Witness the power of faith in “Paul, Apostle of Christ” Exclusively in SM Cinema

Press release

This Lenten season, witness the all-too-real story of “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” at SM Cinema.

Purveyed in the perspective of the Apostle Luke, the film depicts Paul in the midst of a brutal Roman campaign against religion, persecuting all those who share the faith and preach the word of the Lord through the most gruesome methods ever devised.

Paul, is held prisoner and sentenced to death by Roman Emperor Nero. Luke, risks his life to visit him and there decides to write another text containing the beginnings of “The Way” and the start of what will later be known as the Church.

Chained and confined in the infamous Mamertine Prison, under the command of the hateful Prefect Mauritius Gallas, Paul introspects, realizing the tribulations he underwent: countless floggings, starvation, stoning, hunger and thirst. Now, as he waits for certain death alone in the dark, shadows of his past misdeeds haunt him and he wonders if he will be able to finish the race well.

The two Apostles struggle against the weakness of humanity and one of Christianity’s grueling oppressions in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus and keep the faith as a beacon of hope to all the believers across the land.

“When I think of God's grace and mercy and who's the one embodiment of that, it's always Paul to me. Somebody who goes from basically the greatest persecutor of early Christians into the greatest evangelist in all of church history,” Writer and Director Andrew Hyatt shared.

Starring Jim Caviezel as Luke, French actor Olivier Martinez as Mauritius Gallas and Game of Thrones Alumnus James Faulkner in the titular role, “Paul, Apostle of Christ” will be exclusively screened at SM Cinema theatres nationwide starting March 23.

Book your tickets now through the website, www.smcinema.com or skip the line by downloading the SM Cinema app now through the App Store and Google Play. Stay tuned to SM Cinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for more details.  

Jeremy Renner Introduces the First Trailer of New Comedy "Tag"

Press release

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

JEREMY RENNER INTRODUCES THE FIRST TRAILER OF NEW COMEDY “TAG”

Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms and Jon Hamm play an impromptu game of tag as they introduce the outrageous official trailer 1 of New Line Cinema's upcoming comedy “Tag.”

Check out the trailer at the links below and watch “Tag” in Philippine cinemas soon.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warnerbrosphils/videos/2013519342010930/

YouTube: https://youtu.be/x23la8B_9zQ

Based on a true story, the New Line Cinema comedy “Tag” shows how far some guys will go to be the last man standing.

For one month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running in a no-holds-barred game of tag they’ve been playing since the first grade—risking their necks, their jobs and their relationships to take each other down with the battle cry: “You’re It!”

This year, the game coincides with the wedding of their only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target. But he knows they’re coming…and he’s ready.

“Tag” is directed by Jeff Tomsic (Comedy Central’s “Broad City”), with a starring ensemble cast led by Ed Helms (The “Hangover” movies), Jake Johnson (TV’s “New Girl”), Annabelle Wallis (“The Mummy”), Rashida Jones (TV’s “Parks and Recreation”), Isla Fisher (“Now You See Me”), Leslie Bibb (“Iron Man 2”), Hannibal Buress (“Neighbors”), with Jon Hamm (“Baby Driver,” TV’s “Mad Men”) and Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner (“The Hurt Locker, “The Town”).

The “Tag” screenplay was written by Rob McKittrick (“Waiting”) and Mark Steilen (TV’s “Mozart in the Jungle”), screen story by Mark Steilen, and based on the Wall Street Journal article entitled “It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It,” by Russell Adams. The film is produced by Todd Garner and Mark Steilen, with executive producers Hans Ritter, Richard Brener, Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter.

A New Line Cinema presentation, “Tag” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

SM Cinema Hosted The Premiere Screening of “Santa Clarita Diet” Season 2

Press release

Are you ready for seconds? Fans of Netflix’s hit series Santa Clarita Diet are in for a treat as SM Cinema hosts the premiere screening of the second season’s pilot episode.

Held last March 12 at SM Megamall, Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant themselves were walking the red carpet. Booths and activities were available for the fans to enjoy such as a fun 120-degree photo booth.

While shows about the undead are nothing new these days, this Netflix series stands out for its funny spin on the zombie outbreak genre. Starring Golden Globe award winner Drew Barrymore and Primetime Emmy Award winner Timothy Olyphant, Santa Clarita Diet is comedy-horror series that is laugh-out-loud funny as it explores the struggle of living life as a flesh-eating zombie in suburbia.  Season 2 takes us back to the life of Sheila Hammond and her family as she struggles with her now more advanced and more aggressive undead state. With the help of her husband, Joel, and their daughter, Abby, they try to discover the origins of the virus to keep it from spreading and to save humanity – all the while trying to maintain a normal life.

Keeping true to its promise to bring the on-screen to life, SM Cinema welcomes the Netflix series, bringing the big stars closer to the Filipinos.

Book your seat to a movie, or book the theatre for your event. Log on to www.smcinema.com or skip the line and download the SM Cinema app now through the App store or Google Play. For more information follow /SMCinema on facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram. The Santa Clarita Diet Season 2 premieres on Netflix this March 23, 2018.

JASON BATEMAN IN "GAME NIGHT"

PRESS RELEASE

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

JASON BATEMAN, THE UNDISPUTED MASTER OF “GAME NIGHT”

Max owns game night. Pick the contest, set the timer and watch him roll. It’s what made him irresistible to Annie the night fate brought them together: two razor-sharp players joining forces to wipe out a bar full of trivia hopefuls who didn’t know the meaning of the word cutthroat. Now married, they host a regular couples’ night to hang with their like-minded friends, break out the scorecards and have some fun.

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Comedy actor Jason Bateman (Zootopia, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief) stars as Max in New Line Cinema's Game Night.

In Game Night, Bateman and Rachel McAdams play Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks, arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So, when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game…right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be.

“It’s a real popcorn movie,” states Bateman, who also served as a producer on the film. “There’s a lot of action and nighttime intrigue and, of course, you’ve got the comedy all the way through which makes it fun. There’s even a little romance.”

Addressing the relatability of an evening that starts with promise and then goes horribly, hilariously off the rails, he concedes, “I’m sure I’ve had my fair share of nights that have gone south. And I think all of us have had some experience getting together with friends and playing games. But it’s the escalation that happens here, when it gets out of the house and into the streets, that kicks everything up to another level.”

Bateman’s producing partner, James Garavente, recalls their reaction to the initial pitch. “We loved the cool concept; it really grabbed us. We knew the script was funny, and we felt it should be grounded and not look overtly like a comedy, so the question was only how to get this great mix. What directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein did, which was genius, was take it a step further with all these thriller tropes, and camera movements that heighten a sense of action and danger.”

Game Night is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

LADY BIRD movie review

Reasons why I like Lady Bird:

*Inclusivity. The title character is a young teenage girl. She is spirited and is like she can take on the world. Sometimes, the protagonists are rebels. Coincidently, it opens a week before International Women’s’ Day.

 

Photo credit: Universal Pictures

* It is not your typical teenage movie. It diverts from the usual wholesome, mainstream, teenage movies. It requires a mature audience to appreciate this movie. It also tackles sex issues among teenagers as well as handling relationships within the family.

*Some comedy punch lines may be offensive to conservative Christians. I am glad I am not conservative even though I go to church every Sunday.

*Saoirse Ronan is nominated for best actress. Not all young girls get nominated for the Oscars along with the veteran actresses.

* The characters made a mark in the movie individually. You will be amused with the variety of characteristics and they contribute well in the story.

*It is well cast. Not all are popular like Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf (better known as Sheldon Cooper’s mom in The Big Bang Theory) but the cast performed their roles well.

*It also stars Timothee Chalamet, another Oscar nominee for Best Actor for the movie, Call Me By Your Name.

Lady Bird is an Ayala Cinema exclusive. Released by Universal Pictures and distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures. For more quality movie reviews without copy-paste press materials, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.