REEL DEAL: “COMMUNITY” Star Plays Ferrell's Gold-Digging Fiancee In “GET HARD”

She's well known to TV audiences for her role as the adorable but tightly wound Annie Edison, on the hit comedy "Community” and as Trudy Campbell on the Emmy Award-winning drama "Mad Men.” And she was last heard as the voice of Unkitty in the 2014 blockbuster “The LEGO Movie.”

Now, Alison Brie stars in Warner Bros. Pictures' adult comedy “Get Hard” as Alissa, the gorgeous but hopelessly superficial woman and fiancee of James (Will Ferrell) a millionaire fund manager who's headed to prison.

REEL DEAL: Johansson, Renner, Back as Black Widow, Hawkeye In "AVENGERS" Sequel

Acclaimed actors Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner reprise their beloved, kick-ass roles as Black Widow and Hawkeye, respectively, in Marvel's new action-adventure “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

When Johansson dons Black Widow’s gear for the new film, she has one clear goal in mind: keeping true to her character. She says, “The most important aspect of my job as an actor, who’s been carrying this character from ‘Iron Man’ to ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ is to keep consistency with the character’s arc and have the character’s evolution be one that is cohesive. You want to feel like the character is growing as opposed to just staying the same.”

Although Johansson worked with different directors over the course of inhabiting the Natasha Romanoff character, it was her first meeting with director/writer Joss Whedon that allowed her to explore her character’s past. “In my first meeting with Joss, I had the chance to talk about Natasha’s backstory and her sordid past,” recalls Johansson, “and I wanted to make sure that she stayed sort of gray, not really black or white. What’s exciting and compelling about the character is that she’s not Cap; she’s not righteous. She was in S.H.I.E.L.D. because it’s where she belonged, not necessarily that it was the right place to be. Now we find The Avengers in business as usual mode but it’s changing. So it’s my job to make sure that Natasha, through that change, stays true to the Natasha that I started with in ‘The Avengers.’”

MUSIC LYF: Japanese goes… Pinoy!

imademo aishiteru : a cute japinoy love story

Completely adapting to Pinoy Lifestyle remains a perennial yet worthwhile quest for pure Japanese singer AISAKU YOKOGAWA. Over the course of his career as a Tagalog singing Japanese artist, he has remained truly grateful for being well-accepted in the local music industry. Since the successful release of his debut album ‘IKAW PA RIN’ which features the auspicious title track popularized by Ted Ito, the Japanese singer has continuously been receiving various major awards and recognition as a recording artist, a performer and even as a host.

Now that his singing career has grown by leaps and bounds, there's just no stopping Aisaku in conquering more unexplored territories. 2015 indeed opened a new door of opportunity for him to develop his talent not only in singing but in composing as well. This year, he was also given the chance to release an original song which helped finally establish himself in a totally unique genre -  the Nihonggo-infused OPM genre. His digitally launched single ‘IMADEMO AISHITERU’  (Hanggang Ngayon Ikaw Ang Mahal Ko) likewise gained a considerable amount of airplay on Metro Manila's pop radio stations. The song was composed/written by Aisaku's friend and producer Robster Evangelista. IMADEMO AISHITERU is being heavily requested by Aisaku's newly discovered fans - the chinky -eyed and Tagalog-speaking foreignoy.

REEL DEAL: Best Selling Author Nicholas Sparks' Story On Lobe in “THE LONGEST RIDE”

Nicholas Sparks’ most inspiring and extraordinary love story “The Longest Ride” is brought to life on screen starring Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Oona Chaplin and Jack Huston about two couples’ lives that converged from past to the contemporary providing the wisdom that will guide the younger couple on their journey to overcome the challenges that lies ahead.

Ira (Alda) and Ruth (Chaplin), Luke (Eastwood) and Sophia (Robertson) – two couples separated by time and age – have little in common until a series of unexpected events are set in motion and their lives become intertwined.  From New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes an extraordinary love story that begins when a box of old letters, filled with a lifetime of  love, wisdom and experience, set Luke and Sophia on a path to discover their true values and the real meaning of love.

REEL DEAL: Curse Unleashes On "DAY OF THE MUMMY"

Filmed in found footage style, “Day of the Mummy” takes the viewers to Egypt, land of the Pharaohs. A place steeped in history and legend; Gods and spiritual guides; untold wealth – and the bone-cracking, blood-spilling guardians of its riches.  William McNamara stars Jack Wells who has arrived in Egypt in search of the famous diamond known as The Codex Stone. His journey leads him to the tomb of the cursed King Neferu, cursed not by name but by nature. With his centuries-old slumber disturbed by timeless human greed, the King rises from the dead with a blood-lust that cannot be quenched and a raging fury that will shred flesh from bone, bringing terrible and tormented death to all who dare witness the “Day of the Mummy.”

Lead star McNamara describes the movie’s production style very creative, “I found this take on “found footage” very creative. As independent film budgets are shrinking due to economy and big studio movies-franchises mostly- monopoly on theatrical releases increase, indy filmmakers are becoming extremely creative. And with the advent of Google Glasses this concept is very realistic. I feel that the idea of bringing an audience front and center into the scenes is both jarring and exciting at the same time. Kudos to director Johhny Tabor and producer Jesse Baget and writer, Garry Charles. Interestingly enough I had worked with a horror film legend, Dario Argento, early in my career, and he too used the POV(steadicam) of the lead actor as an effect in the movie(Opera). It wasn't the original idea but the lead actress(won't mention her name, very famous English actress) walked off the movie and kept her large salary, so Dario couldn't afford to replace her. He put a wig on the steadicam and shot the movie. The effect was fabulous!”

REEL DEAL: Jason Statham Take Over As Main Villain In “FAST & FURIOUS 7”

British actor Jason Statham best known for his hard-hitting action films (“Transporter,” “Crank”) takes over as the new formidable villain in Universal Pictures' “Fast & Furious 7.”

In the Fast tradition of baddies, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) had been the most impressive rival the crew had come up against. However, with one lethal move against Han (Sung Kang), Statham’s Deckard Shaw eclipses his brother with an endgame even more personal: to take Dom (Vin Diesel) and the crew down, one by one.

UNICEF prepares for Maysak/Chedeng; Landfall expected on E. Luzon onthe weekend

Super Typhoon Maysak (local name Chedeng) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and is expected to make a landfall on the eastern coasts of Luzon over the weekend.

According to latest reports from PAGASA, the country’s weather bureau, Maysak has maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gusts of up to 210 km/h making it a Category 2 typhoon. This typhoon has slightly slowed down from its previously recorded sustained winds of 215 km/h. 

REEL DEAL: “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” Explodes New Trailer

The new “Mad Max: Fury Road” trailer explodes through the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Catch it here at https://youtu.be/6gOPNzvjeFA.

Haunted by his turbulent past, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa (Charlize Theron).

They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

“Mad Max: Fury Road”—the fourth in the franchise’s history—stars Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) in the title role, alongside Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) as the Imperator, Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max”, “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; and Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus. Collectively known as The Wives, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is Splendid.

Opening across the Philippines in 2D and 3D theaters on May 14, 2015, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

REEL DEAL: Northern Ireland's Pride Carrickfergus Castle Featured In "ROBOT OVERLORDS"

The Gillian Anderson and Ben Kingsley starrer, “Robot Overlords,” along with Callan McAuliffe features a prominent location that is part of Northern Ireland’s Built Heritage, the Carrickfergus Castle, the place is reported to have first been built by the Norman adventurer John de Courcy in the years 1177-1181.

“Robot Overlords” sees the adults losing the war and now the kids must save the world. Robots rule the streets and the people are locked in their homes. Stepping outside means being vaporized by a hulking sentry or picked off by a lethal sniper.  Through the ruins of Britain, a group of kids, led by Callan McAuliffe (The Great Gatsby), set out to join the Resistance. Hot on their heels, however, is their old teacher turned robot collaborator Mr Smythe, played by Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) and his captive Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) where earth has been occupied by intergalactic robots on a cosmic fact-finding mission and is placed under global house arrest.

REEL DEAL: New "SPONGEBOB MOVIE" Marks A Sponge For All Seasons

After 15 years – and as the new theatrical film, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” starts screening in the Philippines on April 4 – the cast and creative team of SpongeBob Squarepants have had time to ponder the SpongeBob franchise's legacy.

"It's mind blowing just how big it's become and how long it's gone," muses Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob. "As an actor, you're perennially a freelance employee. We're a bit like migrant workers; we go where the crops are, and SpongeBob is a crop that just keeps growing."