Sunday, January 4, 2016, as the metropolis still slept, savoring the last day of the Christmas Holiday, both kids and adults flocked to SM Megamall's Cinema 1 to catch the Press Screening of Snoopy And Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie.
I thought it was just going to be another regular Press Screening but we were all surprised when the man...err beagle of the hour appeared!
Kids and adults lined up to have their photo taken with the lovable and imaginative pooch. I myself debated whether to just let the kids have the photo-op, but I ended up with a few snaps with Snoopy :) which is all over my Instagram ( @ica_cheng ) :)
Snoopy even cozied up to some of the kids in the cinema! Now this photo is for keeps! And yes, the movie was in 3D, hence the glasses. Talk about the 1950's comics jumping to live in 3D on the big screen right?
Aside from the appearance of the Snoopy mascot (which was a real hit, by the way), movie-goers can also avail of these super cute Peanuts tumblers! Just look at that smile on Charlie Brown's face!
The tumblers are available in SM Cinema's Snack Time :) I got Snoopy!
My full review on Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie is already up in the blog!
A warm, nostalgic and fun-filled movie for the whole family, “Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie” will open this January 8 (Friday) in Philippine cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
*Pardon the photos, as we didn't bring the DSLR. We did our best with our camera phones* :p
Did that catch your attention? Well, I had to come up with a 'Wait-What?!' title, given that the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Gala Premiere was already a few weeks ago, December 15, at the IMAX in Megamall, to be exact. This post comes in really late, since I got caught up in the holidays, and of course The Force Awakens itself. I was also (still am) actually, sick and took a few weeks of writing. This is the first post I'm writing, after said short break.
As the year draws to a close, I can easily tell you that attending the gala premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is easily one of the highlights of my 2015. It is indeed one of the most anticipated premieres in recent memory and I am very fortuante (and grateful) to have been on of the chosen few to have been in attendance.
Our own Gala Premiere might not have had the big name Hollywood actors and actresses who star in the movie but we have the Pinoy 501st and Fight Saber Philippines to add a little spice to the screening.
As I entered the mall, I could hear the entire Star Wars soundtrack playing over the mall speakers. Yup. It wasn't Christmas songs but it was the whole (freaking) soundtrack playing! Honestly, I cried a bit as I head the familiar John Williams score playing. Little did I know it was just the first few tears I would shed that night. (Force Awakens Review here)
Despite the heavy rain and traffic which surrounded the Metro that night, faithful fans braved the inevitable challenge of travelling to SM Megamall in Ortigas.
I left two hours earlier in anticipation of the traffic. The guy seated beside me in the theater (and I kid you not), ran, yes, ran from Ayala Ave. all the way to Megamall! Traffic was so bad and he couldn't get a ride through Uber that he did the unthinkable. As he was telling me his story, he was placing his wet clothes (he got drenched in the rain) in a bag. He had to purchase new clothes when he got to the mall. I overheard him telling his friends that 'It was the Force compelling him to run' -Hey! A great story he can tell his kids someday right?
Before the premiere, guests were treated to an awesome light saber duel from Fight Saber Philippines, who have been busy, weeks and days leading up to the premiere (and even after, with all the blocked screenings) performing at events for fans. Of course the Pinoy 501st also went trooping and had photos taken with fans. I did an interview with my cousin of sorts, Luis who is a part of the Pinoy 501st, you can read it here. When I did the interview, back in 2012, the 501st were still an Outpost, they have since then become a Garrisonthe upgrade due to an increase in number of members.
From their Facebook page, The Philippine Garrison 'The 501st Legion is a non-profit organization that uses its time and effort doing charity and volunteer work'.
Hosts and Big Star Wars fans themselves: Chico and Gino. I've been a fan, so it was a thrill to see them host. :)
Another thing, I will never forget about the premiere was getting to watch the movie, with fellow fans who 'Ohhhhh' and 'Ahhhhhhh' d at all the right queues and moments. A light saber salute at the end of movie, just made things even more memorable.
I've already seen The Force Awakens two times, and I'm looking forward to my third time :)
What a great memory I plan on holding on too :)
Can't wait to see what Episode XIII has in store for all of us!
Micheal V. poses with members of the Fight Saber Philippines after the premiere.
(c) All photos are from the official Star Wars PH Facebook page.
Before I go on with this movie review I'll go ahead and say it - I have not seen the anime nor have I read the Manga. So this review will be from the eyes and perspective of an Otaku who will be seeing this franchise first through the live action movie. And in this day and age of all sorts of adaptations you have to start somewhere right?
So here are my INITIAL thoughts of the movie - the adaptation was really well made, it was not cheap, the sets were very elaborate from breathtaking gardens, to colorful night carnivals. The fight scenes were well executed, none of the corny predictable trying hard martial arts bit. I have to admit though that the movie got a bit draggy during the climax, like they really squeezed every bit of what they could. It was still an enjoyable movie even for someone who's not really familiar with the franchise. Set in a world ruled by two kingdoms- The East and The West, which looks like a modern Victorian England littered with mobs, arms dealers, human traffickers and drug lords. Shiori/Kiyoharu Genpo (Ayame Gouriki) is a descendant of the noble family Phantomhive in England, runs the prestigious Funtom corporation but aside from his CEOish duties he also has a double life as a Queen's watchdog. Which means going on fun missions such as investigating a mysterious series of mummified murders of high ranking members of the government.
More than just tea: As a butler Sebastian can bring you everything your heart desires - for a price.
Kiyoharu investigates and brings along his faithful butler who can defeat a whole gang of armed mobsters just with a butter knife and he also gets up after being shot in the head oh-did I forget to mention that he is no ordinary butler as he is the devil himself. As a young child, Kiyoharu's parents (who are all but royalty) are murdered in front of him. In order to seek revenge, he makes a pact with the devil, who will serve him (as a butler no less) but the service goes beyond normal butler duties and involves pretty much being his personal army. The price? Of course - Kiyoharu's soul, once he is able to extract revenge on those who killed his parents. While Kiyoharu and Sebastian infiltrate private clubs and break in Laboratories, they don't realize that the true danger is actually closer than they think. Who is behind all the gruesome murders? Will Kiyoharu get his revenge? Will Sebastian consume his soul? These are just some of the burning questions that go on in the movie - and you'll just have to watch to find out :P Along with the impressive sets the movie also showcases great talent and acting from Ayame Gouriki as the deadpan Kiyoharu and Hiro Mizushima as the devilish butler Sebastian.
Hiro Mizushima as Sebastian. I wouldn't want to use that butter knife with my bread.
Although riddled with cliches and as mentioned earlier, the climax got too draggy, as they tried to insert thought provoking themes on the goodness and evil of humans (as often seen in Anime) but I think that given it was a movie and not a 24 series anime, there really was not that much time to squeeze in all those deep questions and realizations on the nature of humans.
Guns and Gothic Lolita. Mizuki Yamamoto as the Maid Rin
Whether you're a fan of the anime or you just want to check out the movie, it will be a fun treat with a date or maybe with friends. :)
All is definitely not lost when it comes to the nominations, awards and praise for this movie which is another award winning movie in the American Survivor genre along with Castaway and 72 Hours. All Is Lost showcases man's perseverance for survival amidst the impossible forces of both nature and circumstance. The movie begins with Robert Redford's nameless character loosing hope and apologizing, saying goodbye to an unknown loved one. Then we are brought back eight days ago, to where it all began. Robert Redford (we never know the name of his character throughout the film) wakes up with a start as a floating shipment container hits his ship the Virginia Jean and water starts coming in his boat (think of Titanic beginning when they hit the ice burg) and this of course is the beginning of his insurmountable ordeals. The movie has no dialogue which gives more power to Redford's acting and why he deserved all those Best Actor Nominations and his win (in that category) from the New York Critics Circle. Most movies even get awards for the script and the screen play but All Is Lost had no dialogue but Redford was still able to deliver a powerful performance which really resonates throughout the film, even without words you know what he's going through and all this just through his great acting!
Right after the movie. Two thumbs up - just holding a cup of soda from the Director's Club Cinema at the New SM Fashion Hall in SM Megamall.
Redford gets through one challenge after the next displaying a seaman and a survivor's strength and resiliance. I thought that he was a different kind of "action star" on a league of his own (a different kind of action star) from his contemporary Liam Neeson's gun wielding, bone breaking, threatening-over-the-phone Taken character. Redford's sea-savy character definitely walked the walk as he knew the different sailor knots and even knew how to navigate the seas using a sextant (and I actually had to Google that since I had no idea what it was!) and he seemed to know all the equipment inside his boat. I guess if you would be sailing in the middle of the ocean you would know a thing or two (preferably a lot) about sailing. One thing that I really don't get about American Survivor films is - why would you do -anything potentially dangerous and life threatening?! (sailing, rock climbing, biking etc) alone?! I really can't comprehend taking up anything that could be remotely dangerous (if not life threatening) as a hobby. Can you tell with all the movies/tv series that I watch, the books that I read and the music that I listen to that I am a home buddy?). Although I have friends who have taken up mountain climbing as a hobby I would not be joining them any time soon. The whole sail around the world alone or travelling in an RV or on a boat as an idea of a good time or even retirement is a concept that is very foreign to us Filipinos (so let's just keep our limbs and leave it to the foreign films). Our grand parents or retired parents are mostly home buddies who are happy taking care of their grand children.
Okay enough with the personal thoughts on the dangerous side of things and on with the movie review. Well can I just interject that I'm so glad that I was in the comfort of the La-Z-y boy I was sitting on in the new Director's Club Cinema at the new Fashion Hall (blog post here) because I would surely not want to be where Robert Redford was. I would not last a minute there!
Aside from the great acting, the musical score of the movie was also amazing and I couldn't blame the producers for wanting to focus on the musical score of the movie which was done so well it really does move you and tugs at your heart which is probably by the movie won for Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture during the Golden Globes and it's also up for the same nomination for the Oscars.
"So...." Paul and I decided to take off our nerd/geek hats and watch a Romantic Comedy for a change. Yup! No robots or samurais or hobbits just a boy and a girl, well 3 boys actually.
You might be wondering how did a movie with three guys in the lead roles become a Romantic Comedy?
Well apparently there is already a new brand of Romantic Comedy and this is the "Bro-Rom-Com" Romantic Comedies not necessarily (just) for the dudes but movies told from the guys' perspective.
I'm not really sure if there have been a lot of "Bro-Rom-Coms" but what immediately comes to mind is (one of my favorites) "500 days of Summer". and the (also) Joseph-Gordon-Levitt helmed and starred in movie "Don Jon" (I haven't seen this yet - and I would definitely love to see it, will probably wait until it's on DVD or on cable) and of course "That Awkward Moment" fits in the "Bro-Rom-Com" genre perfectly.
I was actually worried to bring Paul along to the premiere, it's still a romantic comedy after all and he might hate me for waking him up 2 hours earlier just to catch the premier but my worries melted away when Paul was laughing out loud on all of the crazy antics that these guys were doing.
Set in New York, That Awkward Moment felt like a different version of the TV series How I Met Your Mother (which is also one of our favorites) and this is because of the alcohol infused nights, wing men (and wing woman) doing tricks right out of Barney Stinson's The Play Book.
The Awkward Moment starts with three best friends whose friendship is as testosterone fueled as can be. Zac Efron is the single guy forever Jason who freaks out when casual F*ck buddies start a sentence with 'So...where is this going to?' to him this is the Awkward Moment where it's time to pack up and go. Miles Teller is the geeky and hilarious Daniel who is the ultimate wing man and Micheal B. Jordan (yes you read that right his screen name really is Michael B. Jordan probably thus the need for a middle initial) is the optimistic Mikey. The three best buds decide to stay single to help out Mikey who is going through a rough time (won't spoil what kind of hard time :P)
And of course as Romantic Comedies go when you say you won't do something (or be something) that is when the universe throws a curve ball at you and well let's just say that that is just the beginning of all their problems.
Set in that moment in all of our lives when we ask ourselves: 'Should I move forward or move on?' That Awkward Moment separates the men from the boys. When the games are finished and the real deal is at at your grasp.
A testosterone fueled movie with lots of laughs at the crazy antics of guys it is a movie you will definitely enjoy with your husband, boyfriend or guys friends. Just don't watch it with your parents, there is too much sex in the movie it will definitely be awkward to watch it with them.
I'm actually surprised it just got an R-13 rating, I think it should have been R-16 at the least. :P Lots of c*cks in the movie - you have been warned.
Can I just say that i just love Imogen Poots who plays edgy Ellie, I love her Taylor Momsen look and how unmade she looks in some of the scenes. It's just so natural with how her hair is all messed up and not well done. :) Oh and another thing we loved about the movie is the interior design of their sets, from the arts in their apartments to their offices, the bar, the coffee shop it really showcases the chic interior design of New York! ^_^
I've always been fascinated with Japanese culture, my interest and love for anime has convinced my mom that I was Japanese in another life. So it was no surprise that my interest was caught by the movie "47 Ronin". I first saw a poster of the movie in SM Cinemas but what really got me excited was when I saw the trailer of the movie. The shape shifting dragon, the beautiful cinematography and of course - all that action! After seeing the trailer, I was hooked. I was so hooked that I even got myself a copy of the novelization of the movie from Fully Booked. Before you get confused though,there is no actual book or novel about the '47 Ronin' what I read is actually a novelization of the movie. The 'novel' so to speak is actually based on the screenplay that was used in the movie. Behind the Legend But truth is stranger than fiction because it is a true story which took place in Japan at the beginning of the 18th century. A noted Japanese scholar has said that their tale is the most famous and noted example of "Bushido" the Samurai code of honor. The story is about a group of samurai who become leaderless or what is known as 'Ronin' after their 'Daimyo' (Feudal Lord) Asano Naganori is forced to commit 'sepukku' (ritual suicide) because he assaulted Kira Yoshinaka, a court official. After almost two years, the Ronin avenged their master by killing Kira. Because of this, the group of Ronin were then obliged to commit seppuku as well. This true story has been adapted into many forms and mediums over the past years, adaptations of their story is known as Chushingura in Japan. There is even a graphic novel written by Sean Micheal Wilson and illustrated by Akiko Shimojima.
The 47 Ronin Graphic Novel
I have not read the graphic novel but I made sure that I was done reading the novelization before seeing the movie. I would probably write a separate book review of the novelization but I will already say that I really enjoyed reading it. The narrative that author Joan D. Vinge used was so beautiful and eloquent you feel like you are reading haiku. I even started highlighting so many lines in the book!
My copy of the Novelization of 47 Ronin (from Fully Booked) with a plate of sushi. Dinner at Tokyo Bubble Tea :)
The story was also told through the different character's perspectives and Joan D. Vinge seamlessly goes through one character perspective to the next that you get to know their deepest fears and most intimate thoughts, something that is not so easily translated in the movie.
Watching the movie armed with having read the novelization I would definitely have some inputs that most people who saw the movie would not.
All in all it was a great movie with a beautiful story elevated with the beautiful cinematography and amazing graphics that was used in the movie.
Universal Studios produced the 2013 action film portraying the fictional account of the Ronin's story. Director Carl Erik Rinsch took the tale to a whole different level by incorporating Japanese mythology in the story.
The setting of the movie reminded me a lot of Rumiko Takahashi's anime series 'Inu Yasha' because of all yokai, kitsune and kirin around along with the Imperial/Feaudal Japanese setting. I just had a problem with a couple of scenes in the movie (WARNING! SPOILER ALERT!): Oishi is thrown in a pit (jail) for one year. In the book, you will get a glimpse of his misery and suffering. Having no companion but the dark, dirt, grime and rats. But in the movie he is thrown in the pit, the screen goes dark and the words "One Year Later" appear then the next scene is Oishi being hauled out of the jail. Some people in the audience laughed since the transition of the scene implied Oish was thrown in jail and was unceremoniously released a year later without even feeding him. I know it's implied that he was of course fed and nourished during that time but audience (especially Filipino audiences can be pretty silly at times).
One of my favorite things about 47 Ronin were the elaborate sets that depicted the beautiful colors of spring and the costumes that the different characters wore.
So I'm a little disappointed in myself since my review came in later than I wanted. I usually start working on my movie reviews the minute I get home from the premiere but when I got home- my mom's home not our home, the mouse was acting up and this was already at 1:00 AM so I just decided to go to sleep and work on the review the next day - so here I am now busy typing away a movie review to a movie I really enjoyed. :) Just some personal thoughts before diving right in to the movie review. You can jump right in at the Movie Review below :P I have been going to movie premieres for some time now so I pretty much know what happens. So imagine my surprise when I saw the large number of people lined up to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire it was unlike any other movie premiere I have ever attended and there were at least 3 cinemas having the premieres and all of them had long lines! Talk about being the anticipated movie of the year! The firsts didn't stop there though since another first encounter for a movie premiere was the fact that ALL phones and gadgets with cameras were collected before the movie. While I know and understand that this was all for the fight against piracy it was a pain in the ass. Can you imagine collecting every phone and gadget in a theater full of people? Yeah you do the math, especially in this day and age where everyone has at least one cellphone or gadget. Collecting the phones may not have been much of a problem but everyone claiming their phones after the movie all at the same time - well that's another story. And since I didn't have a watch I couldn't tell what time it is or update my mom and my husband how I was doing, I was with my baby brother for the movie so my mom really wanted updates. We came in the movie house around 7:00PM and left at past 11:50PM. It was an inconvenience but you know what? The movie really made up for it and all of that was worth it in the end :P
Me at around 12:00 AM with our movie premiere tickets. :P
On to the movie review!
So for everyone's reference I actually read the books - the whole trilogy about three years ago so I pretty much had an idea of what the story was about. Now even if I have read the books and am a fan of the franchise I was not going to go 'Oh it was a great movie!' blindly since I actually did not enjoy (the first movie) - Hunger Games last year. I was really disappointed at the last part in the movie since it failed to capture the hanging by a moment, nail biter ending in the book. With that being said I can critically say that the second installment Catching Fire - was AMAZING!
From the beginning of the movie until the end you find yourself in an emotional and political arena (pun intended) where you have to deal with the dynamic of a rebellion unfolding and of course all the emotional baggage that the characters carry.
The Odds are never in your favor. Scene from Catching Fire.
When The Hunger Games came out last year I had to roll my eyes so many times and bite my tongue since people thought the movie was all about a battle to the death of children (which is why it was compared a lot to Battle Royale) when in fact the whole battle to the death was just the tip of the ice burg and that the story actually deals with a more complicated political dynamic. I was glad that this was touched on in the second movie and I was really glad that they included (SPOILER ALERT)the scene in the Presidential Ball where Peeta is offered a purple elixir to drink so that he can throw up what he ate - just so he can eat some more and try everything was very important to me at least and I really felt strongly about this scene (also when I read it in the book) because as Peeta put it: "People in District 12 have nothing to eat while in the Capitol people where gorging themselves sick from eating too much food" and surprisingly this is something that we don't just read in books and watch in movies because it actually happens in real life!
Some people have so much and too much while others have nothing at all. I was really glad that they included this scene in the movie, although it was really short it was really powerful for me and really spoke a hundred words. I hope that the people who come to watch the movie catch it also. It's really important to understand especially to get an idea of what the rebellion is all about.
Amazing cast and amazing acting
In case you guys didn't know Jennifer Lawrence is actually an Academy Award Winner for her role as Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook. She isn't just some actress known for being the lead in a well known franchise but she also has the acting chops to back it up.Which is a good thing since the character of Katniss Everdeen is very complicated as she becomes the reluctant symbol of a rebellion and is torn between the love of a long time friend and the love of a fellow tribute. Some things that people don't realize or maybe forget is that unlike the Careers who spend their lives training and wanting to be part of The Hunger Games and winning at all cost, Katniss is a great archer and hunter because she had to be, she had to learn how to hunt in order to provide food for her family. She didn't pick up the bow and arrow to learn how to make pin cushions out of other tributes but she picked it up (and became good at it) so her family can eat. There is a lot of ugly crying and ugly shouting that Katniss does throughout the movie but Jennifer Lawrence delivers it in a convincing way and that is real acting.
Smile for the cameras. Oddly enough the victors' celebrity status and Katniss and Peeta's on-screen romance so that people would 'forget' the real problems is eerily familiar to how we follow and poke into the lives of real celebrities for our own pleasure and amusement.
So I just got home from watching the movie premiere of Carrie at SM Megamall and I'm still gushing about it. What can I say ? The 2013 movie really did justice to the 1976 cult classic and the 1974 Stephen King novel which it is based on. (I am pertaining to the hype and the acclaim of the original movie). Now I haven't seen the original 1976 movie nor have I read the book but I already had an idea what it was about - thank you Wikipedia. In a nutshell it is about the eponymous Carrie, a shy young girl who just wants to fit in but in her case it's a little difficult because of her very religious (borderline obsessive and self-flagellating) mother and your usual mean girls - extra mean girls I think and aside from all of that she discovers her telekenik abilities. Think a bullied and loner Jean Grey but without the guidance of Professor X and we all know she turned into the Dark Phoenix right? And as Sue in the movie says - 'you can only push a person so far' - before they crack or in Carrie's case before they unleash their Telekenetic abilities in a pool of blood, destroys dreams and turns a fairy tale evening into a nightmare.
No one is going to hurt you. Both dysfunctional and destructive this mother and daughter tandem is an unhealthy one. Chloe Grace-Moretz and Julianne Moore as Carrie and her mother in a scene from the 2013 version of Carrie.
Paul and I are big Stephen King fans, we've read a couple of his books and even bought the DVD box set of his Kingdom Hospital - although that was not as good as we had hoped - just goes to show that not everything associated with Stephen King is necessarily good but oh boy 2013 Carrie was! Helmed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) who did a great job of setting the movie in modern 2013 where bullying also meant cyber bullying. Girls can really be mean sometimes right? Now I'm not a big fan of horror or slasher movies but Carrie is more than a horror/scary movie/story, it has themes that surprisingly transcend time and are still relevant 39 years after the novel came out such as bullying and cruelty. Stephen King has said that he based Carrie on a girl he knew in High School who was made fun of because of the same clothes that she wore to school and when she was able to buy a new set of clothes the more she was laughed at. Carrie was loosely based on this girl and sadly this is something that we don't only read about in novels or watch in movies, it is reality. Bullying is a truth that we cannot ignore nor remain deaf and blind to. Just a little take home though after watching the movie. So many children and teenagers have taken their own lives because of being bullied and because of the cruelty of their peers. I mean its bad enough that Carrie's mom wouldn't tell her about the flowers and the bees or anatomy (Because it's a sin!) but to also get the whole bullied treatment in school too? What is a telekenik girl to do? Watch the movie to find out! :P
Blood Bath. A page off Entertainment Weekly's special coverage on Carrie. To the (L) is Chloe Grace-Moretz in the 2013 remake and to the (R) is Sissy Spacek in the original 1976 film.
I will be honest when I first got the invite to catch the premiere of Escape Plan I was a bit meeeh- about it. Mostly because it was like watching my two uncles in an action packed movie going all Rambo (pun intended). I grew up watching both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneger during their prime. I clearly remember Demolition Man which was a favorite of my Dad's (I'm not yet that old since I'm not referring to Rocky or Rambo which are also some of my Dad's favorites ) and Stallone looked good in his uniform and beret while I vividly remember Schwarzenneger in his birthday suit in that famous Terminator scene (just ask Barney Stinson!) And to see these two guys still go at it in cringing fight sequences and stunts is almost cruel to the point of being a violation on human rights, I mean these two should be enjoying a scotch in front of a beach and be in retirement! But if Liam Neeson can still kick ass (so to speak) in Taken then these two veterans (pun intended again) would certainly have another go at it right? And boy did they have a go at it in Escape Plan the R-13 rating was just right. There was a degree of violence in the movie which was executed with professionally as you would expect of experts like Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
Not ready for retirement. Stallone and Schwarzenneger prove they still got in them.
Regardless off whatever initial reservations I had about the movie I enjoyed it and so did the people in the jam packed premier night. They all cheered and gasped at the appropriate scenes and roared in laughter during the humorous parts of the movie which is a good indication of a movie that was well received by its audience. Escape Plan is as you guessed it a movie about busting out of jail but it takes on a new spin with Stallone as a hired escape artist who is paid to be placed inside prisons so he can bust out of them. What he thinks is just an ordinary job takes a turn for the worse when he is placed in an super secret maximum security prison designed so that escape is impossible.
This is actually a very late blog post, apologies for the delay there are just so many things happening now and so many things coming in the future and so I am pretty busy but busy is good and there are so many events lined up I'm so excited! :) I won't be giving anything away yet but here are two clues: Neon and Sparks that's all I'm saying for now so here is the Rush Movie Premiere blog post!
Rivals. Chris Hemsworth as the English playboy James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as the Austrian Perfectionist Niki Lauda.
Last September 6, 2013 we were invited to an advanced screening of Rush at Rockwell. I really didn't think much of it and I just thought that it was your regular racing movie but looking deeper in the movie I realized just how wrong I was.
It is mentioned in the movie that men love women but if there is something that they love more than women it is cars and I think that there is some truth to this as I have no interest in cars whatsover but Paul was all on the edge of his seat during the movie. Even if I'm not a big car fan i was very much impressed and enjoyed the movie Rush. You can check my upcoming movies blog post here.
Rush tells the true story of one of Formula One's most fierce rivalries between Niki Lauda and James Hunt during the 1976 F1 World Championship. Not only does the story focus on their time on the track but the movie beautifully weaves in and out of their personal lives showing the two racers in a very human light.
With award winning director Ron Howard at the helm it is no wonder how the movie can really transport you back in time and make you feel as if you really are in the 70s or on the very track where the cars would speed by all in a blur. From the blade of grass to the side of the road that flies up in the air as the cars race past Ron Howard gives you jaw dropping angles and camera motions that will really amaze you. I'll give you a tip- they actually mixed in actual footages of the original races in the movie to you that 'real' feel so watch out for that in the movie!
Aside from the beautiful and masterful telling of the story, the story itself -true at that of how two rivals brought out the best in each one in the dangerous and competitive world of F1 racing.
The ladies just love James Hunt. It is rumored that James Hunt slept with over 5,000 women.
Aside from the beautiful story of rivals and the beautiful and artistic delivery of the story from Howard, I applaud the performance of the cast, especially Daniel Bruhl, who is both annoying and endearing as Niki Lauda. Watching Chris Hemsworth on the screen, I still can't get him as Thor off my head.
I got my eye on you. Niki Lauda staring down his Rival James Hunt before the start of the race.
Depicting the rock and roll life of James Hunt, there were some nudity scenes in the movie, I would not recommend that you bring the little ones for this film. Aside from the nudity scenes, there is are a couple car crashes in the movie and some graphic injuries. I'm a nurse and I was squeamish with the injuries and hospital procedures. Of course all of it was important in the film, to portray the real danger that comes with the glam of Formula 1 racing.
So we just got back from a 9:00AM screening of The Wolverine at Resorts World Manila. While I feel very grateful for the free tickets there is still much to be said about their policy of having to register for a membership card to get a movie ticket (it was inconvenient and disorganized) I will still say thank you and leave it at that and go on to my spoiler free movie review. I still love you Resort's World - I'll make sure to be a member to avoid any inconveniences in the future. :P Okay so going back to The Wolverine - first off - I will say that I absolutely loved it! Liked is an understatement because I loved it! Easily 4 out of 5 stars! It was able to redeem itself from the awfully cliche-ridden X-Men: Origins movie - The Wolverine (which is a stand alone sequel after X-Men III: The Last Stand) has no cliches' what so ever and is in fact quite unpredictable. There are times in the movie where I found myself thinking 'Okay - so what's next?' because you absolutely have no idea what's coming and you'll definitely be quick on your feet and thinking throughout the movie, which is always a welcome experience when watching a movie. Sometimes it's not all about the effects and the fight scenes you also got to make your brain work and like a very good book 'The Wolverine' has surprises in every corner. Can I just tease that there is definitely a shocker scene and something that you definitely won't expect. (Wink. Wink). Oh and don't hold on to your horses for this one - you don't know who your enemies or allies are - so watch out!
Set in modern day Japan - with a bit of the old - it was a refreshing change to the usual X-Men (Xavier school for the gifted setting :P)
It was also refreshing to see a cast and pool of characters who are mostly human. You don't have to be a mutant to be a bad guy you know and the humans in the movie really make up for not having mutant powers by being modern day ninjas, complete with the running along roof tops and stealth mode. Not only does Wolverine's adamantium claws take on Ninja kunai and the Samurai sword in this movie but he also butts heads and takes an epic bullet train ride with the Yakuza. While the previous X-Men movies showed humans who hated mutants, in this movie you will get to meet humans who are obsessed with them and well, you know the saying - too much of something is bad- really bad.
Straight out of an anime - Yukio - Logan's red headed sword wielding body guard. Don't let the red and white stripes fool you - this girl can kick butt!
The movie literally takes what makes Wolverine - Wolverine away from him - his ability to heal. The movie tackles with the idea of 'What happens if you take away Wolverine's healing powers? He's not so bad ass any more right?' Well- you'll have to see the movie to find out. But with this idea and concept you definitely know that you are in for a not so ordinary X-Men movie. More about that in my post here. Just in case you guys might be wondering there are some scenes that did not have any subtitles but I believe that this was done on purpose so that the audience would feel and think like Logan, an outsider not understanding the language but don't worry most of the scenes in Japanese do have subtitles. As usual it was an impressive performance of The Wolverine by Hugh Jackman can you honestly think of anyone else playing the role? 'Coz I can't! Hugh Jackman is the Wolverine! His physique in the role is amazing and the stunts are amazing and he really does portray that defeated and tormented century old mutant perfectly. Of course it's not all grim and dreary for Logan, there is still his spot-on dead pan humor which will have you laughing in the movie.
Feel free to proceed: SPOILER FREE Movie Review :)
In the future, from deep within the Pacific monsters christened as Kaijus (Japanese for Large Monster- in homage to Godzilla) emerge to wreck havoc, destroy cities and claim lives.
The human race fights back by creating monsters to fight monsters. The Jaegers (German for Hunter) and after years of battling Kaijus, resources and time has just about run out ---
The first time I saw the trailer for Pacific Rim a few months back, I dismissed it as being another Summer Block Buster wanting to cash in on the same graphic galore and effect studded Transformerish genre that was sure to spell "Summer Box Office Success". As the months to its release approached I was drawn to the movie and was really curious about it - curious enough that when Pizza Hut announced via Twitter that they would be giving away two tickets to the premiere of Pacific Rim I put out all the stops to win those tickets.
After burning my fingers from tweeting non stop and because of my fish oriented tweet I did win the two coveted tickets to the premiere of Pacific Rim, which was held a little while back (July 9, 2013) at Greenbelt.
The Premiere was made possible by Pizza Hut, Berocca, National Bookstore, 711 and with it's media partner RX93.1 and Warner Brothers Philippines.
There was the customary games before the movie and still no luck with the prizes ~still didn't get that Palm Card. :(
On to the movie....
What makes Pacific Rim different from all the Transformer and Godzilla movies is that alongside all the metal and the monsters, the film also looks into human connections, the bonds between people. The bond of a brother to a brother, a father to a son and even the bond that courses through people who are not biologically related.
Drifting. Because Two is better than One.
In Pacific Rim, people just don't get into robots, pilot them and save the day. It is much more complicated than that. Director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) wanted to explore the possibility of having two people pilot the Jaegers (the robots in the movie) but for these two people to be able to pilot the Jaegers they have to be able to share their mind and their thoughts with each other. In the movie, the concept is known as drifting.
The movie reaches out to the young child in all of us that marveled at giant robots fighting evil monsters. It differs from a lot of big guns and big robot flicks because Pacific Rim puts a lot of heart into the equation of robots and monsters and this is exactly what director del Toro did. In a recent interview he said that he took the extra effort not to make Pacific Rim into another summer blockbuster.
Wait. What?
del Toro didn't want to have majority of the movie basically be all about 'blowing things up and things crashing into buildings' and indeed it was more than that, I for one never thought that I would cry in a mecha movie, but there I was tears rolling down my cheeks behind my prescription glasses which was behind the 3D glasses.
Check out the Trailer below! :)
Another unorthodox summer movie ingredient that del Toro did not want in his recipe was the sexy girl in short shorts, tank tops running with her long hair swaying as bombs exploded behind her which was Transformers' director Micheal Bay's formula and which ultimately catapulted Megan Fox to her fame (but wasn't enough for her to keep her job, but that is another story). Even if del Toro did not want a sexy girl running around on screen, girls can still look forward to girl power in the form of Mako Mori.
del Toro wanted a female lead who was 'an equal force to the male leads' and not just another pretty face to look at and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) really delivered as the revengeful rookie with cool blue highlights.
Blue Highlights and mean Jaeger Skills. Mako Mori.
