Curvy & proud

Movie buffs and TV junkies have more reasons to have a “staycation” at home as Samsung has unveiled the world’s first curved TV as well as an impressive range of new TV sets, home entertainment products and sound system.

Held at Blue Leaf Filipinas in Parañaque City, the event had various “experience zones” where guests were shown demonstrations of the different features of the new Samsung AV products. Guests were later “transported” to ancient Rome where gladiators, artisans and musicians served as fitting touches to the Roman Coliseum-themed area. A gladiator trainer and his fighters emerged and unveiled a coliseum boasting seven sets of 65-inch Samsung Curve TV display, which showed selected clips of Michael Bay’s soon-to-be-released film Transformers 4: Age of Extinction.

The new 75-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch Samsung Curved TV sets were later unveiled to guests. A world’s first, the Curved TV gives videos a stronger presence not felt on flat screens — a more realistic and true-to-life viewing experience. A wider field of view creates a panoramic effect that makes the display seem bigger than it actually is.

Other products showcased included the S9, U9000 and U8500 UHD TV sets that provide crisp picture quality and have four times the resolution and pixels of Full HD.

Samsung also introduced a new Multi-Link Screen feature, which brings contextual multitasking to the big screen, enabling one to go deeper into one’s entertainment by splitting the screen into two and bringing related content alongside Live TV to enhance the viewing experience. One can fill the right-hand screen with contextual search results on the Web browser, YouTube and more for side-by-side enjoyment of related entertainment and information streams. The Quad Core processor is up to two times faster than the Quad Core process and delivers quicker loading and navigation.

All the TV products introduced at the event boast of exciting new features, which include the new Screen Capture and Sound Capture that allows one to save scene images and audio clips straight from the TV with an easy-to-access button on the remote control. A new Soccer Mode is also available that provides advanced features specifically designed for watching soccer or football. 

Seen at the launch were TV and movie personalities Toni Taus, Rhian Ramos, Jhong Hilario, Drei Felix and musician and STAR columnist Jim Paredes.

All hail the Queen!

Get ready...the Queen is here!

Resorts World Manila (RWM) ushers the biggest retro party at the Newport Performing Arts Theater for Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The musical is RWM’s fifth production headlined by Leo Tavarro Valdez, Jon Santos and Red Concepcion. When it premiered early this month, the two-hour spectacle garnered rave reviews as it concluded to a standing ovation.

The musical tells the story of three friends who traversed the Australian Outback showcasing their unconventional style of cabaret. The performance, having the right dose of comedy and heartwarming scenes, left the audience craving for more. It features classic dance floor favorites such as I Will Survive, Finally and It’s Raining Men, which turned the grand theater into one big party venue. Numerous costume changes and precise stage orchestration make the production an absolute entertainment experience.

The premiere was well attended with sumptuous pre-show cocktails served. There was also an unforgettable after-party with the cast and invited guests.

(Priscilla Queen of the Desert runs until July 13. Tickets are available at the Resorts World Manila Box Office, TicketWorld and TicketNet outlets.

Visit www.rwmanila.com or call 908-8833 for more information.) Luxe Italian fashion haven

Massimo Bonini, the premier Italian showroom for the most exclusive and fashionable lines of footwear and accessories from Italian and international brands, recently unveiled the Spring/Summer 2014 collection at Shangri-La East Wing. No less than its owners Massimo and Sabrina Bonini were in attendance.

The Massimo Bonini multi-brand luxury showroom was founded in the late ‘80s by Massimo Bonini and Sabrina Scarpellini at the Via Montenapoleone in Italy. The couple envisioned this venture as a melting pot of renowned brands of shoes and accessories for men and women, produced by the best Italian and international companies. It has grown to be a worldwide retail powerhouse, which has exclusivity in 80 countries.

Sabrina shared, “We recognize the growing demand for luxury goods in the Philippines. The new concept store in the Philippines introduces a roster of 27 brands, which include: Bruno Bordese, Etro, Giambattista Valli, Gianvito Rossi, Henderson, Kallisté, McQ, Missoni, MSGM, Roberto Cavalli, Thomas Blakk and Versace with most of them exclusive to Massimo Bonini.”

Creativity, imagination, research, care, sensitivity and passion — these are the guidelines of Massimo and Sabrina who were pioneers in believing in the power of accessories when they envisioned Massimo Bonini. The couple believed that the choice of footwear and accessories determines the personality of the wearer.

“We are very much confident that the comprehensive range from updated classic styles to fashion-forward designs will be a delight to customers who possess strong fashion sense,” Massimo said.

(Massimo Bonini is located at the 2/3 Mid-level, Shangri-La Plaza East Wing. Follow @massimoboniniph on Instagram.)

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)