Gifts for the handy dad

Always the Helpful Place, ACE Hardware shares with us a gift guide for Dads of all types on Father's Day.

For the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Dad, there are high performance drill sets that can complete a wide variety of projects like cutting, drilling, and plumbing with its attachments and accessories complete with safety features. Home repair projects are also made easy for Dad with ACE-branded durable hand tools. There are also wet and dry vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters that removes airborne particles.

For the Outdoorsy Dad, he’ll be king of the grill with the durable and portable ACE squared charcoal grill. Perfect for backyard barbecues.

For the Car Lover Dad, there are tire inflators for roadside emergencies and powerful high pressure washers for essential cleaning tasks.

For the Plantito Dad, ACE Hardware has a best- selling gardening tool set including a trowel, a transplanter, a cultivator, a bottle spray, pruning shears, and a lightweight plastic case.

Make your Dad feel extra special and loved this Father's Day with ACE Hardware's amazing tools and items. Available in all ACE branches nationwide, you can avail these thru in-store or online.

To order, dial ACE Hotline #11223 or click http://call-collect.acehardware.ph/. Or shop online at ACE Hardware official store in thesmstore.com, ShopSM, Lazada or Shopee. You can also get rewarded each time you shop, earn points and enjoy exclusive offers with ACE Rewards Card.

Read More

Create the ideal "man cave" for your dad with Our Home

Here are some great finds for your dad (even for you if you liked it) to create his own lounge area. Have a little tweak in his favorite spot with items found in Our Home of The SM Store.

 

There are cozy recliners where he can sit, recline, and relax. Bar tables, chairs and other bar essentials complete the fun. If he must work at home, there are writing desks as well as ergonomic chairs to bring comfort to WFH corner.

Serve dad his favorite drink in these stylish bottles and glasses. 

I'd like to put my legs on that leg rest

Minimalist working sanctuary for dad

Visit Our Home stores nationwide at select SM Supermalls for more Father’s Day gift ideas. Customers who prefer to shop online can expect the same great shopping experience through www.ourhome.ph. In addition, Our Home has introduced Contactless Shopping Options for customers who prefer to stay in their homes. Customers can Call & Deliver – call 0917 8315260, pay online, and have their items delivered. They can Shop Live where a personal shopper takes them on a virtual tour of the store via video call. Curbside Pickup is also available.

Read More

DIGITAL THEATER REVIEW - M.45 Makbetamaximus

Tanghalang Ateneo's season finale M.45 or Makbetamaximus is something that is very new to me. Reinterpreting Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth in a modern setting that is very familiar to Filipino audience produced in pure indie and innovative.

At first I was unsure about what I'm seeing, but if you have read Macbeth or saw an adaptation of it, you will gradually get the grasp of the story. Beginning with an inviting buffet of Filipino street foods, to the witches, the characters and all that will open your senses. It's a violent play and contains explicit language so only mature audiences are allowed to see it. Great editing as well, disturbing themes with creative visuals catches your attention throughout the 45-minute digital play.

I would like to congratulate Tanghalang Ateneo and the whole production team for coming up with this as a relevant theater for today and this is something I've never seen. I encourage everyone to buy a ticket via Ticket2Me.net and support this amazing campus theater production.

* Images via Tanghalang Ateneo

Read More

MOVIE REVIEW - TOM AND JERRY (2021)

The long-time cat and mouse battle gets their first live action movie with the same title, Tom and Jerry. Joined by Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, Ken Jeong, Jordan Bolger, Pallavi Sharta, Colin Jost, Patsy Ferran and Rob Delaney. Tom and Jerry is now streaming via HBO GO.

As they get on the New York city life for the first time, Tom and Jerry continues their battle for ages to survive. They encounter the Royal Gate Hotel where Kayla (Moretz) applies as a temporary event coordinator after tricking a more qualified applicant. The said event was a high-profile wedding of Preeta (Sharta) and Ben (Jost) and it has to be ensured that nothing bad will happen. But when there's a cat and mouse situation, you bet that something bad will definitely happen.

Tom and Jerry

Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Pena

Tom and Jerry is still a good family cartoon and did not miss their usual funny antics. You might have missed their violent attacks that kids will surely laugh about it but remind them to not do them at home. Glad that there's no actual animal casting here because they're all animated. From dogs, to cats, to mouse, to pigeons and even elephants. Combining all of them, even if Tom and Jerry does not speak, if they're there, there is definitely a disaster. They also used some references too like the one below from Batman. There's one from the Matrix and more.

Directed by Tim Story, based on the characters of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

* Images via Warner Bros. Pictures

Read More

MOVIE REVIEW - Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS

Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda's In The Heights came more than just a movie adaptation of the theater musical of the same title but it elevated the excitement, emotions and the lessons that it teaches. Jon M. Chu's vision has given us the better understanding by providing a wider perspective of the community of Washington Heights, aside from its vibrant and diverse neighborhood, each story of the resident were dug deeper to touch your sense and sensibilities.

Knowing the festive music and glorious choreography that is a mixture of hip hop, salsa, mambo and any dance and tune you can think of, you'll get more. Movie magic was materialized that made it look exciting. It will really get you up on your feet. Start with the streets, the pool and especially in that bar scene before the blackout. They really got a powerful ensembles to execute this well and everybody did well. I'm glad that I've seen this as it has given me a better understanding of the musical I saw years ago. The songs are in fact moving and you can feel the cast's emotions through their amazing acting. Actors were well cast they did great. Kudos to Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Gregory Diaz IV, Olga Merediz, the salon girls and everyone.

Let us not forget about the close ties between neighbors. Hope you'll think -- When is the last time you actually talked to a neighbor? What made them special? In The Heights reminds us that people around us may have the same hopes for us, can move mountains for us, can protect us, if we share the same values.

You have to watch the whole movie until the end credits. You'll get something very special from Piraguero Lin-Manuel Miranda in the end for his sweet clap back. ;)

In The Heights is now showing in theaters and streaming via HBO Max. 

* Images via Warner Bros. Pictures

Read More

Andrew Garfield is Jonathan Larson in Netflix's tick, tick... BOOM!

 Andrew Garfield is a hopeful musician and playwright in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "tick, tick... BOOM!" Aside from being a great wonderful adaptation relevant to our time, it is also the first directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Tick, tick... BOOM! follows the autobiography of Jonathan Larson,  a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael (Robin de Jesús), who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?”

Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson

The musical is also performed by Jonathan Larson as a solo work in 1990, before it was revamped into a 2001 Off-Broadway musical by playwright David Auburn following Larson’s tragic death. “Rent” opened on Broadway in the meantime, making the late Larson a musical theater phenomenon. Watch the trailer below:

Tick, tick... BOOM comes to theaters this fall and on Netflix in memoriam of Jonathan Larson's 25th death anniversary.

Read More

Aquaman 2 is entitled The Lost Kingdom

In an Instagram post circulating online, director James Wan is in a production meeting teasing the sequel of Aquaman and it is entitled, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom.

While we don't know much about the plot, creepypuppet (James Wan's Instagram account) says in the caption that "The tide is rising." Maybe it would bring a huge tidal catastrophe to the surface caused by some tension in the deep but we'll need to stay tuned for more details.

Coming back to the sequel are Jason Momoa himself who said that he will be traveling to Hawaii in July in order to film the sequel. Also returning are Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, and Yahya Abdul Mateen II, while Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbæek will also be joining the cast. The screenplay will be written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who co-wrote the screenplay for the first Aquaman, and also co-wrote the story for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Patrick Wilson is also reported to be getting buff again for the role of King Orb, or Orb after he was taken to prison in the previous movie.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to be released on December 2022, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Read More