American Idol Season 11 - Top 9 Performance (Videos)

Colton Dixon – Everything




Joshua Ledet – Without You




Elise Testone – Whole Lotta Love




Heejun Han – Song For You




Jessica Sanchez – Sweet Dreams




Phillip Phillips – Still Rainin'




Deandre Brackensick – Sometimes I Cry




Skylar Laine – Gunpowder and Lead




Hollie Cavanagh – Jesus Take the Wheel

Assembling “The Avengers” – The Superhero Team Up of a Lifetime!

Assembling “The Avengers” – The Superhero Team Up of a Lifetime!

With the successful launching of the “Iron Man” franchise in 2008, the first hints for what would be Marvel’s most ambitious new franchise to date began to surface - bringing together its beloved characters in one film for “Marvel's The Avengers,” the holy grail of the Marvel Universe.

The idea for “Marvel's The Avengers” first surfaced during the production of “Iron Man” when producer Kevin Feige had a notion that S.H.I.E.L.D. could be part of both “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

“We started looking at the list of characters in the Marvel Universe that hadn’t been taken by other studios: Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow,” says Feige. “And I thought, ‘Isn’t that interesting; all of these characters happen to form one of the most popular comic book series - ‘The Avengers.’

“When the idea of a Nick Fury cameo started coming up, we called Sam Jackson and he thought it was a cool idea,” continues Feige. “It was his enthusiasm about it that led us to shoot that end credit scene and what he says to Tony Stark in the scene, ‘You’re part of a bigger universe, you just don’t know it yet.’ The line was also Marvel telling that to the audience as well.”

The producer adds, “Audiences loved the cameo and the buzz about Nick Fury began. We did it again two months later on the ‘Incredible Hulk’ and the reaction once again told us ‘The Avengers’ is going to work. Our plan then became to build it one Super Hero at a time because it was really important that we introduced all of the characters first in their own franchises before putting them together in ‘The Avengers.’ We also hired filmmakers on ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America’ who were open to the idea that they were playing in a shared sandbox.”

“The Avengers” was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first published in September 1963. “The Avengers” team originally consisted of Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp. Captain America joined the team in Issue #4 after being revived from being trapped in a block of ice. For Stan Lee, seeing so many of his characters continue to grow in popularity is a testament to the Marvel Universe he helped create over the last 50 years. “I’d like to think that one of the reasons that Marvel characters have been so successful is when we created them, we tried to give them interesting personalities and personal problems so people would still be interested in them even if they didn’t have superpowers,” explains Stan Lee. “In other words we tried to make our heroes and heroines three-dimensional, interesting people.”

Lee continues, “Sometimes people make the mistake of just concentrating on the super power while the real person beneath the costume gets ignored. That’s when those particular stories don’t do as well. Every character in ‘The Avengers,’ is flawed in some way and has a dynamic, interesting, personal story in addition to them saving the world.”

While Lee’s and Jack Kirby’s colorful characters have thrilled Marvel readers for decades, one challenge for filmmakers was that they would still be editing and releasing both “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” during the pre-production and production schedule of “The Avengers.”

“We had to have a lot of confidence in the direction we were heading, but two of the four characters had not been introduced to audiences yet and it was a bit of a leap of faith,” says Kevin Feige. “A big part of the puzzle was introducing both ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America’ in self-contained origin stories with very distinctive beginnings and endings that segued nicely into the storyline for ‘The Avengers.’”

The plan worked to perfection for the filmmakers as both “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” were summer box office hits and fueled the fire for bringing “The Avengers” to the big screen.

(“Marvel’s The Avengers” will assemble in the Philippines on April 25 2012. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Marvel's “Spider-Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” animated series are now aired over ABS CBN, comprising an hour of early programming on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:30am. ABS-CBN previously aired Marvel's “The Avengers” and “X-Men” animated series.)

Oscar-Nominee Scott Hicks Directs “The Lucky One”

Oscar-Nominee Scott Hicks Directs “The Lucky One”

Is there really such a thing as destiny? Is Fate shadowing our movements, stacking the deck, or are all our moments - ordinary and extraordinary - random? The age-old question of whether things happen by accident is at the core of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Lucky One” which is now a Warner Bros. film starring Zac Efron and directed by Academy Award-nominee Scott Hicks (“Shine”).

The director offers, “That premise immediately drew me in: the notion that a chance event - —finding a photo in the middle of nowhere - could change not only one man’s life, but the lives of everyone he comes into contact with, really hooked me at the outset. The idea of destiny is quite central, and I liked that it's treated in a very realistic fashion.”

Sparks reveals that a very real item was the basis for his story. “This is the first book I've ever written that was inspired by a single image: that of a soldier finding a picture half-buried in the sand and pulling it out. I became obsessed with what happens when he begins to view this photo as his lucky charm.”

In “The Lucky One,” the photo becomes more than a good luck charm; it serves as the catalyst for a journey of discovery and healing.

In the film’s central role, Zac Efron stars as Logan, a Marine who has seemingly defied the odds during three tours of duty in Iraq. The actor responded to the story’s interconnecting ideas of luck, love and destiny. “That’s what you hope love is, destiny,” he remarks. “You want it to be meant to be. It often feels like it is. Why can't it be? And that's what's so intriguing about the story.”

Producer Kevin McCormick agrees. “Nick Sparks beautifully entwined the two themes of love and Fate, and Scott Hicks delivered that in a way that creates feelings of both surprise and inevitability.”

Will Fetters, who was responsible for adapting Sparks’ novel for the film, notes, “I can’t say enough about how collaborative Scott was and how much his input helped me.” The screenwriter adds that the author had given him the best possible foundation. “Before I even picked up the book, I was caught by the idea of this soldier trying to piece together why he’s still here, which brings up the question of whether or not things happen for a reason. The question remains unanswered, but it was woven through the subtext of the script.”


Taylor Schilling plays the woman in the photograph, who becomes a talisman for a man she doesn’t even know exists. “I got a feel for the character right off the page. They’re both living with a duality of tremendous loss and potential joy. Whether it’s their destiny or not, it’s incredibly romantic.”

“I think most people have, at some point in their life, a lucky charm and, whether we truly believe in it or not, there's something hopeful about it,” concludes producer Denise Di Novi.


Opening across the Philippines in April, “The Lucky One” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Titanic: as a Historical Matter of Fact

Titanic: as a Historical Matter of Fact

“The tragedy of Titanic has assumed an almost mythic quality in our collective imagination,” Titanic filmmaker James Cameron says.

“But the passage of time has robbed it of its human face and vitality. I hope that Rose and Jack’s relationship will be a kind of emotional lightning rod, if you will, allowing viewers to invest their minds and their hearts to make history come alive again.”

Traveling on a ship physically designed to prevent them from ever meeting, third-class passenger Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and first-class passenger, Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), have taken the ultimate risk — to defy the oppressive social conventions of their time and fall in love.

In full 3D, “Titanic” sails once again in theaters come April 7 (Saturday) across Philippine cinemas.


Here are important facts gathered to usher audience aboard the R.M.S. Titanic for the timeless, beloved classic love story of all time.

• R.M.S. stands for Royal Mail Steamer.

• Titanic was the second of three superliners constructed by White Star Line to ply the Atlantic .

• Titanic measured 882 feet, longer than the tallest skyscraper in New York at the time.

• The rudder alone, in excess of 101 tons, was heavier than Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria.

• There were approximately 100,000 pounds of meat on board Titanic.

• There were enough lifeboats to accommodate only half of Titanic’s passengers.

• The top speed of Titanic was 23 knots.

• Titanic’s top first-class ticket price was $3,100 while the cost of a third-class ticket was $32

• To build Titanic in 1912 cost approximately $7.5 million.

• Shortly after she sailed on April 10, 1912, Titanic nearly collided with the liner New York while departing
the docks, sparking concern about the ship’s safety and maneuverability.

• The first-class lounge was designed after the palace at Versailles.

• Titanic received numerous messages from other ships regarding icebergs in the vicinity.

• Titanic had 16 watertight compartments to reduce its risk of sinking. The iceberg ruptured 5 of the 16,
enough to pull the liner into the freezing waters.

• Women and children in first-class and second-class were given priority in the lifeboats.

• The first lifeboat to be lowered had a capacity of 65 yet carried only 28.

• As Titanic sank, the band played on deck in an effort to calm passengers awaiting rescue.

• Crewmen blocked exits from the third-class area to prevent men from accessing the deck.

• Of the lifeboats lowered before Titanic sank, only one returned to pick up more passengers.

• Titanic broke in two shortly before completely sinking into the Atlantic.

• Even as the boat sank, many passengers still refused to believe the superliner could go under.

• After Titanic hit the iceberg, people were out on the decks playing with chunks of ice.

• A mysterious ship was reportedly spotted not far from Titanic, which never responded to her distress
signals and steamed off into the night.

• The ocean liner Carpathia, responding to Titanic’s distress calls, arrived nearly two hours after Titanic had sunk.

• Sixty percent, or 199, of the first-class passengers were saved while only 25%, or 174, of the third- class passengers survived. Only 32% of all on board Titanic survived.


One of the more chilling facts about the actual sinking was that there were only enough lifeboats to handle barely half the passengers aboard – and the crew’s failure to fill the boats to capacity resulted in only a third of the passengers making it to safety. For the film, the production team was able to apply a layer of realism to this technically complex and heart-pounding sequence. The lifeboat davits — the system of pulleys required to launch the vessels — were constructed by the same company that built the davits for the actual Titanic.

“The Wellan Davit Company,” Cameron explained, “built our davits to their old plans. We literally had the very same piece of machinery that was used on Titanic to lower a lifeboat.”

Warner Bros. Begins Production of Fantasy-Action Film “Seventh Son”

Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ fantasy action adventure “Seventh Son.” Shooting began on March 19, under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Sergei Bodrov, director of the Oscar®-nominated foreign language films “Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan” and “Prisoner of the Mountains.” “Seventh Son” stars Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “Iron Man”), Oscar® nominee Julianne Moore (“Far From Heaven,” “The Hours”), and Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia” films).


In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory.

In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man’s only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

The film’s international cast also includes Alicia Vikander (“The Crown Jewels”), Antje Traue (“Pandorum,” upcoming “Man of Steel”), Olivia Williams (“Hanna”) and Kit Harington (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).

Bodrov is directing the film from a screenplay by Matt Greenberg, Charles Leavitt and Steve Knight, based on the book The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. “Seventh Son” is being produced by Basil Iwanyk (“The Town,” “Clash of the Titans” upcoming “Wrath of the Titans”), Thomas Tull (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight” upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises”) and Lionel Wigram (“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” the “Harry Potter” films). The executive producers are Jon Jashni, Brent O’Connor and Alysia Cotter, with Jillian Zaks and Erica Lee serving as co-producers.

The behind-the-scenes team collaborating with Bodrov includes director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“Drive”); three-time Oscar®-winning production designer Dante Ferretti (“Hugo,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Aviator”); Oscar®-nominated editor Paul Rubell (“Collateral,” “The Insider”); Oscar®-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Social Network”), and Oscar®-winning visual effects supervisor John Dykstra (“Spider-Man,” “Spider-Man 2”).

“Seventh Son” will be filmed entirely on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, “Seventh Son” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Monsters Bring Hell on Earth in “Wrath of the Titans”

As the title indicates, Warner Bros.' new, 3D fantasy adventure “Wrath of the Titans” called forth some mammoth and mythical adversaries to pit against the demigod Perseus (Sam Worthington).

These include the multi-headed Chimera, three one-eyed Cyclops and an army of double-bodied Makhai. Perseus' most formidable opponent is, of course, Kronos, the gargantuan, heretofore imprisoned Titan and father of Zeus (Liam Neeson), Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston), who is on the verge of breaking free and bringing hell down on the earth.

“There’s truly a smorgasbord of action to be had in this movie,” says visual effects supervisor and second unit director Nick Davis, who also worked on the first film.

The first foe Perseus meets is the Chimera, a fire-breathing beast with the heads of a lion and goat, dragon-like wings and a vicious snake’s head at the end of its tail.


“The main heads work in tandem, with one throwing out fuel and the other a haze of heat that ignites it,” director Jonathan Liebesman says of the brute that tears through Perseus’ village, a terrifying warning shot of things to come if he doesn’t take action.

“The Chimera descends on the village like a meteor and immediately starts ripping it apart,” Davis says. “There’s a huge pyrotechnical explosion, then the ground starts to crack, followed by a very elaborate, 400-foot trench blast that snakes its way through the town before blowing up a house and finally erupting out of a building. Then it really gets going.”

With the Chimera forcing his hand, Perseus is now committed to the battle to save Zeus and all of mankind from Kronos, and sets off to find a way into Tartarus, catching a ride with an old friend: the winged horse Pegasus, who takes him to Queen Andromeda’s (Rosamund Pike) encampment.

Once Perseus, Andromeda and Agenor (Toby Kebbell) are on their way, they sail off to find Hephaestus, whose remote island home is booby-trapped and heavily guarded by a group of 30-foot-tall Cyclops, one of Liebesman’s favorite creatures in the film. Prosthetics designer Conor O’Sullivan provided the director with about 15 different maquette heads, and worked closely with Davis in the full body design, before they determined the final blueprint for the Cyclops.

“The biggest challenge was to get them to appear as photorealistic as possible. Well, as much as a one-eyed, 30-foot monster can be photorealistic,” Davis smiles.

Heralding the emergence of Kronos from his ages-long confinement, legions of two-torso Makhai rage through the battlefield in a swarm of death and destruction. An invention of the film’s writers, they are warriors who had been sent to Tartarus and melded together by Kronos. “He created his own army by merging two tortured, warrior souls into one, and then sent them to wreak havoc on earth,” Liebesman relates.

“They are eight-foot-tall, two-headed, six-armed warriors who can run and roll and fight and jump with strength superior to any man,” Davis says. “But they are really just the prelude to the evil that’s about to come, the huge, final battle for Perseus, Zeus, Hades…everyone.”


The war comes to a climax as the over 1,500-foot Kronos bursts free of his bonds and begins to attack.

“Kronos created the world from chaos, and he wants to return the world to that state,” Liebesman notes. “What I love about him is that he reminds me of an atomic bomb when he hits the screen—this massive explosion with tons of volcanic debris flying off of him and setting fire to everything in his path.”

Davis adds, “Kronos has forever been this unstable, volatile force that the humans have unwittingly been sitting on, and as soon as Zeus’ strength fully empowers him, he erupts: rocks cascade off of him, the prison walls start to collapse and lava bubbles up from underneath.”

He goes on to describe the Titan king as having “human proportions, but he’s comprised of streams of solidified and molten lava that is constantly pouring off his body. He’s also covered in pyroclastic clouds that billow off of him, and as he moves, he hurls lava bombs toward the people below.”

Kronos was achieved entirely via CG, but that was no deterrent for Sam Worthington, who has become something of a master of fighting green screen beasts. For the actor, it’s all in a day’s work. “It’s simple: you have to believe in the world. When my nephew runs around pretending he is fighting monsters, it’s the same thing. As long as you commit and believe, then the audience will also commit and believe. We know it’s computer generated, because Kronos and Cyclops and Chimera don’t exist, but if I dive into the situation 100 percent, then hopefully the audience will follow and not be pulled out of the world.”

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, March 29, “Wrath of the Titans” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Pitbull Goes “Back in Time” With Theme Song to “Men in Black 3”

The theme song to Columbia Pictures' highly anticipated action adventure comedy Men in Black 3, titled “Back In Time,” has been written and recorded by RCA Records/Polo Grounds Music/Mr. 305 recording artist Pitbull, it was announced recently by Lia Vollack, President of Worldwide Music for Sony Pictures. The song will be available as a digital single and released to radio on March 26. Men in Black 3 will be released in 3D in theaters worldwide, including the Philippines, on May 25, 2012.

“Back In Time” was written for the film by Armando C. Perez (Pitbull), Marc Kinchen, Adrian Trejo and Urales Vargas and features a sample of the 1950s hit “Love is Strange,” written by Sylvia Robinson, Ellas McDaniel and Mickey Baker, which went to #1 for the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia.

“It's an incredible honor to be a part of such an amazing franchise as Men in Black and I have so much respect for Will Smith, especially with our similar musical backgrounds,” says Pitbull. “Wanting to keep the music fun yet modern, we used the slogan of the movie and flipped it back into the song that ‘in order to understand the future, you have to go back in time.’”

Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of the film, added, “My 19-year-old daughter turned me on to Pitbull. I'm thrilled that he wrote such a great song for our movie that totally gets it.”

In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back... in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him - secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

Barry Sonnenfeld directs the film. The film’s screenplay is written by Etan Cohen, based on the Malibu Comic by Lowell Cunningham. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald produce, and Steven Spielberg and G. Mac Brown are the executive producers.

“Men in Black 3” will be distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Warner Bros. Ready for Another “Hangover”

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures are reteaming with Todd Phillips for “The Hangover Part III,” the third installment in the record-breaking comedy franchise, which is slated for release on May 24, 2013. The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

“The Hangover Part III” will star Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, who will reprise the roles of Phil, Stu and Alan, collectively known to moviegoers as “the Wolfpack.” In the previous two films, the three friends’ attempts to plan a celebration have resulted in disaster for them, but led to a combined billion-dollar success at the worldwide box office.

In making the announcement, Robinov stated, “We are extremely pleased to have Todd Phillips and the guys back together again for another ‘Hangover,’ and we look forward to collaborating with them on another great movie.”

Phillips said, “I’m so excited to embark on another ‘Hangover’ film with Bradley, Ed and Zach. We’re going to surprise a lot of people with the final chapter we have planned. It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.”

Phillips is writing the screenplay with Craig Mazin, who also collaborated with him on the screenplay for “The Hangover Part II.” Phillips is again producing the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull and Scott Budnick will serve as executive producers.

Production on the film is projected to begin in September 2012.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, “The Hangover Part III” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Drama and Romance Abound in 'Blue Bloods Season 2'

As executive producer Leonard Goldberg teased, look forward to an exciting second season premiere with a story that is certain to provoke debate’. Indeed, the premiere episode of Blue Bloods, coming to AXN this March 31, 2012, does not disappoint!

A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement, Blue Bloods marks multi-award winning Tom Selleck’s (Magnum P.I., Jesse Stone) return to primetime TV. The stellar cast of young and seasoned actors include Donnie Wahlberg (Righteous Kill, Band of Brothers), Broadway luminary Len Cairou (Damages, The West Wing) and Bridget Moynahan (Coyote Ugly, Sex and the City).


The Reagans certainly do not have it easy. Blue Bloods Season 2 returns with the mysterious murder of an acquaintance of the Reagans, who also happens to be a supporter and fund raiser for the new mayor elect Carter Poole (David Ramsey, Dexter). Coming from a liberal political background with a soft approach on crime, Poole looks set to clash with the New York City Chief of Police, Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) from the onset, by requesting that Frank cover the murder up as a random act of violence. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot!

Fans are also in for a rare treat in the premiere’s fundraiser - a special duet by Country superstar Carrie Underwood and musical legend Tony Bennett where they crooned to ‘It Had To Be You’ - a song which might just set the tone for the blossoming romances in the Reagan family. A charming art curator (Frederick Weller) sweeps Erin (Bridget Moynahan) off her feet but he just might not be who he appears to be. While the youngest Reagan, Jamie (Will Estes), goes undercover and gets deeply involved with an organized crime boss, Noble Sanfino and his family. Trouble brews when Jamie is attracted to Sanfino’s sister (Mara Davi) despite being told by Sanfino - "don't want what you can't have" - from the very start. Sound warning indeed.

Cupid stories aside, Season 2 will continue to retain the core of what makes Blue Bloods tick – the Reagans and their close-knit family ties culminating in the weekly family dinner. Retired police commissioner and Frank’s father, Henry (Len Cariou), will have a more integral role to play in the series. In a particularly heartwarming episode, Henry and Frank were nannies for the night while Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and his wife Linda (Amy Carlson) went on a date night. In what might be one of the most hilarious scenes in the entire series, great-grandpa and grandpa handed down life advice to their grandsons. Their wise counsel consisted of what to order at a restaurant (you can order lobster at a steak house but never order steak at a lobster shack), what being out on their own feels like when they are older (you won't be poor exactly but you'll be paying for everything that used to come free so you'll feel strapped) and what to do when you can't pay your bills (if a month comes and you can make rent or the car payment but not both, make the car payment because you can always sleep in your car but you can't drive your house).


Blue Bloods’ balanced combination of nail-biting detective drama and family struggles offer rich material rarely handled so well by both a cast of actors and writers. It invites you to admire the men and women who struggle in and out of themselves to maintain order in New York City and draws you into the compelling relationships of the Reagan family. Don’t miss the return of Blue Bloods on AXN this March!

Big Reveal: “Dark Shadows” Character Posters

Fresh from revealing the teaser poster of the new Johnny Depp-starrer “Dark Shadows” last week, Warner Bros. has just rolled-out nine character posters for the gothic comedy!

Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series “Dark Shadows” to the big screen featuring an all-star cast.

The individual posters feature the nine major characters Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller), Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Grace Moretz), Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) and David Collins (Gully McGrath).


Synopsis: In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Depp) has the world at his feet- or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Opening across the Philippines in May 2012, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Return to Titanic in 3D

“Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams. And it was. It really was...”

In 1997, James Cameron’s TITANIC set sail in theaters - and one of the world’s most breathtaking and timeless love stories was born. The film’s journey became an international phenomenon as vast as its name, garnering a record number of Academy Award® nominations, 11 Academy Awards® and grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide.

On April 6th, 2012, precisely a century after the historic ship’s sinking and 15 years after the film’s initial theatrical release, TITANIC resurfaces in theaters in state-of-the-art 3D.

Upon its original release, TITANIC was celebrated for transporting audiences back in time, right into the belly of the R.M.S Titanic in all her glory and into the heart of a forbidden love affair entwined with the ship’s epic collision with human arrogance, nature and fate. Now, the leading edge of 3D conversion technology has allowed Oscar® winning director James Cameron to bring moviegoers the most visceral and dynamic screen experience of TITANIC yet imagined.

The artistic process of re-visualizing TITANIC in three dimensions was overseen entirely by Cameron himself, along with his long-time producing partner Jon Landau – who both pushed the conversion company Stereo D literally to unprecedented visual breadth. Cameron guided them to use the latest visual tools not only to intensify the film’s sweeping race for survival, but to reveal the power of 3D to make the film’s most stirring emotions even more personal.

“Titanic” in 3D opens in cinemas on April 7 (Saturday) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

American Idol Season 11 - Top 10 Performance (Videos)

Deandre Brackensick – Only the Good Die Young




Erika Van Pelt – New York State of Mind




Joshua Ledet – She’s Got a Way




Skylar Laine – Shameless




Elise Testone – Vienna




Phillip Phillips – Movin’ Out




Hollie Cavanagh – Honesty




Heejun Han – My Life




Colton Dixon – Piano Man




Jessica Sanchez – Everybody Has A Dream

Meet the Avengers: The Essential Iron Man

Meet the Avengers: The Essential Iron Man

On the outside, Tony Stark is a genius playboy philanthropist and inventor; but inside he’s a complicated man with a broken heart. The story of Iron Man, the Armored Avenger, stands as a triumph of human ingenuity and invention, yet also one of personal tragedy and tribulation.

The figure of Iron Man represents power and authority to the people of the world, but if they knew the full story behind the man in the armor, they might also learn from both Tony Stark’s mistakes and his lessons in humility and responsibility.

Marvel has compiled that story for you here, the tale of one of the most powerful Avengers and the man who created the legacy of Iron Man.


IT BEGINS WITH A HEARTBREAK

Anthony Stark, heir to his family fortune and an industrialist inventor, found himself wounded and alone on an Asian battlefield while testing weapons he’d created for the United States government. A piece of shrapnel became lodged near his heart, forcing Stark to craft an amazing set of armor to not only lend him the power to escape his predicament, but also save his very life. With the help of a fellow captive, an award-winning physicist, Tony Stark built the very first Iron Man suit and went on to play the hero once he returned home.

As Iron Man, he put his genius and talent to use fighting for justice and the common man, but his weakened heart limited his ability to live life to the fullest. Surrounding himself with good people as his personal staff, Stark continued to promote himself as a playboy and man-about-town, while fighting evil as his own “bodyguard,” the Invincible Iron Man.


ASSEMBLING WITH THE AVENGERS

Eventually, Stark came into contact with other heroes and formed a team to combat menaces to the planet that no one of them could handle alone. When the evil trickster god Loki sought revenge on his half-brother Thor, his plan backfired when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came together to fight him as the Avengers.

Iron Man joined the Avengers for many adventures, facing such fantastic foes as Kang the Conqueror, the Sub-Mariner, the Mole Man and the Masters of Evil. During this time, Stark also continued to upgrade his Iron Man armor and forged a longstanding friendship with Steve Rogers, the man known as Captain America. Alas, the day came when Stark would leave the Avengers, but the team still loomed large in his future.


ADDICTION AND AN ARTIFICIAL HEART

Tony Stark also eventually received an artificial heart to replace his damaged organ, but the pressures on his life far exceeded his physical woes. A life of drinking socially led to a dependence on alcohol and a slow slide to the bottom of the bottle for the Armored Avenger. Stark’s alcoholism severely impacted his ability to work at both his job and at being Iron Man, leading him to give the armor to his trusted aide, Jim Rhodes, and seek help for his life-altering addiction.


BOUNCE BACK, SPRING FORWARD

Ever resilient and inventive, Stark conquered his addiction, regained his life and faced down the man who’d made his existence a living hell, Obadiah Stane. He also returned to the good fight as Iron Man and served with the West Coast Avengers for a time. Stark went on a crusade to reclaim his armor technology from many sources who had integrated his designs into their own suits of armor. Iron Man’s “Armor Wars” didn’t win him any fans throughout the world, though, and Tony Stark “fired” his armored bodyguard to allow him a freer hand to pursue his mission.


ARMOR ALIVE AND AVENGERS NO MORE

Having upgraded the Iron Man suit to the nth degree, the inventor witnessed the armor gaining sentience and experienced a new heart attack when he confronted his creation. Stark then decided to reveal his identity as Iron Man to the world and accepted a Presidential appointment to the cabinet post of Secretary of Defense. As if his world hadn’t then become even more complicated, Stark found himself caught up in the mentally-unbalanced Scarlet Witch’s manipulations that led to both his own public humiliation at the United Nations and the complete disintegration of the Avengers as a team.


DIVISION AND DISASTER

Though operating as Iron Man in secret for many years himself, Tony Stark proposed a “Superhuman Registration Act” after a tragic event involving super heroes took innocent lives in Connecticut. Many costumed champions declined to register and reveal their identities, so Stark led government-sanctioned heroes against the rebels--including his old friend and Avengers comrade Captain America. The super hero “civil war” ended in Stark’s favor, but victory came at a cost: the death of Steve Rogers, Captain America. Then, when an alien invasion further ripped apart Earth’s heroes, Iron Man’s standing as a champion disappeared and in his place as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. stood Norman Osborn, a supposedly-former villain.


ON THE RUN

Hunted by Norman Osborn and literally losing his mind, Tony Stark fled to the far corners of the globe, seeking to do as much damage as he could to Osborn’s infrastructure – but at the price of damaging his own brain. Ever a forward-thinker, Stark institutes a planned “backup copy” of his intellect and, after a long bout of healing, returns to duty as Iron Man to aid the Avengers in defeating Osborn during the lunatic despot’s siege of the mythic city of Asgard.


NEW HEROIC ARMORED AGE

Now, Tony Stark stands today as a new man. With an even more incredible and invincible armor, Iron Man joined with a revived Avengers team to rebuild the world and protect it anew from menaces of all shapes, sizes and variety. Recently, Stark’s will was put to the test when he confronted Odin, the king of the gods himself, to seek an Asgardian forge to craft weapons for Earth’s heroes during an invasion by Odin’s wicked brother.


MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, directed by Joss Whedon, from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.


“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” will assemble in the Philippines on April 25, 2012. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

(Marvel's “Spider-Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” animated series are now aired over ABS CBN, comprising an hour of early programming on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:30am. ABS-CBN previously aired Marvel's “The Avengers” and “X-Men” animated series.)

First-Look: "Dark Shadows" Poster and Trailer

First-Look: "Dark Shadows" Poster and Trailer

Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series “Dark Shadows” to the big screen in a gothic comedy featuring an all-star cast, led by Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter.

Synopsis: In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Depp) has the world at his feet - or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Trailer:



Opening across the Philippines in May 2012, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

A Soldier Searches for His Lucky Charm in ‘The Lucky One’

A Soldier Searches for His Lucky Charm in ‘The Lucky One’

Warner Bros. brings Nicholas Sparks‘ bestseller “The Lucky One” to the big screen starring Zac Efron (“Charlie St. Cloud,” “New Year’s Eve”) and Taylor Schilling (upcoming “Argo”).

The passionate, romantic drama is directed by Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Scott Hicks (“Shine,” “No Reservations”).

In the film, U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive - a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

“The Lucky One” marks the fourth film Denise DiNovi has produced based on the acclaimed, best-selling novels of Nicholas Sparks, including “Message in a Bottle,” “A Walk to Remember” and “Nights in Rodanthe.” “I fell in love with his writing when I first read `The Notebook,’” DiNovi recalls. “I was just completely blown away by how beautifully romantic and imaginative it was. Every one of his books is a completely original story, yet they all renew your faith in the power of love to heal and to transform lives. They’re also always grounded in reality. When you read the books or see the movies, you think, ‘That could happen to me,’ or ‘I wish that would happen to me.’ Everyone wants to believe that love can conquer all, and that theme resonates so deeply in `The Lucky One.’”


With a screenplay by Will Fetters (“Remember Me”), DiNovi turned to the vision of director Scott Hicks, who has made such expansive, emotionally resonant films as “Shine,” “Hearts in Atlantis” and, most recently, “No Reservations,” to bring the story to life. “In Scott’s work I have seen the ability to make human emotion completely captivating, emotional and compelling,” she says. “He is also such a beautiful director in terms of visuals. He has an amazing eye for imagery, and this story has such a diverse visual scope - from the scenes in Iraq to the lushness and sensuality of New Orleans. He also has the rare ability to capture onscreen the unspoken layers to a relationship. That’s a very difficult thing to do, but he has that kind of eye.”

Hicks was immediately affected by the story and was intrigued by the notion of characters whose lives are intertwined by luck rather than geographic proximity or other formal constructs. “I found the whole idea of chance and fate - and how a random event like finding a photograph in the middle of a war zone - could change so many lives and have an impact on all the characters in the story,” he says. “I think everybody has probably experienced something in their lives where a chance encounter or meeting is a turning point. And I’m sure many people feel the same way. That element is something I found very appealing.”

Hicks’s wife, Kerry Keysen, is his partner in life and in work, serving as a co-producer on the movie. “I am a firm believer in the power of moments,” Heysen says, “because some people really do take their chances and follow their dreams and I think it’s good that we show the value of doing those things.”


Opening across the Philippines in April, “The Lucky One” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Exciting Actors Play Gods in “Wrath of the Titans”

Exciting Actors Play Gods in “Wrath of the Titans”

Joining Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in Warner Bros.' new fantasy adventure “Wrath of the Titans” are new cast members playing critical roles. They are Edgar Ramirez (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) as Ares, Toby Kebbell (“Prince of Persia”) as Agenor and Rosamund Pike (“Die Another Day”) as Queen Andromeda.

Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez took on the part of Ares, embittered son of Zeus (Neeson). Resentful of the attention he feels his father has bestowed on his half-brother Perseus (Worthington), the god of war is out for blood.

Ramirez relished the role. “I grew up watching fantasy movies and always had a wish to be in one,” he reveals. “So to play Ares, one of the most prominent Olympian gods and, by definition, the greatest warrior ever, was a chance to fulfill that in a really fun way. Ares enjoys fighting for the sake of fighting; the heat of battle is what ignites this character. He’s violent and aggressive, with a very big ego, yet fragile in a way - his pride is easily deflated by what he perceives to be Zeus’ preference for Perseus, the son who never loved Zeus. Ares feels excluded, so when Hades presents him with an opportunity for revenge, he takes it.”


Another slighted offspring of the gods is Agenor, Poseidon’s (Danny Huston) long lost son who has turned into quite the criminal. Needing his innate expertise on the seas, Perseus seeks out Agenor, and finds him rotting in Queen Andromeda’s battlefield jail.

The role of Agenor, who proves not only a surprisingly strong ally but also provides a fair amount of comic relief on the dangerous endeavor, is played by Toby Kebbell. “My character has no interest in the gods or the fact that he’s a demigod,” Kebbell offers. “He’s been deserted by his father and so he’s turned his back on that world. Perseus brings him around to realizing that it’s their generation’s responsibility to take care of this mess with the powers that they possess. And even though Agenor is nonchalant about it, he knows he’s got an understanding of the sea, given to him by his father, Poseidon, and that Perseus will need him to win this fight. Secretly, he appreciates the respect Perseus has given him. No one else has ever given him that; everyone else just looks on him as a thief, which is fair because he is a thief.”


English actress Rosamund Pike plays Agenor’s captor, Queen Andromeda. The princess of Argos in the previous film, Andromeda inherited the crown after the death of her parents, the king and queen, and has since become a warrior in defense of her kingdom, even as the world collapses around her.

“I liked Andromeda because she felt like a real heroine for girls,” Pike shares. “I think boys have so many action hero role models in films, and there are fewer female characters like that. But Andromeda has changed a great deal from the end of the first film, when she was helpless and needed to be rescued. Now she’s Queen of her country and leading her army in war. She’s a fighter, and is going to make sure she never needs to be rescued again.”


Opening across the Philippines on March 29, “Wrath of the Titans” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes Back in “Wrath of the Titans”

Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes Back in “Wrath of the Titans”

Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson star once again as gods at war, Zeus and Hades, respectively, in Warner Bros.’ new fantasy adventure “Wrath of the Titans.”

In the film, a decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Sam Worthington) - the demigod son of Zeus -- is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Neeson says he was eager for the chance to explore in greater depth the bond between fathers and sons, and also brothers. “Director Jonathan Liebesman and the writers wanted to mine the difficult relationships between Zeus and his sons, Perseus and Ares, and his complex history with Hades and their own father, Kronos,” the actor notes. “That appealed to me greatly—the realism within a fantasy, the very human emotions driving this story that takes place in a fabled world.”

Fiennes adds, “I’ve always thought of the Greek gods as projections of human appetites and desires, especially when you think of our desire for immortality, eternal strength, eternal beauty and power. We can’t have those things, so we create these larger-than-life characters and fantastical stories.

“Jonathan was very intent on redefining the relationship between the gods, particularly Hades and Zeus,” adds Fiennes. “They’ve always had a difficult history, but this time it’s really coming to a head. The gods’ powers are diminishing as humankind is finding its own sense of self-worth. Hades has decided that the only way to maintain any kind of power - which for him equals immortality - is to release the eternal destructive force of his father, Kronos, from where he’s been imprisoned for so long. Zeus is against this as he knows it will mean mass destruction, so the brothers are at odds from the beginning.”

“Zeus realizes that the gods are weaker because it is time for humans to be strong,” Neeson explains. “He sees the rightness of that, he understands this new world order, and he’s okay with it. Unfortunately, he’s unable to convince Hades, and his benevolence toward mortals leaves him open to his brother’s old tricks.”

Though onscreen enemies, Neeson and Fiennes are great comrades off camera, and enjoyed working together once more. “Ralph is a very dear friend, and it was terrific to have so many scenes with him this time around.”

Occasionally, though, the seriousness of their roles got to the pair. “We burst out laughing a few times,” Neeson continues, “because, well, there we were again in long wigs and beards and breast plates, me with my thunderbolt and he with his pitchfork.”

Fiennes shares, “Liam and I had much more interaction in this film than in the last, and some really strong scenes to play, which we loved. And to be working with a friend is always a good thing.”


Opening across the Philippines on March 29, “Wrath of the Titans” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

American Idol Top 12 Performance Videos

Phillip Phillips – Hard to Handle




Jessica Sanchez – Turn The Beat Around




Heejun Han – Right Here Waiting




Elise Testone – Let’s Stay Together




Deandre Brackensick – Endless Love




Shannon Magrane – One Sweet Day




Colton Dixon – Broken Heart




Erika Van Pelt – Heaven




Skylar Laine – Love Sneaking Up On You




Jermaine Jones – Somewhere Out There (disqualified for hiding his violent criminal past)




Joshua Ledet – When A Man Loves A Woman




Hollie Cavanagh – The Power of Love