What's Showing in Manila: August Movie Previews

Opening in theaters this coming August are the usual suspects for the summer Hollywood blockbusters. We have the action-packed video game adaptation, a thriller directed by an Oscar winner, a comedy with tons of familiar comedians, a teenage romance with a twist, a sequel to an animal feud, and of course, the romantic comedy. In this new feature of the blog, I'll give you what you'd want to know about what's out there for you to get crazy about!

So click on Read More to get the lowdown on what you might want to spend your hard-earned cash on!

10 Scenes: White Collar and Covert Affairs Back-to-Back Extravaganza

I'm a sucker for sleuths and spy thrillers, so watching White Collar and Covert Affairs was a natural fit. What I like about the summer season is the intensity isn't as fever pitched as my normal TV fare, but it isn't really too soft on the story. In other words, it's the perfect preparation for more awesomeness in the coming months. Fall Season anyone?

For those who haven't heard of White Collar yet, it stars the ever charming Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay in a buddy cop series that takes on the white collar criminals of New York with the help of conman Bomer. Plus, the show gives the viewers a smorgasbord of dapper suits, art, and sleuthing. Covert Affairs, on the other hand, is a new show with Piper Perabo, who plays a newbie CIA operative, protecting the US from terrorists. You can check out my Covert Affairs TV Profile for a more in depth look of the show. (Darn, I forgot I haven't gotten around to writing that yet! Haha)

On to the meat: For this week's edition of 10 Scenes, let me source it from the two shows from the USA Network, White Collar's Copycat Caffrey (S02E03) and Covert Affairs' South Bound Suarez (S02E03)!

READ ON AFTER THE JUMP! I've also added pictures this time around.

Twilight x Filipino = Imortal?

With ABS-CBN's shift to shorter episode totals for its prime time shows, Kapamilyas are treated to new shows every couple of months. In the next month or so, I'm pretty sure Imortal will finds its place in the network's Primetime Bida lineup. What we know right now is that there are four new shows in production, namely PHR's Kristine with Cristine Reyes, Idol with Sarah Geronimo, and the much talked about tandem of John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin in Imortal, I'm pretty sure, they're also producing a Filipino adaptation of Green Rose with Anne Curtis. She even tweeted about it. (I'm thinking this one will be released either in Q4 2010 or Q1 2011.)

(Imortal's teaser trailer and more buzz after the jump.)

Sarah Geronimo Stars in a New Kapamilya Show

With Agua Bendita and Rubi wrapping up in the coming weeks, ABS-CBN is banking on their new shows to continue their ratings leadership. One of the new shows has Sarah Geronimo as the lead and is set to replace Agua Bendita's spot

According to initial reports, the new show will be a musical and carry the title, "Idol." The network will pair the Popstar Princess with Coco Martin and Sam Milby. As to who she'll end up with in the show, it has yet to be revealed.

The two men have proven themselves to be quite established in the primetime slot. Coco Martin traces his mainstream success to Tayong Dalawa, and has not looked back. Sam Milby, on the other hand, starred in the adaptation of the Koreanovela, "Only You" and currently plays the lead in "Impostor."

Sarah Geronimo's last teleserye with ABS-CBN was in 2007's "Pangarap na Bituin," where she played Emerald Gomez of the Jewel Sisters. The teleserye also banked on her singing prowess.

This should be quite interesting, especially since the network has had previous successes in staging musically-oriented dramas, which starred the singer. Will this perform better than GMA's Diva?

Matt Bomer and Tim Dekay Dance to Ke$ha's Tik Tok

White Collar's Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay were at San Diego for Comic-Con 2010. Aside from the panel they participated in, the pair gave lucky fans signed photos and posters of the show. But the highlight for the two was when they played the Wii's Just Dance 2. They danced to Ke$ha's Tik Tok and I have to say they did a really good job with it. Matt has some groove in his step and seemed so familiar with the song, which makes me wonder whether he's danced to this tune before! Tim, on the other hand, was really intent on nailing those moves. Watch for the kid in the middle of the two stars! He looked like he was about to cry a minute into the game. Was it the song choice?

Watch the clip after the jump! The whole clip is LOL-worthy, don't miss it.

TV Profile: Rubi, Ang Bidang Kontrabida

Most of the time, I avoid Pinoy Soap Operas. It's largely because the stories they want to tell aren't compelling enough. I'm sure every Filipino can name the stereotypical situation of the Pinoy soap, like the rich guy falling in love with a poor girl or it could also be the wicked stepmother treating ruthlessly the innocent and frail protagonist.

Local networks usually steer clear of the complex emotions, coherent storyline, and round characters, especially during the time when there was no end date for these kinds of shows. But Rubi is probably the only show I'd follow religiously, if I always had the time. And it's not because it is against the grain per se, but it's because while it does fall prey to the tried and tested, the writers (both the Mexicans and their Filipino counterparts) have found a way to at least develop the complex character of Rubi, slip in timely awesome zingers, and cast the perfect actress for the role, Angelica Panganiban.

James Tupper Moves to Grey's Seattle Grace Hospital

From Dr. Chris Sands in NBC's short-lived nurse drama, Mercy, to trauma counselor Andrew Perkins in Grey's Anatomy, James Tupper is set to appear in at least 2 episodes of the series. After the craziness of the season finale, it would've been surprising, if everything went back to normal. Shonda Rimes seems to have zeroed in on using therapist to move the story along. I can't forget the time, Meredith was talking about her attempt to kill herself, and of course, there was Cristina and Owen working out their relationship with the same therapist.

Come to think of it, isn't it odd that they're not using Amy Madigan's Dr. Wyatt again? Or it could be because she's also traumatized, since she presumably was inside Seattle Grace Hospital, as well! I'm sure this is a good excuse as any to add another good-looking guy to guest star in the show. I wonder though, if he'll do some therapy on the side, if you know what I mean.

In any case, I'll be tuning in to Grey's Anatomy, when it premieres this fall!

Dolph Lundgren joins 'Chuck'

Dolph Lundgren is slated to join the geekiest (and the coolest) show, Chuck! Josh Schwartz, the executive producer of the show, tweeted that Lundgren will be in the season premiere of the show, and will "try and 'break' Chuck Bartowski."

Lundgren gained popularity in the action genre. He played He-Man in the live-action version of the 80's hit cartoon show, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He's also part of the Universal Soldier franchise.

If you haven't heard yet, Lundgren with the other iconic action stars are part of Stallone-directed film, The Expendables. Which action stars, you ask? Well, there's Sly, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Gov. Schwarzenneger, and a ton of other elite fighters! Check out its IMDB page, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of the casting!

While Olivia's Out, Amber Tamblyn Can Play Doctor with House

 Amber Tamblyn, who starred in Joan of Arcadia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is joining Hugh Laurie in House M.D. SPOILER: Highlight at your own risk! The last season ended with Olivia Wilde's Thirteen announcing she was leaving the team. Actually, in real life, Wilde will be filming Cowboys and Aliens, a movie with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. According to reports, she'll be playing a med student and will temporarily be part of the best diagnostics team in the business for a multi-episode arc. I'm sure the newcomer will find House a handful.

So how far can the new girl stand House? Thoughts?

The Vampire Diaries Trio are Cover Stars for TV Guide's Special Comic-Con 2010 Magazine

Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Wesley of CW hit The Vampire Diaries, are on the special cover of TV Guide Magazine for this year's Comic-Con. The trio will be joining executive producers Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, among others in Comic-Con 2010 in the San Diego Convention Center on July 24.

The cover actually has four versions. SciFiCool.com previewed the version for Fringe. The other two shows are The Big Bang Theory, and Smallville.

Warner Bros. TV Group (WBTVG) teamed up with TV Guide for this special edition of the magazine. It will be distributed for the duration of Comic-Con 2010 and will be available exclusively at the WB Booth. Aside from the four featured series, the magazine also dishes on Chuck, V, Supernatural, True Blood, and other shows WB is involved in.

I've added the other versions of the cover after the jump.

Comic-Con 2010 Nears

In what would be the Mecca of geekdom (and I put that in the most positive light, mind you!), Comic-Con 2010 is set to start on July 21 in the San Diego Convention Center. I'm sure everyone has at one point in their life stumbled on the odd side of this convention. It's been covered in recent movies and even TV shows, featuring geeks and dorks donning their favorite character's costume. I remember Psych had an episode featuring George Takei of Star Trek fame. (Because everyone knows Star Trek and Star Wars are probably the biggest geek franchises out there! LOL) But over the years, this convention has grown to include not only the comic book lovers, but has included promotions for new (and old) television shows, video games, and upcoming movies. In other words, this is the event to be in, if I haven't stressed that enough.

(Read more about the Comic-Con schedule after the jump)

There's a New Guy in Mystic Falls

Mystic Falls just added another looker in their already attractive cast. Taylor Kinney, who played Glenn Morrison in Trauma, will be visiting on of my favorite new shows, The Vampire Diaries, as Mason Lockwood. If that last name sounds familiar, it's because he'll be playing the younger brother of Mayor Lockwood. Julie Plec, one of the executive producers of the show, describes him as the cool uncle [of Michael Trevino's Tyler] and Ausiello adds, "Mason is sexy and athletic (duh) and possesses an easygoing charm." It'll be interesting how Uncle Mason will guide Tyler, in this new phase in his life.

On a side note, the casting team did a really good job with this family! They could totally pass off as father, brother, and uncle.

We'll all get to see this new character in the season premiere of The Vampire Diaries on September 9 on the CW.

Two New Shows I've Been Excited About

I'm always on the look out for shows that can get me excited and hooked. My criteria are pretty loose, in the sense that I don't dismiss teenybopper shows so easily or the slow pace of a serious conspiracy drama. I've watched Gossip Girl and Lost since their respective pilot episodes! I'd like to think that interesting stories and characters draw me to shows. Aside from watching Pretty Little Liars (Yes, I know I've been remiss with the episode recaps two weeks running now), I've been quite intrigued by AMC's Rubicon and ABC's The Gates.