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May 13, 2013
A Guide to Voting Wisely this May 2013
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May 8, 2013
Fly Love Yourself: How to Enjoy Sex and Avoid HIV (feat. Sebastian Castro)
Continuing the most active drive so far to combat the spread of HIV in the country, Love Yourself Inc. released this fun, non-threatening educational plug featuring Bubble star, Sebastian Castro.
While HIV cases have had a steady decline globally from 2001-2011, the cases in the Philippines have been steadily increasing mostly because of lack of access to safety information and tools. Organizations like the Love Yourself Inc. devote their time by active volunteerism in spreading information about how to avoid getting HIV and providing venues for free testing.
Top Grossing Filipino Films for 2013
Since it will be mid-year in just a few more weeks, I guess it is time to round up the top ranking Filipino films for the year (2013). The lowest recorded earning in the boxofficemojo list is $6071 (P242,840) so that means that any locally produced film that did not make it to the list earned less than this.
Here are the results off boxofficemojo as of May 1-5, 2013. Conversion is set at $1=P40.
- It Takes a Man and a Woman $9,102,843 (P364,113,720)
- A Moment in Time $1,588,999 (P63,559,960)
- Must Be Love $1,489,456 (P59,578,240)
Note: These figures may not coincide with studio press releases as their figures include earnings from international screenings.
Meanwhile, here is the updated list of the highest grossing MMFF movies of all time.
Meanwhile, here is the updated list of the highest grossing MMFF movies of all time.
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May 4, 2013
Love Yourself Inc. to host benefit screening of Slumber Party and Juana Change the Movie
In an effort to raise funds for HIV testing and counselling, Love Yourself Inc. will host a back-to-back screening of Juana C. and Slumber Party on May 21 at Robinson's Galleria Cinema 2.
Ticket price is P300/movie but you can get a P100 discount if you watch both movies. To make an online reservation, click here.
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May 3, 2013
Marian Rivera ruptures eardrums with Party Pilipinas performance
GMA 7's Primetime Queen, Marian Rivera, sings chants recites performs in Party Pilipinas to promote her series, Temptation of Wife.
If I ever had a nightmare about performing badly on stage, this would be how it would look.
May 1, 2013
Star Cinema's Bromance opens in cinemas on May 15, 2013
Synopsis c/o Star Cinema:
All his life, BRANDO (Zanjoe Marudo) has hated his identical twin brother, BRANDY (Zanjoe Marudo), who happens to be gay. He just cannot accept his twin bro whom he considers his biggest misfortune in life. He decides to detach from Brandy and live separately as a self-employed mechanic away from his wealthy twin bro.
One day, Brando finds himself in desperate need for a big amount of money to settle a personal debt. He finds a solution to this problem when he meets Brandy again. Unfortunately, Brandy meets an accident on thatsame day and ends up in a coma. But Brando learns that his bro is in the middle of a big business deal, so before things get out of control, Brando pretends to be Brandy!
Brando becomes Brandy and finds himself living the life of the person he hates the most. But things aren't all that bad. He now has the chance to get the money and to win back ERIKA (CristineReyes), an ex-fling who also happens to be Brandy's friend. Brando enjoys living Brandy's fabulous life and feels that he should do something to repay his estranged gay bro.
Will Brando be able to make amends before his bro wakes up or will he be too late?
Apr 30, 2013
Three Filipino films to compete in Cannes 2013
Here's a look at the Filipino films that made it to Cannes Film Festival this year:
Competing for the Caméra d’Or Prize at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs or the Directors' Fortnight is Erik Matti, Reality Entertainment and Star Cinema's On The Job (OTJ) that stars Piolo Pascual and Gerald Anderson.
Aside from "OTJ," two other Filipino films will participate in this year's Cannes; Death March starring Sam Milby and Zanzoe Marudo and Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan by acclaimed filmmaker Lav Diaz.
I couldn't find a trailer for either of the other nominees but here is a behind-the-scene video from Death March.
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Apr 25, 2013
Star Movies to air The Hunger Games on April 28, 2013
Poised to be the next big book-to-film franchise after The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, The Hunger Games is one of the most popular movies of 2012. This year, as we eagerly await the sequel whose first teaser was released last week, Star Movies brings the original film to pay-tv subscribers this Sunday, April 28 at 9PM.
The Hunger Games starts recent Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) as Katniss Everdeen, Bench model Liam Hemsworth (Expendables 2) as Katniss’ best friend Gale Hawthorne, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, and Josh Hutcherson (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant) as Katniss’ partner from District 12 Peeta Wellark.
Part 1 Trailer
Part 2 Trailer
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Apr 23, 2013
Karylle and Christian Bautista to star in Resorts World Manila's Cinderella
This 2013, Resorts World Manila will bring magic back to Philippine theater with perennial duo Karylle and Christian Bautista (The Kitchen Musical, Rama Hari) in the restaging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Cinderella is set to replace the long running production of King and I and will be directed by Michael Williams and co-directed by Rem Zamora.
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Apr 22, 2013
Review: Sa Wakas, A New Pinoy Rock Musical
Dale's Review:
Manila, Philippines, April 22, 2013 -- Sa Wakas has been subject of mostly rave reviews since it opened last April 13th at the PETA Theater. After catching the show yesterday, we are glad to see that it isn't all hype. Sa Wakas is the type of show that you tell your friends about just because you want to share something special with them. It is the type of show that you would want people to see because you know that at one point in their lives, they may have walked the path of at least one of the characters and seeing it onstage calls to mind gut wrenching conversations you may have had over several bottles of beer.
Manila, Philippines, April 22, 2013 -- Sa Wakas has been subject of mostly rave reviews since it opened last April 13th at the PETA Theater. After catching the show yesterday, we are glad to see that it isn't all hype. Sa Wakas is the type of show that you tell your friends about just because you want to share something special with them. It is the type of show that you would want people to see because you know that at one point in their lives, they may have walked the path of at least one of the characters and seeing it onstage calls to mind gut wrenching conversations you may have had over several bottles of beer.
And that really is how the show felt like. It is as if you or your closest friend had just had his heart torn into pieces and he shares with you, over a couple of six-packs, the nitty gritty details that led him to where he is now. Told backwards, it is a painful journey of recollection and as an audience, you feel every bit of the pain because you know how this story will end.
Bringing to the surface the subtle nuances of a relationship that is about to end, Sa Wakas forces the audience to re-examine their own relationships and their own lives. From the heartbreaking opening act to its perfectly executed conclusion, Sa Wakas can be characterized as a show that truly understands, not only this generation, but the way that people are when confronted by love, life and that search for identity that sometimes comes at the cost of the people that you care about the most.
Up to the task of delivering this story are Fred Lo who plays Topper, a struggling photographer whose indecisions in life become the central foci of the story; Caisa Borromeo plays Lexi, Topper's long time and career oriented partner whose frustrations come from worrying about the kind of future that she and Topper are headed to; finally Kyla Rivera plays Gabbie - Topper's kindred spirit that shares his passion for art and life, and eventually his bed.
While struggling at parts where Topper's inconsolable sadness needs to be conveyed, Fred Lo ably embodied the defiance and charm of the indecisive artist. Caisa Borromeo and Kyla Rivera, on the other hand, strip away the artificial representation often seen in stage characters and deliver very real and effective performances.
Above everything else, there is the music of Sugarfree that effectively tells the story of these lovers and magnifies every unexpected feeling that creeps up on the audience. Even when the music is played overly loud by the live band on stage, drowning some of the essential lines of the leads, the music transcends and forces us to look at the one thing that we least examine - ourselves.
Read the complete review at broadwayworld.com.
Jae's Review:
Warning - I couldn't write a spoiler free review so stop reading now if you don't want to know details of the story.
I used to wish that movies and stories (romantic/love stories in particular) should strive to be more realistic and in tune with how the world we live in works. Now I realize that doing this comes at a price.
I finally got to watch Sa Wakas and I should've been careful with what I wished for. I got what I wanted - no larger than life characters, no grandiose gestures of love and no contrived plot and unnecessary complications. And the icing on my cake was it carrying the piece that usually happens in real life - no happy ending. Now I understand why the majority of love stories have a happy ending. We all love it and yearn for it even if we deny it out loud. Good stories make us care for the characters and we root and cheer for them to be together in the end, even in the face of insurmountable odds because we have to believe that love is the strongest force there is and when you're in love, you are unstoppable.
I think that the writer/director intended to tear everyone's hearts out and rip them to shreds and to remove the veil of illusion we have of every love story getting a happy ending. I love them for granting my wish and hate them for being so good with their craft that I felt so dispirited and crestfallen after watching it. I was actually speechless and depressed for a good couple of hours after watching the play as I was still processing what happened.
We all love our happy endings. But not all of us will get it.
I just have one gripe - the background music tends to drown out the characters' songs and render them unintelligible. Hope they soften the band's music when they get a re-run.
Apr 19, 2013
New Zealand lauds legalization of gay marriage
This simply restores my faith in humanity.
While most people I know would flip flop on the issue of gay marriage when faced with the undying opposition of the church, the people in this public gallery victoriously break into song following the vote that makes gay marriage legal in New Zealand.
New Zealand is now the first country in the Asia Pacific and the 13th country in the world to acknowledge that marriage between two people in love is a human rights issue and not a religious one. I can only dream of that moment when people can see beyond the blinders set by a bigoted faith and rightfully treat everyone that is gay as human beings that are deserving of as much rights as anyone that prefers to be straight.
Resorts World Manila to unveil the cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella on April 23, 2013
The cast of the much anticipated restaging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at the world class theater of Resorts World Manila will finally be unveiled on Tuesday, April 23rd.
I, for one, am excited to see who will fill the iconic glass slippers that were once filled by the likes of Julie Andrews, Lea Salonga and pop star Brandy in the movie version.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is the third theatrical production of Resorts World Manila that also staged the beloved classics - The Sound of Music and The King and I.
