Category: Movies

“Black Adam” Introduces the Justice Society of America to the Big Screen

Trailer Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).

In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods. But he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again wields his dark sense of justice onto the world.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Black Adam’s return is quickly noted by Carter Hall – a.k.a. Hawkman, portrayed by Aldis Hodge – who immediately puts out the call to his friend Kent Nelson, a.k.a. Doctor Fate, played by Pierce Brosnan; Al Rothstein/Atom Smasher, played by Noah Centineo; and Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone, played by Quintessa Swindell. Re-forming the Justice Society, the team is swiftly galvanized into action to contain the antihero’s destruction halfway around the world.

Aldis Hodge was cast in the dual role of Carter Hall/Hawkman—a longtime DC fan-favorite. In the film, Carter puts out the call for other Super Heroes to join him in the newly re-formed Justice Society. Instilling years of knowledge and experience into the younger members of the burgeoning team, Carter fights to protect global stability, and won’t let anything or anyone, including Black Adam, stand in his way.

Photos Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Standing firmly on Hawkman’s side is Kent Nelson (Pierce Brosnan), a mild-mannered archeologist and longtime friend, as well as the wise, moral anchor for the Justice Society. When he dons the ancient alien golden Helmet of Fate, he transforms from kindly academic into the formidable sorcerer Doctor Fate, an agent of good for the Lords of Order, able to use his powers to wield magic, conjure illusions, see the future, multiply himself and teleport, allowing Kent to live well beyond his years.

With little time to prepare before they take flight to deal with Black Adam’s return, Kent joins Carter at his mansion, where they welcome the two newest members of the Justice Society. The veterans will do their best to initiate 20-year-old Al Rothstein (Noah Centineo), a.k.a. Atom Smasher, and 19-year-old Maxine Hunkel (Quintessa Swindell), a.k.a. Cyclone, into the Justice Society, while simultaneously facing the biggest fight of their lives against an unimaginably powerful opponent.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Nervous about his first outing as a Super Hero, Al can transform his molecular structure to grow in size to towering heights to become Atom Smasher. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for with brute force and an endless well of youthful optimism.

Al is also thrilled to meet fellow newcomer to the JSA Maxine Hunkel, a force of nature— literally. After being subjected to nanotechnology experimentation by an evil scientist when she was just 15, Maxine has the ability to control the wind with her mind as the Super Hero Cyclone who brings a social justice attitude and a unique power set to the team.

“Black Adam” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #BlackAdam

October 17, 2022
MOVIE REVIEW: More a manifesto than a movie, ‘Amsterdam’ struggles for cohesion despite its glorious cast

I was charmed by ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and was totally floored by ‘American Hustle’ and so I’m very interested in David O. Russell’s work before I found out about his controversial working habits and problematic personal life. Despite what I know of David O. Russell behind the camera, when I saw the cast list for this latest film ‘Amsterdam,’ I was very much intrigued by the movie. I’d watch anything with Margot Robbie or Christian Bale and then you add Anna Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, and Robert De Niro to the list and it’s just too good to pass up.

The film opens with a tongue-in-cheek mention that the events of the movie “actually happened” and the story brings us to America in 1933 where we are introduced to Christian Bale’s one-eyed doctor and veteran of World War I Burt Berendsen and his best friend, lawyer and also WWI veteran Harold Woodsman, played by John David Washington. Burt lives in his clinic where he tends to the medical needs of war veterans and provides plastic surgery and prosthetics to cover their scars and wounds from battle. Burt meets with Harold to meet a client played by Taylor Swift. She wants Burt to perform an autopsy on her father, a retired general who is suspected of having been murdered instead of dying by natural causes as was reported.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

What unfolds is a grand conspiracy that touches upon fascism, racial discrimination, and big business. Kept light, at times almost dream-like, and an uneven touch of whimsy, ‘Amsterdam’ tries to draw out the mystery of the murder and the grandness of the conspiracy as much as it can while introducing an ever-expanding cast that includes Margot Robbie, as a French nurse that the two friends meet during WWI, Zoe Saldana, a forensic nurse, Rami Malek and Anna Taylor-Joy, who play a couple in high society that may help the two friends escape the trouble they have found themselves in, Andrea Riseborough, who plays Burt’s estranged wife, and Robert De Niro, who plays a retired general, whose connection to the deceased general may hold a clue to what is going on.

It’s actually hard to keep track of the film’s direction as, right at the midst of the premise opening up, we are then thrown into a flashback of WWI, the time when Burt is assigned to an all-black regiment of the US and meets Harold and then later, Margot Robbie’s Valerie. Broken by their injuries from the war, the three take a trip to Amsterdam where they live a life that is meant to evoke some idea of liberty – a place where they are not judged for how they live or love and are free from the ravages of war and the societal restrictions of 1918 America.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

And then it goes back into the present to continue on with the conspiracy while also juggling Burt’s own marital issues with his wife and her disapproving family and war veteran gala that Burt and Harold are very keen to stage and produce.

By keeping it humorous and odd, it gives all the star-studded cast so much room to really play and have fun with their roles – most especially for Robbie and Taylor-Joy, who seem to have a blast with their characters – but at the same time, none of the emotional beats of the film really end up landing where they should. The love story between Harold and Valerie doesn’t seem as intense or as inevitable as the story positions it, and the impending danger that the conspiracy is foreshadowing doesn’t provide any real sense of urgency.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

What happens is that we are flitting along to every scene and just watching the cast have a ball with their eccentric situations. When the elements of fascism start to play out, the idea of the Amsterdam scene becomes the counterpoint now to everything that fascism is against – that liberty and freedom to live and love the way you want – becomes the central theme of the film. By not taking any of it seriously, the film ends up not really saying much.

In fact, there’s a heavy use of narration from its three main cast and then a long-winded narration by Burt at the very end, there’s a feeling that ‘Amsterdam’ and its anti-fascist messages are more of the director’s manifesto than it is an actual movie with a grounded, solid story. And I use purposefully use the word “grounded” because after watching the movie, I did a little Google search and discovered from an article by the LA Times, that a journalist who did research and wrote a book about the events that are alluded to in the film said that “only 10% of what happens in this movie is based on fact.” He said everything else is fiction.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

While there are some really amusing moments in the movie, some that actually got me laughing out loud, and the spectacular performances from the star-studded cast, I ended up leaving the theater wondering what it was that I just saw and if there was anything deeper to this film than the monologue at the end that sort of spoon feeds the film’s message.

This is not the work of David O. Russell, who I have come to admire from the energy and urgency that he was able to infuse into ‘American Hustle.’ Sure, ‘Amsterdam’ is pretty to look at but that’s about it.

My Rating:

.

—

Amsterdam is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

ALSO READ
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About the Star-Studded ‘Amsterdam’ Movie

October 13, 2022
“Black Adam” Soars With a Big Heart, Dark Humor, Bad-Ass Action

Johnson, who also produced the film via his Seven Bucks banner, has tackled roles in almost every genre, and stepping into a super suit was always something he considered.

“Black Adam actually came onto my radar when I was really young,” Johnson relates. “I loved comic books and I was always a DC kid. I gravitated towards Black Adam because he was one of the very few of the superheroes, supervillains, antiheroes—however you want to categorize him—who had brown skin and looked like me. Plus, he was always a badass,” he grins. And while the road to the big screen was long—more than ten years, in fact—Johnson’s connection to the character and his story remained strong. “Black Adam is something that has been a part of my DNA and my soul for many, many years.”

For the filmmakers, the goal was to tap into Black Adam’s legitimate comic book street cred and couple it with heart, a bit of dark humor and big cinematic action. For them, there was only one director who could capture it all in epic fashion, and he was already at the helm of one of their films.

The team turned to Johnson’s collaborator on “Jungle Cruise,” Jaume Collet-Serra, to direct “Black Adam.” Though new to the DC universe, he was intrigued by the reluctant hero with unparalleled super powers and an exacting viewpoint – he subsequently did a deep dive into the wealth of material in the canon, and also quickly honed in on the script’s timely themes. Remarks the director, “I’m attracted to characters that walk that fine line between doing the right thing and doing what needs to be done, and I immediately saw a character that was very similar to those who, when the system breaks down, are able to bring justice in ways that other people were not able to do. I felt like I hadn’t seen that in the superhero space and that to me was very exciting.”

Collet-Serra’s visions of Black Adam as the stranger rolling into town and becoming the principled rulebreaker, a staple of the western and lone cop genres, was an inspired game-changer for the producers, who felt his original take would satisfy both moviegoers and diehard comic book fans.

Observes Collet-Serra, “One of the more interesting parts of Black Adam is the thematic exploration about what makes a hero and who has the right to define what justice is. I wouldn’t call Black Adam’s moral code questionable, but perhaps his moral code is just not up to date with the times that we live in. He’s a no-nonsense guy; he does things his way for what he believes is right.”

For Johnson, everything in front of and behind the camera came together to create a version of Black Adam that was not only the role of a lifetime, but one that he felt would reverberate throughout the DC universe. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to introduce something completely brand new, from scratch, into the superhero mix and that’s what ‘Black Adam’ is. When I say, ‘The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,’ it sounds audacious, but I mean that with real reverence and respect for the DC Universe. True fans know the qualities that Black Adam has been blessed with, powers that change the balance of power, and when you break down these qualities and these powers that Black Adam has, you realize it’s rooted in truth.”

In Philippine cinemas October 19, “Black Adam” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #BlackAdam

October 13, 2022
Darren Espanto Covers “Top of the World” for “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”

Top of the World is one of the original songs from the musical comedy with Mendes as the singing voice of Lyle, the croc with a heart of gold.

Espanto said he “had so much fun” shooting the video and invited fans to sing along, and go on top of the world too.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is now showing in cinemas across the Philippines.

Check out the video below and avail of the original motion picture soundtrack now, also featuring the track “Heartbeat.”

Trailer Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action / CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.

When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened, the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile features original songs performed by Shawn Mendes and written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.

Lyle’s solo ballad, Top of the World, was written by Pasek, Paul and Joriah Kwamé. In the scene where the song was featured, Lyle shows Josh the wonders of New York City. “Even though Lyle has to sneak out in the middle of the night, because the world is afraid of him, he finds refuge on the top of a theater,” says Paul.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Suddenly, with Josh, Lyle has someone to experience everything that magical city has to offer – including how to eat at the best restaurants in New York for free (a trick taught to him by Hector P. Valenti). “He’s just taught Josh how to dumpster dive, they’re walking through the city, and music pours up through the grate from a Broadway show downstairs,” says Pasek. “It’s Lyle’s favorite song, and he can’t wait to share it with Josh and celebrate this moment of finding someone to share his life with.”

“There is a certain magic and comfort to nightlife in New York City, especially as an artist,” says Kwamé. “It was an absolute treat to put ourselves in the mind and heart of Lyle, who at this moment on that Broadway theater roof, knows that he belongs. I hope the song gives hope to people worldwide who are still looking for that safe space,” he concludes.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #LyleLyleCrocodile

About Darren Espanto

DARREN ESPANTO is a Fil-Canadian artist, actor & influencer with over 10M+ social media followers. He first joined a competition at the age of 10, where he won the Masters Finals of the Pinoy Singing Sensation competition in Edmonton. He made his first TV appearance at the same age when he joined YTV’s reality television The Next Star in 2012; he became the youngest finalist in the history of the show to be included in the Top 6. However, he rose to prominence after joining the first season of The Voice Kids Philippines in 2014. He’s been a prominent performer on ASAP Natin ‘To, the country’s longest running musical variety show.

Espanto released his first full-length self-titled studio album, “Darren” in 2014. It debuted at number 1 on the PH charts of Apple’s iTunes store & is now a certified Double Platinum. He was handpicked by Disney to perform the rendition of “A Whole New World” as part of the Philippine promotion of the movie Aladdin in May 2019. In May 2021, Espanto released his latest single, “Tama Na”, which reased number 3 of Apple’s iTunes store PH in the first two hours of its release. In November 2021, Espanto represented the Philippines in the world renowned Expo 2020 Dubai along with December Avenue and has been seen in the movie, “The Hows of Us” alongside TV series like “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”

October 12, 2022
10 Filipino Horror Movies to Watch This Halloween

The spooky season is here once again, and we all know that Halloween must not pass without getting ourselves some of that fear-induced adrenaline rush! So if you’re on the lookout for movies to get you spooked this month, then look no further. On this list, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular Pinoy horror movies that you might want to watch this Halloween!

Aurora

Aurora from director Yam Laranas tells the story of the islander Leana and her younger sister Rita. When a fatal shipwreck happens on the rocky shores of their island, the siblings try to look for missing bodies, until the dead comes looking for shelter instead. Watch Aurora on Netflix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5tlmpF_Fco&t

Eerie

Directed by Mikhail Red, Eerie follows a guidance counselor at a Catholic school for girls, who slowly unravels the mystery behind a student’s death through the help of a spirit. Watch Eerie on Netflix.

Nightshift

Another Yam Laranas film, Nightshift is about a young woman whose first day working at the morgue turns into a nightmare, when the dead bodies start to show signs of resurrection. Watch Nightshift on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrnVV-cVrq0&t

Seklusyon

From director Erik Matti comes Seklusyon, a horror flick that revolves around a group of aspiring priests who are sent to a remote convent to live in seclusion. Soon, a child who can perform miracles arrives, but is her power really from God or something else?

Bliss

Jerrold Tarog’s Bliss is a psychological horror starring Iza Calzado. It follows the aging actress Jane who tries to direct her first film, but an accident during filming cripples her. As she stays home, surrounded by people whom she thinks might harm her, Jane’s sanity begins to crumble. Watch Bliss on Netflix.

Clarita

Based on real events, Roderick Cabrido’s Clarita is about the story of demonic possession that took place in the 1950s. After being apprehended by the police, a woman named Clarita soon showed signs of being attacked by an invisible attacker. Soon, the police call on a priest to exorcise her. Watch Clarita on Apple TV.

Feng Shui

Chito S. Roño’s 2004 film Feng Shui has truly become a Pinoy horror classic. It tells the story of a woman who brings home an antique bagua, which seems to bring her family good luck. But with every stroke of luck she receives, someone close to her dies. Watch Feng Shui on Netflix.

Sukob

Another Chito S. Roño classic, Sukob follows two couples who unknowingly commit the superstitious sukob, where one marries within the same year when an immediate relative died. Soon, the curse takes over their lives, killing the people around them one by one. Watch Sukob on Apple TV.

Kuwaresma

Erik Matti’s Kuwaresma features a dysfunctional family unit at the core of its horrors. A young man returns home to his strict father and submissive mother after the death of his twin sister. Soon, the ghost of his twin seems to haunt their home. Watch Kuwaresma on Netflix.

Banal

Peter Abanna’s Banal tells the story of a group of teenagers who decided to trek a sacred mountain during their summer break, but they are welcomed by a sinister force prowling the woods.

ALSO READ
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October 12, 2022
Only One Will Survive in “Halloween Ends” Opens Exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas on October 12

“Halloween Ends” brings back Jamie Lee Curtis in her iconic role as Laurie Strode as she faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in an unprecedented confrontation never before seen on-screen. Over more than four decades, the Halloween franchise and Jamie Lee Curtis’s character Laurie Strode have reshaped and redefined the horror genre forever. The record-breaking relaunch of the franchise that began with 2018’s Halloween and continued with 2021’s Halloween Kills now reaches its jaw-dropping conclusion with a film that is unlike any Halloween film.

In this unexpected final chapter, set four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.

“This story begins with a babysitter and a child on Halloween night that goes terribly wrong,” Curtis says. The opening sequence is a sly inversion of the premise of the 1978 film, where a babysitter, not a child, is a killer’s target. “That sequence is so crazy intense, beautifully shot and visually put together that, just on its own, I think it could have been an Oscar®-nominated short film,” Curtis says.

Only one of them survives this fight to the death., So as Curtis and James Jude Courtney, who plays Michael Myers (aka The Shape) prepared for their final scene, their history together, both as characters and actors, the weight of the moment became overwhelming. “When Jamie and I had our big finale, I pulled her aside and asked her to walk me through the beats,” Courtney says. “As she did, both of us just started going deep into this emotional place together. Then we had tears coming down our cheeks. This was what was happening between the characters, but it’s also what was happening to us while we acted it.”

It’s particularly meaningful that Laurie Strode has become a symbol of female strength, resilience and endurance worldwide, and that the success of this character and these films have helped pave the way for a new generation of strong, layered female film characters, not just in the horror genre, but industry wide. “The legacy of Laurie Strode is directly attributed to the late Debra Hill, (co-writer of the original “Halloween”),” Curtis says. “The gentle soul of Laurie and that fierce warrior spirit are the legacy of Debra. As a feminist, she’d be very proud of how women are represented, how Laurie has evolved as a character—with the deep emotionality, incredible bravery and physical prowess she demonstrates in this trilogy. I know that she’d be incredibly proud of her contributions, which are forever.”

Watch “Halloween Ends” exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas starting October 12 – Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Alabang Town Center, Market Market, TriNoma, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, U.P. Town Center, Ayala Malls The 30th, Fairview Terraces, Bonifacio High Street, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Ayala Malls Feliz in Metro Manila; and Marquee in Pampanga, Harbor Point in Subic Bay, Ayala Malls Solenad in Laguna, Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro, Ayala Center Cebu, Ayala Malls Legazpi, Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod.

October 8, 2022
Music Superstar Shawn Mendes Lends Voice to “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”

Trailer Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action / CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.

Mendes describes Lyle as a character driven by love. “He just wants to have a family, a home, and feel connected to people,” says Mendes, “and love is the reason I sing, too – I sing when I feel comfortable, when I feel accepted. I relate to him a lot.”

Photos Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“Hearing your own voice come out of an animated character is such a weird experience,” Mendes continues. “It can be a bit of an out-of-body experience to hear your voice coming out of a crocodile, he adds, but what he wasn’t expecting was how much the animators would capture of Mendes himself. “While I was singing in the studio, the animators were filming my facial expressions, and then animating Lyle to make similar facial expressions that I was making.”

The film features original songs performed by Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem, and Constance Wu, written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

For Mendes, singing the work of Pasek and Paul brought to the fore the way that gifted songwriters can make the songs of a musical work a dual purpose, building on each other as part of a cohesive whole and also providing a discrete, joyful experience. “When you watch one of their movies or shows, you’re digesting the entire thing at once, and you may not realize just how smart they are,” says Mendes. “You don’t realize how complex and how beautiful these songs are, how lyrically astonishing they are, and how much effort they put into them. But when you’re in the recording studio, going through the songs, it’s an eye-opening experience,” he concludes.

Photos Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

About Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile will feature original songs performed by Shawn Mendes and written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Joining Pasek and Paul in writing original songs for the film are Ari Afsar, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Mark Sonnenblick, and Joriah Kwamé. Directed and produced by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, the screenplay is by Will Davies.

In cinemas across the Philippines starting October 12, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #LyleLyleCrocodile

October 7, 2022
WATCH NOW: “SLUMBERLAND” Official Trailer Debut Starring Jason Momoa, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler and Marlow Barkley

About SLUMBERLAND:

Slumberland takes audiences to a magical new place, a dreamworld where precocious Nemo (Marlow Barkley) and her eccentric companion Flip (Jason Momoa) embark on the adventure of a lifetime. After her father Peter (Kyle Chandler) is unexpectedly lost at sea, young Nemo’s idyllic Pacific Northwest existence is completely upended when she is sent to live in the city with her well-meaning but deeply awkward uncle Phillip (Chris O’Dowd). Her new school and new routine are challenging by day but at night, a secret map to the fantastical world of Slumberland connects Nemo to Flip, a rough-around-the-edges but lovable outlaw who quickly becomes her partner and guide. She and Flip soon find themselves on an incredible journey traversing dreams and fleeing nightmares, where Nemo begins to hope that she will be reunited with her father once again.

Slumberland is directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire & Mockingjay), written by David Guion and Michael Handelman (Night at the Museum; Secret of the Tomb) and produced by Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready, and Francis Lawrence. The film also stars Weruche Opia, India De Beaufort, and Humberly Gonzalez.

October 7, 2022
For its 21st edition, PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival Runs at the Shang For The First Time

From October 5 to 16, 2022, the 21st edition of PELÍCULA-Spanish Film Festival will return to in-person screenings. After two years of having a virtual festival, PELÍCULA will screen more than twenty movies in three venues of Metro-Manila –Edsa Shangri-La Plaza, Cine Adarna at UP Diliman, and Instituto Cervantes Intramuros branch.

Since its creation in 2002 by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, PELíCULA has been an annual attraction in Philippine theatres. After the Covid-19 crisis, which forced cinemas to close worldwide and caused audiences of PELíCULA to migrate online, the festival returns to the big screen, on a first-come, first-served free admission basis. Furthermore, as well as in-person screenings in Metro Manila, the Festival will also host online screenings for the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia.

PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival is showcasing 13 movies at Red Carpet at the Shang kicking off with El buen patron. It’s a 2021 comedy directed by award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Fernando León de Aranoa and starring Oscar winner Javier Bardem. It’s about an owner of an industrial scales manufacturing business who tries to get his company an award in excellence while resolving problems with his workers at the same time.

Other comedy movies in the lineup include El test, a 2022 Dani de la Orden flick about a broke couple who have to decide whether to get €100,000 now or €1,000,000 10 years later, and Con quién viajas, a dialogue-heavy road film full of comical situations and thrills and tension. It’s directed by Martín Cuervo and released in 2021.

More feel-good films are screening at the festival. La boda de Rosa is a 2020 romcom film by Icíar Bollaín that portrays a burnt-out woman in her mid-40s who sets out to start anew by marrying herself. Sentimental is a 2020 Cesc Gay film about two couples who explore the secrets of keeping the fire alive in long-term relationships. Rendir los machos, a 2021 David Pantaleón film, tells the story of two brothers who are forced to move their cattle across the wild and hand them over to their greatest rival to receive the inheritance from their father.

The festival also screens documentaries like the 2022 Laura Hojman film A las mujeres de España; María Lejárragathat tells the story María Lejárraga, writer and pioneer of feminism in Spain during the 1920s; and thrillers like La hija, Manuel Martín Cuenca’s 2021 movie about a pregnant teenager from a juvenile detention who agreed to give her baby to a couple desperate to have a child.

It also features dramas such as Maixabel, a 2021 Icíar Bollaín production based on a true story of a widow who met one of her husband’s assassins in prison after breaking ties with the Spanish separatist group ETA, and El olvido que seremos, a 2020 Colombian film by Fernando Trueba about an author recounting his life with his father who fought against oppression and social inequality and killed by Colombian paramilitaries.

PELÍCULA is also promoting Latin American films such as the Panamanian romcom Algo azul(Mariel García Spooner, 2021) on a hotel employee who steals an expensive wedding dress; and Competencia oficial, a 2021 Spanish-Argentinean comedy directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, and led by Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas,and Oscar Martínez. It’s about a wealthy businessman who wants to produce a brilliant art film.

To celebrate its 21st edition, PELÍCULA is going to screen a celebrated classic Spanish film, the Cannes winner Muerte de un ciclista(Juan Antonio Bardem, 1953), which is a social realist Spanish drama about an adulterous pair of lovers whose lives are about to turn around after hitting a cyclist.

As part of its longtime tradition, the festival is encouraging moviegoers to vote for their favorite entry. The film with the most votes will receive the Audience Choice Award and will be screened again on PELÍCULA’s closing night. All the movies are in Spanish or their original language with English subtitles. Catch one of the most beloved cultural events in the country, don’t miss the PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival for the first time at the Red Carpet in Shangri-La Plaza starting October 5!

PELíCULA 2022 is a project of Instituto Cervantes in Manila and Sydney, the Embassies of Spain in the Philippines and Australia, and the AECID, in collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Shangri-La Plaza, Instituto Etxepare, Filmoteca Vasca, the Embassy of Colombia in the Philippines, the Embassy of Panama in the Philippines, the UP Film Institute, the University of the Philippines, Intramuros Administration, Vibal Foundation, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Acciona, Rustan’s, Arthaland, La Pícara, and Emperador.

All the screenings are FREE entrance. All the movies are in Spanish (or their original language) with English subtitles.

For updates on the Festival, please visit the website of the Festival (https://pelikula.org), or the Facebook pages of Instituto Cervantes de Manila (www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila) and Shangri-La Plaza www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial.

October 6, 2022
Unravel the conspiracy with all-star cast led by Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington in “Amsterdam”

Are you ready for a star-studded adventure that takes you to the wonderful city of Amsterdam? Starting this October 6, join Academy Award® winner Christian Bale (“Burt”), two-time Oscar® nominee Margot Robbie (“Valerie”), and John David Washington (“Harold”) in a story filled with friendship, comedy, and conspiracy with the theatrical release of 20th Century Studios’ “Amsterdam.”

(L-R): Anya Taylor-Joy as Libby, Rami Malek as Tom, Christian Bale as Burt, Robert De Niro as Gil, and Margot Robbie as Valerie in 20th Century Studios’ AMSTERDAM. Photo by Merie Weismiller Wallace; SMPSP. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Written and directed by five-time Oscar® nominee David O. Russell, “Amsterdam” is an original crime epic set in the 1930s featuring three close friends who find themselves at the center of one of American history’s most shocking secret plots. A richly intricate tale that weaves historical fact with fiction, “Amsterdam” makes for a timely, cinematic experience.

(L-R): Michael Shannon as Henry Norcross, Mike Myers as Paul Canterbury, Christian Bale as Burt Berendsen, Chris Rock as Milton King, and Robert De Niro as General Gil Dillenbeck in 20th Century Studios’ AMSTERDAM. Photo by Merie Weismiller Wallace; SMPSP. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Also in the all-star cast are Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Taylor Swift, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts with Oscar winner Rami Malek and two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro.

“Amsterdam” will be shown in theaters nationwide–showtimes and other information can be found here. Join the conversations online by using #AmsterdamPH and following 20 th Century Studios Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for updates.

October 6, 2022