Movie Reviews, News, Pinoy Film Reviews, Philippine Film Entertainment Stuff, Articles, Screening Skeds of the movies shown in Iloilo City. The country's only NO-GOSSIP BS Entertainment Website. For Film Junkies like you and me. Watch out for JUST ANOTHER FILM JUNKIE at the Iloilo City newspaper daily, The Guardian, every weekends.
Wrath of the Titans is Spectacularly Epic! by Reymundo Salao
WRATH OF THE TITANS is the sequel to the 2010 movie Clash of the Titans. In this movie, the gods and goddesses of Olympus are dying and losing their power, while Titans that have long been imprisoned are about to rise and have their revenge against the gods and goddesses, and unleash their chaos against mankind. Perseus must travel deep into Tartarus to save his father, and stop the wrath of the titans.
The 2010 movie Clash of the Titans was battered by critics so much that there was really a conscious effort to make the sequel far more impressive than just better. And this movie did indeed meet those expectations. Great story, impressive action, and jaw-dropping visuals; WRATH OF THE TITANS is enjoyably epic.
In the dystopian future, the civilization known as Panem has lived long after war, disaster and the ravaged ruins of what was known as America. In the aftermath of the Civil War which sought to rebel against the tyrannical government, the defeated rebels were divided into several districts. And as punishment for their rebellion, every year, one boy and one girl both between the ages of 12 to 18 shall be chosen from each district and to compete in a contest where they must kill each other and only one must be victorious, a ruthless reminder that no one can oppose the authority of the Capitol. This contest is known as The Hunger Games.
The strong anticipation for the movie paid off, certainly with a strong entrance at the US box office, and critical response which was equally high also. The movie was indeed a fine movie, but after a while in reviewing it, I felt that it could have been a far more stronger movie. It was a good movie, but it did not really leave an impression upon me; and it was a bit forgettable.
MIRROR, MIRROR is Immensely Fun! by Reymundo Salao
MIRROR, MIRROR is a fantasy adventure movie adaptation of the fairy tale SNOW WHITE (AND THE SEVEN DWARVES) It’s directed by Tarsem Singh, who directed “The Cell”, “The Fall” and “Immortals”, and stars Lily Collins as Snow White, the ever-funny Nathan Lane, Armie Hammer, and Julia Roberts as the wickedly amusing Evil Queen.
This movie is something that has a little too many of almost everything you can get from a movie that promises pure fun and entertainment. It’s got funny bandit dwarves, evil magic, a monster that haunts the forest, and swashbuckling action. It is one of those movies where all the elements of the movie work so harmoniously. From the acting, to the lavish and pleasantly bizarre costumes, to the special effects, the concept, the story, and the direction itself. All these factors complement each other to create such an enjoyable masterpiece.
IS 'CORAZON' BOUND TO BE A CLASSIC? [review] by Reymundo Salao
CORAZON is a movie that I was hoping would be as good as YANGGAW. My initial fear was on the notion that no matter how good a director or a writer is, if it goes through studio execs and producers just like any mainstream Tagalog movie does, the original concept for the film becomes adulterated. The creative process undertaken by a writer and/or director can easily be altered by producers who are more concerned in altering the cast, creative process, and the story, without regard. And this meddling can damage the creativity of the finished product.
The movie itself is highly impressive, and if you count on a comparative scale, there are very very few Pinoy mainstream horror movies that are this good. That is why I will not be surprised if this joins the ranks of the top ten best Pinoy horror movies ever made. My judgment on it is partially on a level that considers the mass audience and was slightly adjusted to fit Pinoy cinema standards.
JOHN CARTER (it’s also entitled JOHN CARTER FROM MARS) is the story adapted from the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom book series; about a Civil War soldier named John Carter who found himself teleported into another world where conflicts are stirring, and he ends up being the hero that seeks to restore peace on the planet.
Everything that you saw from the JOHN CARTER movie looks like a mash-up of various different carbon-copies of things you already saw in other sci-fi movies. Even in the trailers, JOHN CARTER looks like it was a montage of different sci-fi movies; nothing in it stands out to be unique or interesting.
Simply Ghastly and Disturbing
The ROAD Review
by Reymundo Salao
THE ROAD is a story about the ghostly hauntings in an abandoned road, and the disturbing killings that occurred there 10 to 20 years ago. This film is directed by one of the very few really good directors working on mainstream Philippine cinema: Yam Laranas. Laranas has been known for “Sigaw” which was later given a Hollywood remake, directed by Laranas himself, entitled “The Echo”.
THE ROAD is top quality, must-watch for those who love horror movies. It’s a solid combination of a well-made storyline and script, refreshingly dynamic concepts, and topnotch direction. As expected from a Yam Laranas movie, you get magnificent cinematography, even for Hollywood standards. This movie has plenty of simply astounding visuals, we can clearly see Laranas’ mastery of Light, Shadow, and Color, as if he could easily capture and manipulate life with a camera. The story and the direction create a movie that can be added in to what may be one of the finest ghost story movies ever made.
Tarsem Singh's IMMORTALS (no relation to the Angel Locisn, John Lloyd TV series) has been recently released internationally. And during recent interview, he revealed that he is very interested in creating a live-action version of Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Samurai Jack.' The series, which follows a samurai from feudal Japan thrust into the future by a demon and forced to find a way to return to his own time. Singh admitted that while he's not a big fan of what he calls "comic strip films," he loves the pacing and the animation of 'Samurai Jack.' He's gone so far as to publicly request that Cartoon Network execs give him a call.
Tarsem Singh, with his extremely stylized visual style (he also directed "The Cell" which starred Jennifer Lopez, and "The Fall"), is a perfect director which may be more than capable of recapturing the bizarre and utterly cool universe of Samurai Jack. Oh, how I wish the great actor and voice talent Mako was still alive to do his voice of Aku, or at least the narration of the movie, just like he did in the animated TV series.
A live-action version of Samurai Jack was actually set up at New Line in the early 2000s, with Brett Ratner attached to direct and produce, but THANK GOD, that did not materialize (since 'Jack is such a great concept only to be given to a hack like Ratner) and the rights have since reverted back to Cartoon Network.
Tarsem is currently in post-production on his movie "Mirror, Mirror" which is his take on the Snow White story (which is destined to rival "Snow White and the Huntsman"). "Mirror, Mirror" is set to be released in March 2012, while "Immortals" is set to have its Philippine release this November 2011.
[NEWS UPDATE: THE RELEASE HAS BEEN RE-SCHEDULED TO DECEMBER 7. read more]I know a lot of people who have been bummed out by the fact that “IMMORTALS” will not be opening this week in Philippine theaters. “Immortals” is an upcoming 2011 3D fantasy adventure film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, and Mickey Rourke. The film also stars Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Joseph Morgan, Stephen Dorff, Alan Van Sprang, Isabel Lucas, and John Hurt. Although not marketed widely, the film has attracted and has generated a buzz in the local online scene with its trailer that reminded viewers of a cinematic look very much resembling Zack Snyder’s “300”. It should be taken note that “300” was such a hit here in the Philippines, as it is internationally. The hype surrounding “Immortals” proves that the moviegoing is drooling for a movie that would excite and entertain them the way “300” did.
One source states that the Philippine release date for IMMORTALS is November 30, 2011. The official international release date of the movie is November 11, 2011. And just like any big movie, we are usually included to be among the countries that enjoy simultaneous international release (sometimes, Philippine release dates even come in advance than U.S. and U.K. releases). In the case of IMMORTALS, we were simply not included in its simultaneous international release list. Which seems like a big mistake because the Philippines has been one of the biggest Hollywood-patronizing countries, but at the same time, is one of the countries where piracy and torrent activity is rampant.
Wrath of the Titans is Spectacularly Epic! 
