Let’s set expectations first. Full disclosure, I am in love with the original Blade Runner. It’s up there with Oldboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Fight Club (I was a hormonal teenager) in the list of films that changed my life. Given my adoration (and of course, Blade Runner 2049 being a sequel
Author: Tristan Zinampan
"Look at me, Look at me. I am the captain now."
Respeto: The Futility of Resignation
Warning: Full spoilers below. There’s a mislead inherent to Treb Monterras II’s Respeto. By its sheer inclusion of the rap battle subculture — one whose foundation in itself is competition — there’s the immediate perception that it falls under the underdog sports movie genre. But instead of following tropes akin
mother!
There’s this scene in Ex Machina where Domhnall Gleeson explains to Alicia Vikander’s Ava the allegory of Mary’s Room. He tells the story of how Mary, a scientist, knows everything that’s possible to know about color — spectrums, theories, etc. She though lives, as well as was born and raised,
Logan Lucky
It’s interesting to see how after a sort-of drought in the heist genre, we get two quality entries this year with Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver and — the brought-back-from-retirement — Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky. Both are stylized takes on the classic genre: featuring smart quirky dialogue, charming leads, and a
Death Note
Adaptations are a tricky business. There’s much to consider. At one end, originality must be injected to make the familiar unfamiliar (well, any self-respecting creative would feel the need to do so). On the other hand, one can’t stray too far or risk being accused of dishonoring the source material.
Birdshot: An Allegory of Paradise Lost
Warning: Full spoilers below. For the past three days I’ve been thinking about what part of Birdshot leaves me so unsettled, restless with a feeling of dread hovering above. Just like a gumshoe with an inkling he’s obsessesing over, I’ve been thinking, re-watching the film, trying to get a hold of
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B
There’s something inherently gothic in the pairing of romance and the supernatural — that notion of the taboo, the alienation that results from the “forbiddenness” of an affair, “you and me against the world.” There’s an idealistic purity that comes out from this subgenre of love; funny how it is
Baby Driver
Baby Driver opens with car chase perfectly synced to “Bellbottoms” by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. We see the titular Baby (Ansel Elgort) align every move to the music — timing a heist to the song’s bluesy riff, flooring the pedal as the same song explodes into a cacophony of frantic garage
War for the Planet of the Apes
NOTE: It’s assumed that the previous movies in this series have been seen by the readers (must I expound?). Anyhoo, light spoilers from the previous films follow. What I like about good war movies is not the spectacle of seeing big sweeping, epic shots of a battlefield — bullets and
Wonder Woman
Growing up, I loved superheroes. I’d spend my Friday nights all cuddled up in front of the TV excited for the weekly episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In grade school, I’d beg my parents to bring me to the then monumental Spider-man 1. I’d also buy TV Guides just
It’s Asgardians of Galaxy in “Thor: Ragnarok” Teaser Trailer
From the looks of it, we’re in for a retro rocking good time when Thor: Ragnarok hits Philippine theaters this November. Just rapid-firing: there’s the Led Zepellin soundtrack, the bursts of color, the Thor vs Hulk gladiatorial match, Cate Blanchett adding the much needed gravitas to the franchise, and of course,
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell is basically what’s wrong with big Hollywood adaptations. In its attempt to distill the original’s heady concepts into forms that are more palatable and, in their heads, more enjoyable to the general audience, what we get is something that is The arteries carrying blood into ordering
Pixar Debuts Teaser of its First Musical, “Coco”
Pixar has been in a rut lately. What once was a studio known for consistency, a bulwark for not just good but great animation, has found itself floundering in recent years. Finding Dory, The Good Dinosaur, Monsters University, Cars 2 — you can say that things have been pretty hit
Edgar Wright Goes Musical-Heist in First “Baby Driver” Trailer
In an alternate universe, Edgar Wright would have directed Marvel’s Ant-Man and we would have written about his new film Baby Driver referring to it as his follow-up. In that alternate universe, we would have made comparisons on the heist thrills both films exude, possibly even asking ourselves if a new “trilogy” of
Kong: Skull Island
If Kong: Skull Island is the next step in creating an expanded Marvel-esque universe for King Kong, Godzilla, and the rest of the Toho characters, then sign me up. Kong: Skull Island knows what it is doing. It doesn’t seek to be a gritty reboot, nor does it try to make itself overly serious — say
FESTIVAL OMNIBUS: Schedule and Trailers for SINAG MAYNILA 2017
Now on its 3rd year, the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival will be once again gracing Metro Manila cinemas this March 9 – 14, 2017. Participating cinemas include: SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, Glorietta, and Gateway. Below are the schedules for each respective theater. This year’s line-up includes films from a medley of
Logan
“Fuck.” Those are the first words that come out of Hugh Jackman’s mouth in Logan. He then proceeds to slice, dice, and brutalize every last vato trying to jack his ride. This is the Wolverine you’ve always dreamt of seeing on screen. All previous X-Men film have had this veneer of cleanliness whenever they’ve
T2 Trainspotting
Aside from the travesty that T2 Trainspotting reappropriated the title of arguably the greatest sequel in the history of cinema, it is a pretty satisfying follow-up to the 1996 cult hit, a natural progression. Though it may not be as frenetic as its predecessor, what is has now is maturity natural to
Fall Under the Spell of this Magic Temple-inspired Playlist
To promote their upcoming screening, the UP Film Circle has curated a set of tracks that drives that feel of nostalgia and adventure the 90s-classic Magic Temple has been known for. The 8-track playlist contains an eclectic mix of songs, both old and new, from films like Home, Aladdin, and The Jungle
Arrival
Arrival, in a way, is the anti-thesis of your standard, run-of-the-mill, alien invasion movie. The extraterrestrials here don’t enter earth’s atmosphere with a bang — there are no explosions to herald their (pun not intended) arrival— they do so with a whimper and that’s just what makes their presence all
Ma’ Rosa
Tales of crime and poverty have long been a staple of Philippine indie cinema; movies that aim to shed some light on the grim realities of life, along with the inequality and corruption that exists in the milieu that comes with it. Thus, it can be pretty exhausting to see the
Sakaling Hindi Makarating
Letters and Romance. Since time immemorial the two have been intertwined like the hands of lovers, or in some cases, the fingers of a pleading man in heartbreak. It is through letters that romance can be sparked, it is through letters that said romance can survive or flounder. Of secret notes
Captain America: Civil War
Let me go just say it upfront — Captain America: Civil War is the best Marvel movie to date. It works so well not just as a continuation but as a culmination of the whole eight years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This feels like what everything was building towards to
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
WARNING: Mild spoilers follow, but I won’t give away any major plot points (none that the trailers haven’t already given away that is). As a kid, one of the earliest memories I have is that of me and my mother plopping in front of the TV 7pm Friday nights to catch Batman:
Tandem
The best way to describe Tandem is that it is like the love child of Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive and Erik Matti’s On The Job. In a way, it takes the the 80’s sensibilities of the former and blends it with a plot involving the corruption and the political machinations of those in
