SM, Globe ink deal with 'Star Wars'

MANILA - The anticipation is building up for the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" movie, which opens in the Philippines next week.

Various merchandise items have become the hot gift choices of the season.

Several video games and mobile apps are also now the "in" thing, and a life-sized X-wing fighter is on display at the SM Mall of Asia.

"That was made locally, so it was one to two months in the making, but of course, with the guidance of Disney because we want to stay true to the actual design of the X-wing fighter," said Ria Canteras of SM Lifestyle Entertainment.

The Star Wars universe is expanding, and it has cemented its footprint in the Philippines this year with its partnership deals with the SM group and Globe Telecom.

Several Philippine companies have also partnered with Star Wars, hoping to ride on the strength of the iconic entertainment brand.

It's the companies that are paying to become Star Wars partners with Disney not even needing to spend much.

Many Filipino fans are happy with the expansion of the Star Wars brand in the country.

"When we first saw the trailer, even while wearing our costume, we were in tears. It took many years for another movie to be made," said Star Wars fan Arnel Serioso.

SM would not say how much it had to pay to use the Star Wars brand, but it said the investment was worth it as it can use Disney, Pixar and Star Wars titles for the next five years.

"We'll have more interactive activities. Anybody would want to partner with Disney because it was passed on from one generation to the other," said Canteras.

This trend has become a global phenomenon with all kinds of Star Wars themed products launched--ice cream, multivitamins, and even a commercial aircraft.

Here in the Philippines, expect to see more Stormtrooper or Darth Vader characters as well as Star Wars exhibits in various establishments across the country.

Star Wars is multi-billion dollar brand and it's not surprising that many companies would like to partner or use the brand because even in a business sense, "the force is strong with this one."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lee Min Ho's 'Gangnam Blues' now 'Tagalized'

MANILA -- SineAsia kicked off with the premiere of a “Tagalized” version of Korean hit movie, "Gangnam Blues."

Starring hallyu star Lee Min Ho, "Gangnam Blues" is about two friends/brothers literally plucked from a shanty to join a sabotage plot against a political party. In the midst of that chaos, however, Ragmen Jong-dae (Lee) and Yong-gi (Kim Rae Won) get separated and end up in different gangs. When they meet again, these two play politics, betrayal and murder to amass the rich fields of Gangnam to create a new capital in Korea.

SineAsia, a joint project of Viva Entertainment Inc. and SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., provides Filipino viewers with premiere Asian films that have been “Tagalized” or dubbed in Filipino.

"Gangnam Blues" was an excellent choice to jumpstart SineAsia given the large Filipino fan base of Lee Min Ho, as well as the popularity of Korean popular culture, in general. Hordes of screaming girls gathered at a special screening on Tuesday night to lend support to their idol, who had just visited the country last week to launch a restaurant.

Lost in all that giggling, however, is probably the appreciation for the Filipino language.

Dubbing Korean shows is not new, what with the number of “Tagalized” Korean telenovelas being shown on local TV.

There are still debates until now on whether translating foreign shows to Filipino or leaving the film as it is (but with subtitles) would be the best option to truly enjoy a movie. The real voice of the actor coming out naturally to match his body movement, for one, is a big part in telling a story.

Academicians and language experts would be the best ones to assess whether the right Filipino words were used to complement the movie. Hearing conversational Filipino every day, however, there still seems to be a lack in that department.

Interestingly, the use of Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak” created a loud reaction from the audience on Tuesday night. Some probably laughed at the awkwardness of injecting the song, while others may have appreciated that a classic song was used to make the movie more “Filipino.”

SineAsia’s move to dub films to make the viewing experience “more enjoyable” is a good step in making the Filipino audience appreciate the language itself.

SineAsia has a lot of potential. For all its worth, the choice of words – Filipino is a rich language, to begin with – could hopefully start a debate among film enthusiasts and culture experts.

Chow Yun Fat's "From Vegas to Macau" and several horror films are next in the line-up as SineAsia vows to take on “various platforms” to present a line-up of films from South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries.

"Gangnam Blues" opened Wednesday at the first SineAsia theaters in SM Megamall, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Fairview, SM Manila, and SM North Edsa.

Other SineAsia theaters will also open soon in SM Bacoor, SM Iloilo and SM Cebu.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com