LOOK: Kathryn Bernardo slays in Wonder Woman costume

On #ASAPBidaKa, Kathryn Bernardo suprised viewers when she appeared on stage dressed up in a Wonder Woman costume during ASAP opening prod today, August 20, 2017.

And it was a wonderful surprise, a true delight. Kathryn slayed it. She rocked it! She was sexy, and Gal Gadot would be proud. (Photos by Kimi Yap and ABS-CBN)

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Birdshot Movie Review: Well Acted, Technically Well Crafted Film That Delves On Some Moral Issues

TO BE honest, we didn't like Mikhail Red's first movie, "Rekorder" (2013), a film about an alienated film pirate that was not able to fully articulate what it wanted to say. His second work, "Birdshot", is definitely a much better realized work, even technically. The film starts with a father, Diego (Ku Aquino), teaching his teenage daughter, Maya (Mary Joy Apostol), how to handle a gun and shoot properly.

They live in an isolated hut in the middle of cornfields in the mountains and Diego wants Maya to learn how to protect herself in case something happens to him. They live near a sanctuary for the Philippine eagle or haribon, a protected species. Later, Maya takes the gun into the sanctuary and shoots a haribon.

Some farmers are supposed to go to Manila to air their complaints and grievances about the hacienda where they live and work. They never get to the city and two small town cops are assigned to search for them, Mendoza (John Arcilla) and Domingo (Arnold Reyes.) Domingo is a neophyte cop and still idealistic, in contrast to the more jaded Mendoza. He lives with his wife (Elora Espano) and their first baby.


Domingo is very earnest in his desire to investigate the case of the missing farmers, but their boss (Dido de la Paz, who just won Cinemalaya best supporting actor award for "Respeto") orders them to forget that case and focus instead on the killing of the eagle. The cynical Mendoza quickly complies, but Domingo continues to be concerned about the missing farmers, until the safety of his family is threatened by some unknown and powerful forces who obviously want a coverup.

This angle in the film is apparently derived from the Ampatuan, Maguindanao Massacre in 2009 that still awaits justice up to now. Mikhail Red and his cousin co-writer, Rae Red, then combined this with the news story of a farmer arrested for killing a Philippine eagle which he doesn't know is an endangered species. Their film implies that, these days, the life of an eagle is much more important than that of oppressed humans whose murder are quickly covered up with impunity through corruption in high places.

The film is also a coming of age story for Maya, whose first menstrual period comes in the course of the narrative. The expected violence in the film's last few minutes involving Maya will no longer shock you because the film is really going to that direction with a series of bloody scenes starting with the brutal beating up of her father after he's arrested and imprisoned.

The film is well served by its lead actors, notably Arnold Reyes as the new cop whose values are quickly eroded after the frightening threats to his family and the disapproving stares he got from his commander and fellow cops. We can see the dilemma and confusion that he is going through with regard to the moral righteousness of what they're doing. This eventually erupts in an act of ruthless violence against the captive Diego. The film is not talky, so the actors are often required to register their thoughts and feelings through their eyes and facial expressions and not through lines of dialogue.

This may be Mary Joy Apostol's first movie but she manages to hold her own in the company of her more experienced co-actors. She invests her Maya with the right mixture of innocence, vulnerability and ferocity that it requires. Red injects some magic realism into his film as we see Maya seeing mysterious images like the scarecrow we see her carrying at the film's start. It's as if some spirits of the forests are watching over her as she goes through a very difficult rite of passage. The final scene when we finally discover what happened to the missing farmers will shock you.

Reyes and Apostol get splendid support from Arcilla, Aquino and de la Paz. Red has a mastery of film language and technical credits are mostly superb, including the production design, the cinematography showing the lush beauty of nature in earthy tones, the spare but very apt musical score. But at almost two hours, the film can surely stand some trimming to tighten the pacing, get rid of a lot of pauses that are not really pregnant, and hasten some dragging scenes that tend to just go on and on to induce you to slumber.
Read more @ Showbiz Portal

Jay Taruc's New Motorcycle Show, 'Ride Ph', Starts Airing This Sunday Night At 10 On GMA News TV Channel 11

THE INITIAL telecast of ace broadcaster Jay Taruc's new show, "Ride PH", a fitting follow up to his "Motorcycle Diaries" that ran for six years, will air tonight at 10 PM on GMA News TV Channel 11.

An advocate of safety in riding, "Ride PH" will promote moto-tourism with Jay showing us the most beautiful spots in our country as he rides his bike in such segments as "Bike Routes" and "Bike Stops".

He'll also feature Ryan Agoncillo and his Team Pinas adventure ride in Mt. Everest in the Himalayas, plus other bike riders and biking groups who will share their experiences in "Bike Tribes". It'll be very informative and very entertaining so don't miss it.
Read more @ Showbiz Portal

Janice De Belen Delighted To Be Part Of GMA-7's New Primetime Show, 'My Korean Jagiya', As She Is An Avid Fan Of All Things Korean

JANICE DE BELEN is a big and wild fangirl of Korean drama so she is delighted to be part of GMA-7's groundbreaking series, "My Korean Jagiya". "It was three years ago when I got hooked on Korean dramas and their culture after ma-interview ko si Lee Min Ho, na naging favorite ko pero napalitan siya ni Lee Soo Hyuk, at ngayon si Song Joong Ki na ang paborito ko kaya na-depressed ako nang malamang kong pakakasal na siya sa sa leading lady niya sa 'Descendants of the Sun' at maghapong mainit ang ulo ko noon," she says. "Seven times na akong nakapunta sa Korea and on my own, I'm even learning how to speak their language."

How come? "My aim kasi is to eventually be able to watch K-drama without relying on the subtitles anymore. I don't have scenes with the Korean actors in our show, but I told the lead actor Xander Lee to teach me how to speak Korean. Malala na, di ba? Yung mga anak ko nga, give up na sa'kin sa sobrang pagka-addict ko sa things Korean. Pero sabi ko sa kanila, ano ang mas gusto nyo, ito na lang na K addict ako o mag-boyfriend ako?"

So does she have a lovelife now? "Wala. Nine years na since huli akong makipag-date. Marami ngang inirereto sa'kin ang friends ko, pero tumatanggi ako. Parang nasanay na akong walang boyfriend. Sabi nga ni Chanda Romero, the world will know when you are ready to have a boyfriend. E, sa ngayon, parang hindi ko naman na kailangan. Ang sarap kaya noong nakakapunta ako kahit saan ko gusto nang wala nang pinagpapaalaman. Pero kung talagang may darating, kahit naman magtago ka pa, mahahanap ka pa rin niya. If it's your fate, it's your fate."

She's happy with her role in "My Korean Jagiya". "Auntie ako ni Heart Evangelista at lahi namin ang mga old maid, pati ang brother kong gay rito na si Ricky Davao, old maid na rin. Pero ako, nagkaasawa, kaya lang, bago pa kami nakapag-honeymoon, natigok na agad yung asawa ko kaya virgin pa rin ako. Masaya yung show kaya abangan nyo."

"My Korean Jagiya" will replace "I Heart Davao" starting this Monday night.
Read more @ Showbiz Portal