Benedict Cumberbatch as gay mathematician Alan Turing in 'The Imitation Game'.
LONDON | Actor Benedict Cumberbatch was among some 75,000 people to sign a petition Saturday urging a pardon for all gay men convicted of indecency in Britain under historic laws.
Cumberbatch is Oscar-nominated for his role as gay mathematician Alan Turing, whose code-cracking skills helped Britain fight Germany in World War II, in the film “The Imitation Game”.
Turing was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 and underwent chemical castration before committing suicide two years later.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in England in 1967 and Turing was given a royal pardon in 2013.
An open letter published in the Guardian newspaper urged Prince William and his wife Catherine to step in to make the case for a blanket pardon for the 49,000 men who were convicted.
However, a spokesman for the royal couple said that it was a government issue and they would not be making any public comment.
“The UK’s homophobic laws made the lives of generations of gay and bisexual men intolerable,” the letter said.
“It is up to young leaders of today including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to acknowledge this mark on our history and not allow it to stand.
“We call upon Her Majesty’s government to begin a discussion about the possibility of pardoning all the men, alive or deceased, who like Alan Turing were convicted.”
Other famous signatories included British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and the director of “The Imitation Game”, Morten Tyldum.
Val Kilmer. (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES | Actor Val Kilmer, best-known for his roles in “Batman Forever” and “The Doors,” said on Saturday he was at a Los Angeles hospital for observation following what he called a “complication.”
The 55-year-old film and stage star posted to his Facebook page after media reports that he had been rushed to the hospital with a suspected tumor.
“Thank you for all your sweet support,” Kilmer said in the Facebook post.
“But I have not had a tumor, or a tumor operation, or any operation. I had a complication where the best way to receive care was to stay under the watchful eye of the UCLA ICU,” Kilmer wrote, referring to the intensive care unit of the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.
Kilmer is undergoing tests, family spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an email.
Rosenberg had earlier said in a statement that Kilmer was tested for a “possible tumor.”
The actor, who has disclosed in previous interviews that he is a Christian Scientist, also said in the message he was assisted by friends who know his “spiritual convictions” and have helped in minimizing what he called “gossip and silly talk.”
Some Christian Scientists, based on the precepts of their faith, have been known to advocate prayer before or instead of medical treatments when a person is ill.
Kilmer did not disclose any further details about his ailment in the post, but said that he hoped for a speedy recovery. “God bless you all and please don’t worry,” he wrote.
“I do not have an official diagnosis at this time,” Rosenberg said. “He is with his two children Mercedes and Jack,” she said.
Kilmer played Doors singer Jim Morrison in a 1991 film about the band and Batman in the 1995 superhero film “Batman Forever.” In 2013, the actor reunited with Anthony Edwards, his co-star in the 1986 film “Top Gun,” to give voice to characters in the animated comedy “Planes.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown. (Reuters)
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only daughter of late pop star Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Georgia home on Saturday, but she was revived after being rushed to a hospital, police said.
The incident comes nearly three years after Houston, a superstar who battled substance abuse, drowned in a bathtub in Beverly Hills, California, in February 2012. Authorities have said cocaine use and heart disease contributed to her death.
Brown, 21, was found at about 10:20 a.m. (1520 GMT) in the bathtub at her suburban Atlanta home by her husband and a friend, said Lisa Holland, public information officer for the Roswell Police Department.
Brown’s husband, Nick Gordon, started CPR and police continued life-saving measures until an ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital.
“She’s alive at the hospital,” Holland said. She gave no other details.
Brown was admitted to North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, a suburb north of Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Hospital officials were not available for comment.
Brown married Gordon in January 2014. Gordon was also raised by Houston, one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, but she never formally adopted him. On Houston’s birthday last year, Gordon had his arm tattooed with a portrait of the late singer.
Houston, whose dozens of hit songs include “How Will I Know” and “I Will Always Love You,” was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of pop singer Dionne Warwick.
Bobbi Kristina Brown’s father, Bobby Brown, is a Grammy Award winner who started his career as frontman for the R&B group New Edition.
Both of Bobbi Kristina’s parents struggled with substance abuse, and Houston described their 15-year marriage, which ended in 2007, as drug- and alcohol-fueled. Bobby Brown was sentenced to 55 days in jail in 2013 after admitting to driving drunk in 2012.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was hospitalized twice with anxiety after her mother’s death.
She and her grandmother, Cissy Houston, and other relatives starred in a 14-episode reality show for cable channel Lifetime, “The Houstons: On Our Own,” about their struggle to cope after Houston’s death.
Brown’s Twitter feed over the past year included motivations to work out, quotes from celebrities on being true to oneself, loving messages for her husband and remembrances of her mother.
Frencheska Farr has candidly admitted her new single “Let My Fire Out” was inspired by past challenges.
However, she stopped short in giving details in an interview, simply saying it has something to do with “misunderstandings” within their family.
Frencheska Farr
“Alam mo ’yung nafu-frustrate ka lang talaga na wala kang magawa dahil hindi mo hawak ang sitwasyon?” she said. “Para sa akin, ’yun talaga ’yung most na pinagmumulan ng away ng family ko. ’Yung hindi nakikipagusap talaga with each other.”
Committing “Let My Fire Out” to paper was cathartic for the GMA Artist Center (GMAAC) talent in that it helped her find acceptance.
She explained, “I realized na siguro kailangan ko lang tanggapin kung sino talaga ako at ’yung pagkatao ko dati… alam niyo po ’yung dark past na gusto niyong kalimutan?”
Elaborating further, she said, “Actually, ’yung fire na tinutukoy ko (sa kanta) is more on a fire na deep inside, kung ano talaga ’yung nararamdaman mo, sasabihin mo at hindi ko siya palalampasin.”
Ultimately, Frencheska admitted she is partly to blame for her family’s issues, as she had not focused on them, particularly her brother, over the past four years.
She now aims to strengthen their bond.
“Ang ginagawa ko, every time na libre sila, binibigyan ko talaga sila ng time. Ako na talaga nagri-reach out, ako na nagi-initiate ng pagu-usap kung may problema o kung ano mang nararamdaman,” the singer said.
She continued, “’Yung kapatid ko, lagi ko siyang ine-encourage na mag-kuwento kung ano nangyayari sa buhay niya. Kasi ayoko naman na hayaan lang ’yung problema at lumaki lang siya nang lumaki.”
Frencheska applies that passion to her work, maintaining that she tries to think and act “out of the box” every time she performs.
“Alam kong medyo risky ’yung ginagawa ko pero kasi nagkaroon ng time sa buhay ko na iniisip ko talaga ’yung gusto kong gawin at ito talaga ’yung gusto kong gawin. Gusto kong mag-express ng sarili ko through my own music at maka-inspire ng mga tao na makaka-relate rin,” she said.
Meanwhile, Frencheska denied rumors romantically linking him to singer Gian Magdangal, whom she starred with in a local staging of the popular musical “Grease.”
She stressed they are merely friends. “’Yun lang ’yun,” quipped she, who is happy with her boyfriend of three years, independent filmmaker Gino Jose.
Although quite talented, Baffling Performer (BP) can be such a whiner off cam.
In an out of town gig, BP was heard complaining with voice raised as to why he had to stay in a not-so-classy hotel. He also expressed disappointment that a colleague was billeted in more comfortable accommodations.
Of course, it wasn’t intentional on the part of the hotel. The timing of BP’s presence in the locality unfortunately coincided with a huge festivity and, as such, hotels in the area were fully booked.
(Illustration by Rod Cañalita)
To make matters worse for the staff who had to listen to his loud complaints, BP went on to request for air freshener. Supposedly, he doesn’t like the smell of his room. The staff quickly followed his orders. As soon as BP got hold of it, he sprayed every nook of the room. It was noted that he was also practicing his song while going about the task. (Perhaps, he did some dance moves as well.)
People who heard the story could not believe how meticulous BP could be, which only added to lingering doubt about his sexuality.
BP’s attitude has, no doubt, contributed to his floundering career. While indeed, he has been in the business for many years, he has not attained the same status enjoyed by colleagues, some of whom have conquered the international scene.
“Complaining not only ruins everybody else’s day, it ruins the complainer’s day, too. The more we complain, the more unhappy we get.” – Dennis Prager
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In this Aug. 12, 2014 photograph, visitors stand on an Elvis-themed rug in the collection of the late Paul MacLeod, an Elvis-obsessed man who turned his antebellum-style home into the offbeat museum called Graceland Too in Holly Springs, Miss. The house and its contents are to be auctioned Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. MacLeod died July 17, 2014 at his home. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Thousands of Elvis Presley-themed items are going up for auction this weekend in north Mississippi.
They’re from the kitschy collection of the late Paul MacLeod. The Elvis super fan operated his home as Graceland Too, a roadside museum dedicated to the king of rock ‘n’ roll.
MacLeod died last summer, and his estate is selling the things he collected, including albums, ceramic figurines and commemorative plates. It’s also selling MacLeod’s pink Cadillac, a non-functioning electric chair he made in tribute to “Jailhouse Rock” and the house itself.
The museum — not affiliated with Presley’s Graceland estate in nearby Memphis, Tennessee — was a late-night favorite of intoxicated college students and tourists.
Attorney Phillip Knecht, who represents MacLeod’s estate, says there is no minimum bid on the items.
First Lady Michelle Obama (Stan Honda / AFP-Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday defended Clint Eastwood’s hit film “American Sniper,” which has been accused of whitewashing the story of the Iraq war.
“While I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I’ve heard firsthand from military families over these past few years,” she said.
Obama was speaking at an event encouraging the entertainment industry to accurately portray the experiences of military veterans.
Describing “American Sniper” as a “complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family,” she said it reflected “those wrenching stories that I’ve heard — the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure.”
Critics on the left have slammed the record-breaking film and say the subject of the movie, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, deserves no hero treatment for his handiwork as a deadly sniper.
Obama said the movie also showed “the stresses of balancing love of family with a love of country. And the challenges of transitioning back home to their next mission in life.”
The film has so far made more than $200 million at the box office.
Singer Shakira (L) passes their son Milan to Barcelona’s Gerard Pique. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)
MADRID (Reuters) – Colombian pop star Shakira has given birth in Barcelona to her second child, a boy, she said on Friday.
A statement posted on Shakira’s website said her son, Sasha, was born on Thursday night.
“The hospital confirmed that both mother and child are in excellent health,” the statement said.
The singer and her boyfriend, Spanish football player Gerard Pique, had their first child, a son named Milan, in 2013.
Shakira, 37, and Pique, 27, met in 2010, but only confirmed that they were in a relationship in March 2011.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, one of the best-selling Latin pop idols, gave birth in Barcelona’s Teknon clinic, local media reported earlier. Pique is a defender for Spanish La Liga team FC Barcelona.
As with the birth of their first child, the couple recently asked fans in an online baby shower to buy gifts such as fresh water kits and vaccines to help needy children. Shakira is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
Brian Panish, attorney for the Michael Jackson family delivers his closing argument to jurors in a packed courtroom in Los Angeles, September 24, 2013. (REUTERS/Al Seib/Pool)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A California state appeals court on Friday denied Michael Jackson’s family its latest attempt to reverse a jury’s decision that cleared concert promoter AEG Live of negligence in the singer’s death.
The three-judge panel ruled that Jackson’s mother and children did not have standing for a new trial after their attorneys argued last week that AEG Live was liable for Jackson’s treatment, and that jury instructions were confusing and not wide enough in scope.
A Los Angeles jury in 2013 cleared privately held AEG Live, the organizer of Jackson’s ill-fated 50 “This Is It” comeback concerts in London, of negligently hiring cardiologist Conrad Murray as Jackson’s personal physician.
The sensational five-month trial offered a glimpse into Jackson’s private life and final days in which Murray administered surgical anesthetic propofol to the “Thriller” singer as a sleep aid.
The child star turned King of Pop, who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died in 2009 at age 50 in Los Angeles from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic.
The lawsuit against AEG Live was filed by Katherine Jackson, 84, and the singer’s three children.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that Murray was sufficiently qualified for the job he was hired to do as general practitioner.
Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for Jackson’s death and served half of his 4-year sentence in a Los Angeles prison.
Miranda Lambert (REUTERS/Eric Henderson)
(Reuters) – Miranda Lambert on Friday led all nominees for the second consecutive year at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM), collecting eight nods, including entertainer of the year and top female vocalist, in some of country music’s highest honors.
Dierks Bentley, buoyed by his break-up anthem “Drunk on a Plane,” followed Lambert with seven nominations while duo Florida Georgia Line collected five nods.
The nominations were scheduled to be announced on Tuesday, but were pushed back due to a snow storm that swept through New York and the northeastern United States.
Lambert, a 31-year-old Texan, will look to repeat her success from the rival Country Music Association Awards in November where she took home a leading four trophies on the success of her album “Platinum” and wistful hit “Automatic.”
The 50th ACM Awards will be handed out on April 19 in a televised ceremony from the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will be co-hosted for a third time by singer Luke Bryan and Lambert’s husband, singer Blake Shelton.
Lambert joins Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Florida Georgia Line and Bryan as nominees for the fan-voted top prize of entertainer of the year.
The Academy of Country Music honors big stars as well as small market radio deejays and concert promoters, and the awards are voted on by members of the Encino, Calif.-based professional organization.
Lambert has been country music’s top female performer over the past half decade, so far winning a record five consecutive CMA and ACM female vocalist of the year awards.
Other top nominees include Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Eric Church with four nods apiece while Aldean, Kacey Musgraves and Carrie Underwood each scored three nominations.
The new artist of the year award is a combined fan and academy vote that will narrow the current eight semi-finalists down to three nominees and eventual winner.
Frencheska Farr
Frencheska Farr has candidly admitted her new single “Let My Fire Out” was inspired by past challenges.
However, she stopped short in giving details in an interview, simply saying it has something to do with “misunderstandings” within their family.
“Alam mo ’yung nafu-frustrate ka lang talaga na wala kang magawa dahil hindi mo hawak ang sitwasyon?” she said. “Para sa akin, ’yun talaga ’yung most na pinagmumulan ng away ng family ko. ’Yung hindi nakikipagusap talaga with each other.”
Committing “Let My Fire Out” to paper was cathartic for the GMA Artist Center (GMAAC) talent in that it helped her find acceptance.
She explained, “I realized na siguro kailangan ko lang tanggapin kung sino talaga ako at ’yung pagkatao ko dati… alam niyo po ’yung dark past na gusto niyong kalimutan?”
Elaborating further, she said, “Actually, ’yung fire na tinutukoy ko (sa kanta) is more on a fire na deep inside, kung ano talaga ’yung nararamdaman mo, sasabihin mo at hindi ko siya palalampasin.”
Ultimately, Frencheska admitted she is partly to blame for her family’s issues, as she had not focused on them, particularly her brother, over the past four years.
She now aims to strengthen their bond.
“Ang ginagawa ko, every time na libre sila, binibigyan ko talaga sila ng time. Ako na talaga nagri-reach out, ako na nagi-initiate ng pagu-usap kung may problema o kung ano mang nararamdaman,” the singer said.
She continued, “’Yung kapatid ko, lagi ko siyang ine-encourage na mag-kuwento kung ano nangyayari sa buhay niya. Kasi ayoko naman na hayaan lang ’yung problema at lumaki lang siya nang lumaki.”
Frencheska applies that passion to her work, maintaining that she tries to think and act “out of the box” every time she performs.
“Alam kong medyo risky ’yung ginagawa ko pero kasi nagkaroon ng time sa buhay ko na iniisip ko talaga ’yung gusto kong gawin at ito talaga ’yung gusto kong gawin. Gusto kong mag-express ng sarili ko through my own music at maka-inspire ng mga tao na makaka-relate rin,” she said.
Meanwhile, Frencheska denied rumors romantically linking him to singer Gian Magdangal, whom she starred with in a local staging of the popular musical “Grease.”
She stressed they are merely friends. “’Yun lang ’yun,” quipped she, who is happy with her boyfriend of three years, independent filmmaker Gino Jose.
MJ LASTIMOSA
Beauty queen MJ Lastimosa is urging Pinoy pageant enthusiasts to accept the result of the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant and to stop speculating on what caused her loss.
“Sana wala ng regrets and any negative feedback on the pageant. Let’s just be happy. It’s a beautiful pageant. We’re supposed to just celebrate the beauty of all the nations,” she told media during her homecoming press conference on Thursday.
MJ, who made it to the Top 10 of the 63rd Miss Universe pageant held in Miami, Florida, arrived in the country on Thursday.
Although aware of the ruckus concerning the national costume she wore during the pageant, MJ prefers to keep a positive outlook.
“Ako kasi, nag-dwell na lang ako sa good memories. Alam ko na if I’m gonna dwell sa (negative issues), it’s not even gonna help me. The only way is to move forward and learn from it and to just always remember the good things that happened in the past,” she said.
On rumors that she supposedly would have preferred to use a different gown during the pageant, MJ replied, “Ang akin lang diyan, ako, I love the Filipino designers; Cary Santiago, Leo Almodal, lahat sila. I really believe that we have the best talents here in our country but then again, I applied for this competition, for the job and there is a boss.”
She noted of the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BCPI), “Whatever way they want to run the business, it’s their call and I’m just here to follow whatever is given me.”
In any case, MJ believes, “Kahit anong (gown) ang ipasuot sa akin, I’m gonna rock it, I’m confidently beautiful in whatever I wear, ’yun lang lagi ang iniisip ko.”
Her second ‘mother’
MJ LASTIMOSA (inset) during her arrival in Manila with other Pinay beauty queens
MJ defended BPCI Chairperson Stella Araneta and described her as a “nice person.”
“If we can only take a second look and see the things na she’s doing for our country and not only the things that we don’t like,” said she.
MJ also shared how Stella assumed the role of “mother” to her during their entire stay in Florida. “She would even wait like four hours just to see me and ask me if I’m doing great, and remind me to be positive.”
She added that Stella even gave her a rosary said to have been blessed by the Pope. “That’s very special,” she said.
“The chance lang na she’s giving to every Filipina to represent the country in the Miss Universe stage is something we should all be thankful (for)… so talagang sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Mrs. Araneta, I don’t know how to thank you for this opportunity that you gave me.’”
Treasure
Despite failing to bring home the crown, MJ feels like a winner because of “the love and positive feedback ng mga tao.”
She said, “Hindi lang naman Pilipino ang nagsasabi na, ‘You should have been there in Top 5’… even my co-candidates, they were saying that I did really well and they thought that I would go further. But then there are just things that happen in our lives that we just have to accept.”
For MJ, the biggest prize she gained from the competition is experience.
Ronnie del Carmen (Photo from Walt Disney Studios)
Ronnie del Carmen has a lot of fond memories growing up in Cavite City, just outside Sangley Point. A Filipino storyboard animator, story supervisor, designer and director in Disney/Pixar Animation Studios, which he joined in 2000, his journey has stretched farther and wider than he ever anticipated. Even then, sometimes the sweetest memories are the simplest.
In a casual interview during his recent vacation in the country, he tells Bulletin Entertainment, “I have a lot childhood memories of typhoons.”
The smile that crossed his face was priceless as he reminisced about things kids no longer experience today, his voice soothing and perfect for a bit of storytelling.
“Sometimes the power would go out. For a kid, that (means) somebody is going to bring out the candles and tomorrow we may not (have) school,” he says, laughing. “Then you go outside with your friends, into the floods, and you try and catch fish, frogs or tadpoles. And risk being electrocuted by the people who were actually fishing with electricity, you remember those?”
Of course we know awful storms in this country well enough. “They’re fascinating but very lethal, as we know,” he concurs. “We do fundraisers for typhoon ‘Haiyan’ and we have to impress people that these things are very dangerous; they destroyed lives and everything. But I never tell them that, to me, when I was a kid, typhoons were like, ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna go outside!’”
That’s the thing about Ronnie. Given more time with him, the tales he could tell would surely have been more engaging.
The ‘yes’ man
Ronnie at work in the studio (Photo from Walt Disney Studios)
Anywhere he goes, Ronnie says he carries his sketchbooks with him, as if they were his journal. “I cannot not draw. I’m kind of like (a shark), I have to keep swimming or else I’ll die,” and while here, “I drew a tricycle because I was fascinated with those things.”
He used to draw on the walls and the back of his notebooks as a young boy. “My dad (used to get) upset with me, ‘He’s not doing his homework,’” he recalls with a smile. “I can almost imagine him shaking his head, turning to my mom, ‘Where did I go wrong?’”
All these would lead to working with Disney/Pixar, but Ronnie certainly took the long way to get there. “I’m an accidental animator,” he says, and he isn’t kidding. “I’ve had a very strange path getting into animation because I didn’t want to do animation,” he reveals.
He was only 11 years old when his middle-class family had “the bottom fall off from under (us)” after his father, Rogelio Del Carmen, lost everything in a failed business venture with some friends. The patriarch immigrated to the US “on a long shot… kind of like a Hail Mary pass” with the hope of giving his family a better life. He was 17 when his father left. “I would not see him until I was 29,” he shares.
A Fine Arts graduate from UST, Ronnie worked in the advertising industry. After what seemed like a “glacial” petition process, his family was reunited in the US by 1989. Portfolio in hand, he initially tried to jump start his advertising career there but he was hampered by his lack of contacts and knowledge of the area. Then he answered an ad to do storyboards for a production company.
In a series of what seemed like catching lightning in a bottle, animation further beckoned when he was offered a job as assistant to the art director for a TV show, learning the ropes within the two-month job. Thinking it must have been a fluke, he tried for another animation job after a vacation in the Philippines and, again, he was hired – by no less than Warner Bros., as storyboard artist for “Batman, The Animated Series.”
“I’ve never done that job before either. So most people give me jobs that I’ve never done, that I don’t wanna do, that I know that I was gonna be bad at. But that’s kinda have been my career in animation,” he says, smiling.
His not knowing things got him in DreamWorks Studios, too: First, as story artist for the feature animation “Prince of Egypt” (1998), then story supervisor for “El Dorado” (2000). In Pixar, director Andrew Stanton pretty much dumped the story supervisor job on his lap and he ended up working on the hits “Finding Nemo” (2003), and later, “Up” (2009).
The lesson he’s learned is you always say yes; just learn the ropes later and try not to disappoint. He certainly hasn’t.
Up, up and away
‘Inside Out’ characters: the five emotions in the Headquarters inside Riley’s mind (Photo from Walt Disney Studios)
Ronnie loved working closely with director Pete Docter and writer/co-director Bob Peterson in “Up.” He would learn so much from them and the relationship with Pete would also translate to a new collaboration: Pete’s upcoming animated feature “Inside Out,” for which Ronnie is now co-director.
Ronnie recalls an emotional time working on “Up” with his father falling ill. “Then he could not speak anymore. But I would visit him in the hospital and I would show him sequences that I’m working on. I would sit with him in bed and I would pitch like I would pitch (in the studio), and I said, ‘Dad, you looked exactly like Carl’ (the old man in the movie).”
His father died in 2005, way before the film was done. Still, Ronnie says, “My dad kind of lives in the movie because my dad is very stubborn. He was very, very courageous, he provides for his family but he’s had a spate of bad luck.”
Ronnie got to work on the sequence of a younger Carl and his wife Ellie, as well the last part where an older Carl has fulfilled his promise to the long-gone love of his life. That both didn’t have dialogue resonated with him, calling to mind his dad before he died. Ronnie also recalled moments when he, Pete and Bob would not be able to speak after watching some emotional sequences.
Ronnie has done amazing things in his career so far, “But the most emotional thing that I’ve ever done has been to show an old man go through these emotions realizing what his life amounted to. I don’t think I’ll ever get that chance again,” he says.
His story certainly doesn’t end here and there would be so much more to tell. In August, “Inside Out” will premiere in the Philippines and they get to tell a tale where each character represents an emotion living inside the mind of a little girl.
As Ronnie’s journey goes further, the one lesson he has to impart from this all is that, “I would love for everybody to tell their stories.” So what’s yours?
Eula Valdes
Veteran actresses Eula Valdes and Jean Garcia are favorite personalities of telenovela aficionados, with both making their mark over years of portraying popular roles in successful programs.
So for fans, it’s good news that Eula is now part of GMA-7’s “The Half Sisters,” which reunites her anew with her former co-star.
“Parang maglalaro na naman kami. Sabi ko nga eh kami ‘yung original na ‘love team’ talaga, ‘di ba? Siyempre excited din ako,” said Eula, who last worked with Jean in the local adaptation of hit Koreanovela titled “All About Eve” in 2009.
Asked if she and Jean will have fight scenes on “The Half Sisters,” Eula replied, “I don’t know, pero siyempre hinahanap (ng tao ‘yun).”
Eula is willing to do such scenes, even if they’d be called upon to do some slapping — the real kind.
“Natural masakit ‘yun pero ako, hindi ako kumporme sa daya-daya (na sampal). Kasi para nakaka-react ka nang matino, ‘di ba? Kapag dinaya ang fight scenes, dinadaya mo ‘yung sarili mo,” she noted.
The actress added, “Since before naman okay lang ako sa mga ganung eksena. Ilang beses na nga ako nabato, haha.”
In the series, Eula’s character Ysabel will fall in love with Jean’s husband played by Jomari Yllana.
“Initially parang hindi siya kontrabida (Ysabel), ‘yung mga gagawin niya at magiging reaction niya, depende sa sitwasyon,” said Eula of her character, with the assurance that “mas natural na ngayon ang mga gagawin namin sa soap, hindi na ‘yung pagsasabungin lang ang mga characters namin ni Jean for the sake (of the thrill).”
They may not be the best of friends in real life but Eula said she and Jean have a good professional and personal relationship. “Okay naman kami eh kaso may ibang set of friends kami and hindi rin ako pala-labas eh,” said Eula.
On accepting the character, Eula said it helps that, aside from Jean, she has already worked with some of the series’ cast members in previous projects, including Jomari and director Mark Reyes. “Less problema, less hassle,” she pointed out.
Eula added, “Also, parang no-brainer na ba’t ka pa mag-iisip eh top-rater na ‘yung show, ‘di ba? Siyempre dun ka na.”
Now picky with the kind of projects she does, she said, “Syempre ‘yung pipiliin mo, dapat hindi ka dehado, malalaman mo naman ‘yun depende kung anong offer nila. Like ‘yung guaranteed days ng trabaho mo. Siyempre hindi pwede ‘yung sasabihin sa’yo may soap ka pero ang tagal mo pala tumetengga.”
Eula has no exclusive contract with any network. She explained, “Nag-e-enjoy pa ako. Pero depende kung may offer na maganda (at) secured ‘yung trabaho mo, why not?”
Direk Mark confirms the Eula’s scenes in the series will start airing this month. She begins taping this week.
“The Half Sisters” airs weekdays on GMA Afternoon Prime.
Neil Perez.
Unable to hide his sadness over the fate of the 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force who perished during a bloody encounter mission in Mamasampano, Maguindanao on Sunday, policeman and Neil Perez is dedicating to them his bid to win the Mister International pageant scheduled this February 14 in South Korea.
“Nalungkot ako nung nabalitaan ko yun. Seven of them were my batchmates in the police academy so I will do my best to win the title. This is one way of serving my country and bring honor to our Filipino countrymen,” Perez told InterAksyon and other media during his recent send-off party at One Esplanade that was attended by several of his fellow officers from the Philippine National Police.
Born Mariano Perez Flormata, Jr., Neil carries the rank of Police Officer 2 (PO2) and is detailed at the PNP Aviations Security Group where he is a bomb and explosives technician. He said that as part of his preparations, he and his team also learned some lessons from the recent Miss Universe pageant that saw Philippine candidate Mary Jean Lastimosa fall short of winning the crown.
In reference to the decision of Binibining Pilipinas founding madam Stella Marquez Araneta to go with Colombian designer Alfredo Barraza to design MJ’s national costume and evening gown that may have contributed to her defeat, Neil said he’s going with Filipino designers Edwin Uy and Olan Roque for his Dinagyang-inspired national costume and formal wear, respectively.
“Nung nakita namin yung nangyari sa Miss Universe, nag-prepare na kami so we decided to go with all Filipino designers,” Neil pointed out.
In addition to his outfits, Neil, who won Miss International Philippines last September, also continues to keep himself in tip-top shape.
“The Mister International Pageant encourages total health and fitness. That’s why I made sure that I work out regularly and eat smart,” Perez explained. He noted that he needs to be in his best form as he will be participating in various pre-pageant activities and preliminary competitions, which has been spread over two weeks.
“The Mister International Pageant is all about being a total gentleman, and Neil has been determined and passionate about his preparations in order to represent the Philippines in the best possible light in the pageant,” added Carlo Morris Galang, one of the main proponents behind the Misters of the Philippines contest.
Founded in 2006, the Mister International annual male pageant is owned and organized by the Mister International Organization which also organizes the annual Mister Singapore pageant. Both Lebanon and Brazil have won the pageant twice and the current Mister International is Venezuela’s Jose Anmer Paredes.
In 2013, Philippine representative Gil Wagas placed 4th Runner-up in the competition.
If he wins, Neil Perez would become the first ever Mister International titleholder from the Philippines.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow are two of the biggest musical acts of the ’70s and ’80s. Since then, they have been (and perhaps continue to be) the defining artists of their genre that still deliver impressively creative output to this day.
Barely a year after the 2014 concert album “Back to Brooklyn,” Streisand’s latest, “Partners,” has her singing with everyone from the brightest to the legendary. The Brooklyn native revisits her own catalogue of hits (from her 1963 debut) as well as some choice covers for her 34th studio album. Stevie Wonder (“People”), Michael Bublé (“It Had To Be You”), Lionel Richie (“The Way We Were”), and Andrea Bocelli (“I Can Still See Your Face”) are just some of the names here to make you go ‘wow’ and more!
Younger listeners have Blake Shelton, who infuses country flavor to “I’d Want It To Be You”; John Legend evoking Streisand’s magic on “What Kind Of Fool”; and John Mayer, dishing off some B.B. King-esque guitar leads on the bluesy “Come Rain Or Shine.” The album also includes her exquisite duet with fellow N.Y. native Billy Joel on his 1977 song “New York State of Mind”; and a “duet” with Elvis Presley on “Love Me Tender.”
Manilow has a slightly different take on the ‘partner’ retrospective. Pulling off the seemingly impossible with “My Dream Duets,” he shares songs with legendary vocalists of our time: John Denver on “Sunshine On My Shoulder”; Andy Williams on “Moon River”; and young Frankie Lymon doo-wopping on “Goody Goody.”
The album goes from the emotional, with the late Whitney Houston on “I Believe In You And Me,” to charming with Sammy Davis, Jr. on “The Candyman” and Louis Armstrong on “What A Wonderful World.” Who knew resurrecting these singing greats would sound fresh and fun?
Michelle Obama in an AFP file photo and Bradley Cooper as U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in 'American Sniper'.
WASHINGTON | U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday defended Clint Eastwood’s hit film “American Sniper,” which has been accused of whitewashing the story of the Iraq war.
“While I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I’ve heard firsthand from military families over these past few years,” she said.
Obama was speaking at an event encouraging the entertainment industry to accurately portray the experiences of military veterans.
Describing “American Sniper” as a “complex, emotional depiction of a veteran and his family,” she said it reflected “those wrenching stories that I’ve heard — the complex journeys that our men and women in uniform endure.”
Critics on the left have slammed the record-breaking film and say the subject of the movie, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, deserves no hero treatment for his handiwork as a deadly sniper.
Obama said the movie also showed “the stresses of balancing love of family with a love of country. And the challenges of transitioning back home to their next mission in life.”
The film has so far made more than $200 million at the box office.
Michael V. and his illustration of a dying SAF commando which he posted on Instagram on Friday.
Michael V. used his little-known skills as an illustrator to pay his respects to the 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force who died in Mamasampano, Maguindanao on Sunday.
The comedian posted on Instagram a sketch of a mortally wounded SAF commando lying on the cornfield of Barangay Pidsandawon, viewing pictures of his family on his phone as he bled to his death.
“One of the heartbreaking stories I heard is about a fallen SAF who died viewing his family’s photos on his phone,” Michael V. said in the caption.
“Service. Honor. JUSTICE,” he added, ending his message with three hashtags: “#Salute #Fallen44 TruthforThe Fallen44.”
The post has received over 5,000 likes from the comedian’s followers as of Saturday morning.
Michael V. shares his artworks to his 179,000 Instagram followers from time to time. Two weeks ago, he paid tribute to Pope Francis with the fan art below.
TV5 has filed an official complaint against SkyCable with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for failing to air TV5’s signal for over two hours on December 13, 2014. There was also a period during this erratic airing when TV5 on SkyCable fluctuated and was interchanged with AksyonTV.
Media monitoring records from The Nielsen Company (Philippines), Inc. verified this incident in a report that said, “The TV Events team has confirmed that there was indeed a signal loss to TV5 on our Sky Cable recordings. Per standard procedure, our TV Events team used a backup recording using free-to-air sources to encode the missed airings. Total off-air time was from 14:10:20 to 16:47:55 or 2 hours, 37min and 35 seconds. This was monitored from our metro manila monitoring site.”
Furthermore, Nielsen reported that “there were 10 other free-to-air channels that we monitor that were affected by the loss of signal, but they were only off air by 7 minutes. These channels were NBN, 9TV, GNTV, ABS-CBN SPORTS+ACTION, RJTV, 9TV, IBC, ABS-CBN, GMA, and Aksyon TV.”
TV5 head of programming Dan de Padua stated, “On December 13, 2014, SkyCable failed to carry the TV5 signal for over two and a half hours, thus adversely affecting our channel viewership and depriving the public of an important news and entertainment source.”
TV5, through MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., a media conglomerate owned by the Beneficial Trust Fund of PLDT, is a sister company of Cignal Digital TV (Cignal), one of the country’s leading cable television providers. Cignal is the Philippine’s premier DTH satellite provider and, since its start in 2009, has been diligent in performing its functions under the guidelines set by the Cable Television Act of 2004.
InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5.
Michael Jackson. (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES | A California state appeals court on Friday denied Michael Jackson’s family its latest attempt to reverse a jury’s decision that cleared concert promoter AEG Live of negligence in the singer’s death.
The three-judge panel ruled that Jackson’s mother and children did not have standing for a new trial after their attorneys argued last week that AEG Live was liable for Jackson’s treatment, and that jury instructions were confusing and not wide enough in scope.
A Los Angeles jury in 2013 cleared privately held AEG Live, the organizer of Jackson’s ill-fated 50 “This Is It” comeback concerts in London, of negligently hiring cardiologist Conrad Murray as Jackson’s personal physician.
The sensational five-month trial offered a glimpse into Jackson’s private life and final days in which Murray administered surgical anesthetic propofol to the “Thriller” singer as a sleep aid.
The child star turned King of Pop, who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died in 2009 at age 50 in Los Angeles from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic.
The lawsuit against AEG Live was filed by Katherine Jackson, 84, and the singer’s three children.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that Murray was sufficiently qualified for the job he was hired to do as general practitioner.
Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for Jackson’s death and served half of his 4-year sentence in a Los Angeles prison.
Celebrity couple Regine Tolentino and Lander Vera-Perez opened "It's Showtime" on Friday with a slow dance to the tune of Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud."
KATY PERRY (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
American pop superstar Katy Perry is coming back to Manila this May as part of her latest worldwide tour.
In a 15-second video posted on Facebook, Katy herself announced the upcoming Manila leg of “The Prismatic World Tour,” with her concert to be held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
“Hello Manila, it’s Katy Perry. I’m so excited to announce that I’m going to include my world tour in Manila on May 7. I will see you soon,” she said.
The tour also includes stops in Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok, which she also announced via Twitter. After Asia, she takes her tour throughout Europe and South America.
Perry is known for hit songs such as “Teenage Dream,” “California Gurls,” “Firework,” “Last Friday Night,” “Roar” and “Dark Horse.”
Perry last performed in Manila in 2012 as part of her “California Dreams” tour.
Tickets go on sale starting Feb. 13 through TicketWorld Manila.
Ringo Star (AFP PHOTO / Files / ROBYN BECK)
NEW YORK, Jan 30, 2015 (AFP) – Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr is set for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but first he plans a new album and tour of the United States and Latin America.
The drummer for the Fab Four announced on Thursday the release of his 18th studio album, “Postcards from Paradise,” on March 31.
The release comes just before Starr, who is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles, is inducted in his own right at an April 18 ceremony in Cleveland.
Starr plans a one-month tour starting on February 13 in the southern US state of Louisiana, with about half the concerts taking place in Latin America.
Starr will play two dates each in Brazil and Mexico, as well as one show each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
The 74-year-old songwriter said he enjoyed past performances in Latin America.
“The audiences were just great and so loving, we can’t wait to go back,” he said.
Starr will be joined by his “All Starr Band” of other prominent musicians including Richard Page, who fronted the 1980s pop band Mr. Mister, former Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Gregg Bissonette, a drummer for heavy metal guitarists Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
Starr’s new album comes as the other surviving Beatle, Paul McCartney, is also productive, releasing surprise collaborations in recent weeks with rapper Kanye West and pop singer Rihanna.
Ariana Grande (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and John Legend have been added to the group of artists set to pay tribute to Stevie Wonder next month.
The Recording Academy announced Thursday that the Band Perry will also perform alongside Usher and Chris Martin at “Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life — An All-Star Grammy Salute” on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
Willie Nelson was originally part of lineup, but is no longer performing, the Recording Academy said.
The concert, to be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, will also include Ed Sheeran and Janelle Monae. It will take place two days after the 57th annual Grammy Awards.
The concert will air as a two-hour special on CBS on Feb. 16.
Hilary Duff (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — A Beverly Hills shop owner is getting some celebrity help in the search for her dog, which was seen on surveillance video apparently being snatched by a pregnant woman.
Actress Hilary Duff, a friend of Switch boutique owner Julia Cohen, took to social media this week to urge her followers to help locate the little white Maltese.
Duff tweeted: “Please help us find Charlie.”
The video aired by KABC-TV (http://bit.ly/1BzdEwj) showed a woman with a girl follow the dog on a sidewalk near the boutique, disappear around a corner, and then re-emerge with Charlie in her arms and walk away. Witnesses say she was pregnant.
Comedian George Lopez and singer Lance Bass also tweeted about the stolen dog.
A $2,000 reward is being offered for Charlie’s safe return.
Lil Wayne (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, FIle)
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Lil Wayne has had it with his record label. He’s suing Cash Money Records for $51 million after claiming that it stiffed him for $8 million on a record he delivered last month.
In the federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Grammy Award-winning performer asked a Manhattan judge to nullify contracts he has held with the company since November 1998.
Born in New Orleans as Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the 32-year-old rapper said in the lawsuit that his relationship with the label has been deteriorating over the last four years, with Cash Money failing to live up to contractual promises regarding monthly accounting statements and the timely payment of profits owed to Lil Wayne.
The lawsuit said the problems worsened since 2012 as Cash Money failed to pay Lil Wayne a 49 percent share of net income derived from the sale of solo recordings by rapper Drake for Lil Wayne’s partial ownership of the Young Money label, despite Drake’s rise as one of the best-selling recording artists in recent years. Nicki Minaj is also signed to the label.
It said Cash Money also is claiming millions of dollars in marketing expenses for the Young Money label even though it is required to obtain approval from Lil Wayne for expenses greater than $300,000. And it said the company is preventing artists recommended by Lil Wayne from being added to the Young Money label and is failing to pay third parties involved with the Young Money label, leading to lawsuits and additional costs.
A New York lawyer for Cash Money did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The label was co-founded by Lil Wayne’s mentor, Bryan “Birdman” Williams. A spokeswoman for Birdman and Cash Money did not return a message seeking comment.
A rapper since childhood, Lil Wayne released his first solo album, “Tha Block Is Hot,” in 1999. He lives in Florida now. The Young Money label is based in Miami.
The Cash Money website is promoting the upcoming release of the record Lil Wayne finished last month, “Tha Carter V,” one of the most anticipated records of the past year.
Lil Wayne said last year it was likely to be his last solo album. “Tha Carter IV,” released in 2011, sold nearly 1 million albums the first week of its release.
Justin Bieber (AP Photo/Zacharie Scheurer, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber has apologized for his bad behavior in a new video posted to Facebook.
The singer says in a 2-minute video posted early Thursday that his “arrogant and conceited” attitude over the last two years was just to cover up his true feelings. He said growing up in the industry is tough.
Bieber visited “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday and said he was “nervous” about the appearance. He said he didn’t know how people would react to him.
The 20-year-old was heavily booed at the Fashion Rocks event last year, and his recent Calvin Klein ad was ridiculed. His tumultuous behavior has ranged from a DUI arrest to egg-tossing vandalism to clashing with a paparazzo.
Bieber also said he wants people to know he has a caring side.
This image provided by Kia shows a portion of the company’s television ad featuring Pierce Brosnan, scheduled to run during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Kia)
NEW YORK (AP) — Along with puppies and babies, celebrities are a Super Bowl advertising staple. And this year is no exception.
Using stars is a surefire way to grab attention during advertising’s most competitive night, when a crowded field of 40-plus marketers vie for the attention of the more than 110 million viewers expected to tune in to the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Advertisers use celebrities to “help insure the success of their creative investment,” said Devra Prywes, vice president of marketing for research firm Unruly.
But it doesn’t always work. In order for an ad to go viral, it needs to connect emotionally or give the audience multiple reasons to share, Prywes said.
“A celebrity can’t save an ad that doesn’t do those things, but the right celebrity can help amplify it,” he said.
This year, advertisers are choosing quirkier celebrities and poking fun at bigger names. For instance, Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel make fun of their inability to understand the Internet in 1994 in a BMW ad. And character actors Steve Buscemi and Danny Trejo star in a Snickers spot.
Here’s a look how brands are using celebrities in this year’s Super Bowl ads.
Snickers “The Brady Bunch”
In keeping with its 5-year-old “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry,” campaign that shows hungry people resembling humorous celebrities, Snickers 30-second ad recreates the famous Brady Bunch episode in which the oldest daughter, Marcia, gets hit in the nose with a football. Florence Henderson and action movie “Machete” star Danny Trejo also make appearances.
Online: http://ift.tt/1BA3XgU
BMW “Newfangled Idea”
In order to promote its new all-electric BMW i3 in a 60-second spot, BMW enlisted former “Today” show hosts Couric and Gumbel to recreate a 1994 on-air conversation when they tried to figure out what the @ symbol in an email address meant. “Alison,” Couric says to an off camera producer in the 1994 clip, “can you explain what Internet is?” The ad flashes forward to today, when the duo are in a BMW’s i3 similarly confused. “Big ideas take a little getting used to,” copy states.
Online: http://ift.tt/1C772b7
Squarespace “Dreaming With Jeff”
The website publisher isn’t releasing its full 30-second spot until game time but a teaser ad shows a bearded “The Big Lebowski” actor Jeff Bridges recording relaxing sounds for an album called “Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes.” The company plans to sell the resulting tapes in cassette-tape and vinyl form and the tracks are free to stream online. Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena said the idea is that any idea can be presented via a Squarespace platform.
Online: dreamingwithjeff.com
T-Mobile “#KimsDataStash”
T-Mobile hired Kim Kardashian for a 30-second spoof on public service announcements. It pokes fun at Kardashian’s constant online presence. She makes a plea to save people’s unused data taken back by wireless carriers. She laments that the data could have been used to see Kardashian’s makeup, vacations and outfits. “Please help save the data,” she pleads. The ad promotes T-Mobile’s service that lets users keep their unused data for a year.
Online: http://ift.tt/1zRRnf3
Kia “The Perfect Getaway”
Kia’s ad spoofs Pierce Brosnan’s action-movie persona. In the ad, an agent describes a perfect part for Brosnan, who once played James Bond. Brosnan keeps expecting evil villains or explosions, but instead the agent describes a Kia ad in which Brosnan drives to a snowy cabin in a 2016 Sorento. The tagline is “The perfect getaway vehicle.”
Empress Schuck
Contrary to what many fans expect, actress Empress Schuck won’t spend this Valentine’s with Joseph Marco.
“Hindi naman kami ni Joseph pero naging kaibigan ko siya ng todo. MU (Mutual Understanding) ba ‘yun? Basta walang sabihan ng ‘I love you,’” she said.
Empress revealed the relationship didn’t prosper because she and Joseph are focusing on their careers. Little wonder that Valentine’s Day will find the lass at work. She was recently in Iloilo for the Kapuso Dinagyang Festival.
Empress and Joseph have been romantically linked since being paired in a previous soap. The rumors were heightened when they appeared at a high-profile function attended by stars.
Studies first
Prior to becoming a GMA talent, Empress went back to school, taking up a short course in Marketing Services at the Ateneo de Manila University.
“Halos two years akong walang show… ganu’n talaga ang buhay,” she said. “Sinisi ko din ‘yung sarili ko. Sabi ko ‘Ayaw ko nang mag-artista.’ Tao lang din naman ako, napagdadaanan ko din ‘yung ganoong bagay, mga down moments.”
Brightening up, Empress is overwhelmed with the attention GMA has been giving her. “Ang bait ng GMA sa akin. Warm ’yung pag-welcome nila so malaking tulong iyon,” she said.
Asked who among the current crop of Kapuso actors she wants to work with, Empress singled out Alden Richards, saying, “Nakikita ko na may potential siya. Maganda ’yung aura niya sa screen, mukhang mabait.”
More mature roles
Empress wants to tackle “different roles” this time in order to improve as actress.
“Pinakagusto kong masubukan ‘yung ginagawa ni Angelina Jolie. Mas maganda din kasi kung may maibibigay kang bago sa mga tao,” she said.
The actress wants to veer from her “cute and girly” image in an effort to snag more mature roles in the future.
“Kailangan ko din naman mag-grow bilang artista,” she said, adding that at 22 years old, she is even ready to do kissing scenes.
Empress is cast in drama series “Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali?” alongside Max Collins, Dion Ignacio, and Geoff Eigenmann. It starts airing Feb. 9 on GMA Afternoon Prime.
