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Monki’s Gift Shop is Ready for the coming Festive Season

The season of gifts and most importantly: L-O-V-E, is here! Monki has prepared a curated mix of everything you need, from body positive home d.cor to vegan accessories, and so much more. It’s a warm colour palette with equally heartwarming prints, faux fur cosiness and empowering messages matched with a dash of sparkly party shoes and bags – all wrapped up in the annual gift shop.

The season of kind treats

As always, the Scandinavian fashion brand is here to provide its inspiring community and their loved ones with all the cosiness they need. Warming hoods, hats and scarfs made with recycled polyester in on-trend prints, bright shades of blue & red, sweet pastel green plus timeless neutrals. And there’s more kind treats here –faux leather card cases and wallets, plus the popular and very comfy faux fur slippers. What better way to carry them around, than in a statement puffer tote bag, available in black and cobalt blue, also made with recycled polyester.

Home is where the heart is

The winter collection also includes new home products for the Monki community and their homes. With the words ‘fun’ and ‘minimal’ guiding the design process – the result is playful statement Monki DNA prints, seen on cushion covers and blankets. All-time community favourites like the mug, empowering body shaped ceramic candleholder and glass vase are all designed with colour splatter in earthy hues and trending cobalt blue. Newcomer here is the ceramic body vase, a tribute to the female body and a reminder that all bodies are beautiful. Other news for the Monki customers’ homes are the scented candles, for extra cosiness this season. Cedarwood – with it’s warm and woody scent, this candle will energize you and bring back memories from cosy bonfires and autumn weekends in a cabin. Bamboo Rose – a flowery, yet fresh scent of satsuma and lime mixed with rose, cedar wood, apple and golden bamboo. A warm and inviting candle that suits every home. Vanilla Sea Salt – when you want your home to smell like a pastry shop! Sweet vanilla blossom mixed with flowery jasmine and a pinch of sea salt.

The gifts that keep on giving

Lunette period panties

In 2017, Monki teamed up with Lunette and shouted from the roof tops: ‘Periods are cool. Period.’ with their pink menstrual cup. As a continuation of the collaboration, and as a part of the fashion brand’s ongoing work to empower women and end period stigma – Monki & Lunette can now proudly present: the period panty. A next level period panty, manufactured in Europe ensures no waste, no leaks, no stress guaranteed. Designed with comfort in focus, they come with a high gusset and wide waistband. Ideal for light to medium flow days with no-cup-no-problem confidence or pair with your Monki Å~ Lunette Menstrual Cup for added security.

#NoFilter – From the heart

As a homage to the most important layer of all, Monki has created a soft and cosy drop, perfect for winter. Promoting self-love and body positivity, the pieces are a part of the #NoFilter concept — advocating for the fashion industry to stop retouching bodies, especially connected to swimwear and underwear shoots. Underwear in satin and lace, cute socks, soft pyjama sets are here, waiting to be fallen in love with. This season, a tiny red heart print is in focus on the garments, as well as on an eye-mask, socks, a mug, and a scented candle – as small reminders to not forget to give yourself a little love. The allover heart print can be matched with new red pieces in satin and lace – perfect for the holiday season ahead.

Monki’s holiday capsule

…and what would the jolly festive season be without a variety of wonderfully cute Monki holiday prints? The brand’s favourite time of the year — holiday sweater season — is lurking around the corner, and Monki is here to turn up the volume by providing not only sweaters, but leggings, knitted vests and tees in a variety of prints, colours and vibes to get into the right holiday spirit.

The gift shop and the The Monki Å~ Lunette period panties will be available in stores and online from October.

October 14, 2022
Enter the world of Krispy Kreme this Halloween with the Spell Book Doughnuts

These spooky specials are available for dine in, pickup, drive through, and delivery nationwide!

What better way to celebrate Halloween than sharing eight (8) various fun and delicious Spell Book-themed doughnuts that your squad will surely enjoy. Starting with the Wicked Witch, a dulce kreme-filled doughnut hand-dipped in melon chocolate, designed with gray kreme icing, black chocolate coating, and finished off with lashes and a witch hat chocolate topper. The witch isn’t complete without her Wicked Broom, another dulce kreme-filled doughnut hand-dipped in black chocolate coating, designed with melon chocolate icing, and topped with a stick of chocolate-flavored Pejoy for the broomstick. Bite into the Magic Cauldron, a chocolate cake doughnut, hand-dipped melon chocolate, designed with green kreme icing and finished-off with halloween blend sprinkles, a bloody eye chocolate topper, and a stick of chocolate flavored Pejoy.

A surprise treat is ahead of you with the Enchanted Apple that either has dark chocolate or spiced apple filling. Guess your flavor! Unlock a lot of possibilities when you open the Book of Spells, chocolate ring doughnut hand-dipped in orange chocolate, designed with violet chocolate mix, and finished-off with a book of spells chocolate topper.

Our Black Cat will definitely make you lucky, filled with creamy vanilla, hand-dipped in a dark compound glaze, topped with crushed oreos, red chocolate coating, white chocolate coins and a triangle of chocolate toppers. Adding to the Halloween fun also is the Halloween Minis, chocolate mini rings, hand-dipped in either orange or violet chocolate coating, topped with mixed Halloween sprinkles.

Get these delicious Halloween treats starting at the price of Php 70 and in assorted boxes of 6 at Php 327. You may also get the Mini-Halloween Sprinkles in sampler boxes of 3 at Php 150 or at dozens and double dozen boxes.

“We want to thank our OGs for 85 years of constant support and being with us from the very start. To show our gratitude, we want to make this year’s Halloween celebration more special through these creative Spell Book Halloween Doughnuts that would be perfect for celebrations with family and friends,” said Ysabel Cruz, Marketing Manager of Krispy Kreme.

Go to any participating Krispy Kreme stores nationwide to check out these specials. Visit your nearest store today, or have it delivered to your doorstep by calling 888-79000 or ordering online through now.krispykreme.com.ph, GrabFood, Foodpanda, Pick.a.Roo, Mangan, OrderMo, and Groover.

October 14, 2022
City of Firsts welcomes rebranding of SM Cubao to SM Araneta City

Starting October 2022, SM Cubao — one of the first branches of retail giant SM in the metro — will be officially known as SM Araneta City.

The historic City of Firsts welcomes the change in the name of the iconic mall, which serves as a fitting follow-up to the rebranding of Araneta Center to Araneta City in September 2019.

“We are happy that SM, itself an institution in Philippine retail, is part of the memorable and colorful history that shaped Araneta City. They are one of our very first partners in business, and they have been a valuable part of our identity through the years,” Antonio Mardo, Senior Vice President for Operations of Araneta City, said.

It was in 1980 when SM — known back then as Shoemart department store — opened its third branch in then Araneta Center. SM Cubao opened four years after nearby Ali Mall was inaugurated in 1976, and was the Center’s second land lease establishment (after Rustan’s Superstore in 1975). It has since become one of the original prominent shopping destinations in Quezon City.

Commercial establishments in Araneta Center, including SM Cubao, underwent a series of changes and modernization since the ’90s following the rising retail and property development competition in the metro. To mark the rich pioneering history shared by SM Cubao and Ali Mall, a bridgeway was constructed to connect the two iconic malls.

“With SM Cubao’s rebranding to SM Araneta City, the transformation of Araneta from a pioneering commercial center to a modern mixed-use development takes on new heights. We look forward to completing our transformation and achieving our redevelopment plans with all our business partners in the near future,” Mardo said.

The mall rebranding comes as Araneta City fulfills its redevelopment plan to revamp and modernize the metro’s pioneer commercial district. Following the renovations of existing properties, the City of Firsts is preparing to open soon the expansive Gateway Mall 2 and the country’s firsts ibis Styles hotel, and will commence construction of more developments.

October 13, 2022
Unleash The Creative Multitasker Within with the All-new ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED

ASUS today announces its latest breed of Zenbook Creator laptop for the on-the-go creative multitasker, the all-new Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402). This premium and powerful yet compact dual-screen laptop features a next-generation ScreenPad Plus secondary touchscreen, combined with the brand-new Active Aerodynamic System Ultra (AAS Ultra) auto-tilting design that improves cooling and ergonomics. This Intel Evo-certified machine packs a flagship 12^th Gen Intel Core i7 H-Series processor and creator-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, powering a studio-grade world-leading 2.8K OLED HDR 14.5-inch 16:10 touchscreen main display^[1] with a 120 Hz refresh rate.

Visual precision like no other

Work and create with visual precision with the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED’s world-leading 14.5-inch 2.8K 120 Hz OLED NanoEdge touchscreen. With its expansive 16:10 aspect ratio for an immersive visual workspace. The main touchscreen is PANTONE Validated to ensure accurate color grading and printed outputs. It’s also VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified to render ultra-realistic detail in even the darkest scenes. Its cinema-grade DCI-P3 color gamut delivers ultra-vivid colors. The ultra-high 120 Hz refresh rate and 0.2 ms response time can make all the difference with a smoother-than-ever experience, whether scrolling through a document, online browsing; or for entertainment purposes such as video streaming. Complemented by Dolby Vision and Atmos technologies, every creative is bound to have the best cinema audio and visual experience.

To keep the user’s eyes comfortable and safe during extended content creation sessions, it’s also TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue-light emissions. Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED puts its rivals in the shade, making it the ultimate compact OLED laptop for all-around creative professionals.

Next-gen ScreenPad Plus

Multitask like a pro with the next-generation ScreenPad Plus with AAS Ultra in Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED. The 12.7-inch, full-width secondary touchscreen supports the latest high-precision styluses, such as ASUS Pen 2.0, included in the box. This nifty secondary display allows efficient and more comfortable workflow for nitty-gritty operations, such as image touch-ups, digital calligraphy, animation, and graphic design. It also allows more seamless productivity-related tasks such as notetaking during virtual meetings or taking down creative ideas during brainstorming sessions. The multiuse AAS Ultra also raises the rear of ScreenPad Plus and tilts it by 12 degrees when the laptop is opened, creating a seamless and optimized viewing angle for easy cross-screen operation.

The ASUS ScreenPad Plus is now made even better with the new ScreenXpert 3 software to make creative workflows more efficient and seamless. With this upgrade, the built-in apps, such as App Switcher and App Navigator, can now be used with external displays, such as the ASUS Zenscreen and ASUS ProArt. ScreenXpert 3 also has a Control Panel feature that allows control of various Adobe application tools. Giving a more precise and intuitive creation and editing experience, users can manipulate brush size, saturation, opacity, and the like with Dial, Button, Slider, and Scroll controls. Control Panel is fully customizable and works with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro, and After Effects — and more compatible apps on the way.

In addition, users get free three months Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for every purchase of Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED. For more details about this partnership, check https://www.asus.com/content/asus-offers-adobe-creative-cloud/.

Taking content creation to the max

The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is an Intel Evo-certified laptop built to meet the demands of all-around creative entrepreneurs and on-the-go professionals. It comes with the flagship 12^th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H Processor, tested to handle intensive creative workloads and designed for real-world multitasking. With fourteen cores and a Turbo Boost speed of up to 5.0 GHz, this laptop delivers speedy performance to meet even the tightest deadlines. This powerful CPU perfectly matches the studio-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, an essential component for graphics-intensive tasks. Users can blitz through the most demanding visual tasks, such as 3D rendering and video editing, with less waiting time. Supported with the NVIDIA Studio drivers, users can maximize all creative apps usage and compatibility.

Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is also packed with 16 GB of RAM and an ultrafast 512 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD. This ensures no memory and storage bottlenecks could slow the user’s creative process. Plus, its high capacity 76Wh battery can run up to 9.5 hours^[1] for those long working hours.

For a more cohesive create-and-work ecosystem, the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is equipped with full I/O ports for every need. The dual 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports support fast charging and 4K external displays, and there’s also a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and a high-speed HDMI 2.1 port. The latest high-performance SD Express 7.0 card readers ensures ultrafast file transfers, and the audio combo jack makes communications easy.

To ensure that the laptop reaches its full potential, the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED comes with an exclusive ASUS IceCool Plus cooling system. This uses two quiet IceBlades fans with up to 97 3D-curved blades that cool the two 8 mm heat pipes from the CPU and GPU. Complemented by the 38% more hot air vented to the exterior of the new AAS Ultra mechanism, the device promises that the CPU and GPU can run at up to an 85 W combined TDP sans the throttling.

Snag the latest ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402) in Tech Black color, featuring the iconic spun-metal finish and an illuminated ASUS Monogram lid design available at the nearest ASUS Concept Stores and authorized shops for only PHP 159,995.00. Check out the complete store list here https://ph.asus.click/PRWTB. Filipinos can also score this productivity and creativity beast with up to 12 months of 0% installment via Home Credit for as low as PHP 4,807.00.

October 13, 2022
PICKUP COFFEE Introduces PICKUP TEAS in Four Refreshing Flavors

PICKUP COFFEE, the new coffee brand in the city has expanded its menu with tea drinks that come in four flavors!

This newly founded startup quickly gained attention for offering high-quality espresso and milk-based beverages with prices below P100. A few months into the business, PICKUP COFFEE continues to give customers more options with their PICKUP Teas: freshly brewed tea drinks with no artificial flavors, high-quality natural syrups, and real fruit extracts.

Photo courtesy of PICKUP COFFEE

They offer brewed black tea in three flavors: the Apple Iced Tea (P50), Peachy Iced Tea (P60), and Lychee Iced Tea (P60). They also have the Thaiger Milk Tea (P75) a brewed Thai tea with their creamy milk blend and brown molasses syrup. Each drink offers a refreshing burst of flavor that would surely satisfy one’s iced tea cravings.

Photo courtesy of PICKUP COFFEE

The PICKUP Teas will be available starting this October 13 at PICKUP COFFEE’s physical stores, GrabFood, foodpanda, SUPAH, and Pick.A.Roo. They will also be offering the PICKUP TEA Sampler for only P199 from October 17 until 31.

You can visit PICKUP COFFEE’s branches at these locations: ONE UPTOWN Bonifacio, BGC; Assembly Grounds at The Rise, Makati; Glorietta 4, Makati; Exquadra Tower, Pasig City; and Landmark, BGC. You can also order online from these locations.

Visit their website at www.pickup-coffee.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more details.

October 13, 2022
‘RESBAK’ By Gloc-9, Pricetagg, Omar Baliw, CLR, and Shanti Dope Is The Hottest All-Star Rap Song Of 2022

Full of star power! “RESBAK” is the newest single from the upcoming “Pilak” album of Gloc-9.

This fresh release is a prolific collaboration of five equally talented rap artists, as our Paboritong Makata is joined by Pricetagg, Omar Baliw, CLR and Shanti Dope. They jokingly describe that this formidable team up is akin to The Avengers, because why not?

“RESBAK” again reiterates that giving your all to whatever worthy endeavor that you take on in life can be a character-building task, which in itself is already a win. And more often than not, it leads you to the real and your desired success. This inspiring theme was encapsulated in upbeat music arranged by Brian Lotho, and flawlessly mixed and mastered by Chrisanthony Vinzons. Meanwhile, its impressive cover art inspired by Chess pieces was made by CLMRarts.

To have a grand comeback, you have to have a setback. Embrace defeat, stand up every time you fall, and let the calluses grow as a reminder of the work you did and keep you grounded when you stand tall on the pedestal, basking on the accolades of success while not forgetting that the deed is often more important than the outcome. That’s basically the core message of the entire song.

After the music video release this weekend, the star-studded official music video of “RESBAK” directed by Aaron Maagma easily became #20 on Trending For Music on YouTube and now has over 321,000 views and counting.

“RESBAK” follows Gloc-9’s previous releases “Paliwanag” with Yeng Constantino, the title track “Pilak”, “Kumpisal” featuring Skusta Clee, “Buhok” with Liezl, and “Di Umiinom” with Hero. Don’t forget to stream it on your favorite music digital streaming platforms now!

October 13, 2022
MOVIE REVIEW: More a manifesto than a movie, ‘Amsterdam’ struggles for cohesion despite its glorious cast

I was charmed by ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and was totally floored by ‘American Hustle’ and so I’m very interested in David O. Russell’s work before I found out about his controversial working habits and problematic personal life. Despite what I know of David O. Russell behind the camera, when I saw the cast list for this latest film ‘Amsterdam,’ I was very much intrigued by the movie. I’d watch anything with Margot Robbie or Christian Bale and then you add Anna Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, and Robert De Niro to the list and it’s just too good to pass up.

The film opens with a tongue-in-cheek mention that the events of the movie “actually happened” and the story brings us to America in 1933 where we are introduced to Christian Bale’s one-eyed doctor and veteran of World War I Burt Berendsen and his best friend, lawyer and also WWI veteran Harold Woodsman, played by John David Washington. Burt lives in his clinic where he tends to the medical needs of war veterans and provides plastic surgery and prosthetics to cover their scars and wounds from battle. Burt meets with Harold to meet a client played by Taylor Swift. She wants Burt to perform an autopsy on her father, a retired general who is suspected of having been murdered instead of dying by natural causes as was reported.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

What unfolds is a grand conspiracy that touches upon fascism, racial discrimination, and big business. Kept light, at times almost dream-like, and an uneven touch of whimsy, ‘Amsterdam’ tries to draw out the mystery of the murder and the grandness of the conspiracy as much as it can while introducing an ever-expanding cast that includes Margot Robbie, as a French nurse that the two friends meet during WWI, Zoe Saldana, a forensic nurse, Rami Malek and Anna Taylor-Joy, who play a couple in high society that may help the two friends escape the trouble they have found themselves in, Andrea Riseborough, who plays Burt’s estranged wife, and Robert De Niro, who plays a retired general, whose connection to the deceased general may hold a clue to what is going on.

It’s actually hard to keep track of the film’s direction as, right at the midst of the premise opening up, we are then thrown into a flashback of WWI, the time when Burt is assigned to an all-black regiment of the US and meets Harold and then later, Margot Robbie’s Valerie. Broken by their injuries from the war, the three take a trip to Amsterdam where they live a life that is meant to evoke some idea of liberty – a place where they are not judged for how they live or love and are free from the ravages of war and the societal restrictions of 1918 America.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

And then it goes back into the present to continue on with the conspiracy while also juggling Burt’s own marital issues with his wife and her disapproving family and war veteran gala that Burt and Harold are very keen to stage and produce.

By keeping it humorous and odd, it gives all the star-studded cast so much room to really play and have fun with their roles – most especially for Robbie and Taylor-Joy, who seem to have a blast with their characters – but at the same time, none of the emotional beats of the film really end up landing where they should. The love story between Harold and Valerie doesn’t seem as intense or as inevitable as the story positions it, and the impending danger that the conspiracy is foreshadowing doesn’t provide any real sense of urgency.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

What happens is that we are flitting along to every scene and just watching the cast have a ball with their eccentric situations. When the elements of fascism start to play out, the idea of the Amsterdam scene becomes the counterpoint now to everything that fascism is against – that liberty and freedom to live and love the way you want – becomes the central theme of the film. By not taking any of it seriously, the film ends up not really saying much.

In fact, there’s a heavy use of narration from its three main cast and then a long-winded narration by Burt at the very end, there’s a feeling that ‘Amsterdam’ and its anti-fascist messages are more of the director’s manifesto than it is an actual movie with a grounded, solid story. And I use purposefully use the word “grounded” because after watching the movie, I did a little Google search and discovered from an article by the LA Times, that a journalist who did research and wrote a book about the events that are alluded to in the film said that “only 10% of what happens in this movie is based on fact.” He said everything else is fiction.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

While there are some really amusing moments in the movie, some that actually got me laughing out loud, and the spectacular performances from the star-studded cast, I ended up leaving the theater wondering what it was that I just saw and if there was anything deeper to this film than the monologue at the end that sort of spoon feeds the film’s message.

This is not the work of David O. Russell, who I have come to admire from the energy and urgency that he was able to infuse into ‘American Hustle.’ Sure, ‘Amsterdam’ is pretty to look at but that’s about it.

My Rating:

.

—

Amsterdam is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

ALSO READ
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About the Star-Studded ‘Amsterdam’ Movie

October 13, 2022
Precious Paula Nicole Pops Off as the First Drag Race Philippines Superstar

After an exciting two months of Pinoy-flavored mini and maxi challenges, fierce runway looks, and regular doses of drama, Precious Paula Nicole bested 11 other Filipino drag queens to become the Philippines’ first-ever Drag Race Superstar.

The hit global drag phenomenon “Drag Race Philippines” historic first season premiered on August 17, 2022, on discovery+, HBO GO, and WOW Presents Plus featuring 12 of the fiercest, most fabulous Filipino drag artists from all over the world competing for the crown.

The Precious Bicolana Queen and member of the drag group “Divine Divas”, first entered the werk room in a campy ensemble reflective of her playful personality. From the beginning of the competition, she showcased true creativity, uniqueness, nerve, and talent which helped her gain the title of president and number one competitor at the Ru-lections. Her ‘Regine Velasquez’ performance garnered praise from the “Asia’s Songbird” herself during the OPM Divas: The Rusical and her Pearl of the Orient Seas look proved that she could serve eleganza extravaganza. Quickly enough, Precious Paula Nicole became a crowd favorite especially when her heart shone through during Twinning! as she transformed her youngest brother into a drag queen. She not only showcased the best of Pinoy drag but also embodied the Filipino spirit of unconditional love and dedication to family.

“Life is precious and so are we. Let’s continue to inspire and let’s continue to love”, said Precious Paula Nicole in the finale of “Drag Race Philippines” Season One.

The other finalists also served their remarkable talent and tenacity. Eva Le Queen, best known for her Snatch Game performance as comedian Rufa Mae Quinto, brought out the Tampalpukean in every viewer, gaining the respect of many for her poise and wisdom. Marina Summers, a fan-favorite who served sultry summer looks, charmed the country with her wit and humor. Finally, Xilhouete, respectable drag mother to many, wow-ed the fans with not just couture-inspired looks but also her determination and will to be worthy of one of the spots in the finale.

In the finale, viewers were welcomed by the S1 queens of “Drag Race Philippines” and an electric performance by “Drag Race Philippines” host, Paolo Ballesteros. The Miss Congeniality title was bestowed to Lady Morgana before the final four showdowns. Kicking off the final lip sync battles were Eva Le Queen and Precious Paula Nicole followed by Marina Summers and Xilhouete. It ultimately came down to Precious Paula Nicole and Marina Summers who performed Sirena by Gloc-9 for the crown. Precious Paula Nicole secured her victory, receiving a one-year supply of ONE/SIZE beauty cosmetics by Patrick Starrr and 1,000,000 pesos powered by Kumu.

With its healthy dose of creativity, ingenuity, and drama, the first season of “Drag Race Philippines” has garnered global attention. Though the season may have ended, fans can rewatch all episodes on discovery+, HBO Go, and WOW Presents Plus.

“Drag Race Philippines” is produced in the Philippines by Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc in conjunction with World of Wonder Productions, Inc. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serving as executive producers on the series.Download and subscribe to discovery+ available across multiple platforms, including connected TVs, web, mobile, and tablets. For the latest updates and promos, follow discovery+ on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “Drag Race Philippines” is also available on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe, and Skycable. Follow HBO GO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

October 13, 2022
“Black Adam” Soars With a Big Heart, Dark Humor, Bad-Ass Action

Johnson, who also produced the film via his Seven Bucks banner, has tackled roles in almost every genre, and stepping into a super suit was always something he considered.

“Black Adam actually came onto my radar when I was really young,” Johnson relates. “I loved comic books and I was always a DC kid. I gravitated towards Black Adam because he was one of the very few of the superheroes, supervillains, antiheroes—however you want to categorize him—who had brown skin and looked like me. Plus, he was always a badass,” he grins. And while the road to the big screen was long—more than ten years, in fact—Johnson’s connection to the character and his story remained strong. “Black Adam is something that has been a part of my DNA and my soul for many, many years.”

For the filmmakers, the goal was to tap into Black Adam’s legitimate comic book street cred and couple it with heart, a bit of dark humor and big cinematic action. For them, there was only one director who could capture it all in epic fashion, and he was already at the helm of one of their films.

The team turned to Johnson’s collaborator on “Jungle Cruise,” Jaume Collet-Serra, to direct “Black Adam.” Though new to the DC universe, he was intrigued by the reluctant hero with unparalleled super powers and an exacting viewpoint – he subsequently did a deep dive into the wealth of material in the canon, and also quickly honed in on the script’s timely themes. Remarks the director, “I’m attracted to characters that walk that fine line between doing the right thing and doing what needs to be done, and I immediately saw a character that was very similar to those who, when the system breaks down, are able to bring justice in ways that other people were not able to do. I felt like I hadn’t seen that in the superhero space and that to me was very exciting.”

Collet-Serra’s visions of Black Adam as the stranger rolling into town and becoming the principled rulebreaker, a staple of the western and lone cop genres, was an inspired game-changer for the producers, who felt his original take would satisfy both moviegoers and diehard comic book fans.

Observes Collet-Serra, “One of the more interesting parts of Black Adam is the thematic exploration about what makes a hero and who has the right to define what justice is. I wouldn’t call Black Adam’s moral code questionable, but perhaps his moral code is just not up to date with the times that we live in. He’s a no-nonsense guy; he does things his way for what he believes is right.”

For Johnson, everything in front of and behind the camera came together to create a version of Black Adam that was not only the role of a lifetime, but one that he felt would reverberate throughout the DC universe. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to introduce something completely brand new, from scratch, into the superhero mix and that’s what ‘Black Adam’ is. When I say, ‘The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,’ it sounds audacious, but I mean that with real reverence and respect for the DC Universe. True fans know the qualities that Black Adam has been blessed with, powers that change the balance of power, and when you break down these qualities and these powers that Black Adam has, you realize it’s rooted in truth.”

In Philippine cinemas October 19, “Black Adam” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #BlackAdam

October 13, 2022
Visum Ventures – A Force to Reckon With in The F & B Industry; Introduces Chef Miko Aspiras as New Executive Pastry Chef; Launches Salt and Ice Bar

Visum Ventures, which was founded in 2019 just before the pandemic struck, is one of the fastest-growing key players in the local restaurant landscape. From bringing Koomi, the natural drinking yoghurt from Australia, to seven (7) brands in under 3 years, it certainly is a force to reckon with in the Philippine food and beverage landscape.

The company is launching a host of new and exciting concepts for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. Undaunted by the recent crisis, Mike remains determined to grow the Visum Ventures Group brand portfolio.

New Executive Pastry Chef Partner
Award-winning pastry chef Miko Aspiras recently joined Visum Ventures as its new Executive Pastry Chef Partner, as announced by John-Michael ‘Mike’ Hilton, the company’s President and CEO.

Chef Miko will curate desserts for all Visum brands, as well as introduce new and exciting concepts.

Some of Chef Miko’s new dessert creations he shared during an intimate media night last September 27 at Salt and Ice Bar. Included his version of ‘banana-Q,’ with langka, mousse with banana financier and mille feuille. There were also the Black Forest with Auro Dark Chocolate Mousse, with cherries and dark chocolate; the delicate petit fours; Calamansi Cake with Auro White Chocolate Glaze, Vegemite Butterscotch with Auro Milk Chocolate Ganache and Auro Dark Chocolate Shell Pralines, and Sable cookie, sable Breton, coconut marshmallow,
and Dumaguete passion fruit pastille.

Salt and Ice Bar
Partnering with Chef Miko is just one of the many collaborations that Visum Ventures will launch in the coming months. Also in the drawing board are several new bar concepts, and plans to bring in foreign, award-winning chefs to open restaurants in the Philippines.

A media night was also held recently to introduce Salt and Ice, a fun, new place with a cool vibe in the metro, with world-class cocktails crafted by award-winning bartenders using top-shelf spirits, and a creative menu that celebrates the freshness of Aklan oysters flown-in every day, always fresh, never frozen

Salt represents the sea and their fresh oysters; Ice represents their amazing craft cocktails. Their bartenders create forward-looking, whimsical cocktails, each with their own stories, beautifully served and presented, the kind you look forward to after a long day.

Oysters are the star of the show in this bar that takes craft cocktails to an art form. Fresh-shucked, Oyster Tempura, Oyster Mornay, Oyster Spinach & Malunggay, Oyster Bacon and Cheese and Oyster Kilpatrick.

Amazing craft cocktails, meanwhile, include 36 th Street, Rogue Waves, Queen B, Aurora, She’s a Bliss, Eternal Rose, Nought Rusty and Kiss Kiss .

Salt & Ice is located at Ground Floor of Uptown Parade in Uptown BGC Taguig. It is open from 4:00PM to 1:00AM from Sundays to Wednesdays and 4:00PM to 3:00AM from Thursdays to Saturdays. For more info, call (63 969) 141-4688 . It also recently opened at Bldg 7, Molito Commercial Complex, Alabang.

Follow Salt and Ice on Facebook – Salt and Ice Bar Ph and on Instagram @saltandiceph. Media contact: Raquel G. Hizon ((63 918) 923-0694/ raquelhizon2017@gmail.com )

October 12, 2022