Jori's Entertainment Journal

The Untold Chapter of Edgar Allan Poe's Life: The Raven

2012-05-22T06:14:00.000+08:00

The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death – in Intrepid Pictures' new stylish, gothic thriller “The Raven” starring John Cusack as the infamous author. The film will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma).

When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve) becomes the next target.

Also starring Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, “The Raven” is directed by James McTeigue (“V For Vendetta”) from a screenplay by Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston.

When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper—part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story.

Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe’s writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author’s help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer’s next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it’s too late.

James McTeigue immediately gravitated towards “The Raven's” script when it was brought to him by producer Aaron Ryder who previously worked on similar psychological thrillers as “Memento,” “The Prestige” and “Donnie Darko.” “I knew a little about Edgar Allan Poe, but not massive amounts. I really dug the concept, which was a melding of fact and fiction, with Poe in the middle of his own story. The conceit of the movie is what really attracted me to it.”

The director adds, “We've always the desire to humanize Poe. You don’t want an unsympathetic lead character because then no one can get into the film. Having said that, I didn’t want him to be a choirboy either. Part of the reason to cast John Cusack in it, was because he has a great empathy with audiences. I thought we could show the less desirable aspects of Poe, but still not have the audiences turned off. You can’t really make a film about Poe and not show these demons, which ultimately created all of the great work that he did.”

Premiering exclusively on Ayala Cinemas tomorrow, May 23 from Intrepid Pictures and Relativity Media.

Agent 007 Update: Skyfall Teaser Trailer Released

2012-05-22T04:15:00.001+08:00

Here's the teaser trailer for the latest 007 installment, Skyfall. The teaser features Daniel Craig as Bond being interrogated on an unknown facility (presumably inside MI6) about something called Skyfall. Watch the video and see the early footage included on the teaser.

So far the plot is still sounds ordinary. As a matter of fact, this kind of plot where Bond is accused of something is a common device used on all bond movies and even on most spy themed movies. So what this movie need to show is the story itself and how will it be uniquely executed. Looking forward to hear more about this film on the coming weeks or months.

Opening in local cinemas on October 31, to be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Warner Bros. Teases us with Rock of Ages Music Video

2012-05-17T03:02:00.000+08:00

Warner Bros. just released a new video straight from New Line Cinema's upcoming musical film Rock of Ages. The Music video features the track "Anyway you want it" as performed by Mary J. Blige and Julianne Hough. Watch the exciting preview to find out how will this musical will feel like.

Directed by “Hairspray’s” Adam Shankman, “Rock of Ages” tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and more.

The movie musical stars Julianne Hough (“Burlesque”), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand (“Arthur”), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”), Malin Akerman (“The Proposal”) and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominees Alec Baldwin (“The Cooler”) and Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx.

Shankman directs “Rock of Ages” from a screenplay by Justin Theroux and Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb, based on D’Arienzo’s musical of the same name.

As an added treat, Constantine Maroulis' (Drew Boley in Broadway version) cameo is also confirmed and in fact he is listed on the track recording as one of the performers of the song you just heard. So how's that for the Broadway junkies out there. I just hope the cameo is not that bad. I remember when Ricki Lake did appeared in Hairspray, it is quite a very long cameo appearance and I expect that Shankman will do the same with Maroulis.

Opening across the Philippines in June 14, 2012, “Rock of Ages” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

A Very Underwhelming 4 Minute Preview of The Amazing Spider-man

2012-05-15T13:54:00.000+08:00

Columbia Pictures releases a 4 minute preview of The Amazing Spider-man. Personally I'm kinda disappointed with the preview but maybe that is just me. Watch the trailer, after the jump.

I'm so disappointed of this preview because it doesn't really show new footage. If you are the one who follows the film's regular marketing materials, you will notice that most of the sequence on this preview are already included on the past trailers. The only new thing that this preview have is that scene with the kid which is for me is not really a big deal. I'm expecting more Lizard footage and all we got is Spider-man saving a kid in distress. Well at least now it is not Mary Jane.

But either way, I'm still excited to see the movie when it finally hits the local cinemas on June 29. The Amazing Spider-man is from Marvel Studios to be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International..

Recalling a Classic: Total Recall Remake

2012-05-15T12:44:00.002+08:00

Shame on me that the only Philip K. Dick movie that I saw is the Adjustment Bureau. Well I did saw Total Recall and Minority Report but never really watch it wholeheartedly and maybe I just saw it once or twice. Good thing Columbia Pictures is bringing back a classic and I will be given the chance to enjoy another great material. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs.

But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Nighy) and stop Cohaagen.

The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Now I have a slight faint of recollection of the first Total Recall movie. Other than being advance on special effects, one biggest difference is the strong political theme of this new one. With the bad reputation of remakes, I'm definitely expecting so much for this film and I really don't want to be disappointed. Well at least I have good reasons to see this -- Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, hehe. Well maybe it is also a good idea to see the original Total Recall and Minority Report just to refresh my memory.

Opening in August 22, 2012 on local cinemas, “Total Recall” is to be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

The Amazing Spider-man Good News: More Lizard and New Release Date

2012-05-13T11:58:00.000+08:00

Just like what we are expecting, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures is on its way to further releasing more marketing materials for the upcoming reboot The Amazing Spider-man. And since we are asking for it, Sony releases more materials showing the Villain, Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard. Below is a featurette that premieres the first footage of Connors' transformation to Lizard.

And below is promotional shot of the Lizard. I admit that the face still looks a bit odd for me but like Spidey's new costume, it slowly syncs in to me and I'm getting use to it.

Now let's go to the next good news. To all of my avid readers, you may have marked your calendars on July 4 for the movie's release on local cinemas. But guess what, Columbia Pictures Philippines just announced that The Amazing Spider-man will be bumped 5 days earlier. So instead of July 4, the film will be hitting the cinemas on June 29. The reason is not really stated but I guess it is done to preempt The Dark Knight Rises' release in July. I guess for me that is a good move and Spidey fans are already excited anyway. So why delay. What do you think about the date change? Hit the comments for your insights.

An Open Invitation: Prometheus International Trailer

2012-05-08T16:59:00.003+08:00

20th Century Fox Philippines releases the official international trailer for Prometheus. The trailer is morethan 3 minutes long and contains never before seen footage from the film. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Ridley Scott brings us PROMETHEUS, set in a future where two superpowers control Earth and fight each other to gain control of all the solar system's natural resources. Starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace, "Prometheus" brings together a team of scientists, 'The Company' representatives and robot synthetics to investigate and search for keys to unlock man's ultimate mystery.

PROMETHEUS (in 3D) opens June 7 in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Whoa that's quite interesting. It looks like Ridley Scott will not disappoint us. Though it appears that this trailer shows too much with 3 minutes of footage almost showing the whole plot, I'm still convinced that there is more to see than what we already witnessed on this trailer. Let's just say, Scott just need to show what is the movie in a nutshell that is why he released this version of trailer. Personally speaking they got my attention and I'm loving what I'm seeing so far.

Coming in Philippine cinemas on June 6, 2012, “Prometheus” is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. (in Phil. theaters) nationwide.

Dark Shadows Featurette: Man Behind the Shadows, Tim Burton

2012-05-08T15:51:00.000+08:00

Dark Shadows is finally coming to cinemas in 2 days and I can't wait to have a good old fashioned vampire flick as my movie fix for this week. But before the premiere here's a featurette released by Warner Bros. pictures featuring the genius behind the film--Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland).

From visionary director Tim Burton comes the big-screen adaptation of the TV vampire classic “Dark Shadows” featuring an all-star cast, led by perennial collaborator Johnny Depp.

“Dark Shadows” begins in the year 1752, when Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Opening across the Philippines on May 10, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Amazing Spider-man Unleashes New Trailer

2012-05-04T13:21:00.002+08:00

Sony Pictures releases the new trailer for The Amazing Spider-man boasting with more new footage and more hints about the plot. Watch the trailer after the jump.

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man™. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

This movie is slowly getting better and better. And now that the Avengers is already running in the cinemas, Marvel Studio is finally putting all of the marketing effort to The Amazing Spider-man by giving us more good stuff like this trailer. It looks like the dark execution is working pretty well with Spidey without compromising the humor and youthful mythos of our friendly neighborhood. I also like how the cgi is executed with small imperfections making the sequences more realistic as compared to the cgi scenes of the original Trilogy. Looking forward for this film.

Opening across all cinemas nationwide on ~~July 4, 2012~~ June 29, 2012 from Marvel Studios to be distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International..

Warner Bros. Brings Us the New Trailer for The Dark Knight Rises

2012-05-02T03:01:00.002+08:00

Warner Bros. Pictures finally revealed the new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises giving more footage and hints to what will actually happen in the epic conclusion of the Dark Knight Legend. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

So according to the trailer this is some of the facts that we can learn. Currently using a laptop with a very poor sound quality so I may be wrong, feel free to correct me.

Batman is being hunted by people because Bane is holding the whole Gotham hostage. Makes sense but too common. Now it will only boils to how it will be executed.
The Dark Knight Rises doesn't need a Robin because Selena Kyle aka Catwoman could be Bat's sidekick on this film. To all comicbook fans we know Catwoman's anti-hero status where she occasionally swings from being a hero to sometimes being a full pledged villain. But it looks like Catwoman (played by Anne Hathaway) will be working side by side Batman against Bane and his army.
Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) is definitely Bruce Wayne's new squeeze. As if that lip-locking scene is not giveaway enough.
"The Bat" (Bat Plane) is possibly the Bat Tumbler without the wheels. So in other words the Tumbler is now a 3 in one vehicle (car, motorcycle, hover jet).

So far I can say that The Dark Knight Rises regained my attention but visually speaking I'm not amused. I hope the story is enough to blow my mind this coming July. Opening in local cinemas on July 19, 2012, to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Dark Shadows Featurette: History of Vampires

2012-04-30T06:29:00.000+08:00

Warner Bros. releases a new Featurette for the upcoming classic revival of the hti TV series Dark Shadows. On this featurette, cast and Director talks about the history of Vampires most specifically on film and TV media. Educate yourself with the basics of Vampire history and watch the video after the jump.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

LOL I think they forgot to mention those vampires from Forks, Washington, hehehe. Looks like I will be enjoying this movie when it comes out two weeks from now. The mixture of campy humor and classic vampire concept, plus Tim Burton's direction are just enough reasons to make me very excited to see this vampire flick.

Opening across the Philippines on May 10, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Prometheus Feature: Weyland Industries Introduces David 8

2012-04-22T16:47:00.000+08:00

Kicking off for Prometheus viral marketing is a video featuring Michael Fassbender as the android called Dave. This video is suppose to be a promotional ad for Weyland Industries newest version of David android which is according to the video has new upgrade which is "real emotions". Watch the video after the jump.

He has been reimagined, reengineered and brought to life with better technological, intellectual, physical and emotional performance than ever before. Welcome to the eighth generation of cybernetic advancement. Brought to you by Weyland Industries.

With his new 99% emotional sensitivity level, David 8 can enter seamlessly into any environment and carry out an authentic human interaction. David 8 can understand and respond appropriately to even the most intricate emotional cues or subtly stated verbal commands. David 8 has valuable skills in manufacturing, finance, earth sciences and medicine, and he can become instantly competent in almost any other field... Read More...

This video gives me the creeps. I not really sure why. I like it that Michael Fassbender is doing a great job on portraying a robotic role. There is a touch stiffness but at the same time his eyes can show emotions. Contradicting qualities but blends well with Fassbender's acting skill. David also reminds me of Steven Spielberg's 2001 sci-fi drama AI: Artificial Inteligence, where the main protagonist is also called David. I don't know if the idea is intentionally the same but both has a distinguishing quality of having emotions despite being mechanical creations. The only difference is David 8 has an Adult form while David from AI is a mecha child. This movie is slowly getting better and better with all this viral marketing gimmicks. I'm quite very excited but at the same time very worried. Very worried that behind the hype is an underwhelming film. I really hope it is not.

Coming in Philippine cinemas on June 6, 2012, “Prometheus” is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. (in Phil. theaters) nationwide.

Snow White and the Huntsman New Trailer and Poster Released

2012-04-18T16:10:00.000+08:00

Universal Pictures releases new Trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman and Charlize Theron as the evil Queen Ravenna. Watch the trailer after the jump.

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar(r) winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power. The breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale is from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland, producer Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.

Haven't seen Mirror Mirror but I guess I will like this much better. Mirror Mirror seems to be lighter and comedic. For now I prefer something darker and action packed. Still worried with Kristem Stewart's performance but I guess her emotionless face will play a good role on this movie. Let's hope for the best.

Opening in June 1, 2012, in cinemas nationwide from Universal Pictures to be distributed by Solar Entartainment through United International Pictures.

Joss Whedon Officially Revealed Loki's Army

2012-04-16T11:53:00.000+08:00

This is probably the most talked about topic ever since the movie's first public announcement. And of course media tried their best to squeeze the information from cast and crew but the only answer we got from the director and the producer is "they are absolutely not the Skrulls". But finally, Joss Whedon broke his silence. On a recent press conference he finally revealed and confirmed one of the theories to whom or what is the identity of Loki's army.

“The alien race are the Chitauri — or a version of them — because they are not one of the key races and they don’t have a storied history. That wasn’t the point. I know this debate will go on long after I’m dead. I would say it was the Kree-Skrull race.”

-Joss Whedon

Personally, I don't know how to react on that statement. It sounds very weird and very confusing. I'm trying to look for a complete transcript just to enlighten me further but in a nut shell, Joss Whedon confirms that the Alien Race is actually the Chitauri. To those who don't know the Chitauri, they are basically the version of Skrulls in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Yes they are also shape shifters and completely nasty.

But if we will inspect Whedon's statement, it is possible that the Chitauri will be a separate race to Skrulls which I believe is being saved for a later sequel. That is in a way makes more sense since Skrulls have more iconic characters compared to the Chitauri that looks like will be just a plain old pawns on this installment. Not really excited with this development but it definitely opens more possibilities for the franchise. Add to that is the reported mid credits scene with [bleep]. Oh this movie will be the bomb for this year.

Opening in local cinemas on April 25, The Avengers is from Marvel Studios to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days First Trailer and Poster Released

2012-04-16T05:42:00.000+08:00

20th Century FOX releases the very first trailer and poster for the upcoming 3rd installment of Diary of a Wimpy Kid titled Dog Days. Watch the trailer after the jump.

During his summer vacation, "Wimpy Kid" Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club -- which fails to keep him away from the season's dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong.

The first film is actually very profound in my standards, teaching kids how to be themselves in the society is the film's main strength. 2nd film is a little bit annoying maybe because of the annoying Rodrick but it manages to still give enough laughs. Now in the 3rd film is coming, I'm very worried that this one one will be something that will actually put the franchise on a death wish. I really hope it is not.

Scheduled to hit local cinemas on August 15, 2012, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days is from 20th Century Fox, to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Releases New Trailer

2012-04-16T03:55:00.002+08:00

20th Century Fox just released an interesting second trailer for the upcoming fantasy flick Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The movie did caught my attention before but because I'm still preoccupied by some other upcoming movie, I hardly took the chance to check the new developments about this film. Well either way here's the trailer, watch it after the jump.

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” explores the secret life of one of the greatest US presidents, and the untold story that shaped a nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of "Wanted") bring a fresh and visceral voice to the bloodthirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history's greatest hunter of the undead.

Based on the mash-up novel by Seth Grahame-Smith of which he also co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Kinberg (best known for his work in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), Benjamin Walker stars at the titular character on his quest for bloodthirsty vampires and trying to end a war where only the living can kill the undead. Starring alongside Walker in this vein-thumping film are Rufus Sewell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alan Tudyk and Dominic Cooper.

Hmmm I know people maybe very excited and hyped by this movie but personally, what I'm just seeing is a bloody twisted tale of a non-fictional icon. It is interesting but not that exciting. It will take me more than the fact that this is produced by Tim Burton to put my whole faith over it. For now I'm reserving my judgement before I finally see the film.

Opens in local cinemas on June 21, 2012 “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Rock of Ages Releases New Trailer

2012-04-04T17:00:00.000+08:00

Warner Bros. Pictures releases a new trailer for the Adam Shankman Film Adaptation of Rock of Ages. This new trailer includes new footage and new teaser for the other songs from the musical that will surely excite your rockin' appetite. Watch the trailer after the jump.

“Rock of Ages” tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and more.

The movie musical stars Julianne Hough (“Burlesque”), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand (“Arthur”), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”), Malin Akerman (“The Proposal”) and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominees Alec Baldwin (“The Cooler”) and Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx.

Shankman directs “Rock of Ages” from a screenplay by Justin Theroux and Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb, based on D’Arienzo’s musical of the same name.

So far everything is looking good. For somebody like me who don't really like Rock, I think I'll be one of those who will be having his feet tapping during the screening. Though I'm still worried to what will be the outcome of the film, a part of me already know that it has a potential because of Adam Shankman (I love Hairspray).

Coming on June 14, 2012 in Philippine cinemas from New Line Cinema, to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

When Legends Unite: Rise of the Guardians First Trailer Released

2012-03-31T01:45:00.000+08:00

From the makers of hit animated features such as Shrek Series, How to Train Your Dragon, Puss in Boots and the upcomng Madgascar Sequel, Dreamworks Animation just released a full trailer for the upcoming epic animation, Rise of the Guardians. Watch the trailer after the jump.

More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians tells the story of a group of heroes — each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world. This epic 3D adventure stars Chris Pine as Jack Frost, Alec Baldwin as North (Santa Claus), Hugh Jackman as Bunnymund (Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher as Tooth (Tooth Fairy) and Jude Law as Pitch (The Boogeyman).

As you can see, this somehow reminds me of Alan Moore's League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen. Like LXG, Rise of the Guardians collects iconic fairy tale figures as heroes. It is quite a good new perspective for the said characters specially to people like me who are tired of seeing them on their usual gigs. Maybe it is time to put a little twists on this famous characters and let them embark on an adventure that will change how we see them. I'm definitely excited to see how this animation will come out.

Set to premiere on November 2012, Rise of the Guardians is from Dreamworks Animation to be distributed by Solar Entertainment through United International Pictures.

Wrath of the Titans Creature Feature: Minotaur

2012-03-29T18:33:00.000+08:00

Here's another video featuring another creature from the universe of Wrath of the Titans. He is big and powerful. Considered as one of the most well known Greek Mythological creature. We present you the guard of Tartarus, the Minotaur.

In the mythology, Minotaur is well known for its distinct feature of having a bull as head on a humanoid body. It has been like that for centuries and it does makes him look scary and not to mention very intimidating. But in Wrath of the Titans, the designer go beyond what is conventional.

This time, the Minotaur doesn't look like a bull but more of a disfigured human with horns. Though it doesn't look like the Minotaur we always know, the horns retains his identity as the relentless creature with inhuman strength and blood-lust. Being the guard of Tartarus is also a nod to his original myth of being imprisoned on a labyrinth by his own stepfather, Minos after it is born out of punishment by the goddess Aphrodite. The Minotaur spends all his life inside the cavern eating human sacrifices until one day it is killed on a batlle against a hero from Athens.

Witness how the Minotaur beat the hell out of Perseus today as Wrath of the Titans premieres on local cinemas nationwide. Directed by Jonahan Liebesman, Wrath of the Titans is from Legendary Pictures, to distributed by Warner Bros.

Wrath of the Titans Creature Feature: Makhai

2012-03-24T09:07:00.000+08:00

Warner Bros. released another featurette now showcasing another creature for the upcoming film, Wrath of the Titans. We've already met the fire-breathing, two-headed Chimera last time. Now we will meet another one who's blood lust and will to fight increments in every battle. May I present to everyone, the spirits of Battle and Combat -- The Makhai.

Makhais are war spirits born from the Goddess of discord, Eris. According to my research, Makhai's are rarely described. This gives Wrath of the Titans creative department freedom to design the creature.

In the film they are double dorsal which means the character consists two spines giving the creature two upper bodies. The video also shows that Makhais are spawned from volcanoes giving them a Lava burned skins giving a more menacing and scary look. It seems that Andromeda's (Rosamund Pike) army will have the fight of their lives as these rampaging creatures eliminate them one by one in just single blow of its swords. Will they prevail against these beings of rage or will they need another helping hand from a demigod? We will definitely find out when the movie premieres several days from now.

Opening on March 29 across Philippine cinemas, Wrath of the Titans is from Legendary Pictures to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Titanic Anniversary Feature: Return to Titanic

2012-03-23T14:57:00.000+08:00

20th Century Fox released new featurettes that shows commentary and showcase about revisiting James Cameron's classic film and conversion to 3D format. The videos refreshes us with the good memories of this classic love story as well as the tragic and emotional facade where the film becomes famous of. The videos also discusses the technology that we use to lack when Titanic first premiered and now is used to transform it to a film that conforms to present cinematic sensibilities. Watch the videos after the jump.

On April 6th, 2012, precisely a century after the historic ship’s sinking and 15 years after the film’s initial theatrical release, TITANIC resurfaces in theaters in state-of-the-art 3D.

Upon its original release, TITANIC was celebrated for transporting audiences back in time, right into the belly of the R.M.S Titanic in all her glory and into the heart of a forbidden love affair entwined with the ship’s epic collision with human arrogance, nature and fate. Now, the leading edge of 3D conversion technology has allowed Oscar® winning director James Cameron to bring moviegoers the most visceral and dynamic screen experience of TITANIC yet imagined.

The artistic process of re-visualizing TITANIC in three dimensions was overseen entirely by Cameron himself, along with his long-time producing partner Jon Landau – who both pushed the conversion company Stereo D literally to unprecedented visual breadth. Cameron guided them to use the latest visual tools not only to intensify the film’s sweeping race for survival, but to reveal the power of 3D to make the film’s most stirring emotions even more personal.

I'm not really a big fan of 3D conversion so I may come to the cinemas just for the film itself. I really miss this movie and even though it has been shown on cable several times, I will be more than excited to experience it once again in the big screen.

Returning on cinemas in April 7, 2012, Titanic 3D is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Wrath of the Titans Creature Feature: Chimera

2012-03-22T14:54:00.000+08:00

Known as one of the the Greek Mythology's most vicious monster, Chimera is taking the center stage on the upcoming Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of the Titans. Warner bros. releases this video featuring the part lioness, part snake and part goat monstrosity with commentaries from the director, writer and special effects crew. Watch the video after the jump.

As expected the designer goes beyond what Chimera should look like. Instead of sticking with the original design, he kind of played with the concept creating a much more scary and epic concept design.

Wrath of the Titans' Chimera now contains two heads as oppose to the original that the other head should be just sticking out of its spine and the heads neither look like a lion or a goat but more demonic and menacing. The snake tail is still there but one interesting addition to Chimera is the pair of wings. As if a flightless Chimera is not scary enough. But true enough, the creature's appearance becomes more badass with those contraptions and it makes the monster more tougher to beat not to mention that it is also huge. Definitely it will be a treat and I'm absolutely looking forward to see Chimera in action when Wrath of the Titans opens in cinemas next week.

Coming on March 29 in Philippine cinemas, Wrath of the Titans is from Legendary Pictures to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Prometheus First Full Length Trailer Premieres

2012-03-18T13:47:00.000+08:00

I really thought this trailer is set to premiere tomorrow but it seems that it came out earlier than expected. Exclusive from AMC Theatre's youtube account, here's Ridley Scott's Prometheus.

Ridley Scott brings us PROMETHEUS, set in a future where two superpowers control Earth and fight each other to gain control of all the solar system's natural resources. Starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace, "Prometheus" brings together a team of scientists, 'The Company' representatives and robot synthetics to investigate and search for keys to unlock man's ultimate mystery.

Hmmm I guess now I'm convinced that this film has a big connection with Ridley Scott's Alien lore though up to this moment it is not clear to what extent. I remember this one interview with Ridley when he mentioned that the only connection of Prometheus to Alien is Peter Weyland who also according to the actor who plays him (Guy Pearce) will only be appearing in the film for only a couple of minutes.

I'm not really a big fan of the franchise. I saw the film when I was a kid but never really gave a lot of attention to it. Maybe I'll just have to watch the trilogy when I got the chance. Either way this film looks promising. I hope the hype lives up to the actual film when it finally reach cinemas in June.

Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien and Bladerunner), starring Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Noomi Rapace (Sherlock Holmes 2), Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class), Logan Marshall-Green (Across the Universe) and a lot more. Coming in Philippine cinemas on June 6, 2012, “Prometheus” is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. (in Phil. theaters) nationwide.

Warner Bros. Releases First Trailer for Dark Shadows

2012-03-16T11:38:00.000+08:00

Warner Bros. Pictures presents another Tim Burton masterpiece based on a classic hit TV series. Watch the interesting first trailer as we meet Barnabas Collins (Depp) and the unholy legion of characters of Dark Shadows.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Looks like Depp is finally fulfilling another bucket list since I believe this is his first vampire role. So far based on the trailer, he is quite good on playing a blood sucking monster and though the movie is obviously a comedy, I'm still hoping for a darker plot hiding beneath those campy scenes. This movie is definitely included on my list when it finally comes out later this summer.

Directed by Tim Burton, Dark Shadows is set to premiere on local cinemas on May 10 to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Ice Age Continental Drift Full Length Trailer Released

2012-03-14T09:20:00.000+08:00

20th Century Fox finally released the first full length trailer for the upcoming fourth installment, Ice Age Continental Drift. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Scrat's nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he's been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences - a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home.

Looks promising but it makes me wonder how long will this series go. Will this be the last? Not really sure. I guess as long as the series is doing good, they will continue to milk the franchise until people lose interest. Personally speaking, Dawn of the Dinosaurs though entertaining and funny, the installment still confuses me so much that after watching it, I never look forward for another one. I just wish at least this one is still entertaining because either way, this installment could be a disappointment or just another reason for the franchise to move forward. Let's all find out when it comes out on July.

Coming in cinemas on July 12, 2012, from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.