MUSIC LYF: Yonel's Top 30 - January 14 2012

AKON's "Shine Like A Star" remains No. 1 this week on Yonel TOP 30 HITS 

GMA Network opens 2012 with a loud roar in Golden Dragon-themed trade launch

GMA Network, Inc. (GMA), the country’s leading multimedia company, begins a prosperous new year with a piercing roar in the market.


Come January 17 and 18, the leading Network delivers trade presentations to its partner-advertisers at special gala events to be held at the New World Hotel (Makati).



Themed “Legend of the Golden Dragon,” the event showcases the Network’s key platforms and projects this 2012, with the biggest Kapuso actors and actresses in attendance.


Aside from the being the acknowledged premier free-to-air channel on the nationwide ratings chart, GMA continues its aggressive expansion efforts with upgrades in the programming lineup for regional, national, and international audiences.


The event also celebrates the unprecedented success of television’s leading all-news channel GMA News TV (GNTV), which rose above competing news channels in less than a year from its launch. Likewise, it serves as the launch pad of ad-friendly innovations in GMA’s other platforms, such as leading radio channels Super Radyo DZBB 594khz and Baragay LS 97.1, and the all-in-one media website GMANetwork.com.

Reel Deal: Juggernauts UIP-SOLAR become the country’s biggest film distributor of all time

United International Pictures. together with its local affiliate Solar Entertainment Corp., one of the country’s leading film distributors, recorded its biggest year of all time in 2011 at theatrical grosses of PHP1.600 billion and still counting, announces by Mr. Wilson Tieng President of Solar Entertainment Corp. Surpassing  Warner’s Bros. 2010’s  record of PHP1.3 billion.


Tent-poles films, which were mostly great sequels, such as Fast and Furious 5, Kung Fu Panda 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Marvel’s Thor quickly escalated the gross tallies to 1 billion in the second quarter of 2011. Tent-pole films on the horizon also have all the potential, to reach 1 billion this oncoming year with firestarters left and right such as Universal Pictures’ Battleship, Snow White and the Huntsman, Safe House, Bourne Legacy, American Pie: The Reunion, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, 47 Ronin, and Les Misarables; Paramount Pictures’ G.I. Joe Retaliation, and the re-envisioning of the classic tale Hansel and Gretel: Witchhunter; and DreamWorks’ 3D animation Madagascar 3 and Rise of the Guardians. 


BATTLESHIP. An epic action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies, and over land as our planet is forced to fight for survival against a superior armada of unknown origins.

REEL DEAL: The Darkest Hour SPOTLIGHT

GLOBE TROTTING YOUTH IN APOCALYPTIC 3D “THE DARKEST HOUR”

“The Darkest Hour” 3D traps five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow , fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack.  The 3D thriller highlights the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects from the minds of visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted,” “Night Watch”) who produces the film and director Chris Gorak (“Right At Your Door”).

“The 3D helps to create these epic stages for an intimate story.  The core is the relationship between people, that’s a dramatic spine of the movie, what makes the movie emotional,” says Bekmambetov.  This is very unique because the 3D makes the experience about being there. I hope this movie will give audience a chance to literally feel what’s happening when a huge disaster happens.  It’s the first movie when you see the world destroyed in 3D.”

REEL DEAL: Contraband SPOTLIGHT

Mark Wahlberg leads the cast of Contraband, a white-knuckle action-thriller about a man trying to stay out of a world he worked hard to leave behind and the family he’ll do anything to protect. Set in New Orleans, the film explores the cutthroat underground world of international smuggling—full of desperate criminals and corrupt officials, high-stakes and big payoffs—where loyalty rarely exists and death is one wrong turn away. 

Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced back into doing what he does best—running contraband—to settle Andy’s debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian (Ben Foster), to head to Panama and return with millions in counterfeit bills.

Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and sons become their target. 

“Contraband” distributed and released by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation.

REEL DEAL: We Bought a Zoo - Elle Fanning SPOTLIGHT

TALENTED ELLE FANNING IN “WE BOUGHT A ZOO

Elle Fanning gives a spirited performance in the true-life story based on the memoir of Benjamin Mee, “We Bought A Zoo” with Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Ford and Maggie Elizabeth Jones.

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a widower when he moves in with the two children. The plot essentially follows the path of a courageous family and tells the story of the incredible risk they take that transforms their lives.   While Matt Damon’s Benjamin Mee forms a close friendship with the rest of the zoo keeping personnel, a strong bond also develops between Lily (Fanning), a home schooled country girl and Dylan Mee (Colin Ford), a city boy adjusting to country life. 

Q:        What kind of girl is Lily?

A:         “She is actually a lot like me; she will be the first one to say ‘hi.’ Like me, Lily’s very sensitive. I’m not super tough. I’ll just sort of go for it.  I love to laugh and be happy. I guess I’m not shy at all. Lily is definitely one of the most comedic characters that I’ve ever played. She is very quirky and funny.”

2012 End of the World Survival Guide!

I know many of you are wondering if this year is indeed the last year of our lives. The Ancient Mayans made a very accurate calendar that tells the world will end its era. But don't fret! There is still hope by preparing yourself with the essentials of survival. Axe Philippines bring you this informative (and sexy) video on how you can survive the end of the world.

More Survival tips after the jump!  #Survive2012

REEL DEAL: MY BINONDO GIRL Treats Viewers With a 'Dragon Finale'

This Chinese New Year, MY BINONDO GIRL will treat loyal viewers with a grand 'Dragon Finale' as the top-rating Primetime Bida Drama Series topbilled by Kim Chui is down to its last week.

The Lunar New Year of the water dragon also brings love and luck to the cast of My Binondo Girl according to the readings of a Feng Shui expert. Also the series have evolved into the new loveteam of Kim and Xian which has a growing number of fans. Direk Francis also shares that Xian showed romantic gestures off cam during taping days to Kim by having a choir sing to her love songs and flowers.  

In the last five nights, expect for more breathtaking revalations and sweet surprizes, especially from MY BINONDO GIRL love teams Jade (Kim) and Andy (Xian Lim), and Zeny (AiAi Delas Alas) and Papa Chen (Richard Yap).

Kris Aquino Finally Found True Love

KRIS AQUINO’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THIS 2012: “THE SEARCH IS OVER” 

by Vince G. Lopez from the Manila Bulletin.

Her talk shows, movies and telenovelas have endeared Kris Aquino to the hearts of Filipinos both here and abroad. After all, having dubbed “the Queen of all Media” means that whatever Kris says or does, Filipinos will always take notice.

Now, she is starting the year with this announcement: “I finally found true love.”

Her romantic trials and tribulations are among the most well-documented of all Filipino celebrities so this pronouncement can come as a shock to those who have followed her relationship’s ups and downs. The popular host also revealed that this relationship will definitely be beneficial for her, as she knows it will have a long-term positive effect on her life.

“My search is over,” she boldly declares. “I found true love in San Marino.”

REEL DEEL: Darkest Hour - Timur Bekmambetov SPOTLIGHT

TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV DELIVERS THE LATEST SPECIAL EFFECTS IN “DARKEST HOUR” 3D

Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov who gave us the highly-stylized action packed “Wanted” and “Night Watch” produces the latest in mind-blowing special effects in the 3D thriller “Darkest Hour” starring Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby and Rachael Taylor.

Director Chris Gorak pits young internet entrepreneurs Sean (Hirsch) and Ben (Minghella) who arrive in Moscow amidst a mysterious lightening storm.  Upon landing in the vibrant Russian capital to pursue their business dreams in the international economic center yet full of unscrupulous business practices, they met up with travelers Natalie (Thirlby) and Anne (Taylor) who are stranded in Moscow en route to Nepal.  

The two pairs of best friends meet amid the glitz and glamour of the Zvezda Nightclub, the hot spot for the international and the beautiful in Moscow, including the young turk Skylar (Joel Kinnaman), the Swedish businessman who duped Sean and Ben. A mecca for the globe trotting youth, supermodels, and business elite congregating in Moscow, the club is quickly transformed to a scene of terror when the aliens invade and everything goes dark.