Halloween in Westfield Southcenter

It was one heck of a cloudy afternoon when me, my sister Elise, her baby Irvine, and my brother-in-law Senior went for an afternoon break at Westfield Southcenter and not just any afternoon break because it's Halloween day and in Halloween, most of the people are in costumes. I've seen kids going around the mall in their costumes to do some trick-or-treating and it's not just the kids are into costumes, grown people are joining in the Halloween action.

Bubble Gang - October 31, 2014

On the October 31, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Dexter...errrrr...Desiree the Binatilya faces some love at the cemetery.

- "Bawal 'to" gags.

- Mr. Assimo in the cafe...

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...prayer posts!

- A fateful encounter at a cemetery

- Spirits playing the "possessed" prank...but not as expected as they've hoped for...

- All your questions are answered on ANG BAGONG DATING DOON INTERNATIONAL!

HALLOWEEN 2014: Ideal horror movies to watch

We all enjoy watching some super scary horror movies on the dead of the Halloween night. Most horror flicks include some ghosts, monsters, demons, and most famously, zombies. So, if you have some pals you've invited for a Halloween movie night, what are the best horror movies for you and your pals to watch on Halloween nighttime afterdark?

1) The Child's Play series

Yes, the Child's Play series is notably one of the most scariest films to watch and it's not recommended to watch with the kids because...it's about a spirit of a serial killer possessed through a toy named Chucky. Such gore scored this maniacal ginger-haired killer toy numerous sequels like Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3, Bride of Chucky, and Seed of Chucky. If you want the ultimate wet-in-your-pants thrills, I'd suggest to find yourself the killer DVD collection packed with all the Child's Play movies. Worth the scare, right?

2) The Friday the 13th movies

In superstition, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, but in horror movies, Friday the 13th is about a killer in a hockey mask named Jason hunting down hapless teenagers. There are 12 movies of this franchise, including the killer Freddy vs. Jason movie where the masked killer meets his match: the man with a viciously long claw named Freddy Krueger.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street

Anyway, on the subject of Freddy Krueger, this madman is the one to scare for in A Nightmare on Elm Street. There are seven Elm Street films from the first one up to Wes Craven's New Nightmare but deciding which of the Elm Street movie is the scariest and gory is all up to you. It's worth the slash when it comes to your craving for fear.

4) Saw

Hello...I want to play a game. Yes, the sadistic killer known as Jigsaw is notorious for the insane contraptions where most of the victims died while a few managed to survive. The Saw series has been one of my favorite in the horror movie department but sadly for me, I only liked the first two. The seventh and the final chapter was gory but sadly...it really is the end for the franchise, which is sad. Yes, there are seven Saw films from the start to finish and if you're a faint at heart, best to look away while you can because you can't take the gore from such a scary franchise.

5) The George A. Romero's zombie movies

The 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead was fine but has anyone seen the original 1979 version? Well, never mind about that but the George A. Romero zombie movies were the ones that defined the zombie movie trend by storm and the franchise is well known to be "one of the most daring, hypnotic, and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade" (fangoria.com). Whether if it's Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead or Land of the Dead, these zombie movies are more of a treat if you are in the urge for some zombie movie marathon this Halloween with your mates.

6) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Inspired from real events, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about a group of teens taking a detour from a road trip to Texas and what happens next is beyond their darkest fears. It maybe a cult favorite but sadly, this genre can be a bit of an overrated for us but if you get the hang of it, then this might be more gory than any other horror movies you know. Be warned though, EVIL WEARS MANY FACES.

7) Scary Movie

If too much horror is on your mind, how about a mixture of horror and comedy to bring you some good vibes on Halloween? Yes, the Wayans bros. made a series of spoof films based on some of the most notable horror movies known to mankind. The latest was Scary MoVie, which is the fifth installment of the film and it spoofs films like Paranormal Activity, Mama, and so much more.

8) Battle Royale

Okay, so maybe not much of a horror but this is definitely one of the most bloody brutal movies made by the Japanese. In a dystopian future where the Japanese economy collapsed, the government established the Battle Royale where a group of school kids kill each other until the only one survived. I was amazed that Tatsuya Fujiwara, the one who played Light from the Death Note movies since 2006, was in that movie but more importantly, this killer Japanese movie is worth traumatizing. I watched the first one and trust me on this, it really shocked my mind till the end of the film.

9) The Conjuring

One of 2013's most scariest movies ever seen by many, The Conjuring was inspired from real events and it's about a group of paranormal investigators called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. It maybe known to be one of the most terrifying cases the world has ever faced but watching this movie 'till the end will keep you wondering. On 2014, there's a prequel spin-off called Annabelle and just like The Conjuring, Annabelle is still a scary movie to watch and it's not recommended for the faint at heart.

10) Paranormal Activity

Most of the bizarre moments are caught on tape in the series of films where paranormal things happen after dark and caught on tape. The first Paranormal Activity film takes place on a suburban starter tract house where residents were disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but mostly active during the night. In the second installment, Paranormal Activity 2, after Dan and Kristi gave birth to a newborn baby, something demonic is going on after dark. In the prequel Paranormal Activity 3, the chilling moments of young sisters Katie and Kristi were caught on tape for the first time. Paranormal Activity 4, the pre-sequel, takes place five years after the disappearance of Kati and her nephew Hunter, she has returned with a mysterious boy, ready to target new victims caught on tape. The recent film, The Marked Ones, the first ever PA spinoff, centers on the victim named Jesse as he heard horrifying sounds from his neighbor's apartment, only to found out that there's an ancient curse that won't stop until he's dead.

11) The Purge

In a dystopic future, there was an event called The Purge where one night a year, all crimes are legal. Last year's film really was a very frightening experience and because of the frightening success of the last film, they've spawned a followup earlier this year called The Purge Anarchy. Watching both of the Purge films makes viewers experience some serious trauma about the plot where all crimes are legal in one night and how to survive until the end of the annual purge.

12) Ghostbusters

Ah yes, the horror-comedy-action movies about a group of Ghostbusters responding to some paranormal emergencies and ready for action! Who else remember these films as well as the theme song? WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS! These movies maybe very very old but they're a lot more enjoyable to watch...

Well, there are so many horror movies to recommend you but I guess I'll just stop here. Feel free to decide which horror movie is best suited for your Halloween horror movie night and enjoy the dead of the night with your pals...if you dare.

HALLOWEEN 2014: What should you be wearing for Halloween?

Halloween is here and so many people are getting into the Halloween spirit by, nope, not just candies, but getting their inner character on. Yes, people are dressing as their favorite characters no matter how old they are. You see that's what we love about Halloween because we can be who we want to be.

Because of so many choices, it's time for me to narrow down (sort of) some of the ideal characters you want to dress for Halloween if you want to stand out from the rest...

FOR THE KIDS:

Even today, kids love to dress as their favorite cartoon characters and most shops are offering kids' costumes to dress up with but what to dress as is everyone's guess and I'm listing the recommendations on what to wear for the kids this Halloween:

- Disney characters from the past, present, and future has always been every little boy or girl's favorite for Halloween season. For the boys, the best Disney characters they want to wear are Woody or Buzz from the Toy Story trilogy films, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Aladdin, the seven dwarves from Snow White, Mr. Incredible, Dash, there are so many Disney characters to be for the little boys but because we're in the 10's (that's a decade for 2010's) and now it's 2014, best to dress as this decade's Disney characters such as Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls, Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, oh, and The 7D. What? You know nothing about The 7D? The new show as seen on Disney XD?! Here's what The 7D looks like if you haven't seen one...

The 7D

These are The 7D: Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Doc, and Grumpy. Think you can dress as one of the 7D? Come on, give it a try. It takes creativity and some shopping from thrift stores to pull one off. Oh and you're planning to have your kid dress as The 7D's Grumpy, make sure you bought a plastic flower pot from the Home Depot. Yes, they look like flower pots but they're unbreakable even when you fall it from a height. It may sound ridiculous but it's what you need to give your kid a Grumpy look.

I almost forgot, are you guys planning to watch the upcoming Disney movie, Big Hero 6, next month? Well, if you have a kid who's chubby, that would be just the perfect bet to turn him into Baymax for Halloween? Hmmm? Don't know Baymax? Time to relook at that trailer:

See that big white character that looked like the Michelin Man? That's Baymax. Sorry if I had to say that but it takes a white fat suit and some mascot trickery to have little chubby kids be like Baymax from the upcoming Big Hero 6 film. Even without the armor main character Hiro Hamada made for him, it still looks good to dress as Baymax.

As for the girls, Disney Princesses are what every little girl wants to be; Snow White, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Jasmine from Aladdin, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Tiana from The Princess and The Frog, Rapunzel from Tangled, and Merida from Brave. That sounds good for the girls but for today's climate, with the success of Disney Junior TV show Sofia the First and last year's Disney movie Frozen, most little girls are ready to be either Sofia, Princess Anna, or Queen Elsa for Halloween. Speaking of the upcoming Big Hero 6 movie, how about telling your little girls to dress as Gogo Tomago and Honey Lemon this Halloween? I know they're too tricky to pull one off but if you have good creativity skills turning your little girls into one of the heroines from the upcoming movie. Yeah, sounds great and if most of the kids fully dressed as the Big Hero 6, trick-or-treating never felt so super.

Aside from that, little girls can dress as other Disney characters such as Doc McStuffins, Sheriff Callie, Nina from the Nina Needs To Go shorts, Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls,

- The 2014 live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may have the most ugliest rendition of the Ninja Turtles but that doesn't stop them to garner some Turtle fans into watching this film, especially when we laugh at Mikey's pop culture references. Good thing some toy stores are offering costumes inspired from the 2014 movie and if you want your kids to dress as one of the Turtles; from the leader Leonardo, hotheaded Raphael, geeky Donatello, and the fun-loving Michelangelo, that's your call. Still, Michelangelo's my favorite because I watched that film last summer and I laughed at his lines. Now I know how I felt upon watching my favorite childhood heroes reloaded.

- Marvel superheroes are every little boys' dream to become one for Halloween. From The Avengers, X-MEN, to Spider-Man, whichever Marvel superhero you want is all up for the little boys but that doesn't stop there because with the arrival of Guardians of the Galaxy, there's no shortage of choice which Marvel hero will be. If you haven't see Guardians of the Galaxy, here's the movie that will serve as your inspiration for the little boys to be one of them...except for Gamora because she's female and little girls can be Gamora.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Like I said, little girls can be Gamora but the boys can be either Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, or Groot. Well, the first three was fine but for Groot, it's going to be difficult to have your little boy dress as that hulking tree-like creature but you can try that yourself. Gosh...I have a super strange feeling that Guardians' Groot looks the same as Pokemon XY's Trevenant. Get it? Because they both look like trees. He he he...

- Adventure Time may have been with us for four years but this hit cartoon is still doing the rounds for our little kids with some more surprises. Because of Jake the Dog's power to change into things, finding some Jake the Dog-related merchandises is a lot easy especially the Jake suit. Yes, everyone wants to be Jake but they can feel free to dress as main character Finn the Human (or Fionna the Human girl if you have a little girl), Ice King, Marcy, or PB. Word of warning though, Lady Rainicorn and LSP are extremely impossible (due to LR's long body and LSP's...well globby looks and levitation). As for BMO, it takes a cardboard box and some art to pull one off so your kid can be a BMO.

- The DC Universe remains a very popular choice for the little ones. Kids can be either Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, The Flash, or any other heroes from the DC Universe.  Feel free to choose which DC hero or villain your kid can be for Halloween.

- The Transformers also remains one of the most popular choice for the kids and thanks to the Age of Extinction film, looks like they still got the touch. Those trick-or-treaters are going to be one of the Autobots or the menacing Dinobots from the movie but I prefer seeing little kids dressed as Optimus Prime or Bumblebee for Halloween. Well, Bumblebee's still my pick because he's a Chevy Camaro and he's cool even with his new look.

FOR THE ADULTS:

Kids dress as cartoon characters for trick-or-treating purposes. We, adults, dress costumes for fun especially when they are going out to the party. In the case of "Everyone let's have fun here", we're all free to be who we are but for me, there are some ideal suggestions on who are you going to be on Halloween.

- Vampire Fashion. No need to be the king of vampires like Dracula and because vampires are so hot thanks to Twilight and Vampire Diaries, the ideal vampire fashion is all gothic and dark. That's right, gothic and dark. The looks that inspired a blood-sucking immortal.

- Because of The Walking Dead and other zombie movies in history, zombies are all the rage and if you are planning to dress as the flesh-munching undead for the party, have enough make-up and some ragged clothes to wear because...that's how zombies look like; wearing ragged clothing with some blood spills, creepy-looking faces, and a scary stance that is a proof of being a flesh muncher.

- Science Fiction is what all geeks and nerds know about and for Halloween, nerds and geeks of all kinds are glad to be either from Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and any other forms of sci-fi we all know about. Since this is 2014, I'd expect some people will turn up as one of the characters from Star Wars Rebels (except Chopper because he's a robot and we're too small to be like Chopper) or the 12th Doctor from Doctor Who. For those who want to be the 12th Doctor, take a look at what he's wearing:

12th Doctor

Notice the coat he wore. It has some red inner sides while his coat's exterior remains much darker for you to see. It's going to take a lot of luck to find his coat (or some old man's toupee to complete the look)...but if you managed to find it, dressing as the 12th Doctor is no slouch, got it? Also be advised that the Daleks and the TARDIS are extremely impossible to cosplay as and if I say "impossible", I really mean it because it takes some metal (or polystyrene) to create a Dalek replica and insert yourself on it a la Metal Gear's cardboard box, even going on the party as the TARDIS. Heh, good luck going to the party as a Dalek or the TARDIS. They won't see your faces...

- Like what kids do, we can always feel free to dress as a Disney character from the past, present, and the future. For today, I personally recommend dressing as this decade's Disney characters; say Frozen, The 7D, Big Hero 6, Gravity Falls, you name the rest but it's your call. I suspect that in the case of Big Hero 6, one of your pals is chubby enough to cosplay as Baymax. He he he...

- Superheroes. You'll name them, you'll be them. Whether if its from Marvel or from the DC Universe, it doesn't really matter.

- Some people will be wearing as their favorite anime heroes and villains so whether if its Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, SAO, Attack on Titan, or any other anime otakus know, you are always more than welcome. Parties are getting used to those anime otakus nowadays. 

- As for video game characters, well I'd recommend dressing as one of the characters from this year's hottest games such as Destiny, Infamous Second Son, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, The Evil Within, Sunset Overdrive, Lords of Shadow 2, Tomodachi Life, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, Titanfall, and so much more. Those hardcore gamers really know how to get their game on, even at the outside world dressed as a video game character.

- We love cosplaying as one of the Pokemon characters and while in the age of XY, Pokemon XY that is (from the Pokemon X and Pokemon Y games and the Pokemon the Series XY TV show), I'd recommend cosplaying as one of the characters from this generation. From the main characters, the Kalos Gym Leaders, those Team Flare baddies, the allies (Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor), Professor Sycamore, the Kalos Elite Four, even the Kalos Champion Diantha as well. As for the Pokemon...oh jeez...remember the whole "impossible to cosplay" part? Remember the "mascot trickery"? Some people never learned...and they'll just dress as their favorite Pokemon anyway...even the four-legged ones. Come on...we only have two legs so if you're going to dress as a Pokemon, you have to act like one and if you're dressing as four-legged Pokemons (say Sylveon, Xerneas), you'll gonna have to move on all fours, which is very exhausting...

With the upcoming Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, might as well take the time to dress as one of the Hoenn region characters for a change?

I guess I'll just stop here. Feel free to dress whichever character you want to be and have a happy halloween, folks!

Forza Horizon 2 - Barn Find #04: Ferrari GTO

Now this is what my big plans for the Willys Jeep looks like. I decided to turn the vintage jeep into something more reminiscent of the Filipino equivalent of hot rods that were built in the shed; an owner type jeep. Like hot rods, owner-type jeeps were made from the shed and apart from the steel bodywork they've made, they're using old parts from old cars, mostly sedans, hatchbacks, or whatever. Although while owner-type jeeps look like offroaders, they feel like cars and they don't do off-roads unless if necessary.

Well, there's more to it than that, anyway, want to show how it's made? Huh? What's this? I've picked up a BARN FIND RUMOR? Involving an abandoned Ferrari 288 GTO?



The barn find in question was marked between San Giovanni and Montellino, my next stop for the Horizon Festival, and after venturing through the forest full of trees, I have discovered that the 288 GTO barn find is just 3.6 miles from the Horizon Festival. Just like the rest of the barn finds discovered (so far, it's been three barn finds discovered), if you found it, wait for a couple of minutes or hours until you get the notification that the 288 GTO's restored and then rush to the nearest hub to claim it.






Such a timeless supercar, isn't it? Anyway, the GTO name, derived from the legendary 250 GTO Le Mans racer, was used for Ferrari's berlinetta that was produced from 1984 to 1985 with a total of 272 units produced. Originally, that car was used to compete in the Group B Race series but when they found out that Group B racing was ceased to exist, it never got a chance to race one and as a matter of fact, all 272 cars are made to be road-legal. It was powered by a 2.9L turbocharged V8 engine that produces 395HP of power and 366lb-ft of torque. It's 0-60 was in the upper 4-second range and flat-out, it can do 189mph. It may not be as quick as the legendary F40, the first supercar in the world to break the 200mph barrier, but it's still an impressive car to drive if you're in the mood for savoring that Ferrari nostalgia you've been longing for since...the beginning of time probably.

Speaking of impressive, the road trip to Montellino's on and it's time for me to use that barn find I've recently discovered. See you later!

Let's Do The News! (October 29, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- Just when they thought they had a very successful liftoff but it ended in a catastrophic failure. The 14-story autonomous Orbital Sciences supply rocket Antares, contracted by nasa to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, exploded seconds after its launch.

- Ultranationalist cyberactivists are threatening against the village of Sarufutsu over a memorial where 80 Korean laborers died of abuse and malnutrition while building an airfield at the behest of the Japanese military during World War II. It looks like Japan's war crimes from WWII are still lurking around. You might remember that last year, Prime Minister Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine, a shrine where Japanese soldiers who fought during the war were remembered, especially the war criminals, and stirred outrage from neighboring countries.

- As this year's Undas is fast approaching, Makati City will be one of the cities from the Philippines to suspend number coding on the 31st of October while re-routing and road closures are expected.

- While we're anticipating for the upcoming Age of Ultron movie, Marvel announced a third Avengers movie called the Infinity War and it gets better because it will be a two-parter with the first part slated for 2018 release. This is part of the planned 11 Marvel films set to screen in the coming years.

- The seventh Fast and Furious movie is named and it will be called Furious 7.

- Nissan will showcase the Kicks Concept at this year's Sao Paulo Motor Show, hinting at an upcoming Brazil-exclusive model in the future.

Nissan Kicks Concept

- IS THIS THE NEXT FIAT STRADA? Fiat will showcase the FCC4 Concept at this year's Sao Paulo Motor Show also...

Fiat FCC4 Concept

- Wave goodbye to the Audi R8 as for the upcoming 2014 LA Auto Show, they'll be showcasing a final edition before an all new model arrives soon. Called the R8 Competition, the final edition features some racecar-inspired exterior cues while using the R8 V10 Plus as its base. Sadly, it's for USA only and limited to 60 units. Bummer...

Audi R8 Competition

TTFN!!!

Toyota Esquire

For the first time, the current-generation Toyota Voxy and Noah minivans have spawned a triplet to their family and for this triplet, it can be summed up as a fancier version of these two as well as its fancy name to call it Esquire (エスクァイア).

2015 Toyota Esquire

As expected, the brand new Esquire is based on the recently launched Toyota Noah and Voxy minivans, which they were launched since January 2014, although I'm not a hundred percent sure if this is the replacement to the stagnant Isis minivan but contrary to the rumors, the new Esquire, like the latest Noah and Voxy vans, is powered by a 2.0L 3ZR-FAE engine and the hybrid model with the 1.8L engine connected to an electric motor and nickel metal battery. Details on what's what about that will be explained later but first, let's examine the design.

Of course, this new Esquire van differentiates it from the Noah and Voxy vans because while the Noah is a bit more of a soccer mom fave and the Voxy is all about being a sporty minivan, the Esquire features a luxurious look that balances between them although one will notice the overgrown grille that looks like it came from the Crown Majesta flagship. Fancy, isn't it?

2015 Toyota Esquire interior

2015 Toyota Esquire interior

Because the new Esquire is related to the Noah and Voxy, you can expect the same interior layout as seen from these two and depending on the model, the new model can seat up to seven or eight people around you and while it may not be as luxurious as the big brothers, the Alphard/Vellfire and the Estima, the Esquire isn't half bad at all when it comes to spacing, although I would personally go seat at either the front or at the second-row because I still have strong hatred for third-row seats. With all three rows of seating present, there's still enough room for your grocery shopping but when you have more than just groceries, say your stuff you've bought from the garage sale, these seats can be folded for extra luggage. There's also a secret storage at the back but on hybrid models, you'll store less than what the petrol models have due to the battery that occupies it. Bummer but the secret storage is not bad at all judging when you want to store something not even your junior would know.

Just like the Noah and the Voxy, the new Esquire is benefitted from its class-leading interior dimensions thanks to its 1,400 mm cabin height, 360mm of ground clearance, 2nd row 810mm captain seats with Super 4-way Sliding Mode, and 500mm of rear floor (for 2WD models). Also, the sliding doors can be opened at 805mm wider, more than any other JDM minivans in its class. 

2015 Toyota Esquire

Now, the most important aspect for the Esquire; the performance. Because the powerplants were the same as from the Noah and the Voxy, the Esquire comes with a 2.0L 3ZR-FAE engine and the hybrid model with the 1.8L engine connected to an electric motor and nickel metal battery. On the hybrid model, combined power output is 136PS and fuel economy of 23.8km/L, calculated in JC08 Mode standards. As noticed, that's 7.8kmpl more than the Serena's, making it an excellent travelling companion if you want to go from one prefecture to another. For the 2.0L petrol variant, it produces 152PS of power and 193Nm of torque. It even comes with the idling stop system that cuts off the engine when stop and then starts it again when on the move. Fuel economy is 16.0km/L, again, calculated in JC08 Mode standards. Although this family-mover is not half bad, the suspension is not quite suited for a luxury-esque minivan like the Esquire especially when the suspension setup consists of struts on the front and torsion beams on the back, perhaps you really can't tell why this new model feels a bit...cheap.

Prices start at 2,622,857 Japanese Yen (around $27,000), which is more expensive than its Noah and Voxy siblings, but while the Noah is available at Corolla dealerships and the Voxy at Netz dealerships, the new Esquire is available exclusively at Toyota and Toyopet dealerships across Japan so you have a choice between those three.

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black, Sparkling Black Pearl Crystal Shine, Bordeaux Mica Metallic, Ocean Mint Metallic, and Dark Violet Mica Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation