TYC 143

Liam Neeson Has Been "Taken" Once Again in "Taken 2" Movie!

2012-05-28T10:03:00.000+08:00

Star Wars alumnus, Liam Neeson reunites with his co-stars Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace in the sequel to the 2008 hit action-packed movie, "Taken" in this rocket-paced "Taken 2" movie that rivals some of the greatest gun-handlers in cinema history. Shot entirely in Istanbul, Turkey, "Taken 2" brings back also its original director, Olivier Megaton.

"Taken 2" summary/plot/synopsis

Liam Neeson reprises the role of Bryan Mills, a father and an estranged husband who would do anything for his family in the movie. In this movie sequel, Mills’ daughter is kidnapped for the first time by some Albanian kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers (in Taken 1 movie) swears revenge, and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape, and uses the same advanced level of special forces tactics to get his family to safety and then systematically take out the kidnappers one by one. Equipped with a particular set of skills and gun-handling techniques, Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent, will do everything to stop the kidnappers and save his daughter and family.

“In the first movie he's really a guy with nothing to lose. He's divorced, he's lost his daughter, and you see his reaction when she's kidnapped,” explains Megaton. “In this movie, he's got that relationship back and he's even flirting with his ex-wife. It's almost cheesy, but that makes him all the more human at the beginning of the movie, because he's not thinking about his training, he's thinking about his family.”

But being kidnapped once is unfortunate; twice is just careless. Rest assured, then, that things play out differently in this sequel. “The powers-that-be–namely our gracious leader Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen—have come up with a much better plot than that,” assures Grace. “Someone has the notion of attempting to abduct Bryan. It's a personal vendetta; someone bent on extracting recompense from a man with a particular set of skills, as ill-advised as that might be. So it's not a random second abduction of my character, Kim, which I think would be everyone's first concern.”

“Taken 2” opens October 5, 2012 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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Q&A with Charlize Theron: The Prometheus Enigma

2012-04-24T11:54:00.001+08:00

Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers

Oscar winning actress actor Charlize Theron heads into space, starring opposite Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace in Ridley Scott’s thrilling and thought provoking drama PROMETHEUS.

Shot entirely in 3D, legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott creates a new mythology in the film. He takes us on a momentous journey, posing intriguing questions about the origins of life. The story follows an intrepid team to the darkest corners of the universe. They are embroiled in a battle of epic proportions. At stake: the future of the human race.

Born in South Africa, Charlize Theron is one of the most diverse and engaging A-list actresses working today. Theron was already a well-defined movie star when, in 2003, she won an Oscar for her extraordinary performance as Daytona Beach prostitute-turned-serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’s extraordinary film “Monster.”

Prior to “Monster,” Theron had already attracted stellar notices for her performances in movies as diverse as “The Devil’s Advocate,” “The Cider House Rules” and “The Legend Of Bagger Vance.” “Prometheus” is not Theron’s first experience of science fiction. In 2005 she played the title role in the film “Aeon Flux,” based on the animated television series created by Peter Chung.

Charlize Theron reveals her attraction to “Prometheus” and her passion for the films of director Ridley Scott in the following question and answer interview:

Q: How did you hear about the project?
A: I was in Malaysia and my manager called and said, “I’m sending you this script.” I’ve known Ridley for a couple of years, socially, so I knew he was working on this project. It was so secretive... I was in the middle of a rainstorm on a mountain, trying to read this script under a tree because it was the only place I could get reception.

Q: Damon Lindelof, the screenwriter, says you collaborated with him on fleshing out the character in the screenplay. How was that process?
A: I thought there was tremendous potential to explore themes that the script was already exploring through the eyes of a character who was so different from everybody else who’s on this mission. You have these scientists going out there – one is a believer, one really isn’t – and you play on all these themes, but to really experience all of that stuff from the point of view of somebody who comes from a much colder, more economic, ‘business suit’ sense of it was interesting. It’s really flattering and I was very excited to be partners with Damon and Ridley and to forge ahead.

Q: Who is Meredith Vickers?
A: She’s very different from anyone I’ve ever played. She’s a suit, essentially. She’s the machine that runs the machine that takes this mission into space and at first she comes across like a suit, very cold and frigid. She’s not a scientist; she’s not a believer. She runs a tight ship, but you can tell that she’s somehow going to be a problem. She’s somewhat of an enigma. The real excitement for me in playing this character is that in the third act you really strip her from her skin and you see what her bones are about and what she’s really doing there.

Q: Are you always looking for strong female roles?
A: I don’t ever set out to play a character with strength. I try to find the circumstances and try to be as honest as I can in those circumstances. There’s nothing more false than stepping in the wardrobe of a character who doesn’t authentically own those characteristics. Once we all understood the world, where we wanted to go with her and what we wanted to explore with her, that seeped in and all of a sudden I put that suit on and thought, “Yeah, I want to order somebody around!” You just kind-of find it.

Unravel the enigma that is Charlize Theron when “Prometheus” (in 3D) (movie trailer, here) opens in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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Instagram on Android Phones / Mobile Devices

2012-04-23T14:25:00.002+08:00

It was just a few weeks ago when social networking website giant, Facebook, acquired (bought) the popular photo-sharing and photo-edit app for iPhones, Instagram for a whopping amount of $1 billion. Not so long after that, Instagram finally released its Android app counterpart for free. Instagram now runs on Android and I kinda liking it.

When I first acquired my Android phone, Samsung Galaxy Y, last December, I was eager to know the different possibilities on how I can use this Android phone. I have heard of Instagram app which are very popular to iPhone users. I have seen several pictures of Instagram app and I was surprised to the qualities of photos this app is giving.

So, when I heard of Instagram app, I immediately looked for it in the Android Market (now Google Play). Unfortunately, the Instagram app was not yet available for Android users. Several months later after having my Samsung Galaxy Y Android phone, the Instagram app is now available for Android smartphone users!

I tried doing the so-called "IN" these days, the mobile photography thingie, using the Instagram app on my Samsung Galaxy Y android smartphone. Posted all over here are some of my favorite photos that I have taken. I must say, the qualities of these photos are really great! Here's a brief description of Instagram for Android phones for newbies out there!

Instagram is a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family.
Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie. It's photo sharing, reinvented.
Oh yeah, did we mention it’s free?

What really rocks in Instagram for Android Phones are the instant photo edit (filter) and instant photo-sharing experience on twitter, facebook, tumblr, and other social networking websites! My favorite photo filter option so far is the "Earlybird" photo filter.

Now that Instagram app is available for Android phone devices, mobile photography using Android phones will never be the same again! More photos of my Instagram Mobile Photography using my Android Samsung Galaxy Y Phone here. Enjoy!

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"Titanic" Trivia, Facts, and Figures

2012-04-06T13:47:00.000+08:00

The 1997 most loved movie of all time, "Titanic" is going to be shown once again in movie theaters as it commemorates the 100 years since the majestic ship first set it sails to the freezing water of the Atlantic Ocean and ended in an unexpected tragedy. On April 15, 1912, the so-called unsinkable ship made headlines worldwide as the glory that was Titanic ended up at the bottom of the ocean.

On April 7, 2012, Saturday, James Cameron's movie the "Titanic" will be heard its horns once again in movie theaters worldwide, as it is re-released in three dimensional (3D) format. But before the re-sailing and commemoration of the tragedy that was Titanic begins, let me give you some historical trivia, facts, and figures about the ship Titanic. This article was provided to you by the research team of 20th Century Fox and the movie makers of the much-anticipated return of the movie Titanic.

"The tragedy of Titanic has assumed an almost mythic quality in our collective imagination," Titanic filmmaker James Cameron says. "But the passage of time has robbed it of its human face and vitality. I hope that Rose and Jack's relationship will be a kind of emotional lightning rod, if you will, allowing viewers to invest their minds and their hearts to make history come alive again."

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

In full 3D, “Titanic” will sail once again in theaters on April 7, 2012 (Black Saturday) across Philippine cinemas. Below are some important facts gathered to usher audience aboard the R.M.S. Titanic for the timeless, beloved classic love story of all time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• The top speed of Titanic was 23 knots.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"The Big Bang Theory" Brings Stephen Hawking as Guest Star... Finally!

2012-03-15T10:02:00.001+08:00

The geeky comedy sitcom, "The Big Bang Theory" will have its biggest guest star to date as the world renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking will have an appearance on the said show in the upcoming episode on April 5th, 2012, CBS network has announced, Monday.

According to report released by CBS, Stephen Hawking will guest star as himself and visits the uber-geeky Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons) at work "to share his beautiful mind with his most ardent admirer." Executive producer Bill Prady had long dreamed of Stephen Hawking to guest on the show, and now that this is 'finally' coming into reality, I'm sure it will be a one-of-a-kind, fun-filled, geeky episode for "The Big Bang Theory".

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking has appeared to numerous television shows and comedy sitcoms in the past because of his book "A Brief History of Time" which includes some documentaries, a guest spot on "Futurama", and appeared also as himself in several episodes of "The Simpsons".

Fans of The Big Bang Theory series around the world have much anticipated this guest appearance by the theoretical physicist, including myself. Just imagine Stephen Hawking and Sheldon Cooper exchanging geeky conversations which only them can understand, is I guest the biggest riot in comedy sitcom television history! Looking forward to this episode! Hahaha! I hope Penny (Kaley Cuoco) will be there in that situation as the two scientists exchange ideas! Nice... hahaha!

Meanwhile, below are 20 signs that you are addicted to "The Big Bang Theory". Click on the link to find out if you are addicted to it!

• 20 Signs You Are Addicted To "The Big Bang Theory"!

Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, Howard and Rajesh

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