Calvin's Hub » Movies and TV

The Amazing Race Philippines on 2012 speculations

Calvin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Being a huge fan of the best reality game show in the planet, I’m excited to learn that there will be a The Amazing Race Philippines coming our way soon. Here’s the teaser if you haven’t seen it yet.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BFK6_Mbv9g

Well nothing much we can get from the video itself except that it will come this year and TV5 gets the exclusive rights to produce and air it (way to go MVP!). I’m seeing PLDT, Smart, and Meralco brand placement all over the show.

When’s the audition?

TV5 left us hanging here. Give us more details please TV5.

So who’s going to host the show?

No info on this one yet but rumors are circulating that Aga Muhlach might be the one getting the gig. Frankly, I’m not excited to have him call the shots. Give us somebody relatively unknown. How about one of the TARA4 teams? There’s the Riches, Jess and Lani. Or what about Marc or Rovilson?

If this Wikipedia entry is to be believed? We might be looking at a trio of hosts which I honestly don’t think is a good idea. One is Joaquin Valdez, Miriam Quiambao’s co-host of 100% Pinoy. Then there’s Jed Montero, a former volleyball player from UP. Rounding up the trio is Fille Cainglet of the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles. Hmmm… Aga Muhlach is more believable.

Outside the country or within the country?

The TAR franchise was successful in other local adaptations, like Israel’s Race to the Million and The Amazing Race: China Rush, which is also hosted by TARA’s Allan Wu.

In Israel, the teams get to travel outside the country, but in China, they just went all-over the country which has a lot of far and interesting places anyway. I think for the Amazing Race Philippines, locations within the country will suffice but I wonder how TV5 will handle competing brands accidentally showing up in the background. Hehehe.

What about TARA5?

With this introduction of the Amazing Race Philippines, the future of TARA5 airing this year might be bleak. If you remember, TARA4 got pushed back to make way for the first Amazing Race Israel. We also have to consider that Allan Wu might be going back to host China Rush 3. I really do hope we get to see TARA5 this year since the first episode will take place here in the Philippines.

*Thanks for the tip Jerylle!

Reality game show inside a cab? It’s Cash Cab Asia

Calvin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:09:36 +0000

What would you do if you get inside a cab but instead of having an easy ride to your destination the driver told you that you’re a contestant on a game show? That’s whack!

Turns out there’s an upcoming show called Cash Cab Asia over at AXN that does just that. Cash Cab Asia is a reality game show conducted inside a cab to unsuspecting passengers. It is hosted by Sony Style’s Oli Pettigrew and produced by Michael McKay of The Amazing Race.

The game starts once the passenger gets into the Cash Cab, where Oli lays out the rules of the game. With special focus on general knowledge pertinent to the region, as well as pop culture, the questions increase in difficulty as they go along and every correct answer wins them instant cash. An incorrect answer means a strike, and contestants have up to three strikes before they are booted out of the cab, no matter where they are.

For those who need help, the contestants can use a “Mobile Shout-out” (by calling someone for help) and “Street Shout-Out” (just rolling down the window and asking a random stranger). The first four questions nets them US$50 each, with subsequent questions pegged at US$100 each.

Cash Cab Asia happens in Singapore and I doubt if it will be brought to the Philippines. Hahaha. People would think, is this a new holdup modus operandi? The host/driver would probably get maced at one point. And what about Street Shout Out? Ask the “takatak” boys for help?

I think this would be a fun/funny show. If you’re interested, check out the show starting on October 18, 2011 at 7:35pm only at AXN. Afterwards, it will air every Tuesday at 8:05pm.

Now speaking of Amazing Race, we want our Amazing Race Asia!

Damn you Prince Joffrey!

Calvin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:33:58 +0000

This may as well be a late post but I just finished watching Season 1 of Game of Thrones. Blame it on the busy schedule so I did a mini-marathon yesterday to finish the series.

At the end of it all (episode 9 at least), we really hate Prince Joffrey. I think you would too if you’ve finished the show. The sad thing is, you can’t do anything about it until they finish filming Season 2, or go read the second book. So here’s something I found in YouTube that could help ease that hate.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxLOXUGmRKI

Go Tyrion! You deserve to win the supporting actor at the Emmys for this hundred-hand slap to Prince Joffrey. Hahaha.

Here’s another video I found on YouTube of a girl’s reaction after watching that last scene of Episode 9. Don’t watch it if you don’t want to be spoiled.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNIyzN9eDz0

I bet you had the same reaction too huh?

No related posts.

The Avengers! Can’t wait for May 2012

Calvin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:01:36 +0000

Do you know who’s going to be on the Avengers movie slated to come out next year? I just saw Captain America and the Avengers teaser at the end of the credits and it brought out the inner fan boy in me. If you saw the movie, the ending was just the start of the teaser and it continues after the credits.

If you miss it, here’s a condensed version of the teaser released by Yahoo!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcDTuinqk2Q

I can’t find the complete teaser as was shown in the movies except for the leaked ones taken with a camcorder inside a cinema and Disney’s aggressively pulling them out of YouTube.

For those who are not comic fans or know much about the Avengers, this post’s for you. Think of it as a preview of the movie showing you some facts about the members of The Avengers.

Nick Fury

Well we’ve seen Samuel L Jackson as Nicky Fury in the two Iron Man films and also in Thor then Captain America so he was the first hint that these characters will be in the Avengers.

If you think Nick Fury is the leader of the Avengers, well he’s not. He’s the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. which is the good counterpart of HYDRA. (for those who’ve seen Cap America). And this is the Ultimate version of Nick Fury. The original Nick Fury is Caucasian and this version was actually created in the likeness of Mr. Jackson. And in that storyline, the team that he built were not the Avengers but were called the Ultimates (who also had the same members).

Captain America

Chris Evans is back as Captain America. This revelation was revealed as early as 2010 during Comic Con along with the next three characters.

The “First Avenger” title of Captain America is a misnomer. He’s not the first Avenger. In fact, he appeared 4 issues later when the team found him encased in ice. This was part of the introduction on the teaser by the way.

Iron Man and Thor

One of the first Avengers and nobody can play Iron Man, or should I say Tony Stark better than RDJ. Because of his vast resources, he’s the one financing the team, including the Avenger’s Mansion. Or maybe they will be using S.H.I.E.L.D’s base in this movie.

Not only is Thor one of the founding members of the Avengers, but he will probably play a central part in the movie. Loki is also part of the cast so I’m thinking the storyline is based on the 60s Avengers when Loki tricks the Hulk. Or then again, maybe it’s the story from The Ultimates comic book.

Hulk / Bruce Banner

Yep, the Hulk’s back but we’re not sure if he’s going to be a part of the Avengers or one of the problems the team has to deal with.

One thing’s for sure is that his alter-ego, Bruce Banner, is part of the Avengers and is played by Mark Ruffalo taking the reigns from Edward Norton. Hulk is still voiced by Lou Ferigno and I’m thinking Bruce will lose control of Hulk in the movie.

Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff

One of the lesser known Avenger but thanks to the hot Scarlett Johansson, people wants her back. We saw her first in Iron Man 2 as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent working for Nick Fury.

If you’re wondering what’s her special powers are, well there’s none really unless maintain a hot body is one. She’s just really good in combat. Because of her popularity after Iron Man 2, Marvel Studios is planning on giving her a solo film after The Avengers.

Hawkeye

If you’ve seen Thor, you would catch a glimpse of Hawkeye (during Thor’s fight with a guard in the rain). Jeremy Renner (SWAT, Hurt Locker) will be playing Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. And no, he doesn’t have any special powers. He’s just a really good marksman.

He’s not really a big character nor even part of the original Avengers. He’s just a staple of the team when he joined and if kids know him (and Black Widow), it’s because of the animated series. Expect him to have something going on with Black Widow.

There’s a lot more to the trailer than in the video above so I suggest you wait after the credits of Cap America to see the whole thing. I think a huge part of the movie will focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. who will be running whatever operation the Avengers are tasked.

Here’s an interesting trivia. Maria Hill will also probably play some role (if not major minutes) in the movie. She’s a S.H.I.E.L.D agent who in the comics replaced Nick Fury in the future of the organization. And guess who’s playing her? Cobie Smulders! Sounds familiar? Of course she is. She’s Robin Scherbatsky from HIMYM!

Lot’s of good stuff in 2012 for comic fans. The Dark Knight Rises, Amazing Spider-man, The Avengers and The Wolverine.

Watch out for Blush on So You Think You Can Dance

Calvin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:36:26 +0000

I’ve been following this Asian girl group Blush in the sidelines ever since I got to meet them a few months back. I found out that they just left for the US where they will be making a series of high profile appearances, including a showcase performance on top-rated TV show, ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ on July 21.

They also just just released their first music video, which is of their single Undivided, yesterday on Channel V. The song was co-written by hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, who also features on the track and appeared on the video. ‘Undivided’ is sung in English but concludes with the refrain sung in Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog and Hindi.

Blush highlights Asia’s diversity and talent. The five members represent China (Victoria Chan), India (Alisha Budhrani), Japan (Natsuko Danjo), Korea (Ji Hae Lee) and the Philippines (Angeli Flores).

UPDATE: Here’s their Undivided performance on SYTYCD.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRHPLa5EsUs

Here’s their single Undivided if you’re curious:

You can view an animated video of the song from their site BlushBand.com where you can also get to know the group more.

Personally, I prefer their self-titled single.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h26EePecV6k

Win Tickets to the Premiere of Harry Potter… in London

Calvin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:49:07 +0000

If you’re planning to score a a premiere ticket to Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2… in London. Yep, not in Makati, nor any SM Cinemas. The winner of this Microsoft-sponsored contest will get a 3D 2N accommodation in London to catch the latest installment of Harry Potter movie.

To join, participants must visit the contest webpage http://harrypotter.savesocialenergy.com/ and register with their name, age, contact number, country of residence and enter their Hotmail/MSN/Live e-mail address to receive an e-mail confirming the submission of their entries.

A task will be sent to the participant’s Hotmail/MSN/Live e-mail address, from which they must follow the steps instructed in the e-mail to complete a qualified entry by Sunday, July 10, 2011, for a chance to win a Harry Potter movie hamper or a 3D/2N trip to attend the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in London.

This contest is made possible by Microsoft, in partnership with Warner Studio Southeast Asia, to promote the new Windows Live.

Windows Live connects your Windows PC to the services individuals use every day.

Window Live Photo Gallery can be used to share photos with friends on SkyDrive, Flickr, SmugMug, Facebook, and more.
Videos can be created using Windows Live Movie Maker and instantly publish it to YouTube.
Stay in touch with friends on Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace using the new Windows Live Messenger – now with HD video.
Use Windows Live Writer to update your blog on WordPress.com, Blogger, TypePad, and many more blogging services.
Use Windows Live Mail to keep track of your email from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!, and more.

Now get going with the task. It’s pretty simple really. Watch the trailer and answer the corresponding question and e-mail it back. That’s just about it.

Introducing Pan-Asian girl group called Blush

Calvin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:21:26 +0000

I’m not much into posting music-related topics here but this one I find interesting after attending a media briefing introducing this new Pan-Asian girl group called Blush. But before I get into these girls, here’s a brief background…

Do you know what Project Lotus is? It’s a singing competition by Farwest Entertainment where they had girls from India, South Korea, China, Japan and Philippines audition to form this new pop girl group. It’s like those reality shows. Like America’s Next Top Pussycat Doll or something like that. Our very own Ms. Lea Salonga was even one of the judges in that competition.

Click image for a bigger view

Anyway, the winners of Project Lotus which was announced late last year now made up this new Pan-Asian girl group called Blush. I got to meet them last Wednesday at Dusit Thani where they were introduced to the media. They sang a few of their songs and answered some questions.

Get to know the girls of Blush

Natsuko of Japan

This is Natsuko from Japan. Her music style is hip-hop and has been dancing since she was a kid. I think she always gets to do the rap portion in some of their songs. For some reason, she really, really likes Lil Wayne and wants the group to do a collaboration with him. Hehehe.

Alisha of India

This is Alisha from India. Her music influence is Beyonce and like Natsuko, she’s also one of the better dancer in the group having been able be a back-up dancer for Coco Lee. She loves our mangoes by the way.

Angeli of Philippines

This is our very own Angeli Flores. All the girls are good singers but Angeli is one of the stronger singer in the group getting a lot of lead vocal roles in their songs. She is from Marikina and her musical influence is Alicia Keys. She even joined Pinoy Idol but only managed to reach the 11th spot but turned out to be better for her career.

Ji Hae of South Korea

Next is Ji Hae from South Korea. I think she’s the prettiest in the group with Angeli a close second. What’s interesting about Ji Hae is that she was a law student but wanted to live her dream so she secretly auditioned in Project Lotus. Now her family supports her entertainment career. She has one of the powerful voices in the group.

Victoria of China

Victoria is from China. She’s trained into musical theater arts and knows ballet, tap dance, ballroom, and is influenced by classical music like the Sound of Music. She also took part in the Torch Relay Song during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And she speaks really good English!

There you go. I recorded a video of their performance but the sound wasn’t captured well by my digicam. They have this song called “Undivided” where they included a phrase using each of their own language.

Project Lotus

Here’s another thing I’m interested about. I would like to see on TV how Project Lotus transpired and how the selections were made. In the teaser that they showed, I learned that there were 4 Filipinas who were sent to Hong Kong for the grueling process of training and selection. However, three got detained due to passport issues except for Angeli. Not sure what really happened though. There’s also this very, very good singer from Korea that didn’t make the cut. I wonder why.

Anyway, I talked to the producer and they said they’re still finalizing plans on when to air the show but it’s definitely going to be aired on TV. We’ll be watching out for that.

More photos of Blush

The Unang Hirit Experience

Calvin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:59:33 +0000

Last Thursday, I was asked to guest at the GMA’s morning news show Unang Hirit to talk about waterproof gadgets. Abe told me to get on TV as much as I could to use the mileage to promote Pinoy Tech Blog. Hahaha, so I agreed. Anyway, you probably didn’t see me grinning like an idiot because it was early in the morning. Whew.

It was hectic because they informed me on Wednesday morning and I had to produce the gadgets we will be talking about. Good thing being in the tech blogging scene gave me some contacts from popular consumer brands and they were willing to lend out units at a short notice. We got some waterproof cameras and waterproof casings and earphones.

I am not a morning person and there were a lot of things I learned about Unang Hirit.

The show starts at 6 AM and ends at 8:30 AM. That’s two and half hours!! I have to give it to the show’s mainstays and staff for doing it every single day.
Aside from the usual news, they also have segments and on-location shoots. Mine was a feature segment.
The feature segments are only decided the day before so the producer assigned for the day only have one whole day to make things happen for the live shoot the following morning. Talk about cramming.
The show is very casual. I would see Igan reading tabloids on the newsdesk off cam, Lyn and Pia talking about vacation deals and the crew goofing around inside the studio. Most of the gang were on location so there’s only Arnold, Pia, Lyn, Regine and Luanne in the studio.

I’m not used to waking up early. Good thing there was a service who picked me up at 5AM so I was able to catch some zzzz’s on the way to the studio. 30 minutes later I was at GMA studio and was briefed by the segment producer on how it will pan out. They gave me some guide questions that the host may or may not use.

We went inside the studio and I was introduced to Lyn Ching who will be doing the segment with me. While waiting for our cue, we ran down on things that we have to do like what gadget to dip inside the aquarium and how we will progress the discussion. It was short and easy actually. Lyn carried most of the conversation like a pro would while I just stood there nodding my head off. Hahaha.

There was this adlib question when Lyn wants me to confirm if all camera brands have their own waterproof camera. I stood there for like two seconds while I was thinking if I should consider those small brands. Anyway, it was taking me too long to think so I just said yes hoping that nobody watching would look for a waterproof camera from GE.

So how long did our segment last? 2 minutes! Hahaha. I just hanged out watching the rest of the show while waiting for my service to pick me up and it was a 2-hour ride going home due to heavy traffic.

Heh. Showbiz na ba ako ngayon? Sorry di ata pwedeng bumati sa show. Hahaha.

Balloon-powered house from Up made real

Calvin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:55:34 +0000

Have you seen Pixar’s animated flick Up? Nice movie right? Remember the floating house that’s powered by balloons? The folks over at National Geographic (not Mythbusters) tried to do the same thing, make a house float with the use of balloons.

Check it out!

This Up-inspired float house is powered by 300 8-foot colored weather balloons. The house measures 18’ tall on a 16’ x 16’ square area. The whole thing reached 10 stories high and reached an altitude of over 10,000 feet and flew for about an hour when launched from a private airfield outside Los Angeles.

National Geographic Channel is coming up with a new series called How Hard Can It Be? with this house from Up as one of its features.

Russel: I’ve never been in a floating house before.

Talked about 3D laptops on Pop Talk

Calvin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:18:29 +0000

3D laptops. Would you get one? Or is it just a novelty laptop reserved for those who have a lot of money to burn? There’s a new show in GMANewsTV (QTV) called Pop Talk where they compare all kinds of stuff from restos, gadgets, resorts, etc. and give a pop or a flop rating on them.

Hosted by Tonipet Gaba, it’s a pretty good concept because it will give viewers an idea on how a particular thing would fare against something on the same level. Like for example comparing three different waterproof cameras. Sounds good right?

I was asked to participate in one of the episodes where they compare 3D laptops. There’s me, a techie guy, an ordinary user and a gamer where we get to test these 3D laptops and give a verdict whether it’s a pop or a flop at the end of the show.

We taped this thing a few weeks back and I almost forgot about it. It was a comparison between 3D laptops from Acer, Toshiba and a NEO and we ran into some problem doing it right. We had no 3D movie to play nor a common 3D game installed in all laptops and since we were pressed for time, we had to make do with the demo videos and play whatever 3D game was installed.

Even with the perfect setup it’s really hard to compare 3D laptops to the general public especially on a 30-minute show. It’s difficult to explain between a passive and active shutter 3D glasses without boring people away. Anyway, with only a limited amount of testing we had to make do with our experiences which wasn’t really much to give an adequate review from a techie perspective. And there’s no middle ground. It’s either a pop or a flop which is a bit harsh if you can consider a lot of things.

The premise was good but the execution on this particular episode kinda fell short. One laptop had to back out because we couldn’t install a 3D game onto it. So it was only between two laptops. Anyway, I hope the editing was good and still be somewhat informative.

Do catch the Pop Talk tonight on GMANewsTV at 10PM. And if you’re wondering what 3D laptop I would recommend, it’s the Sony VAIO F.

For future episodes, I would like them to compare Wii, PS Move, and Xbox Kinect. We all know the answers on that one but it would still be a fun episode. Hmm, what else would make for a nice episode?

Humongous Warehouse Sale for PCs, Macs and Laptops