imademo aishiteru : a cute japinoy love story

Completely adapting to Pinoy Lifestyle remains a perennial yet worthwhile quest for pure Japanese singer AISAKU YOKOGAWA. Over the course of his career as a Tagalog singing Japanese artist, he has remained truly grateful for being well-accepted in the local music industry. Since the successful release of his debut album ‘IKAW PA RIN’ which features the auspicious title track popularized by Ted Ito, the Japanese singer has continuously been receiving various major awards and recognition as a recording artist, a performer and even as a host.

Now that his singing career has grown by leaps and bounds, there’s just no stopping Aisaku in conquering more unexplored territories. 2015 indeed opened a new door of opportunity for him to develop his talent not only in singing but in composing as well. This year, he was also given the chance to release an original song which helped finally establish himself in a totally unique genre – the Nihonggo-infused OPM genre. His digitally launched single ‘IMADEMO AISHITERU’ (Hanggang Ngayon Ikaw Ang Mahal Ko) likewise gained a considerable amount of airplay on Metro Manila’s pop radio stations. The song was composed/written by Aisaku’s friend and producer Robster Evangelista. IMADEMO AISHITERU is being heavily requested by Aisaku’s newly discovered fans – the chinky -eyed and Tagalog-speaking foreignoy.

Aisaku seemed to look very serious in his previous album packaging. Even his music videos before were all seriously themed. This is exactly the reason why he decided to somehow alter his image. In an attempt to communicate well with his fans and become more reachable to them, Aisaku injected humor in his latest music video IMADEMO AISHITERU. Only a few people know that Aisaku is a natural comedian. In the music video, Aisaku portrayed a plain looking chinito high school student, crazily and madly in love with his long time friend, a character portrayed by Gyan Murriel of Rouge Band. Although they are very much in love with each other, both of them are so caught up in a myriad of emotions that they find the situation too overwhelming for their young and vulnerable hearts. The concept of the video revolves around a 90s old school setting which was impeccably executed.

Aisaku is more than grateful to partner with one of today’s fastest rising young stars Gyan Murriel in the music video. What’s so special about the music video also is that Aisaku himself was the one who conceptualized and injected the cartoon animation through out the entire video. IMADEMO AISHITERU was recently premiered on MYX and MTV Pinoy channel. Fans can now request and vote for the video online. The video is available on Youtube at the same time where viewers have already started posting comments and ‘Likes’ for this newly introduced music genre.

A couple of weeks back, Aisaku surprised a crowd of five thousand in the previously held Handumanan concert in Quezon City Memorial Circle. Despite the fact that he performed in between rock bands, Aisaku still managed to impress the crowd with his unparalleled charm and wit. He was able to maintain the program’s momentum with his signature Voltes V number. Having won singing competitions, armed with professional training as a tenor, Aisaku can actually hold a note for almost a minute long- such stunt culminated his performance on stage, thus eliciting sonorous applause from the fastidious local crowd.

Among Aisaku’s accolades is an award that he recently received. He won the 2015 Asia Pacific Excellence and People’s Choice Awards for his innovative song ‘IMADEMO AISHITERU’. Aisaku is definitely off to a good start in 2015. His award-winning song will surely pave the way to more promising original compositions. Aisaku’s fans can also expect more interesting OPM covers translated to Japanese.

Fans can catch Aisaku live every friday at Misono Japanese Restaurant located in Jupiter street Makati City.

– c o m e t v –

SEAN PENN IN A BADASSS ACTION HERO ROLE IN “THE GUNMAN”

Veering away from formulaic action thrillers known to audiences worldwide, Sean Penn and director Pierre Morel (“Taken”) amps and reinvigorates the action genre in the upcoming badass movie “The Gunman.”

                  “The Gunman” apart from being helmed by Morel, known for launching the highly-acclaimed “Taken” franchise which made Liam Neeson a worldwide badass action hero, is also written by Peter Travis, Don McPherson and Sean Penn.

                  Penn takes on the role of Jim Terrier in “The Gunman,” an ex-special forces government contractor who is hailed as the best in his league but also bears a questionable past. Now working as a humanitarian with an NGO trying to make a better life and redeem himself. But Jim’s past soon catches up when associates from his past come back to hunt and kill him.

                  Based on the acclaimed French novel, “The Prone Gunman” written in the eightees by Jean-Patrick Manchette, the producers were attracted by the aura of action-focused film noir where men like Jim exist. “The book had the basics of a classic thriller and although the script brings the action up to date, there is grounding in reality. I’m not interested in Superman. I like to work with human beings, with their flaws. Terrier is real, and he has limitations,” notes director Morel.

                  About his lead actor, Morel says, “Often, action films lack deep thoughtful characters but Sean’s body of work is so interesting that casting him immediately makes the story more dense. Once actors of his stature decide to engage in this genre, like Liam Neeson in ‘Taken,’ they want to do things for themselves. They want to go all the way for the character, and I encourage this. I don’t think an audience can be fooled any more.   Sean trained for hours every day, from preproduction throughout the shoot, and that adds another layer of intensity to the role.”

                  Penn who has devoted time to humanitarian works especially in Haiti says that “The Gunman” is a very human story, “The territory that the story inhabits is a pretty high octane environment. You are taking someone coming out of the elite forces, basically a high performing athlete who has had a career full of hits, and putting him into another league to do it all again as a contractor, or mercenary, when he retires from the forces. What happens next is inherently interesting and can be very moving. I’ve met people like Jim, conflicted characters on the front line, and that informs the dialogue and the action. We have a whole new breed of war heroes who go on to continue in the same line of work, outside the forces,” shares Penn.

                  “The Gunman is full of things you’ve never seen before. I always like to do things that are fresh and original,” says producer Andrew Rona. “This has romance, and an action character pulled back into a world he has left. It is full of twists and turns. A good story, good characters, a strong movie star surrounded by an interesting cast, a good director, a talented crew and a great city,” concludes Rona of “The Gunman.”

                  Prepare for this year’s unique action movie to open this year when “The Gunman” opens March 18 in cinemas across the Phils. from OctoArts Films International.

– C O M E T V  –

ANNE HATHAWAY STARRER “SONG ONE” HELMED BY FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR KATE BARKER-FROYLAND

The music came before the images in the upcoming endearing romantic movie “Song One” starring Anne Hathaway directed by Kate Barker-Froyland who also worked as an assistant to the director in “Devil Wears Prada.”

                   “Song One” tells the story of how music connects and transforms people. Anne Hathaway brings a soulful characterization of Franny in the movie where she plays an anthropologist doing research in Morocco and returns to New York when her brother Henry (Ben Rosenfield), a young musician, suffers an accident that leaves him comatose. Being emotionally and geographically distant from Henry and their mom Karen (Mary Steenburgen), Franny finds herself reconnected to her family and begins to understand and appreciate the depth of her brother’s commitment to music. She eventually sought out the performers and venues that Henry loved, in the course of her quest, she meets James Forester (Johnny Flynn), Henry’s idol whose success and fame belie a shy and private man. Soon, a strong romantic connection sparks between Franny and James, set against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s modern-folk music scene.

                  “The way this film came to be is another such testament to music’s power,” says director Kate. “For years, I’ve wanted to capture the music that’s such a big part of the community fabric in my Brooklyn neighborhood and surroundings—Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick. As I wrote the script for “Song One,” I thought about shooting at the places where I like to listen to music. I wanted to portray what it’s like to go to shows, to be absorbed in the performances with a crowd around you. Of course, the landscape of the neighborhood has changed quite a bit since I began the script about five years ago. As places I loved closed down or were razed to accommodate new buildings, I would rewrite the script with new locations and newly-discovered venues.”

                  Making a movie about music creates its own backstage soundtrack, in parallel with the music the audience hears onscreen. To capture a vibrant music scene with genuine appreciation and authenticity, writer/director Kate Barker-Froyland and “Song One’s” tight-knit creative team immersed themselves in the modern urban folk and Indie music that serves as the romantic drama’s backdrop.

                  “It was folk camp, and so much fun,” says Hathaway who also produced the film, describing the collective love of music that informed the film’s development and production.   The movie’s making entailed countless hours spent sharing, swapping, and discovering great sounds, seeking out onscreen performers with serious musical and acting chops, finding the songwriters to weave characters into music and lyrics; and marathon shooting days filming live performers in their natural habitat at real-life New York City venues.

                  Barker-Froyland credits a lifetime of cinematic exploration and a love of international film for her sure sense of what she wants to achieve onscreen. “I’ve wanted to be a director since I was very young,” she says, citing such powerful directorial influences as the French New Wave, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, and Jonathan Demme himself as creative influences.

                  “Song One” will open in cinemas March 25 from Pioneer Films.

– C O M E T V –

2015’S MOST ANTICIPATED ACTION FRANCHISE “INSURGENT” RACES TO SCREENS THIS MARCH 18

Shailene Woodley starrer and Veronica Roth’s bestselling young adult book “The Divergent Series” is now on its second instalment on screens this March 18 when “Insurgent” opens in local cinemas nationwide.

                Woodley’s and the cast’s increased star power poises “Insurgent” to surpass its predecessor’s (“The Divergent” movie) feat at the box-office that earned a whopping $288.7 million globally.   In the latest instalment, “Insurgent,” after being exposed as Divergents—people who don’t fit neatly into one of the five societal classifications or “factions”—Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) find themselves on the run from Jeanine (Kate Winslet), the power-hungry leader of the Erudite faction. As the traitorous Dauntless troops under Jeanine’s command prowl the ruins of dystopian Chicago rounding up Divergents, Tris and Four traverse the city hoping to find allies among the Amity, Candor, Abnegation and Dauntless factions—as well as the rebellious and impoverished mass of Factionless. Although heartsick and guilt-ridden over the violent deaths of her family and friends, Tris tries to uncover the secret her parents sacrificed their lives to protect – the very secret that explains why Jeanine will stop at nothing to capture her. Desperate to avoid causing pain to any more of her loved ones, Tris faces her darkest fears in a series of near-impossible challenges as she seeks to unlock the truth about the past, and ultimately the future, of their world.

                Like Divergent, “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” is set in the ruins of a futuristic, walled Chicago where survivors are divided into five factions based on their abilities, temperaments and personal preferences. Members of the Abnegation faction are selfless, Amity are peaceful, Candor are honest, Dauntless are brave and Erudite are intelligent. Those who belong to no faction are known simply as Factionless.

                In the first film, Beatrice “Tris” Prior, who grew up as Abnegation, learns through a government-administered aptitude test that she is Divergent, meaning she has attributes of multiple factions. Because Divergents are independent thinkers who cannot be controlled by any faction, they are considered dangerous. Upon learning her traits put her at risk, she chooses to join Dauntless to conceal her Divergent identity. But as part of her rigorous training, she is forced to take part in hallucinatory simulations (SIMs) that reveal her unique abilities. She finds a much-needed ally—and eventually a love interest—in Tobias “Four” Eaton, a Dauntless instructor and expert fighter who is also revealed to be Divergent.

                In “Insurgent,” the stakes and the action are raised dramatically as Divergents are hunted throughout the city by Jeanine’s brutal militias and Tris and Four realize they must find a way to stop her.  “From the first pages of the book Insurgent, we knew that Veronica Roth must have been drinking rocket fuel when she wrote the story,” says producer Douglas Wick. “It starts with Tris being chased, and the action never lets up. We built the world in Divergent and now in Insurgent, we tear it up.”             For the filmmakers, that meant creating more eye-popping action scenes, many of which occur in the far more challenging and terrifying SIMs that Tris is forced to take part in as Jeanine seeks to unlock the secrets of the Divergents’ power. This mind-bending action is just one of the aspects of The Divergent Series: Insurgent that raises the bar and accelerates Tris’ exciting story that readers know and love.

                Opening ahead of its US release, “Insurgent” opens in the Philippines March 18 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.     

– C O  M E T V –

ENTER A NEW WORLD OF ANIMATION UNLIKE ANY BEFORE IN “DRAGON NEST: THE WARRIOR’S DAWN”

The long wait is over, the English version of the worldwide online game phenomenon “Dragon Nest” is about to be experienced in the upcoming first of a trilogy of animation in “Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn” this March 18. 

                  “Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn” is from Mili Pictures, the first major animated feature from China aimed at world audiences and marks a breakthrough for the Chinese animation industry and will entertain audiences all over the world at the same time that it opens a door for more Chinese animated features soon to come. The picture garnered rave reviews during its Chinese release in July 2014 and established Mili as the leading player in Chinese animation.

                  A thrilling adventure story in the style of “Lord of the Rings”, “Dragon Nest” spins the tale of the young teen Lambert, who joins a group of experienced dragon fighters to face the fearsome Black Dragon, which is menacing the land of Altera. Humans and Elves must overcome mutual distrust to battle the dragon and its huge force of frightening beasts.

                  In the land of Altera, Humans and Elves, who have battled in decades past, maintain an uneasy peace, living in their separate territories. The mysterious and traitorous elf, Elena, tells of the Black Dragon, which is in hibernation in the Dark Mountains and beginning to stir; the beast forces – a huge army of fearsome beasts, loyal to the Black Dragon – are attacking human territories.

                  The Elf Princess Nerwin and her able guard Liya head for the human capital of Saint’s Haven, hoping to convince the human King to ally with the elves to fight the dragon and its armies.

                   Meanwhile, outside the human village of Carderock, the young boy Lambert encounters a phalanx of attacking beasts. He manages to warn his village of the coming attack, but escapes a group of attacking beasts only because he is saved at the last moment by the mercenary Varnak. Varnak pulls Lambert up to his flying ship – in Altera “sailing” ships are able to fly in the air – where Lambert meets Varnak’s fellow fighters, Gerrant and his sister Argenta. They take him to Saint’s Haven, where the King is skeptical of the need to risk his forces to fight the beasts.

                  While based on the online game “Dragon Nest” – with 100 million registered users in China and fanatical fans all over the world – the movie also represents a new era in Chinese filmmaking. Mili has the specific goal of reaching worldwide audiences with movies that display the dazzling talent of Chinese artists, but which tell stories that are fully international in subject matter. The Chinese and English versions of “Dragon Nest” were thus planned and made simultaneously, and the worldwide release shortly follows the Chinese release.

                   And now, soon in Philippine theaters from Axinite Digicinema, “Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn” will open nationwide on March 18 (in 3D and 2D).

-C O M  E T V –

1:43 boy band shares a good laugh in “Tara Na” music video

POPULAR boy band 1:43 shares its brand of Filipino music and humor in the official music video of the upbeat summer song “Tara Na.”

With over 55,000 views on Facebook in just a week, “Tara Na” is a product of creative collaboration between 1:43 members Anjo Resureccion, Gold Aquino, Yuki Sakamoto, and Yheen Valero, composer Urie Tesorio, arranger Jonathan Ong of SonicState Studio and director Miguel Tanchanco.

Influential blog ManilaCoconuts described “Tara Na” as a “catchy song” that “has an accompanying video that is very Pinoy and very now—with all the hashtags… humor is injected everywhere.”

The music video validates the boy band’s status as an emerging powerhouse in Original Pilipino Music (OPM), adds the blog.

“The Philippines doesn’t have a lot of boy bands, but there is one turning out to be standing the test of time: a boyband called 1:43. Sure, they haven’t been around for like a decade or so, but with the way things are going – lineup changes, improving sound, better bods – it looks like they’re on the right track,” writes ManilaCoconuts.

The music video features Youtube sensation Mikey Bustos and Becky Nights star Margaux Medina as well as interesting characters that one can encounter when riding the iconic Philippine jeepney. Its production is sponsored by socialized housing brand BellaVita Land Corp..

Last January, the group together with their founder and manager Chris Cahilig signed a co-management contract with Viva Artists Agency (VAA) owned by Vic Del Rosario. The strategic move hopes to fulfill 1:43’s long-term plan to become television and movie stars aside from being pop idols.

 “Our latest music video aims to showcase the distinct Filipino humor that often juxtaposes to our music. We would like to capture the funny side of riding the jeepney that most of us experience everyday,” explains 1:43 spokesman Anjo.

1:43 popularized “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo,” the monster hit song that won the 2013 PMPC Star Award for Music “Song of the Year” and the “Most Promising Performing and Recording Group” in the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation’s 45^th Box-Office Entertainment Awards. They are also behind hit songs “Ang Saya-Saya” which became the official theme song of GMA 7’s sitcom “Ismol Family” and the Youtube hit “Hayop Sa Ganda.”

1:43 is supported by BellaVita Land Corp., McJim Classic Leather, and Level Up! Interested parties may book 1:43 by sending an inquiry at chriscahilig@gmail.com or by visiting the 1:43 Fan Page on Facebook.

– C O ME T V – 

Three Reasons to Watch Unfinished Business

“Comedy is Universal” as to what Tom Wilkinson a.k.a Timothy McWinters (in the movie) said in one of the interview he did for the movie “Unfinished Business”.

Watching “Unfinished Business” really gives us a good laugh; comedy is really universal and it appeal to different audiences all over the world.

Unfinished Business” stars Vince Vaugh, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller and James Marsden, the movie revolves around the story Vaughn (Dan Trunkman) who refuses to give up no matter where his journey takes him.

But I’m not really going to talk about here the synopsis of the movie hence I would like to give you three reasons why you should watch this movie.

Here are three reasons’ why you should watch Unfinished Business

1. Entertaining – from start to finish the movie never fails to give us a good laugh. And what makes it very effective is because the movie tells about real issues and the humor comes alogn the way. Dave Franco (Mike Pancake) did very well in the movie. Get to know more of Mike Pancake. 
2. Determination – Even with small hopes, Vaugh (Dan Trunkman) still manages to pursue and continues what he started. Adding to that is the responsibility he got not just by being the head of the family but also as the leader of his new company.
3. Fatherhood – And speaking of being the head of the Family, the movie gives us that effort most fathers do to balance work and family. Being a father is a lifetime responsibility and whatever comes in life, a father should always remember that there’s a family waiting for him to go home.

It was a worthwhile movie to watch, funny yet inspiring as well. It doesn’t have that kind of flair or effects like superhero movies and the likes. It’s simple yet satisfying plus it gives values one can learn after watching it.

Thou, from start to finished I was asking what kind of business area they up to? Maybe I just missed that part. But nevertheless its actually just a very minimal detail.

 8 comets out of 10

“Unfinished Business” will open March 5 in cinemas nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

– C O M E T V –

BRADLEY COOPER AND EMMA STONE IN “ALOHA”

In “Aloha,” a celebrated military contractor (Bradley Cooper) returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love (Rachel McAdams) while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog (Emma Stone) assigned to him.

From Academy Award®-winner Cameron Crowe, the writer-director behind such films as “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous,” “Aloha” also stars Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, and Alec Baldwin.

“Aloha” will open in the Phils. this June 3 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

First trailer release here:

– C O M E T V – 

BATTLING INNER MONSTER IN “WOLFCOP”

Small town cop Lou Garou hasn’t taken his job seriously in years. He drinks too much and when bad things happen he looks the other way.

One night, acting out of character, Lou follows up on a disturbance call in a remote area, but shortly after he arrives on the scene, he blacks out.  When he wakes up, he can’t remember anything, his senses are heightened, he has odd markings on his body and his hair is growing at a rapid rate.  That night, Lou’s transformation from man into rage-fuelled werewolf takes shape.

 

During the day, Lou struggles to remain in control, both of his drinking, his newfound powers and the dangerous situations all around him. In an attempt to uncover the truth, he enlists the help of the town’s local eccentric Willie, who seems to know a lot about the werewolf’s curse. Together the two work to try and uncover the mystery of who did this to Lou and for what dark reasons.  The only question is will Lou be able to make things right before his inner monster takes control again?

 

From Crystalsky Multimedia, “Wolfcop” is now showing in the following cinemas:  SM North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Marikina, SM Megamall, SM Manila, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Clark, SM Bacoor, SM Cebu, SM Iloilo, Remar Cubao, Cinerama Recto, Gateway Cineplex, Promenade, Sta. Lucia, Gaisano Davao, Gaisano Toril and Fisher Mall.

– C O M E T V –

BIRDMAN – RETURNS IN PHILIPPINE CINEMAS this MARCH 4

Academy Award Winner for Best Picture “Birdman” return engagement in Philippine Cinemas starting March 4. “Birdman” also won the Best Director Award (Alejandro G. Iñárritu), Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) and Best Original Screenplay Award (by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo).

 The widely acclaimed and celebrated “Birdman,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s black comedy features Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) hopes that by spearheading an ambitious new Broadway play he will, among other things, revive his moribund career. In many ways, it is a deeply foolhardy move – but the former cinema superhero has high hopes that this creative gambit will legitimize him as an artist and prove to everyone – and himself – that he is not just a Hollywood has-been.

With the play’s opening night looming, Riggan’s lead actor is injured by a freak accident during rehearsals and needs to be replaced quickly. At the suggestion of lead actress Lesley (Naomi Watts) and the urging of his best friend and producer Jake (Zach Galifianakis), Riggan reluctantly hires Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) – a loose cannon who is guaranteed to sell tickets and get the play a rave review. As he preps for the stage debut, he must deal with his girlfriend and co-star Laura (Andrea Riseborough), his fresh-from-rehab daughter and personal assistant Sam (Emma Stone), as well as his ex-wife Sylvia (Amy Ryan), who appears every so often to check-in with the intent to stabilize things.

From 20^th Century Fox to be “Birdman” will return to the big screen at the following cinemas: Robinson’s Ermita, Robinson’s Galleria, Metro East, Gateway, Powerplant and Greenhills.   Follow 20^th Century Fox (Philippines) at Facebook for more updates.

– C O M E T V –