Saturday, October 29, 2011

Arnold Arre's Animated Short Film

Arnold Arre, the multi-award winning graphic novelist that brought us Mythology Class, Trip To Tagaytay, Andong Agimat and Martial Law Babies has just released his first animated short film based on his graphic novel, Andong Agimat: Kanya ang Kalye. 



Andong Agimat is about this Pinoy superhero who was granted powers of invincibility by using an agimat and he uses his powers to fight criminals and supervillains. The graphic novel is written in English with the vibe of local Pinoy action movies and set in a nitty gritty Manila handdrawn in an impeccable fusion of Japanese style art and Pinoy sensibility. This film is Arnold's first foray to animation and I hope he follows this up with lots more.

Isang bagsak para sa Pinoy animation!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: Arc and Line





Welcome to the Saturday edition of Layton's Puzzles where I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

This week's puzzle comes from Professor Layton and the Curious Village US edition and it is Puzzle No. 11: Arc and Line. This one is easy my dear Pisay friends. 


Hit the Jump for a hint and the solution to last Wednesday's puzzle!!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: Four Digits




Welcome to the Wednesday edition of Layton's Puzzles where I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

This week's puzzle comes from Professor Layton and the Curious Village UK edition and it is Puzzle No. 10: Four Digits. 


Hit the Jump for a hint and the solution to last Saturday's puzzle!!!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

TV Tuesdays: Have Faith on The Kitchen Musical

I couldn't believe myself that I missed the start of the 2nd episode of The Kitchen Musical because I got mesmerized watching huge mechanical robots and dopey humans in Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. Hence, pending reruns on AXN and Studio 23,  I won't be writing a review because, well, it wouldn't be fair. Instead, I will be showing you Christian Bautista's much lauded rendition of George Michael's Faith, revealing that kahit papaano, marunong naman palang magsayaw si Christian.

This musical number showed how The Kitchen Musical is able to integrate beautifully the lyrics of a song to the episode's theme, as well as incorporate simple and effective dance steps that complements the song well. In short, this is my favorite musical number in The Kitchen Musical so far, and I'm telling you, you gotta have faith in this show. Watch it on Saturdays, 8PM at Studio 23!

Here's my LSS for the week, thanks to the uploader but apologies are in order for the video and audio quality, must have been recorded from the TV. Will replace the link when TGESingapore officially unlocks the MV
UPDATE: TGESingapore released the official MV! Check it out!


In other boobtube news, The Walking Dead Season 2 premiered last October 16!!! Sa mga pirata dyan, download na!



Saturday, October 15, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: One Poor Pooch



Welcome to the Saturday edition of Layton's Puzzles where I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

This week's puzzle comes from Professor Layton and the Curious Village US edition and it is Puzzle No. 9: One Poor Pooch. To solve this puzzle, it would be easier if you get yourself a box of matches. 



Hit the Jump for a hint and the solution to last Wednesday's puzzle!!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Toon Thursdays: Happy Feet 2 Trailer

Do you love animation? Do you love tap dancing penguins and animation? Then here is a trailer to whet your appetites!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: Farm Work



Welcome to the Wednesday edition of Layton's Puzzles where I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

This week's puzzle comes from Professor Layton and the Curious Village US edition and it is Puzzle No. 8: Farm Work. Get ready for this stumper!



Hit the Jump for a hint and the solution to last Saturday's puzzle!!!

FIRST LOOK: The Avengers Movie Trailer


Avengers Assemble! The much awaited first official movie trailer of the Joss Whedon directed The Avengers from Marvel Entertainment was just released but freaking Blogger does not allow quick sharing from  Apple. And since I don't have Quicktime Pro, I can't download it either. Shucks. Anyway, superheroes seen include Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, The Hulk and of course, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

You can download or watch the trailer here:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/marvel/avengers/

EDIT: I found an embed code! Yehey! This one courtesy of Comic Book Resources, my favorite comics news website:

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: Clock Hands



Welcome to the Saturday edition of Layton's Puzzles where I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

Remember last week's puzzle? Let me refresh your memories:


Want to know the answer? Hit the jump! 

Trese Book 4 Comes Out Today!

See you at Bestseller's Galleria!


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Steve Jobs: 1955 - 2011

Steve Jobs has died today. He succumbed to a rare form of pancreatic cancer at the prime age of 56. Just by scrolling down my Facebook Wall, a myriad of tributes can be seen about him: he is a visionary, a creative genius, a game changer; mostly, people are thankful for changing their lives forever with iTunes, iPod, iPhone and the iPad. He will truly be missed. But if there's one thing that I would be thankful for Steve Jobs, I thank him for being instrumental in unleashing Pixar Animation Studios to the world. Steve Jobs bought Pixar from Lucasfilm on 1986 and transformed the company from a proprietary hardware seller to the juggernaut blockbuster animation studio that it is today. Under his guidance, Pixar made everyone realize that computer graphics is a viable and effective medium for storytelling, and the world of animation has never been the same since. He eventually sold Pixar to Disney, became Disney's biggest individual stockholder and a member of its Board of Directors, and he was instrumental in installing Ed Catmull as President of Pixar and Disney Animation, and John Lasseter, the brains behind Toy Story, as Chief Creative Officer.

Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter
Without Steve Jobs, there would be no Pixar today. Rest in peace Mr. Jobs.

*Photo from http://www.filmedge.net/
*For more information regarding Steve Jobs and Pixar, I highly recommend Leslie Iwerks documentary, The Pixar Story. I will try to post a review one of these days. 


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Layton's Puzzles: Strange Hats


Welcome to Layton's Puzzles where every Wednesday and Saturdays, I will feature different kinds puzzles from the hundreds featured in the Professor Layton video game series made by Level 5 which were all released on the Nintendo DS. For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are basically collections of puzzles beautifully integrated within the story of a professor and true gentleman Professor Hershel Layton and his sidekick Luke Triton who goes around from town to town talking to people, solving puzzles and figuring out various mysteries.

This week's puzzle comes from Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the first game of the series, and this is Puzzle No. 3: Strange Hats, which should serve as a very nice warm-up for all you readers. So without further ado, here it is:


Click Jump for hints!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

TV Tuesdays: Game of Thrones Infographic


Check out this sleek and nifty Game of Thrones Infographic: Illustrated Guide to Houses and Character Relationships from HauteSlides illustrating the "fruits of fandom" as my friend Mark P. eloquently phrases it. The guide is based on the TV series and not the books so please keep that in mind before you head on to the website and give them your comments and violent reactions. Check out their other guides including a map based on HBO's seminal TV series. 



Monday, October 3, 2011

REVIEW: The Kitchen Musical is Gastronomical!


REVIEW and FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Yep. I'm offiicially hooked. I just watched The Kitchen Musical and, let me tell you, I'm very, VERY, impressed. Some first impressions before I go to sleep (SPOILERS AHEAD, Beware!)

STORY: The concept and premise about this young sous chef, Maddie Avilon, coming back to work in her family's restaurant, The Avilon, and trying to make a difference creatively in a very rigid kitchen environment managed by executive chef Alex Marcus, is fresh and well thought of, and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to the situations presented. The characters were memorable (although the perky receptionists are quite stereotyped and played too cutely) and it's a breath of fresh air to see these well acted, fully realized characters which will hopefully be consistent in the next few episodes.

MUSIC: It was a surprise to find out that Gerard Salonga was the musical director for the show, and certainly, his arrangements for the songs sounded different but still very familiar. His arrangement of Matchbox 20's Unwell was very inspired, and it is the best of the four songs in my opinion. However, Art Acuna's singing in Unwell was too theatrical when paired with Karylle's pop rendition, and the result was an uneven performance. The choice of BEP's Boom Boom Pow was spot on and showcased the talents of most of the cast members. The introductory songs for Selena and Alex, which were Nelly Furtado's Maneater and Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment respectively, were full of glam and theatrics, but personally, I prefer the sweet, emotional performance of Karylle with Unwell. It was nice that the songs were picked to reflect the emotional state of the characters and to further explore the narrative, rather than just being gimmicky (hello to you Glee!).

ACTORS: Stephen Rahman-Hughes performance as Alex Marcus was top notch. He was intense and exuded confidence in his craft, and he was able to show both the rigid and soft sides of the perfectionist executive chef. Rosemary Vandenbroucke as Selena Argon was sexy and daring, and certainly deserving of the title, Maneater. Karylle as Maddie Avilon was a bit too bubbly for me, but that was required in the script, and she was able to channel a lot of emotions through her singing and dancing. Christian Bautista needs to work a bit more on his English, which sounded really stiff, but then the show is set in Singapore, which is a melting pot of language, so I guess it fits. He plays Daniel as Karylle's best friend, and he certainly acted like a genuine one. Art Acuna played Harry Shaw too intensely; I wish he tones down his acting a bit in the next few episodes as it comes off too strong, as if he was trying too hard to be a stern general manager. The rest of the cast and crew had little time to show off their acting chops but their characters had promise and I hope the next few episodes will develop them more. Thumbs up to the guy playing Mr. Masters, the infamous critic, who reminded me of the critic in the animated film Ratatouille, a guy with a commanding presence who is not easy to please.

PRODUCTION: The production is slick, just like a perfectly done puree. The kitchen looked immaculate, the restaurant exuded elegance, and the food was certainly appetizing! The scenes looked glossy, but I wish the editing would be more snappy, and the musical numbers to be integrated more into the scenes, just like the one with Karylle singing Unwell. The Maneater and For Your Entertainment numbers were a bit disconnected and the transition to the songs were jarring because of all the glam, but then I guess it was intentional since the songs were intended to be a reflection of the subconscious of the characters.

All in all, this was a great viewing experience and I am ready to have more servings of this deliciously done, gastronomical TV series. Congratulations to The Group Entertainment and all those involved in the production for the very impressive pilot episode!

The Kitchen Musical will be aired regularly on Studio 23 starting October 8, Saturday at 730pm. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kitchen-Musical/163925620334369

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Kitchen Musical Premieres Tonight on ABSCBN!



Boom Boom Pow! Tonight, October 2, the Kapamilya viewers will get to see an earlier telecast of the pilot of The Kitchen Musical on ABSCBN's Sunday's Best at around 1045pm. The show will just be a special telecast and the series will be aired regularly at Studio 23 on October 8, 730pm and every Saturday afterwards. In celebration of this early treat, Arts and Other Drugs presents this Behind the Scenes promo courtesy of The Group Entertainment. Enjoy!




Ni No Kuni will make me buy a PS3

No, that is not a cutscene. That is real in-game rendered graphics.
From the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, that gave us Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, and the Japanese video game company, Level 5, the makers of Professor Layton on the Nintendo DS and Dragon Quest VIII on the Playstation 2, comes this one of a kind, gorgeous, mouth-watering, takes my breath away role-playing game set to be released in the States on the spring 2012 for the Playstation 3. 

Ni No Kuni: Queen of the Holy Ashes is what you get from the marriage of the best damn animation studio that rivals only Disney/Pixar on the western side of the world and one of the most accomplished game design studios in the gaming world today. Despite some early previews indicating that the gameplay is a bit simplistic, I would certainly be lining up in the nearest Data Blitz to finally, FINALLY, get myself my own PS3 just to experience the beauty of the highly anticipated visual extravaganza that is Ni No Kuni. Watch the trailer below: 


Doesn't that make you all warm and fuzzy and giddy inside? Now all I need is that damn Radiology residency and hopefully after a month or two of working, I will be all set for high definition gaming. 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Kitchen Musical should be way better than Glee

So that's where Karylle was! Level up na siya from Showtime! Sample! Sample!
The Kitchen Musical, from the title itself, is a musical akin to Glee but set in a fine dining restaurant and has accomplished chefs, line cooks, receptionists and bartenders singing musical numbers, which in itself a breath of fresh air as compared to Glee's cast of high school teenagers who are way too inconsistent in a show that seems to be heading to the dumps. This TV series is made by Singapore based The Group Entertainment and stars a host of Asian actors and actresses, including our very own Karylle and Christian Bautista as sous chefs. 


From the trailers and teasers popping up all over on Facebook, YouTube and on Studio 23, this show seems brimming with so much potential; from the slick production design, to the charismatic actors and the engaging song and dance numbers. I just hope the characterization will be better and more consistent here than in Glee and hopefully, come October 8, 2011, the show will take off and tickle the hearts of the Filipino Glee fans and the regular viewers as well.

This show is produced by The Group Entertainment and will be aired on Studio 23 starting October 8, 2011, Saturdays at 730 PM.
Visit their website at http://www.thekitchenmusical.com/facebook for more information.

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