Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Jerber Mercado
Presenting : Jerber Mercado
Sizzling hot Bachelors
HOTTER THAN HOT! The Cosmo Bachelor Bash 2010!
Posted: September 11, 2010 by Norman in Shout-out-LooksTags: Aljur Abrenica, JC Tiuseco, Daniel Matsunaga, Rocco Nacino, Kris Lawrence, Christian Bautista, Carl Guevarra, Marco Manalac, Ervic Vijandre, Cosmo Bachelor Bash 2010. Cosmopolitan Philippines, Sam Milby, Joross Gamboa, Prince Stefan, Matteo Guidicelli, Jiro Shirakawa
Hot hunk Carl Guevarra
Splashy hot Prince Stefan
Less than tamed for one night - Sam Milby
Bitingly hot Rocco Nacino
Sweet, hot and sexy Daniel Matsunaga
Upping the ante from last year is sexier than ever Aljur Abrenica
Wild and sexy R&B singer Kris Lawrence gave it a go
Shedding off his wholesome image this time is Joross Gamboa
Proving that he can do more than just crooning is Christian Bautista
He's definitely 'surviving' showbiz and loving it - JC Tiuseco
After surviving Ranong in Thailand and a broken heart from Marian Rivera, Ervic Vijandre has started his showbiz trek with a bang
Matteo Guidicelli's time to shine has come and how!
Equus was a tough act to follow for Marco Manalac but he still is more obliging than the rest.
No longer just a sexy model, Jiro Shirakawa is now a showbiz upstart
He can be a real tease, this Carl Guevarra!
Many thanks to Bruce Casanova of OPMB Worldwide for the images above!
Top 10 Asia Movies
Top 10 Asia Movies
Even though Hollywood is considered the global capital of movies, Asia movies are not far behind in providing world class entertainment. Here is a list of the top 10 Asia movies to give you a glimpse of what the Asian movies are made of.
10. Ab-normal Beauty
Ab-normal beauty is a dark, sinister, violent thriller. Its main protagonist is an art student whose avid interest is photography. She witnesses a car crash and the horrible death of the victim. Compelled, she takes pictures of this scene and finds that she finds death titillating. As her obsession with death increases, she descends further and further into a world of her own and into her own self destruction. With brilliant use of flashback, we are made aware of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her cousin and how her own mother refused to believe her, giving insight into her traumatic background. In the meantime, she gets sent a videotape of a girl being beaten to death and finds that she is stalked by a serial killer. The movie is directed by Oxide Pang of the famous Pang Brothers, who gave us Eye and Eye 2.
9. So Close
Even though female combatants may be new to Western audiences, they have been entertaining Asian audiences for more than a decade and it is no surprise that a movie about 2 sister assassins made it to the Top 10 Asia Movies. So Close is a story of two sisters who are for-hire assassins and one lady cop who is hot on their trails. The two sisters utilize their fighting as well as IT skills to assassinate their victims in Matrix-style fight sequences. In due course, one of the sisters is killed by the very people who hired the duo and the blame is pinned on the lady cop. The lady cop and the younger sister are left with no choice but to join forces and find out who the real killer of the older sister is.
8. Jet Li’s Fearless
Touted as Jet Li’s last venture in martial arts movies, Fearless is the story of a real life martial arts master Huo Yuanjia (1868-1910), founder of the Jingwu Sports Federation. His true story is extremely inspiring- he fell because of his own hubris, rose from the ashes and then set an example that inspired a nation. Jet Li’s portrayal of this renowned fighting master is power packed and goes far beyond what has been required of the actor in simple martial arts movies. Huo Yuanjia, son of a fighting master is discouraged from fighting because of his frail physical condition. However, Huo masters kung fu and with dreams of fame and glory. He soon becomes a master, but his luck runs out when he challenges and kills another fighting master. In revenge, his entire family is killed and he is dishonored. Roaming the countryside in grief and shame, he is rescued by a blind girl who teaches him a lesson or two about honor and humility. After a lapse of few years, Huo is back in the fighting arena, this time to restore his family’s honor. His skills and faith are put to the most stringent tests, but he comes out smelling of flowers.
7. House of Flying Daggers
The movie House of Flying Daggers is such a perfect wuxia film, that it is no wonder it lists among Top 10 Asia movies. There have been hundreds of wuxia films before this one, but the treatment this film receives sets it apart from the rest. The story revolves around two government officers who are seeking to destroy a house of rebels, called the House of Flying Daggers. The house is named after its weapon of choice and there are many fascinating sequences using flying daggers in the movie. The only hope they have of finding this house is a blind old lady and pretending to be rebels they coax her into taking them to the house. What follows are exciting sequences and plot twists in which all three of them turn against each other.
6. Ichi the Killer
This movie is based on a Japanese comic strip which is popular for its grotesque images. The movie follows the torture, murders and plots that several Yakuza gangs are involved in. An anonymous killer called Ichi takes down the Yakuza leader and a thug by name Kakihara seeks revenge and tortures a lot of gang members who he thinks are involved. As the film progresses, we learn that Ichi is not the cold blooded killer that we expect. His friend makes use of his friend’s psychological problems from his childhood to make him go on rampages slaughtering men, women and children. After each episode, we see him weeping and going into depression over what he had done. This will be a great movie for all the gore lovers across the world and is no doubt one of the Top 10 Asia Movies.
5. Hero
This Chinese wuxia movie starring Jet Li treats us to breath-taking martial arts between Jet Li who remains nameless and some deadly assassins. It is no wonder that it is one of the Top 10 Asia Movies. The assassins are out to get the King of Qin. After defeating the three assassins, Nameless (Jet Li) comes to the court to collect his reward. The entire movie plays as flashbacks to how he defeated the assassins and saved the country. There is a twist when the king discovers this is a false tale and comes up with a theory which depicts Nameless as a co-plotter. This movie keeps you on your toes and is interesting till the very end. Throughout the movie there is a continuous shift between the real and imagined tales and it keeps you guessing as to which is the truth.
4. Spirited Away
Spirited Away is an animation masterpiece from Japan which is a story about a little girl Chihiro and stands among one of the top 10 Asian movies. This movie shows the journey of a sulky girl into becoming a courageous one when her parents get magically transformed. She is on her own because of the greed of the witch Yu-Baba. The movie is a rollercoaster of wonderful as well as terrifying experiences of the little girl. This animation movie is not just entertaining for the children but for adults as well. This is a beautifully rendered movie which is both touching and scary.
3. Oldboy
Oldboy is a great cinematic experience and is a story about a man named Oh Dae-Su. It starts off with him getting kidnapped on his way home after being arrested for public drunkenness. He is put in a small room with a TV and during his captivity, his wife gets murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. He is released after 15 years feeling angry and confused. The story then deals with the torment and frustration of the protagonist trying to find out who did this to him and why. He is fuelled by this desire to exact his revenge. The acting done by Min-sik Choi who plays Oh Daesu has to be watched to be believed. At times bizarre, the movie depicts the emotions of the characters very vividly. With an end that will blow your mind, the movie is top notch with its excellent music and special effects.
2. Battle Royale
Battle Royale is one of the controversial movies of Japan about 42 ninth- graders. Reminiscent of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ but far more sinister, the movie is a twisted plot where the students are deceived and taken to an island and given weapons. They have to kill each other in order to survive in the island as only the last person alive gets to go home. This complex movie is naturally quite disturbing but is also equally insightful as it makes one wonder what they would do in similar situations. It is a brutal, violent film with erotic undertones. This movie has included pockets of resistance and a few moments portray female empowerment as well. Its amazing storyline will keep you rooted to the spot till it gets over.
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is definitely a masterpiece. All the characters have performed excellently and this epic story has been told in a very creative way. This movie created history with its action scenes, the kind which were never seen before either in the West or amongst Asian films. The movie also has the eastern culture embedded throughout its narrative, wonderfully showcased for the viewer. There are parts of the movie where certain philosophies are questioned, especially by one of the main characters Jen. Jen abuses the powers given to her which includes the magical sword, the Green Destiny. Her rebellion is a very strong one and one will wonder if the love she finds in the desert will save her. With top notch cinematography, direction, plotline and acting, this is truly one of the best movies ever made.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Or Just Be Gay and Get on with the Killing?
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Or Just Be Gay and Get on with the Killing?
In what amounts to a judiciary hat trick for the homosexual agenda—the first two goals being the Massachusetts Defense of Marriage Act(DOMA) ruling and the overturning of California’s Prop 8—U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips in Central California issued a ruling yesterday stating that the Military’s nonsensical “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT) is unconstitutional. Even by the restricted version of the First Amendment under which the Armed Forces operate (no swearing, no blabbing secrets, no dressing in drag unless its for a fun Lady Gaga tribute video), Judge Phillips found that DADT doesn’t meet the threshold of what is “reasonably necessary” for limiting free speech. (I’m guessing she was referring to the “Don’t Tell” part of the statute here.) Also, she said that the policy violates the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of Due Process, meaning that just being actively gay apparently isn’t a good enough reason to be drummed out of active duty.
The federal Department of Justice—the defendants in this suit—are now backed into a corner and left slipping around on appeal (sorry!). Why? Well, because while it’s their policy and they’re supposed to defend it, the (pink) tides have obviously turned on this issue, both publicly (78 percent of Americans favor allowing gays in the military) and in the highest levels of the government. Just this spring, the president, the secretary of defense, the secretary of the Army, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all came out against DADT and attached its repeal to the defense authorization bill—the one that provides the money to buy bullets, desert camo, and vacuum-sealed Salisbury steak for our fighting forces. It’s since passed the House, and is supposed to come up for a vote in the Senate, but is stalled (shocker!) by obstructionist Republicans and some chicken-shit Democrats,
All of which begs the question, What is the big deal with having gays in the military, anyway? Alex Briley took on the role of The G.I. in The Village People way back in 1978 for their third studio albumCruisin’ and managed to take this outfit to the top ten in 1979 with their hit “In the Navy.” In fact, the Navy itself even went so far as to let The Village People shoot their music video for the song on a real warship, with a real crew—a no dancing stipulation was in effect for the sailors—in the hope of using it in recruitment commercials. The armies of Russia, Spain, Israel, and the U.K.—all of which have seen plenty of action recently—all allow gays to serve, and those nations still get respect in the street. (Canada also allows homos in, but who even knew they had a military.) And many of the “documentaries” I’ve watched repeatedly (on reputable Web sites like MilitaryBadBoys, MenInUniform, and YoungRecruits) demonstrate quite graphically the lengths (and girths) to which our soldiers will go to get along with their gay comrades.
As with other “controversial” issues like gay marriage or gay adoption, I’ve always held the view that homosexuals should be afforded the same opportunities as straight people to dig whatever shape grave they so desire. That said, I will not vow, as I did with DOMA, to sign up if the ban is overturned. (I’m too old, anyway, right?) But I do not think I’m alone in saying that I absolutely cannot wait for the first openly-gay Military wedding.
Brett Berk writes gaily about culture, politics, and cars for VF.com, and is the author of The Gay Uncle’s Guide to Parenting. Visit him atwww.brettberk.com or follow him on Twitter.