role, following a succession of casting turnovers on account of injury to her predecessors. De Leon has embarked on her physical training as Darna while the rest of the cast is filled out. And this week, she has announced that the casting is nearly done.

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PUSSYCAT DOLLS REUNION Happening SATURDAY on UK “X-FACTOR: CELEBRITY” Finale

How does a 1990s burlesque troupe achieve mainstream media success, be reconfigured into a girl group dance ensemble, stake a spot on the music charts with some memorably hot singles, and be remembered as music icons despite parting ways a decade ago? This has been the story of the Pussycat Dolls, who gave the world such awesome dance tunes such as “Don’t Cha” and “Jai Ho! (You are My Destiny).” For fans who have been hearing rumors of a Pussycat Dolls reunion this year, their prayers are confirmed answered when it was revealed that the girl group will perform this coming weekend in the UK.

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HENRY “SUPERMAN” CAVILL to Promote NETFLIX’s “THE WITCHER” in MANILA December

  

It has been said that playing the part of iconic DC superhero character Superman on the big screen tended to bring bad luck to the actor involved. The object lesson to that superstition was Christopher Reeve, who struggled with typecasting and ultimately an injury that paralyzed him from the neck down. Brandon Routh of “Superman Returns” seemed to follow suit in a dearth of roles following his portrayal of the Man of Steel. The “curse” no longer seems to hold however, given how British actor Henry Cavill came out just fine after three Superman outings in the DCEU. He even got into a major Netflix original production some time later.

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SUPER JUNIOR’s SIWON Latest Celeb Stung by CHINESE Over HK

The ongoing political protests in Hong Kong, which has rocked this Special Administrative Region of China for around half a year now, has also led to the rise of an uncomfortable shade of patriotism from Chinese citizens online. Despite the Chinese internet being mostly isolated from the world by the Great Firewall, any overseas online news construed to be critical of the Communist government and supportive of the HK protesters are almost immediately spread nationwide, leading to loud censures against the people who have caused offense: politicians, athletes and pop culture celebrities. A K-Pop band member recently experienced this backlash.

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LEGENDARY Pictures’ “GODZILLA VS KONG” Delayed from March to NOVEMBER 2020

Legendary Pictures embarked on developing an epic blockbuster franchise of their own by developing the Monster-Verse, a shared setting featuring some of the most iconic monster characters of film history. They started in 2014 with their western reboot of Japanese kaijuu “Godzilla,” co-produced with Warner Bros. Pictures and Godzilla’s home studio Toho. This was followed by a similar reboot for giant ape King Kong in 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island.” The atomic-breathed giant returned for another rampage this year in “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” The next installment is a heavily-anticipated clash between Godzilla and Kong. But while it was originally slated to premiere next March, the date has been moved.

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GMA7 Actor ROCCO NACINO Takes Oath as RESERVE NAVY OFFICER

The Philippine showbiz community and fandom back in June were quite impressed when actor Matteo Guidicelli pushed his April 2019 reservist status in the Philippine Army even further by undergoing Scout Ranger training, a voluntary action as part of the Army’s leadership development course so he can better prepare himself on the off chance that he be called to serve the country. A number of other celebrities have taken steps to enter military reserve units of the Armed Forces (AFP). While Guidicelli was a Kapamilya star, a Kapuso counterpart has risen to the challenge in actor Rocco Naccino, and he is now a naval reservist.

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DISNEY’s “FROZEN II” Sets New TOP GLOBAL Animation PREMIERE Record

Parents and children from 2013 would remember vividly the genesis of a pop-culture phenomenon stemming from what had been just one Disney animated film. But that movie was “Frozen,” and by the power of its memorable cast of characters and one catchy ear-worm of a song in “Let It Go,” it became in itself a pillar of marketing for the House of Mouse, getting two follow-up animated shorts (one a Christmas special) and a sequel, “Frozen II” which premiered last Friday in the US. For its first weekend, the film looks to be gunning for the $1-million Disney movie club.

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AZKALS Draw CAMBODIA 11 in First Match During SEA GAMES

As already stated in our past updates on the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, while the opening ceremony of the multi-sport regional competition hosted by the Philippines this year will not be until Saturday, several sports events have already started playing their games earlier this week. Among the events that did kick off ahead of the official opening is football/soccer, and that means the Philippine Men’s National Football Team, better known as the Azkals, are already in action. The football squad, partly credited for the resurgence of confidence in Philippine national sports teams since 2010, begins its SEA Games campaign by fighting their opponent to draw.

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“DEADPOOL” Star RYAN REYNOLDS Gets OWNERSHIP Stake in MINT MOBILE

It is known that the mobile telecommunications market in the US can see competition so intense that “cutthroat” could be one way to describe the scene. Fortunately there are alternatives to the major telecom giants that are a bit more reasonably priced for budget consumers. One such company for the little guy is Mint Mobile, an online-only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) spun off from Ultra Mobile in 2016, using the T-Mobile cell network for discounted prepaid mobile phone plans. Quite recently Mint has found itself under new ownership. While not usually warranting much attention, the fact that Deadpool is Mint’s new owner generates headlines.

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LEA SALONGA Not a Part of 2019 SEA GAMES Opening Ceremony Despite Singing OFFICIAL SONG

For better or worse, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games being host by the Philippines in New Clark City and various other locations around Luzon is all set to open things in earnest this weekend, even as some of the services and facilities in place are yet to perform efficiently. Stories about the accommodations for athletes, such as the women’s football teams being served meager breakfasts of egg, rice and kikiam for breakfast, contrast with the reveal of the exorbitant price tags for some of the fixtures on the New Clark main stadium such as the torch. Even the list of entertainers for the opening ceremony is not quite finalized either.

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GOO HARA: K-POP Idol, KARA Group Member, Actress Found DEAD

The death of a famous person always has the potential to generate media attention. Said attention could intensify also based on further information regarding details of how that person passed. Just this Sunday, there was the grisly discovery of a K-Pop star that had once been part of the Hara girl group, and then branched out to be a popular actress and show host on TV. Unfortunately the ensuing complications of her personal life, exacerbated by troubles with her talent agency, have spurred Goo Hara to attempt to take her own life earlier this year. While she was thwarted then, now she was found dead.

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PHILIPPINES May Perform STRONG at Some DEBUTING SEA GAMES Events

This week, the 30^th Southeast Asian Games begin with the Philippines as host nation. While the official opening ceremony is not until this coming Saturday, several event competitions will have already been held as early as this past Sunday. Speaking of events, the 2019 SEA Games is setting quite the record for its history by featuring no less than 56 different sports. All of which will be further subdivided into 530 individual events with medals at stake. This has been made possible by the addition of several debuting sports, the most famous of which is e-sports featuring several famous videogames.

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THE CW’s “CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS” Crossover Gets First TRAILER

It is the last week of November, and for fans of superhero action on The CW, it is just two weeks away before epic “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event kicks off this December to January, across the five DC superhero TV series comprising the “Arrow” verse. Much has already been reported about the sheer volume of character appearances from a wide spectrum of past DC television shows, along with the returning role reprisals of many prominent stars from these same series. But there has yet to be an official preview of the “Crisis” as it plays out beyond buildup from ongoing episodes of the current seasons for each program.

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Fans MOB Mall for Copies of ERASERHEADS’ “ULTRAELECTROMAGNETICPOP!” Vinyl REISSUE

There can be no question in the minds of Filipino music fans with regards to the place of rock band Eraserheads in the history of OPM: they are absolute legends. Perhaps the most iconic symbol of the band’s grip on the country’s musical library is their 1993 debut album, the immortally-titled “Ultraelectromagneticpop!” which features some of their most famous songs. As part of the album’s silver anniversary, there was to be a limited-run vinyl print of “Ultraelectromagneticpop!” records in 2018, though the special event was grossly delayed by technical problems, only announced in October to happen at last this week.

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“FROZEN II”: Not As EPIC as Original, But a GREAT SEQUEL Delving Into Unanswered Questions

From the holiday season of the year 2013, to a good portion of the following year 2014, many parents around the world were at the mercy of a certain song coming out of their children’s mouths. The sheer popularity of that song would push its character singer and the film she stars in, into a frontline promotional franchise for Disney the way its acquired subsidiaries Marvel or “Star Wars” could be. “Frozen,” the Disney animated film that year, introduced Princess Anna and her cool big sister Queen Elsa, arguably the most awesome Disney “Princess” nowadays to the point that her other appearances brief (“Ralph Breaks the Internet”) and long (“Kingdom Hearts 3”) were equally appreciated.

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TESLA Reveals CYBERTRUCK Pickup Truck; ARRIVING 2021, Target of JOKES Now

It might be said that hallmark of Tesla is the designing and manufacture of electric-powered vehicles that look and drive like one might expect of the future. Their Model X SUV and Models S and 3 sedans have been among the most prominent e-vehicles in the market today, especially the Model 3 which is supposed to make such cars reasonably affordable. Tesla’s research on auto-piloting systems has also been of great interest in spite of some major hiccups. But the company and its CEO Elon Musk have other irons in the fire, such as an electric-powered pickup truck. This Thursday night, the “Cybertruck” was unveiled.

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UNIVERSAL MOTION and Other 90’s DANCE GROUPS in EPIC DANCE CONCERT 2020

For Filipinos tuning into noontime variety shows way back in the 1990s, the trend at the time was that the show stages were the realm where dance groups reigned supreme. When a new and danceable pop song came out, sooner or later a dance group would have taken the stage with an awesome choreographed routine for it, wowing audiences and viewers alike. Names like the Universal Motion Dancers (UMD), Streetboys and The Manoeuvres were household words with fans, and some of the members of these troupes would go on to have fruitful individual showbiz careers themselves. Now however, the stage calls them one more time.

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DISNEY Live-Action “MULAN” International POSTER Features Stunning Visuals and Curious HINTS

The 1998 Disney animated film “Mulan” was something of a landmark moment for the studio’s decade-spanning “Animated Canon.” This was the first film to feature a female lead character that was undoubtedly an “action girl,” a concept what would be visited years later with the Pixar co-production “Brave.” Over two decades since its original release, Disney is preparing to roll out a live-action adaptation for “Mulan” in the vein of all their recent live movie remakes. While the actual premiere of the film is still a few months off, new promotional material has been trickling out, like this international poster.

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PAL LA-Manila Flight Catches ENGINE FIRE; Landed Successfully

Two versions of Superman on film have noted that flying is the safest form of travel, ironically after saving people from a crashing aircraft or other. And arguably that pronouncement is true; statisticians have noted that one is more likely to be hit by lightning than be involved in an airplane crash, though the latter is more heavily covered by the media when they occur, making them seem more common. And for people who actually get caught up in them, statistics mean nothing. The passengers of a recently troubled Philippine Airlines flight might agree. Thankfully their story ended quite positively.

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Info from LOIS, Exec-Producer on “SMALLVILLE” Crossover on THE CW “CRISIS”

When The CW decided that their latest crossover event for their stable of DC superhero series will be called “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” after the epic DC Comic event that set up the comic-book story continuity which ran from the late 80s to 2011, they knew that the network had to do more than mash the alternate universes already featured in their shows’ previous seasons.  That meant trying to feature a wide variety of heroes and settings from past DC productions as well. One of the most anticipated call-backs for audiences would be the retu

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MAX EIGENMAN Wins BEST ACTRESS in APS Awards for VERDICT

Domestic abuse is an all-too familiar and uncomfortable real-life story for many Filipinos across the country. Depictions of it, whether made-up or based on letters and recollections of actual people involved, tend to take a prominent place in the plots of TV dramas and films. Indie film “Verdict” from Centerstage Productions is such a movie, about a mother’s quest for justice after she and her daughter are battered bloody by her husband. It has received a jury prize at this year’s Venice Film Fest, and was chosen to be the Philippine candidate for Best Foreign Film at the 92^nd Oscars.

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ATENEO Wins UAAP82 Finals, SWEEPS Season Games, Repeats Title THREE-PEAT

Sometimes in sports there appear such things as the so-called “invincible” player or sports team. They are the ones who manage to breeze through either season or even career without ever seeing defeat. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was one, and there have been several times in different leagues where a team just seems to hit the sweet spot for an entire season’s worth of games. The latter scenario has lately played out at the closing of the 82^nd season of UAAP basketball. The Ateneo Blue Eagles has long been one of the powerhouse squads in that collegiate league. But for this season long, they made themselves into the UAAP’s glass ceiling.

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FLOWER is Latest to Unmask in “MASKED SINGER” Season 2

It has been seven weeks since the second season of new popular reality singing competition “The Masked Singer” premiered on Fox. In that time, the starting number of 16 masked and costumed contestants has been steadily whittled down, with two weeks having featured double eliminations of masked singers. On week seven, which aired on Fox this November 20, four contestants went head to head with another imminent elimination, with only one of that batch having a less than perfect performance record in Leopard (lost to Black Widow in Week 2 and beat Panda in the Smackdown). But it would not be Leopard who gets unmasked.

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SB19 Enters BILLBOARD's "Next Big Sound" Chart at SIXTH PLACE

Back in September, a music video from a Filipino boy band went and exceeded a million views on YouTube. That might be pretty generic as entertainment news goes, but that singing group has something definitively different going for them: the band, called SB19, was formed, trained and packaged by a South Korean talent agency, ShowBT. With their singature of blending English and Filipino lyrics in a K-Pop-sounding package, the quintet of Sejun, Justin, Josh, Ken and Stell seem set to go towards bigger things. As indicative of this latest news from Billboard, the SB19 star is only shining brighter still.

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More Information Revealed on “LIZZIE MCGUIRE” 2020 Sequel Series for DISNEY+

While newly-launched streaming VOD service Disney+ already has a significant strength in its massive library of films and TV shows from Disney and varied other related labels, it is also pushing the envelope when it comes to developing exclusive original programming to both set it apart from other platforms and draw in more subscriptions. The most talked-about Disney+ originals tend to be the spinoffs for “Star Wars” and the new inter-connected series to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; but reboots and sequels to existing franchises from the Disney Channel are also on the table. To give examples, there is “Lizzie McGuire.”

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“PGT” Season 2 Winner MARCELITO POMOY Competing in “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT: THE CHAMPIONS” Season 2

“Pilipinas Got talent,” the ABS-CBN-aired local edition of the international reality talent competition created by Simon Cowell and distributed by Fremantle Media, might have already run six seasons in all, the latest having run from January to April this year. But even winners from past seasons can still have more to show in further competition. That applies to Marcelito Pomoy, winner of “PGT” season 2 in 2011, whose Final performance singing the male-female duet “The Prayer” in both male and convincingly female tones aced his victory. While he had guested on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show last year, he is next gunning for another “Got Talent” win, this time in America.

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Protective BATTERY CASES for APPLE iPHONE 11 Models Feature Dedicated CAMERA BUTTON

Last September, Apple loosed the arrow that was their latest iteration of the now-indispensable (for Apple users at least) iPhone line. Both the iPhone 11 and the cool 3-rear-cam iPhone 11 Pro have gotten off to positive receptions, with their variety of upgraded features including, naturally, more long-lasting batteries. But if that is still not enough phone life then Apple’s official accessories for the latest iPhones include a protective case with added battery capacity, and wireless charging capability. The variants for iPhone 11 Pro, and Max however, also include a new gimmick that might be just the ticket for camera-users.

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TOM HANKS Learns of Distant RELATION to MISTER ROGERS Whom He Portrays in SONY-TRISTAR’S “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NIGHBORHOOD”

Tom Hanks has had a busy 2019 in terms of film roles. In addition to reprising his iconic voice-acting role as cowboy toy Woody for Disney-Pixar’s unexpected yet amazing “Toy Story 4,” on the live-action side he is also taking on yet another memorable biographical role after playing Walt Disney in 2013’s “Saving Mister Banks.” For Sony-TriStar Pictures’ “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Hanks steps into the cardigan sweater and sneakers of Fred Rogers, creator of legendary children’s educational show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The veteran actor is already proven effectively-cast as Rogers with his portrayal in trailers. Imagine Hanks’ surprise that their similarities may be due to being related.

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RP Consul to HK Advises FILIPINO Tourists NOT to VISIT Now

For many Filipinos looking to travel abroad for the first time, it has been something of a tradition that one of the first and arguably affordable overseas destinations they can go to is Hong Kong. From being a British Crown Colony until its 1997 handover to China and its current status as a Special Administrative Region, the small territory to the east of the Pearl River in southern China has been a main draw for Filipinos ranging from tourists to overseas workers. Recent political developments however have cast a shadow over the appeal of travelling to Hong Kong, and its local Filipino Consul General is advising not to come now.

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First Look at KEVIN CONROY’s BATMAN for THE CW’s “CRISIS” Reveals Character’s Source COMIC-BOOK Origin

Next month, what is probably the most earth-shaking – or perhaps “earths-shaking” – event to happen between all the DC superhero TV series on The CW will finally play out after what may be literally years of hype and foreshadowing. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” will see the main heroes that collectively make up the “Arrow” verse preparing to face an existential threat against all parallel worlds. It will also feature guest appearances from stars that have portrayed DC heroes in film and TV in the past, either as straight reprisals or thematic variants. Burt Ward from the 1969 “Batman” series and Tom Welling from “Smallville” (2001-11) are just a few of these.

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NEW ABS-CBN Holiday STATION ID Launched; Some KAPAMILYA Stars Absent

In the grand tradition of the major TV networks in the Philippines, ABS-CBN has already released its Christmas station ID for the year 2019. Viewers got their first look and listen to the ID this past Monday, November 18, at the conclusion of evening newscast “TV Patrol.” The new ID song “Family is Forever” shares the same formula as all Kapamilya seasonal station IDs all year round, with a chorus line that is tailor-made for potentially-infinite repeats. The ID showcased as much of the ABS-CBN talent pool as can fit with all the many Kapamilya fans also featured. But eagle-eyed audiences have noted some absences.

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“STAR TREK 4” Gets New DIRECTOR, CONFIRMS Main Cast RETURN

After establishing itself as a television sci-fi staple in the 1960s, “Star Trek” TV series found a new lease on life following its cancellation as several films produced from 1979 all through to 1991, a process repeated with its follow-up show “The Next Generation.” With the petering out of the franchise on both big and small screens however, Paramount Pictures produced a film reboot of the original TV series setting in 2009, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto among others under the direction of J.J. Abrams. The reimagined “Star Trek” movie was followed by two sequels with a third under development, with the primary cast returning under a new director.

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GMA7 Basketball Anime “BARANGAY 143” Nominated for ASIAN TELEVISION AWARDS

It has been said that good things come to those who wait. For “Barangay 143,” the joint Filipino-Singaporean-Japanese produced animated series which started airing late last year on GMA7, it was a long three-year journey through development hell before its first episode premiered in the Kapuso network on October 2018. Since then, it has not only gathered a modest fan following in its primary home country, but also been an attractive option for television awards. In fact, an Asian-regional award-giving body has begun announcing nominations for “Barangay 143,” a grand gesture to the combined production teams and their hard work.

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TRAILER Out for “FAST AND FURIOUS” Animated Spinoff “SPY RACERS”

Ever since its first installment all the way back in 2001, the Universal Pictures vehicular action franchise “Fast and Furious” has thrilled audiences across an ever-increasing number of direct sequels and one spinoff. Not even the passing of one of its main stars during production of the seventh movie has halted the series’ momentum, carried by co-originator Vin Diesel and a stellar lineup of action stars like Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. While the themes of “Fast and Furious” are relatively mature, involving activities from organized car theft to global terrorism, the property was deemed cool enough with general viewers for a new, younger-skewing spinoff to be developed for streaming.

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“MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7” Trailer Scores Views; Cast Member Predicts MMFF Win for AGA MUHLACH

Filipino remakes of foreign films are not what one might call a regular occurrence, so a lot of interest is usually generated when local studios give their own Pinoy interpretation to a movie from another country. One such remake to look forward to this year is “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” based on a heartwarming and tear-jerking South Korean drama about the familial love between a parent and child in the midst of injustice and impending death. This iteration, produced by Viva Films, stars Aga Muhlach and Bela Padilla in what is shaping up to be a potential winner at the Metro Manila Film Festival.

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