No child's play in Squid Game

What would you do for 45.6 billion won (1.9T PHP)? In the new Netflix series Squid Game, you will literally risk your life. The trailer and ensemble poster give us a hint on this exciting story.

If you're into some gruesome stuff with a combination of The Hunger Games and The Platform, we might like the Squid Game. With its society and capitalist themes mixed with our innocent child games, I can already envision that this will be a top hit. Watch the intriguing trailer below:

Squid Game is directed and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk.  Starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Oh Young-soo, Wi Ha-Jun, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae, Tripathi Anupam, Kim Joo-ryoung, and more. Schedule for release on September 17.

New digital posters for Marvel's THE ETERNALS

Just 2 weeks to wait and the Eternals arrives in theaters. I really hope we can also watch it here in PH. But before that, Entertainment Weekly released their exclusive digital character posters of Eternals led by Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, and Gemma Chan.

In monochromatic posters, highlighting accents and patterns in gold, the Eternals don their suits confirming their supernatural existence. The Eternals also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Barry Keoghan, Kumail Nanjiani, Don Lee, and Lauren Ridloff.

Marvel also released the trailer of Eternals in May and confirms release on September 3 as we usher in the Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Element-themed posters for Lego Ninjago

Lego Ninjago give the zen feel with the elements in these character one-sheets. Lego Ninjago opens in Philippine theaters on September 27 by Warner Bros. Philippines.

Master Builder Lloyd (Dave Franco) and six of his Master Builder friends train under Master Wu (Jackie Chan) as secret ninja warriors to fight against the Worst Guy Ever, the evil lord, Garmadon (Justin Theroux), who happens to be Lloyd's father, to save the city of Ninjago. Pitting mech against mech and father against son, the epic showdown will test this fierce but undisciplined team of modern-day ninjas who must learn to check their egos and pull together to unleash their inner power of Spinjitzu.

Making up the secret ninja crew, Michael Peña (“Ant-Man,” “The Martian”) is Kai; Fred Armisen (“SNL”) voices Cole; Kumail Nanjiani (“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”) is Jay; Abbi Jacobson (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) plays Nya; and Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley”) voices Zane.

“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” is directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan. The screenplay is by Bob Logan & Paul Fisher & William Wheeler & Tom Wheeler and Jared Stern & John Whittington, story by Hilary Winston & Bob Logan & Paul Fisher & William Wheeler & Tom Wheeler and Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman, based on LEGO Construction Toys.

“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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BLACKBIRD

Only 90mins to sit in Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium and you need only two characters to give you the complex thing called LOVE. The Necessary Theater's Blackbird is a very interesting play about Ray (Bart Guingona) and Una (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante) who met again after 15 years after. Their story sparks a very interesting debate that will make you think about the factors and consequences of the decisions made by Ray and Una.

In a simple office cafeteria where they confront their past, Ray and Una gives the most graphic conversation as if you are there in the moment where they enjoy each other's company, and then you begin to doubt your beliefs and morals. Bart Guingona's stuttering could be a sign when Una already owns him in the event that Ray regrets their past and Una wearing a thigh-high dress could also mean that she is out there and ready to retaliate against any one who may do her wrong.

Again, the conversations already gives you a picture of what happened especially 15 years ago. And when Una makes her monologue, John Batalla's focused lighting makes it more dramatic and you'll feel like it also transports you through time.

While it has given away that this play is about post-rape, you'll also wonder many questions on why Una came back to him, why Ray also welcomed her back. It goes on putting yourself in the shoes of the characters while fighting your morals. It's very interesting that is really an ice breaker for discussion.

Catch the final 3 shows of Blackbird in Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza this weekend, September 8, 9 (8pm) and September 10 (3pm). Directed by Topper Fabregas for The Necessary Theater.

Photos credit to Jaypee Maristaza

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A Game of Trolls

Ramon Magsaysay Awardee PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) is on fire creating a new musical tackling about Martial Law for the millennials. A Game of Trolls, makes its rerun from September 1-30 at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City.

Very relevant in our time today when Marcos defenders are trying to bend the truth and ignores the victims of the dictator's ways, supporting extra-judicial killings through the internet and social media, as long as they play safe. The play starts by browsing Google, telling us that information is readily available in the internet. However, with the keyboard warriors existing today, it is very hard to verify which is true or not.

Then our main character meets different victims of EJKs, torture and disappearances during the Martial Law. From there, words and songs come and convene a strong message that should not be left for granted. They deliver the stories that haunted the critics of the past government and strengthens the idea that killing is never right at all aspects. A Game of Trolls deals with a very important subject but still affects the millennial generation of its light romantic lines and musical genre.

A Game of Trolls tells us that we should stick to facts. Any information that we see or hear should make us think not just once but even more than a million times. Each camp would say that the information of the other is biased but we should also be critical about it all.

I asked the creative team afterwards about what they can say to their fellow artists. Since it is a very vital for all of us to have a healthy discourse about this topic and I agree with that. Escalating it and engaging in a fight is never progressive. Since all of us have different political views, we should also learn to co-exist peacefully and base everything on facts.

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Bart Guingona and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante in a love story post-rape entitled Blackbird

The Necessary Theater adapts Olivier Award winner Blackbird for a two-weekends at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater, RCBC Plaza, Makati City featuring Bart Guingona and Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, directed by Topper Fabregas.

Guingona plays Ray and Volante as Una in a story written by David Harrower. A different kind of love story unfold in front of an audience where they will be shocked on the encounters of Ray and Una 15 years earlier. When Una was only twelve, Ray seduced Una over the course of three months and finally took her away to a hotel for the weekend. Ray spent several years in prison for statutory rape, and Una was ostracized from her community after the incident. Now, she has found him by accident, and the play delves into their complex feelings for each other. Though clearly, and definitional, sexual abuse has occurred, the play that ensues is also part of a love story -- a horrible love story, but a love story all the same.

Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Play, Blackbird is a deeply complex portrayal of two people whose ruined lives are inextricably intertwined.

Opening September 1, with shows at 8pm on September 1, 2, 8 and 9 and 3pm on September 3 and 10. Tickets sell at PhP 1,200.00 Orchestra center, PhP 1,000.00 Orchestra sides and orchestra back; PhP 800.00 Loge; PhP 500 Balcony, available at Ticketworld.

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