MIND-BOGGLING DEATH STUNTS DONE BY REAL ICONIC ATHLETES IN “POINT BREAK”

Press release

Brace yourselves for this year’s most ambitious groundbreaking action movie “Point Break” starring Luke Bracey (“Best of Me”) with Edgar Ramírez along with real-world action sports heroes whom director Eric Core cast instead of the traditional stunt team  that gives the film the first-of-its-kind extreme ante  in the action genre.

                “Point Break” brings the audience in a whole new level, highly dangerous, high stakes world of extreme sports when Johnny Utah (Bracey) goes deep undercover to forge strong allies with a group of extreme athletes whom he believes are the perpetrators of international crimes across the globe headed by their charismatic leader Bodhi (Ramírez).   Proving that he’s solidly with the group, Johnny gains the trust of their leaders and eventually steals stash after stash from their group and takes on a Robin Hood-esque task of giving to the poor eventually bringing them to justice.   

                Filmed with a staggering US$120 million in budget, “Point Break” is filled with spectacular stunts devoid of camera tricks and visual effects, done by the actors and the athletes themselves poised to surpass all other phenomenal blockbuster action movies in recent years such as “James Bond,” “Mission Impossible” and the “Fast and The Furious” movies.  

                Directed by Ericson Core, the film includes sports icons such as renowned extreme athletes that  include surfer legend Laird Hamilton, Sebastian Zietz, Makua Rothman, Billy Kemper, Brian Keaulana, Ahanu Tson-dru, Ian Walsh, Laurie Towner, Dylan Longbottom, Albee Layer, Bruce Irons, Tikanui Smith and Tuhiti Humani; snowboarders Xavier De Le Rue, Louis Vito, Christian Haller, Lucas DeBari and Ralph Backstrom; skateboarders Bob Burnquist and Eric Koston; motorcyclists Riley Harper and Oakley Lehman; wingsuit stunt pilots Jon Devore, Julian Boulle, Noah Bahnson, Jhonathan Florez and Mike Swanson, and consultant Jeb Corliss; and free climber Chris Sharma, among others.   Making cameos are DJs Steve Aoki, Seth Troxler and The Art Department, as well as sports commentator and TV host Sal Masekela.

                Taking the audience for a never-been-there thrilling ride at the movies, “Point Break” breaks all barriers seen in traditional action films with daring, death-defying stunts and a no-limits attitude from the actors and the whole production crew.  Early trade screenings of “Point Break” introduced the audience to nail-biting scenes employing the world of surfing, motocross, sky-diving and wingsuit-flying across eleven countries.  

                Actor Ramirez in related news humorously admitted that he’s relieved he didn’t die during the production of “Point Break.”  This generation’s action movie for the thrill seeking travellers and sports oriented fanatics, “Point Break’s" surfing technical advisor, Laird Hamilton, who was also part of the original “Point Break” crew that starred Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, introduces a new behind-the-scenes look at how the cast, crew, and professional surfers came together to film in some of the world’s biggest surf spots. “Everything about this film is just the next level up,” Hamilton says as he explains the film is seeking to capture the same philosophy as the original film but in a more modern context.

                Opening in Philippine cinemas three (3) weeks ahead of its US release date, “Point Break” opens December 3 (Thursday) in theatres nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Secret In Their Eyes movie review

Each person has his/her secrets. I don't know anyone who doesn't have secrets. He/she may not exist. How long can anyone keep a secret and to what cost? This movie may answer that.

Secret In Their Eyes is not just about secrets. It is a crime-suspense-thriller that makes you guessing until the end. It is also make you think if the characters' actions are justifiable. It tackles ethical issues as well as legal.

Having both critically acclaimed actresses like Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman in one movie is something not to be missed since it is a rare production to have them both together. Joining them is another acclaimed actor Chiwetel Ejiofor whose breakthrough performances earned him a great recognition besides being also awarded.

For Julia Roberts, it is not her first time to do suspense. Unlike in Sleeping In The Enemy, she is no weak victim. For Nicole Kidman, she was being sexy and a commanding figure since she is a district attorney. But what makes this movie unique was that it will make you surprise or shock to find out the truth.

This movie is an adaptation of a award-wining foreign film which the movie is adapted from with direction of Billy Ray, who did Captain Phillips and Mark Johnson for Breaking Bad.and Rain Man. Both did great work retelling an originally Italian movie and adapted it in American setting. It won Best Foreign Movie. The production is compared to a TV movie or independent movie which is alright so it won't be identified as a Hollywood flick.

Secret In Their Eyes opens December 2 in Philippine cinemas and is distributed and released by Axinite Digicinema. For more movie reviews, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

BILLY RAY TAKES ON LATEST DIRECTORIAL SEAT IN “SECRET IN THEIR EYES”

Press release

Billy Ray, an Academy Award nominee known for his stirring screenplays of box-office smash hits such as “The Hunger Games,” “Captain Phillips” and “Flightplan” takes director’s seat in “Secret In Their Eyes” where he has assembled an award-winning cast and for the first time brings together Academy Award winners Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman with Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor.

                “Secret in Their Eyes” is based on “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, directed by Juan Jose Campanella.  In the movie, a parent’s worst nightmare happens when investigator Jess Cobb (Roberts) finds her daughter brutally murdered, along with his best pal in the force, Ray Kasten (Ejiofor), the two set out to uncover the elusive killer with the aid of district attorney Claire Sloan (Kidman).  Years passed and the killer is still lose on the streets of Los Angeles, beneath the missions, Jess tries hard to cover the pain that has haunted her for years after her daughter’s death. 

                The movie is also produced by Academy Award winner Mark Johnson (“Rain Man,” “Breaking Bad”) who has known Ray’s works for decades but it’s the first time that Ray and Johnson work for “Secret In Their Eyes.”  When they saw the Argentine thriller “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” neither of them could stop talking about it.    “El Secreto de Sus Ojos, is spectacular,” says Billy, “I was completely floored by it, had a reverence for it that bordered on awe. Then Mark asked me if I wanted to adapt it. At first I was hesitant because you don’t want to take on anything that is so great that you feel dwarfed by it before you even start. But I did feel there was an American version of the story worth retelling and exploring.” Every time the pair got frustrated tackling the weighty subject matter, they had an unabashed cheerleader in Juan Campanella, who directed the Argentine film. “Here was a man who wanted to solve a cold case but the reason why he wanted to solve it was not only to find the culprit but to find the root of his own loneliness,” Campanella says. “That to me was very original. Contrary to what people might think, I really like it when somebody takes a piece of work and turns it into something different.”   Billy says an impetus for the American version lay in the events of 9/11. ”The horror of that event was so big and so indelible for anybody who was in America at that time. But it created a story opportunity for our movie that no other context could have.” “Billy found a great twist on the story,” Campanella says. “He respected a lot of the emotion of the original but found a very American way of telling it.” Billy admits that he initially thought he was writing a movie about loss. “But it turns out that I was writing a movie about obsession. Stories do that sometimes, they tell you what they are about.

                For Julia Roberts the essence of the story is about the evolution of people who were taken off track by destiny.  “I was very taken with Billy’s script. I don’t read a lot of scripts that I like and I don’t work very often. But I read this and thought it was truly interesting.  “Billy has been remarkable for me as an actor. He’s so available and he’s like Encyclopedia Brown. He knows everything, he’s calm and he’s super-loving. He’s always taking care of all of us in these very fragile scenarios that he’s created. I think he probably feels bad for putting us through all this,” she laughs. 

                Nicole Kidman says that the plot intrigued her when she first read the script. “Rarely do you get scripts that have three strong protagonists and a really, really strong storyline. I’ve known Billy for a while now and I wanted to work with him and the idea of doing this with Julia and Chiwetel was compelling. “For me writer-directors are the best combination.  Billy is so collaborative and he has a great sense of structure and a great sense of humor. He frequently would rewrite or change things a little bit in order to adapt to what Chiwetel and I needed. I call him Professor Billy because he also teaches writing and has so much knowledge of film."

                “Secret in their Eyes” opens December 2 in theaters from Axinite Digicinema.

TEASER TRAILER TELLS “HOW TO BE SINGLE”

Press release

Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the teaser trailer and poster for its upcoming romantic comedy “How to Be Single” starring Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson. 

There’s a right way to be single, a wrong way to be single, and then…there’s Alice. And Robin. Lucy. Meg. Tom. David. New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle. And somewhere between the teasing texts and one-night stands, what these unmarrieds all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love. Sleeping around in the city that never sleeps was never so much fun.

“How to Be Single” stars Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey”), Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect”), Damon Wayans, Jr. (“Let’s Be Cops”), Anders Holm (“Neighbors,” upcoming “The Intern”), Alison Brie (“Get Hard”), Nicholas Braun (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), Jake Lacy (HBO’s “Girls”), with Jason Mantzoukas (“Neighbors,” TV’s “The League”) and Leslie Mann (“This is 40,”).

Christian Ditter (“Love, Rosie,” “The Crocodiles”) directed the comedy from a screenplay by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein (“The Vow,” “He’s Just Not That Into You”) and Dana Fox (“Couples Retreat,” “What Happens in Vegas”), screen story by Kohn & Silverstein, based on the book by Liz Tucillo (TV’s “Sex & the City,” He’s Just Not That Into You). John Rickard and Fox are producing the film. Marcus Viscidi, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, Dave Neustadter, Michele Weiss, Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvonen are executive producers.

Ditters’ behind-the-scenes creative team is headed by his frequent collaborator, director of photography Christian Rein, as well as production designer Steve Saklad (“Juno,” “Up in the Air”), editor Tia Nolan (“Friends with Benefits”) and costume designer Leah Katznelson (“Enough Said,” “21 Jump Street”). The music is by Fil Eisler (FOX TV’s “Empire”).

Opening across the Philippines in February 2016, “How to Be Single” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

By The Sea movie review

After the success of the movie Unbroken which is also written and directed by Angelina Jolie Pitt, she once again directed and written another movie but this time, her husband Brad Pitt joins her. For the first time since Mr. & Mrs. Smith, they are paired once again for this movie as husband & wife.

Photo courtesy of UIP

This is unlike any love story that you will not expect.The real-life couple plays an estranged couple from U.S. who traveled to France during the 70's. What makes this unique was that Pitt is unlike any character. He was given a mustache to suit the time period.

I mentioned estranged because the couple they are portraying have issues. Despite how different they are, it is the location that made me love the movie. Their characters even speaks good French which makes me want to study French again.

The movie is not like any Hollywood film even though it was done by United International Pictures. You can bet that it is not because it is a Bragelina movie but it is written by Jolie-Pitt herself like it was an independent movie.

The movie is shown exclusively for Ayala Cinemas starting November 18. For more movie reviews, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

ACADEMY AWARD WINNING BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM ADAPTED IN 2015’S “SECRET IN THEIR EYES”

Press release

  Academy Award winner Julia Roberts stars in her latest and another yet Oscar-worthy role in the crime thriller “Secret In Their Eyes” based on the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film directed by Juan Jose Campanella “El Secreto de Sus Ojos.”

                This year’s “Secret In Their Eyes,” directed by blockbuster filmmaker and Academy Award nominee Billy Ray (“Captain Phillips,” “The Hunger Games”), and produced by Academy Award and Emmy winner Mark Johnson (“Rain Man,” “Breaking Bad”) brings Julia Roberts in a surprising mystery that explores the personal themes of loss, betrayal, and a parent’s undying will to right a profound wrong.

  

                DA investigator Jess Cobb (Julia Roberts), FBI investigator Ray Kasten (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Deputy District Attorney Claire Sloan (Nicole Kidman) are rising stars, having been selected to serve on an anti-terrorism joint task force in post 9/11 Los Angeles. Jess and Ray are tight-knit partners who share a deep respect and an easy friendship both on the job and off. Ray and Claire come from opposite walks of life, but have a complicated attraction that is a constant undercurrent in their day-to-day encounters.  After Ray and Jess are called to investigate a murder scene, they discover the unthinkable -- the victim is Jess’s daughter, Caroline. Ray and Jess join forces with Claire to bring the killer to justice. Their mission, however, meets a cold reality when they discover their suspect is a protected federal witness, and is set free. Thirteen years later, despite their attempts to find an even keel to their lives, Ray, Claire and Jess still bear wounds that won’t heal. But when Ray uncovers a new lead, he returns to L.A. to convince Claire to revisit the case. Despite the risk all face by reopening emotional issues — Jess’ life has been in stasis for more than a decade; Ray’s affection for Claire has never waned — they join forces to pursue the killer: this time vowing to take matters into their own hands to avenge Caroline’s brutal murder.   None, however, is prepared for the shocking secret that lurks behind the manhunt and illuminates the emotional cost of vengeance and justice.

                Billy Ray and Mark Johnson had known each other and each other’s work for decades, but had never worked together. When they saw the Argentine thriller “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” neither of them could stop talking about it.    “El Secreto de Sus Ojos, is spectacular,” says Billy, “I was completely floored by it, had a reverence for it that bordered on awe. Then Mark asked me if I wanted to adapt it. At first I was hesitant because you don’t want to take on anything that is so great that you feel dwarfed by it before you even start. But I did feel there was an American version of the story worth retelling and exploring.” Every time the pair got frustrated tackling the weighty subject matter, they had an unabashed cheerleader in Juan Campanella, who directed the Argentine film. “Here was a man who wanted to solve a cold case but the reason why he wanted to solve it was not only to find the culprit but to find the root of his own loneliness,” Campanella says. “That to me was very original. Contrary to what people might think, I really like it when somebody takes a piece of work and turns it into something different.”   Billy says an impetus for the American version lay in the events of 9/11. ”The horror of that event was so big and so indelible for anybody who was in America at that time. But it created a story opportunity for our movie that no other context could have.” “Billy found a great twist on the story,” Campanella says. “He respected a lot of the emotion of the original but found a very American way of telling it.” Billy admits that he initially thought he was writing a movie about loss. “But it turns out that I was writing a movie about obsession. Stories do that sometimes, they tell you what they are about.

                “Secret In Their Eyes” opens December 2 in theatres nationwide from Axinite Digicinema.

“BY THE SEA” UNRAVELS NEW POSTER, IMAGES

Press release

Universal Pictures has just revealed new images, including a poster art, from the romantic drama “By the Sea,” Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie Pitt’s directorial follow-up to the studio’s epic “Unbroken.”

To be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide, “By the Sea” is written, directed and produced by Jolie Pitt, and stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Niels Arestrup, Melvil Poupaud and Richard Bohringer.

“By the Sea” follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.

In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, “By the Sea” is inspired by European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s.

“By the Sea” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Check out the trailer for THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY

Columbia Pictures has released the first trailer for the new spy comedy “The Brothers Grimsby” .

The movie stars Mark Strong as a British black ops spy who is forced to go on the run with his idiotic football hooligan brother, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Directed by “Now You See Me's” Louis Letterier, this teaser trailer opens as a standard actioner, before revealing the Cohen humorous payoff.

“The Brothers Grimsby” also stars Rebel Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Gabourey Sidibe, Annabelle Wallis, and Ian McShane.

Opening across the Philippines on March 02, 2016, “The Brothers Grimsby” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.