Movie Review: Marvel's The Avengers

The most anticipated Marvel Comic’s superhero team in its sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now showing in theaters near you! 

As you may recall, there have been some sneak peeks during the story line endings of movies like Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man -- all of them, including Black Widow and Hawk Eye now make up the the cast of the latest film. 

Now the six have come together in a more action-packed story in Marvel's latest installment yet called The Avengers. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, and more.

The film is worth watching because, not only does it stars big names, it seems like the best thing to happen after introducing the superheroes one by one in previous movies. 

The directors and producers planned the solo movies in such a way as to leave audiences to anticipate upcoming sequels, and we had! In my opinion, that strategy was a success.

In a nutshell, I found the movie mind-blowing.  The actors are great, the stunts are awesome, and the special effects are really, really good. Frankly, I have no complaints. 

Now I'm hoping there'd be a new sequel soon!

* Thank you Jollibee for inviting my family to the movie screening! :) To check out cool Avengers merchandise from Jollibee, please click here.

Event Coverage: Nuvali's Earth Day Concert

I was invited last Saturday to come to Nuvali in Laguna to participate in an Earth Day concert. The last time I was in Nuvali was a year ago and it's nice to come back to this place because of the fresh air and the nice scenery all around.

It was an honor to attend this wonderful event because it made me more aware of what's happening right now in our environment. Through the clips shown in between songs during the concert, audiences were reminded that even the simplest of things like picking up trash and recycling stuff can already make a BIG impact to save Mother Earth.  

The concert was graced by well-known singers in the Philippine music industry. Although my mom has Zia Quizon's album already, the other night was the first time I've heard Zia Quizon sing. As a jazz fanatic, I was amazed by her voice and honestly think she could be one of the best OPM jazz artist in this generation.

Jed Madela also sings fantastically. My favorite part was when he sang "What a Wonderful World". I really would have wanted to hear Christian Bautista sing one or two songs from his album Outbound, which I have, but he didn't. At least he sang a Michael Jackson song and that, for me, was enough. This is not the first time I have seen Christian Bautista up close. The first time was during a Bloggers Meet at the Universal Records office last November. You can read my review of his CD and about the event here.

Kyla and Juris also sang with the other three and the night was filled with good music and good vibes for the environment. 

Overall, I enjoyed the event very much. Audiences not only got to witness famous people perform on stage but also learned how we can do our part in saving our planet. And Nuvali's open air concert area was the perfect venue to do all that. It was a really great night.

Event Coverage: IP e-Games' Domination 6

Yesterday, I attended Domination 6 hosted by IP e-Games at the World Trade Center. The event venue was fully packed by more than a thousand gamers and cosplayers by the time we got there before noon. It's a shame that I didn't get to stay to finish the whole thing because we had to catch a concert that night and had to leave earlier in the afternoon than I'd like to, but I've witnessed a lot of cool stuff. 

The merging of IP e-Games and Level Up! Inc., the two biggest online gaming companies in the Philippines was great news to me! You see, I have been a fan since Ragnarok Online came out. During the event, we saw the trailer of a new game called Bounty Houndz. The gameplay video of it has outstanding graphics! I'm sure that Bounty Houndz will be successfull as well as other games they are planning to release.

Point Blank is still looking great. It's still the best online FPS game for me. By the way, not only is e-Games releasing Bounty Houndz but also Level Up! games is releasing Eligium -- a massive Player Versus Player game, featuring Guilds, Sieges, and Legions. I bet Eligium will be a story-focused online game. The representative who talked about it on stage said that it will be much similar to World Of Warcraft so I have high hopes for this one.

Diablo 3 will also be released here in the Philippines. Since the 1990's Blizzard has always been successful when it comes to gaming. They have some of the best games like StarCraft, WarCraft, Diablo and Diablo 2. There's no doubt that Diablo 3 will be successful as its predecessors were .

Of course, the gaming ambiance won't be complete without some of the best OPM bands present. Up Dharma Down delivered a clean and wonderful performance. Their hit single Oo and Tadhana made the crowd go wild. We already left before Tanya Markova went on stage but I'm sure they also rocked the place with their music. 

Overall, the event was a HUGE success. Hopefully, the merger between the two gaming companies will lead to a promising future for game enthusiasts. If you are a gamer, you should also make plans to attend when the next Domination event comes around next year. It's really, really cool!

* Photos borrowed with permission from Orange Magazine TV

Jay Park to Perform in Lifestyle Megaworld Malls this May

Fans of Jay Park, prepare for his visit next month and get to meet him in person! He is on the cover of Orange Magazine TV which is giving away 5 Jay Park CDs and 5 Meet and Greet passes here.

Press Release:

Get ready to be transformed as Korean Pop superstar JAY PARK shakes up Manila from May 4 to 6 to promote his first full-length album “New Breed” under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines).

Catch him live at the following venues: May 4 (Friday), 7pm at Eastwood Mall Open Park; May 5 (Saturday), 7pm at Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill and May 6 (Sunday), 4pm at Lucky Chinatown Mall which are Metro Manila’s premier themed lifestyle centers, owned by Megaworld Corporation. Enjoy sweet serenades from MCA Music’s teen acoustic-pop duo/YouTube sensations Krissy & Ericka and Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart SABRINA who will also perform in these series of mall shows.

Those who will buy Jay Park’s album “New Breed” during those dates will get to have their copies signed by Jay Park himself!

Working with top U.S. producer Rob Knox, rap group Dynamic Duo and other top artists to bring you the freshest sounds in R&B and Electronic hip-hop, Jay Park opens up his world like you’ve never seen before.

The album’s title track ‘Know Your Name’ is an addictive blend of hip-hop, pop and Euro dance, taking the listener on a hypnotic journey. And with Jay Park’s trademark hard-hitting lyrics and catchy chorus, “Know Your Name” is sure to be 2012’s biggest hit.

Totaling 15 tracks, this album is sure to catch the eyes and ears of listeners. With tracks ranging from R&B to dance, electronic hip-hop to Euro dance, listeners will hear sounds they’ve never heard before and meet a brand new Jay Park.

Are you ready to see a completely transformed, idol-turned-musician, Jay Park? Then head on to your nearest Megaworld Lifestyle Mall from May 4 to 6 and grab a copy of “New Breed”. An album that will grab the hearts of listeners in Asia and the world, Jay Park’s “New Breed” has already begun.

Jay Park Live in Manila is presented by MCA Music and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls in cooperation with Eastwood Richmonde Hotel – the official residence of Jay Park in Manila, Red Box (Rock Dine Roll), media partners- MYX – The official music channel partner, 97.1 Barangay LS FM Tugstugan Na!, Sparkling Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Orangemagazinetv.com, Yahoo Philippines, Juan Manila Express, Businessworld, HerWord.com, Manila Concert Scene and BND Hair Gallery Salon (For inquiries call 632- 4943270 or +639434035633).

To get the latest updates on Jay Park, visit MCA Music's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcamusic. “New Breed” is also available online at www.mymusicstore.com.ph.

Event Coverage - Charge your Summer with Spyder Sportswear

I was invited to the Spyder Sportswear event held in Festival Mall Alabang yesterday. When I arrived at the activity area, there was a massive display of sunglasses and motor helmets. The first thing that came to my mind was that all these stuff must be expensive! 

But then, the spokesperson started to explain that buying the items is a good idea because of the insurance you get by adding only 150 pesos to your purchase. The insurance covers 100,000 pesos of human life damage even if you are not riding a motorcycle at the time of the accident. 

It's good to know that they value their customers. I think it's already a good deal to pay 150 pesos for what they call the Spyder Assist Program because of the insurance benefits which also include a 30 percent discount when you purchase a new helmet.

The great thing about Spyder is that they have a lot of different merchandise to choose from. The sunglasses are really high-tech in terms of design that will attract a lot of people who do sports. Not only that, there are features embedded within the glasses like the Polartech which makes the glasses very sleek, removes glare, and enhances color perception.

The cycling helmets also look very nice especially with the distinctive spider design. The Sigma Downhill helmet is my favorite as it has a concept I found interesting. In addition, I like the visor of this helmet because, as an artist, it inspired me to think about creating designs for helmets.

The motorbike helmets, on the other hand, have these unique airfit system that makes it more comfortable for users to wear. My favorite model is the Hex, again because of the visor design that fascinated me.

Spyder did impress me with the unique designs and features of their products. Hopefully, I'll get to have a motorcycle of my own soon so I would have a reason to buy one of their products which, for me, are a must have. Furthermore, it's not just about the merchandise but the insurance as well because we will never know when accidents can happen.

* Thank you Orange Magazine TV for the invite and for the photos

Event Coverage: Relaunch of the New Netopia

Earlier today, I was invited to witness the ultimate transformation of Netopia at their branch in Binondo. Yes, the internet truly has just gotten better. After 16 years, the time has come for Netopia to become much more innovative and functional. 

Michael Lacy, the President of Digital Paradise Inc. showed us their upcoming plans for the new and improved Netopia. Not only that, the Vietnamese-famous Highlands Coffee is now in the Philippines and integrated within Netopia stores although you will also find it as a standalone branch in other areas.

Since my family moved to Manila a few years ago, I searched for a decent computer shop among the many establishments in our area which mostly can't provide the speed I need  for streaming videos. When I tried Netopia for the first time, I was very impressed because it's very clean and has tons of computers waiting to be used; but most of all, the internet was very fast. 

And the best part is, you only have to pay 20 pesos per hour a session. Netopia is one of my favorite internet shops of all time, so I was very happy to find out about the new and improved version of its branches that is yet to come.

Gamers like myself would be glad to know that Netopia has the latest games available, unlike other computer shops. And since Netopia computers have powerful specs, you can be sure that you can play your games with max graphics. As for Highlands Coffee, you can choose there a wide selection of drinks that you can avail of for 60 pesos which already includes a 30 minute session of computer time. Sounds like a good deal!

Movie Review: The Lorax

What if one tiny seed can be more capable of anything that you have ever imagined? And what if one only needs to do is to plant that seed to make a difference for everything and for everyone? I watched The Lorax with my mom the other day and learned that we, too, can make a difference by doing what is right when it comes to saving the environment and start by just planting one seed.

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment presents The Lorax. This film is adapted from a classic Dr. Seuss children’s book. It is the story of a young idealistic boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) who lives in a town called Thneedville where everything is all artificially made of plastic, metal, and synthetics. To win the affection of Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), the girl he admires, Ted does something remarkably idealistic -- to find a real tree no matter what. His grandmother luckily gave him some tips how to find what he's looking for.

So Ted finds a way to get outside of town to find out where the so called Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms) lives and who he thinks knows where to find a real tree. Meanwhile, he does not know that the greedy Mr. O’Hare (voiced by Rob Riggle), who is a popular businessman in Thneedville, is watching and doing all he could to keep everything artificial and plastic because that is making him very rich.

During several visits, The Once-ler tells Ted stories of a beautiful place where trees where still blooming, where it was the home of little bears, birds and fishes, and how the forest was guarded by this strange and grumpy yet charming creature called the Lorax (voiced by Danny De Vito) who speaks for the trees.

In the end, the Once-ler gives Ted the last truffula seed so that he can plant it in the middle of the town for everyone to see and hopefully gain their trust and cooperation for helping to build a better place. But before Ted is able to do that, Mr. O'Hare tries everything to stop that from happening. Find out what happens in Thneedville and if the Lorax and the Once-ler will become friends again. 

The Lorax has a beautiful story and lessons for everyone, not just for kids but also for adults. The animations and colors are also really good. Please watch it with your parents, brothers and sisters. It's a great movie for the whole family.