Kristen Bell before YOU AGAIN

Fresh from the hit romantic comedy “When in Rome,” endearing actress Kristen Bell now stars in Touchstone Pictures' new outrageous comedy “You Again.” She plays successful PR girl Marni who heads home for her older brother’s wedding and discovers that he’s marrying her high school arch nemesis.

“This is a story about people who find their way to a place of forgiveness and acceptance,” says Bell. “There’s a sweetness and heart to this movie that will appeal to many different demographics, and it’s an escapist kind of comedy with some really funny things happening based in reality.”

Bell and “You Again” director Andy Fickman have had a long-standing friendship since 2001. He is the one responsible for nicknaming her K-Bell, a moniker that she happily responds to.

Fickman reveals, “I first met K-Bell when she was a student at NYU, and I cast her as the lead in ‘Reefer Madness: The Musical.’ We went through the highs and lows of rehearsing and opening during the tragic events of 9/11, since our theater, Variety Arts, was located behind the red zone. Because we were in the heart of the incident, it bonded all of us further.”

Reflecting on their friendship that has inspired both of their creative sides, he continues, “When K-Bell moved to Los Angeles, we did a very successful musical called ‘Sneaux,’ and then for Showtime, we filmed ‘Reefer Madness: The Musical Movie’ which premiered at Sundance as well as winning an Emmy® and the Premiere Jury Award at the Deauville Film Festival. We reunited again for a wonderful Breast Cancer Benefit called ‘Les Girls,’ and then she has been tremendously supportive of ‘Heathers: The Musical,’ a project I’ve been developing, by playing the lead in multiple readings.”

Why so much work together?

Director Fickman smiles, “K-Bell and I just simply click when it comes to our sense of humor; she is a wonderful muse for me.”

As for teaming on “You Again,” Fickman admits, “K-Bell and I had been looking for something to work on, so when this script came to me, I saw K-Bell in the lead. That was a major enticement.”

Regarding her relationship with Andy Fickman, Kristen Bell, whose popularity is rising thanks to her roles in such comedies as “Couples Retreat” and “When in Rome,” acknowledges, “Andy was the one who convinced me to move to Los Angeles. I don’t think I would’ve done it if I had not known him.”

As for collaborating on this comedy, Bell confesses, “I owe Andy, but man, he put me through the ringer on this movie! Marni had a variety of injuries—ant bites, falls, trips, you name it!”

With a hint of a smile, Bell wonders, “It seems like Andy enjoyed every single minute of it!”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “You Again” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

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a cinematic challenge for PENN BADGLEY in EASY A

Best known for his role of Dan Humphrey in the hit series “Gossip Girl,” Penn Badgley was more than happy to take on a new character challenge with his role in Columbia Pictures' new, edgy comedy, “Easy A.” Playing the part of ‘Woodchuck Todd’ was so tempting, he arranged to fly between the west and east coasts of America to accommodate the shooting schedules for both the film and his series.

In “Easy A,” clean-cut high schooler Olive (Emma Stone) finds that her new-found bad-girl rap – courtesy of a little white lie about losing her virginity – has an upside: she is finally getting noticed. Olive decides to exploit her "easy" reputation and use the school rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. But life starts to spin hilariously out of control, and there is only one boy, Todd (Badgley), who sees through her vixen veneer to the heart of it.

Laying out the role’s particular appeal to Badgley, director Will Gluck explains, “The first time we meet Penn, his face and body are all painted blue. The second and third time you meet him, he’s in a woodchuck costume. The sixth time you meet him, he’s wearing a lobster hat. It’s not what you expect from Penn Badgley.”

“It really does run the gamut,” agrees Badgley, “and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to play the part. Ideally, for most of the film, you don’t really know what my character is doing in the movie, but it all makes perfect sense at the end. I had a lot of fun being the strange, irreverent guy who does these seemingly inconsequential things throughout the movie, but what made me really want to play the role, was the substance and importance of the character. It’s not necessarily a complicated role, but it’s one that could be easily misconstrued and played inappropriately if taken in the wrong direction.”

Adds Gluck, “There are certain guys in high school that can be the mascot, can hang out with the athletes, can hang out with the nerds. Todd is the kind of guy who straddles all those different subsets of high school and kind of skates through.”

“Yeah, he just does it,” agrees Badgley. “But I think it’s more than just being an agreeable sort of character. He’s like ‘I’m a teenager, I’m living in Ojai, I’m just waiting to go to college and for my life to begin.’ I think that’s the way he feels, and he’s having fun while he does it. If everyone else thinks he looks like an idiot for doing what he does, it doesn’t matter. Even though everything I’m doing as the character is theoretically really dumb and humiliating, hopefully I’m doing it with enough dignity that makes it sort of cool.”

Speaking of humiliation, in the pivotal finale scene, Badgley found himself back in blue paint, and in the woodchuck costume at the same time, and eventually, shirtless. “It’s already sort of a miserable feeling having the body paint on that’s clogging your pores and feels claustrophobic, and then to have the woodchuck costume on top of that,” says the actor. “I was shirtless in the scene, so the seams were rubbing against the skin. It was really hot in the costume, and production had to turn the air conditioning off for the scene. There was a lot of sweating, and in each take I’d have to run around, throw things into the crowd, yell and scream, have the costume ripped off, and then pick Emma up and join in the dance. It was a long, arduous process.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Easy A” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

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ROBERT DOWNEY JR almost lost his mind in DUE DATE

In Warner Bros.’ new comedy “Due Date,” Robert Downey Jr. is Peter Highman, an architect on his way back to L.A. from a business trip in Atlanta. He’s on a tight schedule because his wife is expecting their first child and the date is all set. Everything is fine until he gets tangled up at the airport with a wannabe actor named Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) who somehow gets the both of them booted off the plane and grounded for the foreseeable future.

Stranded without cash, credit, ID or time, Peter finds himself in the galling position of having to hitch a ride home with a guy he’d rather take a swing at—Ethan. The person he holds responsible for his predicament in the first place is now behind the wheel of a rental car and offering him the passenger seat.

Though clearly not his best option, it’s Peter’s only option.

At first grateful for the company, Ethan soon learns that his tightly wound traveling companion is not going to be any fun at 20 Questions, nor generally receptive to the concept of going with the flow. Meanwhile, Peter realizes he’s just joined forces with a guy who can casually ruin his life in more ways than he could ever imagine.

“If there really was somebody like Ethan around, he’d have been strangled in his sleep long ago,” Downey attests. “He’s like a laser beam that focuses on the one thing that will drive you crazy the most, the kind of guy who will eat a whole plate of waffles before mentioning he’s allergic to waffles. I’m sure a lot of people know someone like this, someone who is perfectly wired to activate all of their irritation buttons.”

Granted, Peter has a short fuse to begin with. “He’s kind of an edgy, controlling, judgmental guy with some anger-management issues. And who better to help him explore those issues than Ethan Tremblay? High-strung as he is normally, Peter is now facing the birth of his first child and is thrown into this nightmare, so it’s all amped up,” Downey adds.

Peter may come across like a self-assured, aggressive control freak but, says co-screenwriter Adam Sztykiel, “You sense that his behavior comes from an emotional place and from issues he has yet to work out, that are revealed in the story. Not far beneath the alpha male posture is his own vulnerability and how terrified he is to be responsible for a child.”

“As a parent,” Downey offers, “I know the big question is how are you going to manage and protect something that you have no experience with?”

Playing on that theme were co-screenwriters Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland. “Peter’s comfort zone is when he’s in control. And everything that happens in this movie is about losing control; from his inability to get back home to the larger issue of his impending fatherhood—and whether or not he’s ready for it,” Cohen says.

“We wanted to put him into a situation where he had to travel across the country with someone who was effectively a child,” adds Freedland.

Not that it would lessen Peter’s pain, stress and frustration if he knew it might be pain, stress and frustration with a purpose. Still…

“When I read the script, I was moved,” recalls executive producer Susan Downey. “It’s so funny and yet so human. You want a comedy to have that grounding, in the way that you want a drama to have some humor. In ‘Due Date,’ though his experience with Ethan, Peter finds his human side and gets ready for the birth of his own child. It’s about him becoming a man before becoming a father.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Due Date” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Enchanted Kingdom opens EKstreme Tower Ride!

to mark the Crystal Anniversary of the world-class Philippine theme park, Enchanted Kingdom has finally opened the EK EKstreme Tower Ride! a 150-feet tall attraction located in Midway Boardwalk.

Enchanted Kingdom Executives Mario and Cynthia Mamon is joined by Laguna bureaucrats Governor George Ejercito and Maita Ejercito, Mayor of Pagsanjan, to formally open the EKstreme Tower Ride.

get the excitement rising as you elevate 150-feet off the ground, seeing a lot of the Sta.Rosa land in Laguna. then as you reach Eldar the Wizard's hat that sits on top of the tower, hold your breath to a sudden fall. watch the video here:


the ride is visible from the South Luzon Expressway as you pass by Sta. Rosa. almost like the Space Needle but Eldar's Wizard hat sits on top of it. 12 people can sit roundabout the tower and are secured with shoulder shields that lock in when pulled down. additional belt strap in front of you so that the shoulder shields are really secured. reach for Eldar's hat high above as the tower glows at night.

i have tried it and it is hair-raising! the speed of the drop down the tower is about 75km/h which is relatively fast. it feels like you are suspended in mid-air with nothing to protect you. you will surely come back for more! the entrance to EKstreme Tower Ride is sold separately at Php 100 from the admission.

also in line with the 15th Anniversary of EK is the display of fireworks for the Asia Sky Wizardry competition. Asian countries compete for the best pyro display in the skies of Enchanted Kingdom. this has started on October 2 2010 and will have the finals next week already on October 23. see this rare attraction at Space Port area. last night, 2 competitors enthralled everyone with the lights and colors of the fireworks synch-ed in the Enchanted Kingdom theme song:


visit Enchanted Kingdom because the magic still continues for more years.

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NetSuite localizes program for Philippine users

NetSuite has become the leading software for business solutions and now it has made a localized version of the program for easy usage for all Filipino businesses. A consolidated program for business functions can now be accessed through the internet. All you need is a PC and an internet connection and you can now track records of your business in NetSuite.com/NetSuitePH.

NetSuite simplifies the business data access in one program from a hairball setting. hairballs create errors and delays in transactions. Also, you can track Finance and Accounting management tab of your account to monitor all transaction cycles. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relations Management) data can also be accessed in NetSuite so you don't have to spend a lot of money in hiring consultants and people.

Software issues were raised in the press conference held at the Manila Peninsula Hotel on October 14, 2010. According to NetSuite President and CEO, Zach Nelson, the software is guaranteed safe from hacks and viruses after its long study. the software is customized for Philippine business setting. Multinational companies like Jollibee and ICF@FEU has been using it for years and has minimized expenses and they have set their goals faster than ever. Cost for operations and IT expenses have been minimized by up to 75%. The NetSuite is tested for its efficiency and speed without worrying on the data.

ICF@FEU has used NetSuite in their academic and administrative tasks. People from the administration can look out for the operational tasks and also students can check on their grades wherever they are. The NetSuite program is also mobile and can be accessed even on iPhone browsers, all you need is an internet connection.

Business cloud computing in NetSuite Philippines has no issues with the BIR regulations. all transactions are designed with the BIR transaction assignments that will not confuse with other money cycles and tax management. With a special feature inside the NetSuite, you can process your ITR forms and print it straight from your PC when you need it for BIR requirements.

Aside from the data for your business inside the NetSuite page, you can also insert other RSS feeds so you can get an update in the news, weather conditions, etc. Graphic presentations can also be understood in the NetSuite so you can track the growth of your business from time to time.

Since some Philippines go international, language barriers is not an issue with NetSuite. Like social networking sites, NetSuite has a translation function that changes the language them from international English to the native tongue. So if you have colleagues in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia or China, they can also monitor your business.

Try out NetSuite program. This is also can be used by SMEs. They can have a comprehensive list of data to check on the operations like warehousing, supply management, in-house transactions and deliveries. Customer service is also manageable with the NetSuite program. Globalization is at hand with NetSuite.

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LIFE AS WE KNOW IT movie review

how would two wrong blind date victims end up getting it right? being drawn closer together by a baby? and they have no idea that after they cursed each other, they became one?

that is how we know it, or LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. the newest romantic comedy from Warner Bros. starring Katherine Heigl (Holly) and Josh Duhamel (Messer), the unlikely couple set up by their best friends. but due to an unfortunate event, they are left with a child, Sophie.

Sophie is the cutest thing. as well as you see her grow. from how she was pacified, how to make jokes to adults, and how she learns to walk. having a kid might be hard but as long as you know that she/he loves you, your stress is no match.

as a very prompt lady with expectations, Holly might be wrong with Messer. it wasn't true that first impressions last. you just have to learn to see the positive in a person and you will love your life again. stress free, rewarding and you will see your purpose to that person.

Messer could teach you how to swiftly get in the zone with girls. and that's how he captured Holly's attention. and anybody could be a father figure. a kid always know your weak spot. with a job that requires much attention, Messer always know his priorities -- to take care of Sophie and give her the best that she needs.

generally, Holly and Messer make a cute couple. at least they know how to deal with their differences and they learned how to see the good in each other. a lesson that we should all notice and apply in our lives.

opening across the Philippines on Oct. 20, “Life as We Know It” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS sneak peek

Warner Bros.' “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series, is a much-anticipated motion picture event to be told in two full-length parts.

Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione 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.

Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort…alive.

Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale—the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks.

Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

“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.” David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, again produced the film, together with David Barron, and J.K. Rowling. Screenwriter Steve Kloves adapted the screenplay, based on the book by Rowling. Lionel Wigram is the executive producer.

Heading the cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

The film’s ensemble cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, 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 18, 2010, and “Part 2” starting July 15, 2011.

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