Metro ATC

     There's a new mall in my area and it is really a great one!  Last August 18, I was invited to take part to the opening of the Metro ATC's department store.  Little did I know that the grocery area was already open to the public since August 11.  

     Metro ATC is a 44,000 square-meter retail store which is designed to ease the shoppers life by having your badly needed items found in the grocery area and the department store in one area.  I was able to experience first hand what it was like to be inside a great grocery which was able to combine both local and imported items which I use in the kitchen.  The grocery area alone is very pleasing to the eyes and really has a nice ambiance as well.  It also has a nearby food area for budget meals and for meriendas as well like Serenitea, NYFD, and Sbarro (soon to open).  Their gourmet area also serve nice dishes as well as sell some of the tastiest bread and pastries.

     I also liked their spacious comfort rooms which is found on the 2nd floor of the department store, it also had a lounge before it.  They also sell famous furniture crafted from Cebu courtesy of the Heritage.  Unique and very beautiful crafts that would really make your home both cozy and pleasing.

     Their electronics section also sell some famous LED TVs for 12mts to pay, these TVs are the ones that are only being sold for cash/straight from other malls.  Imagine being able to buy the same item for the same price at a much easier way! ^_^

      The Metro ATC mall is conveniently connected to the ATC mall and has a free underground parking.  Yes, you heard it right, FREE PARKING! ^_^  So come now and experience shopping at ease, come to the Metro ATC mall!

A very special thanks to Ms Tisha Timbang and Alex for the invite!

The Bourne Legacy

     Famous novel by Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne series" is revived in the cinema by the release of the new expansion of which I hope to be another trilogy, The Bourne Legacy.  Jeremy Renner stars as one of the trained assasins which is under the Bourne experiment.  In this film, not being able to read the books, I knew that Jason Bourne wasn't the only one which went under and is still undergoing the said experiment.

     Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) finds the rest house for the assasins in training at a snow covered hut and figured out a way to get out of the system.  But that was not the thing he needed, he also needed to take out the system in him as well.  He finds Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a doctor who survived the assassination of all the doctors involved in the Bourne project and convinces her to help him relieve from the drugs he needed to take.

     The movie was really entertaining and was a bit cut short, or I just really enjoyed it so much that I didn't noticed the time.  When it ended I was just confused with the climax that I had to say to myself "maybe there is a sequel to this?" because it was really a big cliff hanger.  The shots in the Philippines was great, it really showed the slums in Sta Ana area and also the crowded streets of Manila which made it outstanding with the chase scenes.  If you didn't knew the area, you be amazed to how they managed to go through the traffic so easily and also the side street chases that happened.  But if you knew all the places, you'd find yourself wondering how they were able to manage to be on another different area so fast ^_^

     I really loved the movie so much!  It was really funny when my fiance was looking for the shot of El Nido, I told her the last shot was it.  She went "but it really looked beautiful?", the movie shows the ups and downs of the Philippines but we should never ever get stuck with just the ugly part, we should also realize that there are also a lot of places in our country that are beautiful as well.

The Dark Knight Rises

     After 4 years of waiting... Batman returns to end his legacy in the film "The Dark Knight Rises".  Unfortunately I came in late by 15mins, but since I was able to see the long trailer of the movie with Bane and his men invading a plane, so I was able to get a gist of what happened with the parts I missed.

     The movie starts 8yrs after Batman's disappearance from Gotham, 8yrs after his friend Harvey Dent died, Gotham finally has enjoyed 8yrs of peace under the Dent Act.  And with the Batman, Bruce Wayne also decided to lay low and be on a recluse with which the fall of his business.  A new villain, Bane, finds about Gordon's secret and decides to resurface and take on the stock market hostage, and with it Batman is forced to return to Gotham.  He was able to stop Bane and his men but only to find out that his stock was his target and had it bankrupt forcing him to turnover his company.  Suspecting that John Daggett, his business rival, was working with Bane.  He turnovers his business instead to Miranda Tate.

     Alfred leaves the mansion after telling Bruce that he always envisioned seeing Bruce in a restaurant with a lovely wife (this part really gave me the chills).  As Batman is led by Selina Kyle to Bane's lair, he instead got beaten up by him and sent to the prison were Bane was able to escape, a prison that was always considered inescapable.  While Bruce was trying to recover and escape, Bane takes over Gotham, cutting off all bridges, trapping all policemen underground, making all the prisoners escape, giving what the rich have to the poor, and basically creating chaos all around Gotham.  All with the help of a Nuclear Bomb he had created as a warning to anyone who tries to leave Gotham or enter it without his permission.

     After months of training and trying to escape, Bruce finally was able to manage so by accepting his weakness.  He then asks for help from Selina, Gordon, Blake, and Lucius Fox to liberate Gotham.  While battling Bane, he then finds out that Bane wasn't the child of his former master but Tate was.  He eventually was able to stop Tate and was able to retrieve the bomb but found that they didn't have the capacity from stopping it to explode.  He then was forced to fly the bomb and have it explode on the sea, and since the Bat didn't have autopilot with it he had to manually fly it to a safety zone and have it explode.

     The film ends with all the people of Gotham knowing that Batman died for them, and with it they built him a statue as a reminder of the hero who saved the entire city.  Alfred, Gordon and Blake had a funeral outside the Wayne manor was divided to pay for the debt and the rest to be given to Alfred, the manor itself was turned into an orphanage.  Lucius finds after six months that Bruce programmed the autopilot on the aircraft.  And Alfred finds Bruce and Selina in a restaurant in Italy, as Blake inherits the Bat cave.

     The Dark Knight Rises is easily considered as the best of the trilogy, I enjoyed it from beginning to end without realizing that the film was almost 3hrs long.  It even reached $745 million + in gross profit.  Catch it while its still showing in your nearest theaters.

The Great Northern Sale!!!

     Who doesn't like SALES? To be able to get the items you wanted the most at a more affordable price?  And SM City North EDSA is going to give you the great sale you've been looking forward to, and up to 70% off!  Now that is a great find indeed!

     

     So save up and shop on July 13-15 at the SM City North EDSA and look for the greatest finds you can and enjoy the adventure.

Visit the event's Facebook, Twitter and website for more updates
http://www.facebook.com/smnedsa

http://www.twitter.com/smnorthedsa

http://www.sm-northedsa.com/

Claw Daddy

     Angel, me and some of our friends celebrated July 4th at Claw Daddy's in BGC, Angel loves eating crabs and most of us love the taste of seafood.  We were even surprised to know that they were going to introduce to us a new dish called the boiling bags.

Grilled Corns

Ballpark Nachos

Ceasar Salad

     We were given corns and nachos as appetizers which easily vanished in a few seconds.  Especially the nachos because of how it tasted.  It was a real treat to have it garnished with lots of cheese and meat on top.  We also had some salad on the side which I ate most because I didn't want to have rice.  It was a good substitute for healthy goers, it was very flavorful and was actually heavy on the tummy.

     And here came the boling bags!  And we really got amazed with how big it was, how it smelled after the bag was opened, and also all the ingredients inside it which were all making our mouths water with eagerness.  It was like finding the golden pot in the end of the rainbow, the smell and taste was really heaven like.  The "Seafood Boil In A Bag" and the "All Shrimp Boiling Bag" were the ones we had.  "The Seafood Boil In A Bag" is a seafood feast of crabs, fresh water prawns, south pacific clams, green mussels, manila clams, Andouille sausage, potatoes and corn.  I really loved how it smelled, the different herbs and spices mixed with the aroma of the dish, the dish costs P1495.  The "All Shrimp Boiling Bag" has baby shrimps, fresh water prawns, Andouille sausage, corn and potatoes.  It was a lighter in terms of taste than the previous boiling bag we had and was sweeter.  Maybe because it didn't had too much of the herbs and spices on top of it.  I liked it better because the first one was spicy, this bag costs P995.

The Happy Crablette

     It was a very fun evening we shared with our friends, a really nice place to dine and laugh.  We highly recommend you visit them at their branches:

B6 Bonifacio High St - 8564785/8564326

The Ledge, Shangri La Plaza Mall - 6365679/6374528

SM Mall Of Asia (2nd flr Entertaiment Mall) - 8613028

Nuvali, Sta Rosa, Laguna

Level 1 Harbor Point, Subic Bay (soon to open)

The Amazing Spider-Man

     Your friendly web slinging hero has come back in this reboot of the famous movie series.  Andrew Garfield is now the lead role playing the character of Peter Parker in his younger days when he was still with his first love Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone.

     The story starts with Peter being left by his parents to the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May played by Martin Sheen and Sally Field.  The movie shows how Peter faces his high school days being bullied, falling in love, and finding the truth about his parents.  I really loved how the movie was able to incorporate that Spider-Man is just as human as he can be by having him use the web shooters, this shows just how genius and creative he can be.  The only thing I disliked about the movie was the action scenes, I felt it were too simple and lacked luster.  After each fights, I felt like saying "so that was it?" and I really was looking forward to it because the first 3 movies of Spidey had great fight scenes.  Like when he was fighting Doc Oc on the train, or when he was fighting Venom in the end of Spidey 3.

     For me the movie was good but not great, good because it mostly centered on Spidey's life, but I really wish the movie left me with great feeling that made me want to watch it again or look forward to the next one.  The Amazing Spider-Man is stated to be a trilogy, so maybe the third one would be the one I would enjoy watching.

The Amazing Spider-Man is still showing in your nearest theaters, watch it in IMAX version if you want to have a better grasp of the movie.

Flavors Of Asia

Many will agree that one of the best ways to experience Asia is through its food—historic, flavorful, and vast. Especially for the Southeast Asian region that boasts a multi-cultural and hard-hitting influence with the way we enjoy cooking and eating, it’s no wonder why dishes that hail from these regions are considered a feast for the senses. 

To pay tribute to this revered cuisine of the world; Marriott Manila brings home four of the Asia’s most famous cuisines.  From Thailand, Malaysia,Indonesia and Vietnam, Marriott Cafe tantalizes everyone with a masterpiece through a month-long celebration of Oriental flavors that’s uniquely Marriott.

What else could be more exciting other than a larger than life encounter with Renaissance Kuala Lumpur’s Ruhizad Muri, JW Marriott Jakarta’s Dadang Wahyudi, Renaissance Riverside Saigon Phan Tien Hoa, and JW Marriott Bangkok Thanatorn Krobsuay. Boasting with culinary career track that is dynamically diverse, expect only authentic and a palate tickling adventure anyone could get. 

For only P2, 300 net from Sunday to Thursday and P2, 500 net for Friday and Saturday, enjoy a charming Asian dinner that assures an enjoyable age-old tradition of bonding through a delicious mix of aromatic, spicy, rich, sweet, and hot Flavors of Asia.   

Back by popular demand, Thai food definitely deserves all the hype for its four fundamental tastes that we Filipinos love: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Chef Thanatorn Krobsuay who trail blazed the first two consecutive most-talked about Thai Food Fest at Marriott Café, there’s no denying that it’s one of the cuisines we regularly crave for. This year, chef Thanathorn makes the selections more lavish and worth discovering with his new menu line up such as: deep fried sea bass with chili sauce, sautéed squid with pineapple and cucumber, beef balls cooked with typical Malay sauce, and braised beef spiced with turmeric and coconut.

More than its legendary nasi lemak, chef Ruhizad Muri gives foodies a taste of Malaysia’s noteworthy nyonya cuisine.  A signature Penang type of cooking that blends spices from roots (galangal, turmeric, and ginger); leaves (pandan, lime, and laksa); fruit (lemon, tamarind, and green mangoes); together with other ingredients like shrimp paste and chilies.  Imbibed from Thai cooking style, chef Ruhizad puts an interesting twist with the time-honored wok dishes of Malaysia. This section invites everyone as well to get creative with blue crab, shrimps, dilis fish, beef tenderloin, chicken, clams, barbeque chicken, steamed fish, assorted vegetables peppered with Malaysian spices.

Another Southeast Asian cuisine that deserves to be in the limelight is Indonesian. Popular for their satay which shows Asians’ love affair for grilled meats, chef Dadang Wahyudi makes skewers tastier and more appetizing with these selections: chicken, shrimps, calamari, beef, goat, pork and fish in assorted marinations! Another must-try is the bebek betutu klung klung, an all-spiced up Balinese dish enhanced by a host of pungent roots, herbs, and seasoning. Both locals and visitors are just so psyched about this heavenly roasted duck recipe that it’s considered a dish specially reserved for big banquets and ceremonies.

A native of Ho Chi Minh, chef Phan Thien Hoa presents well-rounded Vietnamese dishes notable for its minimal use of oil, bountiful use of herbs and vegetables-- which shouldn’t make one wonder why it ranks as one of the healthiest foods in the world! Most travelers would agree that aVietnam trip is never complete without tasting a steamy and flavorful bowl of pho. Considered the heart and soul of Vietnamese cuisine, it features a delicious play on broth, rice noodles, meat, herbs and spices. Another delicacy that Vietnam is famous for is the Vietnamese spring rolls—soft rice wrappers filled with choicest meats and vegetables such as shrimps, tofu, chicken, and beef. Enjoy it fresh and slow at this special section which will make you feel the charming street-food style eating in Vietnam.

And with the Philippines long coast line, it’s a crime to miss out our very owns seafood choices. Your meal will never be complete without the tiger prawns, steamed lobster on ice, marinated marina clam and curacha crab which are all highly regarded for its freshness, standout taste and quality. So make sure this cold section is part of your eating plan.

While the West is abundant with milk for most of their dessert recipes, Southeast Asians on the other hand capitalize on the creamy goodness of coconut milk, whether it’s for glutinous rice or fruits. A mix of sweet, savory, hot and cold, these should be a flavorful last hurrah for a really good meal: pandan crepes rolled with caramelize coconut, stewed green bean with palm sugar, banana in sweet coconut, pandan leave jelly plus other famous delicacies that will surely strike anyone’s fancy.

Much more, we believe that food and travel are a perfect way to go if someone wants to have an in-depth experience of a local destination. With this in mind, our Marriott properties in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, are giving away three days and two nights gift certificates to four lucky diners of Flavors of Asia—all you need to fully enjoy a one hundred percent Asian experience!

Bringing an authentic taste of local life and hospitality, our four chefs will also conduct a special cooking class for only P1, 500 net inclusive of a hearty lunch: July 9, Thai; July 16, Malaysian, July 23 Vietnamese; and July 30, Indonesian. If you wish to experience this treat that’s injected with fun and information, consider enjoying Asian cuisine by learning to cook it yourself!

Instead of hitting the usual haunt, invite the group over and explore a night of culinary adventure at Marriott Café, guaranteed to give anyone a quick passport to Asia.

For inquiries or reservations, call Marriott Café at 988-9999.

ABOUT MARRIOTT HOTEL MANILA:

An inviting beacon set in the world-class casino entertainment complex of Resorts World Manila, Marriott Hotel Manila is the place to work and play. Ideally located in Newport City across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, it is a convenient 15 minute drive from Makati Business District and Bonifacio Global City. Affording a splendid view of the adjoining 18-hole Villamor Golf Course, it boasts 342 exquisite guest accommodations that offers luxurious bedding, in-room safe, mini-bar, high-speed Internet, air conditioning, 40" full high definition LCDs with IPTV, videos on demand and jack pack plug-and-play system. The hotel features excellent dining options such as Marriott Cafe, Cru Steakhouse, Java+ and Lobby Lounge. Leisure facilities include Quan Spa, Health Club, Salon and Newport Mall. With a Grand Ballroom and several meeting rooms, Marriott Hotel Manila is also the ultimate destination for meetings and events, from weddings to gala dinner celebrations.

Big Fish Innovation White party

     BigFish and Freedom Music recently held their Innovation White party at the World Trade Center.  It had a stellar cast of DJs who really made that night's party the party of the town!

     Russian trance, DJ, radio host, and record producer.  Seems like these guy never tires.

     DJ Chris Raeuber (Roy-ber) is considered one of the top house dj's in the Philippines, holding the only local residency spot of Bigfish Manila, the leading dance music event's brand known to host huge parties for up to 10000 people at the World Trade Center. 

     The German/Filipino has spun for major events with Dash Berlin, Andy Norman (Hedkandi), Super8 & Tab and more. Chris is known for his unique style that keeps the crowd going, so well, he has captured interest of international events in Cocoon Club, Frankfurt (considered Europe's number 1 club), Singapore and Hong Kong. He dedicates his work to the less fortunate and green projects, to which he allocates 30% of his dj income. 

(from his official FB page https://www.facebook.com/DjChrisRaeuber)

Cosmic Gate is a German trance duo made up of Claus Terhoeven (born 1972, aka Nic Chagall) and Stefan Bossems (born 1967, aka DJ Bossi). Both from Krefeld in Germany. On October 28, 2009, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records artist Cosmic Gate placed #19, 43 spots above the group's ranking the year before. For the 2010 DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ Poll, Cosmic Gate moved to #24. (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Gate)

Hewitt was the lead singer of the Australian rock band Missing Hours, with whom she released the eponymous debut album in October 2008. The band that she formed with her brother Anthony is currently no longer active, because both now live in Europe and are now working as songwriters of electronic dance music.

Although Emma Hewitt had a musical background in rock music, she released her debut single in 2007 in the field of progressive house. "Carry Me Away" was a collaboration with British DJ Chris Lake. The single reached number 11 in the Spanish singles charts as well as number 12 in Finland.  The single was a total of 50 weeks in the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay charts in the United States and reached number 1 in December 2007.

After the success of her first single, she has worked with several trance artists such as Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery, Dash Berlin and Ronski Speed. The single "Waiting", which she published with Dash Berlin in 2009, was ranked 25th in the Belgian singles charts. In Armin van Buurens popular radio show A State of Trance the single was elected by the audience with 2109 votes to the second best song of the year 2009.  At the International Dance Music Awards 2010 "Waiting" was awarded as best HiNRG/Euro Track. She was nominated twice in the category Best Trance Track with "Waiting" and "Not Enough Time". (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Hewitt)

Resident Magic 89.9 for BigFIsh Radio DJ John Paul Lee (aka Johnboy Lee)

Mÿon & Shane 54 is a trance music duo of producers and DJs from Hungary named Márió Égető (Mÿon) and Előd Császár (Shane 54). They recorded music as individual musicians until they teamed up in 2008.

They also host a weekly podcast titled "International Departures" on iTunes, Zune, and their website. (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myon_%26_Shane_54)

Tous Les Jours

     Tous les Jours, authentic bakery which hails from Korea has finally arrived at the Ayala Town Center!  I have loved their bakes since they arrived at SM North and SM Southmall.  One of the things that struck me regarding their products were how they smelled so fresh and tasty and plus the presentation they all had.  Each piece a masterpiece by itself.

     "Tous Les Jours" brand was launched in Korea in 1996 to give consumers a totally satisfying bakery experience. It launched an on-site production system for each store, which guarantees the quality of our fresh, delectable cakes made from the finest ingredients. Also, as a domestic leader in the bakery industry with over 1,700 stores, Tous Les Jours established Korea's first, Internet-based Total Information System (TIS) for franchise operations; first bakery mileage card system for consumers; and modeled the development of multi-bakery shops to maximize the reach of its outlets. Through these and other services, Tous Les Jours continues to be a step ahead in technology and service in the domestic Korean industry.

     We were given first some refreshments, and all of them were also famous Korean refreshments.

       And the taste test starts!  We start of with the Sweet Black Rice Bread with Cream Cheese.  It's taste was marvelous, soft bread with cream cheese, it's taste was heavenly.  Feels like eating Mochi but in bread version.

     They also serve croissants, and as sample they made us taste their best seller which was the Almond Croissant.

     My favorite bread from their store is the Milk Bun, I really love because of the smell it produces.  Soft bun with custard cream inside and topped with chocolate cookies!

     Now to those who likes to eat bread and also is cautious about their health and diet, the Pumpkin Muffin is highly recommended.  We were told that most seniors buy it because of it's sumptuous taste and is also very good for diabetics since it promotes regeneration of pancreatic cells.

     After the breads, we now head to the cakes!  We were given a taste of three of their famous cakes.  The Chocolate Castella, a popular Japanese sponge cake which has dark chocolate as it's main ingredient.

     The Strawberry Inspiration, one of their popular decorative cakes was up next.  I really liked how it looked, it looked so good that you'd have second thought cutting it.  But then we had to taste it so off we went,  the insides was really tasty.  And I liked how the strawberries was able to balance out the sweetness of the fillings since it had a sour taste.

      Last but definitely not the least is the Original New York Cheesecake, it was so heavy in the stomach that I was only able to have one slice.  It had a very sweet taste and was very easy to eat.

     And to make your mouths water more... here is the pictures I took of the cakes they have.

     So what are you waiting for?  Stop by at their nearest stores, SM North, SM Southmall, and not at Ayala Town Center.

"Live a Legacy" campaign

     Adidas Global Brand AMbassador DJ Neil Armstrong launches "Leave a Legacy" campaign here in the Philippines.  He has made waves in the music industry by being Jay-Z's tour DJ and sharing the stage with the likes of Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye West, P. Diddy and Linkin Park.

     Adidas has always been a part of my life, since my high school days, I always see to it that I'd wear no other shoes except Adidas.  This because I like their material than other shoe brands which tends to rot away if you don't wear them always.  With Adidas, even if it's a shoe style they released some decade ago, you can see the same style being restyled or repacked in the stores and are still being crazed about today.  This could be one of the reasons why they released Adidas Originals which mainly sold everyday wear like shirts, jeans, jackets, shoes and much more.  Most of which are a legacy themselves like the Samba which is a staple shoe in the Adidas closet.  It's the kind of shoe which evolved just a bit and is still being worn today after years of being released in the market.

     Me and my Angel got the opportunity to be invited to a sunset BBQ party at the Skye Lounge at the Fort area.  The place was a really cozy one and gave us a relaxing mood as we enjoyed the company of our blogger friends and also listen to DJ Neil's mixes.  DJ Neil Armstrong is the founding father of the DJ Collective: the "5th Platoon", and over the last 9 years, he's also become an icon in the sub-genre of Hip-Hop known as "Mixtape Culture" and has worked closely with hip-hop artists like De La Soul, The Roots, Company Flow and Biz Markie, to Kanye West, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean.  His mixtapes represent DJ Neil's unique music taste and have been featured in the press, most notably by Rolling Stones, Vibe and MTV.com.

     The party is also a kickoff to a Facebook contest that Adidas Philippines is going to launch. The application is simple, gear up in your Adidas Originals apparel, snap a picture, then post it at www.facebook.com/adidasphilippines and you can win yourself Php 50,000 worth of Adidas products!

Here's a sample of a mix he did that I really liked: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHd4hPZXnOE

Dark Shadows

     Dark Shadows is one of the many movies I have watched coming from acclaimed director Tim Burton and one of my favorite actors Johnny Depp.  I've always liked their movies together like Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.  I always had the liking of how Tim Burton was able to mix the darkness and colors of the films he had made, and how Johnny Depp was able to shine through them with his acting skills.

     In this movie, Depp plays the role of Barnabas Collins, a wealthy playboy that broke the heart of a witch named Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green).  In turn, she killed Josette du Pres (Bella Heathcote) the lover of Barnabas and also turned him into a vampire.  After which she led the town on sealing Barnabas inside a coffin and buried somewhere in the town's forest.  After two centuries, Barnabas is accidentally freed by a construction team.  Puzzled by the new things he's seen, he returns home to his ancestral home Collinwood Manor and finds it in ruins and his descendants, dysfunctional and harboring dark secrets as well.

     The story goes on as Angelique finds about Barnabas' freedom and swore to win his love or be locked up again in a coffin.  Barnabas fights back by rebuilding the family business and win back the respect of the town his family had build so hard, the town of Collinsport.

     It really was such a treat to have watch this movie...  The scenes were as superbly done by the master himself, Tim Burton who was able to yet again make the darkness alive.  The funny antics of Johnny Depp really elevated the scenes, like the love scene they had at Angelique's office or simply him cursing at the McDonald's sign after he got freed.  Every character really played their parts well, even the silent old maid who never even said a single word.

     This movie is a must see to those who want to have a good laugh with the family or a lovely evening with their love ones.

Opening across the Philippines in May 10, 2012, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Dark Shadows: Character Infos

Synopsis: In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America.  But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family.  

Two decades pass and Barnabas (Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine.  The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Green).  

A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972.  He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin.  The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.  

Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist,

Dr. Julia Hoffman (Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, 

(Jonny Lee Miller);

her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz);

and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath).

  

The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, 

played by Jackie Earle Haley, 

and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, who resembles Barnabas' long lost love Josette, played by Bella Heathcote.

     

Opening across the Philippines in May 10, 2012, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Avengers

     After a few years of waiting, at last I was able to watch The Avengers at SM Megamall last Aug 26th.  And I must say, it was worth the wait!  From the moment the movie started, I had goosebumps all over from the anticipation and thrill.  I was so glad to have been there to be one of the many who waited for this movie of the year!  And I knew that this movie would surpass the gross sale of the top movies from the past, and it did.  Below is the sales it had after it opened in the Philippines cinema and the other countries as well.

“THE AVENGERS” MAKES P281-M IN 5 DAYS, 

BIGGEST OPENING EVER IN HISTORY!

     MANILA, April 30, 2012 – It's the superhero team up of a lifetime. Now, it's shaping up to be the highest-grossing film – for all time!

     “Marvel's The Avengers” rewrote Philippine box-office record books when it grossed a monumental P281-million opening weekend gross nationwide – the biggest debut ever in history, this was revealed by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines.
     “It's practically a box office tsunami that has so far drowned, wiped out and rewritten every local record in its first five days of play,” adds Cabrera.
     Foremost of the records to fall is the highest opening weekend, previously set by “Spider-Man 3” at P236-million (a benchmark set in 6 days back in 2007).
     Since it opened last Wednesday, April 25, “Marvel's The Avengers” has surpassed daily records in its path set by various blockbusters:
     Biggest Wednesday Ever: P56.6-M, beating “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’s” P55.4-M.
     Biggest Thursday Ever: P44.1M, smashing “Spider-man 3’s P28.4-M
     Biggest Friday Ever: P45.3-M, outgrossing “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1’s” P44.1-M.
     Biggest Saturday Ever: P66.4-M, breaking “Transformers: Dark of the Moon’s” P60.8-M.
   Biggest Sunday Ever: P68.5M, outlasting “Transformers: Dark of the Moon’s” P60.8M. Sunday's receipts for “The Avengers” also now holds the distinction of the all-time biggest single-day gross in the country.
    Other milestones achieved were fastest time to cross the P100-million mark (in only two days) and P200-million (four days).
     With another non-working holiday looming tomorrow, May 1, box office sales for “The Avengers” may be set for more records.
     Playing in almost 500 screens, “The Avengers” posted the biggest sales in SM North EDSA (P17.85-M), SM Mall of Asia (P15.02-M), SM Megamall (P12.51-M), Trinoma (P10.27-M), SM Cebu (P9.53-M), Glorietta 4 (P7.60-M), SM Southmall (P6.76-M), Newport City (P6.64-M) and SM Fairview (P6.63-M).
     Rounding out the Top 20 cinemas are Gateway (P6.06-M), Eastwood (P5.58-M), Power Plant (P5.49-M), Greenbelt 3 (P5.13-M), Festival Mall (P5.08-M), Robinsons Ermita (P4.77-M), Robinsons Galleria (P4.73-M), Alabang Town Center (P4.63-M), Market! Market! (P4.50-M), Shang Cineplex (P4.30-M) and Ayala Cinemas Cebu (P4.27-M).
     Overseas, the superhero film also bowed in 38 other territories and has brought in a whopping $178.4 million since opening April 25. It opened at No.1 in every single one of those territories while setting opening weekend records in many South and Central American countries. Some of the individual numbers include $24.7 million from the UK, $19.7 million from Australia, $15.9 million from Mexico and $12.9 million from Korea.

     And that's not all... in the USA... The Avengers Smashes Opening-Weekend Record with $200.3 Million!

Read more at: http://www.eonline.com/news/avengers_smashes_opening-weekend_record/314126#ixzz1uScGlXF8

Here's an Avengers-revised rundown of the top 10 all-time opening weekends, as compiled per BoxOfficeMojo.com stats:

1. The Avengers, $200.3 million
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, $169.2 million
3. The Dark Knight, $158.4 million
4. The Hunger Games, $152.5 million
5. Spider-Man 3, $151.1 million
6. The Twilight Saga: New Moon, $142.8 million
7. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, $138.1 million
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, $135.6 million
9. Iron Man 2, $128.1 million
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, $125 million

     It had all the action, drama, and even comedy mixed so beautifully that you definitely would be entertained from beginning to end.  You wouldn't even realize the time because of how much you'll enjoy watching it.  Me and my fiance had to watch it again because I insisted we watch it in IMAX.  The first time we saw it was under regular cinema, and I must say it was so much worth the price.  I really enjoyed it so much that I even forgot that I was watching it the second time around!  Each character's portrayal was so amazing and I laughed so hard on Hulk's funny side like after he tossed Loki around and said "Puny god" afterwards.

     I'm even more anticipating the Blu Ray of this movie because it will contain 30mins of extra footage not shown from the movie!  I wonder how long it will take before the sequel comes out?  Would it be Infinity Gauntlet or an Infinity War?