MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN” DIRECTOR ROB MINKOFF SALUTES PINOY ANIMATORS

                In a recent interview by ABS-CBN2 correspondent Don Tagala in New York where “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” junket was held, the movie’s director, Rob Minkoff praises Filipino animators whom he have worked with.  Minkoff also helmed the worldwide hit “Lion King.”  “Ruben Aquino was an animator that I worked with for a long time in Disney on the Lion King – a great Filipino animator.  He was one of the best animators I ever got to work with. He did adult Simba in The Lion King. He also animated Ursula in the Little Mermaid, which is a character that I designed,” shared Minkoff.

Photo courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

“Mr. Peabody & Sherman”  is based upon the beloved characters that first appeared in in the late 1950s and early 1960s animated television series “Rocky and His Friends” and “The Bullwinkle Show,” produced by Jay Ward.  

The new film updates the classic dog-and-his-boy team for contemporary audiences with state of the art CG animation and 3D, while retaining the charm of the original cartoon. 

                “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is an adventure-comedy featuring science fiction, time travel, outlandish characters and clever dialogue, all of which are bound together by the unexpected relationship between the titular heroes – a dog and his boy.

                “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” (available in 3D and 2D) is a DreamWorks Animation SKG presentation and a PDI/DreamWorks production, opens March 6 in Philippine cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

GIRL POWER IN “THE OTHER WOMAN”

Photo release

The ultimate Girls Night Out comedy movie, “The Other Woman” stars a powerhouse cast of women led by Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton and Nicki Minaj.  In the movie, a woman learns that she’s part of a love triangle, so she teams up with the spurned wife in order to exact revenge on the cheating husband.

 

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                An unlikely friendship is developed between three women to bring down a cheating man, but ultimately become “the weirdest (and best) friends ever.”   United by getting even, they ultimately discover it’s not about getting back at the guy - it’s about sticking together, set in the scenic and aspirational backdrop of The Hamptons in New York and Cayman Islands.

 

                Dying to get to the bottom of things with their cheating man played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,  the fashion is an equally to-die-for must haves designed by Patricia Field, one of the world’s foremost costume designers who also dressed the lead stars in “Sex and the City.”

CinemaWorld March 2014 Hightlights

STARS SHINE BRIGHT ON CINEMAWORLD

CinemaWorld is an international movie channel that unlocks a whole new world of entertainment beyond Hollywood.  Available in High-Definition for the utmost enjoyment, the channel showcases compelling, award-winning movies that are box-office hits in their countries of origin. The movies on CinemaWorld cross boundaries and cultures, featuring some of the world’s brightest talents.

This March, CinemaWorld shines the spotlight on young rising stars on the Sunday See The World movie slot.

Raoul Bova, a two-time Italian Golden Globes Best Actor winner and co-star in The Tourist (Johnny Depp and Angeline Jolie) and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, a 17-year old with numerous TV shows and movies to her credit, are the leads in 2013 Italian Box-Office Hit Out of the Blue.  Andrea is a handsome, single and self-assured man with a skyrocketing career.  Everything in his life of one-night stands seems to be going well until one day, a teenager, who claims to be his daughter, knocks on his front door.  Guaranteed to win you over with its stellar cast, under the direction of Actor/Director/Writer Edoardo Leo. Catch Out of the Blue on March 9, at 9:00 PM.

Guido (played by Luca Marinelli, European Shooting Star 2013) and Antonia (played by Italian pop singer Thony) are a young couple with opposing characters and working schedules; he works a night job as a doorman in a hotel, and she works as an employee for a rental car service.  David di Donatello 2013 Award winner for Best Song, by Thony herself, as well as nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, Every Blessed Day is the story of what happens to Guido and Antonia when they decide to have a child.  The Hollywood Reporter said, “…Exceptional performances from both charismatic leads bring poignancy and humor to a film that deals with a difficult, but all too common story….”  The jury of European Film Promotion 2013 said this of Luca Marinelli: “His hypnotic innocent look – a major and rare quality for an actor – illuminates Every Blessed Day where his acting is very understated and unlike anything else we have seen.”  Watch Every Blessed Day on March 16, at 9:00 PM.

Mexican movie, The Boy Who Smells Like Fish, centers on Mica, a seemingly normal boy – until you go near him.  Mica deals with a disease, making him smell like fish.  No one wants to be his friend.  Life appears to be pointless – until Laura walks into it.  Douglas Smith, who was also in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and HBO’s Big Love, plays the role of Mica, while Laura is played by Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz.  Catch the premiere of The Boy Who Smells Like Fish this March 23, at 9:00 PM.

CinemaWorld offers even more award-winning movies.

Featuring a star-studded, award-winning cast, A Family is about a young woman, Ditte (played by Lene Maria Christensen), who finds her dream of moving to New York dashed when her father, Richard (played by Jesper Christensen), falls seriously ill.  Ditte is faced with the grueling decision; to pursue her own dreams, or to continue the legacy of her family.  This 2012 Danish Drama will premiere on CinemaWorld this March 2, at 9:00 PM.  While Rosa Morena, nominated for multiple awards (including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film) at Denmark’s Oscar – the Robert Awards 2012, is a tale of longing.  Thomas (played by Anders Berthelsen), a gay architect, goes to Brazil hoping to adopt a child.  He soon finds himself at odds with the law, but then he meets a woman and their relationship evolves in unexpected ways.  Rosa Morena premieres on CinemaWorld this March 30, at 9:00 PM.

To know more about CinemaWorld, log on to www.facebook.com/CinemaWorldAsia, follow @CinemaWorldAsia, or visit www.cinemaworld.asia.

CinemaWorld is available in Metro Manila on Cable Link on channel 301, and on Sky Cable HD on channel 184.  Contact your cable operator for more details.

WILL SANDINO MARTIN BE THE NEXT COCO MARTIN?

The soon-to-be-released teen drama “UNFRIEND” from Solar Entertainment Corporation showcases up and coming young actor Sandino Martin, who shares the same screen surname as one of today’s most bankable mainstream actors, Coco Martin. They are completely unrelated to one another though. But this early, many movie observers are asking whether this hunk of an actor may yet soon be the next Coco Martin.  

 

Photo courtesy of Centerstage Productions

In “UNFRIEND” Sandino portrays a gender-confused teenager named Jonathan, who battles depression after he is dumped by his male lover David (Angelo Ilagan).  Continuing to track and follow his ex-lover on social media, he is unable to contain his uncontrollable obsession with hauntingly fatal consequences.  The role called for him to perform intimately and in the nude with his male lover David, and then again in a passionate one night stand with a party goer he meets anonymously (Jay Enriquez).  Exposing skin, butt and everything else in the film’s R-18 Directors Cut version , the sizzling and sensuous role recalls then indie actor Coco Martin in similar portrayals in celebrated sexy films “Serbis, “Masahista” and many more.  

Could the same route be exploited by Sandino to eventually land mainstream? Sandino answers only with a smile at the thought of this career path.  But on the comparison to Coco he is more open “Of course I don’t mind the comparison with Coco.  In fact it’s very flattering” he mentions.  And  after  “UNFRIEND” was premiered a few weeks ago at the 64^th Berlin International Film Festival the young actor is very hopeful his career will take to high gear.  “I surely have a long way to go to be likened to him and am just very, very happy now that we premiered in Berlin.  The film was actually finished early last year and I was waiting for some time for the local release.  But imagine the big surprise ----- the Berlin Film Fest!  It was an experience of a lifetime for me” he said.  Sandino flew to Berlin, Germany with the film’s director Jay Altarejos. 

UNFRIEND was among the first films selected among hundreds of global entries in the non-competitive,  Panorama section of the film festival.  It received rave reviews from German film critics. It was described as  “powerful” , “stylish”, “compelling”,” a great story of the unraveling of a wanting soul in the face of the loss of a loved one”.  It is at best a social commentary on the ills of disturbed and struggling teenagers whose lifeline is disconnected from absentee parents and hooked instead to fleeting, non-permanent and false sources of nurturing.   

UNFRIEND also stars Boots Anson Roa in the role of Ester, Jonathn’s grandmother.

It is a production of Solar Entertainment Corporation and Centerstage Production.

“MANNY: THE MOVIE” TO PREMIERE AT SXSW FILM FESTIVAL IN TEXAS

The South by Southwest Film Festival and Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas recently announced that it will host the premiere of the Hollywood-produced “MANNY: THE MOVIE.” 

The festival which runs from March 7 to 15 will mark the global debut of the highly anticipated documentary movie of the celebrated Filipino sports icon. 

Narrated by Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson, “MANNY” chronicles the untold story of Manny Pacquiao-- from his impoverished childhood years in war-torn Mindanao, his struggle to survive in Manila by working in construction sites and warehouses after running away from home at the age of 14-- to his dramatic rise as a ten-time boxing world champion. 

As the first boxing congressman in history, his Cinderella-man story has awed and inspired countless fans from all walks of life; and his continuing saga adds only to the checkered and amusing story of this remarkable global superstar.

The film is directed by Ryan Moore and Academy Award winner Leon Gast.

Gast had previously done the boxing documentary “When We Were Kings” which showcased the epic match between boxing legends Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. 

For “MANNY: THE MOVIE” both directors had to go through thousands of hours of film and video footage to create a thorough documentation of Pacquiao’s storied career, beginning with his first few bouts in small venues to his most classic rivalries with some of the greatest fighters in boxing.

The film also includes interviews with actor Mark Wahlberg, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, Jeremy Piven and many other international celebrities and features original music from acclaimed Hollywood composer Lorne Balfe (Inception, Dark Night, Iron Man).

The film’s SXSW debut holds some significance for Pacquiao as it was in Texas where he won his 8th world boxing title --- a feat yet unmatched in history. The subsequent Philippine commercial exhibition on March 12 also segues perfectly to his upcoming rematch with American boxer Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas on April 12, 2014. 

While trainer Freddie Roach had previously mentioned the need for Paquaio’s undivided attention to knock down Bradley, his fans remain hopeful that the People’s Champ would take some time off to join them in this momentous event.

MANNY: THE MOVIE opens in Philippine cinemas nationwide on March 12, 2014, and is distributed locally by Solar Entertainment Corporation.