KONG: SKULL ISLAND movie review

In the name of science, an expedition was sent to an untouched island where they believed "God has stopped creation." KONG: SKULL ISLAND gives an exciting adventure starting March 9 in theaters. Best experienced on IMAX.

Tom Hiddleston leads a group of scientists, soldiers, and adventurers into a commercially unexplored island where they discover massive creatures rule the land. Including Kong, a legendary ape that they sooner learn as a protector of the island and with a kind heart to those who doesn't harm him.

Since most of the creatures are primitive and massive, I was tucking on my seat on many parts. It might do the same to you as well when you watch it on IMAX. I also twitch when they walk on swamps and makes me weak every time they do it. The terrifying moment lasted for almost 30-1 hour. Visual effects are okay and I like the tribal representation of the island's legends using stone pillars forming images.

However, I found some booboos in the movie. After they had an encounter with the "skull crawlers" in the ape graveyard, Tom Hiddleston, and Brie Larson fell hard on the ground. A situation you might not be able to stand immediately. But they were already walking fine at the transition. Also when Brie Larson got swallowed by a skull crawler from Kong's hand, she gets out unstained by any skull crawler's blood or anything. I would say that this could pass to a 3.5 stars out of five.

You have to stay until the end credits for a little Easter egg featuring another huge monster that Kong will be encountering later on.

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Women's Month at Crimson Hotel Filinvest City

What better way to spend International Women’s Month than with Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila? March is filled with events that will spoil and let the ladies enjoy a retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. Dine or check-in in all weekends of the month and enjoy activities like Wine Pairing Seminar (March 4), Tai Chi Class (March 11), Vietnamese Cooking Class (March 18), and Basic Make-up Tutorial (March 25).

The ongoing Fit and Fab packages makes each one rejuvenated and refreshed with health and fitness programs. An overnight stay at Crimson Hotel promotes wellness inclusive of one-on-one health and fitness consultation with the gym instructors, invigorating in-room massage for 2, healthy breakfast buffet and a Detox set menu for two at the Deck Bar. More so, they also have a chance to win an overnight stay at Nurture Wellness Village, Tagaytay with full board meals, 30-minute acupuncture and 1-hour massage for 2, with healthy juice demo and organic farm tour. Just use the promo code “FitandFab” when booking online.

On International Women’s Day, March 8, be impressed with culinary techniques by the men as they will be assisted by the chefs at Cafe 8. Avail the Lunch buffet at PHP 1,235++ or Dinner at PHP 1,410++ to enjoy this special treat. Ladies also get a 50% discount on buffet prices only on this day.

Chào mừng bạn! Take your palate to a trip to Vietnam as we will partake on delicacies of the Dragon People from March 10-18 at Cafe 8. Learn and enjoy rich culture with a wide array of authentic Vietnamese specialties like Fried Tofu, Fresh Spring Roll, Vietnamese Pho, Crab Noodle Soup and more, created by three Guest Chefs Nguyen Thi Khanh Ngan, Tran Kim Hoang Trong and Vo Van Chien. It’s like living in Vietnam without leaving Manila!

Don’t forget to reward yourself with complimentary upgrade to a sparkling wine for ladies every afternoon as you enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge, added with live and soothing entertainment from the pianist from Mondays - Saturdays, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes #pianist #CrimsonFilinvestCity #CrimsonHotel #CrimsonMoments

A post shared by Omar Itay (@ohmski) on Mar 2, 2017 at 4:09am PST

For booking or more information, please visit the official website at http://www.crimsonhotel.com/manila/ or call (02) 863-2222.

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first look at MARY POPPINS

It's a younger nanny in the new Mary Poppins movie and Emily Blunt stars the role along with my another favorite of mine, Meryl Streep! It's a Devil Wears Prada reunion in this 1964 classic which starred by no other than Julie Andrews herself.
Based on the Mary Poppins stories by P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins Returns comes from a screenplay by Life of Pi scribe David Magee, with Oscar-winning Chicago and Into the Woods director Rob Marshall at the helm.

Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep).

Opening across the Philippines in 2018, Mary Poppins Returns is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Philippines.

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CURE FOR WELLNESS movie review

An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure. - 20th Century Fox

If all wellness centers would be as disturbing as found in the Swiss Alps here, I wouldn't go in again. Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) fails to get far and retrieve the CEO with their huge business decision from the facility that encloses all those who believe that can cure their illness from just drinking water. More that it made me skeptical about purified water "really purified" as promised.

I've been twisting at every time he discovers a dark secret within the place. Plus, the gory presentation of "healing process" are too chilly. I just don't like seeing full bodies of people being used as "experiments." The darkness in this film is beyond that I can imagine though I admit being a fan of watching Linda Blair's Scariest Places on Earth.

It feels really weird after seeing it and you might not want to sleep immediately. I browsed in Youtube for about an hour until I retired to bed.

Cure for Wellness is now showing in cinemas. R-16 for scenes not suitable for younger audiences.

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HACKSAW RIDGE movie review

It is one of those you seem "just another war movie" but then I realize, it's not. Mel Gibson preaches on the love of God in the middle of a crisis in 2016's HACKSAW RIDGE starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Teresa Palmer and more. An incredible and heroic story of Desmond Doss, a US-Japan war veteran, coming in Philippine cinemas, February 22.

The first quarter of the movie talks about how Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) was raised in a God-fearing family and how he acquired a moral obligation on serving his country as a medic. His love life with Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) was an adorable one. Like how we would love our grandfathers tell their story of our grandmothers. It was a good and cheesy love story and will give you giggles and feels. The rise and fall of emotions hits you in the heart.

Teresa Palmer and Andrew Garfield as Dorothy Schutte and Desmond Doss

Being in the military is no easy for anyone, much so for Doss. His skinny physique has made him a joke as a member of the battalion but it did not stop him from pursuing his willingness to serve. Imagine a soldier never handled a weapon as his moral promise but then he fulfilled his obligation to the country and above to continue living for others and himself. His striking speech before the military court is the best I've heard:

Because when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, I took it personal. Everyone I knew was on fire to join up, including me. There were two men in my hometown declared 4-F unfit, they killed themselves cause they couldn't serve. Why, I had a job in a defense plant and I could've taken a deferment, but that ain't right. It isn't right that other men should fight and die, that I would just be sitting at home safe. I need to serve. I got the energy and the passion to serve as a medic, right in the middle with the other guys. No less danger, just... while everybody else is taking life, I'm going to be saving it. With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me to wanna put a little bit of it back together.

This will be Andrew Garfield's one of the most memorable roles ever. Saving 75 men from Hacksaw Ridge as Desmond Doss is very physically and emotionally challenging because we're talking about lives here. The dreadful conditions of war are two-way affecting us -- the people who fought on location and people left at their homes. It's also the things that people don't realize that's more valuable than killing. That wars don't bring any good.

* Hacksaw Ridge is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director (Mel Gibson), Actor (Andrew Garfield) and Film Editing.

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THE LEGO BATMAN movie review

Lego sequel dedicated to the dark knight "The Lego Batman movie" takes you to Batman's personal, lonely life with added hilarious antics and lines that will hit right in the feels. I think this is better than the previous Lego movie that have to watch starting February 9 in theaters.

It doesn't take too long for you to love the movie. I remember every bit of it, from start to finish, I was giggling and laughing. Opening credits was already amusing. Batman is very conceited that he makes himself the reason why the others exist. The biggest reunion of our well-loved Batman characters and villains is already here. More than that, Warner Bros brings more of its characters in. I hope WB will produce an episode 1.5 where Batman meets Wildstyle before they meet Emmet from Lego Movie. There is also a very tough attack on DC's rival that you'll laugh your lungs out for the strong competitor.

Also, Robin is all of us. Fanboying or fangirling to our idols, almost wanting us to be adopted of some sort.

The one of the best things that happened here is the confrontation between Joker and Batman that is the funniest of all. This might be the first time that you'll pity him in your life.

I really wished that I could have watched it in 3D to appreciate the graphics more. I don't want to spoil you too much on what will be inside this movie. But as it is, again I'll say, you'll love it.

Now, I am excited for the next Lego movie. Here's the teaser:

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HOOQ Hangouts: Mano Po 7 Chinoy

Spent the night of February 4 with a few friends which I haven't seen in a long time. I can again feel that I am back to the blogging world and happy to be with missed friends.

And we went to the Globe Iconic Store at Bonifacio Global City where there is a huge screen playing videos. I was in HOOQ Hangouts which they've done more than three times now. And for that night, they are playing Mano Po 7: Chinoy for free at the big screen for everyone to see. It was just after Chinese New Year so the place is adorned with Chinese lanterns, blossoms and ang paos, and serving Chinese delicacies for us to feast in.

Later on, Jean Garcia and Richard Yap graced the event before we started the screening. The movie came back to theaters on February 8.

But the movie is already available at the HOOQ app for streaming. HOOQ lets you watch more than 10,000 TV series and movies online. All you need is a laptop, tablet or even your smart phone and you can watch anywhere, anytime. Here are available HOOQ plans from Globe:

HOOQ is also ad-free, features both local and international productions, and you can opt to cancel your membership with no hidden charges. I'm starting to download HOOQ so I can enjoy movies and TV shows while offline. I hope you can try it too.

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