Monday, March 23, 2015

Tom Cruise Is Back As Ethan Hawke In Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

If you think we've seen the last of Mission: Impossible, or of Ethan Hawke for that matter, then think again. Since it's first release in 1996, the franchise is back for the fifth time around without showing any sign of stopping or slowing down. That's almost a decade of pure Tom Cruise machismo...

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson, among many others.

Watch the new trailer of Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.


Synopsis

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation will hit cinemas on July 31, 2015.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

John Green's 'Paper Towns' Gets A Movie Adaptation, Trailer And Poster Just Landed

John Green is certainly having a fantastic decade. Two of his books have already been adapted: the first one is The Fault in Our Stars, and this next one is Paper Towns, which you can watch its trailer below.  As a bonus, you may ogle over this fantastic poster. And guess what... one of the main characters is Gus's best friend in TFiOS film!

Paper Towns

This Jake Schreier-directed movie stars Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage, Austin Abrams, Jaz Sinclair and Justice Smith. The screenplay was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.

Watch the new trailer of Paper Towns.


Synopsis

Paper Towns is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears--leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship -- and true love.

Paper Towns will hit cinemas on July 24, 2015.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Scientific and Meditative Impact of Plants and Flowers

Flowers
When you pick out a flower bouquet or evergreen plant and place it on the countertop or in a corner of your home, you may not realize how this simple action will positively affect your mood and overall wellbeing. What is behind this phenomenon? Researchers from the National Institute of Health attribute this mood enhancement to biophilia, the theory that humans have a special affinity for natural and living things, also called nature connectedness. The same scientists also emphasized that adding nature to your personal environment reduces stress, boosts attention and is generally beneficial for overall human health.

What is the impact of biophilic design in an environment?

By adding a plant or flower in your home or workspace there is a restorative effect that cannot be duplicated by manmade decor. As early as the 1950s, Abraham Maslow studied the impact of biophilic design in the workplace, documenting that the presence of natural elements in an employee's space could duplicate the same effects as an outdoor environment. Additionally, employees reported a 13 percent increase in wellbeing and productivity with the nature friendly design in their offices, per a study by Human Spaces. Although the theory is relatively new, evidence supporting the positive impact of nature-friendly indoor environments is growing.

Which specific plants and flowers boost your wellbeing?

According to a study in Psychology Today, houseplants help lower anxiety, decrease blood pressure, raise productivity at work and influence perceptions of space in a positive way. Specific plants that especially create this feeling include snake plants, Chinese evergreen and peace lilies. A snake plant filters the air by eliminating toxins and is a relatively easy to maintain; the Chinese evergreen also detoxifies the air and, with time, actually becomes more detoxifying. The peace lily is not only a beautiful plant, but it topped NASA's list for removing the common damaging elements of formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. Be advised that these plants might be difficult to find at a grocer, so call local nurseries or, more conveniently, order from an online flower retailer.

Other flowers with health benefits include roses (emit a calming scent that combats depression) and lavender (eases insomnia).

Does a biophilic design influence your ability to meditate?

Plants also have the potential to help the practice of meditation. People who meditate say that, because of larger surface areas, houseplants absorb noise and increase your clean oxygen intake. So instead of just one plant or flower, having a meditative garden in your space not only nourishes your mental state, but also improves your physical wellbeing. A meditation garden is an indoor sanctuary to the stresses from the workplace and many look at growing these gardens as a way to enhance nurturing aspects of their personalities by caring for something that will blossom.

We cannot underestimate the impact of biophilic design on our environments. In a hustle-bustle society of screens, everyone needs a place to retreat in a where there are flowers and plants to remind us of the peace and quiet found in nature.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Official Cover And Synopsis For Marie Lu's The Rose Society, Young Elites Book 2

Marie Lu's visit to the Philippines could have fired up her fans to devour more of her books. The Legend series was well-received that she hopped on to another equally adventure-filled chronicle in the new The Young Elites series.

But that piece of information is already old news, in fact we are already on the second book of the latter series and we got here a new cover and a synopsis that will fuel your hunger.

Checkout the cover of The Rose Society by Marie Lu.

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Synopsis

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

The Rose Society by Marie Lu will be released on October 6, 2015.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Script's Danny O’Donoghue Plays Dangerous Games In 'Man On A Wire' Music Video

I always get too excited when something new from The Script is showcased online. It feels like meeting a new book in the bookstore -- well at least that's a great feeling for me. And now the band has released the music video from their absolutely beautiful song, Man on a Wire.

Man on a Wire by The Script

The music video goes literal as it could get, with the band's lead singer, Danny O’Donoghue, performing balancing acts as the song of the title suggests. His bandmates, Mark Sheehan and Glen Power, are doing some gravity-defying performances as well. Such a dangerous game it is, but of course it's only in the music video, where we could assume (and hope) he had some invisible harness on when shooting the video. Feel the danger... love the video... and live the heart-wrenching feeling of the song.

Watch the new music video of Man on a Wire by The Script.


Although I have so say this concept is not quite new, it is still as gratifying as ever. Here is one from Thomas Dybdahl's Man on a Wire that is almost as similar.


Man on a Wire is the third track from The Script's fourth studio album, No Sound Without Silence. It is the third single to be lifted from said album, which is scheduled for release this year. The music video is said to be "inspired by the documentary on French tightrope walker Philippe Petit," according to Metro. You can read hi interview there, as well.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Carly Rae Jepsen Teams Up With Tom Hanks For 'I Really Like You' Music Video

If you really need to feel good right now, a feeling that you think you deserve, but not having for a while, then you should watch the new music video by Carly Rae Jepsen for her song I Really Like You. It is not equally as good as Call Me Maybe, but you will smile the whole time seeing Tom Hanks doing the lip synch.

I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

The audio was released 5 days prior to the music video, specifically on March 2, 2015. It is to give way to her upcoming third studio album, which as of this moment no title or release date has been set in stone. This new single will definitely brighten your day. The song lyrics alone are crack-wise.

Watch the music video of I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen, featuring Tom Hanks.


Spread this feel-good virus to everyone! Carly Rae Jepsen deserves another hit with this new single or video and you don't wanna miss being part of it.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

What Makes a Commercial Memorable?

Commercials
Storytelling has existed for centuries, but modern storytelling, like the stories we see in television commercials, was born in the early 1940s. The first paid ad to air on American television was a 10 second spot purchased by Bulova, a watch- and jewelry-making company. The first commercial was short, shaky and it didn’t reach many viewers.

Today, television advertising is a healthy business and it seems to be resistant to the ever-growing amount of online advertising. eMarketer predicts that television ad spending will increase to $75 million by 2017. But what makes a commercial memorable?

Effective Commercials

According to Market Share, people cited humor as the number-one factor that makes a commercial memorable. Others remembered the product tagline or company jingle — there are some jingles that we can never forget, no matter how hard we try, like the Kit Kat or Meow Mix jingles. Some people even remember commercials because of the iconic characters, for example, Flo from Progressive and the Oscar Mayer Kid. Effective TV advertising comes down to satisfying the viewer’s needs; whether it’s rational, emotional or both.

Play the Emotions

Brands take different approaches when they’re creating commercials. Apple, for example, makes its messages as clean and simple as possible. Apple ads typically feature a lineup of the newest products and devices but the ads also play to the emotions of the consumer. A 60-second iPhone 5 ad featured iPhone users face timing their loved ones and families. The message is extremely simple and it’s easy to understand. Other brands, like Budwiser, use experiences, sometimes featuring adorable puppies, which trigger our emotions.

The types of commercials that appeal to our emotions are saved in our memory for long periods of time just because we had an emotional response. Advertisers play to our eight basic emotions: joy, anticipation, surprise, fear, acceptance, anger, disgust and sadness. Ads with the most success appeal to all eight emotions. The higher the degree of emotion featured in an ad, the longer lasting the memory of the commercial.

Call to Action

No matter how emotional the story, television ads, and ads in general, always have a call to action (CTA). The CTA typically appears at the end of the ad. The CTA has evolved from a company’s address or location, to phone number and contact information, to today, in the form of hashtags. Have you noticed that dozens of brand include the company name or fun slogan in a hashtag during the final seconds of the commercial? That’s the call to action. It's natural, it's relevant and it works.

Learn More About Commercials

If you want to learn more about the advertising that you’re consuming while you’re watching your favorite television shows, do a little research online.

iSpot, a real-time TV advertising metrics resource, measures paid ad effectiveness and lists the most-viewed commercials on its website. The website also offers users the opportunity to “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” commercials and offers social sharing so users can share their favorite commercials with their social networks. There’s a wide range of companies featured on the iSpot website, from identity theft protection service LifeLock to Adobe Photoshop. Each company has its own “profile” which displays metrics including airing rank, number of spots, national airing and more.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Mr. Holmes Movie Starring Sir Ian McKellen Puts Forth A New Trailer

Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite characters to read. He is genius, streetwise and everything in between that I aspired to be just like him when I was younger. There were a few novels and numerous stories that Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle wrote about him, but I seem not to get enough of him. Many speculative novels and other adaptations have surfaced the mainstream media now-a-days and there is no limit to the imagination of what might have happened to said character beyond Doyle's work.

Mr. Holmes

One such speculative work is the upcoming movie called Mr. Holmes -- and let us not forget the long-lost and now found story that was thought to be one of Doyle's, but now seem to be concluded otherwise. Back to the movie, it will be starred by Sir Ian McKellen and you can watch the trailer below.

Watch the new trailer of Mr. Holmes, starring Sir Ian McKellen.


Synopsis

An aged, retired Sherlock Holmes looks back on his life, and grapples with an unsolved case involving a beautiful woman.

Mr. Holmes premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, but will be released in theaters on June 19, 2015.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Cinder Spires Book 1, 'The Aeronaut's Windlass' By Jim Butcher

Today is definitely a #CoverReveal day. Many of our anticipated books have just surfaced online with new faces, and not just the blank template we always see months before the books' actual release. This time around we have a new one from Jim Butcher, and no it's not for Peace Talks, the 16th novel on his The Dresden Files series.

In fact, it is much better. It is from his newest series, The Cinder Spires. The Aeronaut's Windlass, the first book in the series, has a tantalising and adventure-filled new cover reminiscent of the covers of The Dresden Files books, but it is much brighter and more fantastic.

Here is the fantastic new cover of The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher.

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

Synopsis

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy's shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity's ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher will hit book stores on September 29, 2015.

New Crossover Story "The Crown Of Ptolemy" By Rick Riordan Gets Official Cover And Synopsis

I almost jumped when I saw the cover reveal update on the Percy Jackson page, thinking it would be for Rick Riordan's well-anticipated new series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, starting with The Sword of Summer. And in a no-demeaning way, it is for the third crossover story on Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series.

The new crossover story is called The Crown of Ptolemy. It brings the joint effort of the four fantastic main characters from said two series: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Carter and Sadie Kane. If you'd like to read a sampler, you could head over to Hypable.

What can you say about the new cover of The Crown of Ptolemy By Rick Riordan?

The Crown of Ptolemy By Rick Riordan

Synopsis

In their first encounter, demigod Percy Jackson and magician Carter Kane had to battle a giant crocodile on Long Island. A month later, Annabeth Chase ran into Carter’s sister, Sadie, on the A train to Rockaway, where the pair fought a god named Serapis. Now trouble is brewing again, this time on Governor’s Island. An ancient Egyptian magician named Setne has come back from the dead and is experimenting with Egyptian and Greek magic, trying to become a god himself. He’s so powerful and tricky that all four—Percy, Annabeth, Carter, and Sadie—have to team up against him. But their usual weapons and spells aren’t going to cut it this time. Will the heroes be taken down by a wannabe god who looks like Elvis, or will they rise to the challenge? Told from Percy’s point of view, this third demigod-magician crossover story has all of the spunk and action that Rick Riordan fans crave.

The Crown of Ptolemy by Rick Riordan will be published in the following dates: trade paperback edition of The House of Hades, March 31, 2015; and eBook and Amazon editions, May 12, 2015.

Author Angie Sage Unveils Cover & Synopsis of TodHunter Moon Book #2: SandRider

My Septimus Heap mania and fanaticism never ends -- okay that's a little too much, but it's the truth! When the series ended I was worried of the void it would leave inside me, luckily author Angie Sage would never want her ravenous fans go hungry and so she brought to us the more vivid story of TodHunter Moon.

Instead of just having a cameo role, a new series has been written for her sake. In fact, the second book in the said series is almost upon us, continuing the Magykal adventure that started with PathFinder. The official title, cover, release date and synopsis has been revealed!

Check out the cover of TodHunter Moon: SandRider by Angie Sage.

TodHunter Moon: SandRider by Angie Sage

Synopsis

In PathFinder, readers journeyed with Alice TodHunter Moon, a young PathFinder who found her way to the Castle seven years after the events of the original Septimus Heap series.

Now it’s two months later and Alice is settled into her new life in the Castle. Being Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Septimus Heap is tricky—there’s loads of new Magyk to learn—but at least she’s mastered the Unseen charm.

She’s lucky she has, too—that Unseen will come in handy when she sets out with friends Oskar and Ferdie on a perilous journey to retrieve the Egg of the Orm from the Desert of the Singing Sands. If they don’t reach the Egg before it hatches, the new baby Orm could imprint on the evil sorcerer Oraton-Marr, giving him unlimited Magyk to do with what he wishes….

Bursting with humorous and poignant moments, SandRider celebrates the satisfaction of taking charge of one’s path in life—unexpected adventures and all.

Perfect for anyone who can’t get enough of the world of Septimus Heap!

TodHunter Moon: SandRider by Angie Sage will hit bookstores on October 13, 2015.