Friday, August 31, 2012

Twenty Tunes 56

My favorite songs for the month of August
  1. Some Nights - fun.
  2. She's So Mean - Matchbox Twenty
  3. Gangnam Style - PSY
  4. Beautiful Goodbye - Maroon Five
  5. Touch The Sky -Julie Fowlis
  6. Good Time - Owl City feat Carly Rae Jepsen
  7. The Fighter - Gym Class Heroes feat Ryan Tedder
  8. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye - Train
  9. Pound the Alarm - Nicki Minaj
  10. Sige Lang - Quest
  11. Feel Again - One Republic
  12. Hall of Fame - The Script feat will.i.am
  13. The River - For The Foxes
  14. Learn Me Right - Birdy and Mumford & Sons
  15. Oh Love - Green Day
  16. Settle Down - No Doubt
  17. Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson
  18. Wide Awake - Katy Perry
  19. Sirena - Gloc 9 feat Ebe Dancel
  20. Hindi na Magbabago - Erik Santos

Billboard Hot 100 (Issue Date: September 8, 2012)

Taylor Swift logs a 2nd week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. Meanwhile, Maroon Five will try to get the #1 spot Payphone failed to get as their new single One More Night climbs #9-#4 this week. fun. earns their 2nd top hit as the Some Nights inches a notch #6-#5. Cross off Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City in the One Hit Wonders list as they both bag their 2nd top 10 hit as their collaboration Good Time jumps #13-#9. Jepsen of course had the Internet sensation and 9-week ruler Call Me Maybe while Owl City hit the #1 spot with Fireflies two years ago.

Neon Trees' Everybody Talks misses the top 10 by a notch as it climbs to #11 this week but on the good side this song surpasses the band's breakthrough single Animal which peaked at #13 two years ago. fun's We Are Young and Kelly Clarkson's Stronger are still the longest-staying on the chart with 36 weeks each.

Here is this week's Billboard Hot 100 as posted at Pulse Music Board:

Billboard Hot 100

1 1 3 We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor Swift
2 2 15 Whistle, Flo Rida
3 3 36 Lights, Ellie Goulding
4 9 10 One More Night, Maroon 5
5 6 27 Some Nights, fun.
6 4 27 Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen
7 5 14 Wide Awake, Katy Perry
8 7 19 Payphone, Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa
9 13 9 Good Time, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
10 8 10 As Long As You Love Me, Justin Bieber Featuring Big Sean

11 14 24 Everybody Talks, Neon Trees
12 12 8 Blow Me (One Last Kiss), P!nk
13 10 20 Titanium, David Guetta Featuring Sia
14 11 34 Somebody That I Used To Know, Gotye Featuring Kimbra
15 15 19 Where Have You Been, Rihanna
16 16 11 Want U Back, Cher Lloyd
17 18 21 Give Your Heart A Break, Demi Lovato
18 20 22 Too Close, Alex Clare
19 19 21 Mercy, Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz
20 22 5 Pound The Alarm, Nicki Minaj

21 21 16 Let's Go, Calvin Harris Featuring Ne-Yo
22 23 12 Pontoon, Little Big Town
23 17 9 Home, Phillip Phillips
24 28 16 No Lie, 2 Chainz Featuring Drake
25 25 34 I Won't Give Up, Jason Mraz
26 29 18 Wanted, Hunter Hayes
27 27 36 We Are Young, fun. Featuring Janelle Monae
28 26 28 What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction
29 41 9 Don't Wake Me Up, Chris Brown
30 24 18 Scream, Usher

31 30 8 Blown Away, Carrie Underwood
32 31 28 Starships, Nicki Minaj
33 38 6 Take A Little Ride, Jason Aldean
34 52 7 50 Ways To Say Goodbye, Train
35 39 33 Drive By, Train
36 32 18 Work Hard, Play Hard, Wiz Khalifa
37 33 34 Wild Ones, Flo Rida Featuring Sia
38 40 33 Glad You Came, The Wanted
39 42 21 Heart Attack, Trey Songz
40 34 15 Angel Eyes, Love And Theft

41 36 15 Come Over, Kenny Chesney
42 48 12 Ho Hey, The Lumineers
43 43 11 Over, Blake Shelton
44 35 22 We Run The Night, Havana Brown Featuring Pitbull
45 54 8 2 Reasons, Trey Songz Featuring T.I.
46 53 22 Time Is Love, Josh Turner
47 44 36 Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You), Kelly Clarkson
48 61 7 Pop That, French Montana Featuring Rick Ross, Drake, Lil Wayne
49 50 21 Little Talks, Of Monsters And Men
50 45 10 Dark Side, Kelly Clarkson

51 65 15 Cowboys And Angels, Dustin Lynch
52 51 14 Lemme See, Usher Featuring Rick Ross
53 49 9 She's So Mean, matchbox twenty
54 57 17 Why Ya Wanna, Jana Kramer
55 47 18 Tongue Tied, Grouplove
56 56 20 Cashin' Out, Ca$h Out
57 60 10 Amen, Meek Mill Featuring Drake
58 68 4 Adorn, Miguel
59 59 8 Truck Yeah, Tim McGraw
60 62 11 Hard To Love, Lee Brice

61 58 6 Settle Down, No Doubt
62 55 13 Chasing The Sun, The Wanted
63 63 19 Burn It Down, Linkin Park
64 67 13 For You, Keith Urban
65 64 9 Bag Of Money, Wale Featuring Rick Ross, Meek Mill & T-Pain
66 37 3 I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons
67 69 12 It's Time, Imagine Dragons
68 78 3 Turn On The Lights, Future
69 66 16 Postcard From Paris, The Band Perry
70 72 5 Come Wake Me Up, Rascal Flatts

71 73 5 Fastest Girl In Town, Miranda Lambert
72 70 9 The Wind, Zac Brown Band
73 75 7 The A Team, Ed Sheeran
74 88 4 Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself), Ne-Yo
75 90 3 I Can Only Imagine, David Guetta Featuring Chris Brown & Lil Wayne
76 77 7 Thinkin Bout You, Frank Ocean
77 71 16 5-1-5-0, Dierks Bentley
78 84 8 Lovin' You Is Fun, Easton Corbin
79 82 11 Snap Backs & Tattoos, Driicky Graham
80 74 17 Both Of Us, B.o.B Featuring Taylor Swift

81 83 15 Nobody's Perfect, J. Cole Featuring Missy Elliott
82 86 7 That's Why I Pray, Big & Rich
83 89 3 The One That Got Away, Jake Owen
84 NEW 1 Madness, Muse
85 91 4 Enough Of No Love, Keyshia Cole Featuring Lil Wayne
86 99 2 Cruise, Florida Georgia Line
87 NEW 1 Hall Of Fame, The Script Featuring will.i.am
88 81 15 The Fighter, Gym Class Heroes Featuring Ryan Tedder
89 87 12 My Homies Still, Lil Wayne Featuring Big Sean
90 95 2 Put It Down, Brandy Featuring Chris Brown

91 100 3 Birthday Song, 2 Chainz Featuring Kanye West
92 NEW 1 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, Luke Bryan
93 NEW 1 Dive In, Trey Songz
94 96 8 Promises, Nero
95 NEW 1 Creepin', Eric Church
96 94 4 Wanted You More, Lady Antebellum
97 97 3 Oh Love, Green Day
98 NEW 1 Throw That, Slaughterhouse Featuring Eminem
99 RE-ENTRY 2 I Wish You Would, DJ Khaled Featuring Kanye West & Rick Ross
100 NEW 1 I Don't Like, Chief Keef Featuring Lil Reese



Thursday, August 30, 2012

Philippine Box Office Roundup 24

This week's recap is two-weeks worth of data from Box Office Mojo. To check out the previous recap click here and as always a couple of reminders and disclaimers:
  • The following box office stats are from the ever awesome Box Office Mojo's Philippine Box Office Index. Thus, my box office comparisons and analysis are only limited to what Box Office Mojo has in its records
  • Studios and local distributors sometimes issues press releases about the box office performance of their movies and there are instances that they do not exactly match the data Box Office Mojo have in hand. I'm not sure how wide Box Office Mojo's scope is with our local theaters but for the purposes of a consistent discussion and analysis I will only focus on the numbers posted at Box Office Mojo.
  • I added some stuff like the Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol box office for 2012 since Box Office Mojo does not include that 2011 holdover on their Top Movies 2012 list. Meanwhile the box office numbers for the holdovers from the MMFF last year are not on BOM's list so they're not on here as well.
  • Box Office Mojo does not have the numbers for Ayala Cinemas Exclusive My Week with Marilyn and local movie likes Gun Guni so it's not on the charts below.


After a promising start, The Bourne Legacy stumbled quite in the next 2 weeks dropping 63% and 71% respectively which could be due to mixed WOM or simply because the movie is frontloaded because Pinoys rushed in to see Manila in a Hollywood movie. Nevertheless, the movie's gross is still huge earning P195 million in 3 weeks, good for 4th place in the yearend behind the superhero flicks.

Several new releases came in after The Bourne Legacy's premiere week and the best performer of the bunch is The Expendables 2 with P74 million in two weeks. It already surpassed The Expendables 1's gross of P73 million back in 2010..

Other new releases that did well are Star Cinema's The Reunion (P55 million) and Total Recall (P28 million in its first week). So so performers are Diary of the Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days (P9 million pesos) and romcom Just One Summer (6 million). Smaller releases did small numbers: Cinemalaya Directors Showcase entry Mga Mumunting Lihim earned P774K the Ayala cinemas exclusive People Like Us (P717K) and the excellent but sadly tough sell Hope Springs (P665K)

Here is the latest Philippine Box Office tally as originally posted at BoxOffice forums:

[Local Currency] Top Movies for 2012 To Date (as of Aug.26, 2012)

  1. The Avengers - 608,818,151 PHP
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man - 347,824,911 PHP
  3. The Dark Knight Rises - 223,010,768 PHP
  4. The Bourne Legacy - 195,470,692 PHP
  5. (local) UnOfficially Yours - 157,254,200 PHP
  6. Wrath of The Titans - 145,947,263 PHP
  7. The Hunger Games - 139,996,453 PHP
  8. (local) Kimmy Dora and the Temple of Kiyeme - 133,963,009 PHP
  9. MIB 3 - 131,174,819 PHP
  10. Battleship -122,592,175 PHP
  11. Snow White & The Huntsman - 120,917,585 PHP
  12. (Local) The Healing - 104,602,460 PHP
  13. Underworld Awakening - 102,119,364 PHP
  14. Ice Age: Continental Drift - 92,215,792 PHP
  15. John Carter -87,165,284 PHP
  16. The Expendables 2 - 74,728,946 PHP
  17. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - 72,209,152 PHP
  18. Dark Shadows - 68,972,654 PHP
  19. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - 67,511,470 PHP
  20. Brave -65,214,314 PHP
  21. (local) Moron 5 and the Crying Lady - 64,642,363 PHP
  22. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - 61,951,573 PHP
  23. The Vow - 59,626,147 PHP
  24. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - 56,676,178 PHP
  25. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - 56,157,209 PHP
  26. (local) The Reunion - 55,565,031 PHP
  27. (local) Born To Love You - 52,022,256 PHP
  28. (local) Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang - 51,389,780 PHP
  29. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol* - 50,696,658 PHP*
  30. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - 50,576,348 PHP
  31. (local) Every Breath U Take - 50,191,540 PHP
  32. Step Up Revolution - 45,976,505 PHP
  33. Prometheus - 44,648,261 PHP
  34. Chronicle -35,486,025 PHP
  35. The Darkest Hour - 34,477,168 PHP
  36. This Means War - 32,491,717 PHP
  37. (local) The Mommy Returns - 30,613,315 PHP
  38. Total Recall (2012) - 28,809,494 PHP
  39. Mirror, Mirror -28,718,269 PHP
  40. (local) Boy Pick-Up: The Movie - 25,376,588 PHP
  41. (local) A Mother's Story - 24,815,781 PHP
  42. The Dictator - 24,387,937 PHP
  43. Titanic 3D - 23,119,015 PHP
  44. (local) My Cactus Heart - 23,008,393 PHP
  45. The Lucky One - 22,972,803 PHP
  46. The Lorax-21,324,022 PHP
  47. The Devil Inside -17,961,575 PHP
  48. Magic Mike - 17,960,779 PHP
  49. American Reunion - 17,457,036 PHP
  50. Rock of Ages - 16,617,234 PHP
  51. Safe House - 14,284,788 PHP
  52. Jack and Jill - 13,462,940 PHP
  53. (local) My Kontrabida Girl - 13,092,496 PHP
  54. 21 Jump Street - 11,322,999 PHP
  55. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 9,475,901 PHP
  56. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days - 9,250,593 PHP
  57. Contraband - 9,151,255 PHP
  58. Safe (2012) - 9,048,485 PHP
  59. (co-prod with Indonesia) The Witness - 8,617,970 PHP
  60. The Cabin in the Woods - 7,755,247 PHP
  61. (local) Just One Summer - 6,155,778 PHP
  62. (local) Hitman - 5,757,748 PHP
  63. Lockout - 7,400,961 PHP
  64. We Bought a Zoo - 5,568,319 PHP
  65. Star Wars Episode 1 3D - 4,595,572 PHP
  66. Hugo - 4,407,536 PHP
  67. Special Forces - 4,037,937 PHP
  68. The Grey - 4,000,508 PHP
  69. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - 3,870,089 PHP
  70. The Cold Light of Day - 3,681,644 PHP
  71. What to Expect When You're Expecting -3,626,430 PHP
  72. Act of Valor - 3,486,162 PHP
  73. Piranha 3DD - 3,424,936 PHP
  74. The Descendants - 3,217,457 PHP
  75. Moneyball - 2,628,771 PHP***
  76. The Woman in Black - 2,624,792 PHP
  77. StreetDance 2 - 2,383,066 PHP
  78. Haywire - 2,365,429 PHP
  79. J.Edgar -2,092,195 PHP
  80. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - 2,073,521 PHP
  81. War Horse - 2,032,464 PHP
  82. The Muppets - 1,916,008 PHP
  83. One For the Money - 1,783,197 PHP
  84. Beauty and the Beast (3D) - 1,666,199 PHP
  85. Man on a Ledge - 1,588,510 PHP
  86. Breaking Wind -1,359,086 PHP
  87. Dark Floors - 1,257,270 PHP
  88. Gone - 1,193,074 PHP
  89. Machine Gun Preacher - 1,166,230 PHP
  90. Coriolanus - 1,180,075 PHP
  91. 11-11-11 1,125,821 PHP
  92. (local) Mga Mumunting Lihim - 774,349 PHP
  93. People Like Us - 717,424 PHP
  94. Hope Springs - 665,466 PHP
  95. 407 Dark Flight - 634,703 PHP
  96. Anonymous -549,309 PHP
  97. Big Miracle - 252,798 PHP
* for 2012 only. Total box office: 168,442,905 PHP

In Dollars:


Top Movies for 2012 To Date (as of Aug. 26, 2012)
  1. The Avengers (2012) - $14,382,120
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man -$8,199,550
  3. The Dark Knight Rises - $5,296,564
  4. The Bourne Legacy - $4,642,480,
  5. (local) ÜnOfficially Yours - $3,704,457
  6. Wrath of the Titans - $3,394,375
  7. The Hunger Games -$3,295,973
  8. (local) Kimmy Dora and the Temple of Kiyeme - $3,204,780
  9. MIB 3 - $3,161,098
  10. Snow White & The Hunstman - $2,892,696
  11. Battleship - $2,851,193
  12. (local) The Healing - $2,465,876
  13. Underworld Awakening - $2,391, 207
  14. Ice Age: Continental Drift - $2,228,093
  15. John Carter - $2,052,155
  16. The Expendables 2 - $1,774,832
  17. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - $1,691,905
  18. Dark Shadows -$1,629,342
  19. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - $1,574,21
  20. Brave - $1,548,857
  21. (local) Moron 5 and the Crying Lady - $1,521,892
  22. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $1,460,261
  23. The Vow - $1,390,377
  24. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - $1,355,857
  25. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $1,323,682
  26. (local) The Reunion (2011) - $1,319,684
  27. (local) Born To Love You - $1,237,129
  28. (local) Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang - $1,212,269
  29. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - $1,211,903
  30. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol* - $1,187,103*
  31. (local) Every Breath U Take - $1,158,457
  32. Step Up Revolution - $1,091,954
  33. Prometheus - $1,067,040
  34. Chronicle - $832,097
  35. The Darkest Hour - $812,183
  36. This Means War - $758,702
  37. (local) The Mommy Returns - $701,389
  38. Total Recall (2012) - $684,233
  39. Mirror, Mirror - $672,559
  40. (local) Boy Pick-Up: The Movie - $607,200
  41. The Dictator - $574,916
  42. (local) A Mother's Story - $574,764
  43. Titanic 3D -$544,297
  44. (local) My Cactus Heart - $542,331
  45. The Lucky One - $534,291
  46. The Lorax - $505,908
  47. Magic Mike - $428,909
  48. The Devil Inside - $423,708
  49. American Reunion - $402,921
  50. Rock of Ages - $398,119
  51. Safe House - $333,089
  52. Jack and Jill - $315,445
  53. (local) My Kontrabida Girl - $305,718
  54. 21 Jump Street -$263,212
  55. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $223,225
  56. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - $219,704
  57. Contraband - $214,284
  58. Safe (2012) - $207,312
  59. (co-prod with Indonesia) The Witness - $201,826
  60. The Cabin in the Woods -$180,368
  61. Lockout - $174,833
  62. (local) Just One Summer - $145,115
  63. (local) Hitman - $135,636
  64. We Bought a Zoo - $131,497
  65. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (in 3D) - $107,913
  66. Hugo - $103,206
  67. Special Forces - $96,618
  68. The Grey - $94,296
  69. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - $90,369
  70. The Cold Light of Day - $85,626
  71. Act of Valor - $83,399
  72. What to Expect When You're Expecting - $83,086
  73. Piranha 3DD - $79,050
  74. The Descendants - $75,387
  75. The Woman in Black - $61,869
  76. Moneyball - $61,297
  77. Haywire - $55,483
  78. StreetDance 2 - $54,599
  79. J.Edgar - $49,059
  80. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $48,225
  81. War Horse - $47,879
  82. The Muppets - $44,740
  83. One For the Money - $42,007
  84. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $39,070
  85. Man on a Ledge - $37,513
  86. Breaking Wind - $31,914
  87. Dark Floors - $30,024
  88. Gone - $27,537
  89. Machine Gun Preacher - $27,511
  90. Coriolanus - $27,332
  91. 11-11-11 - $26,362
  92. (local) Mga Mumunting Lihim - $18,391
  93. People Like Us - $17,039
  94. Hope Springs - $15,805
  95. 407 Dark Flight - $15,230
  96. Anonymous -$13,142
  97. Big Miracle - $6,066
*Overall gross: $3,969,223. It went back to theaters on Jan. 8 and the only foreign movie holdover from 2011

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Review: The Campaign

Last week I attended the press screening of The Campaign at Glorietta 4. Thanks to Pinoyexchange and Warner Bros. Philippines. You can also see this review at Official PEx Movie Reviews



If you are looking for a smart satire of American politics then The Campaign is probably not the movie you are hoping for but if you want non-stop laughs then go ahead and see this as the movie pulls off every zany joke without a bat of an eye.

Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferell) thought he has the re-election in the bag as he is running unopposed. But when a scandal erupts that tarnishes Brady's image, a powerful corporation backs up Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), the eccentric little-loved son of the town millionaire, to challenge the incumbent. Cam dismisses Marty at first but thanks to the all-out political campaign supporting Marty he soon becomes a viable threat.

The Campaign
does not tell anything new about the dirty world of politics. The movie presents an exaggerated look of the media circus that surrounds a political campaign. The plot is really silly and unrealistic but the performances are strong enough that you could just ignore the ridiculous war of spin and mud slinging.

Towards the end, the movie attempted to make a statement about leadership but it falls short. The overall tone of the movie does not offer the meat to make the statement they were trying to make credible. It feels like that they just inserted it to have the movie some form of substance but it ended up hollow and insincere.

Ferell and Galifianakis play characters that are caricatures but the talent of the actors and their strong chemistry elevate the material. It is also commendable that despite the buffoonish nature of their characters they still somehow managed to make them sympathetic even if the movie's attempt for heart is a miss.

While The Campaign does not tell anything significant about the nature of politics, it still offers plenty of laughs that will make you forget how ugly real life politics is.

Rating: 7 / 10

The Campaign opens today (Aug. 29) in cinemas nationwide


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Review: Hope Springs



If you think that Hope Springs is an 'icky' movie about old people wanting to have sex again then you are absolutely wrong. Hope Springs paints a moving picture of how time tests relationships and even if it focuses on an older couple, the message is universal and will definitely strike a chord to anyone regardless of age.

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for thirty one years but Kay is not happy anymore and wants a 'real' marriage. Despite Arnold's reluctance, Kay manages to get them into Dr. Feld's (Steve Carell) week-long intensive marriage seminar in a small town in Maine. In the course of the week, the couple learns more about themselves and the state of their marriage.

Hope Springs is marketed as a comedy but the movie never goes for cheap laughs and the humor is subtle and graceful. One would think that when the couple arrives in Maine and goes into counseling, they would face several hijinks to dig into some laughs but the movie does not go to that direction. For example, when Kay tries to do a 'dirty deed' to Arnold in the theater, I thought they would get caught but they didn't and while the scene started funny as the attempt to do it was so awkward it ended up on a strong emotional note that tells a lot about the issues the couple have.

Hope Springs is such a strong movie because it is well-observed and direct to the point. It is an intimate film that carefully dissects the issues that led the couple in that state of their marriage. There are no major dramas or dark secrets behind the fragile situation they are in but just a couple of small unspoken issues that bore a hole which got bigger and bigger over time without them realizing it. It also commendable how the film resolved the conflict in a realistic way, there's no magic moment where everything is going to be better in an instant. It suggests that resolving issues takes time and effort from both sides.

The performances of the leads are impressive as Streep nails the role of a wife who is unhappy but is clueless on what went wrong. Jones brings in his usual grumpy old man shtick but this time the character he is playing has issues thst he does not want to acknowledge and Jones was so effective in showcasing the emotion of a man who has become a “ghost' without him realizing it. Meanwhile, Carell plays it straight all throughout the movie and he's a believable therapist.

At its core, the movie is so simple yet the issues it is discussing is so complex but handled so elegantly. Hope Springs is a smart film for adults that does not pander to conventional movie making and effectively sends it message across.

Rating: 10/10

Review: The Expendables 2



The very first scene of The Expendables 2 gets right into action and sets the mood for a bigger sequel pumping up the action to the extreme. It's no secret that the selling point of this movie is to see the biggest action movie icons of our time in one movie together and if you liked the first one, there's no doubt that you'll enjoy the sequel as well.

Church (Bruce Willis) hires Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team for a mission to retrieve a blueprint to an abandoned mine that holds a stolen Russian plutonium. The team however was ambushed by terrorist Vilain (Jean Claude Van Damme) and kills one of them. Ross vows revenge and plans to attack Vilain's group.

The Expendables 2's plot is as conventional as the first one but it really doesn't matter because what we are all looking for this movie is an action nirvana and the movie definitely delivers on that matter especially on the bombastic first sequence that features big weapons, explosions and various fight scenes specifically designed to cater to each actor's action skill. My favorite action sequence would have to be Jet Li in which he uses pots and pans to kill the bad guys. However, some of the scenes are so chaotic though and hard to follow and the editing not as polished as well. It should be noted that the movie is Rated R-13 here so there are cuts which made the movie messier.

Willis and Schwarzenegger get more screen timecompared to their glorified actions in the first one although essentially they are still not part of the mission and basically just pops in but at least they get to do some fun action scenes this time around. And the movie definitely satisfied the viewers' craving with Chuck Norris' grand entrance and dropped in a Chuck Norris Fact along the way. The movie definitely does not take itself too seriously with several self-referential jokes and “wink to the viewer” moments. Sometimes the jokes are clever but there a couple of misses as well.

Stallone still has that movie star charisma that is enough to carry the movie and he shares good buddy chemistry with Jason Statham. Dolph Lundgren and Terry Crews were enjoyable as well and scored big laughs with the audience with their one-liners. One might think that Liam Hemsworth is out his league with this cast but the story manages to fit him in quite well and he held up decently with the other actors. Lastly, Jean Claude Van Damme took his villain role very seriously and while he comes off a little too cartoonish at times, he was still compelling to watch and his final showdown with Stallone was exciting.

The Expendables 2 still suffers the storytelling flaws of the first one and during the scenes when there's no action scene going on the energy dies. But for what is worth, the movie is as fun as it can get and seeing all those action stars in one movie is still a delight. 7 / 10

Monday, August 27, 2012

Chart Recap 213 (Philippine Music Charts)

Here is this week's recap of weekly music charts in Mega Manila FM radio stations, MYX and MyMusicStore Philippines. These charts are first gathered and first posted at the Philippine Music Charts Thread over at Pinoyexchange.com. For last week's recap, click here


Astrovision/Astroplus: Top Selling Albums
Aug 13 - Aug 19, 2012



Odyssey: Top Selling Albums
August 6-12, 2012

Overall

  1. Walang Hanggan Vol. 2 - Various Artists (Star)
  2. Walang Hanggan (Repackaged) - Various Artists (Star)
  3. Daniel Padilla - Daniel Padilla (Star)
  4. The Reunion: The Eraserheads Tribute Album - Various Artists (Star)
  5. Tuloy ang Biyahe - Noel Cabangan (Universal)
  6. Overexposed - Maroon 5 (MCA)
  7. Up All Night - One Direction (Sony)
  8. Best of Praise and Worship Music - Various Artists (Ivory)
  9. Fall in Love Again - Angeline Quinto (Star)
  10. Believe - Justin Bieber (MCA)


OPM

  1. Walang Hanggan Vol. 2 - Various Artists (Star)
  2. Walang Hanggan (Repackaged) - Various Artists (Star)
  3. Daniel Padilla - Daniel Padilla (Star)
  4. The Reunion: The Eraserheads Tribute Album - Various Artists (Star)
  5. Tuloy ang Biyahe - Noel Cabangon (Universal)
  6. Best of Praise and Worship Music - Various Artists (Ivory)
  7. Fall in Love Again - Angeline Quinto (Star)
  8. Love Songs from Princess and I - Various Artists (Star)
  9. Byahe - Noel Cabangon (Universal)
  10. By Popular Demand 5 - Various Artists (Universal)

    source:
    Phil. Daily Inquirer
    Entertainment
    p.D6

JAM 88.3: THE JAM HITLIST
August 27, 2012 (Monday)


25 – Ciudad – There's A Lonely Road To Sunday Night [-1]
24 – Kasabian – Man Of Simple Pleasures [-5]
23 – Mystery Jets – Someone Purer [-5]
22 – The Gaslight Anthem – 45 [-7]
21 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Strange Man [NEW]

20 – Alt-J – Breezeblocks [-7]
19 – Youngblood Hawke – We Come Running [NEW]
18 – Yellowcard – Always Summer [-7]
17 – Motion City Soundtrack – Timelines [-5]
16 – Said The Whale – Loveless [+5]

15 – Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait [NEW]
14 – The Lumineers – Ho Hey [+8]
13 – No Doubt – Settle Down [+1]
12 – Alex Clare – Too Close [+4]
11 – Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone [+6]

10 – Animal Kingdom – Stranger Attractor [-3]
9 – Muse – Survival [-4]
8 – The Killers – Runaways [-2]
7 – A Silent Film – Danny Dakota And The Wishing Well [-3]
6 – Green Day – Oh Love [+4]

5 – Bloc Party – Octopus [-2]
4 – Coldplay – Hurts Like Heaven [+5]
3 – Dave Matthews Band – Mercy [+5]
2 – The Smashing Pumpkins – The Celestials [=]
1 – Fun. – Some Nights [=]
MYMUSICSTORE PHILIPPINES: TOP 20 ALBUMS
August 23, 2012 (Thursday)

20 – One Direction – Up All Night

19 – Various Artists – Love Songs From Princess & I Teleserye
18 – Chris Brown – Fortune
17 – Various Artists – Philippine Popular Music Festival 2012: The 14 Finalists
16 – Tanya Markova – Shock Pop 2 (CD Edition) [NEW]

15 – Sabrina – Acoustic Love Notes
14 – Various Artists – The Reunion Album
13 – Kamikazee – Romantico
12 – James Morrison – The Awakening
11 – Bamboo – No Water, No Moon

10 – Maroon 5 – Overexposed
9 – Pedicab – Kaya Mo Mag-Sando?
8 – Parokya Ni Edgar – Inuman Sessions Volume 1
7 – RJ Jacinto – RJ Duets
6 – Owl City – Shooting Star [RE-ENTRY]

5 – Various Artists – Saktung Akustik [RE-ENTRY]
4 – Various Artists – By Popular Demand 5 The Collection
3 – Noel Cabangon – Tuloy Ang Byahe
2 – David Archuleta – BEGIN.
1 – Gloc 9 – MKNM: Mga Kwento Ng Makata

MYMUSICSTORE PHILIPPINES: TOP 20 SONGS
August 23, 2012 (Thursday)


20 – Pink – Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
19 – Maroon 5 feat Wiz Khalifa – Payphone
18 – Nicki Minaj – Starships
17 – Blake – All Of Me
16 – Karmin – Brokenhearted

15 – Frank Ocean – Thinkin' 'Bout You
14 – Katy Perry – Wide Awake
13 – One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
12 – Super Junior – Sexy, Free And Single
11 – Mariah Carey feat Rick Ross & Meek Mill – Triumphant (Get 'Em)

10 – David Cook – The Last Song I'll Write For You
9 – Snow Patrol – Lifening
8 – Parokya Ni Edgar feat Gloc 9 & Frank Magalona – Bagsakan
7 – Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
6 – Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together [NEW]

5 – Maroon 5 – Beautiful Goodbye
4 – Paulo Avelino – When She Cries [NEW]
3 – Gloc 9 feat Ebe Dancel – Sirena
2 – The Script feat Will.I.Am. – Hall Of Fame
1 – Owl City feat Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time

MYX INTERNATIONAL TOP 20 (M.I.T. 20)
August 25, 2012 (Saturday)

20 – Lawson – Taking Over Me [NEW]
19 – Kyle Patrick – Go For Gold [NEW]
18 – No Doubt – Settle Down [NEW]
17 – Train – 50 Ways To Say Goodbye [NEW]

16 – Nelly Furtado – Spirit Indestructible [+4]

15 – Jedward – Young Love [+2]
14 – Carrie Underwood – Blown Away [+1]
13 – Pink – Blow Me (One Last Kiss) [-1]
12 – Katy Perry – Wide Awake [-1]
11 – Madonna – Turn Up The Radio [-1]

10 – Linkin Park – Burn It Down [-3]
9 – B.O.B. feat Taylor Swift – Both Of Us [-3]
8 – Maroon 5 – One More Night [+1]
7 – Fun. – Some Nights [+1]
6 – Phillip Phillips – Home [+10]

5 – One Direction – More Than This [=]
4 – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time [=]
3 – 2NE1 – I Love You [=]
2 – Super Junior – Sexy, Free And Single [-1]
1 – Justin Bieber feat Big Sean – As Long As You Love Me [+1]

PINOY MYX COUNTDOWN
August 25, 2012 (Saturday)

20 – Q-York – For What We Love [NEW]
19 – Drop Decay – I Wanna Touch You [NEW]
18 – Frio – Nakapagtataka [NEW]
17 – Ogie Alcasid – Doo Bi Doo [NEW]

16 – Jovit Baldivino – Tell Me [+4]

15 – Krizza Neri – Ba't 'Di Ko Ba Nasabi [+1]
14 – Somedaydream & Champ feat Luigi D'Avola – It's Your Life [-1]
13 – Slapshock – Langit [-3]
12 – Christian Bautista feat Neocolours – Sasabihin [-1]
11 – Pedicab – Otomatik [+1]

10 – 6 Cycle Mind feat Eunice Jorge – Alapaap [NEW]
9 – David Archuleta – I'll Never Go [-1]
8 – Rico Blanco – Amats [+1]
7 – Callalily – Minsan [=]
6 – Wolfgang – Sandata [=]

5 – Kamikazee feat Kyla – Huling Sayaw [=]
4 – Quest – Sige Lang [=]
3 – Julie Anne San Jose – I'll Be There [-2]
2 – Parokya Ni Edgar feat Gloc 9 & Frank Magalona – Bagsakan [=]
1 – Gloc 9 feat Ebe Dancel – Sirena [+2]

MAGIC 89.9: MAGIC POP 30 COUNTDOWN
August 23, 2012 (Thursday)


30 – Trey Songz feat T.I. – 2 Reasons [NEW]
29 – Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe [-5]
28 – Matchbox Twenty – She's So Mean [NEW]
27 – Adam Lambert – Never Close Our Eyes [-8]
26 – Train – This'll Be My Year [NEW]

25 – Boys Like Girls – Be Your Everything [+3]
24 – Gotyé – Eyes Wide Open [+3]
23 – Pink – Blow Me (One Last Kiss) [NEW]
22 – Kelly Clarkson – Dark Side [-4]
21 – Flo Rida – Whistle [-5]

20 – David Cook – The Last Song I'll Write For You [-6]
19 – One Direction – More Than This [+1]
18 – Alicia Keys – New Day [+4]
17 – Craig David feat Krys Ivory & Ryan Leslie – Next To Ya [+6]
16 – Rihanna – Where Have You Been [-3]

15 – Maroon 5 – Beautiful Goodbye [+6]
14 – Jessica Sanchez – Change Nothing [-4]
13 – Maroon 5 feat Wiz Khalifa – Payphone [-5]
12 – Chris Brown – Don't Wake Me Up [-3]
11 – Quest – Sige Lang [=]

10 – Jessie J feat David Guetta – Laserlight [+2]
9 – Owl City – Shooting Star [-2]
8 – Nicki Minaj feat Chris Brown – Right By My Side [-3]
7 – Justin Bieber feat Big Sean – As Long As You Love Me [+8]
6 – Fun. – Some Nights [+11]

5 – Usher – Scream [-1]
4 – Katy Perry – Wide Awake [-2]
3 – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time [+3]
2 – B.O.B. feat Taylor Swift – Both Of Us [+1]
1 – Gym Class Heroes feat Ryan Tedder – The Fighter [=]
* 3 Weeks @ #1 *

97.9 HOME RADIO MANILA: EASY 10
August 24, 2012 (Friday)


10 – Simple Plan feat Sean Paul – Summer Paradise [-3]
9 – Katy Perry – Wide Awake [-1]
8 – Ed Sheeran – The A Team [+2]
7 – Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe [-1]
6 – Jason Mraz – Everything Is Sound [+3]

5 – Phillip Phillips – Home [-2]
4 – David Cook – The Last Song I'll Write For You [+1]
3 – Jessica Sanchez – Change Nothing [-1]
2 – Maroon 5 feat Wiz Khalifa – Payphone [-1]
1 – One Direction – One Thing [+3]

99.5 RT: THE RT30 COUNTDOWN
August 24, 2012 (Friday)


30 – Silversun Pickups – Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) [-2]
29 – John Mayer – Shadow Days [=]
28 – The Lumineers – Ho Hey [-5]
27 – Wild At Heart – Darling [-7]
26 – Atlas Genius – Trojans [-8]

25 – The Royal Concept – D-D-Dance [-12]
24 – Fran Classic – Beautifully Blank [-3]
23 – Ellie Goulding – Lights [NEW]
22 – White Light Parade – Want You To Know [+5]
21 – I Am Giant – Living The Crash [-2]

20 – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time [+2]
19 – Yellowcard – Here I Am Alive [NEW]
18 – RAC feat Penguin Prison – Hollywood [+6]
17 – Dia Frampton feat Kid Cudi – Don't Kick The Chair [-5]
16 – Kate Miller-Heidke – Ride This Feeling [+1]

15 – The Killers – Runaways [+10]
14 – Band Of Skulls – Sweet Sour [-6]
13 – Metal Heads With Broken Hearts – Something's Wrong [+3]
12 – Kindness – House [+2]
11 – Passion Pit – Take A Walk [+4]

10 – Churchill – Change [+1]
9 – Donavon Frankenrieter – Shine [+1]
8 – The Gaslight Anthem – 45 [-2]
7 – The Cab – La La [+2]
6 – Rico Blanco – Amats [+1]

5 – Katy Perry – Wide Awake [-2]
4 – Newton Faulkner – Clouds [+1]
3 – Simple Plan feat Sean Paul – Summer Paradise [+1]
2 – JJAMZ – Heartbeat [=]
1 – Lonsdale Boys Club – Light Me Up [=]

TAMBAYAN 101.9: TOP 10
August 25, 2012 (Saturday)


10 – Dello – Sana 'Di Na Lang [-1]
9 – One Direction – More Than This [NEW]
8 – 1:43 – Sa Isang Sulyap Mo [=]
7 – Daniel Padilla – Ako'y Sa'Yo, Ika'y Akin [NEW]
6 – Justin Bieber – Boyfriend [-1]

5 – Gloc 9 feat Ebe Dancel – Sirena [+2]
4 – Christian Bautista – Nag-Iisang Bituin [=]
3 – Maroon 5 feat Wiz Khalifa – Payphone [=]
2 – Alon – Pusong Bato [=]
1 – Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe [=]

Pinas FM: Pinas Pride Top Ten Countdown
August 25, 2012

1. I'll Be There - Julie Ann San Jose (3rd week at #1)
2. Sige Na Nga - Myrus Ramirez
3. Pag Wala Na ANg Ulan - Jessa Zaragosa
4. Sa Puso Ko'y Ikaw - 1:43
5. Ngayon Alam Ko Na - Liezel Garcia
6. Sasabihin - Christan Bautista feat. Neocolours (new entry)
7. I Will Be Here For You - Kaligta (new entry)
8. Prinsesa - Daniel Padilla
9. Minsan - Callalily
10. Prinsesa - VFort
WAVE 89.1: SOUL REVIEW COUNTDOWN
August 24, 2012 (Friday)


15 – John Legend feat Ludacris – Tonight (Best You Ever Had)
14 – Brandy feat Chris Brown – Put It Down [NEW]
13 – Flo Rida – Whistle
12 – Ray Lavender – We Love [+3]
11 – Far East Movement feat Cassie – Fly With U

10 – R. Kelly – Feelin' Single
9 – Trey Songz feat T.I. – 2 Reasons
8 – Mariah Carey feat Rick Ross & Meek Mill – Triumphant (Get 'Em)
7 – Akon – Throw Dat D
6 – Alicia Keys – New Day

5 – Kelly Rowland feat Lil' Wayne – Ice
4 – The Freshmen feat Allan I – Crickets
3 – Craig David feat Krys Ivory & Ryan Leslie – Next To Ya
2 – The-Dream feat Pusha T – Dope Chick
1 – Ne-Yo – Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself) [=]

MYX HIT CHART
August 26, 2012 (Sunday)


20 – Christian Bautista feat Neocolours – Sasabihin [=]
19 – Pedicab – Otomatik [NEW]
18 – Maroon 5 – One More Night [+1]
17 – Fun. – Some Nights [-1]
16 – Phillip Phillips – Home [NEW]

15 – 6 Cycle Mind feat Eunice – Alapaap [NEW]
14 – One Direction – More Than This [-1]

13 – David Archuleta – I'll Never Go [-1]
12 – Rico Blanco – Amats [+5]
11 – Callalily – Minsan [=]

10 – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen – Good Time [-1]
9 – Wolfgang – Sandata [+1]
8 – 2NE1 – I Love You [-1]
7 – Kamikazee feat Kyla – Huling Sayaw [+1]
6 – Super Junior – Sexy, Free And Single [-3]

5 – Justin Bieber feat Big Sean – As Long As You Love Me [+1]
4 – Quest – Sige Lang [+1]
3 – Julie Anne San Jose – I'll Be There [-2]
2 – Parokya Ni Edgar feat Gloc 9 & Frank Magalona – Bagsakan [=]
1 – Gloc 9 feat Ebe Dancel – Sirena [+3]

JAM 88.3: THE JAM HITLIST
August 27, 2012 (Monday)


25 – Ciudad – There's A Lonely Road To Sunday Night [-1]
24 – Kasabian – Man Of Simple Pleasures [-5]
23 – Mystery Jets – Someone Purer [-5]
22 – The Gaslight Anthem – 45 [-7]
21 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Strange Man [NEW]

20 – Alt-J – Breezeblocks [-7]
19 – Youngblood Hawke – We Come Running [NEW]
18 – Yellowcard – Always Summer [-7]
17 – Motion City Soundtrack – Timelines [-5]
16 – Said The Whale – Loveless [+5]

15 – Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait [NEW]
14 – The Lumineers – Ho Hey [+8]
13 – No Doubt – Settle Down [+1]
12 – Alex Clare – Too Close [+4]
11 – Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone [+6]

10 – Animal Kingdom – Stranger Attractor [-3]
9 – Muse – Survival [-4]
8 – The Killers – Runaways [-2]
7 – A Silent Film – Danny Dakota And The Wishing Well [-3]
6 – Green Day – Oh Love [+4]

5 – Bloc Party – Octopus [-2]
4 – Coldplay – Hurts Like Heaven [+5]
3 – Dave Matthews Band – Mercy [+5]
2 – The Smashing Pumpkins – The Celestials [=]
1 – Fun. – Some Nights [=]

Mellow 94.7: Ten Strong Countdown
August 24, 2012

  1. Good Time - Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen (1st week at #1)
  2. Beautiful Goodbye - Maroon 5
  3. Never Close Our Eyes - Adam Lambert
  4. Whistle - Flo Rida
  5. Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson
  6. Wide Awake - Katy Perry
  7. The Visions of Love - Kris Allen
  8. Some Nights - fun. (new entry)
  9. As Long As You Love Me - Justin Bieber feat. Big Sean
  10. The Fighter - Gym Class Heroes feat. Ryan Tedder (re-entry)

WOW 103.5: Countdown sa WOW!, The Top 20 Countdown
August 24, 2012

  1. I'll Never Go - David Archuleta (2nd week at #1)
  2. I'll Be There - Julie Ann San Jose
  3. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
  4. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
  5. Prinsesa - VFort
  6. Bakit Mahal Pa Rin Kita - Erik Santos
  7. Payphone - Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa
  8. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
  9. Pag Wala Na Ang Ulan - Jessa Zaragosa
  10. Ikot ng Mundo - Bamboo
  11. We Are Young - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
  12. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra
  13. Download - Dingdong Avanzado
  14. One Thing - One Direction
  15. Glad You Came - The Wanted
  16. Kung Minsan - J Brothers feat. Zari Dillon
  17. Forevermore - David Archuleta
  18. Starships - Nicki Minaj
  19. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
  20. Sirena - Gloc-9 feat. Ebe Dancel (new entry)