BARON ANDREWS WINS MISTER STAR MODEL 2018

The Philippines very own Mark Andrew Baron, most commonly known as Baron Andrews gave the country something to cheer for as he grabbed the Mister Star Model 2018 in Peru. The moreno stunner gave it his all and all his efforts was good for him to nab the title. 

The 24 year old expressed his joy and excitement with this triumph and thanked all his family, friends and supporters. He looked hot and dashing in his formal wear, swim wear and also in his national costume. 

Andrews graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education Major in Social Studies. He currently works as a teacher at San Rafael Technological and Vocational High School in Navotas. He also previously represented the country in 2015 for the Mister Real Universe pageant. Again a big congratulations.

MOVIE REVIEW: AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Spoiler Alert!!! When Marvel said that the stakes are high, then they are not really joking. The latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the 3rd Avengers film certainly rocked everyone. Decimation is one word to describe it. Avengers: Infinity War shocked even the most loyal of MCU fans as half of our heroes were turn into dust. 

The film focuses on the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to prevent Thanos from collecting the six all-powerful Infinity Stones as part of his quest to kill half of all life in the universe. And from the get go we were just put into an emotional ride one after the other. We saw the heart wrenching scenes of the deaths of Heimdall and Loki as Thanos starts its quest to get all the Infinity Stones. We are treated into several locations wherein different subteams are tasked to stop the Mad Titan from his devious acts. And each one of those teams fail one after the other. And just as we thought that the deaths are done for, we see Gamora bite the dust as well as Thanos acquires the Soul Stone. And during the big battle in Wakanda we saw the famous finger snap which somehow turned half of our heroes into dust. The most emotional of which is the scene of Peter Parker/Spiderman and Iron Man which truly made me shed a tear or two.

The pacing was surprisingly good for a long film and I did not feel bored at any time. The fight scenes are great and the scenes and cinematography is commendable as well - the color grading somehow brings more effect to the melancholic tone of the deaths. The film showed us that in life we sometimes make sacrifices for us to go to a common goal. And we re also reminded that not all we wanted in life usually comes true and each one of us should be prepared for the worst. 

9.5 out 10 popcorns! A must-watch.

CHANNING TATUM AND JENNA DEWAN SPLITS

It is official. Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan finally says it's over. But unlike all other fa,ous celebrity break-ups, this one is ends with the two of them lovingly choosing to separate as a couple. "Love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now, " - they say in a joint statement.

After almost a decade of marriage the two have decided to take separate ways much to the surprise and sadness of their loyal fans. Perhaps one of the loveliest couples from the past decade, Channing and Jenna's said split began circulating way back in 2017 but nothing came to surface only up to now.

MY BINIBINING PILIPINAS 2018 BETS

Binibining Pilipinas 2018 is later today and here are my top bets on who among the 40 candidates will do well come pageant night. Each one of them are good but I have made my choices based on everything I have seen so far.

Miss Universe - Catriona Gray

Ever since the get go she is my favorite. This is her pageant to lose. She is one of the few who exudes confidence and she is really beautiful. Armed with a great catwalk and over-all presence she can sweep all aside. Add the towering height as an advantage, Catriona is also well known for her wits and great advocacy.

Miss International - Vicky Marie Rushton

One of the more consistent of this batch, Vicky is both beautiful and sexy. Despite her lacking the feistiness as the other candidates, it could also work on her favor. She is fitted to the International Crown and could possibly grab back the crown to our country.

Miss Grand International - Karen Gallman

She is my bet for the Miss International but with her age problem that could make her disqualified for the pageant, I put her in one of the pageants we have not yet won. This is a great chance for her and the Philippines and with a stunning face and a great body she can romp over competition.

Miss Intercontinental - Michelle Gumabao

Backed with a great story she could grab one of the top plums this year if not with one contestant which I see is doing better than her. Pretty and packed with a great body, she has surprised everyone as well on good she handles herself with interviews letting people see who she really is which could really do wonders with her this pageant night.

Miss Supranational - Muriel Orais

Muriel was one of the first ladies that caught my attention during the screenings. She is one that can make the front-runners' lives difficult. With a great charisma and a wonderful personality to boot, she is one that gets noticed easily. She has to work her consistency and she can go far. She is built on the mold of the Supranational pageant - simple, beautiful and can draw audiences.

Miss Globe - Sigrid Grace Flores

She is one of the dark horses for some pageant analyst lists. But for me she deserve a crown. She did pretty well to the build up before pageant night and with her infectious smile adding to her beautiful face, she can win over hearts of people. Although Miss Globe does not have Q&A, her great communication skills pre-pageant times can favor her.

These two runner-ups can sneak into one of the titles but for me I think they will settle for runner-up positions. They have great performances along the way but does not create much buzz among fans and is somehow lacking with charisma and charm. If they perform exceptionally well on pageant night, I would not be surprised if they and a crown.

First Runner-Up: Maria Andrea Abesamis

Second Runner-Up: Wynonah Buot

Top 16

Sandra Lemonon

Kayesha Chua

Agatha Romero

Juliana Kapuendl

Ana Patricia Asturias

Samantha Bernardo

Jehza Huelar

Ena Velasco

THE SHAPE OF WATER WINS AT THE 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS

The historical romantic dark fantasy "The Shape of Water" came out on top on the recently concluded 90th Academy Awards. The Benicio Del Toro helmed film grabbed the Best Picture award together with the Best Director nod for Del Toro. 

The win for the film was a bit underwhelming considering it was nominated for 13 awards for the night. It also took home the awards for Best Production Design and Best Original Score for a total of 4 awards. In a year where no one was a clear favorite, it edged out Dunkirk which finished with 3 awards. 

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK PANTHER

The Marvel Cinematic Universe hit the jackpot big time. Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories -- and introducing some of its most fully realized characters. In a predominantly actors of color, MCU introduced us to the world of Wakanda and its technological galore plus all the wonderful characters in it. It was indeed a wonderful surprise as Marvel keeps in the winning streak of making us fall in love with superheroes that we have not heard of by much.

Most notable characters include T'Challa/Black Panther ably played by Chadwick Boseman. His presence and enigmatic charm makes him believable as a young leader who is trying to re-establish a kingdom after the death of his father. Danai Guriar as Okoye was also exceptional. Her role as one of the trusted servants of the Wakandan empire show true grit and personality. You don't wanna mess with her in a battle for sure. And who could forget the 2 most unforgettable characters of the film. Shuri as played by Letitia Wright combines both youth and energy as she brings the wits and the brains to the kingdom. And perhaps the most memorable of them all is Michael B. Jordan who plays Killmonger - the anti-hero of the film which showed us that villains have heart and that usually they become bad because of circumstances that happen along the way.

Aside from the great acting chops, Black Panther is a cinematic masterpiece in the way it was directed and the way each shot was carefully done. The writing was sublime but memorable and the cinematography is stunning with all visuals wowing audiences. The film was a breath of fresh air for MCU as it connects in a more human way than prior films in the franchise tackling issues on family and all complexities it poses thus making it more relatable. It draws the line on family ties and doing the right thing or sacrificing everything just to do what is correct.

9.5 out of 10 popcorns. A must-watch!