Couch Potato

COUCH POTATOISSUE 1 VOLUME 1 | April 2014

Ap

ril 2

014

Sweet Summer

SoundtrackFEEL GOOD ALBUMS TO

SPICE UP YOUR SUMMER

Fresh Off The Press:

MUST READS THIS SEASON10

Watch & LiveMOVIES FEATURINGVACATION IDEAS

In & OutDID YOUR

SHOW MAKE THE CUT?

COUCH POTATO OF THE MONTH:NAERMYTH AUTHOR

KAREN FRANCISCO

DRAWING THE CURTAINSHIMYM FINALE

Couch Potatoes

In Style

In Action (?)

Couch Potato(noun) informal

• a teenager immersed in fandom• anyone who loves popculture• anyone who consid-

ers books, movies, music, and television their lifee

2 COUCH POTATO | ISSUE 1 VOL. 1

couch potato

contents

MUSIC

BOOKS

MOVIES

TELEVISION

Couch Potato of the Month: Karen Francisco 9How to Motivate Yourself to Read Books 14Classics Reinvented 15Top 9 Summer Reads 16

Rising Music Artists and Youtube 18Feel Good Albums to Spice Up Your Summer 20Wanderland 2014 23

The Love That Defies Age 255 People You Wouldn’t Want to Watch Movies With 26Movies Featuring Vacation Ideas 28Upcoming Dystopian Movies 32

Drawing the Curtains: HIMYM Series Finale 34In and Out Television Shows 38

OTHERSOff the Couch: Events This Month 30Game: Which Faction Are You? 33Know your Editorial Board’s Rant and Rave! 40

COUCH POTATO | ISSUE 1 VOL. 1 3

MAY 2014Globe Circuit Event Grounds

Ticket Price - Php 4,800.00Gates Open at 11:00AM

#WanderlandMusicFest

PRESENTED BY:

RIVER ISLAND


Editor’s LetterEditorial Board

Anna Katrina QuintosEditor-in-Chief

Khalela John TalionManaging Editor

Shaunna Mae PadlanArt Director

Maria Andromeda CruzFeature Writer

Juan Miguel FloresFeature Writer

Ayana TomasFeature Writer

April TancioFeature Writer Special Thanks To:

For as long as I can remember, couch potatoes are notorious for being bums, couch surfers, loafers, obese people who live with their parents and watch TV all day. But we, the staff of “The Couch Potato” beg to differ.

After watching all those TV shows and movies, after reading all those books, after listening to all those tunes, and after ab-sorbing all the stories that mankind can tell, Couch Potatoes have the potential to be creative out-of-the-box thinkers, movement makers and belief shakers. We have lived a thousand lives through the characters we as-sociate ourselves with. We have felt a million emotions through the heart-wrenching songs that we just can’t express ourselves in any other words but “FEEEELS!”. We have learned about religion, culture, identity, globalization and other issues because of the films we’ve watched and the stories we’ve read. It’s just a matter of turning this power into actions. This summer, it’s time to get off the couch!

Celebrating the power of youth and stories, together, we will redefine what being a Couch Potato is.

Proud Potato,Trina

Anna Loraine BalitaCatalina Cruz

Jay CruzEvelyn FloresNoel Flores

Sunshine DomineNatividad Luna

Elizabeth PadlanRody Padlan

Amelita QuintosAntonio Quintos

Josephine RefreaJuan TalionMang Edgar

Benny & KennyDe La Salle University Comm. Dept.

LR19 ID112www.couchpotato.com@couchpotato


Tater Thoughts

“Yung mga fans ng Marvel Cinematic Uni-verse, may ilan na laging nagsasabi na “Di yan spoiler, nasa comics yan” para dun sa mga fan ng movie na di binabasa yung comics. Parang nagkakaroon ng diskrim-inasyon sa comics at non-comic reader. Pero in the first place kasi, dapat ienjoy lahat ngfans yung movie kahit comic book fan siya o hindi. Magkaibang medium siya, so dapat pwede mo siya ienjoy as is.” – Carl Corilla

De La Salle University

Why I Will Never Read John Green:Okay so at school I’m surrounded by peo-ple carrying that thick, blue book that ev-erybody loves because it was poignant, beautifully written, etc etc and while I’m okay people reading The Fault in Our Stars, I would rather not (read: never) give it a go. It’s not that I hate John Green or his books, but I pledged to myself that I will never read any of his books because to me they reek of sadness, AND I WOULD RATH-ER NOT BLEED TEARS THANKYOUVERY-MUCH. People say “NO IT’S SO GOOD AND IT’S NOT A TRAGEDY READ IT”, I still vehe-mently SAY NO, NOPE, GOODBYE. One of the main characters gets A LEG AMPUTA-TION and the OTHER NEEDS A MACHINE TO BREATHE PROPERLY and THEY’RE IN LOVE--I’d rather not upset myself FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. – Joey Rose De Leon

University of the Philippines Diliman

The “How I Met Your Mother” finale was the biggest let down I have ever had to experience throughout my entire life. It was like the writers of the show turned the show into my best friend and during the last episode, I find out that my best friend was sleeping with my mom. Wait, that analogy wasn’t appropriate. Let’s just say they gave me a goldfish and they helped me nourish it for 9 years, and on the 9th year, they barbecued it fed it to the cat. Well let’s just say I didn’t like it. Watch it for yourself if you’ve been following the show and if you find it nice well screw you and your opinion!

– Raco RuizDe La Salle University

It would be an understatement to say that the movie adaption of Divergent was amazing. It was beyond amazing, beyond any other synonym of the word amazing. It gave me chills because it was so accurate with

the book, plus its soundtrack is now my most favorite soundtrack ever. It’s honestly one of the best movie adaptations of a book I have ever seen since Warm Bodies and Harry Potter.

— Monica PadilloUniversity of Santo Tomas

HIMYM’s Season Finale gave so much character development to Barney and Robin, so it was unac-ceptable that in the finale, they just just decided to divorce after 3 years of marriage. I learned to love the Mother even with her short appearance to the show. HIMYM Finale was nothing I expected it to be, but I guess it still ended well.

— DeniseRogationist College

COMMUNITY BOARD


For Couch Potatoes by fellow Couch Potatoes.

Send us your message at [email protected] to be featured!

I’m looking forward to the Bane Chronicles. I just really like his character and how he was portrayed in TMI series. I’m also look-ing forward to how his adventures, witty remarks and eccentric fashion since we were already given a brief yet colorful an-ecdote of those in the series. I find it unfair that it gets released around November. But then again, I should be somewhat thank-ful that it’s this year’s November and not next year’s.I sort of don’t agree with how they portray Magnus Bane in the book cov-er too. He’s too “macho” for me. They got the eyes I guess but I still don’t think that’s Magnus Bane. In the end though, I hope I don’t end up complaining all the more about the cover once I read the novel. In the end, I can say that I am more excited for this one than the latest TMI book.

– Ann MicianoDe La Salle University

“I think one of my pet peeves are seeing all those people walking around with dys-topian books and going, ‘Oh, I love Diver-gent! I’m Dauntless!” or whatever faction they’re in. Whenever I see those, I feel so tempted to walk up to them and say, “You love Divergent? Really? Was it because you walked into a bookstore, saw the book and fell in love with it? Or Was it because the trailer had a really hot guy in it?” You fall in love with books not because there’s a mov-ie coming out but because it really appeals to you.”

– Jill GoDe La Salle University

I’ve recently watched the modern adap-tation of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (again). It never fails to motivate me to pursue things that I would want to do, plus the shots used were wonderful. Besides Walter Mitty living instead of daydream-ing, one inspirational element about the film is Life Magazine’s motto: “To see things thousands of miles away, things hid-den behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed.” This motto never fails to get me all hyped about chasing (and actually pursuing my dreams, even those as farfetched as Walter Mitty’s.) Although, one perplexing thing about the film was Walter’s “incredible phone reception” thathe could even converse with Todd Maher (of eharmony) while trekking the Himala-yas. It made me doubt if everything that Walter did was real or if he just zoned out for a very long time.

– Glenn AntonioDe La Salle University

I’m excited to see EXO and Infinite’s comeback this april. I’ve been waiting for it since last month and now that it’s just days away, my inner fanboy is screaming. Both group’s teaser photos are being realeased, but in-

finite already released their teaser video. Both of have interesting concepts for their comeback and that alone adds up the excitement. What I don’t like is the possibility of another fanwar. It already happened before with

Girls’ Generation and 2ne1 fans, and it wasn’t very nice. With all that said, I am very excited.for.their come-back and would root for both of them and hope that there will be no fanwars.

— Alain RenonSouthville International School

Book: Maximum Ride It is an equal mix of adventure and romance. Scifi because of supernatural bird kids, each with special abilities, suspense because of all the people running after them. I like it! The romance is probably the annoying part. Either too shy or just too dense to see it.

— Macarena RochaDe La Salle University


OF FILIPINO MYTHSLEGENDS:

&

COUCH POTATO OF THE MONTH

AN INTERVIEW WITH KAREN FRANCISCO

Naermyth is a Filipino fanta-sy novel set in post-apocalyptic Met-ro Manila. It is Dystopian-themed wherein chaos and war take place between citizens and Filipino myth-ical creatures such as the aswang, tikbalang, kapre, and a lot more. In this literary piece, we follow Aegis’ story as she battles between issues of bravery, love, and sacrifice. A se-quel is on its way soon and readers cannot wait for its release.

Meet the face behind the novel as the amusing and bubbly author Karen Francisco shares her life as a family member, student, writer, and daily fangirl. In this interview, she also shares the obstacles she experienced in pursuing her desired course in college and in writing Naermyth. Through her story, one can truly see that it takes passion and a daily dose of creativity in

creating a world of our own and weaving it into words. For aspiring authors out there, keep an eye out on tips from her on how to defeat your worst enemy – writer’s block. So what are you waiting for? Read on to know more!

What was school like for you?High school was okay. I was the trademark creative kid so I stayed with the people who are equally creative. It was fun as far as we were given freedom; but when it came to structural things, of course, there was this ‘call for rebellion’. Usually, I was a butterfly. Not so clique-ish. But college life for me was a lot nicer. I feel like I got the freedom that my character usually asked for. Anything specific?

Did you join any organizations during college? How did you exer-

cise the ‘freedom’ in college?I wasn’t part of any organizations during college. It was more of a geographical problem because I lived in the South. I went to Ateneo for college so it was a commute back and forth. So staying was a difficult task. I tried varsity of Taekwondo for the first year. That was fun, but if you get up at 5AM commute all the way to Ateneo to train at 6AM, go to class, get out by seven, then train all the way until midnight. It was a little difficult so I had to stop that in my first year. I was part of Aegis, the school yearbook, for a while. But it was more of commission based. I didn’t like the structural part of it. So being in an org was counterpro-ductive to what I want.

Did you choose to go to Ateneo?It’s actually a pretty long story. I wanted to go to UP for Fine Arts. My

by Shaunna Padlan

parents were like, ‘Oh, you speak English pretty well so why don’t you go to Law School?’ I never enter-tained the idea of going against it. But then I repeatedly pressed that I want to go to art school. I applied in Ateneo, UP, La Salle, UST, UA&P. Ateneo, I just gave what my parents wanted: Legal Management, Political Science, and I forgot the last one. UP, I got Legal Management and Fine Arts. I just made it second choice so my parents would be fine with it that I applied for Legal Management. I got into Ateneo; UP, I qualified for Fine Arts; La Salle and UA&P were okay. The funny thing about UST was that when I called them while waiting for the results, they said that my application never arrived. I told my mom about it. She gave me this really guilty expression saying that she intercepted my application. She really didn’t want me to go there. It’s okay, it’s what mothers do for love. I ended up taking Political Science, basically because there was no math involved. Haha! I finished it.

You ended up taking Political Science instead of Fine Arts. How was that like for you? It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I wanted to know if could handle the load. What I absolutely loved about Political Science was that it was a great avenue for reading and writing. Case reading, we had 500 pages per subject. A lot of my friends were like, ‘Oh my gosh we have to review this!’ and I was just like, ‘Oh, I’m halfway done!’ It was really fun. For writing, you’re expected to write from a certain format. You have your methodology, etc. You can’t be very flowery with how you go. Structur-ally, it was a great way to learn and the people, the characters… I just want to say this about Humanities! They’re the best people you’ll ever meet! Like

the arguments and discussions you can have with them. You go through a Philosophy class for just two hours and you end up talking about it for four days.

So you mentioned art, what track in art did you want to go to?Specifically, Advertising. Graduate from Visual Communications then go into Advertising and become a designer in the advertising world. But since I passed Ateneo Law School and Fine Arts was not an option during that time, I just went ahead.

What was your life like after col-lege? What track did you go into after college?The issue came up again after col-lege. At that point I was still 50/50. Should I continue law school or should I take a second degree. My parents were out of money, and they said, ‘Finish political science. Why can’t you just do what you were supposed to do in the first place?’ So

I told my parents how I was going to apply to every one of them. I applied only to Ateneo thinking that I would fail, but then I got in. So I had no choice but to go into law school.

We have your book right here and it says that you had a ‘memorable stint in law school’. Can we know about that ‘memorable stint’? Why was it only a stint?I was there for two years. It was the most grueling experience of my life. Although I do love to read, case studies are completely a different matter. It’s for some people, and it just wasn’t for me. I felt like my life was only constricted to reading and analyzing on my own what I’ve learned. The analysis part was really good. It makes you think in a very specific, structural way which is tan-tamount to that. I think it helped me write more structurally than I used to. Eventually, it was just too much. Compounded with the stress and the fact that I didn’t want to be there. I just had to go after two years.

Did you have a plan of what you’re going to do after law school? Was there a moment when you said, ‘Okay I’ll just stop and go for something else’? Yeah. I secretly applied to Fine Arts. That was in 2009. I had a friend in political science that was in the same position as me. So he invited me to try it and we applied together. We got in and I saw it as a sign. I told my parents that I quit law school, I’m going to Fine Arts and that I’ll finance it myself.

How was it like transitioning from college to work life? What was your first job outside college? First paying job is the job that I have now. I work in a French company and they do a lot of computer work. They allowed me to stay part time.


The cover of Naermyth was

drawn by the author herself.


I worked three times a week and I went to school two times a week. The transition was very difficult be-cause of the travel time and having to shift your mind from work to hav-ing to finish plates in school. It was something I had to learn on my own. It was worth it because I knew what I was going to get from there.

What was it like applying for a job? I was terrified because I came out of Political Science. I did apply to several advertising jobs for graphic design. I did get a few. Three out of four of them asked me why I was ap-plying for graphic arts when I gradu-ated from Political Science and I just tell them the usual story with what I told you. I asked them to look at my portfolio so it could speak for itself. I was accepted into one of four. They were willing to train me, but it was also the time when I was applying for law school. I had no choice but to abandon the application.

What were the obstacles you encountered as you applied for a job? Did you have a hard time because you came from Political Science?When you’re in a line to be inter-viewed, I come out and people ask what took me so long. And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh you don’t want to know. It’s my life story’. I realized that you just talk to people and be honest. If the job means enough for you and you explain that, the interviewers will see it.

May we ask about your family? How many siblings do you have?Sure. I am the second of four sisters. We’re all girls. Me and my sister are a year apart. I have another sister who’s 21. The youngest is 12.

Are there any members of your

family artistic?In my family, my parents skipped that generation. My grandfather was a painter. My grandmother was also a writer. My great-grandfather in my father’s side was also a painter and a writer. My younger sister performs. The youngest has potential.

Aside from competing in tae-kwondo as you have mentioned, do you have other hobbies or do you play other sports?I was in basketball varsity in High School. It didn’t last long because the varsity dispersed when we grad-uated. I play the piano ridiculously, pathetically. People say that I can sing but I think they just want mon-ey from me or something like that. I don’t really sing. Right now, I’m into boxing.

Have you tried writing your own music?Terribly so, yeah! They ended up sounding like Disney music or choir music so I just gave up.

Delving into the ‘writer’ part of you: do you have a favorite author that influenced your writing?Growing up, I ate and breathed Arlstein. Loved it, goosebumps. But my favorite author really has to be Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre – hands down.

Since we’re already talking about heroines, was there an inspira-tion for Athena’s character?Part my mom and part my great grandmother. The thing about my great grandmother is she’s like this legend in my family where she was left alone with a number of kids during the Japanese war. She was in the Mountain Province and it was constantly bombarded and attacked. She would go with the kids all under ten years old to safe areas. So the

bravery comes from the matriarchy in the family. My great grandmother imbued that strength at the same time, I was told that she was the kind of person who wouldn’t let anyone tell her what to do. I wanted to see how that would play in a girl set in a situation like that.

Aside from Naermyth, have you written other books as well?Unpublished. Throughout high school and college, I’ve been work-ing on a lot of high fantasy. That’s what I was into. I do want to pub-lish those but when you’re thinking about publishing locally, you have to understand that publishers are very, very genre oriented. This work for example, you have to make sure that people can relate to your work. If I was going to be writing about English fairies and ladies-in-wait-ing, it’s odd coming from a Filipino. Reading back on my work, it feels like a copycat of Dungeons and Dragons or George R. Martin. Those still exist although abandoned. I de-cided to write Naermyth as a more localized fantasy horror story.

Dystopian-fantasy genre, has this always been the genre that you have been writing? I just fell into it. It’s really weird because Naermyth started out as a thesis paper. I was in my fourth year doing my internship at a govern-ment office and I hated it so much that I contemplated on writing a thesis paper instead. So while doing my outline, I was listing down the possible things. One of them was a possible projection of political states if ever a world war will come or any nuclear disaster calling for a dystopian reality. Outlining that, I made two characters. Initially, it was called, ‘The Fairy and the Knight’. The story will be told of what caused a war and what happened to the

Philippines and the government. Eventually it turned into something high fantasy. Something more unre-alistic.

I am currently reading the book, and I found hints of being Filipino like how they act towards others. Was that Filipino identity in the character intentional?It felt like how my mom would treat us. You know like when you have a mom and you spill the milk and in-stead of your mom saying, ‘Aww, my poor baby you spilled the milk’ she says, ‘Ano ka ba! You clean that up now!’ It felt like something like that. It felt like the way a Filipino would react.

Before Naermyth, what were your past experiences as a writer?I’m not necessarily published but I do participate in journals, reports, where I write everything and poetry to my teacher’s dismay instead of writing it in proper research form. Writing my own stories – short sto-ries, comic books, scripts, etc.

What got you started in your in-terest in Filipino mythology?While I was writing the initial script, I didn’t think it was going to be my-thology related. I just thought that the world was going to end. But you know, the world ends all the time. You can have a nuclear holocaust…zombies…but then how do I localize that? So I thought that I would just use Filipino mythical creatures who come from nowhere. It’s some-thing…I wouldn’t say different but perhaps nobody’s written it before so maybe I can write about it first. As I continued to explore it – the variety, the different stories told in each dialect – the opportunity for the story and the research put together was just there. It was just waiting. So I had to grab it.Of all the things that you are to choose from, which Filipino myth-ical creature would you be?Obviously, you can see from the work that I love the kapre. I love them so much. It’s a great creature you can play with. It’s a popular creature. The crazy thing about them is they get mixed up with other

mythologies. I believe that the kapre is the mythical creature to the Re-naissance man. It can do absolutely anything. During my research, we tried to narrow it down where these mythologies come from, who they are, where they are, what exactly is the origin, and how come they’re a myth in the first place. People have said that some African individual slaves were brought to the Philip-pines and us, not knowing who they were, assigned them as a mythi-cal creature. Then here come the Spaniards who use the opportunity to scare the natives. It’s more of the history that comes with it.

Why the name Naermyth? It means ‘never myth’. If I was to think that you were in war, you just kind of bastardize the language a little bit. It was a little fun for me to change something and make it original.

Did you have any challenges of your own in writing the book?A lot. When you’re writing, you’re exposed to so much other creative people and so many other things that it’s better, it’s wonderful. It’s like coming from watching a Dis-ney movie and you’re crying not because of the story but because it was better than yours. I mean, not that it may distract you but it may encourage you at the same time. I specifically found out that music kind of helps. I have a compiled playlist for the fighting part, the part when everything is kind of mel-low… it helps. I have a playlist called movie soundtracks. The absence of words makes it easy to write what’s happening. It’s because of the tempo. My absolute favorite is the soundtrack from Angels & Demons. You pump yourself up and the words just come to you.


An artwork of Tito Bing, one of the characters in the

book, drawn by the author.


What kind of music do you listen to?I’m an oldies fan. I like everything before 1980. If you ask me what the sounds are now I absolutely do not know.

What were the best parts about writing your book?Sometimes I surprise myself in where the story leads. I like to con-fine myself in what’s already there. At the same time, it’s good for me because I don’t make the world too big. When I then find the solution to my problem while writing, and you’re like ‘Oh it was there all the time! Brilliant!’ You’ll have those moments of ‘Yes, I deserve a cookie or something like that’. For the sec-ond book, I’ve written six drafts and it took me three years. The readers are all waiting; but in the end, it will be worth it.

How long did it take the entire process from conceptualization to the first draft?The concept came in 2007 and I completed it in 2009. The writing process itself was condensed to one year. The pressure lies in making it better, but at the same time sustain-ing what’s written in the first book. It’s difficult in not only living up to the height, but also in keeping things consistent. I try to make it a story of its own instead of a bridge [sequel].

How do you do your research? How do you find the material that you’re looking for?- It starts off with a lot of reading in the beginning. A lot. I got everything I could on Philippine mythology. One of my supporting books that I abso-lutely love is the series of booklets by Francisco Ramos. It’s solely about Philippine mythology and Filipino folklore. From that, I start asking questions on how to make my read-

ers understand them. I expanded my research globally. You can also see how stories trickle to us brought on by migrants, sailors, etc. How did you come up with the development of the plot of the story?I knew where it was going to end. The hardest part actually is making those little twists and how you’ll build anticipation for the readers and playing down what’s really hap-pening in the background. I had to write the first 15% percent of book one three times because I wasn’t sure about the conflict. It was prob-ably just, ‘Oh, you know, somebody has written about this before’. So while you’re writing you still have to continue that. Spend time asking yourself about what happens and then eventually it all makes sense.

When and how was Naermyth published?It was copyrighted in 2009. I spent three months sending cover letters to publishers. I sent it to [numer-ous] publishers. I waited [for] about a month and a half until I got my first e-mail from Visprint. They said they were interested and I couldn’t breathe for an hour! I sent the man-uscript and they said that they really liked it and they wanted to work on it.

Who illustrated the cover? Can you talk about it? I did. For the design, it’s more from my imagination instead of Manila. The original art had a lot more detail. I figured that the creature there would be a squatting aswang. I have a thing where I want people to not know what the book is about when they see the cover. •

WRITING TIPSfrom the author

• Makeanoutline,thenwriteithowitisinit.Whenyougetthisideatochangethings,keepitforawhile.Ifit’sagoodchange,itwillstickwithyou.Justkeepwritingandsticktoyourplans.

• Readalot.Keepreading,keepwrit-ing.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatmaterialyouread.Theflowofwordsandinformationinyourheadkeepsyouthinkingandithelpsalot.It’sgoodtoknowwhat’sbeingdone.Readbadreviewstobeguidedandtoletyouknowwhatnottodo.Atthesametime,donotwriteforotherpeople.Writeforyourself.Theruleisyouwritewhatyouread.Striveforperfectionbutdon’tcrywhenyougetdisappointed.

• Whenyoukeepwritingandyoufindyourselfdeviatingcompletelytoyouroriginalstory,yourorigi-nalstoryforareason.Ifyouhavecompletelydeviated,it’snotagoodidea.Abandonitwhereitisanduseitlateronbecauseitwillbeuseful.

• Anotherthingwhenwritingsome-thing,youknowwhat’sgoingtohappenalthoughyoujustdon’tknowhowtosayit.You’repush-ingtofindyourinspirationwheninspirationshouldn’tbeforced.Youjusthavetowaitandbreathe.Thesolutionisalreadyinthetext.Justreadthroughitagainandyouprobablyalreadymentionedit.It’sanEastereggsomewherethatyoucanuse.

• Writewhatyouknowaboutlifeandnotjustyourexpeiences.

by Shaunna Padlan

Battling with writer’s block again? Have no fear! The Couch Potato team asked

Ms. Karen Francisco on advice for fellow writers. Here are her top five tips:

IhavehatedreadingsinceIwasingradeschool,andIhaveneverfin-ishedabook.ReadingwastheworstactivityIcouldeverthinkof!Icouldnotevenimaginemyselfsittingonacouch–concentratingwithabookinmyhand.Itabsolutelysucked!How-ever,manythingshavechangedsinceIattendedcollege.Ilearnedtoappre-ciatereadingasleisure.Ithinkitwasbecause,asacollegestudent,readingwasrequiredinalmostallofoursub-jects.Itmayhavealsobeenbecauseofmycuriositytolearnnewthings.

Theloveforreadingmaycomewithalotofstruggleandeffort,butitispossible.Herearesomemotivationaltipsthatwillhelpyougetmoving.Let’sgetstarted!

Challenge Yourself Leaveyourcomfortzoneanddosomethingnew.Stopbeingpessimis-tic;instead,dotheopposite.Ifyouhatereading,thenaskyourself“whydon’tIgiveitatry”?Alwaysremem-berthatlifegetsboringwhenyoustaywithinthelimitsofwhatyoualreadyknow.

Accept Your WillpowerAlwaysbelieveinyourself.Ifyouthinkthatyoucannotfinishthewhole

book,proveyourselfwrong.Youcandoanythingwhenyoustartbelievingandtrustinginyourself.Bydoingthis,youwillhavetheself-confidenceandself-esteemthatwillmakeyourjour-neyfununtilthelastpage.

Choose the Right Genre For YouTheremustbesomebookoutthereforyounomatterwhoyouare:fan-tasy,sci-fi,fiction,romance,comedy,horrorandetc.Remember,youjusthavetofindtherightthingthatwillsuityourtaste.

Read the Plot at the Back CoverTrytoreadthebookjacketfirstbe-causeitwillgiveyouanideaofwhatthebookisallabout.Afterwards,decidewhetheryoulikeitornot.Ifincasetheplotdoesn’tfitinyourtaste,getanotherone.

Give Yourself Time to Get Into a BookNotallbookswillcompletelygrabyourattentionfrompageone.Mostofthetime,ittakesawhiletogetintoastory.Ifyou’renotcompletelywonoverbytheendofthefirstchap-ter,don’tworry.Justturnthepageandkeepgoingbecausesomethingexcitingmighthappen.Onceyou’reengaged,you’llfindthatit’seasyto

keepreading.Butifyou’renotenjoy-ingabookafteryou’vereadhalfofit,thenconsiderditchingit.There’snorulethatsaysyouhavetofinisheverybookyoustart.

Start with Moderate LengthDonotforceorpressureyourselftodiveintoa300pagebookrightaway.Readingisaprocesssotakeitonestepatatime.Thefirststepyoucandoistoreadsomethingwithsimplewordsandeasysentences.Then,setgoalandpaceyourself.Ifyoucanfinishonepageaday,youwillfinish30pagespermonthandyouwillbeabletofinishabookin4-7months,whichisnotbadatall.

Avoid ElectronicsTakethebooksomewherewithnogadgetstoavoiddistractions.Ifyoucan’tbegetaway,justgotoaquiteplaceandturnyourgadgetsoffsothatyou’llbeforcedtofocusonwhatyou’rereading.Evenifit’sjustfifteenminutesaday,youwillbesurprisedbyhowtimepassesbywhenyoufocusallofyourattentiononthestory.Theneedtoknowwhatwillhappennextwillmakeputtingthebookdownharderasyougoalong.

by April Tancio

How to Motivate Yourself to Read A B k


Classics Reinvented Storytelling has evolved drastically through the existence of the internet. Multi-


Lizzie Bennet DiariesOriginal run :

April 9, 2012-March 28, 2013 The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (LBD) is a adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Presented in the style of a video blog or a vlog, the story is mainly narrated by Lizzie together with her sisters, Jane and Lydia, and her best friend, Charlotte. Aside from the main channel on Youtube, the series also had interactive elements on social network-ing sites that were directly linked with the storyline, giving different perspec-tives and tidbits into the everyday lives of each character. The web series was positively received by critics and was awarded the Original Interactive Program at the Creative Arts Emmys in 2013. Because their successes, several LBD spin offs were developed: The Lydia Bennet, Maria of the Lu, Collins and Collins, Pemberly Digital and Welcome to Sandition.

Autobiography of Jane Eyre Original Run:

February 28, 2013 - on going This web series is an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic gothic novel, Jane Eyre. It follows the same trend of the use of transmedia to interact with its audience through platforms like Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, made popular by LBD. Through the help of Indiegogo, a website that raises funds through donations; the production is now continuing its run.

Tell Tale Vlog Original run:

October 7, 2013 - on goingThis comedy series is about a fictional portrayal of poet Edgar Allen Poe a.k.a Ed Poe. Presented in a confessional style of vlogging, the show consists of two characters, Ed and Lenore, a ghost staying in his house. Instead of modernizing the setting, the team at

Shipwrecked productions delivers an entertaining mix of the old world and the new, perfect for those who like period settings.

Other projects like Emma Approved, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, The Nick Carraway Chronicles, an adapta-tion F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gats-by and Lil Women, an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, are now gaining viewership and support from fans all over the world. Because of this new trend, new projects like Anne of Green Gables and #Hamlet are now in the works thanks to fan support and positive recognition from the main-stream media. It is truly remarkable how storytelling has changed through the years — and by the looks of it, this new form of media will not only inno-vate the way stories are told but also revitalize classic stories, welcoming it into the modern times.

Storytelling has evolved drastically through the existence of the internet. Multiple platforms for social media and sharing are now shaping the way story material is being made, or in this case, reinvented. Through transmedia or multiplatform storytelling, beloved classic works such as “Pride and Prejudice”, “Jane Eyre” and “Hamlet” are now being given a modern spin that incorporates not only media sharing platforms, but also social networking websites. Released through a webseries format, modern retelling of the classics are now becoming the new trend particularly geared towards the younger generation. For those who find classic books boring, this innovative approach might convince you otherwise.

by Khalela Talion

Classics Reinvented

FRESH OFF THE PRESS:


Tiredoflookingforthenextbookyoushouldread?Hereisalistofthemov-ersandshakersinrecentandupcom-ingYoungAdultbooksforthemonthofMarch,AprilandMay.Restassuredthatthesetitleswillhityourbookishsweet spot with unique, fascinatingand interesting beautifully writtennovelsfreshfromthepress.

1. PanicbyLaurenOliverPublishedMarch4th2014byHarperCollins

Grad-uating se-niors froma run-downtown par-ticipate inan annualgamecalledPanic,asix-event sur-vival con-test wherethe winner

takesall.Witha cashprize thatmaybetheironlyticketout,thestakesarelife-threateninglyhigh.Thisnewnov-el from LaurenOliver, author of thebestsellingtrilogyDelirium,deliversafastpacedrealisticstoryoffriendship,loyalty,courageandhope.

Top 10 Must Reads This Season

by Khalela Talion

2. The Winner’s Curse (The Win-ner’s Trilogy #1)by Marie RutkoskiPublished March 4th 2014 by FarrarStrausGiroux

Kestrel, amember ofthe rulingclass, hasonly twoc h o i c e s :jointhemil-itary or getm a r r i e d .H o w e v -er, she hasother plans

on hermind.She impulsively buys aslave that might cost her her heartand her home.This beautifully writ-tenfantasywithrichcomplexcharac-terizationswillholdreadersinraptureuntilitsbreathtakingconclusion.

3. A Death-Struck Yearby Makiia LucierPublished March 4th 2014 by HMHBooksforYoungReaders

17yearoldCleoBarryisstrug-glingtosurvivethe1918SpanishInflu-enzapandemic.Facedwithdeathanddisease, shevolunteers to serveasanursing maid in her local communi-ty. Indoingso,shebuildsfriendships

and discov-ers her call-ing in thesed e s p e r a t etimes. Thish i s t o r i c a ldebut nov-el givesreaders anin depthglimpse ofone of his-tory’s most

widespread outbreak of diseasethroughtheeyesofanunwillinghero-in.

4. Side Effects May Varyby Julie MurphyPublishedMarch18th2014byHarperCol-lins/Balzer+Bray

WhenAlice is di-a g n o s e dwith leu-kemia, sheenlists thehelp of herfriend Har-vey to ac-complish abucket listthat….let’sjustsayshe

could’vegottenawaywith,ifonlyshepassed away. However, her cancergoes intoremissionandshenowhasto face the consequences of her ac-tions.Thishonestandbelievablesto-rygivesanewspinonacancerstorymostbooksfailtoachieve.

5. The Strange and Beautiful Sor-rows of Ava Lavenderby Leslye Walton Expectedpublication:March25th2014byCandlewickPress

Thismultigenerationalmagi-calnovelexploresthelifeofAvaLav-


ago. Now,t h r o u g hthe help ofc ryogenicsand the lat-est techno-logical ad-vancement,his head isreanimatedand is at-tached to abuffer and

taller donor body. From the PrintzAward-winning,WhereThingsComeBackauthor,thisnovelisacomingofagestorywithahumorousandinter-estingtwist.

8. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Be-fore (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1)by Jenny Han

Expectedpublication:April15th2014bySimon&SchusterBooksforYoungReaders

L a r a

Jean Cov-ey writeslove let-ters to allthe boysshe everloved. Notfor them,but forher owncatharsis.

This was her secret until her lettersweremailed and sent to the boys inquestion. From the NewYorkTimesbestselling author of The SummerI Turned Pretty series comes thischarming story of naiveté and guilethatisacontrasttotheusualworldlyportrayalofteengirlstoday.

9. One Man Guyby Michael Barakiva272pages

ender, agirl bornwith thewings of abird, andher mysti-cal family.It is notonly aboutlove butfocuses onits manyd i m e n -

sions. It is a unique and fresh storythat,combinedwithbeautifullywrit-tenprose,canbeappreciatedbybothteensandadultsalike.

6. Nearly Goneby Elle CosimanoExpectedpublication:March25th2014byKathyDawsonBooks

B o -swell livesa nearlyl o w - k e yexistenceup untilwhen herclassmatesstart get-ting killedoff one byone. Whenthe mur-

derer leaves coded messages inten-tionallyforher,shehasnochoicebuttosolvethiscasebeforemorepeoplegethurtor she takes theblame.De-scribed as Bones meets Fringe, thisdebutthrillermixesabitofthesuper-natural and intelligent investigativeprose that will keep readers on theedgeuntilthelastpage.

7. Nogginby John Corey WhaleyExpected publication: April 8th 2014 byAtheneumBooksforYoungReaders TravisCoatesdiedofleukemiawhenhewas16.Thatwasfiveyears

Expectedpublication:May27th2014byFarrar,StrausandGiroux(BYR)

A l e kKheder iancomes froma tradition-alArmenianfamily whoa r r a n g e shimtogotoa camp forthesummerto improvehis grades.Whilethere,

he meets Ethan who gives him ad-venture and opens his eyes to newpossibilities. This romantic comedyis reviewed by Publisher’sWeekly as“avoids stereotypes and clichés tocreateasweetportraitofnascentad-olescentlove”.

10. The First Fifteen Lives of Har-ry Augustby Claire NorthExpectedpublication:April8th2014PublishedbyOrbitBooks

Harry Au-gust is des-tined to livehis life in anendless cy-cle, experi-encing thesameeventsover andover againwith the allhis memo-ries of hisp r e v i o u s

livesintact.Heisakalachakra,andheisnotalone.Toldthattheendoftheworldisnearingaseachcyclepass,hemust use all his knowledge to knowknow why and how to save it. Thisstunning debut from author ClaireNorth delivers a fresh and complexconceptthatmay leaveyoucontem-platinglifeanditspurpose.


Rising Music Artists found a new platform in

by Juan Miguel Flores

ComposedofbrothersAlejandro,Daniel,andFabianManzano,BoyceAvenueaverages10millionhitspersongcover.FortheirMirrorscover(originallybyJustinTimberlake),theyreceivedover42millionviews.BecauseoftheriseoftheYoutubemusicscene,theyarenowasfamousasotherartistsontelevision.Theyhavealsoproducedoriginalsongs,likeOneLifeandEveryBreathamongothers.Becauseoftheirpopularity,BoyceAvenuehasheldsoldoutconcertsandinternation-altours.Infact,theyjusthadaconcertinResortsWorldManilalastDecember2013.

AlexanderGut,orpopular-ilyknownasAlexGootisanartistbasedinNewYork.Hebecamefa-mous after having collaborationswithotherYoutubeartistssuchasSamTsuio and Chrissy Costanza.As a testament to his popularity,hisrecentcoverofOneRepublic’sCounting Stars already receivedover 7 million views on Youtubewith just over twomonths in theweb. Similar to other artists, hehasproducedoriginallycomposedmusic like Lightning and SecretGirl.

Christina Grimmie startedher Youtube career in 2009. Be-causeofhercoverofJustaDreamalongsideSamTsui,Grimmiewasable to increaseher fanbasewiththe video reaching over 92 mil-lionhits.ShehasalsoreleasedheroriginalcompositionssuchasFindMeandAdvice.Currently,sheisaacontestantinTheVoiceUSSea-son6underTeamAdam.

Boyce Avenue5.4 Million Subscribers

Christina Grimmie2.5 Million Subscribers

Alex Goot1.6 Million Subscribers


Theinternetgetsstrongerasitgiveseveryoneanavenuetoshowcasetheirtalent.ThisnewmediumservesasanalternativeforanybodywhohasnotbrokenthroughintheTVormusicindustrytomakeanameoftheirown.Fornewbreedmusicartists,Youtubegivesanopportunitytobediscovered. WithmillionsandmillionsofpeoplevisitingYoutubeeveryday,newartistsgettheopportunitytopresenttheirsongs,—whetheranoriginaloracover—hopingthatitwillgarnerviews.TheyareabletopublicizethemselevesforfreethroughttheirvideosaswellassteerviewersintobuyingtheirsongsthroughalternativeplatformssuchasiTunesorSpotify.Astheyclimbtheladderoffame,theymanagetohavetheirownconcertsandtours.Let’slookatsomeYoutubeartistswhoaresuccessfulinthisplatform.

Sam Tsui is an Americanmusic artist who started hisYou-tubecareer in2009.Hehasover70millionviewsforthevideoofhiscoverofNelly’sJustaDreamwithChristina Grimmie. Sam Tsui hasalreadyproducedhisownindivid-ual songs,which are available oniTunes. He has also produced analbum called “Make ItUp” underanSh-KBoomRecords,anAmer-ican independent recording com-pany.BecauseofhisYoutubesuc-cess,healreadyhadhisowntoursandconcertsaroundtheU.S.andhasperformedonEllenandOprahlast2010.

Not to be mistaken withfellow Youtube star Alex Goot,Alex G is an American artist whowas inspired by Tyler Ward andJulia Sheer – other Youtube art-ists. Two years ago, she joined acontest founded byTylerWard. Itturnedout that shedidn’twinyetTyler Ward personally messagedheraskingformusiccollaboration.Sincethen,shenowhasmorethana million subscribers onYoutube.AlexG’smostpopularvideo ishercover of Maroon 5’s Payphone,withmorethan13millionviewers.She also has originally composedmusicsuchas4A.MandFindYoutonameafew.

Sam Tsui1.1 Million Subscribers

Alex G1.1 Million Subscribers

Justin Bieber9.1 Million Subscribers

Unless you’ve been livingunder a rock, or have been in acomaforthepastfewyears,you’veprobablydancedtothispopstar’sfeel-good beats.Arguably one ofthe youngest and most famousartists in theworld, Justin Bieberbeganhis journey toworlddomi-nationonYoutube,whenmanag-erScooter braun cameacross hiscoverofChrisBrown’s“WithYou”.Bieber has mentored by RnB su-perstar,Usher,released3albums,receivednumerousawardsinclud-ing 2Grammy nonations, namedthe“thirdmostpowerfulcelebrityintheworld”byForbesMagazinein2012,andhassoldover15mil-lionrecordsworldwide.

by Shaunna Padlan

Onthewaytoyoursummergetawaywithoutnewtunes?Atabeachpartywithoutthelatesthousemusic?Feelingboredandwantingtolistentonewjams?Donotfret!Fromrelaxingbythepoolsidetobeingonaroadtriporpartyingwithfriends,CouchPotatohasgotitcoveredforyou.Spiceupyoursummerwiththesenew

albumsof2014.

Nonewsoundstocruisetoonthehighway?Well,here’sararemixofdifferentgenressuchaspopandelectronicacombinedaltogether!FosterthePeople’ssecondalbum,Supermodel,featurestracks‘ComingofAge’,theirfeaturedsongfromthisalbum,hasachillvibewhichwillturnbacktimeandbringyoubacktofeelingthemusicofthe80’sonceagain.Unliketheirfirstalbumthatmainlycomposesofelectronicbeats,Supermodel isguitar-driven.Thethemeofthealbumcentersonsocialissuesspecificallythenegativityconcerningmodernpopularcultureandcapitalism.

Thisalbumisperfectforeasylisteningtoaccompanyyouduringcruisingontheroadwithitslightbeatsandfeelgoodvibe.Ahighlyrec-ommendedtracktolistentois‘ComingofAge’,whichtimewarpsyoutorockingoutonan80’stune.

Whowouldn’tlovetohavethatde-stressingbikerideafterloadsofworkfromschool?Agoodalbumtocruisetorelaxing,breezybikerideseitheraloneorwithfriendsisATriptoTheCoastbyBritishsinger-song-writer,instrumentalist,musicalarrangerandproducerBillPritchard.Re-leasedonMarchjustthisyear,itishisfirstalbumanditcomposesoftensongsonloveandloss.Thesimplicityofhissongsisbrilliantandperfectforeasylistening.Fromthecheerfultuneof‘Trentham’totheadorablelyricsof‘Polly’,Pritchard’sguitarpopandmelodicballadswilltakeyourworriesawayandwilltrulygiveyouthatsummersoundtrackexperience.Becarefulofgettingintoanyaccidentsifyou’reusingearphonesthough!

Bike rides through the park

On that road trip to your summer destination


Sweet SummerSoundtrackFeel Good Albums to Spice Up Your Summer


At the beachTheultimatebeachexperience–feelingthesummerheat,hearingwavescrashingontheshore,andthesmellofsunscreen–willnotbecompletewithoutlisteningtoMKTO(releasedJanuary2014).Thealbumconsistsofupbeatrap,RNB,andpoptunes.MKTOdoesnotonlystandforthenameofthetwosingers,whichareMalcolmKelleyandTonyOller,butitalsomeansMisfitKidsandTotalOutcasts.Oneof theirmostcatchysongsare‘Classic’and‘ThankYou’.Justbytheintroofthesesongs,itwillmakeyoudancetotheirtunesandremovethebeachbuminyou.Thisalbumwillabsolutelygiveyouenergyforawonderfuldayatthebeach.

Recommended for any relaxing activity one is currently doing,TheFraycomesbackwiththeirlatestalbum,Helios.Thisalbumwasre-leasedonFebruarythisyearanditstracksareamixofalternativerockandpoprock.ThebanddrewinspirationfromthemostpopularbandsoftodaysuchasBritishrockbandColdplay(withtheirsong‘Hurricane’),AmericanpoprockbandMaroon5(‘GiveItAway’),andIrishrockbandU2(‘KeepOnWanting’).Fortunately,TheFraydoesnotfailtoimpressfanswiththeiruniqueedgeatinnovativebeatsandheartfeltlyrics.

Whyisthisgoodforanysummeractivity,youask?Whetheryou’rewhilingawaytimeinyourroom,spendingtimewithfriends,orrelaxingoutdoorsunderthemoonlitsky,Heliosprovidesbothupbeat,feelgoodsongsandrelaxingsongsthatwillstiryouremotions.

All-time summer album

At a picnic with friends With a combination of alternative rock, folk, and pop in theirmusic,Oh,WhatALifebyAmericanindierockbandAmericanAuthors(releasedMarch2014), isthe idealalbumto listentowhenyou’rewithfriends.Itcomposestrackswithlivelylyricsandcatchytunes.Theirsongstrulyemanateoptimism,whichareperfectadditionstoenjoyingone’sday.Recommendedsongstolistentointhisalbumare‘BestDayOfMyLife’,‘Believer’,and‘Love’.


by Trina Quintos

Withthebeginningofsummercomesavarietyofmust-doac-tivitiesthatallowyoutoletlooseandforgetabouteverythingschoolrelated.Inrecentyears,concertsandmusicfestivalshavesurgedinthePhilippines,alongwiththeheightenedpopularityofindiemusic.Thesummerof2014shallbenodifferent.May17promisesthereturnof“Wanderland”,amusicfestivalthatlaunchedlast2013.Itwasone-daymusicfestivalorganizedbyKarposMultimediainGlobalCircuitMaka-ti.It’ssuccesshasensureditsreturnthisyear,withalineupthatisyettobereleased.

Last year,Wanderland’s lineup boasted a variety of artists,headlinedby indiepopgroup,TheTemperTrap,andpoprockband,NeonTrees.AccordingtoColwinTanheco,KarposMultimedia’sSocialMediaContentManagerandInternationalArtistRoadManager,Wan-derlandgives it’sdominantlyadolescentaudiencearelaxed,“hippy”vibewhileservingupadiverselineup. Setting itself apart from other music festivals, Wanderlandcombinedbothmusicandart tocreateauniqueartisticexperience.Whilethemusicactswereperformingonstage,streetartistsandmuralartistswerecreatingtheirownmasterpiecesontheconcertgrounds.CalledthePhilippineversionofCoachella, itwaswidelyattendedbyteenagers ranging from15-25 years of age,who livedout their hip-sterdreamsbylayingonpicnicmatsandprancingaboutinbohemianclothingandflowercrowns.

Thisyear,Wandererswillstepintoaworldofmusicfancyyouthasacircus-themedWanderlandreturns.Both localand internationalsinginggroupswillperform.Wanderland2014willalsofeatureliveartbyAnjoBolardo,JPCuisonandDeeJaePaesye.

For “Wanderland2014”, thebarhas been sethighandpeo-pleareexpectingabigger,bettereventwithastrongindiepoprockoriented lineup.With preparationswell underway for this year’s cir-cus-themed“Wanderland2014”,itwillsurelybeanexhilaratingsum-merescape.

Step Into Music Fancy


Line Up

Last DinosaursGenre: Indie rock

FrancoGenre: Rock

Lucy RoseGenre: Indie folk

Woody PitneyGenre: Folk-pop

The DrumsGenre: Beach-pop

The Ransom CollectiveGenre: Indie folk-rock

Architecture in HelsinkiGenre: Pop

The Royal ConceptGenre: Indie rock band

The Paper KitesGenre: Folk

BrisomGenre: Indie rock

Techy RomanticsGenre: Electro-pop

Chocolate GrassGenre: neo-soul


Travel through time.www.youtube.com/user/TeamHabolness


byJuan Miguel

Flores

THE LOVE THAT

DEFIES AGE

The Sandler-Barrymore

Connection:

It’s one of a kind for an on-screen couple to make a hit on the big screen three times in a row – especially when they’re a decade in between. In an interview at Late Night with Jimmy Fal-lon, on-screen partners Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore spilled an inter-esting trivia: “Every 10 years, we get to fall in love again.” In their new movie, they are once again reunited to be the couple people loved in the ‘90s. With all the successful past movie proj-ects they had, the Sandler-Barrymore tandem doesn’t seem to lose its love spell. Even if years went by, their on-screen chemistry and spark has never failed to cast its spell. Let’s take a look to where it all began:

The Wedding Singer (1998)

Who can ever forget the lyrics of the song, “Oh I could be the man who grows old with you”? Apparently, it was also when Sandler and Barrymore's on-screen relationship clicked. In a debut film that started the decade-wide love connection, Sandler portrays the life of a wedding singer named Robbie Hart while Barrymore plays the role of a waitress named Julia Sullivan. Meeting in a wedding reception, what started out as a casual acquaintance eventually turns into something more.Critics gave it a positive review proving that the Sandler-Barrymore team-up is indeed effective. The general public welcomed the couple’s rom-com debut making the movie a box office hit as it ranked number two in ticket sales un-

der Titanic.

50 First Dates (2004)

This classic film puts their second “decade movie” on the books. Sandler, in this movie, portrays Henry Roth, a playboy veterinarian who meets Lucy Whitmore, played by Drew Barry-more, in a café. He falls in love with her and asks her for another date. However, Lucy is suffering from Goldfield’s Syn-drome, a type of antergograde amnesia, that makes her unable to create new memories because of an accident years ago. This is why when Henry Roth chats with her again, she does not remember even a single detail about him. This in-spired the classic pursuit of Sandler to the forgetful Lucy Whitmore. And so he takes on the challenge of making her fall in love with him every single day. Critics had a mixed response on the film. Michael O'Sullivan, a critic from the Washington Post gave it a positive review saying, “A chick flick for guys, with a pH balance in perfect equilib-rium between the crass and the sweet”. However, Rex Reed from the New York Observer responded negatively saying, “[It’s] stupid, coarse, and abys-mally funny.” Moreover, in this movie, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were awarded as the “Best On-Screen Team” by MTV Movie Awards in 2004. People’s reception was very positive, so much so that the movie’s received an in-come of over $190 million from a $75 million budget.

Blended (2014)

This coming June 11, the “De-cade couple” is back together for a ro-mantic comedy movie. Director Frank Coraci, director of the Wedding Singer, teams up again with the duo for some old-school romance. On their third movie together, Sandler will play the role of Jim Friedman, single dad who’s fond of dating while Barrymore will play Lauren Reynolds, a single mom who’s into dating as well. The story goes after the two find themselves stuck in a resort in Africa so they could treat their kids for a family vacation. As they pri-oritize their own children, a seemingly accidental acquaintance will turn into a relationship between the two. In few months, the audience will once again see the decade-long on-screen come-back of the “Sandler-Barrymore Con-nection” completing the movie for the third decade. The audience don’t seem to lose taste on the Sandler-Barrymore connection. Maybe Sandler wanted his song in The Wedding Singer to be a reality, making him “be the man who grows old with Barrymore” – on the big screen. As long as viewers are under the Sandler-Barry-more connection, the on-screen tradi-tion every decade might continue. So count years from now because who knows? You might see them together again after Blended!


THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO WATCH MOVIES WITH

by Meda Cruz

Imaginethatamovieyou’vebeenwaitingforhasfinallybeenreleased.Yourush to thenearestmoviehouseandget thebest seat in thehouse.Youbuyyourpopcornandyourdrinks.Themoviestartsandyoujustrelaxandenjoytheshow.Butsuddenly,theguybesideyouanswershisringingphoneandtalkswithaloudvoice.Themominfrontofyoustandsupandblocksyourperfectview.Thegroupofteenag-ersontheothersideofthemoviehouseburstintoloudlaughterandyoucan’tunder-standathingyou’rewatching.Evenifyoureallywanttowatchwhat’sonthescreen,youjustcan’t.Andit’sbecauseofthemostannoyingpeopleyoucouldeverencounterinamoviehouse.


Thesearethepeoplewhogoincliqueswhenwatchingamovie.It’snotthatit’sbadtowatchmovieswithyourbestbuds.It’sjustthatwhenonegoestothemoviehouse,thesupposedintentionistowatch—nottolaughtheirbuttsoffbecauseofeachother’sstories.Thesefriendsarecommonlyintheirearlytomidteenageyears,bunchedtogetherandgigglingoverthelatestYAflick.

The Barkada

Noteveryoneinthemoviehouseknowsthefullsummaryofthemovie;that’swhyeveryone’swatchingit.Buttherearejustsomepeoplewhoaredesperatetoknowallthehow’sandthewhy’softhemoviethatthey justhavetoasktheirseatmateandtheirseatmate’sseatmateabout it.Some-times,theyreallyjustlosetrackofwhat’sgoingon.Othertimes,theyaretheloyalfriendswhoareforcedtotagalongbytheirfangirlfriend,withoutanypriorknowledgeonwhat’sabouttohappen.

The curious

TheStorytellersarebestfriendswithTheCurious.Theyeagerlyanswerthequestionsandeven-tuallyspoilthewholemovie,especiallyifit’sabookadaptation.Theyarethefanswhoknowalltheinsandoutsofastory,includingirrelevanttriviaanddirector’snotes.Storytellerscomefromalong-exist-ingfanbase,especiallyofmovieserieslikeHarryPotterorLordoftheRings.WordofadviceforStory-tellers:It’sgreattobein-the-knowwhenitcomestoyourfavoritemovie,butpleasedon’tspoilthefunforeveryone.

The storytellers

It’snaturaltowanttoexpressexcitementandelationwhenwatchingamuch-awaitedmovie.Butsomepeoplejustgetsoworkedupthattheircheersandtheirreactionsdistractthemomentumoftherestoftheaudience.Themoviedeservespraisebutpleasedoitattheendofthemovie,oratleastmakesurethatnooneisdisturbed.Thesepeopleareusuallyfansofmoviesthatalreadyhavealargeandintenselyloyalfanbase,likeMarvelflicks.

The Standing Ovation

Cellularphonesarenotprohibitedinmoviehouses.Itisunderstandablethattherearesomecallsthatneedtobeanswered.Butitisalsounderstablethatonemustbeconsideratetotheirfellowmoviepatrons.Everyonepaidthesameamounttoenjoythemovie;let’snotrobthemofthatexpe-rience.Remembertoswitchyourphoneoff,ortoputitonsilentmode.Ifit’sanimportantcall,stepoutsidebeforepickingitup.

The answering machine

Thetheaterislikeamuseumofmovies;andinamuseum,youwouldn’twantotherpeopledis-turbingyourpeaceandconcentrationontheart.Soifyouknowsomeonewhoisanyofthementionedorifyouseeonewhodoessointhenextmovieyouwatch,pleasedostop,politelyremindthem.


by Ayana Tomas

Watch & LiveMovies Featuring Vacation Ideas

Moviesnotonlyshowcasestoriesandcharactersthatcouldbere-latableorhavelife-changingeffectstotheaudience.Sometimes,italsogivespeopleideasonwhattheycouldbemissingouton.Ideaslikewhattodoandwheretogoforavacation.Hereisalistofmoviesthatmightjustconvinceyou to tryactivitiesyouhaven’tdonebeforeandsugges-

tionsonlocalareaswhereyoucouldexperiencethem.

Twowomenfromdifferentpartsoftheworlddecidetoswaphousesforaweektoescapetheirbrokenhearts.OneisfromthewarmLosAngeleswhiletheotherisfromthesnowyLondon.Plungingintoalifestylethatcompletelycontraststheirown,thetwounknowinglybreakfreefromtheirshells.

Thisformofhouserentingisalreadyacommonpractice.Basically,twohouseownersagreeonacommondateandtimeframetowhichtheystayateachothers’house(insteadofpayingforahotel,theyoffertheirhousestosaveuponmon-ey).Though it posesquite anumberof risksdue to false-advertisingandeven scams, thereare still thosewhopreferhouse-swappingthanstayingathotelsandresorts.Itmayseemasmoreofahasslewithcleaninguponyourownduringavacation,butstayinginahouseoffersawelcomingexperienceforaless-expensivetreat.Ownersopenforhouse-swappingpostonwebsitessuchaswww.guesttoguest.comandLoveHomeSwap.com.Mostspecifywhichplacestheyacceptoffersfromandrarelydotheyacceptfromtheirowncountry.Soifyouwanttogolocalandarewillingtopaythenyoucouldre-servehousesatsulit.comorAyosDito.com.

The HolidayHouse-Swap


JaneisasolidfanofJaneAusten’sbook.Herdevotionwassostrongthatherwholeapartmentwasthemedaftertheeraandherrequirementforaboyfriendwasencapsulatedinjustonecharacter,Mr.DarcyfromPrideandPrejudice.UponcomingtotheconclusionthatherlifewouldnotbecompletewithouttheAustenexperience,shedecidestoblowoffhersavingstogothefamous“Austenland”.ItisathemedresidentiallandwhichoffersacompleteimmersiontothelifeinAusten’sbooksfromthefoodtotheundergarmentsandeventotheendingofagreatromanticball.ThereshefindsherselflivingElizabethBennet’sromancefromPrideandPrejudicewithherownMr.Darcy.

TheclosestlocalthingsimilartothatofAustenlandisFantasyWorld,Tagaytay.Itisanadventureparklandwithamedievaltheme(minustheaccuracyoftheclothesandfood).Thereareentertainmentandrecreationalfacilitiestogolfcourses,playgrounds,poolareas,andmore.Therearesomanyactivitiesavailablethataweekwouldn’tevenbeenoughtoexperi-enceitall.However,FantasyWorldremainsexclusive.Toavailaccessonemusteitherbecomeamemberandbuyaroomorgaincontactofamemberandrentitout.Offersareuponsulit.comandothersimilarwebsites.

AustenlandTheme Park and Resort

Chasing LibertyRomance to Adrenaline

A girl runs away from the constricting lifestylebroughtbyherfather’spresidency.Shethenhitchhikeswith an attractive stranger and together, they exploreEurope.Thoughshekeptonmakingplansonwheretogonext, theyreally justendupwheretheir feetwouldtakethem.Intheprocess,shetakesonromanticactivi-tiessuchasgondolaridesandoperawatchingtoadren-alinerushingoneslikebungeejumping,skinnydipping,andevenrunningfromthepolice.

Ifyou’relookingforagondolaridewithanarrayofpos-sible dining areas, you could visit Venice Piazza Mall,McKinley Hill, Taguig. It has a replica of the gondolaride along theGrandCanal andVenice’s famous land-mark,theRialtoBridge.Theyalsoholddanceandmu-sicalperformancesandevenpublicplaygrounds.But ifyouwantakick foryourvacation it isnotadvisable togoskinnydippingordothingsthatwouldleadtoapo-licechase.However,bungee jumping isanactivityonemustonemiss.AplaceforalocalultimateexperienceisinE.A.T.DanaoAdventureParkland,Bohol.There,youwouldjumpofffromabridgewitha200meterhighcliffbutwithacableofonly45metersanddangleforabout5minutes.Thetotaltimeissaidtobe10minutesbuttherushofthejump?Aday.

Kings of SummerRelaxing in Nature

Three young teenage boys decide to build ahouseinthewoodstoescapefromresponsibilitiesandrules,makingthemselvesthemasteroftheirowndesti-ny.Filledwiththesenseofadventureandrebellion,theystaythereandliveofffromtheland(harvestingandevenhunting). They then entertain themselves by cliff-div-ing, swimming, and even just goofing off andwalkingaround.However,asthetriofacestheusualproblemsofbeinganadolescentandlivingontheirown,theyrealizejusthowimportantfamiliesare.

Mayberunningawayandbuildingahouseinthemiddleofnowhereisnotsuchagrandideaespeciallyifyou’renotthatintolivinginnatureandhuntingforyourownfood.However,ifthecallofthewatercompelsyoutotakeasimilarvacation(withbeingawayfromthebusylife)youcouldvisitAriel’sPoint,Boracay.Besidesitsal-lureofthewhitesandybeach,Boracayofferswaterac-tivitiesfromridingtheflyingfish,thebanana,tojetskis,and such. But for amore intense water sport, there’scliff-divingatAriel’spoint.Theretheyhave5platformswhich range from3 to15meters inheight.Startingatthehighest isnotadvisablethough.Workyourwayupinsteadandjumpoffeachtotrulyenjoytherushofthefallandthewelcomingsplashofthesparklingwaters.

Off the CouchThis summer’s events Couch Potatoes shouldn’t miss out on!

APRIL 12SUMMER KOMIKON 2014

29CESAR MILAN LIVE INMANILA

30THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)

THE PRETTY RECKLESS LIVE IN MANILA


19THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL 2014

28

27

26

MAY 1

7NEIGHBORS (2014)

8

15GODZILLA (2014)

16ANNE CURTIS LIVE @ SMART ARANETA COLISEUM

17WANDERLAND MUSIC

FESTIVAL 2014 @ CIRCUIT MAKATIBEFORE YOU EXIT LIVE IN MANILA @ MOA

2NE1 LIVE IN MANILA @ MOA

20


21X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTUREPAST (2014)

28MALEFICENT

30ARMIN VAN BUUREN LIVE IN MANILA @MOA ARENA

Upcoming Dystopian Movies This Year Dystopianmoviesandbookshavebecomeahotgenre this 2014. It commonly focuses on a society thateither has massive dehumanization, powerful totalitar-ian government, rampant disease, pervasive violence,post-apocalyptic environment or cybergenetic technolo-gies.Itmayseemprettydepressingbutfansseemtoloveit. The recent success of the books-turned-moviesDivergentandHungerGameshassetatrendthathastak-enoversince thedeclineof thevampirecraze.With theupcomingreleaseofmovieslikeLucyandthehighlyantic-ipatedMockingjay:Part1oftheHungerGamesseries, itseemslikethedystopianthemeisheretostay.Here are someof thedystopianfilms thatwill arise this2014.

X-Men: Days of Future PastRelease date: May 23, 2014The ultimate X-Men mutant superheroes team up withtheirfutureselvestofightevilforthesurvivalofthespe-ciesacrosstwotimeperiods.BryanSinger,whoproducedthe2011prequelanddirectedtheX-Mentrilogy,willdirectthismovie.JamesMcAvoyandMichaelFassbenderwillre-turnastheyoungerProfessorXandMagnetorespectively.PatrickStewart(ProfessorX)andIanMcKellen(Magneto)reuniteas their character’spresent selves (or future,de-pendingonhowyouwilllookatit).HughJackman,alongwith Jennifer Lawrence,HalleBerry, andEllenPagewillalso be returning for an exciting new installment in theX-Menuniverse.

Jupiter AscendingJuly 18, 2014Set in the futurewhere gods rule over humans, a toiletcleanernamedJupiter (MilaKunis) possesses “the sameperfect geneticmakeup as theQueen of theUniverse”.ShebecomesathreattotheincumbentQueen’sruleandgetstargetedforassassination.WiththeaidofCaine,aninterplanetaryex-military initially sent tokillher,Jupiterascends tomeet her fate.The film is written, producedanddirectedbyLanaandAndyWachowskis.

by April Tancio & Trina Quintos

Guardians of the GalaxyAugust 1In the depths of space, PeterQuill becomes the targetofamanhuntafterstealinganorbwantedbytheRonantheAccuser.Heteamsupwithagroupofmisfitheroestosave thegalaxy from the risk that the stolenorbposed.TheMarvelfilmiswrittenanddirectedbyJamesGunnandfeaturesanensemblecastincludingChrisPratt,DaveBau-tista,VinDiesel,BradleyCooperandZoeSaldana.

The GiverAugust 15Setinaseeminglyperfectcommunity,JonasischosentobetheReceiverofMemories.HeistaughtbyasagecalledTheGiver.Fromhim,Jonaslearnsofthepainfultruthsofthe“realworld”andwhathisancestorshadtosacrificeinordertoachieveaperfectsociety.Confrontedwithaharshrealitythatdestroyshiseutopia,heisfacedwithdifficultdecisionsabout the future.Theupcoming sci-fimovie isbasedonabookofthesamenamebyLoisLowry,andisdirectedbyPhillipNoyce.

Maze RunnerSeptember 11Wakingupinamazewithoutanyrecollectionofwhoheis, except forhisname,Thomasfindshimself in aworldofteenageboys,allstrugglingtosurviveintheirenclosedenvironment.Theyhavetriedtoescapethroughthemazethat surrounds them, but with little success, they havegivenuphope.But things changewhena comatosegirlwithastrangenotearrivesinthemaze.Thissci-fithrillerisadaptedfromthe2009bookbyJamesDashner,andfea-tures“TeenWolf”’sDylanO’Brienasitslead.

Which Faction Are You?Take this quiz and find out!

#1

ABNEGATION

WOULD YOU RATHER BE...START

unnoticeablenoticeable

if someone says something bad about you, would you...

talk to themignore them

would you rather go to...

if someone picks afight with you,would you...

if you are inside a sinking boat, would you...

save yourselfhelp other people

would you rather go...

readingmountainbiking

#3

#2

would you rather be a...

student to learn

teacher to help

if a thief steals your bag, would you... ignore them

confront them

accept itamusement

parkcharity work

(Go to #1)If you are inside a

sinking...

(Go to #3)would you rather

go reading ormountain biking...let him keep

it as helpmove on to avoid trouble

take it back

ERUDITE

AMITYDAUNTLESS

DAUNTLESS

CANDOR

(Go to #1)(Go to #2)


Nineyears.That’showlongTedMosbytooktell-inghiskids—andtherestoftheworld—thestoryofhowhemetTheMother.AiredonMarch31,thegangfinallytooktheir lastbowwitha40-minuteseriesfinale.ThefinalseasonwassetduringtheweekendofBarneyandRobin’swedding--andinthelastepisodecontainedthelifeofthegangafterthatweekend.

Beingoneofthemostanticipatedseriesfinales,theepisodereceivedhighratingsonitsfirstairing.Ac-cordingtoTVGuide,itdrew12.9millionviewers.“Theshowwasupalmosttwofullpointsfromlastweek’s3.5rating,” saidTVGuide on SeattlePi.com. Aside fromthehighratings,italsogarneredmixedreactionsfromthe fans.Some liked it,while somehated it.Rightaf-tertheepisodeaired,socialmediawasinafrenzy!Ev-eryonewantedtovoiceouttheiropiniononthefinale,everyonewanted tobeheard.Butnomatterhowthedestination,whetheritwasTheMotherorAuntRobin,HIMYMtookusallonagreatjourney.Let’stakealookatthenineseasonsthatweredefinitelymemorableandLEGEN--waitforit--DARY!

DRAWING THE CURTAINS:The ‘How

I Met Your Mother’

Season Finaleby Meda Cruz


• TeddatesCindybuteventually,theyfindoutthattheirinterestsarenotcompatible

• Tedimpulsivelybuysahouseinthesuburbswhichlateronbe-camehisfuturehome

2010

• InWinter,Robinfindsoutthatshe’sinfertile

• LilygetspregnantwithherfirstchildwithMarshall

2011

• InSpring,LilygivesbirthtoMar-vin,hersandMarshall’sfirstborn

• InWinter,BarneymeetsTheMotherataconveniencestoreandshegiveshimadviceaboutRobin

• Barneyorchestrateshisfinalplay—hisproposaltoRobin

2012

• OnthewaytoBarneyandRob-in’sweddingatFarhamptons,LilymeetsTracy,inthetrainandgiveseachotherpiecesofadviceregardingtheirproblemsinlife

• Tracylearnsthatthesheisbeingkickedoutofherownband,whowassettoplayatBarneyandRobin’swedding,byDarren

• AftergettingpunchedbyTed,DarrengivesuponkickingoutTracyandleavestheband

• Tracyrejectsaproposalfromherboyfriendandbreaksupwithhim.

• TracymovesintoFarhamptonInnwhereinherroomisrightbesideTed’sroom.

• Thedayofthewedding,MarshalllearnsthatLilyispregnantwiththeirsecondchild.MarshalldropsthejudgeshipofferanddecidestogotoItalywithLily.

• RobinrunsintoandmeetsTracy• BarneyandRobingetmarried• TedmeetsTracyattheFarhamp-

tontrainstation• TedgoesonafirstdatewithTracy

2013

1996 • TedandMarshallmeet incollegeby being assigned to the samedormroomduringtheirfreshmanyear

• The next morning, Lily looks forsomeone who can fix her stereobut instead ends up knocking onMarshall’sdoor

• Ted meets Barney in the bath-roomatMacLaren’s

• BarneyeventuallyhangsoutwithTed,Marshall,andLily

• LilyandMarshallgetengagedintheirapartment

• OnthesamenightofMarshallandLily’sengagement,TedmeetsRobinatMacLaren’s

• TedasksRobinoutandstealstheblueFrenchhornfromtherestau-ranttheyatefrombuteverythinggetsblownoffwhenTedtellsher“Iloveyou”.Ontheirfirstdate.

• Robinjoinsthegangandregular-lyhangsoutwiththem

• LilyandMarshallgetmarried

• TedtakesanothershotonRobinandstealstheblueFrenchhornonceagainandaskshertogoonaseconddatewithhim

• Thenextmorning,Lilybreaksofftheengagement,leavesMar-shall,andmovestoSanFrancisco.Monthslater,LilyreturnstoNewYorkandreconcilesherrelationshipandengagementwithMarshall

• Barney,Ted,Marshall,andLilyfindthelosttapesofRobinwhenshewasaCanadianteenpopstarnamedRobinSparkles

• AtaSt.Patrick’sDayparty,TheMotheraccidentallyleavesheryellowumbrella.Tedfindsitandbringsithome.

2001

2005

2006

20072008

• Tedteacheshisfirstarchitectureclass—inanEconomicsclass.InthatsameclasssitsTheMotherwhereshemeetshernewroom-mate,Cindy.

2009

2015• Tedproposes toTracyat theFar-

hamptonInnlighthouse

• BarneyandRobingetadivorce• Lilygetspregnantwithherthird

childwithMarshall

20162017

• TracygivesbirthtohersandTed’ssecondchild

• MarshallrunsandwinsastheStateSupremeCourtJudgeofNewYork

2020

• TedandTracygobacktotheFarhamptonInnfortheiranniver-sary.ItishintedthatTracyissickanddying.

• Tracydiesofcancer.

2024

• Tedtellshiskidsabouthowhemettheirmother

• Rightaftertellingthestory,Ted’schildrenpusheshimtopursueagaintheirAuntRobinwhoappearstobefinallyreadytosettledown

2030

• TedbringsTracyback to theFar-hampton Inn where he made apromiseayearagothathe’llbringtheloveofhislifeayearafter

• MarshallandLilymovetoItaly

2014

CBShasalreadyorderedapilotepisodeofthespin-offofthebelovedseries,HowIMetYourMother.GretaGerwigisslatedtoplaythemain character, Sally, and Anders Holm, hersoon-to-be ex-husband. The story will followSally,thefemalePeterPan,asshegetsthroughherdivorceandsearchesforthemandestinedtobethedadofherfuturekids.Itwillbesetinthesame“universe”asHIMYM,soitisplausiblefor thecharacterstocrossoveratsomepoint.There isnopremieredate forHIMYDyet,butifthepilotepisodedoeswell, it ispossibleforCBStoapproveaseason.

NEWS:HIMYM SPIN-OFF

- by Trina Quintos



by Trina Quintos

IN OUT&TV SHOWS

IN Newshows(lessthan2seasons)thatarelookinggoodandhasbeenrenewedOUT Newshows(lessthan2seasons)thatarealreadyconfirmedtobecancelledLOOKING GOOD Showsthatare3seasonsorlongerthatarestillgoingstrongwithconsistentratingsLIMBO Shows that are currently uncertain of beingcancelledorrenewed

INOrphan Black

BBC America has greelit this sci-fi drama for another 10-epi-sode season. Revolving around a clone named Sarah Man-ning, “Orphan Black” is making waves by raising issues that are hardly seen in mainstream tele-vision, like morality of human cloning and loss of personal identity.

Helix

Syfy has picked up anoth-er 13-episode season for this drama-thriller. The sto-ry revolves around a team of scientists who are stuck in an Arctic research facil-ity, battling a potential ep-idemic that can change the future of humankind. Although production will begin this year, fans should expect a late 2015 release of the second season.

The Originals

The CW has renewed this super-natural TVD spin-off for Season 2. Follow the world’s original vam-pires, the Mikaelson siblings (mi-nus Rebekkah), as they wreck havoc on New Orleans to re-claim their territory. Season 1’s finale will air on May 13.

Orange is the New Black

This comedy-drama TV adap-tation of Piper Kerman’s mem-oir of the same name has been renewed by Netflix for a sec-ond season. Relive Piper’s ex-periences in women’s federal prison as she reexamines her relationship with ex-girlfriend, Alex, and learns to deal with tough inmates. Season 2 is set to premiere on June 6, 2014.

Reign

This fictitious take on history has been given advanced renewal by The CW for Season 2. Mary, Queen of the Scots, will return, alongside the charming Fran-cis and his half-brother, Bash, to continue to their scandal-ous love triangle that will make or break the future of nations. Season 1 is currently ongoing until May 15.


OUT

Raising Hope (Finale: Apr 4, lasted 4 seasons)

After 4 years, the Chances family delivered another round of insanity as a proper and heart-warming farewell that provided their fans with clo-sure. The critically acclaimed series ended on a bittersweet with a renewal of vows by Burt and Virginia. It was lovely send off to the chances that left viewers with the sense that, no matter what could have hap-pened, the Chances were go-ing to be just fine.

How I Met Your Mother (Finale: Mar 31, lasted 9 seasons)

Last March 31, after 9 incredible years of legen-wait for it-dary hu-mor, Ted met “the Mother” and the gang bid us all farewell. But many fans hated the ending, be-cause, after all these years, it was not about the Mother after all; it was about Aunt Robin! HIMYM co-creator, Carter Bays, says that they will be releasing an alter-nate ending in the Complete Se-ries DVD. It is yet to be seen if that ending will satisfy disappointed fans, but at least its something to look forward to.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland (lasted 1 season)

The short-lived spin-off of “Once Upon A Time” has been cancelled after 1 season. Set in the world of Al-ice in Wonderland, it was cancelled due to low viewership. Executive producers Adam Horowitz and Ed-die Kitsis said that, although there are no definite plans to merge the spin-off with the mother series, it is possible. “Wonderland’s Knave of Hearts, played by Michael Socha, is set to appear in OUAT’s fourth sea-son. There is currently no news if oth-er characters will crossover as well.

Glee (Season 6, final season)

The initial plan for main charac-ters Rachel and Finn, played by real life lovers, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, was that she would become a big Broadway star and he would take over the Glee Club. After a few years, she would come back to Ohio, where he Finn would be teach-ing, and she would say “I’m home”. But with the unfortunate and early death of beloved ac-tor, Cory Monteith, Glee’s cre-ator, Ryan Murphy, decided to take the series into a different direction. “Glee’s 6th and final season will be set in NYC and will revolve around Rachel and the original cast of New Directions. Nothing is certain about Season 6, except for the closure it should bring to the stories of its beloved characters.

Ravenswood (lasted 1 season)

In a surprising move by ABC, the plug has also been pulled on the “Pretty Little Liars” spin-off after only 1 season. It was not living up to expectations in terms of viewership, but “Ravenswood” had po-tential and perhaps just needed time to mature creatively. Executive producer, Joseph Doughtery, expressed disap-pointment in the abrupt cancellation and feels the responsibility to provide fans the closure they deserve. PPL cre-ator, Marlene King, said that the Liars’ 5th season will tie up loose ends for “Ra-venswood” and that Caleb will return to the original series.

LOOKING GOODBig Bang Theory

(renewed until S10)

Fans of the hilarious geek-tas-tic sitcom can sit back and relax until 2017 because TV’s #1 comedy has been given a whopping three season renew-al by CBS! Leonard, Sheldon, Penny and the gang will con-tinue to serve up geeky comic relief until Season 10.

2 Broke Girls (Season 4)

Named the #1 Freshman Com-edy of Season 2013-2014, The CBS comedy sitcom has been re-newed for a 4th season. Williams-burg Diner waitresses Max and Caroline will once again attempt to rise from the poverty line, as-suredly gaining many laughs and missteps along the way.

Arrow (Season 3)

DC Comic’s hero, Green Arrow, has become The CW’s most-watched series and is gaining viewership among men. This is enough reason for the cos-tumed vigilante to return for a 3rd season. Fans can expect more crime-fighting entertain-ment from his superhero, and rest assured that he won’t be leaving Starling City any time soon.

New Girl (Season 4)

Zooey Deschanel’s clumsy charm will continue to grace the small screen as “New Girl” has been green lit for Season 4 by Fox. Expect more crazy an-tics from the ‘adorkable’ Jess and her insane male roomies in this Emmy and Golden Globe awarded sitcom.

IN OUT&TV SHOWS CONT’D


Suits (Season 4)

The suave suited duo of Harvey Specter and Mike Ross shall re-turn for Season 4 of the USA Net-work’s legal drama, “Suits”. Even though the finale of Season 3 has just aired last April 10, production for Season 4 is already underway. Fans can expect to see new fac-es, with the casting of Brendan Hines (“Lie to Me”) and DB Wood-side (“Parenthood”) for multi-epi-sode story arcs, and the new sea-son’s premiere later this year.


LIMBOAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Audiences have tried hard to love Marvel’s first TV effort, but “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is cur-rently falling way below expec-tations. Executive producer Jed Whedon urged fans to not expect a Marvel movie every week, and acknowledged that the show needed time to grow and find its legs. Whedon says that, despite low ratings, they now have a loyal audience. Upcoming Marvel movies and a guest spot by Jaimie Alexan-der from “Thor” may help the show’s survival chances, but there is currently no news on its renewal or cancellation.

The Carrie Diaries

No official decision will be made about the future of “The Carrie Diaries” until May. But with consistently dropping rat-ings and the fact that main cast Katie Findlay, who plays Carrie’s best friend, has already signed on for the pilot of anoth-er series, all signs currently point to the show being cancelled.

Star-Crossed

Things are not looking too good for the intergalactic forbidden lovers of “Star-crossed”. The Romeo-and-Juliet type of tale revolves around a teenager (“Friday Night Lights”’ Aimee Tee-garden) and an alien (“90210”s Matt Lanter) who fall in love in the midst of adversity and prej-udice. Its consistently low ratings are making it a front runner for cancellation by The CW. Tee-garden says that Season 1’s fi-nale will end with a cliffhanger, which may garner enough audi-ence impact to warrant them a second season.

Tomorrow People

Season 1 of the sci-fi series will contin-ue to air until May 5, but there is cur-rently no news if the CW will ask for a second season of “Tomorrow Peo-ple”. However, Executive producer Phil Klemmer feels optimistic about having Season 2 because the story is unique, and they will pitch a second season “that’s pretty hard to refuse”. The series is about a group of people who, due to human evolution, have developed the powers of telepathy, telekenisis and teleportation.

Community

There is still no word if NBC will or will not renew the comedy sit-com, but creator Dan Harmon said that there might be unex-pected and last-minute news on it around May. Harmon has come to accept that “Com-munity” will be in an “eternal limbo” because its five years of near-cancellation proved that it never supposed to last 5 sea-sons, but it did anyway.

Rant And RaveEditorial Board’s

One of the reasons I love watching Grey’s Anatomy is because of the soundtrack. I always am on the look out for new artists and great songs whenever I watch an episode. Recently, I noticed that most of the songs being used were songs that sounded familiar to me. Searching for it online, I discovered that the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, has decided to use 80’s songs for the remain-der of season 10. Together with the shows music supervisor, Alex Patsavas, Rhimes will only feature 80’s songs covered by different indie artists. Whats great about this project is the covers are really nice and very unique as compared to other covers. Songs of Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Cindy Lauper, Michael Jackson and other famous artists of that decade have been featured so far. One cool fact is that Patsavas actually looks for artists to do these covers. New and upcoming artists like Sam Smith, Young Summer, Josh Record and The Wind + The Wave have done covers for different episodes. Fans speculate that an official season soundtrack might be in the works for release when the 10th season finishes.

Period dramas usually do not appeal to me, and neither do teenage ro-mance dramas. But there’s just something about the combination of the two in The CW’s freshman series, “Reign” that excites and entices me! Set in the 1500s, it

is a centered around the highly fictionalized life and experiences of Mary, Queen of Scots. Critics are not huge fans of the series, calling it “historically inaccurate”, but I think that’s irrelevant. If we wanted historically accurate, we’d watch the History Channel. It dabbles in the supernatural, while handling sensitive issues such as premarital sex, teenage pregnancy, religious acceptance and of course, monarchy. It does not boast a star-studded cast, but they are all competent actors who breathed life into lovable characters. No doubt, they have stars-in-the-making with lead actress, Adelaide Kane, who plays Mary and almost British Torrance Coombs, who portrays Sebastian. “Reign”’s first season is currently still airing, but it has already been renewed for Season 2.

Trina, Editor-in-Chief

Khalela, Managing Editor


I can’t say I love all of the songs in The Fray’s new album, Helios. I’ve been a fan of theirs since their first album. For Helios though, some of their songs re-mind me too much of U2 and Coldplay (I’m also a fan of these bands — Cold-play is amazing!). I see it as a bad sign for them because basing their songs

from their past albums, they can do better with creating new tunes. What I like about this band is their lyrics, especially in their songs ‘How To Save A Life’, ‘Absolute’, and ‘The Fighter’. ‘Wherever This Goes’ is constantly on repeat in my music player, I highly recommend this song for your summer playlist.

Shaunna, Art Director


I still don’t know how what to really feel about the HIMYM finale. First of all, I just can’t get over the fact that the Mother that we’ve been dying to meet for 9 years is actually dead already. We grew to love her so much in Future Ted’s stories, then she is snatched away from us just like that. I felt really cheated. And betrayed. Another thing that bothered me is that I was a Ted-Robin shipper before but when they broke it off and introduced the Barney-Robin ship, it just grew on me and I eventually loved their chemistry. But in the series finale, they had to sink that ship by getting them a divorce after three years of marriage. Lastly, it was really hard for me to accept that in the end, Ted and Robin were the ones who ended up together. They spent two whole seasons building up Barney-Robin and an episode to convince the audience that Ted has moved on. Yet, it felt that it was just right that the series began with and ended with Robin. It just goes to show that timing is the perfect ingredient for a perfect love story—no matter how bumpy the road was.

Meda, Feature Writer

I love this song, so catchy and painful yet awesome! Let Her Go is an emotional heart-tugging song, mixed with achingly angelic voice of Michael Rosenberg. I like it because of the slow-pace rhythm, the nice composition of lyrics and the hidden message. If you listen to it carefully, you’ll realized that it has two meanings: first is that when you love someone and that person didn’t

love you in return, let her go, but if s/he comes back, you’re meant for each other. Another meaning is that people tend not to realize what you have until it’s gone because you are taking things for grante. A lot of people can relate to this song, especially after their break up. 5 stars, Apir!

April, Feature Writer

Due to the success of critically acclaimed “On The Job”, a Filipino movie by David Matti, an American remake of it is underway. However, the orginal produc-tion, which stars Gerald Anderson, Piolo Pascual, Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, and a lot more big names in the Philippine film industry, was a flop. This begs the question...Why? Does it speak about the film? Or does it speak about the audience? This is one thing I want to voice out whenever we, Filipinos, watch films. We don’t support a well done film. If we don’t support them then producers will stop making them; and we end up having those shallow films again. OTJ is proof that Filipinos can produce quality-over-quantity kind of films. Yet, producers have limits. They can only lose so much of their budget. So I propose this: Why don’t we support these films so the producers will get even and produce more quality movies. Again, does this fact speak about the film or the Philippine cinema? Or does it speak about the audience?

Migs, Feature Writer

Couch Potato

Documents

Transcript of Couch Potato