“LINCOLN” INTERNATIONAL TRAILER REVEAL

From avant-garde filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes a sweeping epic essaying the final moments of a man’s legacy in “Lincoln,” starring Academy Award Winners Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.  

20^th Century Fox, Dreamworks Pictures present in association with Participant Media further reveals in “Lincoln’s” international trailer (the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency.  The full measure of the man—his passion and his humanity—came to bear on his defining battle:  to plot a forward path for a shattered nation, against overwhelming odds and extreme public and personal pressure.   

Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” provides an intimate immersion into the American leader’s most perilous and revealing moments, at a time when the dark shadow of slavery lifts and a country torn by war must be made whole.

Brought to life via a layered screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, Spielberg’s starkly human storytelling and the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis leading an accomplished cast, the film invites audiences directly into the heart and soul of Lincoln’s final achievements. The Lincoln who emerges is a man of raw paradoxes: funny and solemn, a playful storyteller and fierce power broker, a shrewd commander and a vulnerable father. But in his nation’s darkest hour, when the times demand the very best of people, he reaches from within himself for something powerful and everlasting.

“Lincoln” opens in Phil. cinemas on February 20 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Taken 2 review

Story: The father of the abductor whom ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills killed in the previous movie swore revenge on him and his family.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Flagg

Years after Bryan Mills rescued Kim, his daughter, they were living normal lives. From this time, there are some developments have already occurred in the Mills family. In the last movie, Bryan Mills is trying live a normal life as a father. But he is not normal and old habits die hard. Whatever is Mills good at, it's part of his system.

In the last movie, we saw what he can do best and he's going to do it again. Bryan Mills is not a type of hero like in the action movies. At first, her daughter was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The only mistake of the abductors, they had to pick the daughter of Bryan Mills. Bryan Mills is really resourceful. I made a comparison with other fictional secret agents like James Bond, Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne, Bryan Mills is much more better.

For the story, it was unexpected. The point why there's a sequel is fueled by vengeance. In my opinion, it was too soon. I was expecting another "taken" situation not rooted with the first one. But it was not all bad. Taken is released and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox.

THE CROODS Teaser Poster

The Croods is a prehistoric comedy adventure that follows the world’s first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed.  Traveling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures -- and their outlook is changed forever.

The Croods will open March 30, 2013 in (Phils.) cinemas - from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox.

TOM CRUISE'S “ALL YOU NEED IS KILL” TO INVADE THEATRES MARCH 14, 2014

BURBANK, CA – The upcoming epic sci-fi thriller, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and based on the book All You Need is Kill, will open on March 14, 2014, from Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. The announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. 

Cruise and Blunt

Being directed by Doug Liman, the film is the first motion picture to be shot at the recently christened Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, and began principal photography October 1. 

The story unfolds in a near future in which a hive-like alien race, called Mimics, have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, shredding great cities to rubble and leaving millions of human casualties in their wake. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters or their telepathic commanders. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances. 

             Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and then dropped—untrained and ill-equipped—into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an Alpha down with him. But, impossibly, he awakens back at the beginning of the same hellish day, and is forced to fight and die again…and again. Direct physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop—dooming him to live out the same brutal combat over and over. 

But with each pass, Cage becomes tougher, smarter, and able to engage the Mimics with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt), who has lain waste to more Mimics than anyone on Earth. As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated battle becomes an opportunity to find the key to annihilating the alien invaders and saving the Earth.

Oscar^® nominee Cruise (the “Mission: Impossible” films, “Collateral,” “Jerry Maguire”) and Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) lead an international cast that also includes Bill Paxton (“Aliens,” HBO’s “Big Love”), Jonas Armstrong (BBC TV’s “Robin Hood”), Tony Way (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), Kick Gurry (Australian TV’s “Tangle”), Franz Drameh (“Attack the Block”), Dragomir Mrsic (“Snabba Cash II”), and Charlotte Riley (“World Without End”).

Liman (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) is directing the film from a screenplay by Dante Harper, Christopher McQuarrie and Joby Harold, based on the acclaimed novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff (“The Blind Side,” “I Am Legend”), Gregory Jacobs (“Contagion”) and Jeffrey Silver (“300”) are the producers. The executive producers are Jason Hoffs, Joby Harold, Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Tom Lassally, Hidemi Fukuhara, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers. (Credits are not final.)

The behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award^®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Oliver Scholl (“Jumper,” “Independence Day”), editor James Herbert (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”), costume designer Kate Hawley (upcoming “Pacific Rim”), and Oscar^®-nominated visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Dark Knight”).

The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

FILMING BEGINS ON NEW THRILLER “HIDDEN”

Alexander Skarsgård and Andrea Riseborough stars

Alexander Skarsgård

             Principal photography is underway in Vancouver on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Hidden,” starring Alexander Skarsgård (TV’s “True Blood”) and Andrea Riseborough (“Shadow Dancer”). 

Ray (Skarsgård), Claire (Riseborough) and their seven-year-old daughter, Zoe, are an average American family in Kingsville, North Carolina—except they have existed in a bomb shelter since escaping a day of devastation that changed everything.

For 301 days, they have transformed their cement prison into a home, holding on to memories of the past and hope for a normal life someday. And for 301 days, the family has eluded what looms above the surface—the heavy breathing and booming footsteps that punctuate the night, threatening their fragile existence.

All the while, the family has managed to stay hidden. Until now. Now their safe haven has been breached…and something is coming for them.

Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, who wrote the original script, make their feature film directorial debut on “Hidden.” The film also stars Emily Alyn Lind (“J. Edgar”) as daughter Zoe.

Roy Lee (“The Departed”), Oscar^® nominee Mason Novick (“Juno”) and Lawrence Grey (“Hope Springs”) are producing. The executive producers are John Middleton, Sebastian Aloi, Jim Rowe and Katterli Frauenfelder. Michelle Knudsen is serving as co-producer.

The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Tom Townend (“Attack the Block”), Academy Award^®-nominated production designer Jim Bissell (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), editor Jeffrey Werner (“The Kids Are All Right”), and Oscar^®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Alice in Wonderland,” “Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha”). The music is by Jeff Grace (“Meek’s Cutoff”).

Opening across the Philippines in April 2013, “Hidden” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Skyfall movie review

Story: MI6 is under attack and terrorism succeeded in disabling Britain's Intelligence Agency temporarily. But the worse is far from over. M's past haunts her and each undercover field agent will be exposed on enemy territory. It's up to 007 to track down the mastermind or there will no more MI6 to defend her Majesty's isles.

Photo courtesy Columbia Pictures

Review: When Daniel Craig took over the title character of 007 from Pierce Brosnan, it brought us back to the earliest roots of James Bond. Although it look modern, it shows what made Bond to a world's most celebrated spy.

 Daniel Craig aims to make it the best 007 movie in the franchise. Since this is the 50th anniversary of James Bond film franchise, it should be the best. James Bond started with Sean Connery in 1962 with the movie, Dr. No. But James Bond is older than that. Ian Fleming created James Bond in his spy novels in 1952. Fleming draws his experience as a British field agent during World War 2 and applied it to Bond. His books were adapted to the movies and they were box-office hits. Fleming was involved with the movies before he died in 1964. He wrote Bond novels and all were adapted to films. Even though he died, the legacy continued in the film franchise.

Every Bond story is predictable. There is always a beginning adventure followed by a title song(which is sung by Adele) and the main story. During the main adventure, there is always a casino scene, a woman or women, a traitor in the midst, a fancy car with concealed weapons that will used only once and gadgetry.

This is still part of the prequel or reboot that started with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. It is the first time in Bond franchise that there will be revelations about Bond and developments in his spy world. Craig sees a different Bond since he took over. He sees him more as an anti-hero than the hero we grew up to know. Besides being a spy, Bond is also an assassin. It will make you ask the question, is he a good guy or a bad guy working for the good side. Espionage is a neutral but deadly game so there is no good or bad in that line of profession.

Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes did very well to make it the best Bond movie yet and I will look forward to the next one in my lifetime. Skyfall is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. For more movie reviews, like LENS Blogs on Facebook.

Win Tickets to watch Chernobyl Diaries from Tatak Digitista

Tatak Digitista is giving away tickets for the advance screening of Chernobyl Diaries. To join, here's the direct link:

http://digitista.blogspot.com/2012/11/win-tickets-to-advance-screening-of.html

The advance screening will be this Monday at SM City North EDSA. Chernobyl Diaries opens November 7 exclusively at SM Cinemas. For more movie reviews and news, LIKE the LENS Blogs on Facebook.