CARLOS MORALES Takes On Directorial Hat in WILD BOYS

Actor Carlos Morales aka Carl Woodruff Jr. in real life just made an impression with his movie WILD BOYS during its premiere night last June 3rd at Gateway Cinemas. This is a totally different hat from his sexy film stints in the 2000's with titles like "Laro sa Baga" which he did with Chito Roño, "Babaeng Putik", "Red Diaries", "Bigasan" and more. His directorial debut was in 2015 for the film "Piring" and it has gotten screenplay and 2nd best picture nods at the World Premieres Film Festival. 

He took a hiatus in 2020 because of the pandemic and practiced his nursing profession in the US. He wanted to go back since he's done film making at the New York Film Academy (2016) knowing that he's so passionate about the craft. He finished filming WILD BOYS and then sought a July-August play date.

This is his passion project, and together with his friends, a throng of very supportive actors, he was able to quench his thirst for music and dance. WILD BOYS had all original tracks and several dance numbers included in the film. Think of it as a Filipinized version of Magic Mike, which had a great spin in building individual characters. I thought I was going to hate it, but no, it was super entertaining! 

The film includes hot brothers Aljur and Vin Abrenica, excellent character actors Martin Escudero, Kristof Garcia, Nico Locco (who did his character crazy), Hashtag Jimboy Martin,  former PBA Pro Arwind Santos, Christian Ty, Billy James, super hot Christian Singson, Rash Flores, and new guy Pedro Red. The film also includes Paul Alvarez, Rolando Inocencio, Cataleya Surio, Mariposa, CJ Garcia, Ms. Krista Miller, Ms. Ina Alegre, the funny Atak Araña, and new comeback comedy queen Inday Garutay. 

Story wise, the film tend to be a bit raw. They have made the effort to introduce each one, and since it's an ensemble cast, it took a huge chunk of the play time. I felt it was necessary and folks in the cinema appreciated it. If the plan was doing a series, it begged a sequel because they definitely could do a lot with the WILD BOYS.

The film also talks about poverty, resilience, reaching for their dreams. Since this is WILD BOYS, you'll see them get naughty at times and slowly make the wishes of matrons and gays a reality. The film is R-13 and will be shown in cinemas very soon.

MAGIC VOYZ Holds First Concert at VIVA CAFE: Welcomes New Member ASHER to the Fold

It's been a while since MAGIC VOYZ was launched in this same venue, the Viva Cafe. This time, the event is quite different, because they're holding a concert with several performers. They did it with a bang!

From several dance numbers, to song covers and provocative chair exhibitions, these guys didn't hold back including their guest performers Ayah Alfonso, Krista Miller, Marianne Saint, Meggan Marie and Yda Manzano. It was both exciting and fun because they made sure to connect with the audience, not to mention them being pretty too.

 

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When the boys came out, they did several dance numbers with their guests first before taking over the venue. We also got to meet their newest member Asher, who was very young looking and fresh, he's only 18 but eager to perform for the public. He joined Marcia, Juan, Rave, Jace, Johan, Mhack and Ian to sing their original songs including the latest one called "BINTANA" to woo the girls and not so girls in the audience.

They also did covers of OPM songs, so the crowd was able to sing along especially when they did Michael Pangilinan's "Pare Mahal Mo Raw Ako", which they dedicated to gay fans in the audience that night. In the end, they enjoyed every bit of their performances and said they're raring to do more in other places within the year. They also told us that they will be releasing another single (their 3rd one) very soon. 

This is just the start for the boys, and they've been very thankful so far about their journey. They thanked not just the fans, but the people who have been making this concert and the other events possible. There will be more, so if you would like them to perform in your town, go like their Facebook page and talk to them about how to make it possible. They are managed by Lito De Guzman and VIVA. They're goal is to make you happy!

More Space for MEN in Entertainment: Meet MAGIC VOYZ

With the recent popularity of PPOP, singing groups, and all, there certainly a place for more. Recently, the folks from VIVA Records and LDG Productions launched an all male sing and dance group called MAGIC VOYZ. Meet Jhon Mark Marcia, Juan Paulo Calma, Mhack Morales, Rave Obado, Jace Ramos, Ian Briones and Johan Shane. 

They're not new to acting since some of them appear in Viva's platform and indie movies. They had promise, so LDG productions and Viva Records are putting a risk with these guys. We sat at few meters from them at the Viva Cafe stage last night. From the looks of it, the audience was captivated by their magic.They've been influenced heavily by Magic Mike, hence the name of their group. The ladies love them, the singing was lovely, the dancing was insatiable.

MAGIC VOYZ then introduced themselves and performed a couple of their original songs (a Filipino song called “Wag Mo Akong Titigan”, and the other is called “Bintana”). They wanted to showcase their versatility, which is why they're doing this in front of a packed shop. A few of them did a cover of Bruno Mars' 24K Magic and the romantic song "Mahal na Mahal". Their manager Lito De Guzman successfully launched similar groups in the past, and he missed doing this a lot. I could liken their songs to a more novelty pop genre, but it's the whole package that patrons will be getting because at the end of the day, they are "entertainers".

They are pretty nice too. When we had the chance to chat with them after the show, they were very eager to talk about their music, their new group, and the excitement of performing on stage. They are also planning to perform regularly at Viva Cafe and out of town shows, so if you hear of them in your side of the woods, you should definitely go and get to know them.

With talks about them competing with other artists, the boys immediately dispelled the rumors because the only thing they want to bring on the table is a different kind of entertainment. Surely, there's going to be a niche market they could cater to because yes, there's MORE space for men in entertainment.

If you want them in your events, you can contact their management via their FB page (just search Magic Voyz on Facebook) or call Viva Artists Agency at 0917-840-35-22. Just go ahead and give them a call.

Hello Stranger The Movie, Worth It!

Just got off the "Hello Stranger: The Movie" Premiere Night. 

This is the hit BL series that Blacksheep Productions showed on YouTube for several weeks starring Tony Labrusca and JC Alcantara. The love story of Xavier and Mico continues and starts where they left off in the series. Structurally, to go straight to the point, it's a very good movie but there might be a few misses in the beginning. Just like a diesel engine it had to warm up as it had to establish things after what happened to them in the series. They also had to give time re-drawing the connections, but after that, they introduced the conflicts of the story. Now we don't want to spoil who that is and what they did, but I agree that it's not petty.

Aside from the main actors they will be telling a little side story for the character of Vivoree (Kookai) which I think adds a little flavor. Though not really connected to the main plot, it's something that happens in real life, so you still get something out of it.

After the premiere, JC Alcantara cried happily and said "Thank you to my Blacksheep family, this was the opportunity I always prayed for. I am just so thankful!"

Tony Labrusca on the other hand lauded the men and women behind the show, he mentions "Props to everybody who took part to do this movie. This is such a special project for us, to be part of one of the first BL series, I just hope you just enjoyed. Thank you for supporting us!"

 

Is this worth your money? YES. Especially if you are a fan of the series so you would know how their story ends. It's a movie that is not too stressful, very light, and it's got really nice stories in between. There's also talk about family, relationships, and love, which we all need at this time. Now go get a ticket off of KTX.PH. Tony and JC made an effort to tell you more about the realizations of Xavier and Mico, will it be worth all the hurt and pain?

You have to know. 8/10, worth every cent. I'm a huge fan.

The Dark Horse of MMFF 2020: The Boy Foretold by the Stars

 

I will say this, for good reason, this film called A Boy Foretold by the Stars will be the dark horse of MMFF 2020. Tomorrow is judgement day as online streaming is going to be done via Upstream.ph wherein these entries will battle it out not by ordinary box office ticket sales in movie houses, but by online tickets on that platform. If this was poker, I'd put in most of my chips in this interesting movie which stars Adrianne Lindayag and Keann Johnson. We already have had the chance to talk to them earlier this month and this time, we got to talk to them with a little more enthusiasm as they got a glimpse of how people have been reacting to their recent trailers and pronouncement on media. I am pleased how positive it has been accepted so far and by the looks of it, this would really be an interesting movie to watch as it's not just designed to ruffle feathers because of its LGBT content, but a whole love story that happened in high school. Oh yes, young love, which is awesomely depicted on this film will bring back your days of innocence. That time when you realized you're capable of having that fleeting feeling, butterflies when you're with someone else you adore.

Direk Dolly Dulu says "I'm super excited to be in the MMFF and we didn't expect this to happen, but we will do our best and claim victory for the film. I guess it is the quality of the movie that can persuade people to watch it, it was meant for the big screen and the mindset is it is to be shown on cinema but not a series. The treatment and story and how we tell it technical wise is different. This is the first BL full length movie that focuses on the highschool life, the experience of how a young boy falls in love with a young boy, that's what it gives. I think there were lots of films that were sent for MMFF, but this is at par with the other entries. I hope it isn't just because it is a BL series, but it is a good movie. BL for me focuses on the "coming of age" part, this is innocent, sweet, cute, very light genre. It focuses more on love, not on other things. This is about their personal discovery. The Philippine story telling usually concentrates on family matters, sidekicks, a bit mainstream. I feel people are just waiting for it, our mindset doing this in CineFilipino was to have someone start it."

 

Keann says "One thing I discovered from this movie is that this tells a story about two boys having a special connection. Their story is finally being told on screen, to hopefully become more open about the LGBT community, if people should embrace the words LOVE has no gender. It's a very difficult life for a gay person to live in, and almost everyone goes through that.  I said yes to this because of the overall story, Direk Dolly did an amazing job as you can see from the trailer, just from the moment he gave me the intro, the story itself, I was already hooked. I really hoped to actually get this, I even asked my Mom about this and she wanted me to do this. We really made effort to make this worth it, let's all fall in love on Christmas day. Establishing chemistry with Adrianne came naturally, we really made an effort before shooting this film. Direk had specific scenes he wanted to have and showed us how he envisioned it. We always talked about small things, we kept in touch, we hang out, we became extremely close, we knew Luke and Dominic are best friends, all of what you see in the movie is natural."

Adrianne says "I want everyone to realize that everyone has a love story, that even an effeminate little boy deserve the kind of representation in the silver screen. We always see them as side characters, funny ones, but not their love story, now is the time to do that. It's fun, light hearted, it is also educational and inspiring. I had a friend, she told me to be specific about it and I wanted to have a goal and direction for my career and the first role that came to mind is a love story, I wanted to portray a person with a leading man, and the universe gave it to me. I auditioned for this film last year and it's not question, I immediately fell in love with it, like an answered prayer. If they wanted me to swallow fire, be hit by a truck I would do it. In the entertainment industry, there is a lack of opportunities already for the LGBT community. There is a lack of roles, and I think that's also taking away opportunities for actors like me. I came from a production background and these days, there are capable gay actors who are ready for it. Let's give them the jobs, they know the stories, so they could represent us and tell the story authentically. We used to work in separate projects and when he came in the audition, direk already saw we knew each other. This means so much to me as a queer actor, and this also means a lot to Keanne as well, we're doing this from a deep place in both of us, there is a sense of service. We were told that this wouldn't work if we didn't jive, we had to be partners (hence he calls him a partner) we had to have a special connection and you can see that in camera. I want to tell our story, I want to do queer roles as it is my advocacy. I hope there would be more material, continue telling the story of our community, there are a lot that needs to be heard. Expect kilig, expect light romance, see you on theaters!"

Iyah Minah says "I wanted to experience to be part of this movie, a story talks about those who are not open with the LGBTQ community, on how they have relationships and it's not because of gender and what not. I think it's better if queer people tell the story, and I hope it gets delivered right and I'm glad they are very open about it. I hope people remember that because we do have very talented people in the community. For me I think my previous role had opened up LGBTQ roles, that they can portray, to be known, I hope it's the start of something good."

Here's how the blog conference went a few days ago:

For those who would want to watch the movie and would like to see the first BL themed film in MMFF history, you've got to catch them at Upstream.ph and see for yourself if it is possible to love with no boundaries. Go watch it with your friends and family, after all, the movie can be watched on your laptop or mobile phone and you can just pay for it while the whole family sees it on screen. This film was made with love as intention, very light, and was crafted good I'd recommend it for Netflix or other streaming platforms too.

I'm definitely watching this, as it is worth the few pesos. Oh and congratulations on the recent nominations of A Boy Foretold by the Stars. I heard you got 12, including the Best Actor nomination for Adrianne Lindayag. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. That's how awesome this is!

Update!

The Boy Foretold by the Stars has won three awards including Second Best Picture at the recent MMFF Gabi ng Parangal which happened last December 27.

Awards won:

MMFF Gender Sensitivity Award went to The Boy Foretold by the Stars  
Best Original Theme Song went to The Boy Foretold by the Stars Jhay Cura and Pao Protacio
MMFF 2nd Best Picture went to The Boy Foretold by The Stars

GMA Artist Center's Hottest Boys of Summer Jak Roberto, Prince Villanueva, James Teng and Elyson De Dios

If looks could kill, the boys we talked to a few days ago would have been a massacre. Some of GMA Artist Center's prized men sat down with us to tell us a little something about how they'll be spending their summer vacation. I know everyone's been eager to do that in a few days and I guess this is quite timely. We know it's hot outside and perhaps we're covering this to make you feel even hotter, we talked to them over banana splits!

What's better than ice cream in a hot afternoon? GMA Artist Center offers Jak Roberto, Prince Villanueva, James Teng and Elyson De Dios. They're doing different shows and projects right now, but aside from their acting prowess, what might actually be interesting is these guys don't have that much chance to talk to their fans or perhaps people to get to know them.

The Mini Cooper and Shelby AC Cobra from JSPGC: The Perfect Christmas Gift For Boys and the Big Boys

I've been reminded so many times of my childhood as I was writing about this. In some way, this is what I dreamed of. The technological advancement in the toys these days really impressed me and when the chance to write about cars was in the midst, I immediately said yes. I've been wanting something like this since I can remember and it's even in the type of car I want now. Well, let's just stop the theatrics and let me show you "The Perfect Christmas Gift For Boys and the Big Boys!".

The Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper has been the iconic British car since the 60's. It was the coolest one ever. Back from it's shag days and internationally fancied appeal, the Mini Cooper has been immortalized in toy form by the good people of JSPGC. It's a race car designed by John Cooper. He initially found potential in the car and made it for circuit races back in the days. It's futuristic counterpart was made in the 90's to 2000's and people immediately fell in love with it again. JSPGC actually has been in the trading business since the year 2000. They want you to experience real energy and imagination in their products. They've been trusted and licensed now by many brands to distribute those that can make their most important clients happy, the children.  

Now this isn't your ordinary plastic car usually found in malls. It's built with sturdy hard plastic which I can actually compare with those handy tables and chairs you have at home.

As for the looks, it does actually capture the new Mini Cooper. Theirs is a convertible so your kids would fit in it. The sturdy car can carry approximately until a 9-10 year old kid, or perhaps older when their frame is smaller. 

When I said this is the perfect gift for the BIG BOYS too, I wasn't joking. The Mini Cooper from JSPGC doesn't actually work with pedals, this is actually powered by electricity and runs like a small golf cart if that makes sense.

It comes with a remote control and realistic keys so you could either drive it manually or save your kids from dangerous places by controlling it with this remote. I was clueless at first to actually start it but when I found the keys and a key slot right beside the steering wheel, I turned it on and said WHOA!

It looked like a car and sounded like a car, then it also got these lights on much like the real thing. Impressed, gasped, I was so excited to take it around town and drive it on our garage. I also took it out on the street and had several people approach me because they saw me controlling it with a remote. I think it can go further but I chose to just drive it around nearby so it won't bump against real cars, I don't want to damage it of course. Perhaps it went around 10 meters or so, still you have to take a good look at it so you can watch your kids.

As for the controls, it's pretty simple. There's a button you can flip to go forwards, there's also a high and low speed control, then there's also one you can use to make the car go on Manual Operation or Remote Control. If you see the big circle on the left beside the three red flick switches, that's the key hole where you can put the physical key that comes with the car. You need to turn it like a real key!

The steering wheel is very detailed too. Those buttons aren't there just for display, but it sounds off when pressed. You don't have to worry about crowds crossing the street because it's like real car's horn. I can imagine taking this on the street and stop on corners, you would get the envy of the hood!

If you look closely, that's the only pedal you need to operate while driving. You don't need to break as the thing stops when this isn't pressed. 

The wheel is also made of hard plastic, it can probably carry the weight as I mentioned earlier. I must tell you, I even rode it once to test if it would move... and it did.

The seats aren't upholstered leather but it's going to be comfy if it's just for kids. It's made of the same hard plastic material the car has for its body.

 

Realistic? Yes, super realistic because it's even got those fancy doors which you can open and close by pushing buttons on the outside. It's pretty amazing craftsmanship and ingenuity, that probably made this really work.

All you need to do before actually driving this around is to charge it for a couple of hours (I think it was recommended 4 hours on the manual) before you could actually enjoy driving this around for hours too. Make sure you don't overcharge it so you can extend the lifespan of the battery. Just take care of it and pass it on to another generation. I'm sure it'll last that long and who knows, it might be enjoyed by your children's children too.

It's a dream to have this for your little boys at home and also a dream to get one for the big ones. If it's not enough to impress you, they went ahead and made an even fancier one. Ladies and gentlemen, meet JSPGC Toy's very own Shelby AC COBRA.

Meet T.O.P. : The Winners of To The Top!

Louie Pedroso, Joshua Jacobe, Miko Manguba, Adrian Pascual and Mico Cruz. The boys of T.O.P.

The winners of recent GMA boyband reality show To The Top is now called T.O.P. composed of Louie Pedroso, Joshua Jacobe, Miko Manguba, Adrian Pascual and Mico Cruz. They have already made rounds in different malls and establishments and felt that's where they truly feel the love and support of their followers. We met with them over lunch yesterday to find out more about what their plans are in the next few years, but all just seem so optimistic.

These guys are very talented as some of them write, arrange music, choreograph their own dance moves and of course sing as a team. I have the impression that they're really dividing the exposure equally and says if ever one of them would show good reception from fans, they would eagerly support their colleague and make it a positive experience because all they want to do right now is inspire people with their music. 

Here's an excerpt of their interview on HD video:


To the Top: TOP boys interview by kumagcow

Adrian says he personally expected to win because they're pretty confident about their talent, about the things they did in the competition and he says it's the same as with his crew. They wanted to win and even if it doesn't work, they'll grab the opportunity. Adrian started modeling on runway, did VTR's and runway but now that he's part of T.O.P. he's going to do good in choreography and writing songs and hopes it would be included somehow in future albums. Asked if he ended up doing solo shows, he felt it was going to be something detrimental if he did that now that they're in a group. The hardships they went through he says wasn't a joke and hopes even in the near future, they would still be able to perform as a group because that's what they wanted to do to begin with. I could see his hesitation if he or any of the other guys left and hopes that doesn't happen at all. That to me feels like they're very tight, no matter how tough the situation is, they promise to stay together and perform their absolute best. If he's going to go solo, he's not for it. He's not gonna go Justin Timberlake or Zayn Malik.

Talking to Louie and Mico, they told us this is what they wanted and the preparations that they do before every show is no joke. This life is a little tiring, but it just becomes a great experience because they love what they do. They are part of Kundirana and they already know how to sing with a group and feels it's better when you can do harmonies, dance, and with other people attacking the single song. They joined some contests in the past but found their passion here. Michael Angelo Cruz aka Mico is a full blooded La Salle boy and originally hails from Meycauayan, parents of who have a business. Leonard Louie Espinosa Mendoza is also from La Salle but went to UST for Psychology. He did gigs in occasions, but this is his first competition and there are great singers so he was a little hesitant. Now that he's part of it and won the show, he promises to make the best of it. They tried a few acting gigs but they'll establish this boyband first, and says this is their priority. They enjoyed one episode with Starstruck  guys and gals and says it was also fun so who knows right? They'll be coming out with their music videos very soon btw! So watch out for that!

Joshua and Miko aka Mark Joshua Jacobe Marcelo and Jamico Allan Manguba is still on cloud 9 after winning the show. Miko started in De La Salle Inner Soul where he started performing and arranging music. Joshua on the other hand started playing the guitar when he got it at 12 years old, started in an organization in Gravity in Adamson University where he got a break and did front act performances with Julie Ann San Jose in some of her concerts and shows. He also arrange songs much like Miko and contributes when there are high notes in the arrangement. Miko is doing standards, choosing the quality of songs overall and says that's where they'll make their group different from the previous Filipino boy bands. Both of them, their lives have changed and it's all positive. They read the bad things on social media, but they brush it off and just maintain their image now that they are a part of the group. They are inspiring people, they have to be careful and says "thank you" to their detractors for at least giving their attention. They'll be proving them wrong, they have different genres and they complement each other. This group is going places and are confident if one can't do a thing, the others would be fine with it. To the top trained them not to stand out alone, but do it as a group.

They'll be doing shows this weekend, make sure you visit their facebook page for updates about that!

For more information about their artists:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter