PH BLOG ➹

A fter 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment, in Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller “Faster.” Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he’s finally on his mission…but with two men on his trail – a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent.

O ne, Two and Three are dead. Time is now running out for Number Four. In DreamWorks Pictures’ new action-packed thriller “ I Am Number Four ,” British newcomer Alex Pettyfer stars as John Smith, aka, Number Four—a disenfranchised teen on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Of course, John Smith isn’t your typical American teen. Spirited away from his homeland as a child, he’s now one of nine fugitives scattered across the globe, hiding from the ruthless marauders who destroyed their world and are now determined to hunt them down, one by one. Forever changing his identity as he moves from place to place with his guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant), things come to a head when he takes up a new life in a small Ohio town. Here, John encounters love (“Glee’s” Dianna Agron), his emerging powers and a connection to the others who share his ultimate destiny.

N ew Line Cinema's supernatural thriller “The Rite” explores the mysteries of exorcism through the eyes of an expert and a novice. Mirroring that relationship, new actor Colin O’Donoghue makes his feature film debut as exorcist-in-training Michael Kovak, opposite the veteran Anthony Hopkins. Inspired by true events, “ The Rite ” follows seminary student Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue), who is sent to study exorcism at the Vatican in spite of his own doubts about the controversial practice and even his own faith. Wearing his deep skepticism like armor, Michael challenges his superiors to look to psychiatry, rather than demons, in treating the possessed.

C olumbia Pictures' music-filled drama "Burlesque"-- in which Christina Aguilera stars as a young Hollywood hopeful looking to impress a nightclub impresario played by Cher – won the Best Original Theme Song award at this year's Golden Globes. The winning song, “You Haven't Seen the Last of Me,” was performed in the film by Cher and written by acclaimed composer Diane Warren. Indeed, it was Cher herself that inspired the ballad, reveals Warren. "Cher is, as everybody knows, is a badass," says Warren, who's composed for the singer before. "She's tough, she keeps going. I wanted to write a song that could be her statement not only as her character in the movie but her statement as who she is and all the s--t she's gone through."

T hanks to the wonders of modern technology and the superior quality of Disney Digital 3D™, audiences around the globe will get a chance to enjoy the fun and excitement of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider’s wild adventure in Disney's “Tangled” in a totally immersive way. Director Byron Howard notes, “Seeing the film in 3D allows viewers to experience the story and action in a way they never could before. Instead of just seeing castles as painted backgrounds, the kingdom suddenly becomes a real place. The forest is real, with dimensional dust mote particles floating in the shafts of light. The audience is totally immersed in the same environment as the characters.”

A nne Curtis and Luis Manzano paired up, once again on the silver screen via " Who’s That Girl ," Viva Film's opening salvo for 2011. Directed by MMFF 2010 Best Director Wenn V. Deramas, the man behind hit flicks like "Ang Tanging Ina" trilogy and "Petrang Kabayo." Anne Curtis play as Bea, a wallflower, while Luis Manzano is John Eduque, a campus heartthrob who is Bea’s ultimate crush. John hardly takes notice of Bea. But one day, at her lowest, John surprisingly gives Bea a pep talk. This becomes life-changing for her.

T ake out the trash, eat your vegetable—who needs moms, anyway? In Walt Disney Animation Studios' upcoming “ Mars Needs Moms ,” nine-year-old Milo (voice of Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (voice of Joan Cusack) when she’s nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Produced by the team behind “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” “Mars Needs Moms” showcases Milo’s quest to save his mom—a wild adventure in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (voice of Mindy Sterling).

K risten Bell (“When in Rome”) plays star dancer Nikki, whose attitude and self-destructiveness turn the backstage into drama-filled turmoil, in Columbia Pictures' dazzling musical, “Burlesque.” “I don’t think you can ever come into a part that is seemingly the antagonist and, as the actor, believe that they’re bad,” Bell says of her character. “You have to look for the reasons why Nikki thinks what she’s doing is right. She’s just more entitled than everyone else. She’s had it easy, she’s also worked very hard to get where she is, and she’s going to defend her territory. Nikki doesn’t think she’s bitchy. She thinks she’s trying to cope with everyone around her.”

W hen blockbuster movie maker Star Cinema ended 2010 with triple triumph, it’s guaranteed to open 2011 with an equally big bang with the new movie Bulong ! Movie + TV is present at the grand press conference of the movie held at ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City. It was attended by Vhong Navarro, Angelica Panganiban and Bangs Garcia & director, Chito S. Roño. Bulong is directed by master storyteller Chito S. Roño who gave us horror gems Feng Shui, Sukob and T2. This grand new year opener stars the exciting new combination of Vhong Navarro and Angelica Panganiban. The two movie stars both possess an undeniably strong audience pull in the comedy department. reflected from Vhong’s continual reign as the Comedy Prince with a string of blockbusters under his belt from Mr. Suave to D’Anothers. Angelica meanwhile proved her mettle in the laugh wagon with the success of Here Comes the Bride (one of last year’s biggest box-office winners) and in Bananasplit for which she was recognized a...

F rom Jaume Collet-Serra, the director of the critically acclaimed thriller “Orphan,” comes Warner Bros.' suspense-filled mystery “Unknown” starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones. The work of cinema's undisputed master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock has loomed large in Collet-Serrat’s thoughts since he first read the screenplay of “Unknown.” “I’ve always liked Hitchcockian thrillers—`North by Northwest,' `The Wrong Man,' or Polanski’s `Frantic'—and I felt this was a great opportunity to jump into that genre, as well as a chance to do a movie in that classic mold, and with a great cast.”

E xorcists and the darkness they witness firsthand have long held a cultural fascination, regardless of one’s faith or background. Interest in them is bound to get more fervent with the release of New Line Cinema's new supernatural thriller “The Rite” which deals on the controversial topic of exorcism. Director Mikael Håfström attests, “There is universal interest in the rite of exorcism. Much of it comes from religion, but a lot also comes from popular culture, with ‘The Exorcist,’ from back in the ‘70s, still being the most famous film about this phenomenon. All over the world, people are drawn to the subject, despite the fact—or perhaps even because—it can’t be proven or entirely understood. The more you look into it, the more you see there are no easy answers.”

U ltra-confident bandit Flynn Rider is his own biggest fan, and he has long relied on his wit, charm and good looks to get out of even the stickiest situation. Zachary Levi (TV's “Chuck,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”) provides the voice of Flynn in Walt Disney Animation Studios' enchanting comedy adventure “Tangled.” Flynn is a thief looking for the one last, big score that will allow him to finally live the life he’s always dreamed of. He's never been closer to having it all when he meets Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), an odd girl with ridiculously long hair. An unlikely alliance with this girl from the tower sends Flynn on the adventure of a lifetime. “He’s a dashing bandit,” says Levi, “but I like how they turned it on its head—he’s a selfish thief while at the same time being a very charming dude. Comedy plays a huge part in this film, which is so much fun.”

I f Yogi is the unstoppable force, Ranger Smith played by Tom Cavanagh (TV’s “Ed”) is the immovable object in his path, in Warner Bros.’ new 3D comedy adventure “Yogi Bear.” Yogi -- Jellystone Park’s notorious troublemaker -- has always relied on his quick wit and fast feet to stay one step ahead of irate campers while dodging his long-suffering nemesis, Ranger Smith. With all his rules and regulations—plus a never-ending supply of signs advising PLEASE DON’T FEED THE BEARS—Smith is the law in Jellystone Park. Which means, in addition to devising ever-more-ingenious ways of helping himself to forbidden food, Yogi must always think of ways to evade this protector of park patrons—a man he respectfully addresses as “Mr. Ranger, Sir,” when he’s caught red-handed…red, as in cherry pie.

T he movie that grossed a total of $402 million in North America and $836,297,228 worldwide and the second most successful film of 2009, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen will be shown again via WhenInManila.com 's Groovy Movie Wednesday! Though I already watched this, I'm eager to watch it again because I just knew now, that this is the 23rd highest-grossing film of all time in USA and fourth highest grossing movie of the year 2009, internationally. Of course the sexy Megan Fox and the clumsy Shia LaBeouf is here! That's a plus i think :)

A rguably the funniest among the new generation of comic actors, Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up,” “Superbad”) stars in his first action-comedy as he portrays “The Green Hornet” in the 3D film from Columbia Pictures. In the film, Britt Reid (Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

A cademy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List,” “Taken”), Diane Kruger (“Inglorious Basterds,” “Troy”) and January Jones (TV’s “Mad Men”) star in the contemporary thriller “Unknown.” In the film, Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.

F or actress and recording artist Mandy Moore, lending her voice to the character of Rapunzel in Walt Disney Animation Studio's “Tangled” was an eye-opening experience. She explains, “There’s a unique challenge in having to imagine a world that doesn’t necessarily exist, using story sketches and the directors’ descriptions to visualize the storyline. At the end of the day, all you really have to rely on is your imagination. The most enjoyable part of being involved in ‘Tangled’ has been tapping into a creative side of my brain that I’ve never tapped into before. You have to put aside all reservations and just go for it and have fun. I feel like it’s the ultimate experience of being a kid again, in a sense, because you do get to investigate what it might be like to live in this fantastical world and be this character.”

S he most recently played Victoria in the third installment of the blockbuster franchise “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” Now, Bryce Dallas Howard stars opposite Matt Damon in director Clint Eastwood's supernatural drama “Hereafter” from Warner Bros. In the film, Damon plays George Lonegan, a reluctant psychic medium trying to break free from the desperate people seeking one last moment with loved ones that have passed on. In an attempt to move on, George enters into a tentative romance with Melanie, played by Howard, a displaced Midwesterner he meets at a cooking class.

A fter slithering her slinky self through countless music videos, pop siren Christina Aguilera will sizzle on movie screens for the first time in Columbia Pictures’ song-filled drama “Burlesque.” "It's sexy, it's sensual," she promises. "The whole idea of burlesque has always intrigued me. The art of the tease, the dance, beautiful women — need I say more?"

T he 2008 fantasy-drama movie that received 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Pitt, and Best Supporting Actress  and won Oscars for Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be shown again via a HD Movie screening  with complimentary massage, snacks and giveaways! This will happen on Wednesday, Jan 19, 2011 at 6pm and made possible by Blue Water Day Spa, WhenInManila.com , VinceGolangco.com , FlairCandy.com and the WhenInManila Facebook Page .

S he's an established star in genres of comedy, action and drama. Most recently heard in the role of Princess Fiona in the final installation of the enormously successful Shrek franchise, “Shrek Forever After,” Cameron Diaz now stars as the brilliant Lenore Case in Columbia Pictures' exciting new 3D action comedy “The Green Hornet.” Directed by Michel Gondry, “The Green Hornet” revolves around Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law b...

S tar Cinema is opening 2011 with it's horror comedy movie "Bulong" topbilled by  Angelica Panganiban and Vhong Navarro. Other cast includes Bangs Garcia and Eda Nolan. This film is directed by Chito Roño.

C omedic actress Anna Faris stars as nature documentary filmmaker Rachel Johnson, who comes to Jellystone Park on assignment and finds herself enchanted by the park…and, even more, by its supervisor Ranger Smith (Tom Kavanagh), in Warner Bros.' “Yogi Bear,” a new adventure, filmed in 3D, that combines live action with computer animation. Faris says, “Rachel is passionate about animals. She’s lived with all kinds of wildlife to film her documentaries and now she’s at Jellystone Park because she heard they have a couple of talking bears. This is supposed to be a rare thing, as opposed to completely impossible. The fact that they can talk at all doesn’t really seem to faze anyone.”

A BS-CBN's movie arm, Star Cinema has released the trailer for their upcoming romantic drama “Tum: My Pledge of Love” starring Robin Padilla and Mariel Rodriguez . “Tum” is Robin and Mariel’s first film together, this was shot entirely in India during their honeymoon.

T o give Columbia Pictures' new musical drama “Burlesque” the marquee pizzazz they envisioned, the filmmakers knew that only a megastar would do. It meant that they pursued the legendary Cher tirelessly before the Oscar® winner agreed to end a seven year hiatus and return to the big screen. (They even paid a surprise personal plea to Cher when she was on the Sony lot doing an ADR session for the animated film “The Zookeeper.”) The filmmakers believed that Cher would respond to the role of Tess because the character is both familiar and contemporary, somebody with a lot to give who’s in danger of having her dream taken away. Director Steven Antin notes: “Tess is one of a zillion people losing their shirt. That’s a very real thing happening right now and I thought it was an interesting thing for this character to be experiencing.” “Cher said, ‘I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.’” Antin continues. “She’s been up and she’s been down and she’s had good times and ba...

M att Damon plays George Lonegan, a reluctant psychic medium trying to break free from the desperate people seeking one last moment with loved ones that have passed on, in Warner Bros.' new supernatural drama, “Hereafter.” After working with Damon on “Invictus,” director Clint Eastwood hoped to cast the actor in “Hereafter,” a desire Damon echoed. “I originally thought that my schedule wasn’t going to permit me to do it because I was on another movie when Clint called me,” Damon remembers. “I said, ‘Did you just call me and say you have a Peter Morgan script that you’re directing? You want to offer me the part and it’s going while I’m working on another movie? I’d rather be tortured than get that call,’” he deadpans. “But it worked out, luckily, because Clint is so flexible. I love working with Clint and his whole team.”

J ustin Timberlake stars as the voice of Boo Boo, Yogi Bear’s faithful pal and co-conspirator in the latter's never-ending schemes to separate park visitors from their lunches, in Warner Bros.' new 3D animated comedy “Yogi Bear.” “Back when I was in school, I’d procrastinate doing my homework by watching cartoons, and ‘Yogi Bear’ was one of the staples of after-school television and Saturday mornings,” Timberlake reminisced. “Later, I found out that my parents grew up with it, too. Watching it makes me feel like a kid again.”

C olumbia Pictures presents the exciting new 3D action comedy, “The Green Hornet” starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz and Tom Wilkinson. Directed by Michel Gondry, “The Green Hornet” revolves around Britt Reid (Rogen), the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

T opbilled by Maja Salvador, Andi Eigenmann, Coco Martin, Lorna Tolentino, John Estrada, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigan is set to premiere at ABS-CBN Primetime Bida on February 2010!

A lakdana will be topbilled by tween star Louise delos Reyes as Adana. Her leading men for this project are Paulo Avelino, Richie Paul Gutierrez and newcomer Alden Richards.  Other cast include Jean Garcia, Matthew Mendoza, Jobelle Salvador, Joana Marie Tan, Perla Bautista, Racquel Montesa, Buboy Villar and Ian de Leon. “Si Adana, kapag nagagalit siya, parang lumalabas yung evil side, pero nagagawa lang niya yun kasi napu-push siya, hindi talaga niya gustong maging masama," “Simple lang si Adana, maraming pangarap na hindi natutupad. Mabait, mabait na anak, mabait na apo." said Louise delos Reyes when asked about her role. It will be directed by Mac Alejandre and premieres this January 24, 2011 on GMA-7′s Haponalo block of GMA-7.

A ng Babaeng Hampaslupa is the title of the upcoming primetime series on TV5. It will be topbilled by Alex Gonzaga. Other members of its cast include Alwyn Uytingco, Dianne Medina, Susan Roces, Jay Manalo, Bing Loyzaga and Alice Dixon who’s making a comeback. 

P reviously titled as “Suddenly It’s Magic” the romantic comedy movie from GMA Films  is now called “ My Valentine Girls .” It's topbilled by Valentine Box Office King, Richard Gutierrez. His four leading ladies in this trilogy romantic comedy are Lovi Poe, Sollen Heusaff, Rhian Ramos and Eugene Domingo. Child star Jillian Ward is also part of the cast. Directed by Mark Reyes, Chris Martinez, and Topel Lee, My Valentine Girls is jointly produced by Regal Films and GMA Films. It will premiere on Valentine’s Day (February 14) 2011.

W ith its incredible cast of appealing human and animal characters, fantastic settings, and spectacular visual effects, Walt Disney Animation Studios' “Tangled” is a contemporary comedy for audiences of all ages that also represents a technical and artistic milestone for Disney and for the art of computer animation. “Audiences may think they know what to expect from a film featuring Rapunzel,” says co-director Nathan Greno, “but we flipped it on its head to make a movie that’s relevant, fresh and different. My co-director Byron Howard and I both love the classic Disney films, and we wanted to go back to this cool, retro look from the fifties, and mix it with contemporary storytelling, pacing, action and humor. This puts a whole new layer on this kind of story.” Howard adds, “The scope of this movie is gigantic—with horse chases and sword fights, prison breaks and floods. The story gave us a chance to take modern-day moviemaking sensibilities and pump it into a classic story.”...

P aul Bettany (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Legion”) plays Acheson, the policeman trying to track down the gangster Alexander Pearce in Columbia Pictures' new romantic thriller “The Tourist” which stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. “He’s become obsessed with catching Pearce,” says Bettany of his character. “He’s been trying so long and has been foiled at every turn. But the thing about this movie is that nobody can be taken at face value – not even my character. His investigation is complex and twisted – his motivation is complicated for personal reasons.” “There are a lot of people looking for Alexander Pearce,” says Jolie. “He’s stolen a lot of money from a gangster. The gangster wants revenge – and his money back – and the British want him for the taxes on the money he stole. Everyone’s looking for him, including my character, Elise, who hasn’t seen him for a long time and isn’t quite sure when he’ll turn up again.”

F or people the world over, the name Yogi Bear sparks the distinctive image of a certain pear-shaped gourmand in a jaunty hat and tie—a lovably larcenous pie-eating rebel who believed he was smarter than the average bear, and whose outrageous antics put Jellystone Park on the cartoon map of the world. Speaking with affection about the “star” of his new 3D film “Yogi Bear” from Warner Bros., director Eric Brevig says, “I’ve always loved Yogi. He does things his own way. He means well, but he just can’t stop listening to his stomach, and those impulses that tell him if he grabs a pie off that table fast enough maybe he’ll get away with it. He’s like a big kid, and I think he represents that part of all of us. He may be a bear, but so much of what he does is pure human nature.”

B arely five-and-a-half months after wrapping “Invictus” in South Africa, Clint Eastwood is back behind the camera filming Warner Bros.’ “Hereafter” and considers this production schedule business as usual. “It just happened,” he says. “You know, people used to do it all the time. You just keep forging ahead.” For Eastwood, “Hereafter” — written by two-time Oscar nominee Peter Morgan (“The Queen,” “Frost/Nixon”)—represents a departure from his previous films. The film centers on the interwoven stories of three people touched by mortality in different ways: George, a blue collar American (played by Matt Damon), who seems to hear the voices of the dead when he makes any kind of physical connection; Marie (Cécile de France), a French journalist who has a near-death experience in a violent tsunami while on holiday in Southeast Asia; and Marcus, an eleven-year-old London boy who loses his twin brother in a car accident.