JULIA ROBERTS plays Liz for EAT PRAY LOVE

well, I think she is PERFECT for the role.

Oscar-winner Julia Roberts undergoes a romantic and spiritual journey in Columbia Pictures’ Eat Pray Love, based on the bestselling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert.

In the film, Liz (Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and uncharacteristically steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali.

From the very beginning, when producer Dede Gardner first read Elizabeth Gilbert’s inspiring memoir, the only choice to play Liz was Julia Roberts. “It sang out to me as obvious – this should be Julia Roberts,” says the producer. “I have never worked with Julia before and I am just awestruck by her talent. In this role, she runs the gamut in tone, from vulnerability to toughness and from indecision to confidence. She understands when Liz is ebbing and flowing.”

“Liz goes through a wide range of emotions – as you’d expect, because the story covers a year of her life,” says Roberts. “Between going through divorce and dating and traveling and meeting strangers and not knowing what to do, it’s a great opportunity to play a complex and fascinating character.”

Roberts read Eat Pray Love when it was first released in 2006. She sent it to one of her best friends and they read it at the same time, and both immediately connected with the story. “Everybody has a journey, a moment in their lives when they need to redefine who they are and what they’re looking for,” says Roberts. “Liz’s journey is very specific and very visual, in a way that’s very appealing as a story, but it’s also a universal story that can apply to anybody.

“At the beginning of the movie, Liz is unraveling a bit, and she’s not sure why,” Roberts adds. “She’s a traveler – she’s always traveled – so that was an instinct for her to pack her bags. Obviously, not everybody can do what she did, but it’s not really about that. It’s fun to watch her go around the world in the movie, but it’s really about her own self-examination and figuring out what she wants out of life.”

Roberts says that kind of reflection isn’t easy and it’s what makes Gilbert’s journey remarkable. “For her to take that time for herself is what is deeply interesting and encouraging to other people,” she says. “I think that’s courageous and admirable; it’s such a busy, rapid-fire world, so to try to stop and figure out what’s right for you is a good thing.”

Viola Davis, who plays Delia, Liz’s best friend in the film, says that she too saw the connection between Liz Gilbert and Julia Roberts. “As I was reading Eat Pray Love, I thought to myself, Liz probably doesn’t even realize how fantastic she is. She can make friends as soon as she walks in a room. And I feel the same way about Julia – people are attracted to her spirit. She’s a light.”

Roberts had the opportunity to meet the real Elizabeth Gilbert in Rome. “[Director] Ryan Murphy had a relationship with her through pre-production, but I felt it was important for me in portraying her to go with my instincts, to get enough filming done that I was already on a course by the time that I met her,” says Roberts. “She’s a lovely, lovely person, and she has a great way of talking and very specific mannerisms, and I didn’t want to imitate her. She’s a beautiful human being.”

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 6, Eat Pray Love is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find them on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join their fan contests.

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BEN AFFLECK in directing THE TOWN

Coming off his critically sensational directorial debut in the Oscar-nominated Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck now directs and stars in another stirring crime thriller, Warner Bros.’ The Town.

In the film, Doug MacRay (Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang’s latest job, when they briefly took a hostage–bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall).

When we meet Affleck’s character, he and his crew are in a van outside the Cambridge Merchant Bank, seconds away from their next robbery. In Affleck’s words, Doug is “banging against the walls of his own life, still doing the stuff he knows is bad for him but unable to change.”

Affleck continues, “He had a shot at a different future—he had a chance to play pro hockey—but he self-destructed. He got addicted to drugs and spun out, so instead of getting out, he came back and, in spite of himself, ended up even deeper in it. That’s where we find him. He’s cleaned up a bit, in terms of getting sober, and he wants to leave, but he can’t escape his circumstances.”

“That’s what was most intriguing about this guy,” co-screenwriter Aaron Stockard asserts. “He is at a point in his life where he realizes if he doesn’t leave, he’s never going to change. It’s not just that he doesn’t want to go to prison or, worse, get killed, which is what will inevitably happen if he stays in Charlestown and continues to do this sort of work. What he wants more than anything is to be a different person.”

“Part of where he is in his life is a function of how and where he grew up,” Affleck relates. “His mother left; his father was in this life; and Doug wound up doing the same thing as the friends he grew up with. It doesn’t excuse it, but hopefully you see the shades of gray in the reasons he ended up where he is. It’s not just cut-and-dried.”

“Ben really understood Doug’s psychological and emotional journey,” producer Graham King says, “so when he said he was interested in playing the role, we knew there was no one better. I was blown away, not only by how Ben depicted the arc of the character but by the intensity of his performance.”

Cast member Jeremy Renner who plays Jem, says that Affleck—both as a director and as a castmate—made portraying the enduring friendship between Jem and Doug a natural. “I felt like I was working with one of my best friends. Ben empowered me to do whatever I thought was right, and if it worked, he got so excited. He set an amazing tone and made everyone feel relaxed and comfortable. It was great.”

Another co-actor, Pete Postlethwaite who plays crime lord Fergie Colm, has high praise for his director, saying, “Ben’s ability to reflect the technique of acting in his direction is an actor’s dream. He knew when you felt you had gotten it wrong and would like to go again, but, better still, he knew when it felt right and there was no need. I’d leap at the chance to work with him again on his next film.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, The Town is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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what do you remember from the 80s?

i was born in 1984 that's why i can consider myself as an 80's baby. even now, i'm still a baby (insert thunders and lightnings here). when i was born, the Philippines was having a political crisis. but then as a child, our elders didn't show it to us for us not to create fear.

in spite of the tension in the country, kids enjoy themselves watching TV. 80s is also the revolution of music and arts. the most colorful yet. cute cartoon characters like the Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, Sesame Street, Ghost Busters, action-packed Voltron and Mr. T, and TV sitcoms like Alf, The Wonder Years, all draw children to homes and stay.

the merchandising on businesses is also at its peak. i got toys from food packs and even promo coupons. i really love the 80s.

80s served a great inspiration. also defining love. and from that era, a movie was made and even inspired a theater musical. thank you to Adam Sandler for getting the inspiration that will be on Manila stage starting October 23!

9Works Theatrical brings us the comedy-musical THE WEDDING SINGER. starring Gian Magdangal as Robbie Hart, which was played by Adam Sandler in the movie. Iya Villaña as Julia which was Drew Barrymore in the movie. the other casts are also 80s babies and most of them share the same memories.

THE WEDDING SINGER is set on stage starting October 23 to November 17 at Meralco Theater. you can visit their website for ticket inquiries.

if you've been following them on Facebook, you can find webisodes and take a peek on what's happening on the rehearsals. bonding time, singing clips and more.


here's a glimpse of what to expect in the show. the sound and colors in twisted comedy line round up the hit musical.


Grow Old With You - Gian Magdangal and Iya Villaña

If I Told You - Gian Magdangal and Shiela Valderama-Martinez

It's Your Wedding Day - Cast
to reserve your tickets, you can look it up here.

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SNEAK PEEK: STONE

A convicted arsonist (Edward Norton) looks to manipulate a correctional officer (Robert De Niro) into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife (Milla Jovovich) in the lawman's path, in Overture Film’s new, critically acclaimed drama, Stone.

A thought-provoking film directed by John Curran (The Painted Veil) and written by Angus McLachlan (Junebug), Stone will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma, Glorietta 4 & Greenbelt 3).

In the film, as parole officer Jack Mabry counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson, in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man’s decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both.

Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. The film’s superb ensemble features Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil series) as Lucetta, Stone’s sexy, casually amoral wife, and Golden Globe® winner Frances Conroy (TV’s Six Feet Under) as Madylyn, Jack’s devout, long-suffering spouse.


Set against the quiet desperation of an economically ravaged community and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.

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LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS in 3D!

Young owlet Soren embarks on a quest to follow his dreams…only to discover they’re real, in Warner Bros.’ new fantasy, family adventure in 3D, Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. Stepping into the legend that he’s faithfully followed through his father’s nest-time stories, he becomes a crucial part of the next chapter in the epic tales.

Now on a true hero’s journey of self-discovery, young Soren and his friends join their mentors in an action-packed battle against the evil Pure Ones to protect not only their freedom, but the very existence of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, who have sworn an oath to mend the broken, make strong the weak, and vanquish evil.

“Isn’t it every kid’s fantasy to become a character in his or her favorite story?” director Zack Snyder asks. “In our film, it’s a young owl who wants to find these legendary warrior owls that have been part of his personal mythology since he was born. And when the stories actually turn out to be true, it’s very powerful.”

In Legend of the Guardians, Snyder and the gifted creative team at Animal Logic sought to open a window into a world that hasn’t been seen before, with mythic environments and expansive terrains like nothing they’d ever imagined, and owls so wonderfully realized that you almost forget they’re not real.

“Zack brings a visual language to his movies that is distinctive, and so do we at Animal Logic, so the marriage between Zack’s vision and our vision was easy right from the get-go,” says the film’s producer, Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian.

Drawing from his experience on the Academy Award®-winning Happy Feet, Nalbandian assembled a crew of more than 500 digital professionals, including a team of computer animation specialists, to bring Legend of the Guardians from the page to the screen, with the added dimension of a 3D film.

“We don’t think about our movies as animated,” he continues, “we think of them as movies; Zack didn’t come on board to make an animated movie, he came to make a great action fantasy adventure, tracking a hero’s journey, which happened to be in an animated world. It was about creating a visual feast for audiences that would be unique.”

In addition to the challenge of taking on his first entirely computer-generated project, Snyder, whose previous work includes the epic action films 300 and Watchmen, found that his motivation for making this particular story hit close to home. “I know it sounds cliché,” the director admits, “but my kids are always saying to me, ‘Dad, when are you gonna make a movie we can see?’ And the chance to work with the animators at Animal Logic really appealed to me; there were moments in Happy Feet that I found artistically breathtaking. So when I saw their initial Guardians artwork, and then read the stories of Soren and his friends on this incredible quest, I looked at it as a perfect opportunity to bring my own sensibilities to a family film.”

“Both Zack and I loved the notion of this young boy—who just happens to be an owl in an owl world—learning to believe in himself and in something bigger than himself,” executive producer Deborah Snyder says. “He has to battle the odds, and in doing so, becomes the owl kingdom’s only hope for survival. We felt it was a story we would love to bring to the screen.”

“There’s real vigor in the story and a full spectrum of characters, from cute and cuddly to downright evil,” says star Geoffrey Rush. “Adding to that, the sophistication, the brilliance really, of the technique has truly been elevated in animated movies. I believed this could be a film that would be appreciated by both kids and their parents on many different levels.”

Stepping into the animation realm for the first time, Snyder enthuses, “Animation is filmmaking without limits. When I saw the potential of what the movie could be, and thought about the chance as a filmmaker to actually be able to create any shot I wanted…I couldn’t wait to see what we could do.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole will be presented in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular format and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg team up as THE OTHER GUYS

Not every cop can be a hero. It takes all kinds to fill a police force – you got your superstars, the guys who get the medals, your hot shots, glory boys, vets – and then… there are the other guys. Guys like Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) who never make the headlines, in Columbia Pictures’ new action-comedy “The Other Guys.”

But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into the city’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?

“Gamble and Hoitz are not necessarily what you think of when you think of the heroes of buddy cop movies,” says Ferrell. “Gamble is a forensic accountant, a desk cop, the guy who never leaves the office, who’s very much into his paperwork. Hoitz is more of the streetwise guy who’s jonesing to get out there and make a name for himself.”

“My character is obsessed with what he thinks is real crime: drug dealers, vice, murderers, and anything that's going on in the street,” says Wahlberg. “Will’s character’s whole attitude and approach to police work is paperwork. That’s all it basically comes down to – paperwork and white collar crime. But I’m stuck with him because of a mistake that I made.”

“Literally, around one in the morning that night after that first dinner, director Adam McKay sent out an e-mail describing a cop movie where Will is the guy who wants to do desk work and the opportunity arises for him to step up,” says co-writer Chris Henchy. “From that, we started talking about it and danced around the idea and went in and pitched it.”

Strangely enough, the comedic outline of the plot would be inspired by the current headlines – and Will’s character, though outrageously silly, is a new kind of cop and perhaps the future of law enforcement. “We like the idea of Will as a policeman, always on his computer, loving paperwork. He solves crimes from his desk, with a computer,” Henchy continues. “That’s how you catch the Bernie Madoffs of the world – it’s not hitting the streets, it’s following the paper trail.”

“Allen Gamble is a guy who loves – he actually relishes – paperwork,” says Ferrell. “Working on the computer and organization are police work for him. He’s an earnest, sweetheart type – a guy who plays it very close to the vest, a buttoned-down type of guy who shows up right on time for work and stays to the very last minute.”

Ferrell says that working with an actor like Wahlberg afforded the filmmakers the opportunity to work the comedy in a way that emphasizes his strengths. “Sometimes the comedy is conversational, and other times, it’s broad and crazy and out of control. Adam and I always feel like the best comedy is played straight – as real as possible. In fact, this might be the most real movie we’ve done tonally, which makes the situations that Allen and Terry get into so much funnier.”


Opening soon across the Philippines , The Other Guys is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

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UAAP CHEERDANCE COMPETITION 2010 LIVE STREAMING

UAAP Cheerdance Competition goes LIVE on September 12, 2010 @2pm-6pm at Araneta Coliseum. 8 member universities of the UAAP battle for championship for this year. Samsung sponsors this event.

TICKETS :
Tickets will be released a week before the competition starts and will be available at your own university ticket outlet or you can call ticket net for more details.

Patron - P300
Lower Box - P250
Upper Box A - P200
Upper Box B - P100
Gen Ad - P50

Adamson University (AdU) - Adamson Pep Squad
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) - Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion
De La Salle University (DLSU) - DLSU Animo Squad
Far Eastern University (FEU) - FEU Cheering Squad
National University (NU) - NU Pep Squad
University of the East (UE) - UE Pep Squad
University of the Philippines (UP) - UP Pep Squad
University of Santo Tomas (UST) - UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe

below is the video of last year's champion, the FEU Cheering Squad:


here is the seat assignments for the Cheerdance:


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS:

UP PEP SQUAD - Champions! (Php 340, 000 cash prize and Samsung Champ each)
FEU CHEERING SQUAD - 1st Runner Up (Php 200,000 cash prize)
UST SALINGGAWI DANCE TROUPE - 2nd Runner Up (Php 140,000 cash prize)

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