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.  

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.

Winema is back in the newly opened SM Cinema San Mateo

On my first year of blogging professionally, I was one of the first who tried the first interactive movie experience in SM Cinema called Winema. It's a mash-up name from an gaming console and cinema. It was way back in 2010 in SM Megamall Cinema 1. Check out my blog dated April 23, 2010 at L.E.N.S. blogs.

On the newly opened SM Mall in San Mateo, I got to enter the mall before opening for public the next day. I was once again invited to experience Winema for the second time and watching Avengers: Age of Ultron again in a new cinema.

SM Cinema San Mateo has four cinemas only but it has the right maximum sitting capacity to appreciate a movie. In addition of Winema, the rules are still the same. Before the actual movie, the audience will play a game in their collective effort to control by waving their arms in the air left or right. The sensor located just below the screen will read their movements. If they break the record, the audience will get a reward/treat from SM Cinema.

For now, Winema is exclusive only to SM Cinema in San Mateo. Follow this blog for more movie-related news and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

SM Cinemas and Viva Entertainment Signs Agreement For SineAsia Theater

SM Cinemas has been instrumental for bringing the latest anime movie titles and fans flocked the cinemas ever since. Collaborating with another local movie entertainment giant, SM Cinemas is collaborating to bring the latest Asian movies in an exclusive movie festival.

SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. president Mr. Edgar Tejerero

SineAsia Theater will showcase the latest movies from different countries this region has to offer. The movies themselves are from the biggest movie industry from its respective country like Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and India.

Viva Entertainment founder Vic Del Rosario(L) and SMLI president Edgar  Tejerero

The target audience will be the Asianovela fans that is why SineAsia includes the Gangnam Blues starring Lee Min Ho that also features Freddie Aguilar's Anak as official theme song. Most Filipinos don't realize that Freddie Aguilar is popular among Koreans because he performed there. Launch event host Grace Lee admits that her father knows how to sing the song even without understanding the message yet because it was catchy.

Among the other movies will also feature Vegas To Macau starring Asian action superstar Chow Yun Fat. Most don't realize that India is one of most internationally distributed movies in the region besides Hong Kong. Bollywood movies is also being shown in Vietnam.

My only concern about the movie festival that it is being dubbed in Tagalog. I am accustomed to watch foreign movies in subtitles because it helps me understand the culture and knowing it's original content. As an anime fan, I am excited with the live action movies from TOEI, Company LTD, TOHO and Kadokawa Pictures since I have watched their movies before.

SineAsia will be launched somewhere in March 2015 in these selected SM Cinemas: Megamall, Sta. Mesa, Fairview, Iloilo, Bacoor, Cebu, Manilam and North EDSA. For more updates, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Free Movie Day 2014

Event release

Christmas season is the time of the year to share moments with your family and friends. And what better way to start celebrating this special occasion than to go out for a movie day…for free!

SM Lifestyle and Entertainment Inc., continues to promote bonding activities among Filipino families and friends this December 6, 2014, as SM treats patrons of SM Cinema and WM Cinema to a first-rate movie experience with add-on services.

SM Cinema, the largest cinema exhibitor in the country, will have its 3^rd FREE MOVIE DAY this December. This year, WM Cinemas (with 6 branches) is joining the event and will be offering and rolling out the same program for its patrons.

Patrons may bring one companion and watch any movies showing on that day for free! All you have to do is register online to get your free movie vouchers. It’s definitely a day worth spending with family and loved ones.

Enjoy the free movies in all SM Cinema and WM Cinemas nationwide on December 6, 2014 at 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. The movies to be screened are Panday, Grace of Monaco, Thunder and the House of Magic, Tyanak, Love Rosie, Dumb & Dumber 2, Bacao, Tumbang Preso, Dark Touch, and Sigaw ng Hatinggabi.

 To register, please visit and like the Facebook page of your preferred SM Cinema or WM Cinema branch from November 10 to December 6, 2014. Click the “Free Movies” tab and select preferred branch, movie, and schedule. Once you submit your registration form, you will receive a unique code which will be sent to the registered email. This unique code will serve as your pass to your free movie! It’s that easy!

So what are you waiting for? Kick-off the holidays with the Free Movie Day!