Category Archives: International

Film and TV, International, Tourism

‘INFERNO’ STARTS FILMING IN APRIL; FILM CREW BANNED IN MANILA

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Hanks
Hanks

Hollywood, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – It’s official. Filming for Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ begins in April next year and is expected to hit the theaters in December, 2015, according to an announcement by Sony Pictures.

Actor Tom Hanks will be reunited with director Ron Howard in this movie version of the fourth installment of Brown’s blockbuster novel. David Koepp has been tapped to pen the script.image

Hanks will reprise his role as Professor Robert Langdon, a role he played in the ‘The Da Vinci Code.’

Most of the new film will be shot in Italy, except for a few scenes which, in the book version, happens in Manila where the crowded metropolis was tagged by Brown as “the gates of hell.”  He described Manila as a city riddled with poverty, crime and prostitution. And traffic.

But there is a big problem.  The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has said that it has refused to issue a permit to Sony Films to shoot scenes in Manila or its neighboring cities.  “How can anyone expect us to be hospitable to a film crew of a movie that denigrates our reputation,” an MMDA spokesperson said.

MMDA said that it will grant the filming permit only if scriptwriter Koepp will change the line “gates of hell” to “stairway to heaven.”

Sony pictures has not returned calls from The Adobo Chronicles seeking comment on the MMDA statement.

 

Business, International, Politics, Uncategorized

U.S. CONGRESS JOINS THE CORPORATE EXODUS, WILL MOVE TO SWITZERLAND

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imageWashington, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – The United States Congress is the latest American Institution to announce that it is moving its headquarters abroad.

The announcement came just hours after the fastfood giant Burger King said it was moving its corporate headquarters to Canada. BK joins the growing list of American companies exiting the U.S. while maintaining business operations in the country — all for the sake of paying less taxes and employing cheaper labor.

Congress will move the Capitol to Switzerland.

Speaker John Boehner said the move will free senators and congressmen from public scrutiny, media criticism and lobbying while allowing the honorable men and women of Congress to do some serious work.  The current Congress has earned the reputation as a “do-nothing” Congress.

Legislative aides, interns and contractual personnel were all excited after hearing the news of their transfer to Switzerland. “I love Swiss cheese and chocolates,” exclaimed an aide to Representative Michele Bachmann. “Wow, now I can finally realize my long-time dream of going to work in kilts,” said another.

There is, however, one group that is not happy about the move – the Capitol police. Boehner disclosed that the new U.S. Congress building which will be overlooking the Swiss Alps, will be employing Swiss guards.

 

Film and TV, International, Politics

KRIS AQUINO ACCEPTS ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE, IN STYLE

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has taken the U.S. by storm, and in style.

Bill Gates built his own backyard rope and pulley mechanism to douse himself with a bucket of ice. LeBron James took the challenge aboard a yacht. Lady Gaga used a pure silver bucket in place of plastic.

Now, the runaway social media campaign originally intended to create greater ALS awareness and raise money for ALS research has crossed the Pacific and has made landfall in the Philippines.

Filipino celebrities are beginning to take up the challenge. Tony Award-winning singer Lea Salonga is among the latest to accept the challenge. In her Facebook page, she has asked her fans for suggestions on who to challenge next. Kris Aquino’s name came up of course.

In an exclusive interview with The Adobo Chronicles, Aquino, the sister of Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino, said that she will gladly accept the challenge from Salonga or anyone else – whichever comes first.

But Aquino wants to accept the challenge in style and doesn’t want to be outdone by the American celebrities. She says she will douse herself with a yellow bucket of ice in the front lawn of Malacañang palace (the official presidential residence in Manila), wearing a yellow raincoat. Yellow is the official color of the political opposition in the Philippines which started during the time of the late President Cory Aquino.

“By wearing a yellow raincoat, I will be hitting the bird with three stones,” she said. “First, I will fulfill the Ice Bucket Challenge. Second, I will be promoting a possible second presidential term for my brother. Third, I will not ruin my new short hair style.”

Asked if she knew what ALS stood for, she quickly retrieved her smart phone from her yellow purse, logged on to Wikipedia, and proudly said “Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis!”