A Monster Calls or as I’d like to call it “Me, Groot, and the Dying Girl.” A simple story told in a poignant manner; A Monster Calls affects you. Even without a personal reference to a dearly beloved succumbing to illness, I assure you that tears will be shed and hearts will
Author: Gabriel Borlongan
An MD-to-be.
Forever a film lover.
This is a haiku.
Blair Witch
Man’s search for the unknown is a journey of risks in unraveling shapeless mysteries, but ultimately is a conquest directed to the self. Disclaimer: At the tail end of this review is a minor spoiler-cum-interpretation. Many of world’s literature source from this need for discovery. Likewise, many artists want to
Turo-Turo
Why do bad things happen to good people? This might be the central thesis of Turo-Turo, a tale of a persevering father and his struggle to uplift the standard of living of his family of five drenched in the familiar facade of urban poverty. A number of important themes are
Ex with Benefits
A man in his early 20s arrives at the emergency room for a chief complaint of abdominal pain. As the surgical clerk posted at the triage station, you ask further details and palpate the abdomen. Noting diffuse abdominal pain with non-localized tenderness, among other unremarkable findings, the resident-on-duty advises to
New ‘Spectre’ vlog features Day of the Dead festival
The latest Spectre vlog has just been released, focusing on filming the opening sequence set during the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. Comments director Sam Mendes, “I wanted the audience to be dropped right into the middle of a very, very specific, very heady, rich environment. It’s
You’re Still the One
True love doesn’t expire The course of true love never did run smooth. – William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Romantic dramas and comedies drive in the audience because they are the most relatable to the escapists, the dreamers and the realists. After all, love is the universal language. In
Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story
You’ve seen one. You’ve seen them all. Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story is an off-universe tale from the Youtube series Marble Hornets, which is then based on the Internet-borne concept Slenderman. This horror entity is a tall faceless Caucasian donning a black suit, only visible via cameras or digital
The Age of Adaline
The Curious Case of Adaline Bowman For some people, the span of time between now and when their umbilical cord was cut, is a trivial matter. While for a handsome few, age is they’re be-all and end-all. The oldest living persons are even recognized through newsbytes, commendations and even pilgrimages.
Tomorrowland
Dreams exist outside our reality You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one. – John Lennon, Imagine EXPECTATIONS | A dream takes shape Imagine a place where nothing’s impossible. Disney promises us of a breathtaking action-adventure with Tomorrowland. Even before the film came to existence, what
Binhi
Embryonic dormancy Seeds take time to burst out of their coats, push off the overlying soil on top, and be christened as the plant they ought out to be. Binhi (The Seed) takes your patience to establish its suspense through slightly jittery long-take tracking shots, which unfortunately frequently end with
World Premieres Film Festival 2015 announces Filipino New Cinema entries
World Premieres Film Festival – Philippines 2015 has unveiled its selection of eight films from contemporary Filipino filmmakers competing under the Filipino New Cinema section of the Philippine-hosted festival. The World Premieres Film Festival Philippines (WPFF) celebrates film by showcasing the works of both critically acclaimed and young and upcoming film directors
The Last: Naruto the Movie
Bearing the title of The Last: Naruto the Movie, the animated film brings in high expectations especially for avid readers of the manga. After all, this is the first theatrical film to be rendered canon, or as an official part of Masashi Kishimoto‘s Naruto. (For full disclosure, I watched the
Para Sa Hopeless Romantic
Hope falters Why do we write? We write to express ideas. We write to amplify the voice of the unheard. We write to mend our broken selves. Heavily based on her ill-fated love with Nikko (James Reid) during their high school years, the main protagonist, Becca (Nadine Lustre), pens a
Cinemalaya 2015 announces its ten short features
From more than a hundred entries, the Cinemalaya Foundation selects ten promising entries for the Short Film category of the 2015 Cinemalaya Independent Film Competition. Apasol (Chasing Sun) by Ryanne Murcia Gatilyo ng Baril by Eero Yves Francisco and Glenmark ‘Marky’ Doromal Kyel by Arvin ‘Kadiboy’ Belarmino Lisyun qng Geografia
GUIDE: GMA News TV’s ‘Indie Kalibre’
GMA News TV presents ‘Indie Kalibre,’ featuring critically-acclaimed and award-winning Filipino independent films every Saturday night, starting May 9 at 10:15 PM. Missed out on Barber’s Tales, Thy Womb, and Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa in their festival premiere, theatrical release, or even in pop-up screenings? Don’t fret. GMA News
QCinema 2015 announces 8 full-length films in competition
On its third year, QCinema International Film Festival, the official film festival of Quezon City, the City of Stars, unveils its line-up of eight locally-produced full-length features for the Circle Competition 2015. Ang Huling Habagat by Mario Cornejo Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo by Mihk Vergara Iisa by Chuck
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Plucking the strings of Avengers, Ultron and the MCU Avengers: Age of Ultron by the numbers: 10 main characters. 142 minutes. 11th film over-all. 3rd superhero team-up film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 1st of 3 planned sequels to 2012’s The Avengers. It makes you younger soft tab cialis will
Jared Leto’s Joker in an iconic look for ‘Suicide Squad’
A day after David Ayer posted the first cast photo of DC’s anti-hero supervillain team flick Suicide Squad, the writer-director tweets out Jared Leto in Joker’s iconic green hair, holding a camera akin to the phenomenal cover of Batman: The Killing Joke, a one-shot superhero graphic novel by acclaimed writer
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ goes global
Shooting in different continents, even extending Johannesburg, The Avengers have to deal with the issue of being a global entity in Avengers: Age of Ultron. From the recently released featurette, from Jo Blo Movie Trailers, on the shooting locations of the film, director Joss Whedon and the various cast members
Furious 7
More furious than fast, ‘Furious 7’ presents itself as more than just high-speed chases and heists, yet still mechanical, as the franchise has always been.
‘Imbisibol’ sweeps Sinag Maynila 2015 awards
Lawrence Fajardo‘s Imbisibol is the big winner of Sinag Maynila as it takes home all seven jury awards from the Gabi ng Parangal held at SM Aura Sky Park on the eve of March 21,2015. Imbisibol, dubbed as best film of the inaugural form of the film festival, bags best
FESTIVAL REPORT: Sinag Maynila 2015
Currently running across seven SM cinemas around Metro Manila, Sinag Maynila stays true to its promise of offering “Pelikulang Pinoy, Pusong Pinoy” with five creative and socially relevant films: Paul Sta. Ana‘s Balut Country, about the story of a man undecided what to do with the duck farm business left
Cinderella
Cinderella updates the Walt Disney animated classic this 2015, six and a half decades since the classic animation was released, with an expected elegant production and well-integrated extra dimensions to its characters, which have been previously derided for promoting stereotype passive lasses or damsels-in-distress. The story is inherently the same,
March 2015 Screenings and Workshops at UPFI Film Institute
Environmental films, Cinema One Originals 2014, women in Philippine Cinema, digitally restored classics, Kidlat Tahimik’s new offering, workshops on photography, scriptwriting, and film criticism are abound this March 2015 at the Film Center of the UP Film Institute in UP Diliman. For admission information, call 9262722; 9263640. Luntiang Tabing Environmental
Singkuwento 2015 Winners
Starting as a showcase of Filipino films, Singkuwento International Film Festival evolved in its 2nd edition with the addition of a short film competition. Robert Reyes Ang, director of TNT (Tago Nang Tago), chaired the three-piece jury, composed of himself, Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo (filmmaker of Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni
