Unexciting Entries at 2009 MMFF

The promotions for this year's Film Fest entries are all over, and based on what I've seen so far, I think that this is an unexciting year for Tagalog film buffs.

Mano Po 6 - I heard that this film got an A grade from the CEB. I am not a Sharon fan and she's the only big star that is included in the cast. The story is not that exciting, I've seen it on many other films and TV dramas. I'm not going to watch this even on a pirated DVD copy.

I Love You Goodbye - If the story is not that exciting for Mano Po 6, I can't understand the story of this film at all, if there is any. The trailer is like an MTV of various scenes that tackle different peaks or plot points of the film. Sabog. I will not watch this either, but I'm going to search for Kim Chiu's scenes on YouTube.

Panday - Abiding parents would watch this to give in to their kids' request. Thank God, my niece doesn't like these kinds of films. She'll be afraid of the computer graphic effects done, especially on the antagonists. I'm afraid I don't want to see Bong Revilla on the big screen.

Ang Darling Kong Aswang - Based on the trailer, this New Moon-inspired film is actually funny. Among all entries, if I'd be given a pass to see only one film, I'd choose this.

Shake Rattle and Roll - I watched last year's version because of Kim Chiu, hehe! I'd say that it is really hard to thrill the audience just like what the first three sequels of this film were able to do back in the 80s and early 90s. Nope, I won't watch this entry, thank you very much.

Nobody, Nobody but Juan - Kudos to Dolphy for still being able to do films despite his age. By now, he should be given projects fit for a king and this is definitely not the right one.

Wapakman - Manny is good in boxing, but I'm not watching his fights. He is a bad actor, so why would I even care to watch this crap?

Happy Holidays!

Here's a nice site that can give you a good laugh this Christmas. Oh boy, I made them sing 12 Days of Christmas, and they did it perfectly, in a cute funny way haha! Enjoy!

I Hate Tayong Dalawa's Ending! Grrrr!

I am not that fond of watching TV, much less, local soap operas, but I do indulge every time Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson's tandem was part of the casts. I just love these two because if you have seen them since their stint on PBB, you will definitely admire the growth and improvement that they are both showcasing on their craft.

For nine months, I tuned in to Tayong Dalawa because of these two. The story started okay, it was able to highlight each and every character. This is why most of their characters have eventually become household names, the most popular being Lola Gets. The story started sagging down when they have decided to revolve everything on the character of Jake Cuenca, Dave. Everyone at the time would breathe, live and die all for Dave. That was also the time that I started avoiding the show.

I watched again after Dave let go of Audrey, Kim's character. This could have happened a bit earlier so that Audrey and JR could have explored their marital lives, and even include the common problems involved in this situation. But the creative team did not do that because like what happened on the last weeks of the show, when the focus of the story was turned to JR and Audrey, they could no longer find anything interesting plot for the Dave character. And it is very obvious that this cannot be allowed because Jake Cuenca is Jake Cuenca, hmmm, Ana Dizon wannabe? Hehe!

Tomorrow will be the last night for this soap, but I am no longer interested in seeing how it is going to be. I have a clear idea that whatever it is, it is going to be in favor of Jake. For me, the soap ended after Audrey delivered a baby and she was alive and they all lived happily ever after. It also ended after Paul shot Dave, and for me, Dave died on the spot and Ramon, who witnessed the incident, will bring his dead body to his family, will ask for their forgiveness and kill himself. Ramon's character is too bad that he really has to die.

During their promotions, they keep on saying that they will give us a very unforgettable ending. I thought that Santino would appear at the end to heal everyone. Haha! That would be a first in Philippine TV, a cross over of a popular character from May Bukas Pa to Tayong Dalawa.

It was very unfair to kill Audrey's character. She did nothing on the story but cry. When she was allowed to be happy, they have decided to kill her character. She was still crying up to her very last scene, on the video footage where she left her message for JR.

It is funny how many characters they had to kill in this story, from the two Stanley, Jr., David Garcia, Sr., Baron Geisler's character, Nico and the gang (hehe!), Mylene Dizon's character, Olivia, Greta, Mamita, Lola Gets and the unfortunate death of Audrey. Whatever happened to the supposed father of Ingrid? Did he die as well? How about Baby Robert? Now what is Baby Robert. "Tao ba 'to? Bagay? Lugar? Pangyayari?" The writers find it hard to make the boy integral to the story.

I was thinking of buying the DVDs, the start, then I'll skip the parts after Dave was rescued from the terrorists and maybe the last one, beginning at the time when JR and Audrey got married. But now, I would no longer do that because ABS CBN decided to favor the big bosses behind the soap instead of the voices of those who would love to see Audrey happy and alive.

They knew what people would say if they had done poll or text voting as to whose life would you rather save at the end, Dave or Audrey. Now don't ask why until now ABS CBN still trails behind GMA 7, even if the latter has nameless and only few talented actors. They play favorites and maybe the Kimerald fans are not part of the favorite list.

Oh well, maybe they could do ending number 2 to be shown on Your Song. Name it as, Tayong Dalawa: The Real Ending, where Audrey would be saved and Dave will die or simply lose his sanity or disappear together with Baby Robert.

I hope that they are already cooking up something for Kim and Gerald where they will be the central characters. This is only inevitable after the two had given their all for Tayong Dalawa. As for Jake, I am pretty sure that there are hoards of projects lined up on his silver plate already. If only Lola Gets wasn't killed in the story, they could do a spin off like a comedy series or a sitcom where Lola Gets will get the top billing.

Oh, too much rants and all I really want to say is GRRRRRRR!

A Couch Potato's Verdict on ABS CBN's New Shows - Katorse and Dahil May Isang Ikaw

The TV is still on but nobody's really watching. We're all doing our own different tasks and it seems like we're just waiting for the one great person who would turn the TV off. The TV session started during TV Patrol, then we watched May Bukas Pa and then we never fail to tune in to Tayong Dalawa. It is a good thing that they placed the latter on an earlier timeslot.

I tried watching Jericho Rosales' new soap on ABS CBN, Dahil May Isang Ikaw. The verdict – the actors and the concept itself are old. It is boring to watch. There is no more magic to the Echo-Kristine tandem. The show is wasting lots of good actors because they have chosen to give them roles that they have played many times during the span of their has-beens careers.

Through this soap, the network could have helped the involved actors in the series to boost their careers. But all of them needed something fresh, out of the box concept that will make people interested in tuning in to the show even if they are not die hard fans of these actors. Is it already too late to redeem the show? I don't think so. They can still try to twist the story in a way that it will not rely so much on any loveteam or any pakilig scenes because I don't think that Echo and Tin can still achieve what the Kimerald team-up does best.

As for Erich Gonzales' new show, Katorse, I think that they have chosen the wrong timeslot for it. The theme of this soap is not suitable to be watched by children who are still very much awake and even manipulate the remote control at such time. Here in the house, we no longer let anyone change the channels into either the Kapuso or Kapamilya channel before the news starts to air. Both stations are showing soap operas with too many kissing scenes and adult-related themes that will not fit to be viewed by minors.

I know, people will only insinuate that this is where the Parental Guidance notice should be placed into good use. But there are really the right time for young kids to know about adult-related matters and the right venue. They are watching TV at the time in the afternoon to get entertained. It may be easy to explain why Gu Jun Pyo is kissing Jan Di softly on the lips because of love. But how would you tell them why a 14-year-old girl (who looks 25) chooses to disobey her family and started making out to another teenager? Argh! This should be moved to a later timeslot. Oh, please.

Politics, Tsismis and Everything Else in Between

In my search for local showbiz tsismis, I found this picture.

The caption reads: Bitbit ang kanilang mga mangkok, matiyagang pumila ang mga batang ito para makakuha ng libreng pagkain na ipinamigay ng isang non-governmental organization (NGO) sa isang squatters area sa Tondo, Maynila kahapon. (AP)

This reminds me of the million-peso dinner that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her allies had during their most recent trip abroad. This also brought back memories when former President Joseph Estrada headlined all news with his extravagant way of life. As 2010 comes near, we should really be looking for people like Ninoy and Cory Aquino. They did not aim for luxury. All they wanted was to serve and help the Filipino people.

But that would be hard. There is something about power that makes people change drastically from saints into monsters. We may laugh at Senator Miriam Santiago at most times but at least she speaks what most of us have long been thinking about. The latest of her good speeches include the over-budgeted infomercials of those who seem to be planning to run for office next year. Even if these people do not have any intentions to run come 2010, they should not waste people's money in such venture.

Before they spend a single cent just so they can appear maganda and pogi onscreen, they should think about the children who still have to line up to every feeding program that will visit them to survive life. How many children could be fed by all the infomercials or even the campaign ads of those who are claiming to be the answer to poor people's every day dilemma?

As most people learn how to dance to the tunes of their sad and poor lives, politicians and other government appointees should stop dancing on TV to create a buzz about them or their projects. We do not need to know who they are. We want to see and benefit from what they have done and continue to do even without the glitz and glammor of the lights, cameras and their celebrity endorsers.

Star Cinema's In My Life - Something to Watch Out For

Wow, John Lloyd Cruz is the man! That was what I thought after seeing the full trailer of "In My Life" yesterday. He was so into his character. He was so gay - aaaw! Now this is the kind of film that has the makings of succeeding in the tilts. It was so natural. There seems to be no pretensions.

Unlike "And I Love You So," "In My Life" focused on the story so after seeing the trailer, you will know if you are going to watch it or not. "And I Love You So" tried convincing people that it was a good film by bombarding us with so many "too good to be true" dialogues and lines which were said by the characters in the film. As a moviegoer, I wouldn't be convinced to see the film just because Bea or Connie or Sam said the most cheesy line I have ever heard my entire life. They got so engrossed in looking for these lines that they forgot to market the film in a way that it would be appreciated by many, just like how "In My Life" is currently doing.

I haven't seen Bea's film and I don't have any plans. It did not offer anything new. Even Bea appeared to be old with the kind of story. We've seen same acting from Bea in her past films. They should have given her something different, like what they have let John Lloyd tackle in his new film.

But I may be wrong, maybe it clicked like what is being announced on ABS CBN shows lately. And even if it flopped, people would only attribute that to the fact that the movie wasn't shown on SM cinemas.

Another thing that makes "In My Life" a stand-out as compared with "And I Love You So" was the right pairing of John Lloyd and Ms. Vilma Santos. They owned the screen and the film that even if sometimes I get distracted by Luis Manzano's amateurish attack on his role, especially when he was crying to his mom (ampanget nya umiyak hehe!), I forget about him immediately after seeing scenes with both John Lloyd and Vilma.

The only thing that must be resolved right now is the conflict between SM and Star Cinema. They should act on it fast because they will both lose big time if "In My Life" will suffer from the same fate as "And I Love You So."

And I Love You So - Another Flop in the Making?

All those who think that the upcoming Star Cinema flick, And I Love You So, will become a hit, please raise your hands. This film is very important to Bea Alonzo's career. The first time she has tried to veer away with her team-up with John Lloyd, via Dream Boy with Piolo Pascual, it was a flop. This can be attributed to the fact that even they were big TV and film stars at the time, they did not have the magic and chemistry when paired up.

The other half of Bea (in TV and films), John Lloyd Cruz, was able to succeed even without his perennial love team. The John Lloyd and Sarah Geronimo team-up used the old kilig concept of love that opposites attract that made them Box Office King and Queen.

Now that Bea is once again trying to prove that she can make it without John Lloyd, I doubt that this film is the material for such goal. It would already be shown some time this month, but until now, I still can't get what the story is all about. What they are trying to market at this point is that Bea was bolder in this film, literally. I don't think that would help much to convince the female moviegoers that they should give this a try.

Sam, Sam, Bea is with Sam Milby in this film. I don't know about his fans, but I don't like his current appearance, especially his hair. He doesn't look tidy anymore. In terms of magic, Star Cinema could have tried to place Anne Curtis instead of Bea. The other leading man, Derek Ramsay, would not help much to the success of this film. The guy is plainly overexposed. He really has a good backer, er, manager, for him to land good roles both in TV and films even though he doesn't have as much following as his other contemporaries.

Star Cinema should really think hard about their lineup. After T2 did not do well in the tills, they've shown another horror flick, Villa Estrella. I suppose that the latter did not do any well in terms of earnings because I've never heard anything after it was shown. This was due to the fact that the actors of the said film are still not capable of making it big in films, because they also haven't proven their worth on TV either.

And now comes Bea's film, And I Love You So. Is this going to break the flop curse for Star Cinema? I think that Bea has enough following for the movie to earn some, but not as big as expected.

I just hope that Star Cinema would soon utilize actors that people want to see in films. Enough of Derek Ramsay and Jake Cuenca, please. And they should also be able to give memorable stories with unique plot points that will make people want to see the films after they have seen some snippets and teasers of these.

Pinoy Showbiz Quotes & Beauty Pageant Booboos

I got this from an e-mail & just wanna share some laughs! Enjoy =)

1) Alam mo ate Ludz, you know, when you are alone, you really have to step your foot...ah , forward!

MELANIE MARQUEZ ANSWERING ATE LUDS QUESTION: Paano ka nag-susurvive sa mga trials mo?
***

2) Ano kasi , she is, I mean she was, kasi past tense na nga pala...

SNOOKY ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE PANEL IN SEE-TRUE
***

3) Eddie Mercado: Of the three titles at stake, which would you want to win?

Finalist: I want to win the Bb. Pilipinas Universe because it would be an honor to represent the Philippines in the whole Universe!

BINIBINING PILIPINAS CIRCA 70's
***

4) So Joey, paki ulit muli yung concert mo sa University of Belt.
ALMA MORENO WRAPPING UP THE CONVERSATION WITH GUEST JOEY ALBERT IN HER NOW DEFUNCT SHOW RATED A.

***

5) Joey : Ano ang favorite movie mo, Tagalog o English?

Discorama Girl contestant: BOT!
Vic: So favorite mo talaga si Edgar Mortiz!
***

6) Joe Quirino: Sharon, are you familiar with the current problems we have in the film industry?

Sharon: Sorry, Tito Joe, I'm afraid not.

JQ: What about you Myra, what can you say?

Myra Manibog: Naku Tito Joe, I'm afraid also!
***

7) Joey de Leon: How are you?

Miss Gay Philippines contestant: How are you too!
***

8) Eddie Mercado: Angie Dickinson has insured her legs for a million dollar, would you also do the same?

Melanie Marquez: NO, of course no, because I am proud and contented with my long legged.

With this answer, she bagged the crown and eventually won the Miss International in 1978.
***

9) Joe Cantada : So Atoy, what are your prospects now, mukhang makakayanan kayo ng Toyota this coming semi-finals round...

Atoy Co : Well Joe, the ball is around!

(naghanap tuloy ng bola si Joe)
***

10) PBA anchor : So sino sa tingin mo Arnie ang may appeal sa iyong artista natin?

Arnie Tuadles (SLN): Si JEN siyempre!

Anchor: Sinong Jen?

Arnie T: Si JEN SABURIT.
***

11) SA GERMSPECIAL...DEBUT ni Janice de Belen!

Kuya Germs: Happy Birthday Janice. Ana, may sasabihin ka pa?

Ana Margarita Gonzales (sister ni Kring-Kring): Ilan taon ka na ngayon, Janice?
***

12) Tom Babauta guesting on Germspecial

Kuya Germs: Do you love Philippines?

Tom: Yes Kuya Germs.

Kuya Germs: Have you made love to a Filipina?
***

13) Lydia immediately after winning against PT Usha of India for the Century Dash in 1984 Asian Games.

Reporter: What happened Lydia, mukhang bumanat ka sa ending.

Lydia: Oo nga, mabilis siya, but you know, I ran and I fast!
***

14) New Year's presentation ng See True:
Ate Luds: O sige ano na ang inyong prediction para kay Stella Strada.
Madam Auring: Lalo siyang sisikat sa darating na taon at malalampasan niya ang kasikatan ni Alma Moreno!

Kinabukasan, HEADLINE: STELLA STRADA COMMITS SUICIDE!
***

15) Joey de Leon: Ano sa tingin mo ang katangian mo na iba sa mga kalaban mo?

Miss Gay Philippines Contestant: Unang-una, isa akong tunay na Babaeng Pilipina na handang maglingkod sa bayan. Alam ko na ang isang Gay na katulad ko ay maaring maging halimbawa sa lipunan. OO nga kami'y pinagtatawanan subalit may karapatan din naman kaming mabuhay para hindi lamang sa sarili kundi para sa mga taong aming mapaglilingkuran.

Joey: So Ano nga ang katangian iba sa iyo?

Contestant: Palangiti ako.

Vic: Kahit walang tao?
***

16) Isang panelist sa See-True: Paano mo nabibigyan buhay ang pag-bobold?

Coca Nicolas: Pinaiinum ako ni Tito Rey ng FONDADOR.
***

17) Joey de Leon: Ano ang masasabi mo sa katayuan ng mga katulad mo sa lipunan, sabi nila...blah, blah, blah...

Miss Gay Phil Contestant: (panay ang ngiti at halatang kinakabahan...)

Unang una Joey at Vic, Magandang tanghali sa inyong lahat. Pwedeng pakiulit yung tanong?
***

18) SUPER SI REYNA CONTEST
Emcee: Anong masasabi mo sa death penalty?
Contestant: A... ano po yun toot por toot, eye por eye.
Emcee: Paki-eksplika nga?
Contestant: Ganito po yun: kung pinatay mo ang nanay ko, dapat, patayin ko din ang nanay mo!
***

19) LITTLE MISS PHILIPPINES CONTEST

Emcee: Anong gusto mong maging paglaki mo?
Contestant: Maging lalaki po.
***

20) LITTLE MISS PHILIPPINES CONTEST

Emcee (to boy consort, inaalaska): Okay 'tong suot mo boy, a!
Boy consort: 'T&~G #NA MO!
***

21) MR. WORLD PHILIPPINES CONTEST

Emcee: What do you think should a man possess to be successful?
Contestant: I think, that for a man to be successful, he should be a responsible, because if he should not be a responsible, he will not have a successful. That is all. I thank you.
***

22) Eat Bulaga's husband and wife compatability contest (a la Newly Weds game show)

Host: Misis, ano ang nilalagay ni Mister sa kanyang itlog tuwing umaga?

Misis: Johnson's Baby Powder!

Nice Link!

This is an entertaining website. I was amazed, yey! Can't wait to show this to my 4-year old niece =) You may want to try it as well. Right click the link below and open it on a new window.

" ..::CIRCORIPOPOLO GOES AIRTISTIQUE::.. "

Pinoy Rosalinda Looks More Like Fedra

The Pinoy version of Rosalinda is about to start so the local boob tube is filled with the faces of newcomer, Carla Abellana who is going to play the title role, with Geoff Eigenmann as the chubby version of Fernando Jose.

In fairness to the two, they look so much alike, especially their eyes. They can pass as siblings. Carla has the potential to make it big, but this kind of role could become more successful if GMA 7 had chosen Heart Evangelista to play the lead. This could be her reunion project with Geoff and that would be something to look forward to because they had good chemistry with the soap that they had done with ABS CBN ages ago (hence I can no longer remember the title).

As for Carla, the main reason why I don't want her for this project is because she reminds me so much of the original Fedra, the one who played as the main antagonist on the Mexican version of this soap opera. Fedra was played by Mexican actress, Nora Salinas.

Here they are, Mexican actress Nora Salinas and Pinoy Rosalinda, Carla Abellana. Do you see the similarities or is it just me?

Michael Jackson, Dead or Alive?

I was about to blog about Farrah Faucet's death a while back but I fell asleep. The acclaimed actress succumbed to her long battle with cancer. When I woke up, I was surprised that Faucet was no longer headlining the news but instead, it says that Michael Jackson has died. He was 50 years old.

It seems weird and the reasons are still unclear regarding Jackson's death. I am not really a fan and I don't care about him at all, but I am still not buying this piece of news. Is he really dead or this is just an act, just like all the dramas he has presented to the public in the past? Well if he is, condolences to his family. If not, I take it back.

I know that this may sound rude for someone who was acclaimed in the entertainment field. But as much triumph Jackson has brought to all those who look up to him, these would still not erase that although he was not charged with anything, he had faced lawsuits and controversies that involved child molestation. There may be some people now who had chosen to forgive him because he had an abusive childhood. But this fact will not ever change what could be the long term effects of what he had done to the children who had cried foul.

Adam Lambert is Proud to be Gay

It should no longer be a surprise, actually. I think that everybody knew it, but then there were some who were still hoping that he'd turn out to be straight after all.

Adam Lambert, Kris Allen's runner-up on the most recent American Idol, announced that he is gay in style. You can read more about it on the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine.

Here is Adam, who is proud to be gay. And he has a blooming love life as well oooh. Adam's special friend is Drake LaBry. I think that this is the same guy seen at the kissing photos that came while Idol was still running. According to Perez Hilton, the guy was not introduced to them by Adam as his boyfriend, instead he said that Drake is, "My boy."

Awwwwww!

Getting Sick of All the Katrina-Hayden Hullabaloo

Before this blog could be mistaken as an official Kris Allen fansite, I ought to write about another topic even if I am still at a point where I can't believe that this season's Idol was through and that my bet actually won.

Filipinos are surely fed up by two people who are dominating local news, Katrina Halili and Hayden Kho. Now that most local politicians are also riding into the bandwagon, the situation has gone up to be a complete circus. For me, this issue should not have been treated as big as it seems to be because there are more problems in this country than a boldstar who was caught in the act by a sick pervert.

Okay, given the fact that other names, more respectable than Katrina's have been dragged in the issue, this could be settled on court and let Hayden suffer for his sickness and Katrina for her involvement in drugs, if ever that will be proven to be true.

It gives me chills whenever people say that Katrina is doing this to defend other women who have been into similar situations. She's like a representative of those who cannot speak for themselves and others say she is the new spokesperson for all women in general. I am a woman, but I refuse to be represented by someone like her. In the first place, it was her fault why she has been caught into this kind of dilemma. It is already bad that she was taped during an intimate scene, but to come out in public to get our sentiments, for me, was completely off.

Kudos to the other girl who is keeping her silence regarding the issue. She refuses to be seen in a media circus, complete with all the clowns at the Philippine Senate.

This is their problem, so spare the whole country from all the drama. And please, let us not vote for all the politicians who keep on involving themselves into this when there are still many unresolved and bigger issues that the country faces than this overblown issue.

I caught the evening news wherein the man, I think he is an ex-police official, Abner Afuang, who threw water on Hayden while the hearing at the senate was ongoing, was being interviewed. He said that he did that because he has seen the video and he is disgusted by how Hayden treated those girls that he had an affair with. So you have seen the videos, eh? You should also be disgusted of yourself then. Those videos will cease to exist as long as there are people like this ex-police official who are watching them. So shame on you.

Season Finale: Kris Allen's "No Boundaries"

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Season Finale: Last 5 Minutes

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Kris Allen Bags the American Idol Season 8 Title

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

That was truly a delight. It was a brilliant finals night on American Idol Season 8. I knew that it was going to be Kris Allen from the start. He has the charm and charisma. He doesn't need the approval of know-it-all judges like Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. The public hears what these judges don't. Kris sings from the heart and he has the ability to capture the ears of those who didn't even intend to listen (or am I exaggerating things because I am a fan? Haha!)

It was a tough journey for Kris, though. The judges were so obvious that they wanted Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert to belt it out on finals night. Even the song that Kara co-wrote to be awarded to the winner of the season sounded like it was tailor made for Adam. But Kris surpassed all that and now he proudly sits in the throne of the champions. Both Adam and Kris will make it big in the industry eventually. Kris will likely follow Carrie Underwood's footsteps and Adam, well, he can set his own style, more on a theatrical and more dramatic version of whatever genre he will choose to take.

Congratulations, Kris Allen! Here's hoping to a brighter future for you in the music biz.

Kris Allen is One Step Away to Winning the Idol Fame

As Simon Cowell said, it's going to be a ding dong night for next week's 2-part finale on American Idol Season 8 (whatever that means). Kris Allen deserves the spot more than Danny Gokey and as much as Adam Lambert. I think that people stopped voting for Danny after hearing his very infamous scream (and he'll always be remembered for it).

Kris and Adam are already headed for fame. With the right songs, these two can go on different paths on their career, Kris on a more mellow and pop tunes, and Adam on a theatrical rock (whoa!) type.

They are both deserving to win the title, but I still believe that it should be KRIS ALLEN FOR THE WIN =)

Kris Allen: "Apologize"

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Kris Allen: "Heartless"

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Kris Allen is Safe, Allison Got the Boot on American Idol 8

The good news on the eliminations night of the American Idol 8 is that Kris Allen is safe. But sadly, Allison Iraheta has to go. And another sad thing was that we did not hear Danny Gokey repeat his hilarious performance because he did not get the boot.

I was holding back my breath while reading at Rickey's who went home. I am so happy to be wrong this time. I really thought that Kris would go. I hope that next week, the judges will be fair on their comments. They have been very vocal about their bias for Adam Lambert and Danny to be on the finals.

Kris Allen for the win!

What Happens When Danny Gokey Tries to Scream like Adam Lambert?

I have seen the Top 4 Performance Night of the American Idol Season 8. But I was half asleep the whole time. I knew that Kris Allen would not shine on this one. The theme, which is Rock N Roll, is simply not his forte. And his performance gave out that he knew it as well. It was very obvious by the way he carried himself that night . He looks uncomfortable and he wasn't giving his best.

I lost all the zzz's after hearing Danny Gokey's last note on his song. It was like he was telling himself that he can belt like Adam Lambert and so he did. And the rest would forever erase his sob backstory on our minds and replace it with such hilarious moment. The judges were right, this deserves a Grade A for effort. If he hasn't been topping the iTunes download for his recorded songs, this song, specifically the last note, will surely be a favorite cellphone ringtone even for non-Gokey fans like me.

I hope that this won't be the end of the line for Kris. I can't watch tomorrow's live broadcast. I have a very bad feeling about Kris' fate and I really hope that I'm wrong.

Kris Allen for the win!

Matt Giraud, Out and Adam Lambert Landed on Bottom 2

First off, kudos to the rest of the contestants for giving us a good show on the Top 5 Performance Night on American Idol Season 8. Now, we're no longer being tortured with so-so type of singing. I really can't forget when Scott sang The Search is Over, it almost has broken my eardrums. Oh well, I have moved on after the search really became over for Scott and Lil and now Matt. I intentionally left Anoop out. I would want to see him reach the Top 5 spot to know what else he can give. I know that he won't survive the Rock and Roll week eventually.

The eliminations night caught me by surprise. All along, I thought that Adam Lambert is indispensable. I thought that we are only waiting who is going to be pitted against him on finals night. Maybe people got too irritated with the judges' blatant commendation of the guy that they did not vote for him like they used to. And Allison, instead, got the votes that prevented her from landing in the Bottom 3. She was so good on performance night. I agree with other people that Simon said that he thought that she'll be in danger this week to make the sympathy votes pour into her phone line. It worked, right?

I refuse to like Danny Gokey but he was also good last Tuesday. Adam was being set up to win the ball game. He always has nice stage lighting, position and Tuesday's grand entrance. But the guy is also superb. I told you, the show is getting better as it comes near its end. Among all the contestants, Matt deserves his fate. It was written all over his face Tuesday night. If Allison still doesn't pose the "I will win" kind of confidence, Matt's looks give the "I will definitely be the one to be booted out next" impression.

Anything is still possible to happen. Much as the judges would like to think that it will be an Adam-Danny finale, it can still be anybody's ballgame. Is it too much to ask if I would wish for an Allison-Kris finale? That would be awesome. I still hope that Kris will make it to the finals and eventually win. I wonder how he will fare on next week's theme, which is Rock and Roll. He should really give his best because this is the genre where Allison and mighty Adam excel.

I Refuse to Watch Tayong Dalawa

I am no longer watching Tayong Dalawa, sigh. I used to be an avid fan. The story was good, especially whenever Kim Chiu or Gerald Anderson is on screen. But now as the show progresses and it seems like the executives want to highlight Jake Cuenca as its main lead, I refuse to watch it.

I can't really take the sight of this former Kapuso star on screen. It was tolerable at first because the advertisements promised that this would be a Kim-Gerald-Jake soap. Right now, Gerald's character appears to be Jake's support. Kim's character was so stagnant, it is already irritating.

It will be better if Kim and Gerald will be taken out of this soap. Let's see how Jake would turn this to another flop like "Palos." The story is getting bigger and complicated, for Jake and some of the older casts. But Gerald and Kim are not being given what they rightly deserve. There are even days when they would be on screen for some minutes or even seconds, and the rest of the show would be dominated by Jake's over acting.

I think that the team-up of Gerald and Kim should not be treated as if Jake is a bigger star than these two. The publicists of Jake, the tandem of the equally hated tabloid columnists, Cristy Fermin and Alfie Lorenzo, are doing everything to ruin Gerald and Kim while pouring undeserved praises for their boy toy, Jake.

The second reason why I can no longer watch the show is because it is being pre-empted by the show of another former Kapuso actress that I hate seeing on screen, Angel Locsin. For the remake of Only You, ABS CBN management gave the show big budget and they even shot on location in Korea. Now that really makes me feel sad about the fate of Kim and Gerald's My Girl. The show was not as grand as Angel's Only You. But Kim got the attention of the public for being versatile and for being good in any genre given to her. Try to watch Angel's acting. She could be paired with Jake and the show should bear the title, "Over Acting Galore."

The management of ABS CBN should not blame the fans of Kim and Gerald for reacting violently about the news of a possible team-up of Gerald with Sarah Geronimo. They have not given the fans what they want to see from their favorite loveteam yet, a quality show where the two will be the leads and a quality movie far from the crappy launching material given to them.

And if ABS CBN really value their viewers, they will prioritize stars who started with them, whom most Kapamilya viewers would love to see often both on films and TV. If they will insist on bombarding the boob-tube with Jake Cuenca's irritating acting or Angel Locsin's trying hard acting(?), they will continuously lose their loyal viewers. It is not bad to be number 2. But when their morning show like Ruffa and Ai keeps being beaten by TV5's Bratz' reruns, it begins to feel shameful, ain't it?

American Idol Bids Adieu to Lil and Anoop (Instead of Matt!)

It was supposed to be Disco Night on Tuesday's Top 7 Performance Night on American Idol Season 8. But most contestants turned the arrangement of their songs to sound like ballad, so it would be easier to sing (I guess). The ones who stood out that night were, of course, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta.

For the elimination round a while back, Lil Rounds finally left the Idol stage. But it was Anoop Desai who got the boot instead of Matt Giraud, who, despite of good vocals, do not have what it takes to be a star. The bad news of the night was that Allison landed in the bottom 3 and she didn't deserve that.

Now here are the remaining finalists to compete for the rest of the season's episodes. It would have been nicer if it was Anoop who was included on the Top 5 rather than Matt.

A Wasted Save on American Idol Top 7 Elimination Round

The judges used the Save on this season's American Idol for Matt Giraud who will likely be eliminated next week together with Lil Rounds. I don't know what's up with the judges. Maybe they just want the remaining contestants to feel the pressure so that they would perform their best and stop giving us, the viewers, mediocrity.

This is how I want the next episodes to be. Matt and Lil are going to be booted out next week. The next one will be Anoop Desai. No matter how he tries, it will be hard to gain the kind of popularity he once enjoyed because he let his true colors show too early. As a star, you should not only be mindful of how you perform in public. You should also be seen as someone with good character, especially when people are still judging if they want you to be a star or not.

After Anoop, it's time to bid Danny Gokey's sad stories goodbye. He is charismatic and he seems nice. But compared to the remaining three, he appears to be amateurish while the three are on their way to sounding like professionals.

Allison will be the next to go after Danny. But this girl will be given opportunities even if she won't be able to bag the big prize.

In the end, it will be Adam versus Kris. Adam will scream and screech, change his looks and even come out in the open about his sexuality. Kris is simply going to be Kris, like he had always been from the start and he will eventually win the competition.

This is how I want things to happen for this season's Idol. But as for now, I still have to endure one more week with Matt and Lil. After they are gone, the show will be more exciting to watch. And I might have a change of heart of who goes first before Kris will be announced as the American Idol Season 8 champ.

Kris Allen for the Win and the Other Performances on American Idol Top 7

I'm listening now at the performances of the remaining 7 on the American Idol season 8 at Rickey's, of course. Allison, Anoop and Adam were okay. At this point of the competition, we ought to be amazed by their performances like how Adam did last week. But this feels strange, their performances aren't still giving out the star quality. They are still not able to convince us that their albums will be worth investing on or that we should pay to see them on a concert stage.

Matt Giraud had a "Beat It" moment. That was the worst song that Anoop will be remembered for. And Matt's Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman can cause him to lose the battle altogether. Well, I still haven't heard Lil Rounds.

Sorry Danny Gokey, you may have a good voice but I can't stand listening to the song that you chose. I am amazed though that someone still sings Diana Ross' Endless Love these days.

I am not familiar with the song Kris Allen chose. But wow, he gives me the chills. His performance could be included in a movie's OST and people will buy it. He definitely is the next Idol. I am dreading the next mp3 that I'd listen to. But well, for the heck of it, I want to know if Lil Rounds got to redeem herself this time. Um, I dozed off with the flats and was awaken when she tried to raise the very last note. Okay Matt, I think you are saved. Lil deserves to go home more than you do.

Hmm, my bets for the bottom 3 are Lil Rounds, Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai. I also love Anoop but I don't want to see Allison in that position. Lil will be booted out and Simon wouldn't want to give her a chance to impress them because there is no chance that the judges will save Lil.

Scott is Out of the American Idol 8 Ballgame

Before the next performance night begins, here was the result of last week's elimination round. The good news is that we no longer have to be tortured with Scott MacIntyre's non-singing prowess. He might be good in playing the piano, but quit trying too hard with the electric guitar, and his voice is bordering to that of William Hung. But of course, he is an inspiration for how he stood tough throughout his life despite his condition. But the stage apt for professional singers is not for him. Maybe he is not the kind of blind person that hides behind dark eyeglasses like Stevie Wonder. But he is no Stevie Wonder and I don't think that he can ever be.

As for Adam Lambert's performance that made Simon Cowell stood up and applaud for what he had done, I think that people were more amazed at how Cowell reacted than on Lambert's show. Well, it was good. It was the best performance of the night. The start was good. There was the heart, the artistry, the drama on the whole getup. But admit it, he almost choked on the latter part. During the recap of how everybody did that night, Adam's part which was supposed to cap it all off was cut and was made too short because it ruined the overall appeal of his performance.

The way I see it, Simon gave the standing ovation because they could no longer give their comments due to lack of time. But still, Adam remains to be a very strong contender because he is becoming better and better. But I'm still rooting for Kris Allen. As for this week, I want Lil Rounds to be booted out.

All My Most Hated TV Actors in One Kapamilya Show

Wow, ABS CBN really impressed me this time. I saw the write-ups at the very controversial PEP of the upcoming show about the pocketbook stories turned into TV series. I just can't believe that they have included all the stars that I hate seeing on TV in that show. This doesn't include Roxanne Guinoo, by the way, because she seems nice. I think that her showbiz career is being slowed down by her craziness when it comes to love.

The other casts of the show include ABS CBN's pet, Jake Cuenca. More actors deserve the kind of roles this one is getting. And the network is keeping him uber busy these days, with Tayong Dalawa, movie and this soon to be shown flop series. And the greater news is that Jake will be paired with Cristine Reyes. Again, there are many original Kapamilya stars who deserve the roles that she has been getting. This girl feels that she is already a big star. There was a time when she made an act ala-Heart Evangelista, by not accepting a role for an afternoon series because she wants her show to be on primetime. Who watched Eva Fonda? Raise your hands. Okay, one, two…

Valerie Concepcion, who likes this girl? Raise your hands. One… No more? Enough said.

And drum roll, Mariel Rodriguez. Well, at least this girl is no longer acting as if we are not aware that she is a bitch. She entered the PBB house as a sweet and bubbly girl. And she came out as herself, someone who hates the masses, loves to curse and loves talking about people behind their backs. I am beginning to like her actually because she is no longer pretending. She is naughty and sometimes bad, but she is no longer acting as if she's sweet.

So who is excited about this show? Raise your hands. Pssst (T2 mode). This is another suicidal move for ABS CBN. It would have been better if they casted the original PBB Season 1 housemates. This could be a reunion project and sort of thawing phase for their frozen careers.

Megan Joy Ended Her American Idol Journey

Good news, the three top performers last night, Kris, Adam and Danny were all safe. Bad news, and so were Scott, Matt and Lil. Ms. Caw-Caw was the one who eventually said goodbye after the following series of events.

• They were grouped into 3
  Group 1: Kris, Matt and Megan
  Group 2: Adam, Lil and Allison
  Group 3: Scott, Danny and Anoop
  
• For Group 1, Kris and Matt were safe. Megan Joy was part of the bottom 3.
  
• For Group 2, Lil was safe. Allison went into the bottom 3. Adam was safe.
  
• For Group 3, Danny and Scott were safe. Anoop was in the bottom 3.

• Goodbye, Megan Joy.

The Hits and Mistakes of ABS CBN's New and Existing Shows

Monday, March 30, ABS CBN introduced two new shows on its afternoon and primetime blocks. First up, Taiwanese drama, Hotshots, starring Jerry Yan, Show Lo and Wu Chun. Although the show can make you laugh once in a blue moon with Show Lo's antics that he has already shown with his other series, the pacing is too slow. I am not a basketball fan either, maybe it adds to the reason why I am only watching this to see more of Jerry Yan.

Pinoy Bingo Night, is boring. If not for Kris Aquino's too much effort to make the show lively, it will not do well even if they give out more prizes than its rival show. The concept itself is dragging. The rules and mechanics are very simple and predictable. There is nothing that the staff can do about it. They shouldn't have gotten this in the first place. You will only tend to watch it if you own a card and you are expecting to win, or if you are a fan of the celebrity player. There is no suspense element, like how it was with Deal or No Deal. It is boring. 1 Versus 100 will fare better than this one.

A quick note on May Bukas Pa. Yes, it is understandable that they want to stretch the story. But can't Santino be faced with situations and problems that normal children usually deal with? Why does he always get entangled with politics, broken families, poor economic condition of his locality, when in fact, he is just a child? My 4-year-old niece, who used to watch the show regularly, would now rather wrestle with me to use my PC to play the Bratz and Barbie online games.

End I Love Betty La Fea ASAP while I still regard Bea Alonzo and John Llyod Cruz with respect. The show is a trash. So it should be dumped immediately. And don't make this available on DVD. People are still waiting for the DVD release of Kim and Gerald's My Girl. It was a very good take on the original version and Kim Chui gave superior justice to the lead role. And I cannot say the same for ILBLF.

Speaking of Kim and Gerald, the story of Tayong Dalawa keeps on getting better. I am not a fan of Jake Cuenca so I am the saddest person on earth when they made it clear that his character is alive. But at least, I got to see him getting tortured like real. It was only during the time when he was able to act naturally, as if he was really scared.

As for Kim and Gerald, these two must be given a valuable movie project after this soap. Kim is very versatile but she excels in comedy. Gerald has proven in Tayong Dalawa that he can deliver quality drama performance. Such a good combination for something like Claudine-Rico starrer, Got to Believe or the Juday-Piolo hit, Till There Was You, or something even better.

The Three Top Performances on American Idol Top 9

Only three contestants gave their best efforts on American Idol's Top 9 performance night. Of course, Kris Allen showed another brilliant proof that he is bound to be the champion of this season with his rendition of Ain't No Sunshine. Danny Gokey poured his heart out on his take to the Rascal Flatts' hit, What Hurts the Most. And well, even if I still don't like him, Adam Lambert made the other guys and gals look amateurish by not only singing but performing, Play that Funky Music.

I am not that keen with the elimination later on. For sure, Kris, Danny and Adam will be safe. And whoever goes home from the remaining candidates deserve such fate for giving us, Idol viewers around the globe, such lousy take on "artistry."

Michael Sarver Bids American Idol Season 8 Goodbye

FINALLY!!!!! =)

And here is the order of the announcement of results:

• Adam Lambert - safe
• Matt Giraud - Bottom 3!
• Kris Allen - safe (weeeeee!)
• Lil Rounds - safe (really?)
• Michael Sarver - Bottom 3! (as expected)
• Allison Iraheta - safe
• Anoop Desai - safe
• Danny Gokey - safe
• Megan Joy - safe (lucky gal)
• Scott MacIntyre - Bottom 3! (weeeeee!)
• Scott MacIintyre - safe (awwwww =( )
• Matt Giraud - safe (he'd be saved by the judges anyway if he was the one left)
• Michael Sarver tried to sing to please the judges, but as expected, they had this realization of how come they even included this big (cute) guy on the Top 36!
• And finally, Michael Sarver is OUT!
  

Adam Lambert's New Look on the Idol's Top 10 Performance Night

It was a Motown Night for the Idol's Top 10 performance. OMG, who is that new Idol? Whhhat? You mean, this is actually Adam Lambert? Where did they hide him all along? This guy is set out to create some buzz. Oh boy, now I want to check out his video first before I dig into Kris Allen's. I am watching this as usual at Rickey's. Let's see how Mr. Twilight turned Taylor Hicks look-alike fared.

Adam Lambert chose Tracks of My Tears. The performance was okay, some people may even find something special in it, especially when Adam took pains at changing his look to stage this. But I am really not a fan. I don't like his voice. I cannot feel the kind of emotions that hooked me to Kris Allen.

Kris Allen chose the song How Sweet It Is. That was good. I think that this is enough to make him part of the finals.

On to Anoop Desai with Oooo Baby Baby. He has a good voice. This is the first time that I heard the song and I almost fell asleep. I'm still an Anoop fan. But sorry, I can't finish the song. It might take me to dreamland.

My next favorite, Alison Iraheta, sang Papa Was a Rolling Stone. Yey, as usual, she rocks. That was a good choice of song that highlighted once again her potential to be a rock star.

Danny Gokey has chosen the song Get Ready. The song doesn't fit his style that is why he sounded like he was only trying to finish and get it all done.

Megan Joy Corkrey sang For Once in My Life. The song was good, but why did she sing it the way she did? It was so hard to listen to it. Is she still sick? She sounds like it.

Matt Giraud sang Let's Get It On. He sounded good and he has already proven that he can do justice with just about any type of song. But still for me, he is lacking the X-factor that will make me want to buy his albums or check him out on paid concerts.

The piano, oh yeah, there was a man behind it, Scott McIntyre sang You Can't Hurry Love. It was a confused performance. The man doesn't know whether he wants to make it sound like a love song or a dance tune. As a result, it sounded like a dance tune that was too slow. It was boring. Next!

Michael Sarver sang Ain't Too Proud to Beg. I am not really expecting much from this performance. I bet that Sarver would be part of the bottom 3 for the rest of the season as long as he remains in the competition. He doesn't sound like a pro and it might be hard to teach him how to do so.

Lil Rounds chose the song Heatwave. Ouch, it is so hard to listen to with headphones on. This performance can really damage one's hearing. Bottom 3!

Aside from Lil Rounds, the two other spots for the bottom 3 based on performance belong to Scott McIntyre and a tough choice between Michael Sarver and Megan Joy.

(photo credits to Rickey.org)

Manny Pacquiao is a Big Business

Sadly, Manny Pacquiao himself doesn't know how to handle it on his own.

He shocked everybody last week when he appeared on ABS CBN to announce his decision to drop Solar Sports and GMA 7 and team up with the Kapamilya channel in airing his fights, including the one with Ricky Hatton on May 2.

Two of GMA 7's top executives as well as Solar Sports representatives immediately flew over to where the Pacman is training to see and talk things out with him. Maybe he saw it and he was talked to, because over the weekend, he is singing a different tune.

Now that Pacman has turned his back on ABS CBN, he has also made sure that he'd ruin the network's reputation by saying that what he said on TV was scripted and it was written by ABS CBN's lawyers. I am counting the days when he would retract such statement to say that it was also scripted and top executives of GMA 7 made him say those words.

He is a good boxer. I don't want to demean his intellectual capacity because I don't know the guy personally. What I see in him is someone who doesn't have pride, someone who doesn't know what integrity and loyalty mean.

He has gone up so high. He needs to be pulled back to remind him that he will not always be on top. He used to be hailed as someone who unites the Filipino people because of his intent to win on his fights. But now we're faced with the truth. For Manny, it's all about the money.

American Idol 8 Says Goodbye to Alexis Grace

It was okay with me that Alexis Grace got booted out from American Idol. I thought she had something. But I didn't see that since the real competition began. But Allison Iraheta being part of the bottom 3? C'mon, she's better than Lambert! And Mr. Goodie Looking Guy, Michael Sarver, got saved. And he had the same sentiments like I do after he learned he was safe. Sarver said, "I'm gonna cry like a frickin' baby."

Kris and Anoop Did Best on American Idol's Top 11 Performance Night

I wasn't able to watch the Top 11 performance yesterday. But I did catch how Kris Allen and Anoop Desai did over at Rickey's. And boy, they did great. I am sure that these two will go a long way on this competition. They will beat two of Paula Abdul's fave, Robert Downey look-alike, Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert. Danny is okay for me, sometimes he is astonishing and sometimes he's just being upstaged by Kris or Allen, haha! But I can't really take in Adam. He looks like a rock star and performs like a professional theater actor, a total confused package.

I am betting that either Michael Sarver or Lil Rounds will go home tonight. Whatever happens, I am happy and looking forward to more of Kris and Anoop up until the finals.

Sarah Geronimo Must Be Careful in Choosing Her Next Leading Man

With the success of A Very Special Love and its sequel, You Changed My Life, everybody seems to be in high spirits that a new Superstar was born. People are raving about Sarah Geronimo, how great she is and how she was able to achieve so much. Even Inquirer's entertainment columnist, Nestor Torre, weighed in on who is more deserving to sit on Sharon Cuneta's throne, should it be Sarah or KC Concepcion. But is Sarah the real reason why the said movies hit on the Box Office? I doubt it.

Personally, I went to see the first film because of John Lloyd. But I didn't get a chance to see the second one, although it's still on my plans. And yet again, I'll be watching it because of the male lead and the story. And I'll be interested to see the film even if it was Bea Alonzo playing the lead girl, or someone of Sarah's age like Kim Chiu.

I don't really have anything against Sarah. She is bubbly and she always seems to be happy. And that is what people love about her. She's fun to see. But that I think is not enough for people to see a movie just because she's in it.

There are talks that Viva and Star Cinema are planning to pair Sarah with Gerald Anderson. Now you don't want to touch something that is not broken, which is the Kimerald love team. How do these two companies think the fans would react? This is not the same case with the John Lloyd-Bea team-up. This pair has done lots of films and has graced many soap operas with the two of them as leads before they were paired off with anybody else.

As for Kim and Gerald fans, it is only normal that they will react violently about the issue of the latter being paired with Sarah. Yes, they have done a movie together, a launching movie that was like a music video stretched for more than an hour. It was a bad story, bad direction and a bad choice of launching material for a team-up that has a solid following. Now they are proving their worth by acting the best that they can give through the soap opera, Tayong Dalawa.

With TD's success, Star Cinema should be given a hint that it is high time to let this love team prove that they can do onscreen what they have achieved on TV. They should be given a good material and not a mediocre one like their first film. Their entry on the Manila Film Fest was also successful. It could have been more successful if only it was not of a horror genre and if Ms. Tadyang of the Kapuso network was not part of the trilogy.

Instead of thinking who should be paired with Sarah next, Star Cinema should focus more on who should they pair up with John Lloyd. Sarah may be popular, but she definitely is still not a Superstar. She has the makings to be one. But she still has a lot to prove and she has to do something with her voice. She no longer sounds as good as she used to when she was only starting (overexposure?).

As for the third installment of her team-up with John Lloyd, the creative team behind it should come up with something really unique but still fun. After that, Sarah should experiment on more serious roles, like how Sharon Cuneta did on Pasan Ko ang Daigdig. And she should be given a chance to shine without a known leading man. If she will be able to pull it off, then by all means, give her the crown and the title of being a genuine Superstar.

Jasmine and Jorge Eliminated on Idol 8

Wow, good riddance for the first elimination round of this season's Idol. A new twist was introduced as well. The judges can save one contestant whom the audience did not choose. But this will only happen one time throughout the season. So they really have to hold on to that power and use it if ever Kris or Anoop would be placed in such position! Haha!

Well anyway, goodbye and let's forget about these two –Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez.



And now we should all be looking forward to more powerful performances from the rest of the bunch (I hope).

I Fear for Anoop after the First Idol Top 13 Performance

Aw! I was only able to watch today's Top 13 Idol performance on Rickey's after the live feed.

I first clicked on Kris Allen's performance. He sang Remember the Time. I hope to forget his performance today. At this stage of the competition, you must focus more on singing than on pleasing the crowd, just so to make sure that you'll hit all the notes right. The use of guitar that served only as props didn't work either. But I am still hoping that you will be given the chance to show to the world that you can do better than that.

Anoop Desai sang Beat It. There, he sang that and let's forget about it. Gosh, what's happening with my two bets? They seemed to have gotten up at the wrong side of their beds. Or did they even get enough sleep at all? I am still not changing my bets, but I am really disappointed with them, hmp!

Danny Gokey sang PYT - Pretty Young Thing. He was so into it, I almost dropped Anoop from my faves and replace him with Danny. But really, it was a good performance.

Allison Iraheta chose Give In to Me. And she nailed it. It fits her voice as well as her personality. It sounded good, despite the too many HHH I heard on that performance. Hokay, Hh-I tHHHink tHHHat she'll make it through this round. She had her audience entertained.

Matt Giraud had a good choice of song. Human Nature fits his voice. It was okay. But I was bored. I don't know why. He lacks the X-factor to make it big. Let's see if his next performances, if ever he doesn't get eliminated, will prove me wrong.

Megan Joy Corkrey's performance of Rockin Robin was fun to watch because it looked like she was also having fun. But her usual pose and dance moves are starting to annoy me. It was a good decision that she finally held the mic and tried to move around the stage. She might as well resort to immediate choreography tips while she's still on the game.

Adam Lambert sang Black or White. He sounded like a pro. He actually sounded like the frontman of Aerosmith. There's no hint of nervousness. But I don't like him. Next!

Scott MacIntyre chose Keep the Faith. He has a nice voice. But the song is not a competition material. I got bored. And even Scott looked bored with what he was doing. Goodluck to him. I think he needs a lot of luck with such crappy performance.

I think that everybody knew that Alexis Grace could do what she had done with Dirty Diana. It was okay, but very predictable.

If only the competition is about who do you think looks the kindest among the bunch, Michael Sarver would win. I am not yet ready to hear anyone sing You Are Not Alone, but Jacko. It was boring. He needs to start working hard to remind people why is he part of the Top 13.

Lil Rounds did The Way You Make Me Feel. Why am I suddenly reminded of Fantasia? She's good but the performance is safe.

Jorge Nunez sang Never Can Say Goodbye and Jasmine Murray opted for I'll Be There. I don't think Jasmine is ready for this type of competition. Jorge is, but failed to impress even himself with his performance.

I don't want to guess who will be part of the bottom 3. I fear that Anoop would be included, aw!

A Promising Season 8 for the American Idol

If not for a client that made me write stuffs about American Idol Season 8, I wouldn't really be interested to follow the show. I am a big fan of the show since it started. I already have too many past-Idol favorites that I no longer want to add any more names on the list.

I love Carrie Underwood, pre and post Idol. She is one gem that will last in the industry if she continues to handle herself well. Bo Bice is unique and has a big talent. But he has to create good music that will have global appeal in order to advance with his seemingly quiet career. The list won't be complete without the recent two Davids, Archuleta and Cook, who both have won people's hearts around the globe.

This season already showed lots of drama. That is only expected with the emergence of Tatiana del Toro, the Saving All My Love for You diva. During the auditions, one woman came up in a bikini. She may have not gotten the judges' approval, but for sure, offers from men's magazines are lining up her door.

Out of the Top 36, one was immediately disqualified before the contestants were formally presented. Joanna Pacitti was replaced by Felicia Barton for the spot on the Top 36. Pacitti had a long list of achievement in terms of her professional music career. She was even able to release an album under Geffen Records. And aside from that, she was said to be once involved with someone who is an executive at 19 Entertainment, which was founded by Simon Fuller, the creator of the original Idol.

And so three rounds of eliminations were made and people had chosen their picks for what we all thought would be the Top 12. The first three who made it were Danny Gokey, Jeremy Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace. Of these three, Gokey had the saddest back story because his wife died seven months before he went into the Idol auditions. But regardless of such tragic detail, he seems to have the strongest potential among the three.

The second round paved the way for Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen to be part of the Top 12. Allison is also a strong candidate in this group. She is only 16, but she sang Alone with such heart and soul. But among the three, I am placing my bet on Kris Allen. I loved how he sang Man in the Mirror. I am looking forward to his next performances.

There were so many good performances on the third round. It was really hard to choose who would be part of the Top 12. All three who were selected deserved the spot. They were Lil Rounds, Scott McIntyre and Jorge Nunez.

After the top 9 spots were filled, it was the judges' time to choose the people whom they like to see on a Wildcard Round. It was an emotional night, because Tatiana was on it who belted her third rendition of Saving All My Love for You for this season's Idol. After it was announced that Jasmine Murray, Megan Joy Corkery and Matt Giraud will continue with their Idol quest, Simon shocked everyone by saying that they have decided to make it a Top 13 this season. And the 13th placer is Anoop Desai, my new favorite. Now I am torn between him and Kris.

Now that I know them all, I have got to continue with my addiction. And I can't help but wait along with the many spectators of the American Idol all around the world if it's going to be Kris or Anoop who is going to bag the grand prize this season. Haha! Seriously though, whoever wins the top spot eventually will surely be remarkable because the group is composed of talented and notable peeps. The people behind the show may have learned a lot from the batches where Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks came from. And now they are all set to create stars and not add to the mediocrity that the recording industry is already filled with.

Farewell to the Master Rapper

It was hard watching the usually jolly crew of the noontime show, Eat Bulaga, holding back their tears after the announcement was made that Francis Magalona, a former co-host of the show, has died.

But well, they made it through and it was announced that tomorrow's show will be a tribute to the Master Rapper. I wonder how this will affect tomorrow's reunion concert of the Eraserheads. Ely Buendia, its frontman, is a close friend of Francis and they have been collaborating on an album, the Sickos Project, which many fans are now awaiting its release. Francis used to update the status of the project on his Multiply site, where he also announced about his situation and asked for prayers from people.

To the family, friends and fans of the Master Rapper, condolences. And to Francis M., may you have a safe journey to our Father's home.

Annabelle Rama's Threats to GMA 7 that Most Kapamilyas are Dreading to Happen

I am not sure about what tactics GMA 7 has been implementing to develop and make their stars famous because obviously, most of their stars remain to be forgettable. This is aside from one, Richard Gutierrez, period. The fact is that GMA's lady exec, Wilma Galvante, is gaining juicier gossips that have been paving the way for people to remember her, but in a negative way. If only those gossips had been attributed to their nameless stars, they would get their chance to be put on a spotlight once and for all and be known to all those who watch TV, and not by a few who live in Mega Manila and happen to have the AGB meter installed on their antennas.

The Dingdong-Marian team-up is just hype. People love the shows that they've been featured on. But people would have same reaction no matter who were the actors playing the roles that these two had played. This can be proven by their flop movie. People won't bother to pay their hard earned money to see these two lousy acting on the big screen. And this is now a stronger claim due to the poor reception and low ratings that their current soap has been getting.

Before GMA 7 could work out what projects should they give these two in the future, they must first force Dingdong and Marian to undergo serious acting workshops. They are not getting any younger. And people have seen enough of their flesh, they are raring to see some serious acting from them (and well, from all GMA talents who were not previously managed by ABS CBN).

I really didn't care about the tirades being exchanged by Anabelle Rama and Wilma Galvante. That is until I heard in the news today that Rama is planning to pull out all her talents from GMA and move them all to ABS. Oh no, is this another Becky Aguila in the making? Until now, I can't force myself to watch Angel Locsin and Valerie Concepcion on TV. And with Rama's plans, and if ever ABS would agree with that, that will definitely be a disaster for most Kapamilya stars, especially those who are still waiting for projects. Most Kapamilya viewers wouldn't like it either. I don't know who this JC is and I don't have plans to know him either. Let him stay with GMA and soon enough, people will forget about him just like the other artists over at the Kapuso fence.

One important realization that came out during the peak of this Anabelle-Galvante word war is that Galvante said that Heart Evangelista was not the reason why Luna Mystica is getting good ratings (in Mega Manila). Galvante said that people love their fantasy series and they would watch it no matter who are included on the cast. In other words, people don't really care about their stars. Here is an excerpt from Ms. Rama's interview on PEP :::

"Parang nakakasakit na sinabi ni Wilma sa nanay ni Heart na kaya nag-number one
ang Luna Mystika dahil inaabangan ng masa ang fantaserye ng GMA. Sabi ng nanay,
'Ibig sabihin, yung pagod ni Heart na pagpapalit ng mukha dahil sa prosthetic,
na-hospital pa, hindi man lang nila na-appreciate? Wala man lang credits?' So,
matutuwa ka ba? Kaya ako nagwawala dahil sa mga alaga ko. Hindi ako nagwawala
dahil naiinis ako."

I don't really care about the people involved in this issue. I just want to express my concerns for ABS CBN who may later get the services of the stars that Ms. Rama is handling. That would be a very unwise move and for sure, most Kapamilyas are dreading for such event to transpire.

And the Oscar Goes To...

I haven't watched the Best Film yet, but now that it has bagged the gold, for sure, many people like me are going to be interested to look for a copy or catch it in theaters. Here are the other winners of this coveted prize. Thank God, Benjamin Button did not win the Best Picture award.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Animated Feature: Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
Best Animated Short Film: La Maison En Petits Cubes (Kunio Kato)
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Costume Design: The Duchess (Michael O'Connor)
Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Greg Cannom)
Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire (Anthony Dod Mantle)
Best Live Action Short Film: Toyland
Best Documentary Feature: Man On Wire
Best Documentary Short Film: Smile Pinki
Best Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Best Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire (Chris Dickens)
Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)
Best Original Song: "Jai Ho" (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japan)
Special Award: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis

The Perfect Homebased Job EVER!

I am not currently looking for a job, and I won't fit this one either hehe! So I'd like to share with you all this advertisement that was part of yesterday's Breaking News section of INQUIRER.net.

Think "hard" before you submit your applications. Be sure that you are ready for the further training that will be provided once you are chosen.

Here are the "juicy" details that really made my day! Kudos to whoever conceptualized the idea. I hope they get the winners interviewed on TV, weee! And about my own title, sorry if it is slightly misleading. The job can actually be done wherever you are hehe!

Wanted: Condom testers
By Thea AlbertoINQUIRER.netFirst Posted 17:50:00
02/04/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Are you married, have “strong knees”, and looking for a job? Try condom testing.

Durex condom is looking for 500 official condom testers in the Philippines. And all you need to do is try out Durex products for four weeks and comment online on their quality.

The first to accomplish the form and give the best answer to the question "What makes me the best Durex Condom Tester?" will win P50,000 cash, plus free products from Durex.

On it's website, Durex said applicants have to go to http://www.durex.com.ph/ and click on the portion that will lead them to durexcondomtester.com.ph where they can fill out a screener form.

“Chosen applicants will also be given a tester kit which contains a pack of each of the following Durex variants -- Love, Pleasuremax, Performa, Fetherlite, Tingle, Strawberry,” Durex said.

Tester kits will be sent to chosen applicants via courier, it said.
Candidates must be 21 to 35 years of age, married, and "experienced." Participants must also be "open to further training," have "strong knees," and "willing to work long hours."

So guys, wanna give it a try?

Why I Chose Benjamin Button Over Papa Piolo?

I was able to sit through 2 hours and 39 minutes and got to know all the characters and understood the complex story of Brad Pitt's Oscar-nominated film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The story is about a man who ages backwards. The story telling was unique. But if you want to watch it, you must make sure that you've eaten enough or you have snacks with you. It is longer than what I expected it to be.

At times, the story becomes dragging that leaves me thinking, why am I still holding on? Why am I still sitting and watching the film? True to the title, you will become curious as to how his life would end. It was so perfect. He did not even get himself into any big time accidents. And that was something that I find to be the movie's main flaw.

Again, the storytelling was great. It was full of emotions. It was human. This is mainly because of the path that Benjamin's life was leading to, the revelations to the daughter and the emotions of the lover who would later act as a mother to the father of her child. All the characters were given their own spotlights. You will know each of them to the core after finishing the film.

What makes this something to watch out for is the uniqueness of its story. But aside from the acting and the technical aspects of the film, I don't think that this one deserves an Oscar trophy. But for all the efforts that was made to make me understand everything about how it's like to grow young, the money that I spent to see this film was all worth it.

Love Me Again

As much as I want to show my support to Piolo Pascual for his latest movie project under Star Cinema, I can't convince myself to go see this film. I am a certified Piolo fan. But after watching the trailer over and over again at the Kapamilya network, it made two impressions to me. Piolo is handsome. Angel is beautiful.

The focus became more on how would they be able to utilize the locations, Bukidnon in the Philippines and Australia. They used a very used concept and story that has been shown and rehashed not only in films but on soap operas as well. It was obvious that Star Cinema just wanted to give Angel Locsin a project fast, before the former Kapuso talent regrets her decision of jumping over to the Kapamilya fence.

Having two beautiful leads is not enough for a moviegoer to see the film. I don't think that this is a success, no matter how the network may later try to argue such statement. What went wrong? Here are only some of my sentiments.

1. The concept of Lobo, the TV series where the Angel-Piolo tandem first teamed up was too complicated to be fleshed out on TV. This may be the reason why it did not also leave any positive impression to the TV viewing public, whereas, the concept of Love Me Again appears to be so thin to be even made into film.

2. The producers should have experimented more on Angel. She hasn't still proven her bankability in terms of films. And the team-up doesn't have enough following yet. So it was really a bold move to place the two on a very simple concept that would have earned more if it was Piolo and Judy Ann Santos on the screen. Such partnership has legions of fans that are willing to see their idols onscreen even for such a concept as this film.

3. It opened when some of the movies which were part of the Manila Film Fest last year were still showing. I would rather catch up watching Baler (although I did not hehe!), knowing beforehand that at least it won the Best Picture award, than to waste my money on a film that I knew from the teasers I really wouldn't like.

4. Instead of a love story, they could have casted the two on a heavy family drama feature, ala-Tanging Yaman, that people will be interested to watch and rave about even after it was shown. This is the kind of career move that Angel needs badly now, to create a good impression, that ABS CBN, nor Star Cinema have not given her the chance to do as of yet.

In these times when money is so hard to earn, movie producers must give people more than enough reasons to convince them that it will all be worth it to catch their films.

What ABS CBN Must Realize From the Success of Tayong Dalawa?

Now that ABS CBN has finally found a gem that caught a lot of people's attention, thus the consistent high ratings of the show, the network must learn from their past mistakes. Tayong Dalawa, the Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson starrer is a rich concept with a very good ensemble of the best character actors in Philippine showbiz. The story and its execution is a treat to the viewers.

I never thought that Gerald would be able to convince me that he is poor and that he grew up in Tondo. The young actor proved that learning how to speak in natural Tagalog is not that hard to do even for someone who grew up in the States. This is something that must be admired by the likes of Sam Milby and Martin Nievera, even though the latter seems to have no intention of doing so. Maybe he is still aspiring to achieve a Hollywood career.

I love Kim for the person I knew since PBB days. She is bubbly, hardworking and appears to be a very positive person. Her acting has also improved a lot as she lasts in the industry. The only thing that she must seriously put her heart into is in gaining more weight. We want our champ to be healthy despite the various tasking projects that she is being put into, right?

Kim was the right Jasmine for My Girl. She was so funny at the show. I hope that ABS CBN will soon release a DVD of the series because I am sure, many people are waiting to get hold of one. My Girl had everything right. But it would have been a bigger hit if it was transformed into film. Many TV viewers still knew very much about the story of the said series when it was aired, hence the lower outcome in terms of ratings.

And this is something that the creative bosses of ABS CBN must be very careful about. Do not fill the boob tube with remakes, especially hits like My Girl, that many people would prefer seeing the original version.

This is also true with I Love Betty La Fea. Yeah, the American version launched the career of America Ferrera. The concept was inspired by the original version, but the overall execution veered away from it. As for our TV version of Betty, it seemed to be following the original one at the start. They even copied the face of the Spanish Betty when she was still ugly. But the result became too forced. Bea Alonzo, as well as Vhong Navarro, looked like retards than ugly. Now they seem to be implementing a newer version by introducing unplanned casts, making the story go out of line. They should have done such move from the start. On a positive note, Jericho's appearance on the soap was strong. He could have been a better Armando. And ABS CBN could have used someone who really looks plain in real life, as Betty. They could have used someone from their roster of talents in their big freezer to launch her career as Betty.

But the good thing about I Love Betty La Fea is that it showed some hints that Bea is effective in lighter and slight comedic roles. The material hasn't given her enough scenes to prove the point. I hope that the remakes of Meteor Garden and Lovers in Paris will not push through. It is time to make our own hits. It is time to follow the lead of Tayong Dalawa. After seeing the tandem of Bea and John Lloyd in heavy drama roles, people would love seeing them on a light romantic comedy series that is an original concept.

My now 4-year-old niece watches TV and loves Kim Chiu. So she stays tuned all throughout Betty La Fea, watches Tayong Dalawa, and then we either turn off the TV or watch what the rival network is featuring. The reason for this is ABS CBN's bold move to include a bold series in its lineup. People are not yet ready for series like Eva Fonda. It is so 80s, story wise. And I don't know about the rating of Pinoy Fear Factor, but the show is so gross that it would have been better if they had shown it weekends on a late timeslot.

Another star that is capturing people's interests via Tayong Dalawa is Coco Martin. I have heard of the scandals that he has gotten himself into in the past. I don't know if that will affect his rise to stardom. But his role in the series is meaty and he definitely gives justice to such. He could have passed as the other David Garcia, Jr. People love Gerald. But much as the executives of ABS CBN hate to admit, Jake Cuenca will never be a big star as what they want to portray him to be. If they will insist on it, people will only hate the starlet all the more. There are other qualified stars of ABS CBN than this one. And if he will keep on getting the good roles, the rumor about him being linked to a gay executive of the network won't die.

I have seen the teaser of May Bukas Pa. This will also be something to look forward to if it will be placed on the primetime block. I know, I have watched the concept over and over again through time. But who can resist a cute child with a good story and hopefully good execution to back him up?

The still to-be-seen Judy Ann Santos' soap needs to be seen now, fast. When they thought about the concept, the boom of the nursing profession was the talk of the town. They have to air the soap before people lose interest at such idea.

There are still a lot of factors that the Kapamilya network needs to reconsider before it regains the number one spot in all aspects of the ratings war. It is a good thing though that they seem to be learning from their mistakes by giving us a masterpiece like Tayong Dalawa. The expectation for the next series to be aired next is high. So it better be good. And please show the Judy Ann soap for heaven's sake!