Entertainment

Sci-Fi 101: Iain M. Banks’ “Culture” series

QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, June 24) – Imagine a civilization without scarcity, without inequality, without want or need. Where people can do everything they want without fear or limits, a place where there is no crime. Such civilization is the focus of Scottish sci-fi writer Iain M. Banks’ “Culture” series. The eponymous Culture is a meta-civilization, at first composed of eight humanoid species but have managed to assimilate  many others. The Culture was […]

‘Titanic’ composer missing after California plane crash – lawyer

JUNE 23 (Reuters) — Hollywood composer James Horner, who scored the Oscar-winning film “Titanic” and its mega-hit theme song “My Heart Will Go On”, has not been heard from since his private airplane crashed in Southern California on Monday (June 22) morning, his lawyer said. Jay Cooper, a prominent music industry attorney, confirmed the plane that crashed in the Los Padres National Forest, north of Los Angeles, belonged to his client Horner, 61-years-old, but could […]

Impact of Apple’s change of heart on music service

JUNE 23 (Reuters) — In a year in which Taylor Swift’s star has risen in to the upper stratosphere, her biggest victory may have been watching Apple ‘blink” after the pop star called out the tech giant for its initial policy of refusing to pay artists during free trials of its new Apple Music streaming service. Apple’s change of heart came after the 25-year-old singer posted on Tumblr that she’d hold back her latest hit […]

Sci-fi 101: The “Uplift” series by David Brin

QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, June 23) – When it comes to reading, my tastes run to science fiction and fantasy. I have been following a lot of authors but lately, I have been reading the “Uplift” series by David Brin. In the Uplift universe, the dominant civilization is called the Five Galaxies – a conglomerate of oxygen-breathing species. At the center of the civilization is the practice of “uplift” – wherein a patron […]

Surfers set new record for “Most People Riding a Surfboard at Once”

Dozens of people climbed aboard a giant surfboard and rode it ashore Saturday (June 20) in California to set a new record for Most People Riding a Surfboard at Once. Sixty-six people managed to stay aboard the 42-foot (12.8 meters) long surfboard and ride it for more than the required ten seconds to qualify for a new Guinness World Record, NBC reported. The attempt took place at Huntington Beach, just south of Los Angeles.

Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘is back’ for Terminator Genisys

JUNE 22 (Reuters) — Actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger was greeted by hundreds of fans chanting his name as he arrived at the red carpet in Berlin on Sunday (June 21) for the European premiere of ‘Terminator Genisys’, the latest installment of the franchise. Like the 1984 original, John Connor (played by Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to stop the assassination by a terminator of his mother, […]

Your Survival Guide to Jurassic World – a movie review

QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, June 22) – After a long wait, “Jurassic World” continues the adventure started years ago by renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The film is set on a theme park whose main attraction – genetically-reconstructed dinosaurs, draws a crowd of 20, 000 daily. Then, we have a genetically-engineered dinosaur designed to draw more of the crowd by making it bigger and with more teeth. What do you think will happen? Watching […]

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ will not be offered on Apple Music

JUNE 22 (Reuters) — Pop star Taylor Swift will not be making her hit album “1989” available on Apple Inc’s upcoming streaming service, the singer’s label said on Friday (June 19). Apple Music, which will launch at the end of June, will offer subscribers a large catalog of songs for a subscription fee of $10 a month, but Swift’s “1989,” her fifth studio album; will not be offered on any streaming service, her label Big […]

Schwarzenegger pranks fans, poses as wax figure

JUNE 19 (Reuters) — Arnold Schwarzenegger startled a few fans at Madame Tussauds Hollywood when the actor and former California governor dressed as his character from “The Terminator” series and pretended to be a wax statue. Schwarzenegger startled a number of visitors to the wax museum. The prank was produced by fundraising platform Omaze, designed to raise awareness for Schwarzenegger’s charity, After-School All-Stars, which aims to provide after-school programs for low-income and at-risk youth. In […]

Hilary Duff says coming back to the music industry wasn’t easy after an eight year break

JUNE 19 (Reuters) — U.S. singer and actress Hilary Duff has jumped back into music after an eight year break with the release of her fifth studio album “Breathe In. Breath Out.” With over 15 years logged in the entertainment industry and records sales that top 15 million worldwide Duff admits it took her awhile to regain her footing. “It took me a minute to come into my own, you know and be confident to […]

E.L. James spins off another shade of ‘Grey’

JUNE 19 (Reuters) — E.L. James, the British author of the hugely successful “Fifty Shades of Grey” erotic novels, is celebrating the fictional birthday of her famous male character on Thursday with the release of her new book, “Grey,” which looks set to be an instant bestseller. Publisher Vintage Books said demand for the novel, told from the viewpoint of business tycoon Christian Grey, has been consistent with the other books in the trilogy, which […]

“Jurassic World” set to stomp Pixar’s “Inside Out” at box office

JUNE 19 (Reuters) — It’s going to be a relaxing weekend for families as two coming-of-age stories hit the big screen beginning Friday (June 18). Pixar’s original animation movie “Inside Out” is set inside an 11-year-old girls’ mind and features personified emotions voiced by the likes of Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling. Directed by Pete Docter, who also whelmed the Oscar-winning film “Up,” “Inside Out” is predicted to earn $70 million this weekend. The reviews […]