The trailer and poster for the 25th Anniversary Re-Release of James Cameron’s Academy Award® winning “Titanic” are available now. The film remastered in 3D opens in Philippine theaters on Wednesday, February 8.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, a remastered version of James Cameron’s multi-Academy Award®-winning “Titanic” will be re-released to theaters in a remastered 3D version. With a cast headed by Oscar® winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the film is an epic, action-packed romance set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the “unsinkable” Titanic, at the time, the largest moving object ever built.
“Titanic” won a record 11 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. Upon its initial release in 1997, the film became the #1 all-time global box office champ and is currently the third highest grossing film worldwide.
Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Studios present A Lightstorm Entertainment Production, “Titanic,” starringLeonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, Gloria Stuart, David Warner, Victor Garber and Bill Paxton. James Cameron. Written and Directed by James Cameron, the film was Produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, with Rae Sanchini serving as Executive Producer.
After two online editions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Japan Foundation, Manila brings back the on-site screenings of its beloved film festival, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF), featuring 10 award-winning and must-see full-length films, on January 20 to February 22, 2023 in various venues in the Philippines.
One of the largest and most popular film festivals in the country attracting over 25,000 audiences every year, the Japan Film Festival kicks off its on-site screenings on January 22 to February 3, at the Shangri-la Plaza in Mandaluyong City.
It will have simultaneous screenings at SM City Baguio, SM Seaside Cebu, SM City Davao from January 27 to 31, 2023; followed by Cinematheque Manila, Cinematheque Negros, Cinematheque Iloilo, Cinematheque Davao, Cinematheque Nabunturan from January 28 to 29.; and UP Cine Adarna (Quezon City) from February 17 to 22.
The festival opens with Belle (竜とそばかすの姫), a film by director HOSODA Mamoru, starring the voices of NAKAMURA Kaho and SATOH Takeru. The 2021 animated film tells the story of a high school girl Suzu (Nakamura Kaho) who lost the ability to sing when her mother died in an accident when she was young. One day, a friend invited Suzu to join the virtual world known as “U” which has over 50 million members. There, she created her own alter-ego and became popular throughout the world as the singer Belle.
Intolerance (空白), by director Keisuke Yoshida, follows the story of a junior high school girl who figured in an accident after allegedly trying to shoplift, then eventually died. The father, wanting to prove her innocence, doggedly goes after the manager, but then turns into a terrifying monster and chases down everyone involved. The drama film stars Arata Furuta and Tori Matsuzaka.
InBlue (ブルー), directed by Keisuke Yoshida, Urita loves boxing more than anyone, but continues to lose. Meanwhile, his younger rival Ogawa is close to becoming the Japan champion and is preparing to marry Urita’s childhood friend Chika. Though everything he ever wanted is within Ogawa’s grasp, Urita continues to work toward his dream. Actor Kenichi Matsuyama plays the titular role.
And So The Baton Is Passed (そして、バトンは渡さ れた) narrates about Yuko (Nagano Mei) who has been raised by parents unrelated to her and has changed her last name four times. She currently lives with her father-in-law Morimiya (Tanaka Kei), but things are not going well. Meanwhile, the freewheeling Rika (Ishihara Satomi) has been showering her daughter with love, but one day suddenly disappears. And then Yuko receives a letter. This is a film by director MAEDA Tetsu.
In ANIME SUPREMACY! (ハケンアニメ!), Hitomi Saito works for a major animation production company. After giving up her stable career as a public servant, she joins the anime industry and has at last been given her first chance to direct a series called “Soundback: The Kanade Stone.” Despite her eagerness to make the most of the opportunity, storm clouds soon gather over the production floor. Yukishiro, the producer who handpicked Hitomi for the job, is also a tricky character who’ll go to ruthless lengths to ensure his “product” sells. Sure enough, he frequently clashes with Hitomi, who is determined not to compromise her creative vision. Directed by YOSHINO Kohei, the film stars YOSHIOKA Riho, NAKAMURA Tomoya, EMOTO Tasuku, ONO Machiko.
BLUE THERMAL (ブルーサーマル), a film by director TACHIBANA Masaki, is about Tamaki (Hotta Mayu) who wants nothing more than an ordinary life in college. Unfortunately, she damages a glider shortly after school starts and ends up taking a gofer position with the aviation club to pay back the damages. Tamaki becomes fascinated with the world of the skies from the moment she takes flight in the glider operated by club captain Kuramochi (Shimazaki Nobunaga).
Directed by ZEZE Takahisa,IN THE WAKE (護られなかった者たち へ) follows a series of baffling serial killings where the victims were tied up and left to starve. Tone (Satoh Takeru) who was just released from prison after serving his sentence surfaces as a suspect but detective Tomashiro (Abe Hiroshi) cannot nail down a conclusive proof.
InLesson in Murder (死刑にいたる病), Masaya Kakei attends a low-ranked university, a situation he finds depressing. One day, he receives a letter from Yamato Haimura, a high-profile serial murderer convicted and sentenced to death for nine of the 24 killings he had been accused of. Before his capture, Yamato ran a local bakery, which Masaya frequented while attending junior high school. Reaching out to Masaya, Yamato freely admits his guilt but insists the ninth conviction was a frameup and implores him to find the true killer. As Masaya delves into the case, the truth proves to be cruel beyond imagination. The film is directed by SHIRAISHI Kazuya and starred ABE Sadawo and OKADA Kenshi.
INU-OH (犬王), a 2022 historical animated film by YUASA Masaaki, is about an encounter between Inu-Oh who was born with an unusual appearance and Tomona who is a young biwa (lute) minstrel. The two become inseparable friends. As they mutually foster one another’s talents, they release successive hit songs and gradually rise to stardom.
InEvery Day A Good Day (日日是好日), 20-year-old Noriko (Kuroki) and her cousin Michiko (Tabe Mikako) start taking tea ceremony lessons with Takeda, who has a reputation for being an extraordinary teacher. At first, Noriko is confused by the intricate rules, but after two years she comes to realize the profundity of the tea ceremony. Director OMORI Tatsushi casts YOSHIMURA Tomomi, KANAI Takaharu, and KONDO Takahiko in the film.
Tickets are priced at Php100 per screening. Follow Japanese Film Festival on its official Facebook accounts (facebook.com/japanesefilmfestPH) for more information and complete screening schedule.
Launched in 1997, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF), formerly known and appreciated in the Philippines as EIGASAI, is presented and run by the Japan Foundation, Manila. Since then, it has grown to become one of the largest film festivals featuring a wide variety of cinematic delights from drama, anime, and mystery to recently released films. JFF also brings guests from Japan for special talks and discussions.
While we await his return in Joker: Folie à deux, Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix is set to star in the upcoming Ari Aster film Beau is Afraid. Known for telling the terrifying tales of Hereditary and Midsommar, it seems that Aster’s latest movie is a horror comedy, taking us on a trippy journey in its first trailer.
Watch the trailer for Beau is Afraid below:
According to A24’s synopsis of the film, Beau is Afraid follows a “paranoid man who embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother.” Alongside Phoenix, the film also stars Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zoe Lister-Jones, Armen Nahapetian, Parker Posey, and Patti LuPone.
Beau is Afraid is set for release in US theaters this April.
A new, action-packed trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” which opens in Philippine theaters Feb. 15, 2023, just debuted. Kicking off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fast-paced, big-screen adventure features the MCU’s most powerful villain to date: Kang the Conqueror. Check out the trailer, plus a new poster and images, and please share with your readers.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible. Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a. and Stephen Broussard, p.g.a., “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” also stars Jonathan Majors as Kang, David Dastmalchian as Veb, Katy O’Brian as Jentorra, William Jackson Harper as Quaz and Bill Murray as Lord Krylar. The sci-fi adventure opens in Philippine theaters on Feb. 15, 2023.
Horror-comedy Renfield spurts non-stop action and thrills in its latest trailer reveal featuring Nicholas Hoult taking on the titular role as Dracula’s loyal and highly-stressed servant.
“Renfield” is a modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.
“Renfield” is directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted series, Rick & Morty series), based on an original idea by The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.
The film co-stars Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (Sonic, The Afterparty) and Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus).
“Renfield” is a Universal Pictures International release that will open in Philippine cinemas in April.
The new year promises new movies that we can enjoy seeing on the big screen! On this list, we’ve rounded up the exciting titles you can catch in cinemas this month of January. Check them out below:
An AI-powered doll becomes a girl’s best friend, helping her overcome a traumatic experience in her life. But soon, M3GAN will show signs of violence, protecting the child’s well-being in her own terms.
A boy living in the dark struggles to find light as he encounters weird and eerie things when he lives with his grandfather. As he investigates the hauntings, dark secrets will be revealed.
The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
Pilot Brodie Torrance saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island – only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning.
The story of Otto Anderson, a grumpy widower who is very set in his ways. When a lively young family moves in next door, he meets his match in quick-witted and very pregnant Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that will turn his world upside-down.
A man who feels like a failure in life gets the chance of a lifetime when a mistake from his past gets corrected, changing his present life into the one he always dreamed of.
It’s been just two months since they were trapped in the game of death that is Sword Art Online, and Kirito and Asuna continue their struggle at the vanguard of progress through the game.
—
[Note: release dates for movies in Philippine cinemas this January 2023 and film lineup are subject to change without prior notice. For more upcoming movies, click here.]
Based on the # 1 New York Times bestseller, A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson (Hanks), a grump who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife. Otto is ready to end it all, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol – she challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around. A heartwarming and funny story about love, loss, and life, A Man Called Otto shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland), A Man Called Otto stars Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Mariana Treviño (Club the Cuervos), Rachel Keller (Fargo) and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (TheMagnificent Seven). The screenplay is written by Academy Award® nominee David Magee (Best Adapted Screenplay, Life of Pi, 2012; Best Adapted Screenplay, Finding Neverland, 2004) based upon the best-selling novel “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman.
The Los Angeles Times admires that “the film has an easygoing, please-like-me quality that somehow never comes off as desperate but instead gives it a reassuring quality,” while The Chicago Sun Times writes, “It’s another memorable performance from Tom Hanks backed by a crackling good supporting cast.”
Hailed as one of the best “feel-good” movies of the year, earning a 97% Audience Rating at review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, A Man Called Otto has wowed US critics with its endearing story and strong performances.
“Director Marc Forster applies a restrained, subtle approach,” applauds The Hollywood Reporter, “resulting in a film to which you ultimately find yourself succumbing even though you never stop being aware that your heartstrings are being pulled.”
For its part, Observer (UK) declares that “All but the most dogged of skeptics will be charmed by the film’s message and the redemptive power of small acts of kindness.”
Finally, the Associated Press admires that “Tom Hanks movingly tailors the role to himself. The film does the trick for a little post-holidays heart-warming.”
In Philippine cinemas starting January 25, A Man Called Otto is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #AManCalledOtto
There is an unmistakable campy tone to ‘M3GAN’ that I didn’t pick up from the trailer and I should have. It made the experience quite jolting (which is a good thing) that even if the film does go by-the-numbers in terms of the progression of the story, there was a thrill about seeing how the film wasn’t afraid to be silly or weird. It’s very aware of its genre and is not afraid to play around (such as two musical interludes that come out of nowhere, which got me laughing so loud but it sort of made all the sense in this film). I was expecting a straight-up slasher film and instead, I was experiencing a polished, refined satire that was equally as funny as it was scary.
But what made the film scary, more than the idea of an artificially intelligent robot companion for children going homicidal is the fact that the film manages to really present the dilemma of the youth’s attachment to technology on how they deal with their issues and trauma. The film is about Gemma, a roboticist who is working on AI toys, whose sister dies in a car accident leaving her niece to live with her. Unprepared to raise a child, she uses technology as a means to connect and introduces her niece Cady to M3GAN, an android that is built to learn from their user to become the perfect companion.
Photo: M3GAN Trailer
While it is in the complexities of AI technology plus the company’s rush to produce a working prototype to sell to the market that pushes M3GAN into her killing spree, the film illustrates so cleverly the way by which Cady prefers to connect with the machine rather than another human being. Yes, there’s something creepy about the way M3GAN resembles a human but doesn’t and how dangerous it is due to its robotic features but the real scare that is found in this film is the way with which Cady retreats into her relationship with the android and opts for distraction rather than the confrontation of her true feelings.
Photo: M3GAN Trailer
This is something that I’m witnessing now among a younger generation that is more keen on connecting online through social media than on face-to-face interactions. While the film is set in a futuristic time (robots and AI technology seem to be easily acquired), the way with which it harkens to present-day issues is so apparent that it is what actually sent a chill down my spine.
And while we are at it, the whole discussion on AI art online is reflected as well in this film. How quickly the corporations are ready to jump into AI technology because of the profits that it can bring them, how much they’ll push to sell M3GAN before any proper testing has been done is a plot point in the film but it mirrors the way we continue to embrace AI technology today without regards to films like ‘Terminator’ and ‘A.I.’ that discusses the dangers of this since as far back as the history of the genre of science fiction. The movie, though not new in discussing the dangers of AI, is still relevant because it seems no one is listening.
Photo: M3GAN Trailer
And so ‘M3GAN’ as a film is both scary and funny at the same time. It is scary because director Gerard Johnstone and screenwriter Akela Cooper (from a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan) are both aware of the themes that push against present-day issues but also because it’s scary when a robot goes on a murdering spree. It’s technology-based and much stronger, faster, and processes information faster than a human being. But it is also funny because it’s not afraid to be silly (again, there are two musical numbers that is a highlight for me and was so unexpected) but it is also making fun of us, for how dependent we’ve become to technology: in the way that we use it to help us through our day-to-day lives to the way we use it to distract ourselves from ourselves and our humanity.
Photo: M3GAN Trailer
I would have wanted it to be sillier. I would have wanted to care more about Cady and Gemma or the other characters in the film but as it is, it’s an enjoyable film that’s great for the thrills and the laughs. The CGI and effects are brilliant and while it does have a few jump scares, the film relies more on the imagery of M3GAN as its focal point of fear. We laugh or dismiss it as something fictional now but this is where we are going. At some point, ‘M3GAN’ won’t be a fictional story. And that’s scary.
My Rating:
.
— M3GANis now showing in cinemas nationwide. Buy your tickets here.
From visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, “Knock at the Cabin” takes adopted child Wen (played by newcomer Kristen Cui) with her gay parents Andrew (Jonathan Groff) and Eric (Ben Aldridge) at a remote cabin for a vacation where they soon encounter the most frightening moments of their lives. Not long before they’ve arrived at the cabin, a group of four armed strangers came knocking – Leonard (Dave Bautista), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adrianne (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint) who took them hostage. The family is informed that these four strangers—who also do not know each other—have all been haunted and tormented by a shared prophecy: that the world will end unless the family in this cabin chooses one member of the family to die.
Based on the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin began, initially, as a 2019 screenplay by Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman that landed a spot on the famed annual film-industry Blacklist, which highlights the best unproduced screenplays each year. Of all the extraordinary achievements of M. Night Shyamalan’s acclaimed career as a visionary filmmaker, perhaps the greatest is that his films remain enigmatic, unpredictable and unexpected. The only thing you’re certain of, stepping into a new M. Night Shyamalan film, is that you don’t know what’s about to hit you. “Knock at the Cabin” just may be the apotheosis of the Shyamalan cinematic experience. It’s a film that both shares a bloodline with his previous films but is also unlike any film he’s made before.
For Shyamalan, it was a question that contained multitudes of ideas that connected to the state of our world today. In his hands, “Knock at the Cabin” is a film that explores ideas behind faith and belief, certainty and doubt, and the power and limits of both. “It’s a modern-day biblical story,” Shyamalan says. “The idea of telling large-scale biblical stories, but in modern times and in modern settings, is resonating with me right now. The film is reflective of my current feeling that everything that’s going on in the world doesn’t look good and doesn’t feel good, but I do feel we are struggling together in the right direction. We’re certainly not getting it right all the time, but in general, the direction that we’re moving as humanity is in the right direction and we deserve a chance to continue. That’s my feeling. One love story is evidence enough that humanity should keep going. Knock at the Cabin is this incredible opportunity for us to experience this gigantic global biblical story through the experience of a family.”
Based on the inspiring true story of an impossible dream, watch this exclusive sneak peek of Columbia Pictures’ action thriller Gran Turismo. Exclusively in Philippine cinemas this 2023.
Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp, screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, based on the PLAYSTATION STUDIOS video game.
Produced by Doug Belgrad, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Dana Brunetti. The executive producers are Kazunori Yamauchi, Herman Hulst, Jason Hall, Matthew Hirsch.
The cast is led by David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner and Djimon Hounsou.
In Philippine cinemas 2023, Gran Turismo is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #GranTurismoMovie
