Oscar nominated Edward Norton shines in "Birdman"

                Oscar nominated actor Edward Norton relished the opportunity to work with director Alejandro González Iñárritu in the black comedy “Birdman,” which opened the 71st Venice Film Festival where it won rave reviews that will open exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide on January 28.

                Norton joins an all star cast including Michael Keaton as a fading Hollywood star, Riggan Thomson, desperate to regain his credibility by staging a Broadway play. Thomson once played a comic book hero, Birdman, in several box office hits and now he is haunted by his Birdman alter ego who warns him that staging a play – an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” – is a big mistake.

                Norton plays Mike Shiner, a gifted but troublesome stage actor Thomson reluctantly hires when his leading man is injured in a freak accident.  Emma Stone plays Sam, Thomson’s troubled young daughter, who has recently been in rehab and Naomi Watts plays Lesley, an actress in a difficult relationship with Shiner. Zach Galafianakis is Thomson’s long-suffering manager who warns him that the play has to be a success to rescue his flagging career.

                With moments of surreal fantasy – Thomson as Birdman, imagines he really does have super powers and can fly over Manhattan – combined with dark, observational humour about a man on the brink of a mental breakdown is poignant and hilariously funny.

                Nominated as Best Supporting Actor in this year’s Academy Awards, Norton has earlier earned a reputation as one of the very best actors of his generation. His breakout role in the courtroom drama “Primal Fear,” in 1966, won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

                Norton, known for his work on stage as well as in movies, was impressed at how accurately “Birdman” captured the New York theater world.  “When I read the script, I found myself wondering how Alejandro and his writing partners got so inside some of the hilarious and poignant nuances of not just the lives of actors but specifically the particular experiences and vicissitudes of New York theater actors. Having come up in the New York theater world early in my career and still being involved in it, I was impressed at how spot on the script was,” Norton says.

                Norton adds that while BIRDMAN is specific to actors, it was the project’s universal themes that intrigued him. “Alejandro said to me in the beginning that he didn’t want this to be just about actors or even artists per se. He wanted it to be about something that anybody would relate to. I think what he was really in interested in was the idea of those moments in life when you feel you’ve gotten far away from the noble idea that you had of yourself at some earlier place in your life. Alejandro has such a soulful view. It can be a deeply existentially terrifying kind of moment as you approach a certain age and you start thinking about your own mortality and have to confront the idea of being less than you had somehow envisioned you would be.  I think that the story hinges on Riggan taking an audacious shot at recovering a sense of himself that he can be proud of – he just happens to be an actor.  How he does it, to me, is poignant and often hilarious because of the lengths he is willing to go to achieve it,” Norton explains.
             
             
         
                Some of the dynamics between Riggan and his troupe of actors, Norton adds, are also archetypal. “My character is the younger guy who threatens Riggan, makes him feel insecure, the generational tension between the Young Turk and the guy fighting to maintain his relevance and sense of his own strength. There are love affairs, issues with children and an ex-wife, stuff that anyone can relate to,” Norton says.

                Born and raised near Baltimore, he graduated from Yale University before embarking on a stellar career as an actor, producer and director. As an actor his CV includes “Everyone Says I Love You,” “Fight Club,” “The Score,” “25th Hour,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “The Illusionist,” “The Painted Veil,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Stone” and “The Bourne Legacy.”

                He has worked with director Wes Anderson on “Moonrise Kingdom” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Norton received second Academy Award nomination, for Best Actor, for his searing performance in “American History X.”

                Catch Edward Norton’s award-winning performance in “Birdman” when it opens on January 28 exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas.  Check www.sureseats.com for screening schedule.

Johnny Depp reinvents his cinematic look for "Into the Woods"

No one can do it better than Johnny Depp who re-invents his cinematic look for "Into the Woods". Johnny Depp stars as the The Wolf in Walt Disney Pictures' new fantasy adventure.

When director Rob Marshall approached Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd,” “Alice in Wonderland”) about bringing the predatory character of the Wolf to life, the actor was quick to sign on. Having worked with Marshall on “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” Depp shares a similar sensibility with the director, and says, “I’d shoot the phone book with Rob if he asked. He’s the real thing.”

In discussing the character of the Wolf, screenwriter James Lapine says, “The Wolf is the feral creature in the storytelling. He’s the unguarded, animalistic presence embodied, rather amazingly, by Johnny Depp, who we also see as seductive. It’s the seduction of the wild.”

Bringing the fairy tales into a realistic setting, which was one of composer Stephen Sondheim and Lapine’s original goals with “Into the Woods” was one aspect the Depp found very appealing. The actor says, “I loved the idea of taking all these fairy tales that we’ve grown up with and bringing them all to life in one large musical. We get to know more about them which turns out to be even spookier and funnier than imagined, so it’s just a brilliant idea. And it’s so beautifully put together.”
A long-time fan of Sondheim, Depp adds, “Stephen’s work is just magnificent…he’s a living legend.

His compositions and his ability to translate into song what the characters are feeling, is just miraculous. His material is very complicated to read and very complex to sing. If you’re not a trained singer you have to really dig in deep to find those things that help you feel and understand the meaning of each lyric. But there’s something very exciting about challenging yourself to see if you can get to that place.”

As for Marshall’s style of directing, Depp praises, “His approach is very pure, and his vision of the author’s work and the choices that he made were very beautiful and emotional. He has a fine understanding of subtext and a very unique way of approaching it, and he knows that sometimes what is not said is just as important as what is actually said.”
Right after “Into the Woods,” Depp recently wrapped production on “Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.”

“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

Opening across the Philippines on January 28, 2015, “Into the Woods” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

adidas stars invite fans to “bring on the hate”

adidas has lit a spark under the world of football by launching their #ThereWillBeHaterscampaign; focused around a provocative new video featuring global football stars such as Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema.

If you have “haters”, then it’s the ultimate compliment. The best players know that a great performance delivers “hate” from fans and opponents, particularly on social media, which then continues to fuel the confidence to deliver even greater performances. They thrive off it – and they make no apology in doing so.

The film, featuring title track “Battle Royale(Haters Instrumental VIP)” byApashe, has been released to coincide with the launch of adidas’ new football footwear range for 2015. The adidas adizero f50, Predator, Nitrochargeand 11Pro all sit at the cutting edge of technology, ensuring you will deliver a “haters” performance when you step out onto the field.

The film, which kicks off with the provocative voice over of “They hate the way you walk. They hate the way you talk…”, features the larger than life personas of ‘Hero’ Gareth Bale, ‘Golden Boy’ James Rodriguez, ‘Target Man’Luis Suarez, and‘Hip Hop VIP’ Karim Benzema. The video takes a whirlwind tour of the perceived lives of these players, focussing on their flash lifestyles, over exuberant goal celebrations, possessions and good looks.

The film then goes on to illustrate exactly how, why, and what the haters hate about them the most… their outstanding achievements on the field of playand the boots that drive these incredible performances. “They hate your shiny new boots. They hate your boots… because they wish they were in them”.

The world’s most hated players will wear the all-new adidas adizero f50, adidas Predator, adidas Nitro charge and adidas 11Pro on field from January 23rd, with the boots available to purchase from February at leading adidas and sports stores in the Philippines. For further information please visit adidas.com/football or go to facebook.com/adidasphor follow @adidasph#ThereWillBeHaters on twitter and Instagram to join the conversation.

THE CREAM FACTORY Dessert for the Skin

If you're not smiling after a hot shower in the New Year, then it's time to ditch the boring soap you've been using and switch to something that your skin would thank you for later.

The Cream Factory is an exciting and new US brand of bath and body creations.  The Cream Factory, the first soft soap in the world that combines the goodness and skin benefits of Netherlands goat milk and 100% active botanical ingredients sourced from around the world, is so good on your skin you're going to want to take a bath again and again. Friendly warning: this stuff can get addicting, and the number of “addicts” is rising!

A look at the 12 variants of The Cream Factory bath creams and scrubs and you'd think you're reading the dessert menu from a restaurant.  In a way, you are – “dessert for your skin” – because most of the active botanical ingredients are, in fact, edible. There are variants that feature Honey, Seaweed, Almond, Açaí Berry, Avocado, Cinnamon, and Yogurt. Yum!

“We want people to change the way they take a bath and think about baths. We want them to step out of the shower and feel good about themselves. When you feel good about yourself, chances are you're going to have a much better day overall,” said Ched Dayot, the “executioner” (which is a fancy way of saying “product manager and brand ambassador”) of Because, Inc., the company that imports The Cream Factory into the Philippines.

What's great about The Cream Factory is that you can use one variant one day and another the next. Add the equally amazing and award-winning body scrubs and you'd find yourself spending so much more time in the bath.  Customers report it is like having a spa treatment in the comfort and convenience of their own home – and they can do it every day!

“At Because, we want to celebrate the rapidly changing lifestyle of women.  People are so much more sophisticated nowadays, and better informed about the good and bad ingredients in the products they use. And this is why we are confident they will love The Cream Factory,” said Dayot.

The Cream Factory is a brand of soft soap and body scrub from the USA. In late 2013, Because launched the products in the country, making the Philippines the first country to carry the brand outside the US.  The Cream Factory has been very well-received by the beauty industry and consumers alike – a quick Internet search will reveal countless reviews from excited industry bloggers and satisfied and happy consumers who have joined the #BathRevolution, and changed the way they think about baths.

Dayot sees huge potential for the brand. A visit to the beauty section in any supermarket will tell you that some 70 percent of soaps are what would be considered “hard soaps”, or soap bars. In more developed markets, “soft soap” rules.  The Philippines is on the verge of change, and Dayot believes that the Philippines’ customer should start with the best soft soap available anywhere – The Cream Factory.

A 768-ml bottle of The Cream Factory bath cream soft soap retails at P699, while a 221-ml bottle is at P299. There are two types of goat milk and active botanical body scrubs as well: a deep cleaning “salty” scrub made with salt crystals, and a more gentle “creamy” scrub using walnut sprinkles to slough off dead skin.  The Cream Factory’s Scrub-in-a-Tub (their cute-sounding scrub name) comes in huge and convenient flip-top jars.  The “salty” scrub retails for P799, and the “creamy” scrub has a price tag of P599.

Want to be in the good books of your special someone this year?  Then give the joy and fun of The Cream Factory to your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day!  It’s a very special gift, your partner will love it (and love you for it), and trust us – you’ll both enjoy the immediate and amazing results when you change the way you think about baths and join the #BathRevolution.

For more information, visit www.dessertfortheskin.com. Follow The Cream Factory's social media accounts.            Thecreamfactoryph     TCFPH

Christina Perri Live in Manila on March 5, 2015

I have been a fan of Christina Perri since her hit song "Jar of Hearts" then came "A Thousand Years" I told a partner that I would like the former to be played in my funeral with all my selfies (slides) to remember me by and of course would love to hear Christina Perri singing it to me live first,  imagine my surprise when I hear that she will have a tour in Manila.

When dealing with love, would you choose your head over your heart? Or vice-versa?
Maybe the answer will be known at the Christina Perri Live in Manila this coming March 5, 2015 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Perri, the singer-songwriter behind the hits “Jar Of Hearts”, “A Thousand Years” and “Human”is known for writing songs about the highs and lows of love and never fails to capture her audience’s emotions, with songs that are easily relatable and felt by the heart.

“The thing about me is that I don’t know how not to write,” Perri says. “Because I continue to fall in and out of love, I find myself often at those massive highs and lows. I wrote ideas for album two but I never called it album two. Those were songs that were getting me through tour. But when I came home I wrote a song called ‘Trust’ and I had an epiphany. I’ve tried trusting my heart, I’ve tried trusting my head and I feel as though I’ve chosen wrong each time. I knew the album had to be called head or heart and half the songs would be heart songs and half would be head songs. That was the moment when it began for me creatively and conceptually.”

After the breakthrough hit “Jar Of Hearts”, Perri is set to move fans once more with sensitive and passionate tracks that very well describe the matters of the heart. The album “Head Or Heart“ opens with the song entitled “Trust,” a searching, evocative number that poses the album’s ultimate question. For Perri, “Trust” is the question and all the songs that follow are her possible answers. “Human,” the album’s buoyant first single, surges with inspirational urgency.
If you’re looking for answers, listen to “Head Or Heart”, and get several possible responses through amazing, all-original songs that seek to understand the reality of love and how people process it.Perri’s strikingly compelling music and powerhouse vocals are sure to make for an astounding concert.

Checkout the ticket prices: VIP Patron – Php 5,500; Patron A – Php 4,500; Patron B – Php 4,500; Patron C – Php 3,000; Box – Php 1,500

Tickets on sale at www.ticketnet.com.ph or any TicketNet outlets, for inquiries, call 911-5555.
For further enquiries and information, please contact Grace Foronda (gracelomboyforonda@gmail.com), Mel Tyler (mel@midaspromotions.com), or log on to the following social media pages:

http://www.midaspromotions.com/ || https://www.facebook.com/midaspromotionph || https://twitter.com/midasphofficial || http://instagram.com/midasphofficial

Taylor Lautner is back in "Tracers"

It has been years since I last saw a Taylor Lautner's film, I will never forget his physique from "Twilight",  the heartthrob now stars in the upcoming action thriller "Tracers" in the midst of parkour's dangerous backdrop. Lautner has a screen partner in the character of Nikki.

              Lautner plays Cam, broke and depleted of luck trying to scrape off his debts, one day crashes into Nikki (Marie Avgeropoulos), a complicated stranger caught up in a gang of broken street criminals who seduces him into her dangerous world. The parkour takes him to places he has never been before and lands him a lucrative job under the gang’s leader, Miller (Rayner).  Ultimately extricating himself from a world unimagined and unanticipated becomes a whole different heart-stopping challenge.

Tracers is on its surface very simple.  It’s about a guy – ‘Cam’ – who finds a girl – ‘Nikki’. The girl allows him to reclaim a part of his life and a spirit in his life.  At the exact same moment that happens, outside forces are pressing in on him.  And that’s where Tracers takes off.

And for Tracers it was critical that the cast be as believable as possible.  “So for this film,” says producer Marty Bowen, “the real challenge was finding actors that we could believe could do this work.  The honest truth was, there was no other actor that could pull off the leading role of Cam better than Taylor Lautner.  And frankly, there are things that even his stuntman – his stunt double who taught him to do parkour, cannot do as well as Taylor can.  He’s just a truly gifted athlete.”  So Tracers is that perfect marriage of a great action drama that utilizes these highly tuned physical skills as a means through which things get done quickly, efficiently, and definitely differently than we’ve ever seen before in a film.  But the other extremely critical thing to note here is that Lautner is not only physically up to the challenges of the film, but concurrently he’s grown as an actor, and this role demanded real acting chops.”

              “Tracers is a real Dickensian story in the vein of Oliver Twist about a young man who essentially has been orphaned; his father and mother are gone, and he’s been forced, at a very early age, to fend for himself.  So Cam dreams of getting his father’s old sport car up and running and moving far, far away,” says Bowen.

“Our story begins with Cam, a young bicycle messenger who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, owes the wrong people money.  He is trying desperately to figure out how to get them the money quickly so that he can get his father’s car that he’s working on fixed and just leave town and start a new life.  But along the way he meets a girl and becomes besotted with Nikki and that changes his plans completely when she introduces him to a world that he didn’t know existed – the world of free-running, and in which he finds she and her street criminal friends and they become his new surrogate family of orphans.  But along with that, there’s the underside of things going on behind the scene that are very complicated; and what these new family members are doing, under Miller’s stranglehold on them, is clearly illegal.  And before he realizes it, he’s in far deeper than he expected.  He realizes that in order to get out of this world, he’s got to do some drastic things,” says Bowen.

For Taylor Lautner, Tracers provided an opportunity for him to show the world that he’s an actor to be taken very seriously.  He’s emerged into a talented force on screen that not only can pull of the amazing demands of a fast-paced action thriller, and is equally facile at the more character-driven connective threads that keep Tracers as a whole a fast-paced, heart-stopping drama too.

Get ready for fast-paced action from Lautner when “Tracers” opens in theaters nationwide February 4 from Pioneer Films

BAMBOO GOES BEEF BEEF BEEF BEEF WITH JOLLIBEE GARLIC PEPPER RICE

The 90's Filipino music scene will not be complete without the mention of the rock group Rivermaya, and with Bamboo at the helm, they dominated the radio stations with hits like Ulan, Himala, 214, Hallelujah, to name a few. Bamboo left the band in 1998 and would go on to have a stellar solo career.

Now, a decade and 7 years later,  the world class performer with a number of bestselling albums and sold-out concerts has been chosen as Jollibee's newest brand ambassador for its equally bestselling Jollibee Garlic Pepper Beef rice meal.

Last night, (January 21,2015) Jollibee gave us a "beefed up" music experience as Bamboo rocked the Craft Pub at Bonifacio Global City.

After his mini concert, the night became even more fun as Bamboo jammed it up with four groups (composed of media guests) each singing one of his trademark songs Hallelujah, 214, Elesi and Tatsulok,

Team 1 comprised of bloggers Jeman Villanueva, Paul Chuapoco, Enzo Luna and Alwin Aguirre won the Rockeoke competition with their impressive rendition of  Hallelujah.

Besides the Rockeoke, a couple of other guests got to bring home prizes. Ruth dela Cruz looked like a rockstar with her black The Doors shirt, jeans and pump up booties and was judged by Bamboo as the best dressed woman of the night while Jonel Uy with his 'Michael Jackson' black jacket was picked as the best dressed male.

Rocking out can really make you hungry, it was a good thing that we got to try out the Jollibee Garlic Pepper Beef. Now we know why it made Bamboo go Beef! Beef! Beef! Beef!

Like Bamboo, you can beef up your everyday meal with the Jollibee Garlic Pepper Beef, the juicy beef strips in flavorful pepper sauce, topped with garllic bits, a mouth watering delicious favorite that offers a great value for money at only Php50. You can partner the meal with strawberry sundae, like the way I do to beef up the sarap!.

US Government presented Award for Corporate Excellence to Coca Cola Phils.

In photo: U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg (center) turns over a plaque of recognition to representatives of The Coca-Cola System, Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications (right) and Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines (left) for the U.S. State Department’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), 12 December at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.  ACE is presented in recognition of the company’s exemplary corporate citizenship, innovation, and distinguished contributions to the overall growth and sustainable development of the local economy in the Philippines.

In a ceremony held December 12, 2014 United States Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip Goldberg presented the Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) to Coca-Cola Philippines for its efforts in the relief and rehabilitation of areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Receiving the plaque of recognition on behalf of Coca-Cola Philippines is Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications.

ACE, which began in 1999, was created by the State Department to recognize the role businesses play as a ‘positive force in the world’ and further corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices, and democratic values worldwide. Companies from the US are nominated by Chiefs of Mission worldwide and chosen based on the consensus of the Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, a representative of the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

The award was presented to the Coca-Cola Philippines for its holistic and sustainable approach in responding to communities impacted by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).  In November 2013, Leyte and nearby provinces in Central Visayas suffered major damage from the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Coca-Cola was one of the first companies to respond to the crisis by donating $2.5 million from its global office for various relief and humanitarian efforts. The following month, it suspended all advertising for Christmas and rechanneled the resources towards the same cause. Coca-Cola also launched partnerships with the Philippine Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity for a nationwide call to raise donations and pool volunteers.

In addition to providing disaster relief services, immediately after the typhoon Coca-Cola realigned its core sustainability programs that can positively impact the lives of affected families to help them get back on their feet. These sustainability programs are focused on addressing basic community needs such as water, nutrition and education.

Chief among the Coca-Cola sustainability programs implemented in affected areas are the Agos Ram Pump water project, which is installed and operational in 50 communities nationwide. Coca-Cola was able to help improve water quality and increase the number of families with access to safe water, especially those families in relocation sites.

To help address malnutrition among school children, the NutriJuice program was implemented, a total of 35,000 school children from various public elementary schools were provided with iron fortified NutriJuice for a continuous 120 days.

While in order to help restore access to basic education, more than 300 classrooms were also built in remote rural areas through the Little Red Schoolhouse project. The recently turned over Little Red Schoolhouse in Marasbaras Elementary School, a six-classroom, two-story building will be used by more than 300 students in grades five and six.

In addition to addressing core community needs, Coca-Cola also provided mechanisms to address the need to revive the livelihood of families. This was done by dovetailing rehabilitation efforts to their 5by20 Program – a Coca-Cola global program designed to provide an enabling environment to economically empower women micro-entrepreneurs. Right after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), Coca-Cola immediately deployed kiosks, coolers and product bundles to its partner sari-sari stores in order to help restore and jumpstart their livelihood, reaching about 1,000 stores in the provinces of Leyte and Samar. Likewise, Coca-Cola joined forces with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other private sector in a bid to rehabilitate livelihood of another 1,000 women micro-entrepreneurs by rebuilding their sari-sari store structure and providing them to access to product inventory in order to restart their small businesses.

While in partnership with the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Coca-Cola implemented a Bridge Loan program to 3,000 women who have lost their sari-sari store livelihood to the typhoon. A total of 5,000 women with their families benefitted in the 5by20 Program, this initiative have been able to help ensure that there is a steady flow of consumer goods in the community – a very crucial aspect in disaster stricken communities.

These initiatives were implemented through Coca-Cola’s partnership with the USAID, Philippine Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc., Department of Education, Philippine Business for Social Progress, and local government units, among others.

“By realigning our core community programs in areas impacted by Haiyan and through partnerships with equally passionate organizations, we believe we can make these initiatives sustainable. Our call has always been to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities because we believe that we can only be as sustainable as the communities we proudly serve,” said Atty. Adel Tamano.

The Coca-Cola Company, a member of the US-Philippines Society Board of Directors, is one of three companies to win the Secretary of State's 2014 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE). The ACE is given to exceptional American companies for their leadership and commitment to innovation, responsible practices, and positive contributions to local economies where they do business. The ACE award this year had nine finalists that included Chevron Corporation in Burma, Contour Global in Togo, GE International, Inc. in Tunisia, GlassPoint Solar in Oman, and The Linden Centre in China. The other ACE winners are EcoPlanet Bamboo Group in Nicaragua and Wagner Asia Equipment in Mongolia.

KUSINA ng Gerry's opens at Starmall Azienda, Cebu

Gerry's chain of restaurants bring you KUSINA ng Gerry's,(KNG) the resto with affordable and delicious meals is now open at the ground floor level of Starmall Azienda in Talisay Cebu. Former senator and chairman of the Villar Group Manny Villar with daughter Camille graced the opening of KNG.

The do-it-youself casual restaurant under the Gerry's Group offers value meals as low as Php120 such as Chicken Kebab and Inihaw na Liempo combo meals with sides and soup to go with. The spacious dining area could cater to 75 guests.

Other KNG branches are in Harbor Point Mall Subic, SM Hypermart Taguig and Starmall San Jose Del Monte Bulacan.

Manny Villar  (second from left) cuts the ribbon assisted by daughter Camille (right). Also in photo are Odys Suarez, KNG franchisee (left) and Andrew Agravante, business development manager of Gerry"s (third from left).

Inihaw na Liempo combo meal

Chicken Kebab combo meal

The KNG Cebu Team

"American Sniper" topped US box office, earned 6 Oscar noms

I wont be surprised if Bradley Cooper bagged an Oscar nomination for his role as Chris Kyle in this movie, he prepped up for the role of a Navy Seal, physically and emotionally. You could see and feel the anguish in his eyes when he is in the battlefield and at home. This is my favorite Bradley movie of all time.

Surpassing all targets, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ multiple Oscar-nominated drama “American Sniper” smashed virtually every available record as it opened across the US on the heels of its already record-breaking limited release.

Easily topping the box office, the film took in an estimated $105.3 million for the four-day holiday weekend and has grossed $108.7 million to date and counting. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, and Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film’s spectacular opening marks an all-time high over the course of director Clint Eastwood’s illustrious career. Among its many other milestones, “American Sniper” also broke records for a January weekend opening, including both three- and four-day weekends; the highest single day ever in January; the best four-day weekend for an R-rated film; and the biggest opening for any drama in cinema history.

The film also broke records in IMAX theatres nationwide, earning more than $10.6 million at 332 locations, making it the top-grossing January weekend ever for the large-format venues.
The overwhelmingly positive response to “American Sniper” is not only measured at the box office. It also earned a rare A+ Cinemascore rating, becoming one of only 11 films in history to receive an A+ in every category.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “‘American Sniper’ has quickly become a cultural phenomenon, offering a personal view of not only Chris Kyle’s life but also of the hurdles faced by many veterans, as well as their families. We congratulate Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper and everyone involved in the film on this enormous success, and we expect strong reviews and word of mouth to continue to fuel the box office in the coming weeks.”

“We are so proud of this movie,” said Kroll. “We had a visceral reaction to it when we saw it and immediately made room for it in the year. We certainly couldn’t have known the level at which the film would resonate, but we knew it was special—providing a different look at war and its emotional impact on those who fight and those at home, which has struck a deep chord with filmgoers everywhere. From the first trailer, we designed this campaign to convey the different facets of the film and showcase its appeal to both men and women. The response from critics, audiences and, now, the Academy, has been hugely gratifying and we could not be more thrilled.”

Silverman added, “We knew this was a story that could transcend any divide with its compelling character study of a man who deserves to be remembered for his sacrifices on and off the battlefield. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper have truly done the story of Chris Kyle justice and, in doing so, have also paid homage to the service of all men and women in uniform. We congratulate them and our partners at Village Roadshow on this extraordinary start to our worldwide run.”

“American Sniper” has earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Hall). In addition, Eastwood was honored by his peers with his fourth Directors Guild of America Award nomination and also won the National Board of Review Award for Best Director. The film’s other honors include a Producers Guild of America Award nomination, a Writers Guild of America Award nomination, and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.

Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

Opening across the Philippines on Jan. 21 in IMAX and 2D cinemas, “American Sniper” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Pacific Crest Trail, America's wildest trail in "Wild"

                Pacific Crest Trail, America’s wildest through-rail, with its infamous harsh passages, has recently rose to further prominence in the latest Reese Witherspoon starrer – “Wild,” based upon the personal accounts of Cheryl Strayed’s  journey to bring her life back together after losing everything that deeply meant to her.
             
                Wilderness epics have been around since the beginning of cinema. But from the 1912 silent film “The Conquest of the Pole” to “Jeremiah Johnson” to “Into The Wild” to “127 HouRs,” nearly all have traced the paths of men far from civilization.  But the fact that WILD takes a different, less expected direction drew a devoted group of filmmakers.
             
                Says Witherspoon, who produced the film with her partner Bruna Papandrea:  “Wild” is about so many things that touch people.  It's about life, love, loss and family. It’s about how a woman who thought she was completely broken, but found a way to reconstitute herself.”

                Recalls Strayed:  “It was a huge physical undertaking for me to hike the PCT for 94 days, but it was also very much a spiritual journey. I turned to the trail as many people turn to the wilderness -- at a time when I felt lost and desperate, when I was in a place where I didn’t know how to move forward.  In many ways the trail taught me to literally just put one foot in front of the other again.”

                  “If I would have been a person who didn’t love the outdoors, this role would have been impossible,”  laughs Reese.  “As it was, it was extremely challenging on every level, and far more physically challenging than I ever anticipated.  There was climbing up the side of a mountain and balancing in river crossings and marching through chest-deep snow and falling into a freezing river.  I had no idea it was going to be as hard as it truly was.  But it was also very, very rewarding.” 

                The heart-stirring vistas rife throughout the shoot were a constant inspiration for Witherspoon, and a reminder of why the untouched spaces of wilderness called so strongly to Cheryl, even at rock bottom.  “It fills you up,” the actress says.  “To see the incredible beauty of our world makes you believe everything might really be OK.  I think that’s how Cheryl came to feel.” 

                The PCT became a character in and of itself –embodying the rough-hewn allure of the American West.  Winding through some 25 National Forests and 7 National Parks, it rises to 13,000 feet in the Sierra and dips to sea level at the Columbia River, passing through such diverse and inimitable territory as the Mojave Desert, Sequoia National Park, Tuolumne Meadows, the volcanic terrain of Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier, the forests of Crater Lake – all the way to the Bridge of the Gods, the cantilever bridge that crosses the Columbia River from Oregon into Washington state.

                Ultimately, as she entwined deeper and deeper with the character, Witherspoon found that Cheryl’s infamously weighty backpack and ramshackle boots became a part of her own soul.  While the backpack is often a source a comedy in the film, it also became a metaphor for Cheryl learning to shoulder the weight of the past and keep walking on.

                “There is something about being in the wilderness,” sums up Jean-Marc Vallée,

                Hike along with friends and family when “Wild” opens February 4 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.