“ENTOURAGE” TRANSITIONS FROM HBO SERIES INTO FEATURE FILM

Press release

From the opening seconds of the first episode of HBO’s “Entourage” in 2004, viewers followed driver/errand boy Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) as he exited his bright yellow Hummer and strode distractedly through a sprinkling of Hollywood hotties into a hip Melrose Avenue restaurant, where he joined his homeboys from Queens, New York: the quartet’s de facto leader, up-and-coming movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier); former pizza boy-cum-talent manager, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly); and Vince’s half-brother, out-of-work C-list actor Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon). 

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Cut to 2015 and, with nothing but blue skies and bright sun overhead, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Entourage” opens on the familiar trio of manager-cum-movie producer Eric, drive-cum-tequila mogul Turtle, and still sometime working actor Drama.  But this time they’re navigating the wide-open sea in a speed boat, their destination a huge luxury yacht off the coast of Ibiza, where Vince, rising actor-turned-megastar, “mourns” the demise of his five-day marriage, surrounded by 200 or so of his closest acquaintances…mainly of the scantily clad female variety.  But it wouldn’t be a party without his boys, and clearly the party is back on.

The key to making the series transition into a feature film was to have the core cast from the series back together and, in classic “Entourage” fashion, to have as many guest stars and celebrity cameos as possible.

“If any one of us had said we didn’t want to do it, the movie wouldn’t have happened,” Adrian Grenier, who plays Vince, candidly states.  “But of course we all wanted to do it.  We knew we’d have a great time and were excited about it, and we also wanted to give fans, old and new, even more—more famous people, more toys and more hot girls.  Basically, the ‘Entourage’ Hollywood lifestyle in all its glory, experienced through the eyes of these lifelong friends.”

With curious onlookers lining the streets of Los Angeles during the film’s production, and real stars and athletes clamoring for a chance to have a cameo, the job of making the movie mirrored the very lifestyle the characters enjoy, and made each day on set as unpredictable as ever.

Kevin Connolly says, “We’ve always had so much fun working together, it almost feels wrong to call it work.  So it didn’t take long to get back into the groove with everybody; we all just kind of clicked back together, almost on the spot.  Even though it had been a couple of years, it really just felt like an extended hiatus, and with Doug at the helm it was easy to step back into being these guys.”

As über agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold, Jeremy Piven, who essentially plays the fifth man in this tight-knit family of friends, observes, “I really think everything works in the movie, just as it did in the series, because everything Doug Ellin writes comes from these characters’ core motivations.  Doug knows exactly what the audience wants to see; he chums the waters perfectly, but he never jumps the shark.”

            In “Entourage,” movie star Vincent Chase (Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Connolly), Turtle (Ferrara) and Johnny (Dillon), are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Piven).  Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.

            Opening across the Philippines on June 10, 2015, “Entourage” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. 

San Andreas movie review

When you heard, San Andreas, California and earthquakes immediately pop in your mind. For most of the California residents, they are used to having shocks every time. When I was living in Tagaytay, we also gotten used to the shocks caused by Taal volcano.

When I first heard about this movie, I had second thoughts. I already saw the scenario in the 2012 movie which is similar. But I still like to see how it will be done since it is very timely that here we have similar fears in the Philippines.

Although we haven't experience shocks regularly just like in California, there is a long fault line across the Metro Manila area. The question is when The Big One strike. Even though we are in the digital age, earthquakes are still a mystery. Even scientist still can't predict when will it happen. They only can detect if it happens.

Right now, people have fears since there are much talks about it. Not to long ago, our Visayan region was shook by a Big One that they were not anticipating it will happen. If that happens in this region, it was a predicted that there will be major casualties unless we prepare.

The movie San Andreas gives a detailed description of this scenario if it happens. You will see for yourself if their knowledge on where to go and what to do in times like these are accurate. The visuals are also awesome. If you are watching it in 3D, the imagery is good. It can be watched in regular 2D and you will still enjoy. But it will be a great movie experience if you watched in 4D to give it an interactive experience. You will experience your seat and foot rest movements depending on the scene like riding a helicopter for example.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Dwayne Johnson did spectacular performance and it did not concentrate on his action scenes but also the human side of his role. It also didn't focused on The Rock since Alessandra Daddario is a revelation for this movie. She proved that there is more to her than Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I look forward on her action movies in the future. The cast also are significant in their scenes especially Paul Giamatti. I was also caught by surprise when I found out that Arrow's Colton Haynes;who played Roy Harper/Arsenal; is also in the movie. I also like the new version of California Dreamin' which makes it sound more eerie like what Disney Music did with a classic Sleeping Beauty song.

The worst thing we can only experience in a disaster like this is fear. If we know what we can do and follow the protocols and prepare. It's OK to be afraid but we should refrain from getting irrational when the time comes.

I was told by a disaster expert who spoke in schools that in any disaster like storms and quakes, always have an emergency backpack ready for each individual to carry on his/her own with extra clothes, food(preferably with an easy open can), chocolate bar, bottle of water, flashlight, whistle, fresh set of batteries, radio(fm/am), first aid, medicines.

Just some additional items to bring. A handy Swiss Army knife is good in these conditions. According to a survival expert, the best chocolate to bring are the M&M's type. Since one piece can be consumed for a duration of time and you will not feel hungry. But the best preparation for everyone is to research.

I think this movie is a must-see not because I think it will be next blockbuster since Avengers: Age Of Ultron  but because this movie can raise the public's awareness. For more quality movie reviews, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

GOSSIP GIRL’S BLAKE LIVELY AGELESS IN “THE AGE OF ADALINE”

Press release

Time is a mystery, so is love in the sweeping romantic movie “The Age of Adaline” starring Blake Lively, known for her recurring role in the television hit series “Gossip Girl.”  In “The Age of Adaline,” Lively stars in the titular role of Adaline Bowman, who has lived all by herself in almost eight decades since she discovered that she’s immortal, she stopped aging after turning 29.

                Actress Blake Lively, who plays Adaline Bowman, knew she had found an enchanting adventure and timeless love story the first time she read the script. "I couldn't put it down," she says. "It read like a beautiful novel. The story is romantic, poetic and unique."

                The actress was also excited to find an original story told from a woman's point of view. The idea of a woman who experiences so much, so deeply, during one of the most diverse centuries in human history intrigued Lively. "Her life spans a hundred years, it crosses many different eras," the actress says.          

                The role of Adaline Bowman required the kind of presence that few young actresses have today, says Krieger, a combination of understated elegance, a thoroughly modern sense of style and the wisdom that comes from a life lived fully. “It was critical that whoever played Adaline looked like she was in her 20s, but could carry herself with a century of experience,” says the director.

                Acting in film and television since she was eight, Lively starred in the wildly popular television series Gossip Girl and appeared in high-profile movies including The Town and Savages. Her uncommon grace and self-possession add to the image of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life, according to Rosenberg. “We needed somebody absolutely modern who was also a little bit of a throwback to other eras. There aren’t many people who have that as well as the acting ability to pull off this role, but going back in time with Blake feels seamless.”

                “All of us were excited to see what Blake could do in a leading role,” says Krieger. “Even at 27 years old, she’s very sophisticated and carries herself with a kind of poise that few women her age do.”

                The actress admits it was a challenging role, but an extremely rewarding one that allowed her to delve more deeply into a character than she ever has before. “I had to play so many women within one. Adaline lives through such different time periods, but she can’t be a fractured woman. She is smart enough to evolve and change with the times, yet she is always the same person.”

ALEXANDRA DADDARIO IN “SAN ANDREAS”

Press release

Young actress Alexandra Daddario (HBO's “True Detective,” “Percy Jackson: Sea Monsters”) plays Blake, the 19-year-old daughter whom her parents (Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino) must rescue after the infamous San Andreas Fault gives, triggering a magnitude 9-plus earthquake.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

As her parents race to San Francisco, Blake must rely on her own instincts and resourcefulness to survive and cut a path toward safety.

“Alexandra’s character is a strong woman, not a damsel in distress, and that was important to us,” says producer Beau Flynn. “I have two daughters, so I especially love to see women take on these roles, because the truth is, women are often the real heroes.”

Hundreds of miles away, Blake recovers from the terror of being trapped in a crushed car in an underground parking garage and struggles to regain her bearings. Unable to communicate with her parents by phone except for a few fleeting moments, she discovers that the lessons her father taught her about survival still resonate and guide her.

“Things can happen at any moment; life is so unpredictable,” acknowledges Alexandra Daddario. “It’s interesting to see her utilize all these skills she’s learned from her dad and tap into parts of herself she probably didn’t even realize she potentially had. She’s a strong character; very tough and knowledgeable but also a normal girl that people could relate to, and you see her evolve through this ordeal to become more of a woman than a girl. Of course, playing Dwayne’s daughter makes me feel a lot tougher than I actually am.”

“Alexandra is smart, talented and engaging. When she came in to read, we knew right away that we’d found our Blake,” Flynn recalls. “It’s not easy to convince the audience that you’re Dwayne Johnson’s daughter, and she matched up with him perfectly.”

Heeding her dad’s advice, Blake navigates on foot through the rubble, aftershocks and debris toward one of the city’s tallest and most famous landmarks, Coit Tower, where Ray and Carla have promised to meet her. But she’s not alone. Sharing her journey is the shy but brave Ben, a Brit played by Australian actor Hugo Johnstone-Burt. In the city for a job interview and vacation, with his younger brother in tow, Ben first crosses paths with Blake in the lobby of an ultra-modern skyscraper, with a sweetly flirtatious exchange that ends with her offering him her number. Not long after, as the building collapses around them, Ben refuses to leave his newfound friend behind.

“Worst luck in the world,” says Johnstone-Burt, reflecting some of the lightness and humor his character brings to the mix. “Here’s the poor guy on holiday and having a job interview, he just gets the number of a pretty girl and then it all hits the fan.”

Underscoring the fact that you never know who will reach out a hand when it’s most needed, the three of them – Blake, Ben and his precocious little brother Ollie, played by the then-12-year-old Irish actor Art Parkinson – throw in together as a team, alternately helping and leaning on one another. Says Daddario, “When the earthquake hits, they forge a tight relationship and continue moving.”

It takes a leap of faith for Ben and Ollie to stick with Blake when everyone else heads in the opposite direction, but Blake’s faith is in her dad and where he promised to meet her.

 “San Andreas” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Here's my review(click here) of the movie.

DERMOT MULRONEY STARS IN HIS FIRST HORROR FILM, “INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3”

Press release

Talented actor Dermot Mulroney (“August: Osage County,” “My Bestfriend's Wedding”) plays widowed father Sean who struggles to hold his family together amid a supernatural disturbance in Columbia Pictures' horror-thriller “Insidious: Chapter 3.”

“Sean is a father that has lost his wife to disease and who is trying to keep his kids in order and get through the day,” Mulroney describes his character. “So he is this worried dad that is also a hard-working blue-collar type of guy that lives in an apartment. And it’s hard for him to keep up with the day-to-day responsibilities of his home because of the loss his family is suffering.”

“Insidious: Chapter 3” is the new movie in the terrifying horror series, written and directed by franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell. The film is set years before the haunting of the Lambert family, and the psychic Elise’s battles with spirits from The Further, in “Insidious” and “Insidious: Chapter 2.”

In “Chapter 3,” an ordinary family comes under siege: 17-year-old aspiring actress Quinn (Stefanie Scott), 9-year-old tech-geek Alex (Tate Berney), and their widowed father Sean. Wife and mother Lily’s passing has hurt each member of the Brenner family, but Quinn is particularly sensitive at a vulnerable age and makes the fateful decision to contact clairvoyant Elise in hopes of communicating with Lily.

Leigh Whannell was fortunate in that neither member of the on-screen father/daughter duo had ever acted in a horror movie before, but were raring to go.

Mulroney, a seasoned screen actor for over 25 years, says, “I have a teenaged son who is a huge fan of the horror genre, so I’ve taken him to the first-night showings – and become a fan myself; that’s how I saw the first two `Insidious' movies. Leigh Whannell enjoys these movies too, and his enthusiasm is contagious. I think his concept for `Insidious: Chapter 3' is ingenious: to go back in time and therefore allow himself great range with new characters, while at the same time give the audience the characters they already know – like Lin Shaye, who is so authentic as Elise.

“But, for our new characters, Leigh doesn’t paint a family that’s like a cartoon. They are in crisis, and that’s where the story starts; it’s as much about grief and reconciliation as what might be jumping out from somewhere. In talking with Leigh, we’d speak a lot about emotional resonance, and Lin and I discussed how we felt that the horror extends from what the family is going through.”

“Dermot is a wonderful actor to work with,” praises Shaye. “As a director, Leigh is able to color in things that I’ve thought about, which comes from his also being an actor.”

Mulroney adds, “That’s how you know Leigh will be able to help you get to the most important parts of a character. Leigh is an easy guy to relate to, and as a director nothing gets by him because he has the script memorized and knows what he wants for even the smallest scenes.”

Whannell remarks, “For a first-time director, it’s great to have an actor like Dermot who has done so many films; he knows about the technical aspects of making movies, and can access the feelings we need for his character to express – or not express.”

Mulroney concludes, “The Insidious movies are about the anticipation of fear, and they use old-school methods to achieve what other movies fail at using modern technology.”

“Insidious: Chapter 3” has been given a Parental Guidance (PG) rating by the MTRCB. This movie contains scenes with several scary and horrifying images, blasting sounds, and themes (a child communicating with the dead, dealing with the supernatural, etc.) that may be disturbing for very young viewers. Parental guidance and discretion is strictly advised.

Opening across the Philippines on June 05, 2015, “Insidious: Chapter 3” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

INFAMOUS “SAN ANDREAS” FAULT TRIGGERS WORST EARTHQUAKE IN HISTORY

Press release

New Line Cinema's action-thriller “San Andreas” imagines the largest magnitude earthquake in recorded history. A seismic swarm along a previously undetected fault near Nevada’s Hoover Dam crosses the border to trigger California’s notorious San Andreas Fault, which erupts in a massive jolt that rocks Los Angeles to its core. But it doesn’t stop there. The shockwave travels up the fault line, setting off a ripple effect of chaos and destruction all the way to San Francisco.

It was the fusion of wide-scale calamity and intensely personal connections that drew Dwayne Johnson and director Brad Peyton to the project, while it was still in the latter stages of development with producer Beau Flynn. The three had previously collaborated on the worldwide hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” and welcomed the chance to work together again on such a vastly different story where everything – the action, the scale, and the emotional beats – is amplified.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Says Peyton, “This is different from anything I’ve done before. It was more demanding in its larger-than-life elements but also in striking that tonal honesty. I wanted the characters to ring true so audiences could see it through their point of view as opposed to standing back and witnessing it from a safe distance. Because, as impactful as the action is, at the heart of every story are people you care about.”

The idea for “San Andreas” originated with Flynn, a longtime fan of classic disaster films who was eager to update the genre with today’s 3D capabilities and cutting-edge technology to create photorealistic images. Beyond that, he concedes, “The reason this movie resonates so much with me is that within three weeks of my moving to Los Angeles, the Northridge earthquake hit. I had never even felt a tremor before, and to experience a major earthquake was terrifying, powerful. It makes you feel very small and humble. I was always fascinated by the San AndreasFault, specifically, even though I grew up in Miami, 3000 miles away. It’s just something I think people are aware of, consciously or not. It’s in the zeitgeist.”

To keep audiences on the edge of their seats, the filmmakers raised the cinematic stakes on “San Andreas.” Applying creative license to a real-world threat, the story’s far-reaching scenarios aim for a heightened sense of action and drama. Nevertheless, while not everything depicted on screen is fact-based, the film still acknowledges the reality behind it.

In March 2015 the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the odds of California experiencing a magnitude 8 or greater seismic event in the next 30 years has increased, as has the possibility of multi-fault ruptures, like links in a chain. Attention has long been focused on the infamous SanAndreas but there are others steadily building pressure, including the Puente Hills Fault, running from Orange County to downtown L.A., and the underwater Cascadia Subduction Zone, from Northern California to Vancouver Island, with its potential to set off coast-engulfing tsunamis. Quakes have recently been reported in Nevada, Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri and previously unidentified hot-spots across the country, and remain a global fact of life – with a USGS estimate of approximately 500,000 detectable quakes around the world each year, 100,000 of which can be felt and as many as 100 that will cause damage.

“I took all my own fears and translated them into the script,” says screenwriter Carlton Cuse, “knowing Brad would execute every sequence at a very high level, and he exceeded my expectations.”

Within the broad canvas of a catastrophic quake, “San Andreas” finds its heart in the deepest instincts such an unpredictable and uncontrollable force of nature provokes: our need to reach out to others and to confirm what’s most important to us. “Disasters have a way of bringing out the best in people,” Peyton suggests. “Individuals gain focus and find strength. Ordinary people become heroes, while heroes push themselves to the limit.”

Concludes Flynn, “I think it’s fair to say no one knows exactly what they would do when faced with a fight-or-flight scenario, and that’s something we explore in the movie.”

Opening across the Philippines in both 3D and 2D format on May 28, 2015, “San Andreas” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THE RIDE AIN'T OVER FOR GUYS OF “ENTOURAGE”

Press release

Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedy “Entourage,” the much-anticipated big-screen version of the award-winning hit HBO series, reunites the hit show’s original cast, led by Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven.

In the film, movie star Vincent Chase (Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Connolly), Turtle (Ferrara) and Johnny (Dillon), are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.

Ever cruise Sunset Boulevard in a stretch limousine, and then hit the red carpet at a star-studded movie premiere? Stop by an impromptu party on the beach in Malibu, where the sun always shines and the cocktails flow? Score the best table at the hottest restaurant in town, no reservation required? And all the while, everywhere you go, gorgeous starlets wave as you pass by.

It’s everybody’s fantasy to live the Hollywood dream, but Vince, Eric, Drama, Turtle and Ari Gold really do, and they make it all look so easy. Boy, do the boys of “Entourage” know how to do it up and do it right, how to dream large—and live larger.

To take the guys and their enviable lifestyle of access and excess to the big screen, writer/director/producer Doug Ellin, who created the hit HBO series on which the movie is based, knew that the feature film “Entourage” had to be even bigger—no small feat, considering all the ground they’d covered before. “Although the show was a big show with a lot of locations, I wanted to take it to another level for the movie, so it’s ‘Entourage’ on steroids, with glamorous yachts, planes and houses, and the stakes for everyone higher than ever.”

Despite the TV show’s popularity and its 26 Primetime Emmy Award nominations—including six wins in such categories as acting, directing, writing and outstanding comedy series—Ellin knew he not only had to up the ante, he also needed to reach moviegoers who may not have been series devotees. “The way we structured the film, you do not have to have seen one second of the show to enjoy it,” he conveys. “You’re instantly inside a movie star’s world and hanging out with him and his best friends, having fun, livin’ the dream.”

Rob Weiss, who co-wrote the story with Ellin, was happy to be involved in bringing these guys and their dream lives to moviegoers. “It’s always great working with old friends to bring other old friends back to life.”

Because the filmmakers had made a concerted effort to shoot with viewers’ aspirations in mind, the jump to the big screen felt almost like fulfilling the ultimate fantasy for the wish fulfillment-based concept.

Producer Mark Wahlberg, who served as an executive producer on the series and on whose life the idea for the original “Entourage” was loosely based, recalls, “When the show was on the air, fans couldn’t get enough of it; I’d get asked about it all the time. We’d always planned to make a feature length movie, and we knew in order to do it, it would have to make sense for all the characters. Doug found a way in: it’s the guys being the guys, along with all the great ‘Entourage’-style moments you got from the original, but bigger in every way.”

Opening across the Philippines on June 10, 2015, “Entourage” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

DWAYNE JOHNSON INVITES PINOYS TO WATCH “SAN ANDREAS”

A short clip featuring Dwayne Johnson inviting Filipinos to watch his latest film, “San Andreas” has just been released by Warner Bros. 

The action adventure “San Andreas,” from New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, reunites Dwayne Johnson with director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn, following their collaboration on the global hit “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.”

After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning. And when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

“San Andreas” also stars Carla Gugino (“Night at the Museum,” TV’s “Entourage”), Alexandra Daddario (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” TV’s “True Detective”), Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), Archie Panjabi (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Hugo Johnstone-Burt (Australian TV’s “Home and Away”), Art Parkinson (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”).

Opening across the Philippines in 3D , 2D and 4DX formats on Thursday, May 28, “San Andreas” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

MELISSA MCCARTHY’S FULL-ACTION MODE IN “SPY”

Press release

Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy have already collaborated in the smash hit comedies: “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat.” In “Spy,” which Feig wrote and directed, the gifted actress plays the brilliant, intuitive and relatable Susan Cooper, who has worked in the dreary basement at CIA headquarters for years. Her colleague is the charming, sophisticated and self-absorbed super spy Bradley Fine, played by Jude Law. An unsung hero, Cooper is the one who guides her partner via a computer and an earpiece, when he is out on perilous assignments, steering him through sticky situations around the globe. Fine gets the credit for all the successes, but it is actually Cooper doing most of the complicated work. She is also secretly besotted with the charismatic Fine, but it’s a case of unrequited love.

                When Fine goes off the grid while trying to locate a nuclear bomb, Susan Cooper volunteers to go out into the field herself, becoming a bona fide spy, infiltrating the world of international espionage in Europe. She has to confront the villainous, rich and ultra-glamorous Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) who is the daughter of a notorious arms dealer, with access to a nuclear weapon. It is up to the intrepid Agent Cooper to stop her before she wreaks global havoc! 

                Cooper has another challenge to deal with in the form of Rick Ford (a hilarious performance from Jason Statham) a supposedly ace operative. Ford turns out to be bumbling, intense and supremely arrogant. He completely underestimates Cooper, who surprises everyone with her all-round excellence. Out of her element at the start, Susan Cooper rapidly learns all the skills required for her new job. We see her dangling from a helicopter, racing around on a scooter and engaging in a kitchen fight with a deadly assassin. Side-splittingly funny, the film is riveting and action-packed. Also starring are Bobby Cannavale and 50 Cent.

                A much more unorthodox confrontation and action in the movie takes place later in the week, at a Budapest restaurant kitchen, where Susan and an assassin (Nargis Fakhri) engage in a fight to the finish with fruits, vegetables, turkey legs and cooking utensils. Perry and his stunt team spent weeks choreographing and rehearsing, and “pre-visioning” the fight on computer. Food, pots and pans go flying, as the bruises mount on both McCarthy and Fakhri with each take.

                “Who knew salad could be a weapon?” says Fakhri, a Queens, New York, daughter of Czech and Pakistani parents. “Melissa got me good with some potatoes but I returned the favor with some breadsticks. It’s hard to do this kind of scene, but when it’s Paul Feig, you take one for the team.”

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                Says Perry: “The kitchen fight took two days to complete and demonstrated Paul’s commitment to ramping up the action. He’s an enthusiast of 1980s Jackie Chan movies, as am I, so I had a good idea what he wanted: low, wide-angle impact shots coming into the lens. It’s funny, kinetic and violent.”

                “Spy “opens May 21 in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The Models-Turned-Actresses In Mad Max: Fury Road

Press release

In Warner Bros.' rip-roaring action-adventure “Mad Max: Fury Road,” lone wanderer Max (Tom Hardy) becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), from whom something irreplaceable has been taken: his Wives – five young women enslaved for breeding. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Director George Miller saw the Wives as a melody, and wanted an ensemble of individuals who would each bring her own note to it. “The Five Wives are the classic MacGuffin in this film, the object everyone is after,” Miller notes. “You have to be able to instantly grab onto each one in the middle of this wild chase through the Wasteland.”

For The Splendid Angharad, the ad-hoc leader of the wives, they cast model-turned-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, with Riley Keogh playing her second-in-command, Capable. Zoë Kravitz is the tough and brainy Toast the Knowing; Courtney Eaton plays the sheltered Cheedo the Fragile; and Abbey Lee became The Dag.

All five traveled to Sydney for three weeks of rehearsals, costume fittings, movement work with Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard, and exploring their characters in workshops with Nico Lathouris. As part of their research, they also spent time with feminist playwright Eve Ensler, who has worked in the Congo with women struggling with issues of rape.

That was particularly illuminating for Huntington-Whiteley, the only one of the Wives whose rape has resulted in conception. “Eve Ensler was brilliant and made everything very real for us,” she notes. “Splendid is the leader and an extremely strong character. She takes a maternal approach over all her sisters, but has conflicted emotions about her pregnancy. I did a lot of research on my own and had many conversations with Eve and George about how truly conflicted she would be about the child she’s carrying. She shows a lot of courage, but is often reckless, and I see that as an expression of the pain over what Immortan did to her and the possibility that she could still love the child.”

Keogh’s Capable also has a tender and compassionate side that emerges when she finds Nux (Nicholas Hoult) stowed away in the War Rig in the wake of a failed attempt to die stopping it. Keogh says, “Because the Wives have seen the Immortan when he’s vulnerable, Capable knows he’s not this god-like thing that Nux believes he is. She feels empathy and finds a new purpose when she meets Nux. They really come to care for each other.”

On the other end of the spectrum is Toast, who aspires to be a warrior like Furiosa. Kravitz comments, “These girls have never had to do anything for themselves, and now they’re in this race for their lives. Suddenly they have to protect themselves and load weapons for Furiosa, and Toast is the one who is ready to step up to the plate and fight. There’s no time to think too hard or second-guess anything; there’s always someone coming for you.”

Lee, a model making her film debut, caught Miller’s attention for The Dag. “The Dag is a bit of comic relief,” says Lee, who, as an Australian, grew up steeped in “Mad Max” culture. “There’s a darkness to her, and that’s where the comedy comes from; it’s her coping mechanism. Her name is derived from the term ‘daggy,’ which is an endearing term for someone who is a little bit left of center, someone awkward. She has a flightiness about her that can be mistaken for nervousness, but really it comes from having a heightened sense of awareness of what’s going on around her.”

Eaton, who was just 16 years-old during filming, plays Fragile, the youngest and most naïve of the Wives. “Fragile wasn’t born in the outside world,” Eaton describes. “She was born in the Citadel, and doesn’t know anything other than that life. So being out there affects her. She wants to go back to something safe and stable, where she has food and water and knows she’s not going to die. She’s a little like the abused spouse, who will always go back to her abuser.”

Miller offers, “All the women are vulnerable because they’ve never been out there in the Wasteland, and, as Furiosa says, ‘It hurts out here.’ Of all them, Fragile is the most vulnerable, but she finds her own strength in the story.

”

Now playing across the Philippines in 2D and 3D theaters, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Spy movie review

When you hear the word spy, you associate it with James Bond because he is the longest running franchise in the action genre. There had been a few spy comedies but nothing came as funny and hilarious like this. Here are the reasons why you should watch Spy:

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

#It is not the first action comedy Melissa McCarthy did. She was in The Identity Thief as a the title role and The Heat were she was a cop. If you enjoyed Melissa McCarthy in The Heat, you will like Spy better.

#She combined both slapstick and witty dialogues.

#Melissa McCarthy is reunited with her Bridesmaid co-actor Rose Byrne who plays her frenemy in the movie. It just shows that Rose Byrne is also funny in her own way.

#Jason Statham is a revelation in comedy. Jude Law also done comedy and Allison Janney is famours for in Britain for her comedy. The British has their own kind of humor. But all the actors are funny regardless of which country they originate. It just shows that the actors compliment each other in the comedy aspect. 

#You can expect that it is adult humor.There is a reason why is it R-13 in the Philippines.

#If you laughed so easily, get ready for lots of it. Expect also lots of reaction from slapstick sequences and the stunts.

#My expectations were not high when I saw the trailer but after watching the movie, it really blew me away. This maybe the best comedy movie after Get Hard this month.

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“MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” ROARS TO $109-M WORLDWIDE OPENING

Press release

Film is the #1 new release at the worldwide box office

“Mad Max: Fury Road” gives George Miller his biggest opening ever and is already the top-grossing “Mad Max” film

            BURBANK, CA – May 17, 2015 – Riding on rave reviews and huge anticipation around the globe, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” thundered at the worldwide box office with an opening weekend of more than $109.4 million, making it the #1 new release at the global box office.  It is also the biggest opening ever for director George Miller and is already the highest grossing of all the “Mad Max” films.  The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

            George Miller’s return to the world of “Mad Max” was a major draw overseas, where it earned an aggregate estimated $65 million in 68 territories on 16,900 screens.  It was #1 at the box office in almost 40 territories, including Australia, the birthplace of the post-apocalyptic anti-hero, as well as such key markets as France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Korea, all of Scandinavia, and many more.

            In the Philippines, the film received unanimous praise from critics and grossed a formidable P22.74-M gross in four days.

            In the U.S., “Mad Max: Fury Road” had an excellent opening of more than $44.4 million at 3,702 locations.

            In making the announcement, Fellman said, “George Miller, together with his extraordinary cast, led by Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and fellow filmmakers, has created a movie-going experience that critics agree is not to be missed, as evidenced by the 98% ‘Fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes—resulting in the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated actioner so well-reviewed.  Word of mouth is already tremendous and should drive box office returns well into summer.”

            Kwan Vandenberg stated, “It’s truly gratifying to see the fantastic critical reaction translate to such strong numbers at the box office. George Miller’s edge-of-your-seat, action-packed experience is a must-see big-screen visual stunner that is luring both diehard followers and new fans around the world.”

            Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, said, “Anticipation began with our early campaign, which offered just a taste of the world inhabited by George Miller’s unique characters.  Triumphant premieres in Los Angeles and at the Cannes Film Festival further fueled the social media buzz surrounding ‘Fury Road,’ which, combined with phenomenal reviews, turned the release into a global event.”

            Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, added, “The success of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is a testament to the commitment of George Miller and his team to deliver something moviegoers have never seen before.  George’s vision not only lives up to the legacy of his pioneering ‘Mad Max’ films but expands upon that legacy for a new generation.  We thank our partners at Village Roadshow and, together with them, congratulate everyone involved in the film.”

            From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.

            Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone.  Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by Imperator Furiosa.  They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken.  Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

            Now playing across the Philippines , Mad Max: Fury Road” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.