reunion in GROWN UPS

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider head up an all-star comedy cast in Columbia Pictures’ GROWN UPS, the story of five childhood friends who reunite thirty years later to meet each others’ families for the first time. When their beloved former basketball coach dies, they return to their home town to spend the summer at the lake house where they celebrated their championship years earlier.

Sandler came up with the idea of a guy who feels like he and his family have lost their perspective of what’s important in life. So, when he unexpectedly has to go back to his home town, he decides to use it as an opportunity to get back to his roots and get his family on the right track. To do this, he rents a lake house and invites his old friends and their families to come and stay with them for the Fourth of July weekend.

“The whole project was really appealing,” says director Dennis Dugan. “These real-life friends get together for a summer to make a movie about friends who get together for a summer at a lake house. It’s a bittersweet reunion, because their coach has died, but they’re also happy to see each other. They’re meeting each other’s families – it’s them and their wives and girlfriends and kids and dogs – at a moment when they’re all transitioning in their lives.”

The underlying sweetness to the story proved to be the key in bringing the all-star talent together. “It’s a really, really good script that Adam wrote with Fred Wolf,” says Rob Schneider. “It’s very funny and it has interesting characters. Dennis really encouraged us to make it real – get out there, play around with it, and make it a natural performance.”

As co-star Maya Rudolph puts it, “There are a lot of funny people in this movie, but it’s not just a lot of funny people in this movie. It’s a movie about old friends played by people who really are old friends. You can see that history come out in the relationships.”

“Adam created something special for all of us,” notes Salma Hayek who plays Sandler’s wife. “All of our children are about the same age, and mostly girls, and they all bonded immediately. It was really a family environment – it was perfect.”

In the movie, the five characters are supposed to have enough natural basketball talent that as children they could win a local championship. However, the guys agree: only Sandler and James have game, with Spade and Schneider a step back, and Rock bringing up the rear. “I’m OK – I have a few trick shots,” says Spade. “Sandler’s the best of us, and Kevin’s pretty good. I’m OK, Schneider’s OK… sorry, Rock.”

“I am not an athlete,” admits Rock. “Can I play? No. I couldn’t play when I was young, but at least then, I played a lot, so I found ways to contribute. Now that I’m older, I really suck. It’s just horrible.”

The job of balancing all of the talent and realizing the vision for the film falls to Dennis Dugan, a veteran Happy Madison Productions collaborator. “I’ve lost count of how many movies I’ve made with Adam,” he jokes. “I’ve done four movies with Rob Schneider, three with David Spade, three with Chris Rock, and this is my second with Kevin James.”

Opening soon across the Philippines , Grown Ups is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and like the fanpage to get the latest movie news, video clips and contests.

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a tribute to MRS. A

St. Paul University of Manila's College of Music will be holding it's 70th year anniversary. and to kick off the celebration, they will pay tribute to Mrs. Carmencita Arambulo, a renowned faculty of the university, to celebrate her 50 years of dedicated service and passion for music. thus, entitled MRS. A's OPUS, a look back on Mrs. A's achievements presented by the College of Music in cooperation with Greenhills Music Studio.

set on August 1 2010 at 5PM in the Fleur de Lis Auditorium of St. Paul University, highlights include famous musicians, Ryan Cayabyab, Louie Ocampo, Oliver Salonga, Maritess Salientes, Ariel Arambulo, Rica Arambulo, Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ. Jonathan Arevalo Coo, Therese Gemora, Katherine Fernandez, Hansel Ang, GMS-PSA String Orchestra, GMS Piano Ensemble, GMS Alumni Pop Ensemble, GMS Suzuki Music Kids, and Mass Appeal Choir to complete the list. these talents have greatly contributed to the Philippine music scene after creating timeless songs and pieces, thanks to the apprenticeship under Mrs. A.

this is a one-night only concert and first in the series of 4 performances by the College of Music. tickets are available in Php 300 and Php 500.

call St. Paul University Manila, Tel. 5242687 and Greenhills Music Studio, Tel. 7240705.

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Pandora revisited with AVATAR's SPECIAL EDITION!

AVATAR, the Award-winning epic by James Cameron and has revolutionized film making by introducing 3D in the mainstream is coming back with it's re-release starting August 27.

line up to the nearest IMAX 3D theaters in a LIMITED TIME to experience Pandora once again with never-before-seen 8-minute footage added to the original movie. new creatures and scenes will be displayed in this new length.

this decision has been made by FOX and other producers of the movie since a lot of people have not seen it on 3D and moviegoers have requested that they want to experience Pandora in a longer time.

AVATAR became the top-grossing movie of all time in making $2.7 billion and breaking sales of Blu-Ray discs.

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1st DEATHLY HALLOWS TRAILER to premiere with INCEPTION

After its successful online launch, the first trailer of Warner Bros.’ HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will now make its Philippine theatrical premiere as an added attraction to the sci-fi action-thriller Inception which opens across the Philippines on Thursday, July 15.

The seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series, DEATHLY HALLOWS is a much-anticipated motion picture event to be told in two full-length parts.

Part 1 begins as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction—the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is directed by David Yates, who also helmed the blockbusters Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Screenwriter Steve Kloves adapted the screenplay, based on the book by J.K. Rowling.

The film’s ensemble cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Helen McCrory, Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1 will be released worldwide starting November 19, 2010, and PART 2 starting July 15, 2011.

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CANON MARKETING goes GREEN!

environmental care is a really big issue in these times especially when we see the effects of global warming in front of our eyes. starting from the depletion of the Ozone Layer in the atmosphere, the extinction of species, great floods, and the fall of the glaciers and ice caps in the northern hemisphere. even Al Gore has enumerated these situations in his documentary The Inconvenient Truth.

thus the campaign to stop or reverse global warming has become a worldwide concern informing everyone to take care of the environment as well as to conserve the natural resources. that we have one chance to save the planet and let the future generations enjoy the clean and safe environment. you might think that technology degrades the environment, think again.

with all the fads on the environmental awareness campaigns all over the world, Canon Marketing Worldwide has been doing eco-friendly activities even before them. starting from the production of its products, Canon has been designing and developing machines that are bio-safe from the raw materials until it lasts. they are using biodegradable materials so it would reduce wastes in the dump site.

for one thing, instead of throwing your ink cartridges to the waste bin, Canon is bringing the bin to the metro so that you can send those empty cartridges to the recycling factory. again, reducing the raw materials being used for production.

here in the Philippines, Ms. Earth candidates serve as ambassadors for environmental awareness and care. they promote the programs Canon is using to help protect and conserve the environment. in the launch of the program held in TGI Fridays in Bonifacio High Street in Global City, Taguig, these programs are laid out to the media to increase the promotions as well.

see more of the Canon environmental programs at http://www.canon.com/environment/

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EQUUS Philippines review

Psychiatrist Martin Dysart meets his most challenging case in a young boy of seventeen who has been charged with the crime of blinding six horses by gouging out their eyes. As the play unravels, one realizes that beneath the surface of the crime lies another dimension of the human psyche more terrifying than what it seems to be.

Repertory Philippines has staged EQUUS for the first time in the Philippines starring Marco Mañalac alternate Red Concepcion playing Alan Strang, the 17-year old boy who blinded the horses. Alan worshiped the horses, a pagan trait that he possesses. Marco Mañalac did very well on this part. i think people would expect as a role played by Daniel Radcliffe in the UK rendition. of course, as what to expect in Repertory plays, minimal but very effective stage design. contour of horses' head are nicely done.

on the other hand, as it was my first time to focus on the story other than the visuals, you would pity Alan Strang's character. he might be very conservative and you might wander what are the factors in his childhood to do such murder. his religious mother and strict father might have suppressed Alan's freedom to mingle with other people and as a result, praised the powerful Equus.

Equus
July 9 to July 25, 2010
8:00 PM on Fridays & Saturday
3:30 PM on Saturdays & Sundays

Venue
OnStage - 2/F Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City

Tickets
Orchestra Center P 600.00
Orchestra Side P 400.00
Balcony P 250.00

EQUUS opens on July 9th at 8PM, and thereafter on the 10th, 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th also at 8PM. Matinees at 3:30PM are on July 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25. Venue is Onstage, 2nd floor, at Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. For ticket inquiries, please call 887-0710 or log on to repertory.ph. directed by Audie Gemora.

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ANGELINA JOLIE is EVELYN SALT - a secret agent on the run

Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie stars in Columbia Pictures’ SALT, a contemporary action thriller from director Philip Noyce (“Clear and Present Danger,” “Patriot Games”).

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who Is Salt?"

SALT began life with an offhand comment Jolie made a few years ago. “I was meeting with (Sony Pictures Co-Chairman) Amy Pascal when it came up in conversation that she was getting ready to make one of the new James Bond films,” Jolie remembers. “I playfully said, ‘I want to be Bond!’ That was our little joke, and then she found this project.”

“SALT has a lot of elements in it,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura explains. “It’s a thriller, it’s an action movie, it’s a spy movie, it’s a dramatic love story, and it has some kick-ass action.”

In the movie, Evelyn Salt must go on the run to prove her innocence when a defector alleges that she’s a mole, triggering Day X – the day when Russian sleeper spies awaken and begin the war against the United States . “Day X is still a controversial topic inside the CIA,” says Jolie. “Some think it’s absolute nonsense and others believe that not only is it real, but sleeper agents have already been activated for certain cases. When we first approached the idea, we thought it was a bit of a fantasy, but as we found out more information, we discovered it was more real than we could have guessed. Truth really is stranger than fiction.”

Jolie describes her character as having had an “understandable reluctance to get close to anybody, and especially to get married, understanding that she was kind of putting him in the line of fire.” However, Evelyn Salt is married to a man who is fully aware of and accepts the risks of being married to a CIA operative.

Jolie says that it’s not unusual for a CIA operative to be married, but it’s a job that can put a lot of strain on a relationship. “I talked to one woman, a former operative, who said it was such a relief when she left the agency – after years of not being able to communicate anything that she did or where she was going, her whole relationship with her husband changed. She didn’t realize how much it had kept them apart, how difficult it had been, until she had a new life.”

To prepare for her role, Jolie did her research. “We talked to a lot of the women in the CIA,” says Jolie. “One after the other, they are just these lovely, sweet women that you can’t imagine being put in a dangerous situation, but they really are.”

Through these interactions with former spies, Noyce says, Jolie learned what an operative would do if she were really accused of being a sleeper spy. “She learned how spies live on the edge, what they do if they are unmasked, how they evade detection,” says the director.

In casting Jolie, the filmmakers felt they could push the throttle on the action quotient. “Salt fights aggressively, in face-to-face combat,” she notes. “In some movies I’ve done, there’s been a temptation – because I’m female – to make the action nice” – and nice, she says, is not how a trained operative accused of being a sleeper mole for the enemy would fight.

“Angelina’s the consummate pro,” adds producer di Bonaventura. “Whether it’s a dramatic scene, whether it’s a funny scene, whether it’s an action scene, she’s going for it. It’s great to work with somebody who really wants to push the boundaries.”

Opening soon across the Philippines , SALT is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and like the fanpage to get the latest movie news, video clips and contests.

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