showtime The ˜Manila Times »in focus FRIDAY
December 10, 2010
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EDWARD MENDEZ: A ‘flawless’ talent
BY TRISHA ECLARTE CONTRIBUTOR
■ Sorry Aslan, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) wins out on the dishy factor when it comes to facial hair.
T FAN GIRL
Scallywagging on the ‘Dawn Treader’
fans, that despite wonderful performances by Tilda Swinton as the White Witch of Narnia and James MacAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, that I exited the movie house two-thirds of the way through “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” with a friend, to stretch our legs, grab a sandwich and return in time for the final battle scene with the animals.
I
I totally missed Prince Caspian as I was not in town to watch it, though I reckon my main reason to watch the film would be Ben Barnes, who looked rather dishy in the posters.
Just in time for the holidays comes the final installment in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I went to the press screening for this because it’s in 3D—Ben Barnes now has facial hair, and Simon Pegg voices Reepicheep, the swashbuckling mouse. On those counts, the movie delivered. The best use of the 3D effects
would certainly have been with the scenes involving the painting of the ship at sea in the Scrubb attic. World War II goes on and Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmond Pevensie (Skandar Keynes) are in the temporary care of their relatives; the Scrubbs and must deal with their perpetually whining cousin, Eustace. During a squabble among the three young ones, the painting slowly comes to life, the brush strokes and sea foam undulate and the room is magically filled with water. Enter another gateway to the Kingdom of Narnia.
After that, there’s the 3D snow on the magician Coriakin’s Island and the capturing of the jumping rumpus of the silly Dufflepuds—dwarves with one big foot instead of two. The Dufflepuds are extremely trippy and amusing. So much so, there’s a Dufflepud Appreciation Page on Facebook now. Ben Barnes looking dishy with the facial hair? Check. Finally, there’s Simon Pegg
(Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ Buck, Star Trek’s Scotty and Shaun of the Dead’s Shaun) as Reepicheep—warrior rodent extraordinaire. With his matching sword, plume, stout heart and heroic spirit, this character is wonderfully brought to life by geek favorite Pegg. He lights up every scene he is in and figures nicely in the finale.
Michael Apted, who directed
Rome, The World is Not Enough and a personal favorite, Bring on the Night (a documentary of a Sting concert), takes over from Andrew Adamson. While it does miss the wickedness of a proper villain, the film scores high on the light, cute, sweet and magical factor, which makes for appropriate holiday viewing. ❋ ❋ ❋
The Chronicles of Narnia:Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3D is still showing in cinemas nationwide.
HESITATE to confess in front of my friends who are Narnia
HE 26-year-old looker Edward Mendez knows he still has a long way to go in becoming a famous
actor. Despite his appearances in the highly successful fashionista soap opera, the recently concluded Gretchen Barretto-Bea Alonzo starrer Magkaribal on ABS-CBN, the six-footer can still do with a few more prime time projects to push his talents to the limit.
He claims he has so much more to offer, which is why he is over the moon that a popular face and body center took him on as its newest endorser, even if he is not a top celebrity. Mendez is now officially in the league of big time Flawless endorsers Richard Gutierrez, Mark Herras and Lorna Tolentino, who are all veritable stars in tinseltown. Flawless first noticed him on
GMA Network launches 2010 Christmas short film festival
THIS Christmas, GMA Marketing and Produc- tions Inc. (GMPI), the sales and marketing subsidiary of GMA Network Inc., brings a showcase of specially-produced short films with its annual campaign dubbed, “Christmas Short Film Festival.” Since 2006, the project has become an effective tool to communicate Christmas messages to the market. Now on its fifth year, the campaign is backed by seven major sponsors, namely, Herbs and Nature’s Liveraide, Nestlé’s Coffeemate and Maggi Magic Sarap, Century Pacific Group’s Angel Kremdensada, Quick Service restaurant chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mead Johnson’s Lactum and money transfer service Western Union. Seven Christmas short
films, each produced with the seven partner- advertisers, serve as a platform to deliver inspiring Christmas stories. Among the Kapuso stars featured in the Christmas stories are News and Public Affairs’ Lyn Ching, Regine Tolentino, Love Añover, and Entertainment TV’s Bella Padilla, Luane Dy, Stef Prescott and Pekto. The shorts were helmed by seasoned directors, namely, RA Rivera, Marie Jamora, Treb Monteras, Marla Ancheta, Paul Soriano and Richard Ang. “We are excited about this project as we are able to spread the Christmas message through the use of an effective medium, film. This is part of our continuing efforts to find innovative means of bridging GMA’s corporate image—being a ‘Kapuso’—to the market and the viewers,” said GMPI President and Chief Operating Officer Lizelle Maralag. The Christmas Short
Film Festival will air over the Kapuso Net- work this month.
the cover of glossy magazine, Cosmopolitan, shortly after in the movie Pinay Pie and finally on Magkaribal. He learned of the endorsement offer while balancing his showbiz commitments with his other pursuits, including a nonstop fitness regimen. “I play basketball, go to the gym at least three times [a week], and eat right,” he acknowledged.
“I am very concerned with health and fitness.” His hard work on his body definitely paid off, because it is precisely his physique that caught the eye of Flawless in choosing him to endorse its four new services: he is the right guy to pitch for the company’s four new top-of-the-line services: Shape and Sculpt, a revolutionary body- shaping advanced technology; Flawless Nutraceuticals, a line of healthy dietary supplements; Sweatox, a revolutionary way to control sweaty glands; and ZerO’C Finish, a pore-minimizing finishing touch to facials. In a line, Mendez walks the talk: “My lifestyle and goals correspond with the services that I’m endorsing. I understand the bio- mechanisms behind the training and physical goals of athletes. Above all, I rarely get pimples,” joked the degree-holder in Sports Science and Medicine from the University of Maryland, College Park in the US.
He added, “I feel very privileged and blessed to be
■ Actor and model Edward Mendez holds a degree in Sports Science and Medicine from a US university
part of the Flawless family. I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m just very thankful for it. A great actor once told me that in order to succeed in this business one must love the craft and not just do it for fame and money. He said that if you put your heart to it, the rest will follow. I believe that’s what my co-endorsers did and that’s what I plan to do, too.” True enough, Mendez does not take his endorsement duties for
Flawless lightly. He said that he will do his best to provide people with information they need to improve their over-all being in the most innovative way.
“With all the state-of-the-art gym equipment and dietary supplements we have at our disposal, there is still an important element that is lacking that would make everybody’s fitness goals complete: That missing link is extensive knowledge of proper diet and exercise,” he ended.
Sid Lucero, back from NY after Int’l Emmys
ACTOR Sid Lucero is still on a high after attending the 2010 International Emmy Awards in New York, USA.
A nominee for an ABS-CBN produced soap opera, he walked the red carpet in the prestigious event, where he bumped into big-time TV personalities such as former American Idol judge Simon Cowell. “He was very nice and gave me a couple of seconds of his time to take a photo . . . a few seconds of my life that I will never forget,” Lucero shared. He said he also didn’t waste time and roamed the streets of the place famously known as the “City that never sleeps.” Though he didn’t get to bring home the Best Actor trophy for his performance in Dahil May Isang Ikaw, he still brought honor
to the country with his nomination. He said hearing his name called out among the nominees gave him such an “incredible feeling.” “I was muttering the name of the actor I wanted to win the whole time. And true enough, his name was called. When I heard his name, the first thing that came into my mind was, ‘Holy cow, I still can’t believe I’m here,’” he said. With his Emmy experience, Lucero added that he has he realized how happy he is to have chosen this profession. “I love my job. I may lose all, even the job itself, but my love for it can never be taken away,” he enthused. Lucero is currently seen on the top-rating ABS-CBN afternoon drama Precious Hearts Romances Presents Alyna, with Shaina Magdayao in the lead, Jason Abalos
■ The talented actor Sid Lucero
and Kaye Abad. Precious Hearts Romances
Presents Alyna goes on air every weekday after Juanita Banana on
TV SHOWS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2011 BY THE STAFF
AT last week’s Christmas parties for ABS-CBN 2 and TV5, The Manila Times was happy, not just to share good cheer with colleagues from the entertainment press, but to also discover that there is so much in store for televiewers in the New Year. Without further ado, here are the biggest TV shows to watch out for in 2011. (GMA Network has yet to announce their line-up for 2011).
ABS-CBN 2 The Price is Right, to be hosted by Kris Aquino
Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition, to be hosted by Sharon Cuneta Big Brother Season 4
Junior Master Chef (a franchise from Australia), to be hosted by Judy Ann Santos Bagwis, starring Jewel Mische Sabel, starring Jessy Mendiola
Green Rose, starring Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis Laugh Out Loud, which has already premiered, a gag show with Luis Manzano
Humanap Ka Ng Panget P.S. I Love You
Carlo J. Caparas’s Bangis and Limang Daliri ng Dios Batang Hampaslupa, a soap opera starring Alex Gonzaga and Alice Dixon
Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum, starring JC de Vera and newly launched TV5 talent Jasmine Curtis (sister of ABS-CBN’s Anne Curtis)
TV5
Extreme Make Over Philippine Edition Iskul Bukol Bagets
ABS-CBN. For more news and information on, log on to the show’s official fan page at
www.facebook.com/phrpresents.
KAREN KUNAWICZ
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