REEL DEAL: Middle-Earth Heroes, Villains Battle It Out In “THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES”

Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Here's a refresher and update on the characters' motivations and what have they been up to coming into the finale of the trilogy.

Bilbo Baggins. Following his harrowing adventures through the perilous Mirkwood Forest, Lake-town and a death-defying encounter with the Dragon Smaug, Bilbo Baggins has successfully helped Thorin Oakenshield and his Company reclaim their long-lost Dwarven Kingdom. Unfortunately, this victory comes at a high cost as the little Hobbit witnesses the fiery destruction of Lake-town. Fearing that Thorin is descending into the dark depths of “Dragon-sickness,” Bilbo Baggins has many tough decisions ahead if he is to ever return to the Shire and the home that he loves. Caught in the midst of an epic battle, the small Hobbit comes face to face with the reality that he may never go back again.

REEL DEAL: “PROJECT ALMANAC” Shows Of Teaser Poster

Following  the trailer reveal, Paramount Pictures has now shared the teaser poster of the time-travel movie “Project Almanac” from producer Michael Bay.

In the film, a brilliant high school student and his friends uncover blueprints for a mysterious device with limitless potential, inadvertently putting lives in danger. The youthful cast is composed of Jonny Weston (“Chasing Mavericks”), Sofia Black-D’Elia (TV's “Gossip Girl”), Sam Lerner (TV's “Suburgatory”), Allen Evangelista (TV's “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) and Ginny Gardner (TV's “Glee”).

Insurge Pictures presents in association with Michael Bay a Platinum Dunes Production “Project Almanac.” Executive Producers are Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Vicki Dee Rock. Produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, the film is written by Jason Harry Pagan & Andrew Deutschman. Directed by Dean Israelite.

Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 04, 2015, “Project Almanac” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Taking care of your skin during the holidays

It is always the season for skin care and sun protection

With the holidays fast-approaching come the different how-to-dos on surviving this merry yet frenzied season. These range from managing work and play, recovering from a dreadful hangover, getting back into shape, but nothing focuses on how the stress of the season actually affects your skin 

Imagine having parties lined on your social calendar for the week, but then you suddenly wake up with flared-up skin one morning. What a nightmare! Due to excessive celebrations, sleepless nights, exposure to harsh elements and the holiday stress, it’s the time of the year where puffy eyes, tired-looking skin and breakouts appear more than usual. What do you do when your skin gets the holiday blues?

Cleanse and moisturize. Make sure you cleanse and prep your face properly before hitting the sack. The all-time, no-no rule of sleeping with your makeup on still tops the list. And if the colder weather begins to dry out your skin, double up the potency of your current moisturizer by switching to a richer version. After all, nothing says happy holidays more than having healthy skin in time for all the celebrations!    

MUSIC LYF: Lenny Kravitz Live In Manila - Tickets Now Available!

Wondering if you’ll ever see him perform live in Manila? This March 24, 2015, Lenny Kravitz will strut to Manila for the first time. One of the preeminent rock musicians of this generation will have you grooving to his hits and cuts from his latest album “Strut”.

In his 20-year musical career, Kravitz has changed rock music with his own brand of 60’s and 70’s soul, rock, and funk. He stood out with his undeniable presence and classic sound, transcending race, genres, and style. The industry is definitely listening to his work with his long list of collaborations with various artists from different backgrounds like Madonna, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Aerosmith, N.E.R.D, Mick Jagger, P. Diddy, and more. To add to his long list of musical achievements, he holds the record for most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category at the GRAMMY Awards. He has sold over 40 million albums to date. The rock icon is also an accomplished actor with notable works in the critically acclaimed movie Precious and the box-office hit The Hunger Games as Cinna.

Getting to Know the 2014 Filipino TV Viewer

Watching television has always been one of Filipinos’ favorite pastimes. According to Kantar Media, the highest rating TV programs for the third quarter of 2014 were game shows (21.65%) and primetime soap operas (17.68%). These figures reflect what Filipinos watch but what else do we know about Filipino television viewing? Kantar Media present some facts to help us get to know the Filipino TV viewer better.

Time Talk

According to Kantar Media, Filipinos spend an average of three (3) hours per day or almost a fifth of their waking hours watching TV. This year, Filipinos watched an extra hour, recording up to four (4) hours a day in front of their TV sets compared to the previous year. Moreover, Kantar Media studies showed that most Filipinos watch TV programs during the primetime slot, from 7:00 PM until 11:00 PM.

REEL DEAL: “SEVENTH SON,” First Fantasy Adventure of 2015

From Legendary Pictures, producers of “Godzilla” and “300: Rise of an Empire,” comes “Seventh Son,” the first fantasy adventure to open the New Year 2015.

Based on the book "The Spook's Apprentice" by Joseph Delaney, the film stars Jeff Bridges (“TRON: Legacy”), Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”), Alicia Vikander (“The Fifth Estate”), Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”), Olivia Williams (“The Sixth Sense”), Antje Traue (“Man of Steel”), Djimon Hounsou (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) and Julianne Moore (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1”).

REEL DEAL: “CINDERELLA” Characters Featured In Own Posters

Walt Disney Studios has rolled out three new character posters for “Cinderella” featuring Ella and the Prince (Lily James, Richard Madden), the Wicked Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and the Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter).

A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella” brings to life the timeless images from Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually-dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation.

The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her.

Aquabest Joins QCIM

Aquabest recently joined thousands of runners and Quezon City residents in celebrating the city's 75th anniversary by supporting the 4th Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM).

The company set up hydration stations along Quezon Avenue where it offered free water to the marathon participants. It also gave away awesome prizes to the 21k runners at the Quezon Memorial Circle. The QCIM is being held to honor and celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of Quezon City.

The event gathered 9,000 professional and amateur runners and marked the first time the global marathon event was held at night.

Globe sets new standard in retail as it opens its Generation 3 flagshipstores simultaneously in Manila and Cagayan de Oro

Setting a new global standard in retail experience, Globe Telecom unveiled today its Generation 3 Stores simultaneously in SM North EDSA, Quezon City, Manila and in Limketkai Mall, Cagayan de Oro.

The Globe Gen3 stores will further engage and delight customers by fueling their passion in the areas of music, entertainment, productivity, and life. With the opening of the GEN3 Stores, Globe has topped some of the iconic stores in the US and around the world. 

“Globe is proud to bring to Filipino consumers another world-standard differentiated experience. Our passion for our customers inspires us to end the year on a high note by bringing innovation a notch higher in our stores, one of our key customer touch points, allowing us to truly empower our customers' digital lifestyles,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO.  

REEL DEAL: “THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU” Arrives With US Critical Acclaim

Warner Bros. Pictures' endearing family dramedy “This is Where I Leave You” arrives exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide on Dec. 17 with a flurry of rave reviews from highly regarded American critics.

Variety's resident film reviewer Scott Foundas writes, “`This Is Where I Leave You' is a sprawling ensemble dramedy that starts out like a full-tilt sitcom and gradually migrates to a place of genuine feeling. Repping a concerted effort by `Night at the Museum' and `Cheaper by the Dozen' helmer Shawn Levy to spread his wings beyond the gilded cage of family-friendly tentpoles, this alternately manic and mawkish adaptation of Jonathan Tropper’s 2009 novel aims for `Terms of Endearment' territory and ends up somewhere closer to a Semitic `August: Osage County.' But a tremendous ensemble cast gives the pic a significant boost, especially when they’re allowed to act rather than merely act out.