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Ocean's Eight (2018)

PLAYBOY - In 1960, director Lewis Milestone banded five of the ratpack greats together to produce an unprecedented heist film that would spawn generations upon generations of remakes. The cast, led by Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop, would enact multiple thefts of military precision in a single night, targeting and crippling five of Las Vegas’s biggest casinos. While the movie is fun and the actual heist achieved, the characters failed to retrieve the stolen goods.

So fresh and singular was the idea that in 2001, renowned director Steven Soderbergh sought to remake the film starring a new ensemble of Hollywood heavyweights, ensuring that a production of this magnitude be given its proper due. George Clooney takes on Frank Sinatra’s titular Danny Ocean, while Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan is a clear nod to Peter Lawford’s Jimmy Foster. Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Eddie Jemison, and Shaobo Qin round up the rest of the ragtag team while Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia co-star as outsiders. In Soderbergh’s recreation, the plot, much like the film, pulls off without a hitch. Their box office success opened the floor to two less inspired, but equally successful sequels.

Fast forward to 2018, where a gender-bent Ghostbusters has graced the silver screen. While it was critically panned, the warm reception from the audience has shoved open the door to roles and films that were until then unavailable to women. Writer-director Gary Ross took this opportunity to re-imagine a beloved film featuring the biggest female stars of today.

Ocean's 8 focuses on the recent parole release of Danny Ocean’s incarcerated younger sister, Debbie (Sandra Bullock). Having spent nearly six years in prison, Bullock’s antiheroine whiles away her time concocting (and perfecting!) a plan to steal $150 million dollars worth of necklace from high society’s nearest and dearest during their biggest assembly of the year – the annual MET Gala. With the help of her long-time cohort, Lou (Cate Blanchett), Ocean begins to form a team of highly skilled and specialized associates, both old and new, to actualize and accomplish her biggest, boldest, and shiniest hit yet.

The plot itself is formulaic – it does not pretend to be anything other than what it markets itself to be: an enjoyable ride that allows you to willingly overlook its less than inspired and often tried genre tropes. Yet even as it checks out every bullet in the rob-com list, the force of the cast’s talent and chemistry is more than enough to propel the movie to soaring heights.

Sandra Bullock, much like on-screen brother George Clooney, has aged like fine wine. But where Clooney’s appeal as an older attractive man is a given, Bullock shatters expectations that women have to be either a sultry femme fatale or masculine aggressor to play like the boys. No one smirks quite like Sandy, and no woman alive has played machismo with such natural poise.

On the aide-de-camp fort, Cate Blanchett brings Lou, a reimagining of Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan, to life with stunning blasé suave. The cocksure and cool handling of the character has me convinced that not even Clooney and Pitt can play Clooney and Pitt half as well as Bullock and Blanchett.

Rounding up the gang are big names such as Anne Hathaway – whom, it must be said, delivers scene-stealing hilarity as a caricature of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. Like its predecessors, you don’t spend nearly as much time with each individual character as you’d like, yet, in its own way, each actor and scene bring a congruent joining of elements that materialize in a delightful romp that will surely keep you hungering for more. (Playboy Philippines)
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The Lion King: The World's #1 Musical (Source: LionKingIntenational.com)

PLAYBOY - One Disney film united us all in settling the score for the most affecting plot twist known to cartoon-kind for anyone born south of 1998. The African-set movie further embedded itself in our hearts and minds by rounding up a powerhouse cast of artists that we already knew and love, and then paired them with a soundtrack that was guaranteed to stay in our ears for a very long time. Indeed, to this day, few people are hard pressed to mention a scene more surprising and heartbreaking than the Lion King’s stampede shot.

The musical version of the beloved Disney classic debuted at the Orpheum Theater in Minnesota before premiering in Broadway’s very own New Amsterdam Theater only a few months later, In 1997. It eventually widened its audience reach by opening in London’s The West End in 1999, and nearly 2 decades later, finally producing an official international touring cast that is shared worldwide.

Lion King: The Musical opened its Manila run on March 28, 2018 at the Solaire Resort & Casino. The small theater housed back to back to back shows of full houses that inevitably led to a show extension; closing on May 27, 2 weeks past the original intended date. The overwhelming demand and fervor shown by the Pinoy audience is a testament to the skills needed to mount a musical of the Lion King’s caliber.

Utterly silent, still, and pitch black, the opening notes for the Circle of Life begins to play and we watch the stage come to life before our eyes. In one of the world’s most beloved and famous opening numbers, the musical perfectly mirrors its movie counterpart but set in a grander scale. In muted tones of oranges, browns, and tans, cast members as various animals appear from all sides, including a giant elephant and several giraffes coming from the audience. It is unhurried, it is inspiring, and it is downright wrecking. Tears pool in the corner of eyes as mouths open in stunned disbelief at the sheer magnitude of the production and all it promises to be. The opening number is no doubt my favorite part of the production – it is the strongest one of the bunch and it shows the force of talent found in the musical – not just with the actors, but with the designers, choreographers, directors, and various other below-the-line crew.

The rest of the show is not as big, but it makes up for that by reacquainting us with familiar faces and favorite tunes. Standout performances led by Rafiki, Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa bring in a large factor of nostalgia to the show, and we immediately connect with these long-standing fan favorites. Unfortunately, when it comes to the scoring, the songs from the movie outshine its musical counterpart. New numbers such as Mufasa’s They Live In You, Nala’s Shadowland, and Simba’s Endless Night don’t hold the same impact as the originals, and we are left waiting for the next familiar tune to play.

As a whole, Lion King: the Musical is more about the production and less about the music. Weaker points are forgiven due to the full force of the show in its entirety, and the entirety is one delicious package wrapped in hugs, comfort, and a whole lot of awe. It is no wonder the fans keep clamoring for more. (Playboy Philippines)
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iQOS white body kit

PLAYBOY - After the Philippine government imposed a smoking ban on all public places on July 23, 2017 – with the exception of designated smoking areas – a lot of smokers decided to kick the habit, but there are still millions of Filipinos, to this day, who continue to smoke cigarettes. Quitting isn’t as easy as simply dropping the habit as nicotine has a stranglehold on the minds and actions of smokers, compelling them to incessantly crave for a smoke.

Philip Morris International (PMI), manufacturer of Marlboro, invested billions of dollars to create a safer product in response to the health issues posed by smoking and the projected drop in sales of cigarettes. The IQOS – “I Quit Ordinary Smoking” – was launched in 2014 in Japan and Italy, and has since exploded in popularity in Japan, to the extent that exclusive IQOS lounges were built in many buildings on top of the designated smoking areas.

Unlike conventional cigarettes, IQOS does not burn its heat sticks as burning releases a plethora of carcinogens. Rather, the electronic device heats the shortened cigarette to the point that it emits a nicotine vapor sans the toxins.

According to PMI, it has conducted trials that prove the safety of using the IQOS, especially when compared to conventional cigarettes. The US FDA has stated that findings on heated tobacco do not back up the claims of PMI. However, the agency did recognize the device’s ability to reduce one’s exposure to harmful chemicals in relation to smoking.


Trying out the IQOS  

We tried using the IQOS and the experience was a mix between smoking and vaping. Trying the Regular variant, we discovered that the heat sticks do not taste anything like regular cigarettes – its flavor somewhat resembles that of corn tea or genmaicha – and there was no throat hit. The device automatically shuts off after six minutes, expecting the user to have gotten in around 14 puffs in that duration. After which, the stick is to be disposed of.

The IQOS holder comes with a charger, which affords the user approximately 20 uses before it needs to be recharged, and small cleaning tools to rid the device of residue.

According to reports, cleaning the device regularly is critical if one is to keep away from toxic substances. Charring through pyrolysis occurs if there is debris in the device upon use, potentially releasing carcinogens from the stick.


Too pricey?

For the IQOS to be considered a viable alternative to smoking in the Philippines, its price should not stray far from the rates of cigarettes. Currently, with the device yet to be launched in the country, the IQOS device is priced at over P6,000 and a ream of HeatSticks is at around P3,000. The price, alone, could turn off those who plan to find a healthier alternative to smoking unless they’re after the novelty of using the rather trendy gadget.

Though not as laborious as vaping, using IQOS involves regular cleaning, which can be off-putting for some people. The lack of a throat hit might also lead to people go back to lighting up conventional cigarettes, since the IQOS fails to fully simulate the smoking experience.

However, the tea-like flavor does give the impression that you’re consuming a healthier product, albeit the findings on the IQOS’ safety are inconclusive, and the smoke emitted doesn’t produce a strong odor and contains far fewer toxins.

The IQOS is a worthwhile product and is potentially a safer alternative to smoking, but its price is beyond the reach of many and it is not widely available enough to influence smokers to make a change. (Playboy Philippines)