“BLAIR WITCH” HORROR PHENOMENON RETURNS ON SEPTEMBER 14 Available in 2D and 4DX Screens [R13]

Shot over 32 days in Vancouver and British Columbia, the filmmakers of the latest “Blair Witch” movie striven to capture the authentic spirit of the previous global hit “The Blair Witch Project,” while again pushing the boundaries of found footage films. 

 

 

In the new “Blair Witch” movie, 20 years after, a group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offers to act as guides through the dark and winding woods, but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.

“The challenge for us was to make a modern horror movie that acknowledged and surpassed everything that’s happened in horror over the last 17 years, including films like The Conjuring, Insidious and Saw, and have the film feel as real to audiences as it did in 1999,” says screenwriter Simon Barrett.

While much of the fear behind the first Blair Witch relied on what wasn’t shown, the sequel terrifies audiences and excites hardcore fans by revealing more of what lurks after dark.

“Whatever evil is in the woods has only gotten stronger since the first film,” says director Adam Wingard. “I wanted to create something that felt like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, not in terms of the violence, but in terms of the relentless intensity that movie gives you. You’re constantly running from something into a scenario that’s even more frightening.”

To create a nonstop thrill ride, filmmakers swapped the first film’s 16-mm. black-and-white camera for discrete head cams and a drone. “One of the problems with found footage films is you’re hyper aware of the cameras,” says Wingard. “We wanted to make sure that was thrown out the door, so when the horror happens, you are 100 percent invested and put in a scenario in a way you’ve never been before and completely terrorized by it.” The filmmakers also sought to give fans a smoother, yet one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.

“Audiences complained about the first movie’s shaky cam, but that’s what made it so scary and real,” says Wingard. “We knew we couldn’t get away with that, especially with the mainstream horror audience we were going for. It was always a combination of how to retain that aesthetic but make it easier on the eyes.” To retain that authenticity, the cast often performed directly into a camera lens and lit much of the movie themselves. “They didn’t light up the woods in the original film, so I wanted to light this movie with flashlights,” says Wingard. “A couple of years ago, we couldn’t have done that, but cameras are more sensitive now. We found ourselves in a situation where we could create something audiences had never seen before.” 

 

 

“Blair Witch” opens in cinemas, 2D and 4DX on September 14 from Pioneer Films.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE GOES UNDERCOVER COP IN “IMPERIUM” [R13]

Daniel Radcliffe, who rocketed to worldwide stardom in the phenomenal “Harry Potter” films, stars anew in the intense action thriller “Imperium.” Inspired by real events, the movie is directed by Daniel Ragussis and also stars Toni Collette, Tracy Letts, Devin Druid, Pawel Szajda with Nestor Carbonell and Sam Trammell.



In “Imperium,” Radcliffe takes on the role of Nate Foster, a young, idealistic FBI agent who goes undercover to take down a radical right-wing terrorist group. The bright up-and-coming analyst must confront the challenge of sticking to a new identity while maintaining his real principles as he navigates the dangerous underworld of white supremacy.



“Imperium” co-writer Mike German has the kind of pedigree that commands respect: he served in the FBI for 16 years, 12 of them as an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating dangerous white supremacy groups in order to prevent domestic terrorist attacks. German successfully embedded himself with extremist groups on multiple occasions, leading to criminal convictions. German’s real life experiences infiltrating homegrown white supremacist terror cells intent on starting race wars, form the basis of the “Imperium” screenplay.

Setting the movie in the present day was something German and Ragussis quickly agreed on, believing the film could better address important law enforcement and terrorism prevention issues that have dominated the national conversation. Therefore, the film brings attention to the FBI’s seldom discussed racial-ethnic mapping program, in which American Muslims and other minority populations are controversially targeted. IMPERIUM also explores the challenges faced by FBI agents working with limited resources to prevent domestic terrorism from white supremacists and other right-wing extremist threats. With the government prioritizing the fight against the Islamic terrorist threat, FBI agents working on battling domestically cultivated perils often must fight for funding and proper support.



In the end, Mike German expressed admiration for Ragussis’s efforts to create a film of thematic and emotional integrity true to what he experienced in the field, commenting, “Daniel’s unique vision and dedication to telling this story in an accurate, non-sensationalistic manner impressed me from day one. The final product depicts the inner workings of the FBI and undercover agents in particular, more accurately than any film I’ve seen. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

“Imperium” opens September 14 in cinemas nationwide from OctoArts Films International. 

 Trailer link:https://www.facebook.com/octoartsfilms.international/videos/1100549676692648/

SLICK THRILLER “MORGAN” PITS KATE MARA AGAINST ANYA TAYLOR-JOY IN HIGH-THROTTLE ACTION [R13]

Luke Scott’s directorial debut “Morgan,” a compelling sci-fi thriller poses one of the big scientific questions of our time: if artificial intelligence becomes as smart, if not smarter than humans, then what do we have to offer?



Morgan (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), being the next step in human evolution and a bioengineered being with synthetic DNA poses great divide on the moral and practical ambiguity of humanoids. At one month, she (it) was walking and talking; at six months, she exceeded her creators’ wildest expectations. Morgan is enigmatic and unpredictable—a lab-created being with emotional capacity and conflicting traits that blur the line between being human and synthetic.

Scott, a talented commercials director and son of acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott (who also produces the film), shares that their biggest challenge was finding their Morgan—the artificial, yet organic being that would represent Scott’s vision of the next step in human evolution.



The actor would have to portray a character that is physically, mentally and intellectually amplified. She would have to balance these enhanced attributes with a clear emotional interpretation of her/its world, and the flawed people with whom she interacts each day. “That’s one of Morgan’s many ironies,” says Scott. “Morgan is as imperfect as a human, but in other ways, she is absolutely perfect.”



Before finalizing casting, Scott and his teams wrestled with how to characterize Morgan. She? It? Human…or something else? “I came to identify Morgan an ‘it’ because I’m essentially the scientist who created her,” Scott says with a laugh. “But we always intended Morgan to be somewhat feminized because there is an inherent strength to the feminine form.”



After a long search, Scott chose Anya Taylor-Joy to portray Morgan. He had been impressed by her performance in director Robert Egger’s award-winning feature debut The Witch. “In that film, I saw that Anya had a unique delicacy and access to her emotional landscape that is critical to the character of Morgan,” says Scott.



Unlike her director, Taylor-Joy eschewed research into the field of synthetic life, opting instead for numerous discussions with Scott. “We didn’t discuss specific scenes,” says the actress. “It was more about Morgan’s viewpoints on certain things and events.”



When Taylor-Joy’s Morgan suddenly attacks one of her handlers, the corporation overseeing and funding the project calls in a special “risk management consultant,” Lee Weathers, to investigate. Kate Mara, who had just come off a starring turn in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, Oscar-nominated “The Martian,” portrays Lee.



One of the more daunting challenges for both Mara and Taylor-Joy was the brutal fights waged between their two characters. Designed and choreographed by stunt coordinator Paul Herbert and his team, the battles royale are among the film’s centerpieces, revealing unexpected facets of what appeared to be a trouble-shooting corporate “suit” and an innocent-looking “experiment” gone wrong. “Kate and Anya were really impressive,” says Scott. “For those fight scenes, they turned themselves into action heroes.”

“Morgan” opens in cinemas September 7 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros

20th Century Fox NEXT STEP IN HUMAN EVOLUTION IN “MORGAN” [Rated R-13]

From producer Ridley Scott and director Luke Scott, “Morgan” offers a thrilling, visceral and intense movie-going experience starring Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Leslie Rose and Toby Jones, “Morgan” introduces an artificial yet organic being that represents the future in human evolution.

In “Morgan” the inevitable happens, the creation surpasses its creator. The titular character “Morgan” is played by Anya Taylor-Joy a bioengineered being with synthetic DNA. At one month, she (it) was walking and talking; at six months, she exceeded her creators’ wildest expectations. Morgan is enigmatic and unpredictable—a lab-created being with emotional capacity and conflicting traits that blur the line between being human and synthetic. When “Morgan” suddenly attacked one of her handlers, the company immediately sends Lee Weathers (Kate Mara), a corporate trouble shooter who decides whether Morgan will continue to live or be terminated at once.

Luke Scott is a noted commercials director who has also worked in various capacities on his father Ridley’s epic and acclaimed films, Luke makes his feature directorial debut with “Morgan.” The story’s themes clearly resonate with the young filmmaker, whose short film, “Loom,” shot on 4K 3D, was a kind of precursor to “Morgan.” Starring Giovanni Ribisi, the short was about a man hiding an artificial being in a genetics workshop.

Some of the ideas explored in Loom were expanded upon in screenwriter Seth Owen’s original script for “Morgan,” which entered the prestigious film industry “Black List” in 2014—compiled annually from the suggestions of more than 250 film executives who contribute names of their favorite scripts written that year.

Scott was intrigued by Owens’ unusual approach to some of the big scientific questions of our time: if artificial intelligence becomes as smart, if not smarter than humans, then what do we have to offer? Would artificial beings like Morgan be the next leap in our evolution?

Even more significantly, Scott wondered, “What motivates us to synthetically produce or reproduce a human being? These are issues that encompass faith, morality, science and technology.”



To further explore and immerse himself in this bleeding-edge research, Scott visited Queens University’s microbiology labs. There, he learned that investigations in this area, though pervasive in the scientific community, were still taboo outside the halls of academia and laboratories—and that advances in this field were happening at warp speed. “It’s all pretty remarkable,” says Scott, whose penetrating queries sometimes caught the labs’ professors off guard.

“Morgan” opens September 7 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Pioneer Films- DRONES TARGET SUICIDE BOMBERS IN “EYE IN THE SKY” [R13]

Oscar-winner Dame Helen Mirren stars with Emmy winner Aaron Paul in “Eye in the Sky” where Helen Mirren plays Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul features as pilot, Steve Watts, who operates the drone from a United States Air Force base deep in the Nevada desert.

Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” American and British military chiefs are afforded the opportunity to remotely assassinate a key terrorist target, Susan Danford (Lex King), also known as Ayesha al-Hady, an English convert and high-value al-Shabab terror suspect. 

 

 

The decision to destroy the targets is further complicated by the problem of collateral damage, which again has to be measured from afar. The collateral damage caused by a drone strike extends beyond potential human casualties. The killing of civilians, even accidentally, has a profound impact on the propaganda war. The question remains: when to use a weapon of war? And what are the consequences of using that weapon? The weapon may be effective at taking out a target but what are the unintended consequences of using the weapon? 

As director Gavin Hood (known for directing “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) identifies, when a Hellfire missile is fired from a high-flying drone, it’s not as precise as a sniper’s bullet. “They give rise to very large explosions, throwing lots of debris around,” the director explains. “Inevitably, when you see that explosion in the film it becomes very difficult to argue that no collateral damage could occur. On the contrary, you see that it very easily can occur.

Hence, the casting decisions were absolutely crucial. Arguably the most hawkish character in the film. “Originally, the Helen character was a man but then we said, ‘Why don’t we make this character a woman?’,” explains producer Ged Doherty. “And that completely changed the complexity of the piece. The idea of having Helen was so brilliant because, on the one hand, you might think, ‘Well, a woman would think twice perhaps before she pulled the trigger.’ Equally, you know it is Helen Mirren and you know that she can play a badass. You’re never quite sure which way she’ll go. Helen gives the character that perfect balance and we went to her with the role straightaway.”

Hood adds, “What is so brilliant about an actress like Helen Mirren is that even as she’s making decisions that may be morally questionable, you completely believe that she is sincere in taking that position — given the role that she has as a Colonel in the British military. So we empathise with her even in moments that we may not agree with her, and similarly with Aaron Paul’s character.”



“Aaron Paul’s character stands up to Colonel Powell,” explains Hood, “but the key is for him to do it in a way that comes from a real place. He is the person who actually has to pull the trigger. Other people may be making decisions to fire the missile, but ultimately, Steve fires the weapon. And to imagine what that must feel like, you need an actor who invites you into his dilemma and doesn’t judge the character that he’s playing.



“I hope it’s the case that you like Helen and you like Aaron even though they’re coming at it from completely different positions,” he adds. “You may not agree with them over certain points but you can see that they’re real people wrestling with a real dilemma in a real way.”

“Eye in the Sky” opens July 20 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

“X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE” DIRECTOR GAVIN HOOD HELMS NEW FILM “EYE IN THE SKY” [R13]

Acclaimed filmmaker Gavin Hood, known for his works in worldwide hits ““X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “Tsotsi” and “Ender’s Game” brings together Award-winning actors Helen Mirren (Oscar® and Golden Globe Award® for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen”) and three-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”) in the contemporary international thriller “Eye in the Sky.” 

Set in the modern yet shadowy world of remotely piloted drone warfare, “Eye in the Sky” boards a top-flight ensemble cast that also includes Alan Rickman, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, the film deftly explores a political, legal and moral minefield in which every decision comes at a steep price.

“Eye in the Sky” brings Helen Mirren in the midst of complicated mission as she plays UK Colonel Katherine Powell who is tracking a British national, Susan Danford (Lex King), suspected of working with the East African terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The operation is a complex and coordinated effort between different countries. On the ground, Kenyan intelligence operatives, like Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi), keep an eye on the suspects. From the air, US Air Force pilots, like Lt. Steve Watts (Paul), remotely fly drones from a Nevada bunker to provide an eye in the sky. In London, Powell coordinates these various forces, as well as communicates to a panel of government officials above her. Her supervisor, Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Rickman), observes the operation remotely with a select group tasked with providing judicial and government oversight. UK Attorney General George Matherson (McCabe) adjudicates the legality of the unfolding operation, while Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Brian Woodale (Northam) and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Angela Northam (Monica Dolan) oversee the optics and ethics of the mission. Together, these figures form the ‘kill chain’, an attack structure that co-ordinates target identification and the specific force dispatched to remove the target. 

Aaron Paul as Steve Watts

Following His 2007 film “Rendition,” director Gavin Hood returns to the realm of contemporary warfare with the tense thriller “Eye in the Sky.” The decision to destroy the targets is further complicated by the problem of collateral damage, which again has to be measured from afar. “Guy’s script created a very complex scenario,” continues filmmaker Gavin Hood, a South African filmmaker who counts the likes of “Ender’s Game” (2013), “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009) and “Tsotsi” (2005) among his directing credits. “The script is informative in the way that it sets up the landscape, the chain of command and the way modern drone warfare is used. 

 

Alan Rickman as Lieutenant General Frank Benson

Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell

The collateral damage caused by a drone strike extends beyond potential human casualties. The killing of civilians, even accidentally, has a profound impact on the propaganda war. “That is a very important conversation,” says Hood. “Are drone strikes, which inevitably do result in civilian casualties, actually generating so much anti-Western sentiment that whatever success they may have in taking out a high-value individual, is offset by a growing animosity for the West? That’s a propaganda question. In war, propaganda is an extremely important tool. Are we creating negative propaganda towards the West through the use of drones?

“I think the film asks whether we really are winning when using this form of warfare. Are we really winning when using these drones? When should we use this technology? What are the consequences of using this technology? Come and see this movie and you can decide for yourself.”

 

 “Eye in the Sky” opens July 20 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films. 

 

 

From Pioneer Films “ZOMBIE UNDER SIEGE” IN CINEMAS JULY 13 [R13]

Also, known as “”Navy Seals vs. Zombies,” the upcoming horror action “Zombie Under Siege” springs into full-battle action when the government loses contact with the Vice President during a campaign stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Soon, a team of battle-hardened Seals who just came back from Afghanistan is immediately sent for the rescue mission. But the team soon discovers that this is no ordinary tactical rescue: The city is under siege by hordes of fast moving, flesh eating undead.

From Pioneer Films, “Zombie Under Siege” opens July 13 in cinemas. 

 Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb9HxUVJRxM

OctoArts Films International - MODERN DAY ROBIN HOOD IN “MARAUDERS” [R13]

“Marauders” reels into action when a bank is hit by a brutal heist, all evidence points to the owner (Bruce Willis) and his high-powered clients. But as a group of FBI agents (Christopher Meloni, Dave Bautista and Adrian Grenier) dig deeper into the case — and the deadly heists continue — it becomes clear that a larger conspiracy is at play. 

Bruce Willis portrays Jeffrey Hubert, president and owner of Hubert National Bank, and the target of repeated heists. An air of entitlement and authority, he goes ballistic when the local newspaper smells a scandal beyond simple robbery.

“Marauders explores the idea of to what lengths you go to right a wrong, and then where does that place you. Does that place you on the side of wrong? It’s almost revenge. And then when does revenge go wrong, or is revenge ever right, or are you avenging something?” Meloni states.

“I knew that I wanted Marauders to be gritty and dark and to have a lot of rain,” recalls director Steven C. Miller, of his first read through the script. “As soon as I got to Cincinnati, it really matched what I wanted to see. I love movies that always have rich architecture and everything in the scene has got a lot of substance to it. You can almost touch the texture in the scenes. Cincinnati is just rich with that; I mean the history of the city, the buildings and the architecture are just a great backdrop.

Miller’s previous film with Bruce Willis proved invaluable, “I understood his process and how he’s gets into the character and moves through a scene.” When casting the rest of the roles, Miller found that a lot of the actors he liked were on producers Randall Emmett and George Furla’s list. A few nights before each actor arrived, Miller gave them a call. “We kind of hashed out what their character was about, their arc and where they were going in the story, and really what they as actors wanted to do. Bringing their own style to the mix, their own thing to the game, gives the movie its own personality.”

Shooting in Cincinnati was somewhat of a homecoming for Bautista. “I not only spent a lot of time here wrestling, but my MMA coach is from here, my boxing coach is from here, so throughout the years training I’ve spent a lot of time in the city and the arenas. It doesn’t feel like I had to leave home and come to a strange town; as soon as I got here I went straight from the airport to the grocery to stock up on food. It is a comforting to see familiar places and familiar faces.”

“We’re running and gunning, its very high paced, high energy and we just have to be on top of it, and the style of film making and the production really reflects the energy that you’re going to feel on the screen,” assures Grenier. “One thing I really love about this particular shoot and working with Steven Miller is he’s nimble, he’s lean and it really does allow for a vitality, a sort of visceral quality to the filmmaking and in this day and age, you don’t need a lot of fancy lights or set ups to get good story and good action. He’s almost like a Special Forces operative – he gets in, gets the job done and gets out. That’s really exciting to watch that kind of energy; it’s guerilla film making, but on a high, high level,” adds Grenier.

“Marauders” opens July 13 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International. 

OctoArts Films International - BRUCE WILLIS IN BANK HEIST FILM “MARAUDERS” [Rated-R13]

Iconic action star Bruce Willis of “Die Hard” franchise and Dave Bautista (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) star in the frenetic heist film “Marauders” about an untraceable group of elite bank robbers chased by a suicidal FBI Agent who uncovers a deeper purpose behind the robbery-homicides.

FBI Special Agent Jonathan Montgomery (Christopher Meloni) is on the trail of an untraceable group of elite bank robbers who give the stolen loot to charity. As he delves further into the investigation, the lawman discovers a deeper purpose behind the robbery-homicides and a trail of secrets protected by the bank’s owner (Bruce Willis). Featured alongside Meloni and Willis in the high octane, smoldering thriller are Dave Bautista, Adrian Grenier, Johnathon Schaech, and Lydia Hull.

Christopher Meloni and Bruce Willis

In “Marauders,” Willis is once again in the midst of a heist where everybody is a suspect. His role as a bank manager, Jeffrey Hubert, has just guided an aging woman to the Hubert National exit when a shotgun chambers and he’s blown through the inside glass door. Four Kevlar clad bank robbers: Tornado, Hurricane, Thunder, and Squall, rush inside and rough up security and customers. Thunder draws a pistol on a teller and activates a creepy order from his smart watch: open the draw, do not hit the alarm or your manager will die. Tornado staunches the manager’s wound and drags him toward the safe; a key-code is entered revealing three million in cash. While Squall bags the cash, Hurricane places a high-tech device on the floor and a cold audio repeats with crystal clarity over restrained sobs that any attempt to leave or call police will activate the sleek explosive. The well-honed team makes their exit, discretely concealing weapons. Eyeballing a security camera, Squall drags the manager toward the entrance, raises his shotgun, and blows off the man’s head. Job finished.

Dave Bautista and Christopher Melonin

Bruce Willis portrays Jeffrey Hubert, president and owner of Hubert National Bank, and the target of repeated heists. An air of entitlement and authority, he goes ballistic when the local newspaper smells a scandal beyond simple robbery. “There’s a lot of power struggle and I think the power of money and control is one of the major themes. Hubert is trying to take from the rest of us. And of course there’s tension between the FBI and the on the ground cops, the detectives trying to take control of this investigation and who gets to make the decisions,” Grenier reveals.

 

“Marauders” opens July 13 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International.

OctoArts Films International: THOMAS JANE AND LAURENCE FISHBURNE IN EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT THRILLER “STANDOFF” [r13]

Thomas Jane, known for his role in “The Punisher” and Laurence Fishburne, known for his works in the blockbuster action trilogy “The Matrix” star in the latest thrilling action film “Standoff.”

“Standoff” pits Carter (Jane), a troubled veteran against a deadly assassin named Sade (Fishburne) trying to kill a 12 year-old girl after she witnesses a murder. Bird, played by Ella Ballentine, is the 12-year-old girl coming to grips with the loss of her own parents. One day while in the cemetery, she witnesses a brutal murder and captures photos of the event on her camera, and attempts to flee with her guardian. But the ruthless Sade kills her guardian and then turns his attention to Bird. 

 

Bird runs toward Carter’s house for help. Concerned, Carter runs to her rescue, but is shot by Sade from a distance. The two victims dash inside and up to the second floor. Armed with a single-barrel shotgun, Carter shoots Sade from the top of the stairs as he enters the living room. Both men assess their wounds and their firepower, and Carter realizes that he has only one shell left. A narrow staircase and a thick wardrobe prevent the men from taking a clear shot, so a game of psychological manipulation ensues. 

 

In recent interviews, Jane enthused on working with Fishburne, “It was a two-hander and I liked that it would just be me and Laurence in a house. That’s always really fun for an actor. When Laurence was interested, it became an easy, “Yes.” So, I went up to Canada and made the movie. It was an interesting little script, and it was like working with jazz musicians, where it’s people you admire and you like their groove and you want to play with them for a little bit. That’s what this kind of thing is about. It’s very fun. It was fun for me. Laurence and I were there playing off of each other the whole time. Some days, I would come in and just be off camera all day because they’d be downstairs shooting Laurence. And then, on other days, Laurence would be off camera, all day, just playing to me while they were shooting upstairs. It was interesting, in that respect. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, where you’d show up to work and not have to get into make-up or wardrobe because you were there to support the other actor. That was your job that day, but that was fun.”

 

 

“Standoff” opens June 15 in cinemas to be released by OctoArts Films International. 

Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BCUB7ULMSs

Axinite Digicinema : WINNING THE WAR AGAINST ZOMBIES IN “GENERATION Z” [R13]

“Generation Z” (also known as The ReZort in other territories) introduces a new kind of recreation when humans have won the war against zombies. Considered as the ultimate therapeutic revenge, “Generation Z” brings humans face to face with zombies for a shooting spree in an exclusive island to release one’s rage after being deeply damaged by the zombie outbreak years back. Unbeknownst to them, this is a process where humanity is doomed to continuously repeat.


The audience enters a different world in “Generation Z” through Melanie (played by Jessica De Gouw), who is still reeling from her traumatic experience of losing her family during the zombie outbreak. On the verge of anger and revenge, Melanie’s repetitive nightmares haunt her. Desperate to help Melanie overcome her tragic past and save a relationship that’s crumbling under the pressure, Melanie’s boyfriend, Lewis (Martin McCann), books them a trip to the five-star ReZort. But just as Melanie prepares to face her demons, all hell breaks loose when a zombie- rights activist hacks into the park’s security system and uploads a virus which disables all security settings releasing thousands of zombies back into the wild. The ReZort experience just got real. Outnumbered and isolated, Melanie and the few remaining guests at The ReZort must work together to battle their way to safety. And the only way Melanie is going to get out of this alive is to face her worst nightmare head on.

Jessica De Gouw, who plays the protagonist Melanie sums it up as “a hybrid of genres. It is zombie horror in some respects, but it’s also more of an adventure and quest story than zombie films normally are with a very weighty truth about the human condition.” While The ReZort is an ensemble film, the role of Melanie is integral to the film as she is a conduit for the audience into this post-apocalyptic society: “She lost her dad during the war, so she’s on a path of discovery, it’s through her eyes that we go on this journey and navigate this world,” adds De Gouw. 

Such a layered role was a difficult one to portray, according to writer Paul Gerstenberger, “Her character is a tricky one to pull off as she’s someone who has a lot of demons and is damaged and broken in a lot of respects. The role required someone to portray that without coming across as simpering”. In rising star DeGouw, Gerstenberger feels they found that quality and more, “In many respects, Jessica as Melanie is a lot stronger than I imagined or hoped she would be.”

“I was a huge fan of Michael Crichton and his tech thrillers, like Jurassic Park and Westworld”, says Gerstenberger. ”So those were some of the influences in writing this. The parallels to both films are clear, in that The ReZort is set in a Safari Park on an island, where an environment is created for entertainment for visitors to interact with unnatural entities, but eventually become overrun by the inhabitants under containment.”

“Generation Z” is a slick and contemporary thrill ride offering a fresh twist on the zombie film genre but first and foremost it is fun and entertaining, made to appeal to a broad audience of film fans: “it has a great sense of escapism and entertainment” explains director Steve Barker. “When I first read the script I was immediately struck by the unique proposition presented by the concept itself. It was a brilliant read and great fun to bring about”.

“Generation Z” will finally open June 15 and will be released by Axinite Digicinema. 

 

 

OctoArts Films International: TOM HANKS IN THE FACE OF RECESSION IN “A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING” [R13]

Award-winning actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks stars in “A Hologram for the King” set in recession-ravaged 2010 as an American businessman named Alan Clay adapted from the book of the same title by acclaimed author Dave Eggers. 



Hanks’ role in the movie is a broke, depressed and freshly divorced man who arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. His mission: sell a state-ofthe-art holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government. Adrift and alone in an unfamiliar land, Alan befriends taxi driver Yousef (Alexander Black), who chauffeurs him through the desert to the “King’s Metropolis of Economy and Trade,” a surreal ghost town of vacant skyscrapers and half-completed construction projects. Baffled by the bureaucratic reception he gets at the so-called “Welcome Center,” Alan struggles to figure out why his small IT support team is being forced to spend its days in a sweltering tent as it preps for the big presentation. Worse, because of the Saudi way of doing business, he’s unclear if the king will ever show up for the long-scheduled meeting.

Clay arrives in Saudi Arabia without any prior knowledge of the place, other than his own cartoonish, stereotypical concept, according to Hanks. “Though he’s not a happy guy, when Alan tries to sell the upbeat nature of the 3-D hologram and rally his team, he becomes this other guy, the former Alan Clay, a man with energy and vibrancy. That’s where the comedy comes from.”

In addition to emphasizing the book’s humor, Tykwer bolstered the romantic elements as he translated Eggers’ story from page to screen. “The longer I worked on the script, the more profound the love story became because it connects to this whole third-act decision where the movie becomes a more optimistic tale,” Tykwer says. Alan is coaxed out of his funk by Zahra Hakem, an alluring, talented surgeon portrayed by London-born Sarita Choudhury. In her role as CIA Division Chief Saul Berenson’s long-suffering wife Mira on the Emmy-winning series “Homeland,” the half-Indian, half-English actress developed an avid following that included Hanks himself. “I remember seeing Sarita for the first time on ‘Homeland’ and thinking, ‘Alright, I don’t know who she is, but that woman is riveting. I don’t know where she comes from but I can’t take my eyes off her.”

In Hollywood’s finest black-comedy tradition, “A Hologram for the King delivers laughs spiked with bittersweet undertones. “We’ve made a crisis comedy that points the finger at the fact that our economic structure is falling apart and the apocalypse seems to be looming just around the corner,” Tykwer says. “We use comedy as a tool to embrace tragedy like a balloon you stick with a needle so it explodes and the energy that comes out is cheerful. Despite all of Alan’s problems, I hope this movie cheers people up.”

For Hanks, who’s earned iconic status and five Academy Award® nominations by playing regular, good-hearted Americans who triumph overhard luck circumstances, A Hologram for the King is the story of a man who stumbles upon an emotional and spiritual oasis after wandering in the desert. “Why make a movie about a guy where nothing ever works out for him? That might work fantastically as a piece of literature but as far as the cinema goes, the story requires this other thing — for want of a better word, let’s just call it hope.”

 

“A Hologram for the King” opens June 1 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International. 

 

 

Now Showing: The Program from Captive Cinema [R13]

“THE PROGRAM” is Now Showing Nationwide
Distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA. 

Poster from http://www.imdb.com/

Chris O’Dowd plays journalist David Walsh In The Program [R13]

Chris O’Dowd has become a bit of a disgruntled sports fan. His beloved Liverpool are in what seems like perpetual change and the arrival of Jürgen Klopp is far from a guarantee that the 25-year search for a Premier League title will end. At least he can’t blame Liverpool’s demise on other team’s cheating and that’s what’s really got his ire up. He’s been spending the past few months trying to work out the enigma that is Lance Armstrong, the cycling superstar who overcame cancer to win the Tour de France seven times. It was a unique achievement at arguably sport’s toughest endurance event. Then came the revelation that it was a house built on lies. 

In Stephen Frears’ The Program, O’Dowd plays journalist David Walsh, the man who refused to believe Armstrong’s lies, even when the cyclist successfully sued Walsh’s paper for libel, winning a multimillion-pound payout. O’Dowd has the same zealous belief that science and doping are making a mockery of sport. “For me as a sports fan, I have no interest in watching pharmacists and doctors competing to come up with the best concoctions,” says the Irish actor.

He has a similar disdain for Formula 1, because it relies so much on the technical prowess of the mechanics. O’Dowd’s main interest is the skill of the individual, which probably explains why he became an actor, being judged on his ability to mimic or bring a character to life, even when he’s part of an ensemble.

The 36-year-old is best known as a comic, a reputation that goes back to the flirting state patrol officer he portrayed in Bridesmaids. But he didn’t want to be known simply as the goofy comic. “Which is hard when it’s such a big movie,” he says of the 2011 hit. “And particularly stateside, when it’s probably what 90 per cent of the people know you from. But you always just want to find the best work. Not to tick a box. I ended up doing comedy by accident really. It’s not like it was a life plan or anything.”

O’Dowd was born in Boyle, County Roscommon. His father is a graphic designer and his mother a psychotherapist. He has brought many of his childhood tales to the screen in Moone Boy, the show he created for Sky TV. “I mean, we kind of look at it all... not through rose-tinted glasses, but certainly, I had a lovely childhood, so I wasn’t necessarily worried about dealing with issues from my past. There are moments when my family would be like, ‘That’s not how I fuckin’ remember it!’ But for the most part, the vast majority of it… relationship-wise it’s totally accurate to how I grew up. A lot of the stories kind of come and go. Some of them are based in reality and then you make them funnier in some way, or make them more interesting to watch.”

But he thinks the show’s now on its last legs. There are only so many stories he can tell about 11- and 12-year-old boys, although he has a Truffaut-esque desire to return to the characters when they are a bit older. One story he could put in, if he ever followed up that idea, is about a bike ride he went on, aged 14. “It was during the summer holidays. There was very little happening. I come from a very small place. I went with these two friends, John and Dermott. We cycled maybe 80 miles. It took two days. We pitched a tent. I’d forgotten about that. We pitched a tent and when we woke up we were in a traffic island.”

It didn’t put him off cycling, and when he was acting on Broadway in Of Mice and Men, opposite James Franco, he would cycle to work and back every night. On stage he became a big fan of his co-star. “James is great. I think he’s genuinely trying to do interesting things. Not everybody is. He takes a lot of flak for it, which I’ve never really understood. If he wasn’t so handsome, I think he’d be celebrated much more.”

But his recollection of playing a venture capitalist in the US drama series Girls is more down to earth. “It wasn’t an iconic show when I was doing it. It just felt like another kind of TV gig. You could tell that they’re all very smart, and it felt quite raw, which was nice… I’m kind of amazed to see it take off, and you don’t know that it’s going to be such a massive thing. But they really keyed into what people wanted.”

I’m left with the impression that giving people what they want is not O’Dowd’s objective. Otherwise he would be happily revelling in comic roles, rather than taking on meaty stage roles and playing journalists on a mission. He’s considered and serious and wants to challenge himself and people’s perceptions of him. Playing a journalist brings back memories of working on a student newspaper when he was young. “I wanted to be a journalist quite a lot when I was in school. And I didn’t get the grades to go to the journalism colleges… I don’t know how they were so hard to get into given the level of journalism generally.”

“Thanks,” I respond. To which O’Dowd lets out a hearty laugh. His wife, Dawn O’Porter, is a television presenter and they have just had their first child, Art. When he talks about Walsh, it’s in reverential tones: “He’s a great journalist with a lot of integrity.” And that’s how O’Dowd plays him in The Program

“THE PROGRAM” is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

SHOWING ON MARCH 2. NATIONWIDE!

Ben Foster wanted to be experience what it was to be Lance Armstrong in ‘The Program’ [R13]

The Program, director Stephen Frears's latest film, will likely go down as the most in-depth, uncanny depiction of the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong to date. Credit goes to actor Ben Foster, who went to insane lengths to become Lance, taking on intense months of training, riding the most treacherous legs of the Tour de France while filming, dramatically fluctuating his weight by 30 pounds to portray every point of his career, from the top of the podium to the battle with cancer, and even going on his own regimen of performance-enhancing drugs "to more deeply understand what this world was about," Foster says between screenings at the Zurich Film Festival. He did everything but speak with the film's subject man-to-man. "In so many words, Lance Armstrong was not interested in talking with me. I couldn't blame him at all. I wouldn't have wanted to talk with me either." 

Did playing Lance Armstrong give you a new found appreciation for cycling?

I appreciate the rigor it demands, but I have not been on a bicycle since we finished shooting because I've been pretty deeply traumatized. I hadn't cycled before and only had a limited amount of time to 

train. Simply said it was an aggressive training process.

What drew you to the project?

The interest for me was working with Stephen Frears. He's made so many kinds of movies. To my eyes I can't find a signature style of his. Lance, on the other hand, is very recognizable. To get the opportunity to explore a subject that I knew very little about while working with a master filmmaker was a rare opportunity.

Do you think people in the States are still hurt by Armstrong's story?

I do. From what I've heard and who I've talked to about it in North America, people get very emotional. They're upset about the subject. In Europe it seems that they've been able to process what Lance did, while in the U.S., we haven't done that yet. So far, I don't think Lance Armstrong has apologized in a way that is palatable to us.

What are your own thoughts on how his scandal played out?

My job is all about defending the people that I play. I had to rationalize what he did. Early on Stephen would half joke that he was going to call the film "The Stupid American." I thought that wasn't too generous a title. We had different views and I hope that actually translates in the movie, that there are always two sides to the story. It's a little more complicated than saying he's a liar and a doper. He's a man who raised a half billion dollars for cancer research. He won the Tour de France seven times in a row and he wasn't the only one doping, he was just better at it. He did everything better. He moved the needle in all aspects of the sport while also doing a lot of good. His bullying was bullying people who were threatening his empire, and that empire was saving lives. I think calling him just a gangster is ignorant.

What did you read and watch of his appearances to prepare?

I watched everything. He's so recognizable. Sitting that long on a bicycle, it's going to even change the way that you walk. What made his story so accessible was the way that he communicated. His rage was always pretty close to the surface. I was interested in both the persona and the man behind the persona. The loneliness that must occur with people like that who are at the top of their field. To answer your question, the joy of the job is to ask questions and then consider them in both an emotional and physical way. You find that he had certain mantras, speaking about the will to survive, the way to better yourself. I imagine that he was a guy who looked around the room and thought, "Nobody is working as hard as I am. Nobody is as determined."

Did you hear any stories that proved particularly insightful to who Lance Armstrong was as a person?

This isn't a biofilm. You hear anecdotal stories. I would have liked to have partied with Lance. He sounds like he was a lot of fun. He went hard. I'd be talking out of turn if I talked about some of the stories, but I was most touched by the work and attention he did give the cancer community. He'd call up people that he didn't know who were struggling with the disease and just talk to them for two hours. He would talk about the hope that you need to get better. His visits to the hospitals were very moving, my aunt started a foundation called Conquer Cancer"in Boston, Massachusetts. It's a subject that's important to a lot of people, and though right now he may be out of favor, it's important to return to the fact that he did put in the time. He did raise that money. It wasn't just a cancer shield. He tried to better the planet.

What kind of preparation did you do to re-create Armstrong's appearance and cycling?

I was in very good hands. I rode with people who had rode with Lance in the peloton during the Tour de France. They did their best to teach me how to look like he did. We had a computer program that had analyzed his position on the bike. Then we did the best to match my look and stats with his. I was also working with his nutritionist and his mechanic during his time on the Postal team. I worked with a wellness doctor who helped create a program of performance-enhancing drugs that I could do as safely as possible. I did that because I felt it was important for me to more deeply understand what this world was all about.

Cobbles are one of the more challenging aspects of the Tour. How did you face up with those?

We shot them in Belgium in the rain and mud. Insurance was not there on set that day, which was for the best because if you go down, you may break a knee, and then the film's not happening. But keeping the handlebars loose in the hand, and keeping your balance is the trick behind those. I really loved riding the cobbles though. It's brutal but fun.

The weight-changes were really impressive. How did you lose that much?

That was all me. That was a very grumpy me. I knew neither was going to last too long but I had about two weeks to go from one to the other. There wasn't the money to support a more gentle change. To start, I was lifting a lot of weights, then I had two weeks to basically cannibalize my body. Shooting in sequence would have been ideal, but we didn't have that luxury this go around. Weee! [Laughs.]

The first shot, of you at Alpe, d'Huez, is incredible. How did it feel to be there?

It was fucking scary. We are there shooting in the French Alps and I haven't told anybody about this but I have terrible vertigo. Terrible vertigo. I've dealt with it. I've done bungee jumping. I've done wirework, but it's a paralyzing fear. David Millar was one of our champions who made sure the details of the cycling were correct in the film. He was handling the opening shot. It was being filmed on a four-wheeler, with a steadicam on it. It was able to tilt and weave with us. They said, "Just head down the mountain." Then they were asking me to speed up! I was riding the brakes for the first few minutes, but finally I had this moment where I started passing the camera. The competition part of your brain starts to take over and you want to tear the mountain apart. It was those moments where I started to understand the drug of the sport. The first bit of intensity in my face, though, was not, "I'm going to win." It was, "I'm going to die."

What do you think that you got out of this experience that will be useful in the rest of your career?

Very little scares me now. Once you ride down a mountain like that and don't die, it's hard to be scared anymore.

“THE PROGRAM” is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

SHOWING MARCH 2. NATIONWIDE!

What is MTRCB? What MTRCB does?

What is MTRCB? What MTRCB does?  These are two questions in my mind that might be asked by many.


MTRCB stands for The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, in Filipino, Lupon sa Pagrerepaso at Pag-uuri ng Sine at Telebisyon. MTRCB is the government agency responsible for rating television and film for the Philippines.

Why I'm sharing this? Because I wanted to inform my readers that all TV shows, optical media materials and movies played in the cinemas and upcoming are deeply reviewed by the MTRCB.

Since my blog Pelikula Ngayon is promoting local and foreign movies that show or played in our country and I wanted to share what the rating is given by the MTRCB. (Let us focus on Motion pictures).

Here is a table I saw in Wikipedia about the Movie or motion pictures rating system.

 

And here is the description of each rating.

 

General Audience (“G”)

 G  Viewers of all ages are admitted.
A “G” classification advises parents or supervising adults that the film is suitable for all audiences.

A film classified as “G” shall, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria:

1. Theme – The film should not contain violence, threat, abuse, horror, or other themes that may cause fear or disturbance to a young child’s mind.
2. Language – The film may contain dialogue or other word representations beyond polite language, but profane, offensive, and sexually-suggestive language or gestures shall not be allowed.
3. Nudity – The film may contain occasional, as well as natural non-sexual nudity.
4. Sex – The film cannot contain and depict sexual activity. 
5. Violence – The depiction of any violence must be mild, brief, infrequent, and unlikely to cause undue anxiety or fear to young children.
6. Horror – The depiction of horror and frightening scenes should be mild, brief, infrequent, and unlikely to cause undue anxiety or fear to young children.
7. Drugs – There shall be no depiction of, or reference to, prohibited drugs or their use.

 

Parental Guidance (“PG”)

 PG  Viewers below 13 years old must be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult.
A “PG” classification advises parents or supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may be suitable for children below 13 years of age.

A film classified as “PG” shall, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria: 

1. Theme – The film may contain themes that require parental supervision and guidance, but should not promote any dangerous, violent, discriminatory, or otherwise offensive behavior or attitude. 
2. Language – The film may contain mild and infrequent swear words and menacing language. Offensive, menacing, threatening language and references to sex shall always be suitable for viewers who are below 13 years of age. Infrequent, brief and justifiable sexually-suggestive language may be allowed. 
3. Nudity – The film may contain occasional, as well as natural non-sexual nudity. 
4. Sex – The depiction of non-graphic sexual activity may be allowed, but it should be discreet, infrequent, and not prolonged. 
5. Violence – The depiction of non-gratuitous violence and suffering should be minimal, and without graphic detail;. 
6. Horror – The depiction of brief and infrequent horror and frightening scenes shall be allowed. 
7. Drugs – There shall be no depiction of, or reference to, prohibited drugs or substances and their use.

 

Restricted–13 (“R-13”)

 R-13  Only viewers who are 13 years old and above can be admitted.
An “R-13” classification advises parents, supervising adults, or the would-be viewers themselves, that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 13 years of age. 

A film classified as “R-13” must, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria:

1. Theme – The film may contain mature themes but is suitable for teenagers above 13 years of age, and shall not gratuitously promote or encourage any dangerous, violent, discriminatory, or otherwise offensive behavior or attitude.
2. Language – The film may contain moderate swear words and menacing language consistent with the context of the scene in which they are employed. The use of infrequent and non-vulgar strong swear words or sexually-derived or suggestive expletives and expressions as well as the use of swear words and expletives shall be allowed. The use of sexually-oriented or suggestive language and other references to sex shall always be suitable for viewers who are at least 13 years of age.
3. Nudity – The film may contain brief, discreet and justifiable occasional, natural and sexually-oriented nudity.
4. Sex – Discreet, infrequent, brief, non-graphic and justifiable sexual activity may be depicted.
5. Violence – Infrequent, non-gratuitous, non-graphic and justifiable violence may be allowed.
6. Horror – The justifiable depiction of horror, frightening scenes, and occasional gore are allowed.
7. Drugs – The brief, infrequent and justifiable depiction of drugs or their use may be allowed. The movie shall not in any case promote, condone, justify and/or encourage drug use.

Restricted–16 (“R-16”)

 R-16  Only viewers who are 16 years old and above can be admitted.
An “R-16” classification advises parents and supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 16 years of age. 

A film classified as “R-16” must, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria:

1. Theme – There are no restrictions on themes; provided that the treatment is appropriate for viewers who are at least 16 years of age. 
2. Language – The film may use any kind of language. 
3. Nudity – The film may contain discreet, non-gratuitous and justifiable natural and sexually-oriented nudity. 
4. Sex – Non-graphic, non-gratuitous and justifiable sexual activity may be depicted. 
5. Violence – Non-gratuitous and justifiable violence and gore may be allowed. 
6. Horror – The non-gratuitous and justifiable depiction of horror, frightening scenes, and gore are allowed. 
7. Drugs – The non-gratuitous and justifiable depiction of drugs or their use may be allowed. The movie shall not in any case promote, condone, and encourage drug use.

Restricted-18 ("R-18")

 R-18  Only viewers who are 18 years old and above can be admitted.
An “R-18” classification advises viewers, parents, and supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 18 years of age. 

An “R-18” rating does not mean that the film is “obscene”, “offensive”, or “pornographic,” as these terms are defined by law. 

A film classified as “R-18” must, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria: 

1. Theme – There are no restrictions on themes and their treatment. 
2. Language – The film may use any kind of justifiable language. 
3. Nudity – The film may contain non-gratuitous and justifiable sexually-oriented nudity. 
4. Sex – The realistic depiction of non-gratuitous and justifiable sexual activity may be allowed. 
5. Violence – There are no restrictions on the depiction of non-gratuitous and justifiable violence. 
6. Horror – The justifiable depiction of horror, frightening scenes, and gore are allowed. 
7. Drugs – The justifiable depiction of drugs or their use may be allowed. In no case, however, should the use of drugs be promoted, condoned, justified and/or encouraged.

Not for Public Exhibition (“X”)

 X  “X-rated” films are not suitable for public exhibition.

A film shall be disapproved for public viewing if, in the judgment of the Board:

1. The average person, applying contemporary community standards and values, would find that the dominant theme of the work, taken as a whole appeals solely to the prurient interest and satisfies only the craving for gratuitous sex and/or violence.
2. The film depicts in a patently lewd, offensive, or demeaning manner, excretory functions and sexual conduct such as sexual intercourse, masturbation and exhibition of the genitals.
3. The film clearly constitutes an attack against any race, creed, or religion.
4. The film condones or encourages the use of illegal drugs and substances.
5. The film tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly-constituted authorities.
6. The film glorifies criminals or condones crimes.
7. The film is libelous or defamatory to the good name and reputation of any person, whether living or dead.
8. The film may constitute contempt of court or of a quasi-judicial tribunal, or may pertain to matters which are sub-judicial in nature.

A much publicized use of the X rating by the MTRCB was the issuance of such rating to To Live for the Masses, a documentary film portraying the life of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada in 2006. Certain portions of the film, especially the portions with regard to the 2001 EDSA Revolution, were deemed by the MTRCB to be inciting political rebellion, a charge denied by the producers of the documentary.

xoxo

MTRCB is our guide for TV and Movie viewing, not all acts in optical media are real. What I mean is, as a good parent, we are responsible for our children, guide them and teach them about what is good for them. 

Disclaimer: I’m an employee of this agency. Some paragraphs in this article are based in the following reference below.

Reference:

http://mtrcb.gov.ph/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_and_Television_Review_and_Classification_Board#cite_note-3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture_rating_system