PLANET GRAPES

PLANET GRAPES – Wine Without The Drama at McKinley Hill

Planet Grapes, a wine store/wine bar, marks its formal opening at the G/F Bldg. 3 of Tuscany at McKinley Hill, Upper McKinley Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on July 30. Planet Grapes is the newest place for people who want to discover and drink wine without the anxiety or drama. At Planet Grapes, customers can discover and learn about wine one grape at a time. And with two in-store Enomatic wine dispensers, guests can try wine by the glass for up to sixteen different wines from the best wine regions in the world.

Planet Grapes offers an easygoing and wine-friendly ambiance where the uninitiated (and uninhibited!) can begin their journey to discover the world of wines. The state-of-the-art Italian enomatic machines allow customers to try different wines by the glass, in three different glass sizes: sip, half-glass, and full glass. Customers may also purchase wines by the bottle. The selections in the store are organized by grape varietals and grouped into red and white wine. You will find different representations or expressions of each grape varietal from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, North America, and South America. Each grape varietal has a distinct character, taste, aroma, body and mouth-feel. For white wine lovers, there’s Sauvignon Blanc, a light white wine with a somewhat `grassy’ flavor; Chardonnay, an elegantly crisp dry white varietal wine; Riesling, an off-dry white wine; and Gewurztraminer, a somewhat sweet and very aromatic white wine. For red wine lovers, the options are endless from the light and easy Pinot Noir, the ever-popular Merlot, the more sophisticated Cabernet Sauvignon, to the full-bodied Syrah or Shiraz.

At Planet Grapes, learning about wine is easy and fun. Attentive and well-trained Planet Grapes staff can provide ideal wine recommendations. Whether you are a wine newbie or a seasoned wine drinker who wants to try certain wines to pair with food, start a wine collection, or someone looking for a special gift, you can rely on the Planet Grapes staff to discuss each wine's characteristics, story, and perfect food pairings. 

The inviting wine bar has chic interiors with a modern touch, highlighted by the seamless interplay of wood and metal that adds up to its relaxed ambience. The atmosphere is enticing for customers who want to while away the hours, without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by all the ceremony and rules (drama) that usually accompany wine drinking. The walls are adorned with neatly displayed wine bottles and subdued LED-lighting, with soft background music throughout the store, to offer an intimate and cozy feel perfect for an evening of relaxation and quiet conversation with friends. Alfresco seating is available and very popular for people who just want to watch the world go by. Aside from the impressive selection of wine, Planet Grapes also offers tasty small bites on its menu to pair with wine, including the must-try Filipino classic balut to go with any of the white wines. 

Planet Grapes is the latest brand created by the entrepreneur partners Romy Sia and Christian Tan. Sia’s interest in wine was sparked by his travels abroad. He got hooked on wine after reading Benjamin Wallace’s book, the New York Times bestseller, “The Billionaire’s Vinegar”. Since he aims to make wine enjoyment accessible and affordable to an increasingly affluent and savvy Filipino market, Sia thinks removing people’s anxiety towards wine is the best way to make wine a part of people’s lives. Planet Grapes, with its tagline of wine without the drama, is the solution. Three more Planet Grapes stores are planned to open soon and they will be at Century City Mall in Makati, Ayala Center Cebu, and River Park at Festival Mall Alabang.

For reservations, please contact (02) 551 – 3713. To inquire about wine tasting and workshop events or other details, please visit www.planetgrapes.com.ph. 

“THE WOLVERINE” @ AYALA MALLS CINEMAS

Ayala Malls Cinemas bring you the adamantium-clawed hero this July 25 with a handful of surprises from their Early Bird Promo, Strike A Pose, Sureseats membership and Prize Surprize. 

Check out the following promo only from Ayala Cinemas and be a member of the fast-growing www.sureseats.com movie community -  Glorietta4, Greenbelt3, Alabang Town Center, Market!Market!, Trinoma, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee Mall,  Harbor Point, Centrio Cinemas and Abreeza Davao.

Engrossing and dark with thundering action, “The Wolverine” follows Logan to Japan where he is caught up in a sinister web of deceit, confronting deadly foes including lethal samurai steel directed by James Mangold.

“The Wolverine” is now showing in all Ayala Cinemas nationwide. 

TEEN DEMIGODS' LATEST PERILS UNLEASHED IN "PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS"

The much adored teen demigod Logan Lerman aka Percy is back in "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" to face his most perilous adventure based on Rick Riordan's best-selling second book of the same title.  Following the successful wave of the first movie "Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief," the latest adaptation, 'Sea of Monsters" brings Percy along with his friends in uncharted waters to battle terrifying creatures and the ultimate Evil to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back in time to save their world. 

 

Directed by Thor Freudenthal, Lerman reprises his role as the titular hero, the demigod son of Poseidon, who embarks on his own, modern-day Odyssey.  “At the beginning of this film, Percy is not living up to his potential and he doubts himself,” says Lerman.   “Percy feels abandoned by his father, the Greek god Poseidon, and then, he finds out that he has a brother.”

  

If shocking family revelations weren’t enough, Percy must deal with Polyphemus, an enormous and powerful Cyclops; Charybdis, the sea monster; the raging Colchis Bull, a giant, metallic and fire-breathing creature that attacks Camp Half-Blood; the Manticore, a formidable monster with a lion’s body and a long, scorpion-like tail; and the ancient Oracle, an ancient mummified mystic with empty eye sockets and skeletal features.  The Oracle further complicates Percy’s sense of self and duty, says Lerman, when it tells him he “is either going to destroy Olympus or save it.  He’s not sure if he can rise to the occasion.”

Lerman remembers three months of fight training on the first Percy Jackson film, so was grateful all of that knowledge was inherent to begin with, and the time didn’t need repeating for "Sea of Monsters." “It was insane,” he says. “It was our first time doing anything like this so we really had to figure it out. I’d never held a sword before. But now we kind of know what we’re doing and it was much, much easier to jump back into it.”

Lerman says that after two movies playing Percy he knows his way around a sword. So is he a dangerous man to be around? "I think so," he laughs. "But then, I think anyone would probably be. I think it's pretty easy. You just chop."

Percy has a lot at stake, according to Freudenthal.  “He’s trying to save Camp Half-Blood and prove himself as a hero.  He’s grown distant from his father, who is not really responding to his requests for help.  Percy embarks upon his ‘odyssey’ for two reasons: to save his home, and to ascertain if he is indeed a hero.”

The demigods return when "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" opens August 7 in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

TOOTHLESS AND HICCUP SOAR ONCE AGAIN “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2” Trailer

TOOTHLESS AND HICCUP SOAR ONCE AGAIN

“HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2” Trailer

The recent release of DreamWorks Animation’s “How To Train Your Dragon 2” trailer thrilled fans worldwide as the faithful dragon Toothless and his best friend Hiccup soared on air once again.  

At the tail of the success of the first movie, Toothless and Hiccup are back for bigger adventures, laughs and battles as additional voice cast were revealed in this year’s Comic-Con event.  From the phenomenal series “Game of Thrones,” Kit Harrington voices an amusing dragon-trapper named Eret whom he describes as very cocky and brazen; Cate Blanchett who’s known for her role in “The Lord of the Rings” franchise also joins the cast as Valka, a savior of dragons while Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) is cast as the voice of Drago Bludvist who chases dragons for personal vendetta.

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Directed by Dean Deblois, “How To Train Your Dragon” soars five years after best friends Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk.   DeBlois shared that the film starts where the first one left off – the Vikings are now on the backs of the dragons with the entire world in front of them.  When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

Landing June 2014 in theaters, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” is a DreamWorks Animation and 20^th Century Fox presentation to be distributed by Warner Bros. (Phils.).

ROBINSONS MOVIEWORLD KINECTS THE PHILIPPINES TO “THE WOLVERINE” ACTION

Invincible but deeply troubled “ THE WOLVERINE” finds Logan at his lowest point out of his element in a culture that he doesn’t understand. Darker, deeper and more exciting than any previous film featuring the clawed mutant, this time he has to confront lethal samurai steel, but also grapple with an inner struggle, coming to terms with his immortality.

To celebrate the worldwide release of “The Wolverine,” 20^th Century Fox and Robinsons Movieworld bring to the Philippines an unprecedented experience on how it’s like to BE THE WOLVERINE.  Through the “Be The Wolverine” kinect technology, the complicated and thrilling action scenes in “The Wolverine” allows users to take part in an out-of-home interactive adventure that will be  available in select Robinsons Movieworld branches starting July 19.   The experience uses Kinect technology to register when fans walk by, scanning and activating a hologram to attract and invite interaction. On completing the experience, fans then have the opportunity to share their photo taking part via Facebook.

Robinsons Movieworld, in its continuous effort to provide an interactive cinematic experience tours the “BE THE WOLVERINE” Kinect technology in prime cinemas: Metro East (July 19-21); Forum (July 22 -24);; Galleria (July 25 –27); Magnolia (July 28-30) and Manila (July 31-Aug.2).  The experience is open to the public at no cost.  For the gadget-minded ones, Robinsons Movieworld is raffling off a total of five (5) Kinect consoles for every “The Wolverine” ticket purchased and any of the 16oz Pepsi products from the Cinema Snack Express.

“Be The Wolverine” was created by Soap Creative (www.soapcreative.com), a digital creative agency focused on play-fueled, connected experiences across every screen with offices in Los Angeles, Dallas and Sydney.

“The Wolverine” opens July 25 in more than 200 screens nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Name Brand Coffee

You know the good stuff when you drink it – it’s pretty easy to tell when someone is trying to pass off house brand or generic coffee instead of a good quality name brand brew. It’s easy to understand why folks would be tempted to go with the cheap stuff because coffee can get expensive but when you have a pod coffee maker you can afford to drink the good stuff. Enjoy donut shop and Starbucks® K-Cup® style coffee along with other name brands like Gloria Jean’s® and Green Mountain® for just pennies a cup – it’s easy with an on demand brewing system

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On demand or single serve brewing systems make coffee one cup at a time which is basically how you drink coffee. This means there is no waste because you only brew what you plan to drink and not a drop more. If you think about it for a minute you probably dump out a cup or more of coffee from the coffee pot before you clean it and that’s just pouring money down the drain. With an on demand brewer there isn’t even a coffee pot to clean because it brews directly into your cup, glass or mug.

To make coffee you use individual coffee pods which are pre-measured single portion coffee packets that are individually sealed so the coffee is always fresh. There are many different formats so it’s best to go with a popular one that fits in your machine so you are always assured of a ready supply of coffee options. The K-Cup® pods and holder are your best bet but there are other formats as well. Not all coffee pods are compatible with every make and model of on demand coffee maker so make sure to check before you buy.

“THE WOLVERINE” IN A MAZE OF POWERFUL FOES AND ALLIES

“THE WOLVERINE” IN A MAZE OF POWERFUL FOES AND ALLIES

               

The most iconic character in the X-Men universe embarks upon on an epic journey in modern-day Japan in “The Wolverine.”  Inspired by the celebrated Marvel comic book arc, Logan (Hugh Jackman), the century-old mutant known to the world as Wolverine, is lured to a Japan he hasn’t seen since World War II – and into a shadowy realm of Yakuza and Samurai. 

Yukio (Rila Fukushima) with Logan/ Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)

Director James Mangold embraced the opportunity to take Logan directly into the heart of present-day Japan, which is as full of sleek, high-tech modernity as it is rife with deep traditions and hidden codes of honor.  “This story takes Logan into a kind of fever dream of today’s Japan, full of Yakuza, Ninja, Samurai, Industrialist crime, mystery and mysticism,” the director explains.

The Japanese setting allowed director Mangold and Jackman to re-imagine Logan in a fresh guise:  as a Rōnin. 

“In feudal Japan, the Samurai belonged to a master, and a Rōnin is a Samurai who no longer has a master to serve.  So, he is a kind of a warrior without a purpose, without a cause,” Mangold explains.  “Many of the people who made Logan feel part of a cause are now gone.  So, he’s essentially a lost man, capable of doing anything, with no mandate. That’s an iconography that American Westerns and Samurai films share and now we’re bringing a comic book character into it.” 

Rila Fukushima as Yukio

First-time actor Rila Fukushima, plays Yukio - the fiery, sword-wielding bodyguard of Logan.  A native of Tokyo, Rila Fukushima says it was Yukio’s colorful intensity that intrigued her.  “What interested me were her physicality and her ruthless nature,” she muses.“I was really excited to have the chance to do such strong action sequences– but I also saw great potential for humor with her.”

Yukio (Rila Fukushima) in action

Fukushima threw herself into the high spirit and trials of the role.  “It was an amazing, challenging journey for me,” she says.  “I trained with our terrific stunt team, learned all the physical stuff, including sword work, kick-boxing and fighting, and also did lots of weight training.  I’d never done anything like this before, but it was great fun.” 

Yukio (Rila Fukushima) in action

Tao Okamoto plays out Mariko’s complicated love story with Logan. Okamoto was drawn to the background of her character as the daughter of a powerful industrialist who was never there for her, and has arranged a marriage for her to a man she does not love.  “Mariko could never be a normal woman,” Okamoto observes.  “At the start of the story, she is someone very desperate. Then she meets Logan, and she starts to realize what she wants in life, and she begins to change.  That transformation was very interesting to me.”  

Mariko (Tao Okamoto) with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)

Another powerful and complex woman is brought to life by Svetlana Khodchenkova, who takes on the green-eyed Viper, a cunning and treacherous mutant. Khodchenkova, who hails from Russia, is best known in the West for her recent breakout role in the acclaimed spy story Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, as the Soviet operative Irina.  

Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) with Mariko (Tao Okamoto)

“The Wolverine” in 3D opens July 25, 2013 in more than 200 screens nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Check out “THE WOLVERINE’S” heart-stopping action here: