The Hitchcockian scene is as hard to find these days as it is hard to define. Rare is that scene that bears a propensity for detail, for rhythm, and for distinct aspects of careful attention and intricacy. The famous scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, in which an unsuspecting detective falls
Author: Armando Dela Cruz
Genre apologist. Coffee enthusiast. All-around good guy.
The Cinephile’s Guide To: The Internet
The cinephile’s life is exhaustiveㅡgrueling. Even for one whose cinephilia is his livelihood, it is less a vocation than a way of life; in the same way that reading is the way of life for a bibliophile, a writer, or a literary critic. You carry it wherever you go. You
‘The Look Of Silence’ screens at the UP Cine Adarna
Filipino fans wanting to catch Joshua Oppenheimer’s haunting documentary The Look Of Silence, block your Thursdays this week. CAMIRA Philippines, in cooperation with U.P. Cineastes’ Studio and U.P. Cine Adarna are hosting the special screening of the Oscar-nominated doc, which “captures the evil of the Indonesian genocide of 1966, and the profound bravery
This Week In Trailers: ‘Adam Green’s Aladdin’, ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ and more!
This week in trailers: Tom Hanks pitches to the King of Saudi Arabia; Elijah Wood and Nicolas Cage’s cops go dirty after stumbling after a bank vault; and Oscar-winning director Hany Abu-Assad retells the life of Arab Idol and Palestinian artist Mohammad Assaf. Here are the past week’s trailers of
Tarkovsky’s ‘Solaris’: Science fiction celebrating the human life
The best films come to our lives at the perfect time. Not my first Tarkovsky experience (transcendence!) in the film Stalker nor the words of one of my favorite directors Ingmar Bergman―“Tarkovsky for me is the greatest [director], the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of
‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ is less (and more) connected to ‘Cloverfield’ than you think!
Questions rise aplenty around 10 Cloverfield Lane, a “spiritual cousin” to Matt Reeves’ 2008 modern classic Cloverfield. If we’re seeing past this oh-this-new-film-just-came-out-of-nowhere-is-it-a-cloverfield-sequel marketing hoopla, it appears that fans and creators alike can’t point exactly what the new film is―a direct sequel? Or a rip-off entirely different from its predecessor?
Aaron Paul might star in Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’
Stalwart fans of The Dark Tower series are on ’round-the-clock shifts finding the right actors for Stephen King’s beloved epic. Another actor hustled into the rumor mill: Aaron Paul. Fans are insistent, and you understand why. This rampant fan-demand has to come from Paul’s character from the Vince Gilligan series “Breaking Bad” in which
Emelie
The image of a listless suburban street opens Michael Thelin’s Emelie in such a blisteringly icy note. From an obscured point-of-view, we see a truly American terror unfold: a young woman kindly directing a stranger to the post office gets drugged and hustled inside a car. That it shatters the
‘Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis’: Lav Diaz’s latest gets a PH release date
Just in: Lav Diaz’s new film Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis is having its Philippine release on March 26, 2016. The eight-hour epic comes home fresh from its win at the 2016 Berlinale. And knowing that it’s backed by Star Cinema, the country’s largest film outfit, it’s unsurprising to see the film having a considerably
Cinematic Influences that Shaped the Cinema of Quentin Tarantino
Cinematic references have both made and challenged Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking stature. The indictments span from qualms as tame as reddit threads to accusations as overblown as copyright lawsuits. Like many great filmmakers Q.T. is first a cinephile, and it shows rather vividly throughout his body of work. We’re aware that
A Film A Year: The 20th Century Through World Cinema
They say that film in itself is a world—one that magnifies our own; and one that for better or for worse, reflects in a manner that makes a wee more sense of a dizzying panorama called life. It’s enlightening, then, to see our own history seen through the lenses of
This Week In Trailers: ‘Baskin’, ‘Louder Than Bombs’, ‘The Black Coat’s Daughter’ and more!
This week in trailers: the directors of Inside debut their French spin at the backwood-slasher film; the latest from Terrence Malick gets a new Diplo-infused teaser-trailer; and the sequel to Finding Nemo proves to be more a spiritual sequel to Inside Out. Here are the past week’s trailers of films
The trailer and poster for a new ‘Blue Velvet’ restoration look gorgeous!
Cinephiles, here’s something to make you drool all over. A new restoration of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet is premiering at Film Forum in New York. The newly released trailer and poster—both gorgeous—packages Lynch’s masterwork quite beautifully. Take a look here: [column size=one_third position=first ] [/column][column size=two_third position=last ] Male Enhancement Pills: The preponderant function
Tom McCarthy’s ‘Spotlight’ returns to select PH cinemas!
Tom McCarthy’s truth-based Spotlight is getting a second release this week (albeit a limited one). Its recent win at the 88th Academy Awards clearly encouraged some film distributors to run a limited release. Fans who missed the film during its first run can catch it Eastwood, Gateway, Powerplant, Robinsons Galleria, and the newly
The Full List of Every Film Award Winner in 2016
The film awards season has recently reached its close. Like any other year, the season wouldn’t close without fire. The Oscars, more notably, trudged through its most controversial and awkward edition yet. That night viewed less than a night for film recognition but a platform for Chris Rock’s no-B.S. zone
The Art Of Fading In and Out: 7 Cinematic Examples Of The Dissolve
A “dissolve” is a cinematic device used by filmmakers to gradually transition from one image to another. Plenty of filmmakers use it to great effect, at times serving even beyond its original purpose of transition. Taking from a video essay created by Kevin B. Lee (rather pun-illy for the dearly
Luca Guadagnino Wants Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton For His ‘Suspiria’ Remake
For better or for worse, a remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria is happening. The horror classic holds well for almost four decades-old film, still one of the most thrilling genre pictures of all time. That said, a contemporary iteration is welcome, especially with Luca Guadagnino is at helm. Picture it: How perfect is Tilda
‘The Revenant’ makes a second run at PH theaters this week
The Revenant—fresh from its wins at the recently concluded Academy Awards—is returning to Philippine theaters this week, March 2, for reasons already quite obvious. Leonardo DiCaprio, Emmanuel Lubezki, and Alejandro González Iñárritu all won the awards for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Director, respectively. Surely there’s a new market of
Stephen King: Elba and McConaughey to star in ‘The Dark Tower’ film adaptation
It’s happening. Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series is going to be adapted into a film—and guess who are going to star? Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey as The Gunslinger and The Man In Black, respectively. Boy, what good mood are the movie gods in today? Entertainment Weekly spoke with Steve and
A List of First Times at the #Oscars2016
Smoke hasn’t cleared from the fire that is the 88th Academy Awards—a.k.a. the most awkward Oscars night ever. During the three-hour show: Stacey Dash walked awkwardly on and off stage; Sacha Baron Cohen brought his awkward Ali G. character; and every key figure graced with the elusive audience reaction shot awkwardly
The full list of #Oscars2016 winners. Do you agree?
The 2016 Academy Awards, unpredictable and controversial in equal measure, just wrapped. Chris Rock made jokes about Girl Scout cookies, Louis C.K. about documentarians. Lady Gaga moved every one to tears. Ennio Morricone won Best Original Score and Sam Smith (“Writing’s on the Wall”) won Best Original Song—in the words of egoistic
This Week In Trailers: ‘Whistleblower’, ‘Maggie’s Plan’, ‘Sakaling Hindi Makarating’ and more!
This week in trailers: When a mumblecore script is made a larger-scale production; when two Japanese horror icons clash a la Freddy Kreuger and Jason Voorhees; and when Kate Winslet becomes a golden-locked queen of the mafia. Here are some trailers you might have missed this week. Kill Your Friends
3 Filipino Films to Stream (for free!) this People Power Revolution
While every one is commemorating the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, you’re holed up in the dark of your room for some reason. It’s just one of those days, you reason. It’s O.K., really. You needn’t feel shame. Being a cinephile and a slacker—both titles I embrace with
Scream Queens: 13 female survivors from horror movies
Someone emailed me this fun infographic of female survivors who lived through their respective horror films. Knowing that plenty of you are fellow genre nuts, I thought this is something that you might enjoy. The graphic (made by HalloweenCostumes.com) lists thirteen female survivors, the threats they have faced, and their weapons of
This Week In Trailers: ‘Confirmation’, digitally restored ‘Belladonna of Sadness’, and more
This week in trailers: Idris Elba and Richard Madden go “reckless and irresponsible” in first trailer for Bastille Day; a trailer for the newly restored animation classic Belladonna of Sadness perfectly packages the forgotten fever dream from the 70’s; and the latest from Jeff Nichols has a tense, disquieting trailer debut. Here’s
