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MOVIE REVIEW: The Conjuring 2 (2016)
“The Conjuring 2” Review Written and Directed by James Wan Three years after the first film’s inception, The Conjuring 2 arrives with a fresh new face. A Marilyn Manson, demon general kind of face. And if you think the first one was scary… Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprises their roles as professional demonologists Ed and Lorraine…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Finding Dory (2016)
“Finding Dory” Review Written and Directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane One of the most anticipated sequels of the 2016, Finding Dory takes us back to the lives of beloved characters Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), Marlin (Albert Brooks), and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), a year after they crossed the ocean to rescue Nemo from a horrid and mundane…
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MOVIE REVIEW: A Hologram for the King (2016)
“A Hologram for the King” Review Written and Directed by Tom Tykwer Based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Dave Eggers. Uniting Hanks and Tykwer once again four years after Cloud Atlas, A Hologram for the King comes forth as another attempt at interpreting into film a book brimming with existentialism. The film lack depth and gravitas, but Hanks’ acting and…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Mother’s Day (2016)
“Mother’s Day” Review Directed by Gary Marshall Written by Tom Hines, Lily Hollander, Anya Kochoff, and Matthew Walker From the creators of Pretty Woman and Valentine’s Day comes another movie about another bloody holiday, since their writers must be having trouble with creativity these days, and holidays seem to be an easy enough material to…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Unlucky Plaza (2016)
“Unlucky Plaza” Review Written and Directed by Ken Kwek In Unlucky Plaza, debt-ridden restaurateur Onassis Hernandez (Jeffrey Quizon) struggles with his finances after a salmonella scandal caused by a disgruntled cook ruined his once prominent Filipino restaurant’s reputation. With eviction from his apartment as an added burden, and with no assistance from his estranged wife,…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Criminal (2016)
“Criminal” Review Directed by Ariel Vromen Written by Douglas Cook and David Weisber What with the already saturated market for mind-altering/wiping/reading, memory-recovering movies, Criminal gets on the bandwagon to amuse us once again with the premise of making something unfeasible possible. The film is director Ariel Vromen’s first venture into big-budget films after dabbling in a number of music videos, short films, and…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Demolition (2015)
“Demolition” Review Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Written by Bryan Sipe A man who lives in absolute privilege, Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes to terms with the sudden death of his wife Julia (Heather Lind). While other people normally mourn the death of a loved one, he ends up feeling nothing; in fact, he has never even shed…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Punla (2016, CineFilipino)
“Punla” Review Written and Directed by Kenneth Mandrilla Cinefilipino Film Festival 2016 Bugoy and Mikko are two friends who barely have any similarities between them; Mikko is chubby and clumsy, while Bugoy is slender and agile. Despite their differences, the two friends make things work and make sure to meet in their favorite playground every…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Aki (2016, CineFilipino)
“Aki” Review Written and Directed by Rommel Tolentino Cinefilipino Film Festival 2016 Aki (Japanese for autumn) is gone. Her mourning lover, Haruo, wanders around Japan trying to cope with her loss. And then it all goes black. In the Philippines, a woman named Myla is brutally raped by her own husband. She eventually dies but miraculously…
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MOVIE REVIEW: XXX (2016, CineFilipino)
“XXX” Review Written and Directed by Allison Barretto CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 XXX relays the story of Lucia Versoza, a seamstress from Angeles City, Pampanga. Working her way to the top of the regional beauty pageants, she simultaneously calls attention to her own dress shop by showcasing the gowns she makes for herself. What makes…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Chicboy (2016, CineFilipino)
“Chicboy” Review Directed by Jasper Ramon Tulabot Written by Jasper Ramon Tulabot and Rona Mae Lallana Cinefilipino Film Festival 2016 A man wakes up hung over and goes straight to the loo to relieve himself. When he comes out, he sees a beautiful woman he doesn’t recognize in bed, implying that they shared an intimate moment…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Sina Dino at ang Kanilang Sikreto (2016, CineFilipino)
“SiNa Dino at ang Kanilang Sikreto” Review Written and Directed by Miller E. Ursolino CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 (Best Documentary) Filipinos as a whole have the tendency to view seafarers and Overseas Filipino Workers as lucky individuals, living the high life abroad while earning substantially more than those who stayed. They get to travel, experience…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Not Applicable (2016, CineFilipino)
“Not Applicable” Review Written and Directed by Carl Adrian Chavez CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 Elsa, an overweight and highly unattractive call centre agent, gets a surprise visit from someone she’d rather not see ever: her half-sister Anna. Anna comes bearing gifts, replacing the wilted flowers from Elsa’s vase with fresh ones from a bouquet she brought…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Katok (2016, CineFilipino)
“Katok” Review Written and directed by Bob Guarina CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 Jepoy, a first time beggar for a syndicate, is dropped off in a part of the city unfamiliar to him. He henceforth goes ahead to rap his knuckles on car windows, asking for spare change. Some give him a few coins, one drivergive him…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Luna (2016, CineFilipino)
“Luna” Review Written and directed by Rae Red CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 Luna, an eleven-year old girl, has to contend with society’s expectations of what a proper young girl should be. Her school nemesis, Jeff Flestedo, makes fun of her fashion sense. The school prevents her from wearing the boys’ uniform, which she questions since…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Intruders (2015)
“Intruders [Shut In]” Review Directed by Adam Schindler Written by T.J. Cimfel and David White Intruders is an independent film that was called Shut In when it was still going through its rounds in the fest circuit. It started out quite promising until it deteriorates midway through the end of the film. Anna (Beth Riesgraf) is a single…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Kung ang Ulan ay Gawa sa Tsokolate (2016, CineFilipino)
“Kung ang Ulan ay Gawa sa Tsokolate” Review Written and directed by Prime Cruz and Galileo Te CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 In the not-so-distant future, the Philippines has become a global labour force due to the fact that Filipinos are now being literally exported overseas in the same way goods and produce are being exported today. Filipino…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Saan Man Ngunit Dito (2016, CineFilipino)
“Saan Man Ngunit Dito” Review Directed by Cheska Salangsang Written by Cheska Salangsang and Renard Torres CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 Carol and Pido are a married couple in the habit of mountaineering, and on this particular climb in Saan Man Ngunit Dito, opens with the couple having to cross a river, with Carol having difficulty doing…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Digpan Ning Alti (2016, CineFilipino)
“DigpaN Ning Alti” Review Written and directed by Bor Ocampo A series of unfortunate events—this short film might be the epitome of just that. In Digpan Ning Alti, the lives of two families intertwine in a ghastly manner after a neighbor’s dog steals the chicken a man is preparing for dinner. Rage-filled, the man gets…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Oktopus (2016, CineFilipino)
“Oktopus” Review Written and directed by JP Habac CineFilipino Film Festival 2016 When you grow old, do you look forward to waking up to another morning? Or are you simply waiting to expire? Oktopus opens with elderly Kurding and Hermie fooling around while on a cheap merry-go-round of sorts in a rural amusement park. Krding…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Norm of the North (2016)
“Norm of the North” Review Directed by Trevor Wall Written by Daniel Altiere, Steven Altiere, Malcolm T. Goldman, and Jamie Lissow Pixar is a company that produces animated flicks that not only entertain the whole family regardless of age or gender, but also excels in exemplary writing and opens you up to a level of…
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MOVIE REVIEW: Trumbo (2015)
“Trumbo” Review Directed by Jay Roach Screenplay by John McNamara, based on the book by Bruce Cook Trumbo is a biopic of Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), a self-confessed Communist radical, who fought of the earthly forces that deliberately unseated him from the comfort of his life and prominence by tagging him as an enemy of…
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MOVIE REVIEW: The Program (2015)
An Irish sports journalist becomes convinced that Lance Armstrong’s performances during the Tour de France victories are fueled by banned substances. With this conviction, he starts hunting for evidence that will expose Armstrong.
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MOVIE REVIEW: London Has Fallen (2016)
“LONDON HAS FALLEN” REVIEW DIRECTED BY BABAK NAJAFI STORY BY CREIGHTON ROTHENBERGER AND KATRIN BENEDIKT “Prepare for Bloody Hell.” Not exactly original. Or witty. But the imagery and the line would already give you an idea what to expect, more so if you were able to watch the first film. London has Fallen is the…
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