Press Bits

From DreamWorks Animation, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” is even more exciting than the first Oscar-nominated film. The 3D adventure is stunning, with beautiful animation, great characters and a powerful storyline about a boy named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon, Toothless.
Gerard Butler returns as Hiccup’s dad, Stoick The Vast, mighty Chieftain of the Island of Berk.     Hiccup, now a young man, is contentedly flying with Toothless and exploring the frontiers of the Viking world, much to the annoyance of his father.  Stoick feels it’s high time his son stepped up to his leadership responsibilities and his heritage.   As the plot unfolds, Hiccup has to defend the villagers from the power-crazed Drago (Djimon Hounsou) and his army of dragon trappers.   And in a dramatic twist to this exhilarating coming of agestory, there is an emotional family reunion with Valka, Hiccup’s courageous mother (Cate Blanchett),an inspiring dragon protector.



                “At first I thought it would be impossible to surpass the first one, which was so magical, but they have surpassed it. There are some fantastic surprises in this film and we get to see the other sides of Stoick. I love the relationship between Stoick and Toothless, it’s hilarious, it’s touching, it’s  heartbreaking and really inspiring.  I think audiences will relate to that relationship because we’ve all been there. We have all had issues with our parents who have affected us in powerful ways and many people have kids, so they’ll relate in that way too,” Butler muses.

                Into the character the second time, Butler says that “Stoick the Vast is still a big, hairy mountain of a man. He’s burly and brawny and he’s loud and obnoxious, but he’s also a great leader and protector. He cares more about his people than he does about himself. He has learned that his way is not necessarily the way it should have been. His rules are, well number one: you live for the people. You’re a warrior. You have to be ready to lay down your life for those greater principles. It’s all about defending custom and principles and tradition. Stoick is bound by those principles in a way that’s stupidly stubborn, but he believes it’s the only way this place [Berk] is going to survive—if everybody toes the line.  He tries to pass that on to his son.” 

                Hailing from Scotland, Butler’s Stoick has special meaning for the actor.  “Vikings are in our blood in Scotland. Everything that I’ve been given as an actor comes from my culture, my nation and through my blood. So the role was fantastic for me. There is a warrior mentality in Scotland. Even as I was doing [the 2007 film]300, I would think of the hills in Scotland, I would think of my ancestors and what they’d been through. I used my passion for my country to play Leonidas in 300. I would almost hear his voice echoing through the ages. And it was the same with Stoick.  My favorite three places on the planet are Scotland, India and Iceland.  Whenever I think of those countries, my stomach starts churning in the best kind of way, just bristling with excitement. Scotland means the most to me, though, because it’s my life. I grew up in that country, wanting to make it as an actor and wanting to go to Hollywood. But it was always through the prism of me as a Scottish kid – a Scottish kid doing well,” enthuses Butler.

                It’s not just the superb animation that the actor is excited about, but also the lessons everyone can learn from the movie.  “Yes, there’s the theme of tolerance here and is something that I have a very strong opinion about and it is an interesting question.  Both movies are about tolerance and the courage that comes with tolerance.  The Vikings are learning to trust and they actually realize that dragons are beautiful. That is great because it’s often natural for Mankind to fight instead of trusting.   But we can be brave and rise above that. One little kid  [Hiccup] comes along and says, ‘Why don’t we just listen and pay attention and really see each other?’ You realize that these dragons have their own integrity and they’re as scared as we are. This new film shows how we can face people who are way less tolerant than us and come from a dark place.  I think that is a great lesson for the world we live in right now. If everyone would just pay a little more attention and be a little more tolerant, we would live in a far better place.”

                A DreamWorks Animation film, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens June 11 in theaters nationwide from 20tn Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

One of this generation’s most remarkable heartthrob, multi-talented young actor Ansel Elgort takes his most challenging role yet in the most-awaited love story of the year in “The Fault In Our Stars.”


                 “The Fault In Our Stars” celebrates the power of young love in all its magic, power and complexity where Elgort takes on the role of Augustus ‘Gus’ Waters, a teenager who is in remission from his osteosarcoma who met Hazel (Shailene Woodley) at a cancer support group in their community.  Based on the bestselling novel by John Green, the movie is the story of two remarkable teenagers who fall in love and embrace life despite the strong odds against them. Both are smart, funny and sarcastic. When they meet at a support group, Hazel Grace Lancaster is instantly smitten with Augustus Waters. The feeling is mutual. Despite dealing with serious health concerns on a daily basis, health doesn’t dominate life for Augustus and Hazel. Far from it. They are normal teenagers, excited about first love and getting to know each other. It’s clear from the start that there is strong chemistry between this attractive pair. They don’t see eye to eye on everything, but their connection is powerful and they both have a great sense of humor about their circumstances.  
             
                Gus, played by Elgort, is someone who believes in big, heroic gestures.  He’s brash and tough, but also possesses an appealing intelligence.   According to John Green, Hazel and Gus’ attraction to one another stems from the fact they possess a similar wit and intelligence. “There’s a line in the Philip Roth novel The Human Stain, where a character says, ‘The pleasure isn’t  in owning the person. The pleasure is this.  Having another contender in the room with you.’  I think Hazel is someone who doesn’t have a lot of contenders in the room with her, and when she meets Gus she realizes, ‘Oh, this guy can hang with me.’  For Gus it’s the same thing.  He’s used to being able to attract women, but he’s never encountered someone like Hazel before.”

                Gus is a complicated figure: he’s a former high school basketball star, and his favorite book – until meeting Hazel – is based on a videogame.  At the same time, he’s an intellectual who enjoys giving long, thoughtful monologues.



Ansel Elgort already had a connection with Woodley, with whom he stars – as her brother – in Divergent.  Woodley notes that this previous onscreen pairing was “a blessing for our work together in “The Fault In Our Stars” because we already knew each other and had this on-screen chemistry, so it was easy to connect as Hazel and Gus. Ansel’s like my brother; he’s so curious about the world and everything excites him.”

“With love stories it’s all about chemistry,” adds producer Wyck Godfrey.  “Shailene dominated many of the actors we had tested with her, because she has that kind of intimidating strength of character.  But then Ansel came in and he had this charisma, exuberance and energy that put Shailene back on her feet a little bit, which is exactly what you want her to feel.”

For Elgort, Gus was exactly the part he was looking for.  Like so many others, he was a fan of the novel.  “Above all, the book is full of beautiful ideas that make you think about life and love,” he notes.

“The Fault In Our Stars” opens June 5 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Mornings define how the rest of our day will go. This is why it’s important to get it right the moment we get out of bed. We’ve all heard about the health benefits of drinking water first thing in the morning, but if you truly want to jumpstart your energy instantly, it is best to take coconut water on an empty stomach.



Coconut water, which is filled with boosting vitamins and nutrients, contains organic compounds with beneficial growth properties that can dramatically improve your health. Toted as nature’s natural sport drink, coconut water can provide 15 times the electrolytes than most drinks. Therefore, promoting natural hydration that boosts energy early in the morning.[1] Taking coconut water first thing in the morning allows your body to absorb it quicker, boosting your energy immediately.

Being hydrated not only keeps your entire body working at top speed, but also aides your concentration, providing you with nutrients that you need to be focused on your tasks the whole day. Other benefits of coconut water include: revving up metabolism, balancing the body’s PH, detoxifying and fighting viruses, stopping fatigue, and helping prevent hypertension.[2]

No matter how busy your mornings are, make sure your body is well taken care of with the help of coconut water.  Tropicana Coco Quench is conveniently-packed coconut water available in 330ml and 1 Liter Tetra Pak packages so it’s easy to take anywhere at anytime.

Boost your mornings and make it better than ever, only with Tropicana Coco Quench!

As the first ever South East Asian figure skater to enter the 2013 World Junior Championship and giving an impressive performance at the recently held Soichi Winter Olympics, there’s no stopping Michael Christian Martinez in reaping honors for the Philippines as he recently bagged the much coveted gold medal from the Triglav Trophy International Figure Skating Competition in Jesenice, Slovenia.



Inspired by skaters spinning and jumping at the SM Skating Rink in SM Southmall, Martinez took up figure skating when he was eight and began training in 2010 in the United States.  Since then, he has been transformed into a world-class athlete and has garnered over 190 medals and trophies from various international and local competitions.
Martinez’s success is not an overnight thing but the simple decision of his mother and himself to get into the sports changed his life.  His achievement is indeed phenomenal but the good news is if you’re open-minded and committed to learn the skill, you too can be like him!  


SM Skating Rink operated by SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. makes this possible as it provides the facilities and programs for the young people who want to develop and hone their skating talents, and who aspire to be the next Philippine Olympian like Michael Christian Martinez.  SM Skating Rink offers various skating lessons in its premier branches in SM Mall of Asia, SM Southmall and SM Megamall.

For only P 300 on weekdays and P 390 during weekends and holidays, you can learn different skating moves by availing open or unlimited skating service offered in both SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall.  You can learn and have fun in the SM Skating Rink with your friends by enrolling to one of the Freestyle skating courses available in the three SM branches that come in both four and six sessions
You can also skate your way to being a professional skater by enrolling to Speed Skating, the newest course offering in SM Mall of Asia. Top local coaches who were also trained by international skating coaches like Kelvin Nicolle, an international referee from New Zealand who teaches short track speed skating in Singapore, will provide the lesson and training to the enrolees.


SM Skating Rink which once served as a training ground for Michael Christian Martinez still provides a house for discovering new young talents. Be part of this and fulfil your dreams in the country’s world-class and only skating rink. For more information, visit www.smiceskating.com or call 556-0471.

Quench your undying thirst brought about by summer in Drink Up Philippines, the country’s first alcohol festival focusing on local craft and international beer, handcrafted cocktails and quality wines, this coming May 24 at the Forum, BGC.