Press Release: “Bully” film to launch anti-bullying campaign

The Jesuit Basic Education Commission (JBEC), in cooperation with Solar Entertainment, is bringing the acclaimed documentary “Bully” to the Philippines. The film, directed by Lee Hirsch, will have a limited theatrical run in November, after the by-invitation premiere on November 13, 6:30 PM, at Robinson’s Galleria Cinema 4.

The film focuses on the alarming rise in bullying faced by teenage students in America. It chronicles the experiences of victims in high schools in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, focusing on the cases of Tyler Long and Ty Smalley, both of which tragically ended in suicide.

JBEC will use this powerful documentary to launch the anti-bullying campaign, “Not in Our School,” endorsed by the popular sportsman, Chris Tiu.  The advocacy is aligned with the DepEd’s Child Protection Policy which seeks to defend the student from any form of abuse, including bullying. In light of recent local and international headlines about bullying, this film can be a timely wake-up call for all involved: parents, teachers, administrators, and especially students.

In addition to its theatrical screening, JBEC is offering several Saturday block screenings in Robinson’s Galleria for schools who want to show the film exclusively for their community. In addition, schools can also sponsor campus screenings for a minimal fee. To enhance its use as a formative tool, JBEC will provide teachers and parents with a discussion guide to facilitate processing of the complex message of the movie. Interested schools may contact jbec@xs.edu.ph or moviesnevents@solar-entertaiment.com for bookings.

Fr. Johnny Go, SJ, JBEC chair, hopes this campaign will lead schools to adopt a pro-active stance against bullying, with each stakeholder committing and contributing to a nurturing and bully-free school environment that is the right of every student.  “We hope this movie can reach as wide an audience as possible, especially among our students,” he says. “At the very least, it should heighten awareness of this issue and begin productive discussions and reflections about a real problem that can no longer be ignored.”

The “Bully” hits theaters starting November 14. It is rated PG-13 by the MTRCB.

·         Link  to the facebook bullyproject.philippines  http://www.facebook.com/TheBullyProjectPh

·         Link to the official Bully trailer  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUy2ZWoStr0&feature=fvwrel

STEVE CARELL SEEKS A FRIEND “FOR THE END OF THE WORLD”

Steve Carell takes audiences on a humorous, moving, and intimate journey against an epic backdrop of Earth’s final days, in Focus Features' critically acclaimed comedy “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.” 

             Set in a too-near future where time at once stands still and is slipping away forever, the film explores what people will do and how they will feel when humanity’s end is near. 

             “Seeking a Friend” will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt3 and Trinoma).

              In the film, a 70-mile-wide asteroid is en route to Earth, and the last best attempt to counter it has failed. Also failing is the marriage of soft-spoken insurance salesman Dodge (Carell); the breaking news that the world will end in an estimated 21 days cues his wife to leave him on the spot.

             Dodge is a man who has always played by the rules of life, while his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) is an extroverted woman who hasn’t. From these opposite perspectives, both initially choose to navigate the impending end of the world with blinders on. 

             Producer Joy Gorman Wettels says, "The lead role of Dodge is that of a man who, with the world now coming to end, realizes that he regrets his entire life. An insurance salesman by trade, he hasn't taken risks in his existence. He thinks of his long-ago love - and is moved to act on that yearning. 

             "In order for this to play believably on-screen, Dodge has to be someone that you can see yourself in, or your dad, your brother, your husband. Steve Carell engenders so much goodwill and conveys such warmth; he is an Everyman. People relate to him; he was the only choice for Dodge." 

             Carell remarks, "I read the script and could not stop thinking about it. It haunted me, to an extent. It was funny, sweet, emotionally intense at times, and a story that I hadn't seen. This is the flip side of `Armageddon,' there's no president with a hot line to the astronauts who are going to blow up the asteroid. `Seeking a Friend for the End of the World' is what's happening while all of those things are going on; how ordinary human beings respond, and the choices they make when they know that everything is going to be over in a matter of days.” 

             The actor honed in on his character straight away, noting, "Initially, Dodge doesn't want to deal with what's happening; he continues to go to his job. But then he decides to come to terms with his impending demise and with the end of the world; he is going to make a pilgrimage, to visit his high-school sweetheart Olivia and try to reconnect with her. He's always idealized her as the love of his life, and before it all ends, he wants to be with her." 

Steve Carell

             "I think this, in a big way, is what our movie is about: people connecting with one another, or attempting to, when faced with something momentous. Your perspective changes," says Carell. 

             Director Lorene Scafaria compares Carell to "actors who could do comedy with pitch perfect timing but also be subtle and still, like Peter Sellers or Jack Lemmon; Steve can do so much with a look. 

             "We were ridiculously lucky to have him. When making a movie, he is a collaborative, generous, kindhearted gentleman."

FILMING UNDERWAY ON “WE’RE THE MILLERS”

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis star under the direction of

Rawson Marshall Thurber

           Principal photography is underway on New Line Cinema’s action comedy “We’re The Millers,” starring Jennifer Aniston (“Horrible Bosses”) and Jason Sudeikis (“The Campaign”). The film is directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (“Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story”).

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis

In the film, David Burke (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). 

Emma Roberts and Will Poulter

In order to wipe the slate clean—and maintain a clean bill of health—David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

Thurber directs “We’re The Millers” from a screenplay by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”) and Sean Anders & John Morris (“Hot Tub Time Machine”). The film also stars Emma Roberts (“The Art of Getting By”), Nick Offerman (“21 Jump Street”), Kathryn Hahn (“The Dictator”), Will Poulter (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”) and Ed Helms (the “Hangover” films).

Vincent Newman, Tucker Tooley, Happy Walters and Chris Bender are the producers, with David Heyman, J.C. Spink and Marcus Viscidi serving as executive producers.

Thurber’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Barry Peterson (“21 Jump Street”); production designer Clayton Hartley (“The Other Guys”); editor Mike Sale (“The Hangover Part II”); and costume designer Shay Cunliffe (“The Bourne Legacy”).

Shot on location in North Carolina and New Mexico, New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

STEVEN SPIELBERG’S “LINCOLN” TRAILER REVEALED

Dream Works Pictures and 20th Century Fox reveal the long-awaited trailer  of "Lincoln." From pioneering blockbuster maker and one of the world’s most influential filmmakers, Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg directs Academy Award-winning actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones in the sweeping drama “Lincoln.”

                Steven Spielberg’s biographical epic “Lincoln” puts Daniel Day-Lewis in the titular role as the most beloved 16^th president of the United States.  The movie unveils Lincoln’s tumultuous final months in office following his triumph in leading his country during the Civil War and leaving his greatest legacy on ending slavery.   Renowned for his Gettysburg Address “Four scores and seven years ago…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from earth” Lincoln, coming from a poor family is a self-educated man who became a politician and was able to unite the country with his steadfast moral compass and passion to succeed changed the fate of his country’s next generations. 

                Spielberg assembled a stellar cast which also includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Dark Knight Rises”), David Strathairn (“The Bourne Ultimatum”), James Spader (“Stargate”) and Lee Pace (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2”).

                “Lincoln” will open in local (Phils.) cinemas on February 20, 2013 - from Dream Works Pictures and 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

WRECK-IT RALPH movie review

Story: Based on the classic video game, Fix-It Felix Jr. Wreck-It Ralph is the game's resident bad guy. For 30 years, when every player starts the game, Ralph does his job wrecking the building so Felix can fix the damages with the help of the player. But what happens in between when the game is over and until another player drops a coin in the video game? Unknown to us players, the characters are living secretly in their world called Game Central.

Poster courtesy of Disney Animation

Review: What I like about the movie is that the target audience are really the gamers like me. I have been playing video games like these in the days of Atari and at the arcade. I surely remember Fix It Felix. What's great about this movie is that Disney was able to arrange using real licensed game characters from different games like Street Fighter, Q-Bert, Sonic The Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros.

I enjoyed this movie because there are lots of cameos from licensed games even symbolic ones if you pay close attention. The punchlines of these licensed characters are hilarious. Of course not all licensed games were used. Instead, Disney was able to create fictional games to use like Hero Duty and Sugar Rush. Hero Duty is like a sci-fi first person shooting game in tradition of Doom or Quake were the player/s and the soldier characters led by Calhoun are tasked to kill the CyBugs.

Sugar Rush is like a girls' version of Mario Kart Race. Even though the movie has lots of gaming reference, non-gamers can still watch the movie. What also made it interesting is the story has some valuable insights that can relate to real life like how we treat other people and stereotyping them. The rules are quite simple. There are not cheat codes, no walk throughs and that each character has a role to play in this game called life. The movie is also ideal to watch for the whole family. There are no violent images, no graphic images, no vulgar languages and it's wholesome. Also included is the short film also produced by Disney Animation, Paperboy. It is done in classic Black and White that is ideal in the story's time period which is mid-20th Century. It was so simple that even without dialogue, you can grasp the story. It is like a boy-meets-girl but I guarantee you will like it. Wreck-It Ralph opens November 1 in Philippine cinemas and was released and distributed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Game Over.

Paperman. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation