Category: Movies

Free Film Screenings for the National Arts Month at the CCP

CELEBRATING the Love Month and the National Arts Month, the Cultural Center of the Philippines presents three film programs – Cine Icons, Cinema Under the Stars, and the CCP Arthouse Cinema – this February.

CINE ICONS, is a new program by the CCP Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division highlighting the cinematic masterpieces of film masters, including the National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast. On its soft launch, Cine Icons will feature National Artist Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Brutal, written by another National Artist, Ricky Lee. Brutal is about a woman who after killing her husband and his friends goes into post-traumatic shock and withdraws from any form of communication. A feminist journalist becomes interested in the case and resolves to unravel the truth behind the murders.

Another film to screen alongside the film classic is a Gawad Alternatibo 2022 winner entitled, Lingkis by Yvonne Elizabeth Salazar and Isabel Margarita Valenzuela. The film mixes mythology, animation, and documentary to tell the story of a country plunged into darkness by repressive regimes visually depicted by a mythological serpent.

The Cine Icons soft launch screening will be held on February 17, starting at 1pm, at the PUP Theater, located inside the PUP Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila, to be followed by a talkback by National Artist Ricky Lee. The event is made possible in partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Cinema Under the Stars (CUTS) returns for its first screening for 2023, featuring Real Florido’s Ist Ko Si Third on February 24, 5:00PM, at the CCP Annex Parking area.

A 2014 Cinemalaya Finalist under the New Breed Category, 1st Ko Si Third rediscovers the joy and pain of first love through the story of a 65-year-old retiree Cory who bumps into her first love named Third. When their first date is about to happen, Cory brings with her a handful of love letters she never gave to Third. She is now ready to give them to her first love. Will she discover that first love truly never dies?

The CCP Arthouse Cinema: Of Love and Revolutions presents the screening of Lingkis on February 24, 1-4pm, via Zoom. This online screening is specifically offered primarily for students and educators who continue conducting online courses.

All screenings are free to the public, on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information, call the CCP FBNM Division at 8832-1125 loc. 1705 or follow the official CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok for updates.

February 17, 2023
WATCH: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Wish Trailer Gives Us a Glimpse of Ursula

Disney has dropped a short trailer for their upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. In the new 30-second teaser, we get a better look at Ariel’s underwater world, Prince Eric, and a glimpse of Ursula. Check out The Little Mermaid‘s Wish trailer below:

The Little Mermaid is the next Disney movie classic to get a live-action adaptation, joining titles such as Pinocchio, Mulan, and Aladdin. The iconic story follows the mermaid Ariel who has always been fascinated by life on land. Despite being forbidden by her father, King Triton, Ariel make occasional visits to the surface, where she falls for a human prince. To be with him, she makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become a human for three days.

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel alongside Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. The film also stars Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Art Malik, Noma Dumezweni, and Javier Bardem. The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall and will arrive in US cinemas this May 26.

February 16, 2023
Enter a new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” now showing in cinemas

Explore a secret world that goes beyond time and space, and meet a dangerous new multiversal threat in Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” now showing in cinemas nationwide. The moviekicks off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a fast-paced big-screen adventure that features all the heart and humor that fans and more will love!

In the film, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) continue to explore life as a superhero couple. They now live with their reunited family, which includes Hope’s parents Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), as well as Scott’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton).

Cassie’s curiosity leads to an unexpected one-way trip to the mysterious Quantum Realm. They encounter strange new creatures, a stricken society, and a major new foe: a master of time whose nefarious mission has only just begun. With Scott and Cassie pulled away from Hope, Janet, and Hank, they must find their way back to each other and home again from a world of utter chaos.

Don’t miss a chance to catch the must-watch Marvel film of the season and witness the beginning of a new era in the MCU. Check the available showtimes here and book your tickets now!

For the latest news and promos, follow Marvel Studios Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Join the conversations online using #AntManandTheWaspPH and #QuantumaniaPH.

February 16, 2023
Ben Affleck’s “AIR” To Be Distributed by Warner Bros. in PH

“AIR,” directed by Ben Affleck, from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and the first project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, will receive a wide theatrical release in the Philippines through Warner Bros. Pictures starting April 19, 2023.

Watch the trailer of “AIR” below:

In a first of its kind arrangement, Warner Bros. Pictures is handling the international rollout of “AIR” as part of its distribution pact with Amazon’s MGM.

“Ben, Matt, and this all-star cast have delivered a fantastic film that will move, inspire, and entertain audiences around the globe,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “With Ben’s incredible direction, the film delivers a nostalgic look back at a culture-defining moment that absolutely lends itself to a global theatrical event.”

Said director Ben Affleck: “Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see `AIR’ and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity. The movie was an extraordinary experience where we had the honor of working with some of the best cast and crew in the business, all of whom brought passion, persistence, and creativity to a collective effort at recreating a remarkable and aspirational story. I appreciate and value Jen Salke’s faith in our ability to execute on and deliver a movie we are proud of, as well as her and Sue Kroll’s incredible ongoing support of the film. Amazon Studios, Skydance,and Mandalay were all critical to getting this done, and the film couldn’t have been made without them. We value the steps it took on each of their parts to make it happen and want to thank them. This was the best creative and personal experience of our lives and we look forward to many more like it.”

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, “AIR” reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

Matt Damon plays maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight with Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan – among others.

This marks the first time Affleck is directing a feature film starring Damon. With a script penned by Alex Convery, AIR is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. Executive producers include Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Kevin Halloran, Michael Joe, Drew Vinton, John Graham, Peter E. Strauss, and Jordan Moldo.

Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #AIRMovie

February 16, 2023
A Lovely Illusion: a review of ‘Empire of Light’

There’s a line in the film Empire of Light that talks about how shooting films on film cameras work. That a movie, made in this older format, is basically 24 still shots in a frame, and in between each frame is a dark gap, a “darkness” as the character Norman (played by Toby Jones) calls it. He says, “there’s a little flaw in our optic nerve so if I run the film at 24 frames per second you don’t see the darkness… viewing static images in succession creates an illusion of motion, an illusion of life…” This line encapsulates exactly the entirety of this whole movie’s atmosphere and structure.

It’s an illusion, really. The whole movie is just snapshots of these characters’ lives through a particular moment in time and while it never really gets deep down and dirty in the particulars, it merely leaves us with impressions of their troubles and life challenges. What we are left with is the illusion of motion and of life.

Director Sam Mendes takes the magnificently versatile and dynamic Olivia Colman and a very charming and impressive Michael Ward into a narrative set in a cinema in 1981 Margate, England. Colman plays Hillary, the duty manager of the Empire cinema, who is suffering from mental health issues and Ward plays Stephen, a young man who can’t get into college and must battle racism every day in a Margaret Thatcher-era Britain. The two find themselves at a particularly unstable time in both of their lives and keep each other from going under. Their love story is just one of many little themes that play out in ‘Empire of Light’ that gives the story something to move it forward but it’s not really the whole gist of it.

Because the movie is also about mental health and the way Hillary seems to lack any real support from the government but it’s also about the racism that Stephen experiences on a daily basis during this time. The film is also a love story to movies and the glory of watching in the cinema and it’s about the changing landscape of society as the world moves forward. It’s not just a love story but a lot of little things that don’t really amount to any sort of bigger meaning except that life is really just a mix and match of different little challenges that we face. It’s never as clear-cut and precise as a movie, which is why we love the medium so much. Movies make sense out of the randomness of life and, interestingly enough, ‘Empire of Light’ prefers to remain distant and cold from all the things that would have made the story the stuff of cinema.

While Colman and Ward deliver strong performances, the movie is also amplified by Director of Photography Roger Deakin’s masterful use of light and composition. The way each moment is punctuated by a change in the lighting, whether the day shifts into dusk, or when lighting fixtures are switched on and create a radiance that fills up the screen, it’s a showcase of the genius of Deakins and is reason to watch the film.

Also doing a lot of heavy lifting is the tender musical score of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. While Colman and Ward are bringing life to the scenes and Deakins frames it beautifully as an image, Reznor and Ross allow the scenes to breathe. The melodies they build upon each scene just highlight the humanity in these moments.

What Sam Mendes puts together may not be enjoyable to most. In fact, a lot of critics have remarked on the lack of narrative depth to the piece by failing to really go deep into his character’s inner worlds and struggles. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the distance that he takes and how less like a movie it is and more like viewing someone from outside their realm of experience. Instead, the movies in ‘Empire of Light’ will have that sort of effect on people (and even the characters of the film) but the movie itself will be the opposite of it. It’s an illusion and I appreciate the poetry of that.

My Rating:

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Empire of Light is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Buy your tickets here.

February 16, 2023
REVIEW: While a lot of fun, ‘Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ lacks an emotional punch to make it memorable

Despite the fact that one has to shrink to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Quantum Realm, everything about Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania is large in proportion and scale. The movie throws a relatively simple adventure story at its heroes in the aforementioned location and then proceeds to delve into the backstory of two characters, namely the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) and the film’s villain, Kang (played by Jonathan Majors). If one were to really look into the narrative structure of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ while we are following Scott Lang’s perspective (played by Paul Rudd), the ones with any real emotional depth and character work are those played by Pfeiffer and Majors. In fact, the film would have been more honest if it was called ‘Kang and the Wasp: Quantumania.’

The issue is that Scott Lang’s Ant-Man is not a very complex character. All he ever wanted was to go legit after his stint in prison and to have a relationship with his daughter Cassie (played by Kathryn Newton in this movie). Now, in his third movie (fifth if you include his appearances in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’), Lang has gotten all that he could ever want: a family and redemption from his past. After all, he helped save the world as an Avenger.

With nowhere to go character-wise, the movie tries to create a sort of friction between him and Cassie. He has missed out on so much time and they seem to be on opposite ends of things: he wants her to grow up safe and “normal” while she wants to help people. We even begin the film with her in jail for having been at a protest. Their relationship, throughout the movie, is tested by Scott Lang’s preference for a quieter life while Cassie is in a rush to change the world. It’s never strong enough or deep enough to push the story forward, though.

Photo: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

Instead, as the five protagonists – Scott Lang, Cassie, Hope Van Dyne (played by Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) – find themselves in the Quantum Realm, we learn more about Janet and the mysterious Kang and the story really revolves around the both of them.

Photo: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

While we discover Kang’s backstory (as a villain) and Janet’s life in the Quantum Realm, which makes up most of the movie, as the film reaches its climax, what is missing are key narrative relationships that are completely left underdeveloped. For the ending to hit with any sort of emotional depth, we needed to see them build more of Scott and Cassie’s storyline (than the surface-level father-daughter disagreement), Hope and Janet (their storyline is left to one or two lines of dialogue and then left at that), and Scott and Hope. ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ relies heavily on these three relationships for the movie to have any sort of emotional weight but they are only lightly explored, if at all. There are choices near the end that hinge on their dynamics but it doesn’t land its punches because the film hardly spends time on it.

In fact, Hope makes a big choice near the end of the film and its crux is her feelings for Scott that are never reinforced in this movie. It is just something we take for granted.

Photo: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

Instead, we are being brought into the world of the Quantum Realm, a green-screen, CGI-heavy world that needs exploring as well. They introduce new characters from that world as well but none are given enough screen time or story beats to be interesting. The CGI world can be very distracting, and in my opinion, it is only Michelle Pfeiffer who never ever feels swallowed by all that special effects. She’s such a presence that she is unfazed at all by the sheer excessiveness of it all.

Photo: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

While the story is low on emotional punch, there are moments of pure comic book enjoyment. A whole sequence (hinted at in the trailer) of Ant-Man in the middle of a “probability storm” has him interacting with hundreds and thousands of different Ant-Mans. It is such a huge scene that director Peyton Reed creates marvelous visuals with that imagery. In a way, it resembles an army of ants and the meta-ness of that is quite thrilling,

So while ‘Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is an enjoyable movie – a good number of action sequences, a big, new world to discover, and a lot of nice thrilling super-hero moments, and funny one-liners – the movie feels hollow by the end of it all. After the movie ended, I felt more interested in Kang and Janet Van Dyne than I did about the two heroes whose names are on the title.

Photo: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer

After the nth comic book movie after the past decade of comic book movies, they really need to do more to keep this interesting. I’m excited for Jonathan Majors as he is such an exciting talent but there’s nothing else to really hold on to. Just another movie in the larger scheme of the MCU.

My Rating:

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Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Buy your tickets here.

February 15, 2023
LOOK: Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn Revealed in ‘Joker 2’ Photo

We finally got a first look at Lady Gaga alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the upcoming movie Joker: Folie à Deux. Director Todd Phillips shared the movie still on social media with the caption “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Check out the photo below:

Photo: Todd Phillips on Instagram

Lady Gaga is set to play Harley Quinn opposite Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix in the upcoming Joker sequel. While the first film veered away from the superhero genre, focusing on a dark drama that doubles as the origin story of the iconic character, the sequel also takes a unique turn as it is set to be a musical film.

While the official synopsis for the upcoming movie has yet to be revealed, it has been confirmed that the movie will resume the story of Arthur Fleck, who has already spiraled into madness and assumed the identity of the anarchist Joker. This time, Phillips will also introduce Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn, Joker’s infamous romantic partner-in-crime.

Joker: Folie à Deux is set to be released in US theaters on October 4, 2024. More details about the movie are yet to be revealed.

February 15, 2023
WATCH: ‘Love Again’ Trailer, New Rom-Com Inspired by Celine Dion Songs

If Celine Dion gives you advice, you listen. Watch Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion in the official trailer of Columbia Pictures’ new romantic comedy “Love Again” – exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines very soon.

What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In the romantic comedy Love Again, dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) sends a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number…not realizing the number was reassigned to Rob Burns’ new work phone. A journalist, Rob (Sam Heughan) is captivated by the honesty in the beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of megastar Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), he enlists her help in figuring out how to meet Mira in person…and win her heart.

Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan and Celine Dion and featuring multiple new songs from Dion, Love Again, written for the screen and directed by Jim Strouse. Exclusively in Cinemas.

Love Again is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #LoveAgainMovie

_{Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”}

February 15, 2023
WATCH: Stephen King’s ‘Children of the Corn’ Reboot Unveils Red Band Trailer

A reboot of the iconic horror movie spawned by Stephen King’s short story is coming to the big screen soon! The new Children of the Corn film has just unveiled its red band trailer, teasing another bloodbath perpetrated by innocent-looking kids. Watch the trailer for Children of the Corn below:

In this new retelling of the horror classic, a twelve-year-old girl named Eden gets possessed by an evil spirit in a dying cornfield. This prompts her to recruit other children in her small town to rise up and take over, leading them to a bloody rampage that leaves the town riddled with the dead bodies of adults and anyone who opposes her. It is now up to one high schooler to stop this evil from consuming the whole town.

Directed and written by Kurt Wimmer, Children of the Corn stars Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, and Bruce Spence. It is set for release in US cinemas this March 3.

February 14, 2023
“Creed III” The First Sports Movie Shot on IMAX Cameras

Starting March 1, experience “Creed III” — the first sports movie to be shot on IMAX cameras — as Director Michael B. Jordan intended, with Filmed-For-IMAX technology and its exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio. The hits have more impact, the mats vibrate louder, the lights are brighter!

Watch the film’s “A Look Inside” featurette below:

Watch the film’s “Extended Big Game Spot” below:

From Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures comes “Creed III,” with Michael B. Jordan making his directorial debut and returning in the role of Adonis Creed in the third installment of the hit franchise. The film also stars Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, newcomer Mila Kent, and Phylicia Rashad.

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.

To enhance the emotions as well as the action for the audience, Jordan and director of photography Kramer Morgenthau, who also lensed “Creed II,” opted to film with IMAX-certified digital cameras and utilize IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratio—with up to 26 percent more picture. Thus, the third installment in the “Creed” franchise became the first sports-based film included in the Filmed for IMAX program.

Jordan and Morgenthau embraced IMAX technology—already known to transport audiences beyond the edge of their seats thanks to their massive screens, precision audio and unique auditorium design—and pushed the boundaries of filmmaking to provide moviegoers with a differentiated experience that will allow them to become completely immersed in the story, taking in every bead of sweat and feeling the impact of every punch.

Morgenthau says, “It was really exciting to be able to integrate the IMAX cameras into the filmmaking process, especially the way we used them to open the world up and to make it very immersive and visceral for the flight sequences. And that’s how we chose to use it; there was just something very magical, especially the scene at Dodger Stadium, where MBJ is walking out onto the field and the image aspect ratio expands in shot and the black bars recede, and you get this really tall, beautiful, powerful image. It just elevates everything, there is just something hyperreal about it. And to be the first sports movie doing that, it was a creative high.”

Jordan sums up by confirming that for audiences, “This is a movie to see on the big screen! The fights, the action, you want to see that up close and personal, you want to feel every punch, hear every impact, see every drip of sweat and drop of blood. This is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer! I want everybody to walk away feeling good, thinking, ‘Man, that was a ride!’”

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Presents A Chartoff-Winkler Production, “Creed III” is distributed internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures including the Philippines.

Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #Creed3

February 14, 2023