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Fun and easy, ‘Seoul Vibe’ is rich with fast car chases and 80s nostalgia

Amidst the fast car chases through, what looked like, a digitally-remade Seoul in the 80s, the nostalgic 80s throwback via style or music or pop culture reference, the charm of its wonderful cast, and all the swagger and bravado of these characters, ‘Seoul Vibe’ also seems to hint or imply at some level of social commentary that I’m not privy to, as I’m not that versed in Korean history.

‘Seoul Vibe’ is a hyper-real, highly stylized action film with a lot of elements of a caper or heist movie. Director Moon Hyung-sung seems more focused on celebrating the 80s nostalgia and the frenetic energy of its story than it is in digging into his character’s inner being. Things are happening so fast and without much of a grounded narrative set-up that a lot of plot points just passed me by.

Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

Set during the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, ‘Seoul Vibe’ follows an ex-convict, Dong-wook (Yoo Ah In), who returns to Seoul after a stint in Saudi Arabia driving for an arms dealer. He’s an excellent race car driver with dreams of racing in the US but his return to South Korea returns him to his troubled past. He discovers that his old neighborhood had been demolished in preparation for the Olympics. From the get-go, we know that Dong-wook and his team are people on the fringes of society and people the government had forgotten.

This social commentary just remains under the surface but is never fully explored. Instead, we are quickly thrust into the plot of the movie. Upon his arrival, a prosecutor (Oh Jung-se) is ready to slap Dong-wook and his friends with arrests if they don’t cooperate and go undercover to gather intel on Chairwoman Kang In-sook (Moon So-ri), a woman involved in drugs and corruption in the highest levels of government.

Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

We don’t know much about Dong-wook except what is said nor how deep his relationships with his friends are but the story goes straight into the caper/heist aspect of the film and through it we see a version of Seoul that is riddled with corruption that has left the underprivileged struggling while being in enamored with American capitalist tendencies (McDonald’s, American hiphop, and American television shows like ‘Knight Rider’).

The story is quite thin as it is more focused on the heist itself, the style, and the thrills and laughs that the film has to offer. Yoo Ah In is joined by an equally charming cast that includes Ong Seong-wu, who plays his mechanic and engineer; Lee Kyu-hyung, who plays his friend who knows the streets of Seoul; Park Ju-hyun, who plays his sister, who is a leader of an all-woman bike gang; and Go Kyung-pyo, a DJ. Their relationships are never really fully explored but you can see that the chemistry of this group is so tight that you can imagine the antics these characters must’ve gone through in their youths.

Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

A lot of the narrative elements of ‘Seoul Vibe’ are just hinted at or implied and you just have to ride along and not question too much or you’ll miss out on all of the fun. I easily let go of the need to understand why this was all happening and just enjoyed the hows and the whats of it all. I relished in the film’s indulgences. Everything is hyper-real, all the actors hamming it up that it creates a tone and atmosphere where you just take it as it is and have fun with it.

It wasn’t after the movie that I did some digging and discovered that 1988 was an important year for South Korea’s history as the country was shifting from a military rule to a democratic one after several huge protests were staged a year before.

Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

While it is easy to watch ‘Seoul Vibe’ as a thin-narrative of a group of outsiders getting a chance to go legitimate by helping the government, there’s a lot more in the way the setting and the references that gives me the impression it has a lot more to say than “just have fun.”

It’s only after reading just a bit of history that I realised that, while ‘Seoul Vibe’ is thin on plot, it is loaded with so much historical context. The film is not just some crazy, stylized action film, but also an attack on corrupt governments that have made life so difficult for some that they have to resort to a life of crime to survive. The irony, in the film, is that these same criminals are now being tasked by a hidden arm of the government to try and bring down the corrupt elements within.

Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

The closest thing to an internal struggle for Dong-wook is the question of whether any of this means anything to him? Because, really, what has the country done for him? It is an interesting question that is posed but never really answered directly.

I’m sure there’s a lot more in ‘Seoul Vibe’ just underneath the layers that I might uncover in the future once I know more about Korea’s history but I still enjoyed it for its crazy filmmaking and its unapologetic love for that era. Yoo Ah In and the rest of the cast are having a blast playing these characters and it is infectious.

My Rating:

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—

Seoul Vibe premieres on Netflix this Friday, August 26.

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August 23, 2022
Lualhati Bautista, Liwayway Magazine, & More to Be Given the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Award
The Conferment Ceremonies for twelve individuals, a performing group and a publication that were named recipients of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 2020 for their outstanding achievements and contributions to Philippine arts and culture will be held on September 2, 2022 at 6:00pm at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining is the highest award given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The awarding ceremonies, originally set in 2021, were postponed due to COVID-19.

This year, the award is conferred on
1. Rafael Catalino “Nonoy” Froilan for Dance
2. Raul M. Sunico for Music
3. Felix “Nonon” Padilla for Theater
4. Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr. for Visual Arts
5. Lualhati Bautista for Literature
6. Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo, Jr. for Film and Broadcast Arts
7. Cristina Turalba for Architecture
8. Kenneth Cobonpue for Design
9. Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) for Culture of its Region
10. Nestor Horfilla for Cultural Work and Research
11. Liwayway Magazine for Development of Philippine Culture
12. Antonio Fabella for Dance (Posthumous)
13. Alice Guillermo for Cultural Research (Posthumous)
Danilo Dolor will receive the Tanging Parangal for the development and support of the arts.

About the awardees

Rafael Catalino “Nonoy” Froilan is one of the country’s most talented and prolific dancers/choreographers.  One of the pioneers of Ballet Philippines, he is known as the Philippines’ beloved Premiere Danseur, partnering with the leading ballerinas of his time and best remembered for his leading roles in groundbreaking dance productions such as Songs of a Wayfarer and Song of Adarna by Norman Walker, Full-length Roi David by Jean Qeroc, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Amada, Itim Asu, Carmina Burana, Misang Pilipino, Ang Konsiyerto, Baile de Ayer, Sisa Te Deum, Asong Ulol, Ensalada and Yerma.  As a choreographer, he has contributed greatly to the body of original Filipino dance with his Danzas, 1986, One Afternoon, 1987, Iba’t IbangSalita, 1988 and Amparo, 1990.

Raul M. Sunico is an outstanding Filipino pianist, arranger, composer, and teacher.  He is an advocate of Philippine music, preserving it for the enjoyment of future generations through his large discography that encompasses around fifty compact discs recordings, including his piano transcriptions of Filipino folk songs and kundimans, original compositions, piano arrangements of Philippine songs in Himig and “Mga Awit ng Himagsikan”.  He also championed music education and authored the textbook series “Musika at Sining” for grades 3 to 6 used in public schools.  He is a gifted pianist who will always be remembered for his pianistic feat of being the only Filipino pianist to perform four Rachmaninoff concertos in one concert and the three Tchaikovsky concertos in another.

Kenneth Cobonpue is an internationally acclaimed industrial designer who made his mark with his signature designs in natural fibers and materials.  His designs mainly focus on nature’s forms using rattan, buri, bamboo and abaca. Cobonpue integrates locally sourced organic materials with innovative hand-made production techniques offering an alternative to the Western definition of modern design.  His unique and singular furniture pieces that include chairs, tables, beds and complements are found in private homes and public establishments all over the world, and the recognition given him by the international design community has put Philippine modern design on the map of the world.

The Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) is a trailblazer in the establishment of an active theater in the Southern Philippines. Its productions are built from local creative expressions in dance, music, literature, the visual arts, and indigenous lore. A dance-theater format based on the Pangalay dance form of the Sulu Archipelago is its signature that helps keep this ancient tradition alive.

Nestor Horfilla is a major force in the propagation of cultural work as part of development work in the regions.  He pioneered the establishment of the first ever Mindanao Community Theater Network in the 1980s along with development and social worker Karl Gaspar, which organized hundreds of community and church based cultural organizations in the regions.  He is a leading advocate of immersion in the cultural watershed of indigenous knowledge systems and practices towards the creation of art works that explore the dynamics of the times.

Felix “Nonon” Padilla is one of the most original, accomplished and influential figures in contemporary Philippine theater.  With a career spanning more than 50 years, he is both a theater artist and a visual artist.  He has always been at the forefront of theater, holding the distinction of being the only theater practitioner to serve as artistic director of two of the country’s trailblazing theater companies – Philippine Educational Theater Association in the early 1970s and Tanghalang Pilipino which he founded in 1987.  He founded the Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company that became the breeding ground of Filipino theatrical talents that now dominate Philippine theater.

Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr. has a sizable body of work that definitely established the trend in indigenous materials.  His work assembles, binds, or weaves together into various shapes organic materials such as dried pods, twisted roots, banana pulp, coconut shells, twigs, and coconut fiber.  Whether exhibited in a gallery or in an urban context, his installations are a reclaiming space for nature.  One of his works entitled “Angud, A Forest Once” was exhibited at the Front Lawn of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2007.

Lualhati Bautista is one of the foremost Filipino female novelists in the history of contemporary Philippine literature.  Her major works include books such as Dekada ’70, Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa?, ‘GAPÔ, Desaparesidos, Bulaklak sa City Jail, Hinugot sa Tadyang, and Sonata. A winner of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards (1980, 1982, 1983 and 1984), she became a National Fellow for Fiction of the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center in 1986. Bautista also served as vice-president of the Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines and as chair of the Kapisanan ng mga Manunulat ng Nobelang Popular.

Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo, Jr. is the legendary screenwriter of films that have become classic gems of Philippine cinema, namely Maynila… Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Kisapmata, Itim, Batch ‘81, ‘Merika, Mulanay, and Bayaning 3rd World.  He is the author of books such as Writing for Film, Philippine Mass Media: A Book of Readings (ed.), Maynila…, ‘Merika, Alyas Raha Matanda: Tatlong Dulang Pampelikula, and Native Resistance: Philippine Cinema and Colonialism 1898-1941.  He is also a highly esteemed educator responsible for starting the Communication Arts program of De La Salle University Manila.

Cristina Turalba is an advocate of heritage conservation and was part of several heritage-related activities of the United Architects of the Philippines.  She implemented the NCCA-UAP Documentation of Philippine Heritage Structures and Cultural Sites.  She led numerous projects of her company the Active Group Inc. to develop socialized housing, sustainable and living communities for Filipinos and world-class developments.  Her published works include Mavid A Vatan (Compendium of Documents on Batanes for the 2004-2007 nomination bid for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites) in 2004 Philippine Heritage Architecture before 1521 to the 1970’s in 2005 and Audio Visual Textbook of Philippine Architecture published by NCCA in 2008.  Architect Turalba was one of the first Filipino female architects and was a pioneer in the field of architecture.

Liwayway is a Filipino magazine established in the Philippines in 1922 that published significant works of known writers and poets as well as works of National Artists for Literature Amado V. Fernandez, Lazaro Francisco, Virgilio Almario and Cirilo Bautista and National Artist for Visual Arts Francisco V. Coching.  It is home of well-known comic series such as Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (1925) and Kenkoy (1929).  As such, Liwayway was the venue for aspiring writers, giving them a space for their work and helping them find an audience for their works.  At the same time, Liwayway brought Filipino literature to the masses and helped gain an appreciation for homegrown writers.

Antonio L. Fabella was one of the country’s most talented and most prolific choreographers.  His works include Tambol at Padyak, Araw at Buwan (1976) and Kristo (1977) and notable works La Verite (1970), Semana Santa (1971), Prince of the Pagodas (1972).  His choreographies contributed to the development of Philippine dance.  He popularized the medium of classical and contemporary ballet, fusing them to evolve a distinct form and style.  He was a former member and principal dancer of Bayanihan, Alice Reyes Modern Dance, Company, and Ballet Philippines choreographer of the acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Member of the Artistic Council of the Philippine Ballet Theater and Artistic director of QC Performing Arts Group and the Manila Dance Center that provided free training to poor children in performing arts.

Dr. Alice Guerrero-Guillermo was a giant in the field of art criticism and art history.  She was conferred The CCP Centennial Honor for the Arts on February 2, 1999 in recognition for her remarkable contributions to Philippine Art Criticism with a distinctly nationalist perspective.  Among her legacies are her multiple books and essays on art history, art criticism and cultural studies that served as foundation for Art Studies in the Philippines.  Among her books are – Cebu: A Heritage of Art, 1991, Color in Philippine Art, 1993, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, 1994 edition, Protest: Revolutionary Art in the Philippines 1970-1990, 2001, Inscapes: The Art of Agnes Arellano, 2008, The Art of Duddley Diaz, 2009, Diosdado Magno Lorenzo; Art Rebel to Legend, 2009, Marxism In The Philippines: Continuing Engagements, 2010 (co-author), Zeal of Art Tam P. Austria:  My Inspirer, 2015.  She co-authored the textbooks Art: Perception and Appreciation, 1976, Ang Sining sa Kasaysayang Filipino (Art in Philippine History), 1991 and Art and Society, 1997.

Danilo Dolor is known to be a patron of Philippine culture and arts.  He founded The Tribung Pilipino Foundation in 1978, which has shown more than 400 concerts that focus on promoting, preserving, and disseminating traditional Filipino music.  He mounted an exhibit called “The Golden Years: Memorable Tagalog Movie Ads 1946-1956,” housing prominent postwar movie ads.  He presented “Alitaptap Kilap-Kilap” in the opening of the 2012 Cinemalaya, showing notable pre-war movie advertisements from 1936-1941 or the so-called first golden years of Philippine cinema.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, which is given every three years, is awarded to artists or groups of artists who have consistently produced outstanding works, and enriched the development of their art form.  The award is also given to cultural workers, who through their works in research, curatorship and administration, have helped to develop and enrich Philippine art.  The Tanging Parangal is given to individuals or organizations to honor their outstanding contributions to the development of the arts in the country.
August 23, 2022
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home: The More Fun Stuff Version’ is Coming to Philippine Cinemas

Columbia Pictures PH has officially announced on social media that Spider-Man: No Way Home: The More Fun Stuff Version is coming to Philippine cinemas this September 7!

The upcoming rerelease of the hit Marvel Studios movie will include 11 minutes of more content, as revealed by Fandango. While the context of these new scenes is still under wraps, big fans of the franchise would surely want to catch this new cut in theaters.

#SpiderManNoWayHome – back in PH cinemas with more fun stuff on Sept 7! pic.twitter.com/0vI16OYUSk
— Columbia Pictures PH (@ColumbiaPicPH) August 22, 2022

Released in the Philippines back in January, Spider-Man: No Way Home officially brought together the three actors who played Spider-Man in one flick: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire. The film followed Holland’s Peter Parker as he tried to undo the damage caused by Mysterio who revealed his true identity to the public.

Parker seeks the help of Doctor Strange who casts a spell for people to forget what happened, but this spell cracks open the multiverse, pulling some of the most notable villains from past Spider-Man films into their universe. Alongside these villains, Peter Parker also found new allies in the form of the two other Peter Parkers who were pulled into his universe as well.

Directed by Jon Watts, the film also stars Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei. You can also stream Spider-Man: No Way Home on Netflix.

August 23, 2022
Joshua Garcia is the new Celebrity Endorser of Koomi

Share a guiltless goodness moment with popular actor Joshua Garcia, one of the biggest stars of his generation, as Koomi welcomes him as their new celebrity endorser at their 100^th store at SM Mall of Asia Square.

The healthy Koomi lifestyle, with natural drinking yoghurt that’s deliciously guilt-free, was brought to the Philippines from Sydney, Australia by Visum Ventures Group. It has gained an ardent following of Koomikadas who are fun, creative, cheerful, engaging, and enjoy refreshing drinks, cakes and frozen yogurt now available in 100 stores nationwide.

Koomi mixes together fresh fruits and other healthy ingredients like grains and nuts with their natural drinking yoghurt and fruit honey. Bestsellers include the Avo Nice Day, Mango Moo, and Joshua’s personal favorite, the Will Ube Mine.

Their frozen yogurt is perfect for those craving for a healthy, refreshing dessert, and comes in their signature Simply Koomi and Waterberry Wonder. Their yogurt cakes, the first in the country, are for those who want to enjoy a guiltless goodness treat. It has layers of moist, gluten-free almond dacquoise, fresh fruits and tangy yogurt cream. It’s good enough to share with another person, or indulge all on your own without the guilt, and comes in Waterberry Wonder, Mango Moo, and limited-edition, seasonal flavors.

Visum Ventures CEO Mike Hilton says that Joshua best personifies the Koomi brand. “He is a young, fun, chill guy who likes to stay fit and active but has the need to indulge during his downtime, and prefer healthy food choices.”

Like Koomikadas, Joshua loves discovering new experiences, and strives to be healthier but has the need to indulge as a personal reward.

Guiltlessly good choices

Hilton recalls that he was with Ms International 2018 1^st runner-up Ahtisa Manalo, now the event and PR director for Visum Ventures, in Sydney Australia when he saw a long line of people outside a Koomi shop and decided to try it. “I took one sip and I knew we needed to bring this guiltless goodness drink to the Philippines. Before we launched Koomi, we worked on the flavors that would best suit the Filipino palate, and made sure it had just the right amount of tartness without being too sour. The original blend is the Aussie flavor. We then tweaked it a bit for those who prefer their drinks to be on the sweeter side,” Hilton explains.

He attributes Koomi’s growth to its health benefits, an important attribute during and in the middle of a global pandemic. “You get to indulge without the guilt, and enjoy your favorite fruits and fun add-ons with our natural drinking yogurt that contains probiotics good for your gut. We believe the pandemic has taught us to value our health and be more conscious of what we eat, be more aware of enjoying food that’s equally good for us.”

Joshua couldn’t agree more. At the onset of the pandemic, he played computer games for long periods of time. Now, he is more health-conscious, taking time to do more cardio workouts like running. He also lifts weights and has modified his diet.

Undoubtedly one of the brightest young stars today, Joshua, who co-stars in the new adaptation of the popular Darna television series, has captured the hearts of the public with his endearing roles onscreen. He rose to prominence for his critically-acclaimed performance in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival top-grosser Vince, and Kath and the James, and in the primetime series The Good Son. He has starred in various TV series such as Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita (2015), The Greatest Love (2016), Ngayon At Kailanman (2018), and The Killer Bride (2019).

100^th stores and more coming soon!

The flagship brand of Visum Ventures Group, Koomi has taken the country by storm since opening its first store in 2019. The now widely-popular brand has branches all over the country, fast expanding in major cities and provinces nationwide. Its 100^th store is located at the SM Mall of Asia Square.

“This is just the beginning of exciting things to come for Koomi and the Visum Ventures Group. Plans are afoot for more Koomi stores, as well as new and exciting brands. We will continue to provide fresh concepts to show that healthy need not be bland. In fact, they can be very delicious and flavorful,“ Hilton says. Visit www.koomi.ph and follow the official Koomi PH social media pages for updates and promos. Koomi is now available at 100 stores nationwide, and through food delivery apps GrabFood and foodpanda.

August 23, 2022
Thriller Anime ‘Paprika’ Reportedly Getting a Live-Action Series Adaptation from Amazon

The hit mindbending thriller Paprika is getting a live-action series adaptation from Amazon, Deadline reports.

Published in 1993 as a novel by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui, Paprika, further gained popularity when it was turned into an anime film by director Satoshi Kon back in 2006. Now, the new series is reportedly being produced and directed by Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan.

According to the same report, Ash Sarohia will also executive produce under their Rewild banner, alongside Masi Oka, and Hivemind’s Jason F. Brown. Meanwhile, Amazon declined to comment.

For the uninitiated, Paprika follows the scientist Dr. Atsuko Chiba who is working on a device to help psychiatric patients by tapping into their dreams. When a prototype gets stolen and is used by a terrorist to attack people in their sleep, Dr. Chiba uses her alter-ego Paprika to dive into dreams and find out the identity of the terrorist.

Check out the official trailer for the anime film below:

More details about the upcoming series adaptation are yet to be revealed.

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August 23, 2022
Hilton Manila Wins Philippine Culinary Cup Overall Championship

Hilton Manila recently took home the Overall Championship (Professional Division) award among other individual citations in the 2022 Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC) held at the SMX Convention Center Manila.

John Lucas, Hilton Manila’s General Manager, shared, “We are extremely proud of our culinary team’s impressive showing in the PCC. This recognition serves as a great testament of the team’s dedication, passion, and commitment to providing our guests with well-curated, epicurean feasts when at the hotel.”

Under the tutelage of Hilton Manila’s New Executive Chef Ryan Hong, the hotel’s culinary team brought home a total of 11 medals (two gold, three silver, and six bronze) from the three-day showdown including the coveted Gold Medals for Junior Sous Chef Aldrin Somera for ‘Pastry Chocolate Show Piece’ and Sheanne Sto. Domingo for ‘French Touch Challenge – Savory.’

Hilton Manila’s gold-winning representatives, drew from both their personal and professional influences, with hours spent honing their skills at the hotel. Somera’s hand-crafted, giant-sized, ‘Hercules Beetle’ was molded from sustainably-sourced chocolate and inspired by his childhood days spent at his grandmother’s house where he would play with beetles by the garden. The promising pastry chef’s attention to detail and meticulous craftsmanship all led to his gold medal finish.

Sto. Domingo’s ‘Chilean Sea Bass Roulade,’ which won the ‘French Touch Challenge – Savory’ award, also drew praises with the bass’ rich and fatty flavors that was complemented by sour berre blanc and pickled onions in white wine butter sauce.

This year’s PCC provides Filipino chefs with an internationally-recognized platform to hone their skills and showcase their talents in the culinary field. The event is a collaboration by the LTB Chefs Association Philippines, the Pastry Alliance of the Philippines, and PEPTarsus Corp.

Hilton Manila showcases its culinary team’s artistry through its award-winning restaurants and bars: Kusina Sea Kitchens, Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise, Madison Lounge & Bar, and Port Bar, and its banquet and catering services. The hotel observes stringent health and safety measures in line with local government guidelines and holds the Department of Tourism “Safety Seal,” ensuring guests worry-free stays and exceptional dining experiences.

For inquiries and reservations, visit www.hiltonmanila.com or call +632 7239 7788. Follow Hilton Manila (@hiltonmanila) on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more information and updates.

August 23, 2022
Taylor Swift Composes Song “Carolina” for “Where the Crawdads Sing”

Video Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“About a year and half ago I wrote a song about an incredible story, the story of a girl who always lived on the outside, looking in. Figuratively and literally,” said Taylor Swift. “The juxtaposition of her loneliness and independence. Her longing and her stillness. Her curiosity and fear, all tangled up. Her persisting gentleness… and the world’s betrayal of it.”

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“Taylor Swift writing a song for the film based on these characters was the greatest gift we that we could have received,” says the film’s producer, Reese Witherspoon. “We got a call from Taylor and her team to tell us she had written a song, ‘Carolina,’ that incorporates so many of the haunting elements of the movie. I’ve gotten to talk with her a couple of times about what inspired the song and how she wrote it. Obviously, she’s a beautiful songwriter who understands so much about folk and country music, and it’s her appreciation of those genres that made the song so perfect for this film. And who doesn’t love a gorgeous, haunting Taylor Swift song?”

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Swift used instruments from the era of the film’s setting in creating the song. “Where The Crawdads Sing is a book I got absolutely lost in when I read it years ago,” says Swift. “As soon as I heard there was a film in the works starring the incredible Daisy Edgar-Jones and produced by the brilliant Reese Witherspoon, I knew I wanted to be a part of it from the musical side. I wrote the song ‘Carolina’ alone and asked my friend Aaron Dessner to produce it. I wanted to create something haunting and ethereal to match this mesmerizing story.”

About Where the Crawdads Sing

From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

3000 Pictures presents in association with HarperCollins Publishers a Hello Sunshine production, Where the Crawdads Sing. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer, Jr., and David Strathairn. Directed by Olivia Newman. Produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. Screenplay by Lucy Alibar. Based upon the novel by Delia Owens. The executive producers are Rhonda Fehr and Betsy Danbury. The director of photography is Polly Morgan, ASC. The production designer is Sue Chan. The editor is Alan Edward Bell, ACE. The costume designer is Mirren Gordon-Crozier. The music is by Mychael Danna.

In cinemas across the Philippines starting September 14, Where the Crawdads Sing is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #CrawdadsMovie

August 23, 2022
Thomas Doherty, the Mysterious Lord of the Manor in “The Invitation”

Video Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

In the film “The Invitation”, after the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) takes a DNA test…and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she’s at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the disturbing intentions behind their generosity.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“At first he seems like a charming, sweet man who doesn’t fit the aesthetic of what Evie’s just been brought into,” says Doherty of his character. “When he and Evie first meet, there’s a lot of chemistry – a spark. And as that relationship evolves, it intensifies pretty quickly. It seems that because he doesn’t fit into this very conservative world and he sees her as a strong, independent woman from New York, and for that reason, he wants her to stay, to run away with him. Of course, he has his own agenda.”

Playing a character who holds those secrets was a process for Doherty. “To try to embody the character, the best thing to do is to have the weight and heaviness in my eyes. Everything comes from that,” he says. “Obviously, there’s a confidence and a knowingness. It was useful to me to know the character always has a knowing thought at the back of his head.”

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“Thomas has that X factor,” says director Jessica M. Thompson. “You can’t not watch him. Part of it is the way he looks – he has these incredible features, so sharp and defined. But the way he commands the space and handles himself… he brings a lot of layers to the role. It’s almost like he’s playing two characters – the charming romantic Lord of the Manor, our leading man… and then he reveals who he really is. That could have been difficult to balance, but Thomas commands the space and makes it look easy.”

Doherty stars in the highly anticipated reboot of Gossip Girl for HBOMax, which premiered in 2021 as HBO Max’s most-watched original series over launch weekend. It has been renewed for a second season. He was previously seen in Hulu’s High Fidelity opposite Zoe Kravitz. He is a graduate of The MGA Academy of the Performing Arts who at the age of 27 has gained a huge following from his starring role as Harry Hook in Disney’s hit franchise Descendants, which garnered nearly 21 million viewers in the most sought after demographic. Doherty has amassed over 4 million social media followers. He can also be seen in HBO’s Catherine the Great opposite Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

In Philippine cinemas August 24, The Invitation is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #InvitationMovie

August 22, 2022
“Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO” Opens at No.1 in the US With $21-M

Video Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

The anime film is being distributed in North America by Crunchyroll, which specializes in anime film and television. “We’re absolutely thrilled that ‘Dragon Ball’ fans could come together to experience and enjoy this amazing film in theaters,” Mitchel Berger, Crunchyroll’s senior VP of global commerce, said in a statement. “Crunchyroll thanks all of the fans, whether or not you are a ‘super’ fan or a newcomer, and we hope they come back again and again.”

Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO follows two warriors, Piccolo and Gohan, as they face down an attack by a pair of ultimate Androids that call themselves “Super Heroes” and combat the schemes of the villainous Red Ribbon Army.

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

The film is also a big hit among critics, garnering a 92% Tomatometer score in Rotten Tomatoes, with a glorious critical consensus: “Blending beautifully animated action with fresh character development, Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is everything fans of the franchise will be looking for.”

The New York Times called the film “exquisitely gratifying,” while Los Angeles Times wrote the movie “is a must see for fans that salutes one of the series’ best relationships.”

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Variety raved that the film “mostly finds a sweet spot between fan service and narrative heft,” as The Guardian endorsed that “SUPER HERO’s eye candy animation is mesmeric.”

Finally, Den of Geek hailed “Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a celebration of what’s made Dragon Ball great for more than 35 years, but it also leaves the franchise in a place that’s more liberated than ever before.”

Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO opens exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines starting this August 31.

August 22, 2022
The Bootleg Beatles Live in Concert 2022 Cancellation

“Concert Republic regretfully announces, The Bootleg Beatles concerts scheduled for SMX Convention Center, Davao, Thursday 27^th October & Waterfront City Hotel & Casino, Cebu, Saturday 29^th October 2022 have been cancelled, despite the best efforts of Concert Republic and The Bootleg Beatles for the concerts to happen. The Bootleg Beatles have issued the following statement:

Regrettably we have to cancel our forthcoming concerts in Davao & Cebu due to unforeseen production logistics, however our Manila show at Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Sunday 30^th October 2022 will proceed as advertised.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused and look forward to seeing you all in Manila!

Davao & Cebu Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.”

August 22, 2022