After the success of their 50th MMFF entry "My Future You", Regal Entertainment Inc. is back on the big screen with another horror-suspense-thriller movie 'The Caretakers'.
'The Caretakers' stars Iza Calzado and Dimples Romana and directed by Shugo Praico. The movie introduces Marco Masa, Ashley Sarmiento, Althea Ruedas, Erika Clemente, Erin Espiritu, with the special participation of Inka Magnaye and Jake Taylor.
The movie will premiere in cinemas this February 26.
Watch the trailer below:
The seasoned comedienne will play the role of Jack's mother from the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk, as posted by the Theater Group Asia on their social media accounts.
Earlier this month TGA has revealed that Lea Salonga will be playing the Witch, while another fil-am Broadway star Arielle Jacobs will be playing the role of Cinderella in the Philippine production.
Into The Woods will be staged at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City that will begin on August 7 to 24.
Check the schedule of the 18-run performances of Into the Woods below.
Quezon City’s Charyzah Esparrago was crowned as Miss Supermodel Worldwide Philippines 2025.
GERALD SANTOS BRINGS ‘COURAGE’ TO THE STAGE WITH STAR-STUDDED CONCERT AND MOVEMENT LAUNCH
January 22, 2025 – Renowned singer and theater actor Gerald Santos is set to take the stage for his highly anticipated ‘Courage’ concert this Friday, January 24, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the SM North EDSA SkyDome. This unforgettable evening, produced by Echo Jham and Visionary Entertainment, promises a night of powerful performances and meaningful advocacy.
Joining Gerald on stage are a stellar lineup of special guests: Erik Santos, Sheryn Regis, Elish, P-pop sensation ASTER, and Aicelle Santos. Conceptualized, written, and directed by the brilliant Antonino Rommel Ramilo, the concert will showcase a combination of heartfelt artistry and uplifting messages that aim to inspire and empower.
Adding depth to the event is the launch of Gerald Santos’ ‘Courage Movement’, an advocacy dedicated to supporting victims of harassment, sexual abuse, and rape. This initiative seeks to give survivors a platform to speak out, reclaim their power, and fight for justice. “Through music and advocacy, I want to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced for too long,” Gerald shares.
In line with this advocacy, Gerald introduces his latest single, ‘Hubad’, a poignant and moving piece written by the talented songwriter Feb Cabahug. The song reflects themes of vulnerability, strength, and healing—offering a message of hope for those in need.
Tickets for the ‘Courage’ concert are available at smtickets.com. Don’t miss this incredible night of music, passion, and advocacy that’s sure to leave a lasting impact.
#GeraldSantosCourageConcert
#CourageMovement
#HubadByGeraldSantos
Singer-Songwriter and reigning Reina Hispano Filipinas 2024 Dia Mate is all set to compete in Bolivia for the Reina Hispano Americana 2025 this February 9.
In a send off press conference held last January 16 in a posh club in Makati City, the 23-year-old Cavitena stuns everyone in her red hot gown and her flawless Passarella that was taught to her by her coach, Miss Grand International 2024 1st Runner Up, CJ Opiaza.
At the press conference, Dia said that she went through some Spanish speaking class refreshers for her to at least be able to establish connection with the other contestant in the Latin America based pageant, aside from speaking Spanish, Dia shared that she will also showcase her talent in singing and dancing once the competition started.
She also shared that she is currently working with Ehran Montoya for her National Costume and other costumes that she will be using throughout the competition.
Dia is set to fly to the US this January 18 as part of her preparations for the pageant.
The Philippines has a good track record at the Reina Hispanoamericana, Winwyn Marquez was the first Filipina and Asian to win the crown back in 2017, meanwhile, Michelle Arceo placed as second runner up from last year's pageant.
Will Dia Mate become the second Reina Hispanoamericana from the Philippines?
Theater Group Asia has announced on their social media account on Friday, January 17th, that Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga is playing the role of The Witch in the Philippine staging of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods.
This will be Lea Salonga's big comeback in the Philippine theater scene since she did TGA's staging of Sweeney Todd in the Philippines back in 2019, that was another Stephen Sondheim work.
Based on a book by James Lapine, the dark comedy classic connects the stories and characters from several fairy tail such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, getting lost into the woods and needs to deal with the giants and escape the woods.
Meryl Streep played the role of The Witch in the 2014 movie adaptation of the play that earned more than $213 million at the box office.
"Into the Woods" will be staged at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City this coming August.
Just a few weeks after she got into was involved in a scandal, Maris Racal is back and she's launching a new song this January 17, entitled "Perpektong Tao". The Incognito star took to her official Facebook account the launching her newest song and she even added that writing the song healed her in ways she never thought possible
Aside from this new song, the 27-year-old actress is also set to star in the upcoming action series from Star Creatives and will premiere on Netflix starting this January 17 as well.
Listen to the song below:
His newest single "Hubad" will also debut in this concert, written by Feb Cabahug. This song highlights Gerald Santos rebirth as a more matured and more versatile performer. Performing with him on stage are his special guests led by Sheryn Regis, Elish, a special performance with P-pop group ASTER, Aicelle Santos, and of course the Prince of Pop, Erik Santos.
The night will also mark the launch of Gerald's advocacy called the Courage Movement, an initiative that that he spearheaded himself that aims to inspire individuals specially those who are victims of sexual abuse to embrace bravery and speak up, the movement aims to provide Legal and Emotional help to those who seek help.
Don't miss to witness this extraordinary show of talent. Tickets for Gerald Santos: Courage are now available on SMTickets.com. Be part of a memorable night where music and courage take center stage.
The concert was made possible with the backing of Echo Jham and Visionary Productions and the support of esteemed sponsors like Intele, Globaltronics, Genesis Organic Spirulina, Japs and Catm John Guarnes, Teddy Mendoza, NakashimaPrinting Services, Rios Catering and Events Services, RMESalon, Petron Malunay, and Fernando's Bakeshop, this production promises to set a new benchmark for live music experience this 2025.
After his failed attempt to snag the Mister World title last November in Vietnam, Outgoing Mister World Philippines Kirk Bondad is still on fire as he surprised everyone as he is the first one to appear at the first day of the screening for the 3rd Mister Pilipinas Worldwide held at the Empire Studios in Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
Representing Baguio City, Kirk said that joining Mister Pilipinas Worldwide was the most logical thing to do for him right now, he also shared that he did not do any preparations for the screening, he just came in with no expectations.
With Kirk joining in the pageant, it looks like the Mister Supranational title is locked in for this 28-year-old German-Igorot Model who stands at 6'2" tall.
Aside from Kirk some aspirants who went to the screenings for the first day were former Century Tuna Superbods Enzo Bonoan and model Mark Reyes from Batangas.
There are still 7 days left for the screenings, here are the screening dates, January 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, and February 1 from 1pm to 5pm still at the Empire Studios, 4th Floor, East Wing Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
Here are some important notes for the upcoming screenings.
MaleFilipino Citizen18-41 years old5’8 and aboveFor aspiring candidates in the provinces, you may contact our Local Directors (LD) for more information.Applicants will undergo both an interview and a screen test.All appointed delegates by LD's must be present on Feb. 1, 2025 for the Final Casting.
No actors yet for the roles in the movie, but the studio said that they will be announcing casting calls for the actors in the coming weeks.
The film is targeted to be shown in cinemas before the end of 2025.
The 50th Metro Manila Film Festival wrapped up its extended screenings last January 14 and again, the Unkabogable Star Vice Ganda has reclaimed the top spot for the box office success of their movie, And The Breadwinner Is..
As announced on the official social media accounts and new site of ABS CBN, the Star Cinema and Ideafirst Company's collaboration have earned more than 400 million pesos on the last day of screening of MMFF 50.
GMA Pictures' award-winning movie Green Bones, starring Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid, came in second place in the box office race, while Vic Sotto's The Kingdom finished third.
The MMDA as the governing body of the Metro Manila Film Festival announced on their social media platforms that this year's film festival reached its quota with a total earning of Php 800 million on its 21-day festival.
With the resounding success of the December Film festival, are we going to see another Summer Film Festival in April?
Starting a new year is like opening a new book to start a new chapter, full of possibilities and still unwritten stories, it's a chance to look back and take a glance on what has happened to the past year for us to learn and set new goals to reach.
2024 was a quite challenging year for Gerald Santos, the 33-year-old winner of the second edition of Pinoy Pop Superstar back in 2005 has made huge revelations last year, admitting that he was once a victim of sexual harassment.
It took a lot of courage for Gerald to do that and it was a brave and bold move for his camp to admit such a thing, he became the voice and representation of several artists who were afraid to speak up and lose their careers.
Welcoming 2025, Gerald has opened a new chapter in his life and his career with the help of his manager Rommel Ramilo, he is now ready to reintroduce himself with a new single entitled Hubad.
The song “Hubad”, is quite far from the usual ballads that we hear from Gerald, the song is quite sensual and soulful, it’s a different music, it was bold, it was courageous, perfect for his comeback in the music scene.
“Because of what I went through last year I think you know maraming nagsasabi that was courageous and at the same time prang hubad kumbaga I was naked in public, dahil when I told about what happened to me I really felt na hubad ako sa publiko kaya talagang yung dalawang words na yan (yang courage at hubad) perfectly defines me right now” Gerald said when he was asked how significant the words Courage and Hubad for him now during his press conference held last January 10.
The song “Hubad” came just in the perfect time for Gerald’s metamorphosis, something new and unorthodox, definitely a new music he could offer to his listeners. Getting this song, Gerald considered it as a work of destiny, he shared that he just randomly saw the message of composer Feb Cabahug while randomly checking his messenger.
“Nakakatuwa kasi nagkaroon kami ng same vision kung ano yung gusto naming kalabasan nung song. Kasi I think, funny enough tatlong arrangers ang nilapitan namin for this song and dun sa dalawang unang arranger medyo hindi siya nag vibe, hindi sya naging fit dun sa gusto naming kalabasan nung song, buti na lang si Jason Cabato came up and binigay namin sa kanya and he did the job. Eto yung gusto naming kalabasan nung song.” Gerald shared how he and composer Feb Cabahug collaborated for the song.
Composer Feb Cabahug lives and works in Cebu, that’s why collaborating for the song needed extra effort and Gerald shared that he and Feb kept in touch just through messenger, the two merely haven’t seen each other personally and yet they still manage to create and pull off a really good music and song in “Hubad”.
“Ang pinakagusto kong part jan (is) yung ending eto “Ako’y hubad sa’yo”” Gerald said that the song depicts a love that is willing to give it all and ready to go all out in loving someone.
Hubad is out now on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and Youtube Music, you can listen to the song below;
Hubad serves as a prelude to themes of vulnerability and strength that will take center stage in the upcoming concert Courage, happening this January 24, at the SM North EDSA Sky Dome.
I must say that the movie was super intense and thrilling! The use of found footage style in a Pinoy horror movie is somewhat new and they were able to pull it off as they were able to produce this movie that definitely left me at the edge of my seat.
Although the movie was already an adaptation of a Korean movie, Strange Frequency made sure that it will offer something different and far from the original one.
The movie felt like I entered a horror house, I felt I entered the Asylum Manila again (If you remember that escape room type of horror house in Quezon City pre pandemic days.) The movie made me feel the rush, the adrenaline, the thrill, the jumpscares really did catch me off guard at times. Watching Strange Frequencies was an experience.
Alexa Miro stood out from the group, she irked me big time haha and I think she was very effective in annoying the audiences with her antics, I love her for doing what she had done in the movie. Zarkaroo could’ve had a good story to tell in the movie, sadly his character was really short lived. Enrique’s character was a slow burn, Rob Gomez is literally dripping wet all over his scenes, Jane did a great performance.
I love the whole concept of the movie, except for the ending. I wish they would end up all alive and decide to make a group that will be venturing and will be exploring the most haunted places on Earth.
Topakk follows the story of a former special action force soldier that ended up having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after their group got ambushed leaving him the sole survivor, after being diagnosed with PTSD he ended up working as a Security Guard in a warehouse where he meets Weng and her brother, two drug mules who escaped mass killing ordered by the drug enforcement unit.
This is one action movie you shouldn’t miss, Topakk probably is the best action movie I’ve seen after We Will Not Die Tonight of Erich Gonzales in 2018. The storytelling was very fluid and direct to the point, I just love how they made this movie, the story flowed in one night.
Arjo Atayde left me in awe with his performance, he was just poker face the whole movie, no emotions whatsoever, his voice was monotonous, no expressions at all, yet he delivered a superb performance when it comes to doing his fight scenes.
I just love every bit of the fight scenes in this movie, Arjo using a flashlight as a weapon was one of the best fight scene I’ve seen, also the final battle between him and Sid Lucero is going to be one of my favorite fight scenes, well performed, well acted, I’ll give it an A+++ rating.
Julia Montes was heavily deglamorized in this movie and goodness it made the movie even better, she did every scene bloodied or not the best.
I love the cinematography, the fight scenes were shot perfectly, all fight scenes were executed and choreographed really well.
The only thing I didn’t like about this movie is the color grading, some scenes tend to shift on the warmer side making the artist too contrasty red.
For a complete Topakk Experience you should opt for the R-18 version of the movie, no holds barred, ready to bare and ready to be gory.
And the Breadwinner is.. delves into the story of Bamby, a breadwinner of her family, she works tirelessly as an OFW in Taiwan not only to provide for her family, but as well as to build her own dream house, only to find out that coming home to her family will be the biggest nightmare of her life.
First things first, the movie was actually good, it could’ve been better if the story revolved around Bambi as a Breadwinner OFW in Taiwan. I would love to see Bambi’s sacrifices working with different jobs overseas rather than watching the whole movie with her berating her family over their failures.
Exploring Taiwan would’ve been a great idea, I prefer to see Bambi working hard rather than dying slowly. I just felt bad that there was no redemption given to the character despite all of the hardship that she has been through, too morbid if I may add.
Vice Ganda delivered a Kabogerang performance in this movie, indeed it was his best movie so far. Although I just found it absurd that she has to dress up and rekindle all the characters he portrayed in the past, I mean again they could've used the hardworking OFW in Taiwan subplot to fill in the story.
I wish they had a huge one on one confrontation scene between Vice Ganda and Eugene Domingo to fuel up the main family confrontation scene.
Speaking of the main confrontation scene, I just love how that confrontation scene was masterfully done, the one camera setup made it look like the audience are also there watching them berate and cuss each other throughout that long and heavy confrontation scene.
Lastly, I wish they gave Lassy’s character more importance and longer exposure, Jun lana’s movie are always better when there’s a friend that will support the main character in the story, just like Barbs and Trisha or Becky and Badette.
Conflict rises when the Tiwalag’s captured Dayang Lualhati while she’s on her way to the Royal Wedding, although Lualhati was successful in escaping his captors with the help of a vanished, Sulo, things gets even more complicated as Sulo was the son of the Lakan’s former chief security who he killed because of the traditional barbaric law.
I could say that The Kingdom is one of the grandest Filipino movies I’ve seen in my 13 years of blogging, obviously the movie was well budgeted, well planned, and well executed. From the concept down to the costumes and props up to the smallest details it was meticulously made.
The vision of the movie was well raised and it does show a version of an uncolonized Philippines, a Philippines where catholicism wasn’t the dominant religion and every law and punishments were based by the guidance of the Bathala.
Story and Production wise, The Kingdom was an A+++.
Vic Sotto delivered another exceptional performance in The Kingdom, he was actually way better here than his performance in the 2019 movie Mission Unstapable: The Don Identity and also at 70-years-old Vic Sotto still was able to make a beautifully shot fight scene with Piolo Pascual who by the way was equally great in portraying the character of Sulo.
I would like to commend Ms Iza Calzador for a very beautiful cameo performance in the movie, I felt she actually deserved to have a much bigger role in this movie rather than just having a cameo role.
Overall, The Kingdom is a great movie. I just wished that they used a bigger venue for their finale scenes to make it grander and make it more cinematic. The story is out of the box and well written, I hope we see more movies like this in the future.
Rating: 3.5/5
The movie was marketed as a horror movie, but after watching Espantaho I felt that rather than being a horror movie it felt like the movie was more of a family drama with a bit of horror. The issues within the family of Monet overshadowed the Espantaho, I was actually puzzled why the painting is taking the lives of people. The backstory was quite shallow although I felt that it tried to be as folkloric as Feng Shui, it wasn’t giving anything.
Noticeably some scenes from the movie lacked consistency and continuity, obviously there were scenes that were shot on a different date, but was edited together, you;ll notice it because the tone and reaction of the characters differs from the last scene, this might be minor mistakes but it does change the mood of the scene and the movie.
The use of flashback wasn’t utilized completely well to match the story, there was a scene where Chanda Romero and Janice De Belen are arguing inside a room and then the next scene they were already inside the car on their way to the house of Judy Ann.
Although Espantaho got a very promising storyline as it tries to mimic a more Filipino version of Feng Shui, the movie wasn’t able to again establish its story well, it wanted to do so many things but failed to deliver.
There were cringe worthy scenes like that of the ballroom dancing couple in the middle of Donna Carriaga’s scene, the backstory-less kids that wanted to play, the poor special effects used in the plagues, the low quality CGI;s for the pestilence.
Despite the Best Actress worthy performance of Judy Ann Santos in Espantaho, the movie felt flat and lacking in establishing its own identity as a horror flick.
Green Bones follows the story of Xavier Gonzaga and Domingo Zamora.
Xavier, a young and newly minted jail guard was assigned to the San Fabian Penal Colony where he will meet Dom. Being a victim of heinous crime, Xavier grows suspicions of Dom and his gang plotting something not good inside the colony, little by little he slowly unearthed the secrets that Dom hides through the years of his imprisonment both in Central and in San Fabian.
Dom on the other hand, a self confess criminal, has a soft spot for his sister and his deaf-mute niece, he changed for the better, but things turned out differently as her sister was killed by the syndicate that he once belong, as a promise to his sister, Dom tried to protect his niece at all cost from the hands of the syndicate that was led by the father of his niece. Dom sacrificed even his own freedom just to hide his differently abled niece where he learned how to communicate through sign language.
Green Bones is probably the best movie this MMFF 50, the story was beautiful, the storytelling was very straightforward, they did not complicate things so that you will know where the story came from and where it is going.
I also like that the characters are narrating their stories during the flashbacks as it smoothen the transition of the story making it easier to relate and to understand.
Cinematography wise, it was on point, the beautiful location matched the beautiful scenes, and even the visual effects matched the vibe of the movie, serene, calm, and full of redemption. Although somehow I felt that I am watching Firefly with their location.
Direk Zig really did a great job in doing Green Bones, it was heartfelt, it even left me teary eyed after watching it specially the ending, the scenes matched the theme song Nyebe, I have no more words to describe how I felt over that scene, it was beautifully done, a true masterpiece.
Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid deserved their Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards, they delivered their characters with flying colors, Ruru proved that he is not just for action series, he can do great as an actor, Dennis is probably one of the greatest actors of this generation, hands down, he owned his character.
Overall I super enjoyed watching Green Bones, it was a drama, yes, but not full of drama. It teaches us a lesson about not judging a person based on the surface and that nobody was born bad, it's the circumstances around them that dictates who they will be.
The story of the movie was simple and fluid, Direk Zig masterfully turned a great story into a great movie. Green Bones is a must watch.
We mark our 13th anniversary this March and to celebrate another fruitful year of blogging we got here a new Guy to usher in the thirteen fr...
.png)
