CHOOKS-TO-GO PILIPINAS 3x3 APPROVED as PRO BASKETBALL League by GAB

The sports scene, both local and international, has been slowly but surely getting back on its feet to begin playing games again while the COVID-19 pandemic is still around. Steps to prevent sporting events from being potential spreaders of the coronavirus have ranged from extremely limited spectator admission to barring them from the stands entirely, while some leagues have sequestered their teams and players in “bubble environments” to practice and play in. In the Philippines the most that pro leagues like the PBA have been allowed is practicing with health protocols implemented. During this time, these already-professional circuits have been joined with a newly-professionalized league.

Read More

SMART Officially Launches COMMERCIAL 5G SERVICES

Technology marches on. It is why computer storage went from floppy disks and diskettes, to internal hard disks, writable discs, USB drives and so on. It is why TVs went from bulky to flat and slim. The onward progress of technological advancement explains why mobile phones went from having physical keyboards to touchscreens, and the networks powering them have evolved. Once, years ago, 3G was hot stuff. Then it was surpassed by 4G until 5G became the bar to measure against. Philippine telecom services have been racing to get their 5G networks ready after its introduction, and one of them has crossed that finish line.

Read More

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY to Get CARD GAME After Successful KICKSTARTER

It began with a limited-issue series created by Gerard Way and drawn by Gabriel Ba for comic book publisher Dark Horse Comics that first came out in 2007. Since then, “The Umbrella Academy” has accrued three volumes, a spinoff anthology title and even a TV series adaptation streaming on Netflix that has a second season arriving at the end of the month. That is not half bad for a superhero team story that initially sounds like “X-Men” but stands out for how dysfunctional the members can get. Now it looks like the umbrella-carrying “heroes” are about to transition to a new media: trading card games.

Read More

RYAN REYNOLDS’ Reward TWEET for FIL-CANADIAN’S Missing TEDDY BEAR Leads to Toy’s Recovery and REUNION

There are not a lot of heartwarming moments that can compare to the time when who or what that was once lost is finally found. That positive outcome to searches for missing persons or things does not always happen, and over the past weekend a Filipina-Canadian residing in Vancouver was worried that she might never see her most prized possession, a Build-a-Bear teddy bear that plays a recording of her late mother’s voice. Thankfully a social media buzz started by Canadian Hollywood star and fellow Vancouverite Ryan Reynolds brought her story plenty of attention, and that made a big difference.

Read More

PRIMETIME EMMYS to be VIRTUALLY Held in Light of PANDEMIC

It is a brave production that forges ahead with its work while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hang over the world, particularly if said production is in the hard-hit US. What keeps these brave productions from epic failure is if they subscribe to following the long-advised health and safety protocols to help prevent the spread of the ubiquitous novel coronavirus. Then there are those live productions that would err on the side of caution by forgoing the live component of their event and just take the virtual route. The 72^nd Primetime Emmy Awards for 2020 is one such careful production.

Read More

Videogame Company KONAMI Enters GAMING PC Market with “ARESPEAR” Series

There was a time when Japanese company Konami was one of the most recognizable developers and publishers of videogames in the industry. Their creative teams have churned out some game titles that are remembered as some of the biggest franchises in electronic entertainment. Sadly, over the past several years the company has since shifted away from console gaming to mobile apps and arcades, particularly dance-rhythm and pachinko gambling machines for the latter, while the developers of their franchise titles have since departed for other pastures. But as if to remind the public that they were there for home gaming, Konami has begun hyping their new series of desktop PC units.

Read More

MISS SUPRANATIONAL PH Representation Title TRANSFERS OUT from BINIBINING PILIPINAS to MISS WORLD PH Pageant

It is quite something to know that traditionally a Philippine national beauty pageant, which would select representatives for the international pageant competition scene, actually tends to have more than one title representation on the line. Some might still recall how Binibining Pilipinas once decided among its contestants who would go to the original “Big Three” events of Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International. That is no longer the case as Miss World and Miss Universe now have their own local contests for Filipina representatives. Binibining Pilipinas has since filled in the gaps with franchises for other minor world pageants, but even then some of these have jumped ship elsewhere.

Read More

TESLA Sees REVENUE in CHINA RISE OVER 100% to Near-QUARTER Global TOTAL

A lot has been said over the past several years regarding the immense size of China as a market for products and services. For instance, the country has the largest global market share in terms of cinema, and is actively courted by Hollywood films because any movie that fared poorly stateside could still hope to break even if Chinese audiences happen to love it. The same thing goes, as it seems, for electrical vehicles, particularly of a certain manufacturer with a factory on their soil. Tesla Inc., the company in question, confirmed just how big China’s market has been for them in a recent statement.

Read More

METRO MANILA Welcomes MORE JEEPNEYS on the ROAD this WEDNESDAY

One of the most heartbreaking side effects of the many health concerns, protocols and movement restrictions that were implemented nationwide in the advent of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic was the loss of jobs in lines of work that posed too much risk of infection and spread. This is the sad story of the drivers and operators of the Philippines’ iconic public transport, the jeepney. Particularly in Metro Manila, despondent and desperate drivers have petitioned government regulators to let them operate before they and their families starve. Only in recent days have limited jeepneys been allowed to ply their set routes. Now more of them will be rotated into Manila’s streets.

Read More

RYAN REYNOLDS Offers CASH REWARD for Info on RECOVERING Lost TEDDY BEAR Memento of FIL-CANADIAN

Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has portrayed two types of superheroes in film, one that plays the super-heroic story conventions straight and another that is violently perfect in all his R-rated glory. It is the latter type that he gravitates to, and the one his fans prefer. And twice already has Reynolds portrayed Marvel’s fourth-wall-breaking antihero Deadpool for 20^th Century Fox before it was acquired by Disney. But the film star is also a hero of sorts in real life, one with generous pockets to boot. Over the weekend he has taken the cause of a Filipina Canadian resident who lost a very precious teddy bear.

Read More

ALESSANDRA DE ROSSI Talks Genesis of “THROUGH NIGHT AND DAY” and Opportunity to Go BALD

By this point in time a number of movie studios in the Philippines are taking a new lesson to heart: if their film did not make a splash in the theaters when they premiered, have it put on Netflix and there is a chance it could become a streaming blockbuster. This line of thought could be gleaned from the new lease on viewing life that was experienced by “Through Night and Day,” a Viva Films and Octo Arts Films co-production that starred Alessandra de Rossi and Paolo Contis. Said film was actually a personal project for de Rossi, who conceptualized the original story, but also had a random creative reason.

Read More

2020 PRIMETIME EMMY NOMINATIONS Extend HBO-NETFLIX Feud; Adds FIRST-TIME NOMINEES

The sentiment that “the show must go on” has been tested greatly this year, about half of which has been spent trying to contain the spread of the COVID-19 infection. That necessitated community quarantines and work stoppages at all but the most essential businesses and services. Filming and photography of movies and TV series have been pushed back or postponed. Still, enough content for programming on television and online streaming have been made since last year so that the 2020 Emmy Awards could push through. And from the look of things, in this edition of the Primetime Emmys, streaming prevails.

Read More

DOH: PH in TALKS with CHINA, TAIWAN COVID VACCINE Manufacturers, But NO Prospects Until 2021

It has been said that about the only time the “new normal” global socio-economic situation that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic would only return to a “normal” normal at the time that a vaccine for the China-originating novel coronavirus can be developed and distributed worldwide. Until then, the best one can hope for is to keep clean and distant, or if infected but recovered then for his antibody count not to diminish. The Philippine government has talked to other countries undertaking COVID vaccine development, but despite the most optimistic estimates it seems clear that no relief is coming this year.

Read More

NIANTIC’s ONLINE-Only “POKEMON GO FEST” Anniversary Event Still Draws GLOBAL Participation

It may already be largely forgotten at this point in time, but four years ago in this same month of 2016, the world for a time was briefly changed by the release of a mobile game. “Pokémon Go,” based on the long-running Nintendo videogame franchise, encouraged players not only to walk around their neighborhoods to catch the titular Pokémon rendered on their GPS data, but also interact with fellow gamers. Such mass-gathering social behavior is a sin in the year of COVID-19, but it did not stop Niantic from celebrating four years of “Pokémon Go” with a virtual event that had participants reaching a milestone.

Read More

MAKOTO SHINKAI Anime Film “WEATHERING WITH YOU” Coming to NETFLIX PHILIPPINES JULY 31

Observers of the past few months would say that the enforced isolation of people inside their residences during the heyday of the heaviest COVID-19 community quarantine period led to a spike in viewership of online streaming services, for those who could afford subscribing to such platforms. And while the world has been taking steps towards getting the economy moving again through work, there are still those to have stuck with streaming content as their viewing fare of choice. This necessity-driven focus online has led to some anticipation on when a long-premiered movie or “old” TV series gets added to, say, Netflix; consider this, for example.

Read More

JOE JONAS and SOPHIE TURNER Now PROUD PARENTS of BABY GIRL

So, a noble lady from the North and a Southron bard, who is part of a pop rock band with his brothers, met and fell in love, then ultimately were wed…Such has been the story of British actress Sophie Turner, best known as Sansa Stark from HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” and Joe of the Jonas Brothers. They were dating since 2016, got engaged/“betrothed” the following year, and got wed last year in 2019, just as Turner’s near-decade-long involvement in “Thrones” concluded in its final season at the same time. Married life for the two has been awesome, as confirmed with news that the two became first-time parents this last week.

Read More

CIGNAL, SMART Team with NBA to Return GAMES to PHILIPPINE TV/Streaming

Even a highly contagious viral infection like COVID-19 cannot keep a long-established professional sports league with an international fandom down. Throughout this month the National Basketball Association (NBA) has undertaken epic-level preparations for salvaging the 2020 season with what little time remains this year. In the “NBA Bubble” isolation zone in Walt Disney World, 22 of the league’s teams have been practicing under strict health and safety protocols looking ahead to the resumption of a shortened season in July 31. And thanks to a double-team effort by a local satellite TV provider and one of the “mobile-com pillars” of the Philippines, NBA-starved Filipinos will be able to watch the action.

Read More

HAILEE STEINFELD May Be CONFIRMED Again for MCU Series “HAWKEYE”

Following the swan song of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel Studios geared up to continue the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond its flagship team and superheroes. MCU Phase 4 takes the original concept of superhero films and series set in the same universe (but by separate movie and TV outfits) post-2012 “Avengers” and unified all production under Marvel Studios. Among the series being developed in this phase – for streaming online on Disney+ – is “Hawkeye” starring Jeremy Renner on his character’s post-“Endgame” adventures. A persistent rumor since 2019 was that he will be accompanied by a sidekick to be played by Hailee Steinfeld. That speculation may have been finalized.

Read More

“TRAIN TO BUSAN” SEQUEL “PENINSULA” Leading COVID-Ridden Asian BOX OFFICE

While much has been made of how China’s massive cinema market finally restarted operations the previous week after being closed by the COVID-19 outbreak, they were not actually the first country in Asia to let movie-houses run once more. South Korea had its reopening earlier, which explains the July 15 premier of “Peninsula,” a loose sequel of sorts to the country’s 2016 zombie apocalypse blockbuster “Train to Busan.” As the month comes down to its final week, the producers of “Peninsula” can be proud that their film, despite being released amidst a pandemic with a skittish movie-going audience, is now the highest-grossing 2020 Asian movie.

Read More

FOX SPORTS Adds VIRTUAL FANS to MLB Games; MIXED RESULTS

With the years 2020 halfway done and starting to wind down on its seventh month, professional sports leagues around the world are clamoring to get their current seasons postponed by the advent of COVID-19 going again, even if there are fewer games to play because of it. Some of these associations like Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US have already started, with the condition that their games cannot have fans on the stands due to health and safety regulations. Fox Sports has decided to touch upon the idea of blending cutouts of spectators on the seats plus computer-generated “virtual fans.” Almost nobody seems impressed.

Read More

INOPERATIVE Travel Agencies Beg Off on GOV PERMITS, TAXES During PANDEMIC

One of the biggest blows that the novel coronavirus struck on businesses in the country and around the world was done by virtue of its timing. When the rise in positive cases caused the beginning of lengthy travel bans and community lockdowns the travel and tourism industry was savaged earnings-wise. Not only have travel plans been cancelled and reserved tickets refunded, travel agencies find themselves in dire straits to pay employees and staff, plus cover operational expenses. Said expenses also include paying permits and taxes to the government. With the agencies unable to do business, they are asking for a stay in their governmental obligations.

Read More

NATALIE PORTMAN Reveals “THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER” May Start FILMING 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing San Diego Comic-Con to go with virtual streaming for most of its events through Comic-Con@Home, it feels like a whole different time from the same occasion in 2019. That live iteration of SDCC, which would have been unthinkable these days, had as one of its highlights the announcement of an upcoming movie for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 4: “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The film would star Natalie Portman as Avenger Asgardian (ex-) girlfriend Jane Foster, making up for her post (Dark World) absence by gaining the power of Thor. But with COVID around, the question becomes when the movie could even start production.

Read More

PBA Waiting for OFFICIAL LETTER to RESTART Practice in Hope of One CONFERENCE for 2020

Even as health experts are insisting that realistic estimates of getting a novel coronavirus vaccine put it well into 2021, that is not stopping professional sporting leagues all over the world from trying to restart their team practices if only to get a truncated season going before this year ends. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is no exception, the country’s premier pro-basketball league having wheeled and dealt with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) to get their practice sessions resumed even as the COVID-19 pandemic drives confirmed cases way up. The date has been pushed to sometime next month.

Read More

“MEGA MAN” Movie Still IN-DEV According to DIRECTORS at COMIC-CON@HOME Panel

There was a time when the notion of producing a live-action adaptation of a videogame was automatically a bad idea. Now, gaming fans know that if a movie studio does its homework with the source material, is willing to give it a budget, and will actually listen to community input, the results could be, if not a critic-winner then a sure-fire blockbuster. Recent examples are not hard to find with last year’s “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu” from Warner Bros. and Nintendo, and the pre-COVID smash hit “Sonic the Hedgehog” from Paramount and Sega. Encouraged by these results, it is now Capcom’s turn to (finally) get cinematic.

Read More

JOLLIBEE FOODS Confident in 2021 PROFIT Recovery from Foreign Acquisitions COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF, SMASHBURGER

It was in 2019 when Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), the company that runs the same-named fast-food chain that is the first name in the game for Filipinos around the world, took some giant steps to establish itself as a multinational contender in fast food. This was embodied in two key American franchise acquisitions, that of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf from California and Smashburger from Colorado. Plans to have the two new subsidiary chains (the former already having branches in the Philippines) begin adding their weight to JFC’s franchise output by 2020 were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic again messing things up. But Jollibee bosses remain confident about things.

Read More

“BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC” Second TRAILER Reveals PREMIERE Date for CINEMA, HOME RELEASE

Even as cinemas in North America mull over the question of whether to reopen now or later, film studios are repeatedly rescheduling the releases of their respective movies, many of which had original premiere dates during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. United Artists and Orion Pictures are doing likewise for their long-awaited sequel “Bill & Ted Face the Music” with Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. Originally (and symbolically) set for August 21, 2020, the ravages of the outbreak caused the release to be pushed forward, then back. The new premiere date was revealed with the release of a new trailer just this Thursday.

Read More

RURU MADRID Repays FAN Commentary on His RESEMBLANCE to TAE-HYUNG of BTS with “SWEET NIGHT” COVER

Celebrity resemblances can be a dime a dozen. But not too often is the case where the one who looks like a certain celebrity is himself a celebrity in his own right. Add in factors like: the two celebs hailing from different countries for example, then the original celebrity reacting positively to the resemblance with his lookalike, and finally the lookalike celeb not only being grateful to fans but also humoring them by channeling the original for a short while. That must sound as cheesy as it could be heartwarming, but it recently happened between Ruru Madrid and a member of global K-Pop phenomenon BTS.

Read More

ANDROID 11 Does Have a DESSERT Name: "RED VELVET CAKE"

Last year, Google decided that a traditional convention of their open-source mobile operating system, Android, has finally worn out its welcome. The year 2019 would see the tenth major release (out of seventeen versions) of the Android MOS, and it was simply branded Android 10. Its predecessor releases, major or otherwise, had almost all been labeled during internal development with a name taken from a variety of dessert items. Having Android 10 come after 2018’s Android Pie (ninth major release/16^th version) came across as a break from the past towards a bigger future. And then as it turns out the 11^th major release will have a dessert nickname after all.

Read More

COVID Lockdown Costs PAL LOSSES of P9-B for JAN-MAR 2020

Businesses were among the worst hit sectors of society when the COVID-19 pandemic became as big as it did. In nowhere else perhaps is the monetary damage more easily discerned, than in the business of transportation. Normally buses and ships and airliners carrying passengers from point A to B are collectively considered an “essential” commodity in the present day. But in the interest of preventing the spread of the highly infectious novel coronavirus the shutdown of transport operations save for a limited capacity has crippled those in the business. Just ask the national flag carrier.

Read More

“MULAN” Premiere Being POSTPONED INDEFINITELY by DISNEY Due to COVID-19 Concerns

Remember how the summer of 2020 was supposed to be chock-full of some highly-anticipated blockbuster films from some of the biggest studios around? The scheduling of those movies was pretty ironclad as early as the year before. Then the novel coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic and, as cinemas tended to gather lots of people, they were closed worldwide alongside so many other businesses. With the year on its second half, but with movie-houses still hesitant to reopen even with protocols for limited capacity, some studios are reconsidering their late-year film premiere reshuffles. Disney, for example, has decided on taking drastic steps with one of theirs.

Read More

2021 SEA GAMES Sticking Mostly to OLYMPIC and ASIAN Games Events

It can be quite surprising to realize that about half a year has passed since the Southeast Asian Games were held in the Philippines in late 2019. Perhaps it felt like time flew so fast because of the confinement of people during the COVID-19 quarantines. Filipino sports fans would remember the SEA Games fondly due to the hometown athletes winning the most medals, as well as the large number of specific events competed for. Hopes that the next host – Hanoi, Vietnam – would carry over the events bonanza seem squashed due to the organizers’ announcement that they would cut some events due to a smaller budget.

Read More

ONE DIRECTION Official Social Media POSTS About 10th ANNIVERSARY ELECTRIFY FANS

It was ten years ago. On a British reality music competition, five strangers competing solo that were facing elimination from preliminaries were suggested to band together in order to compete in the show’s Group category. From that emergency origin was born one of the biggest boy bands in the history of the phrase, and one of the top international acts from the UK during the early half of the 2010s: One Direction. After wowing the world for years (and the 2015 departure of a member), they went on an indefinite hiatus-turned-breakup in 2016. Their official social media pages went silent and un-updated from 2016/18…until Wednesday.

Read More

“KUNG PAANO SIYA NAWALA” with RHIAN RAMOS from TBA STUDIOS Re-Launching on NETFLIX in AUGUST

Netflix, still somewhat the first name when it comes to online digital media streaming around the world, is being seen as a place for second chances where movies are concerned. Even as the streaming giant is prioritizing the production of original content as major entertainment labels take their media away to their own exclusive digital platforms, smaller companies continue to add to the Netflix library where their films and shows sometimes find enthusiastic audiences. Philippine movie studios are no exception to seeing their productions getting online revivals in popularity. Thus, TBA Studios looks to join the action by sending one of its films to the streamer for premiere next month.

Read More

TESLA Chooses AUSTIN Texas as Site for Next GIGAFACTORY Complex

As Tesla continues to introduce new models of electrical vehicles, the need to then mass-produce them to meet ever-increasing consumer demands is a top priority. Elon Musk thus announced back in March, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, that it was looking for a new site in the central US to build a new “Gigafactory” complex upon which to task the production of the Tesla Cybertruck and other e-cars. Two locales most of all were in a dead heat competition to invite the e-vehicle manufacturer to set up shop with them. And this Wednesday Tesla confirmed the future home of this Gigafactory.

Read More

NBA STORE Reopening in PH as ONLINE Retailer this AUGUST

A professional sporting league with a strong international following and as massive in size as the NBA can most assuredly generate immense amounts of merchandise for the global fandom to get their hands on. Thus, opening a chain of retail stores offering officially licensed NBA stuff was the natural course, and they have been at it since the first NBA Store opened at NYC in 1998. The Philippines too had its own branches of the NBA Store chain, at least until two years ago when they were shut down. But the country is famed as one of the world’s most basketball-crazy, so the league’s retailers cannot stay away for long.

Read More

“MS. MARVEL” Series on DISNEY+ Could START FILMING this Coming NOVEMBER

It has been close to seven years since a creative team in Marvel Comics introduced a new character to bear the costumed hero identity of Ms. Marvel, after the original one, Carol Danvers, became Captain Marvel. The replacement seemed originally intended to be a one-shot, but her character background resonated so much with readers that she not only became a regular, but a new promotional face for Marvel Comics. It has also been a year now since it was announced that Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan would get her own live-action streaming series on Disney+. But no date was given on when actual production would begin.

Read More

First FULL ALBUM of P-POP Group S19 RELEASING JULY 31

It can be amazing how a little South Korean-style training from one of that country’s major record labels can turn a quintet of aspiring young Filipino singers into a boy band easily mistaken for a K-Pop group. But that is exactly the incredible feat ShowBT did to create SB19, an involved process that began as early as 2016. And now the SB19 boys – Josh, Sejun, Stell, Ken and Justin – have been at the vanguard of pushing the OPM sub-genre of P-Pop to newer heights with their well-received singles. The only thing left now is for them to release an album.

Read More

MICROSOFT Shows the FUTURE LOOK for OFFICE 365 User Interface

When Microsoft began releasing its Windows operating systems, one version after the other over the years, it has managed to pack as many applications both useful and fun that work splendidly with its OS platform. Among these apps is the Microsoft Office suite, their own take on already-existing suite programs for word processing, spreadsheet and databases. But Microsoft’s bundle would steadily eclipse them all as the millennium turned, and even in Windows 10 the Office suite is still an integral component, long updated and fleshed out in functions with every new edition. The latest changes are being teased by Microsoft.

Read More

ILOCOS SUR TRIP and QUARANTINE Refusal by DAGUL, LONG MEJIA and GENE PADILLA Ends with Them Being Declared PERSONA NON GRATA

Just because numerous restrictions in place throughout the country on account of preventing the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus have been gradually relaxing over the past several weeks, does not mean the overall atmosphere is completely relaxed now. One needs only look at the constantly updated numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines to understand the gravity of consequences for those who risk flouting the long-established health and safety protocols. Depending on where a mistake took place, the perpetrators could see some heavy-handedness from the local governments if they disregard the global pandemic’s presence in the nation.

Read More

NEIL GAIMAN Expresses INTEREST in Writing Possible EPISODE for “DOCTOR WHO” Series Starring JODIE WHITTAKER

Where America has the likes of “Star Trek,” for British TV audiences the long-running sci-fi franchise of choice would have to be “Doctor Who.” Chronicling the spacefaring, time-travelling and dimension-hopping adventures of the alien “time lord” Doctor and his ever-changing rotation of (mostly) human companions in his police box-looking TARDIS, the BBC program has been a fixture of TV pop culture in the UK and another favorite British export. Such has been the footprint of “Doctor Who” in entertainment media that many writers have taken turns at creating plots for episodes of the show. Case in point is British author Neil Gaiman, who wants to pen an episode for the current iteration of the Doctor.

Read More

THAI BL TV Phenomenon “2GETHER” STREAMING Soon on NETFLIX JULY 30

It can be said that the time spent by Filipinos at home for a couple of months at least earlier this year has helped them find some surprise bits of TV entertainment, especially if they have access to internet streaming. Quite recently there has been a niche buzz of excitement from streaming viewers in the country about the “Boys Love” genre, casting a spotlight on genuine romantic relationships between males. If the lead same-sex duo is as hot as the “Bright-Win” tandem starring in hit Thai TV drama “2gether: The Series,” then it becomes all the more an audience magnet.

Read More

FRIENDS REUNION for HBO MAX Could RESTART Production in AUGUST

NBC sitcom “Friends,” the one with the bunch of titular friends living in Manhattan as they live fun and heartwarming lives over the years, is easily one of the most beloved TV shows of the turn of the millennium not just in North America but the world. It is understandable then that a one-shot reunion special, planned to be a launch title for HBO Max streaming (along with the original sitcom’s 10-season run), became eagerly anticipated by fans of “Friends.” Producer Warner Bros. TV would have already started work on the special before HBO Max launched last May. Of course, COVID-19 ruined those plans…just temporarily.

Read More

CHINA Cinemas OPEN Again After HALF-YEAR Shutdown Due to COVID-19

Going into 2020, movie aficionados have been well assured that the year was going to be filled with blockbusters. From epic live-action remakes of animated classics to the latest adventures in the major comic-book superhero cinematic universes, there was something of every genre to look forward to. All of that was wiped away when the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the world to lock down and quarantine for up to now, the middle of 2020. Thankfully some restrictions have been gradually relaxing over time, including the operation of movie-houses. And among the first countries to reactivate their cinemas world-wide, is the world’s biggest national audience box office-wise.

Read More

CATRIONA GRAY Meets with NBI Regarding FAKE TOPLESS PHOTO Investigation

Not everything in life will be consistently great, even for a celebrity that has had a string of good luck from a significant achievement. Former Miss Universe (2018) Catriona Gray has certainly deserved all the blessings that came her way after becoming the fourth Miss Philippines to win Miss Universe (only a few years after the third), such as her inroads into the entertainment industry. Then there is her relationship with actor-recording artist Sam Milby which has also gotten them mired in some showbiz controversy. But that pales to the recent scandal of a manipulated photo distributed online which purportedly showed Catriona topless, something that she will not stand for.

Read More

JULIA ROBERTS, DENZEL WASHINGTON Teaming Up Anew for AMAZON’s Prime Video Movie “LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND”

Many moviegoers have already cottoned out a few years ago that not all films are of the domain of cinemas anymore. Many a streaming platform not only carries digital formats of past motion pictures but might also show original (and possibly) feature-length content. And these online films might even have quality cast and creators, enough to win a movie award or two. Netflix, still likely the first name in online streaming and originals, has indeed won serious accolades for their own original exclusive movies. Their search for new stuff to film is unceasing, as this new streaming cinematic development shows.

Read More

DEPED Gets Presidential APPROVAL for FACETOFACE Classes 1-2 DAYS Weekly

It is the middle of the year 2020 now, and in the Philippines things have been different from every other year that came before. No thanks to the global COVD-19 pandemic, regular schooling on all possible tiers of education has been affected. Classes that should have started last month in June are now tentatively set to begin late in August. Even then, necessity has mandated that alternative means of learning that would minimize physical interaction are being prepared, with varying levels of readiness across the nation. As if understanding the difficulties of distance/online teaching, the President is now offering a ray of hope for schools.

Read More

NINTENDO Reveals ATLUS’ “SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI V” Coming to SWITCH 2021

For many gamers today who have heard of Japanese videogame developer Atlus, they might say that their favorite titles from the company are the “Persona” series. The franchise’s five main games plus multiple spinoffs in over 20 years have seen players guide characters supernaturally manifesting various mythological heroes, creatures and even deities from their souls. Such is the pervading popularity of “Persona” with the mainstream gamer community that earlier Atlus titles such as “Shin Megami Tensei” (of which “Persona” itself is a spinoff of) are either forgotten or relegated to portable gaming platforms instead of consoles. That changes next year.

Read More

PSL Gets OK for PRACTICE Restart Ahead of AFC Conference for OCTOBER

For sports fans, the relaxation of restrictions and the implementation of reasonable health and safety protocols to enable the resumption of league-based sporting events cannot come soon enough. And it is not only professional basketball with the PBA that the country is waiting for. There is also a significant audience for pro women’s volleyball as well. It is not a surprise considering many players here would already have built a following from televised collegiate play. The Philippine Super Liga (PSL) is just as antsy towards starting play as the basketball aces, so news that they might restart later this year is welcome news for everybody.

Read More

JOHN BOYEGA Says He has MOVED ON from Being FINN of Disney’s “STAR WARS” Films

Some unsubstantiated superstition would have it that actors and actresses risk something happening to their careers when they get involved in “Star Wars.” Fans might note that some of the main cast in the original trilogy, like Mark Hamill (until he voiced the Joker) and the late Carrie Fisher, did not figure much in movies afterwards. The same might apply to prequel star Hayden “Anakin” Christensen. The “next-gen” cast of the Disney-produced “Sequel Trilogy” had had it worse however, no thanks to rabid “orthodox” fans and dangerous racially-charged detractors. Whatever the case, it does seem that John Boyega wants nothing more to do with it.

Read More

MICHAEL V is Confirmed COVID-19 POSITIVE

The scary thing about the novel coronavirus that has turned the world upside-down this year in a very negative way, is that the infection could latch on to just about anybody. There have been a lot of celebrities at home and abroad who have dropped bombshells in announcing their COVID-19 infection. Of the latter there is the instance of actor-director Tom Hanks, while of the former the names can be quite surprising: from media personalities like Howie Severino to veteran stars like Christopher de Leon. Now, this Monday, Kapuso stalwart Michael V revealed that he too has tested COVID positive.

Read More