ANDREW GARFIELD interview for THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Before he conquers the big screen as the new Spider-Man in 2012, young actor Andrew Garfield can be seen in Columbia Pictures' acclaimed drama “The Social Network,” the controversial film detailing the Harvard dorm room origins of social media megasite Facebook.

Garfield plays Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook with fellow Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg. The two were former best friends but deviated as Facebook became immensely successful and eventually parted ways.

The actor-on-the-rise talks about “The Social Network” in the following interview:

Q: How tricky was it to portray Eduardo Saverin with the story of Facebook still being written?

Andrew Garfield: It's rare that a subject is tackled immediately after its conception, but we had a script and Aaron Sorkin [the screenwriter] researched the story very well. I find it very interesting that it was told from multiple perspectives and no one was portrayed right or wrong.

Q: Given director David Fincher’s exacting reputation, what was your experience of working on “The Social Network?”

Garfield: It was just the greatest, really. The amount of trust that you feel for him, that you can place all of your trust in him if you’re a fan of his work. Which I am, I’m a fan of all of his movies so I love his taste and I love the performances that he gets from people. You can let go in a scene, and you don’t have to worry about doing what you want to do because you know that whatever he’s got in mind is going to be better than what you want to do. He does do a lot of takes.

Q: The lore is that he often gets up in the 70s.

Garfield: Oh, yeah. Every time. But it’s the best, the most freeing filming experience I’ve had, and the most enjoyable filming experience I’ve ever had just because of the sheer freedom. And you leave everything there. You do the scene every single different way you could have ever done the scene. He just wants you to fuck up so that you become more alive in the moment. And we’re working on the Red cameras, it was digital, so he’ll just delete things if it doesn’t work.

It’s boring sometimes and it’s painful, but then what’s the point otherwise? I’m a total advocate of that. For young actors especially who are hungry to explore the craft of acting, and working with Aaron Sorkin’s words, and then having Fincher steering you and guiding the ship, we all kind of wanted to savor every moment.

Q: Did you get to spend much time with [co-star] Justin Timberlake?

Garfield: Yeah, such a good guy. At first I was very intimated because he has this iconic status. Which is such a weird thing for a human being to have. He’s just a good person, genuinely funny, engaging, warm, supportive. Very generous. That was one of the other great things, there was no competitiveness between any of the actors on the set.

Q: Really? I’m surprised. I would think that because of the nature of the story that that would actually help the dynamic onscreen.

Garfield: Yeah, David Fincher was pitting us against each other in the scenes. But outside of that, he cast a group of people that got on very well. Everyone felt very lucky to be there, so that permeated the feeling on set. But Justin was amazing, and great to work with, and I love Jesse Eisenberg so much.

Q: Did you guys get any time together off set? Go to ball games or anything?

Garfield: Yeah. We did. Me and Jesse, after Boston we were shooting in Baltimore for four days, and we spent Halloween in Baltimore on our own hanging around this awful shopping mall with a Hard Rock Café and a Cheesecake Factory and a Borders. And then we saw a Ravens game. We saw a Celtics game when we were in Boston, which was amazing. And Jesse got the green clover drawn on his face. He has all these different personality facets. He’s so smart and so funny and so cerebral and neurotic and vulnerable. But then very defensive and then kind of stupid and irreverent. But mostly funny, and can turn any situation into something Seinfeldian. He may differ with this because he’s a contrarian, but I feel like our relationship reflected the best friends thing during shooting. For me, anyway.
(Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 27, “The Social Network” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.)

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THE WEDDING SINGER MANILA review

after a long wait, 9 Works Theatrical has finally nailed THE WEDDING SINGER The Musical! the hit movie from 1998 starring Adam Sandler which got to Broadway is now in Philippine theater! it runs today October 23 until November 14 so you don't have to miss it.

starring Gian Magdangal who plays Robbie Hart very effectively. with his preppy look, the 80s isn't so far from his character. Iya Villaña playing Julia is as sweet as Drew Barrymore. Robbie Guevarra and Santi Santamaria knew it right that Iya is perfect for the role. even Nikki Valdez has done well as Holly. i never knew that she could move and sing like that. these three has done excellent in their own fields on television but you have to take a look at what they do in the theater! especially Iya, with her sweet image on TV, being in the musical is somewhat effortless.

get back into the 80's with the colors and the choreography. have a rock musical experience with the songs that can get easily in your head. the moves will really take you to memory lane with 80s icons Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper. this musical will also surprise Filipinos. with just around 2 months preparation of the choreography, they have done it really well.

i also loved the stage and how it transitions from scene to scene. the abstract squares and rectangles are used very well. though it is different from one scene, it always look like another wallpaper.

the only thing that i wished to be improved is the sound system in Meralco Theater. the echoes fill the auditorium so you may not catch clearly the songs.

THE WEDDING SINGER opens today, October 23 at the Meralco Theater. see ticket information here.

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HARRY POTTER 7 banners revealed!

Warner Bros. recently revealed seven new character banners to promote the upcoming fantasy adventure “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”

The individual banners feature the characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback.

In the film, as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction—the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, the following is Warner Bros.' official statement regarding the format of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1”:

Warner Bros. Pictures has made the decision to release “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” in 2D, in both conventional and IMAX theaters, as we will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date window. Despite everyone’s best efforts, we were unable to convert the film in its entirety and meet the highest standards of quality. We do not want to disappoint fans who have long anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey, and to that end, we are releasing our film day-and-date on November 18, 2010, as planned. We, in alignment with our filmmakers, believe this is the best course to take in order to ensure that our audiences enjoy the consummate “Harry Potter” experience.

Producer David Heyman said, “For 10 years, we have worked alongside Alan Horn and the studio, whose priority has always been to preserve the integrity of Jo Rowling’s books as we have adapted them to the screen, and this decision reflects that commitment.”

Director David Yates added, “This decision, which we completely support, underscores the fact that Warner Bros. has always put quality first.”

As scheduled, on July 15, 2011, we will deliver to conventional and IMAX theaters our final installment of the film franchise, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” in both 2D and 3D formats.

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TAKERS sneak peek: photos, trailer

A group of high-living young criminals bankroll their extravagant lifestyle with a series of painstakingly planned bank robberies while a dedicated police officer makes it his personal mission to stop them in Columbia Pictures' taut, edge-of your seat crime thriller “Takers.” After years of meticulously planned heists, the crew is convinced by one of their own to risk it all for one last big score, but pulling off the job of a lifetime with a dogged detective and a vicious rival gang on their tail is a tall order, even for these seasoned pros.

A recent No. 1 box-office hit in the U.S., “Takers” stars Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy, Tip “T.I.” Harris, with Chris Brown and Hayden Christensen.

In the film, longtime friends Gordon Betts (Elba), John Rahway (Walker), A.J. (Christensen), and the Attica brothers, Jake (Ealy) and Jesse (Brown) finance an extravagant lifestyle filled with hot cars, hotter women and unlimited cash by staging high stakes bank robberies. They avoid being caught by planning to the tiniest detail, leaving no clues and pulling off one—and only one—job per year.

Their latest successful caper, a $2 million heist, attracts the attention of LAPD Detective Jack Welles (Dillon), an old-school cop who has sacrificed his marriage, his child and any semblance of a personal life for the job. Despite a lack of support from the department, Welles is determined to track down the elusive gang before they strike again.

As the crew celebrates their latest daring robbery in a chic downtown cocktail lounge, Ghost (T.I.), a former comrade-in-arms recently released from prison, drops in with an irresistible proposal. The only member of the crew arrested for an earlier job, Ghost says he has a plan that will net each of them enough money to hang up their ski masks forever: the robbery of an armored car carrying over $12 million. But it has to happen in five days or the opportunity will evaporate.

Although doing another job right away goes against the crew’s strict rules of conduct, the lure of all that money proves too great and they decide to risk a daring daylight hold-up on a crowded downtown Los Angeles street. With just a few days to prepare, the crew sets in motion an intricate scheme that unknowingly puts them on a collision course with a group of ruthless Russian mobsters.

In the meantime, Welles is unraveling a complex web of evidence that takes him from a small time arms dealer to the Russians and finally… crew leader Gordon Betts. With the clock ticking down, ancient rivalries, unexpected double-crosses, unknown enemies and just plain bad luck complicate the plan, resulting in a deadly showdown no one saw coming.


Opening soon across the Philippines, “Takers” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

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follow JESSE EISENBERG in Facebook

Jesse Eisenberg has de-friended his inner Mr. Nice Guy.

After years playing sweet, earnest and awkward in movies such as “Adventureland” and “Zombieland,” the actor has shown a more sinister side with his ruthless portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the critically acclaimed “The Social Network” from Columbia Pictures.

Critical hosannas for the role may lead to an Oscar nomination, and the high-profile part is helping the boyish 27-year-old transition from "Hey, it's that guy" to a household name. But some signature halting nervousness comes into Eisenberg's voice when he talks about reactions he has gotten after screenings of the film.

"We do these question-and-answer sessions, and some people say, 'Why ... wha ... I was so turned off by your character. He was such a jerk. Why — why would you want to play this character?' " he says, repeating the stammering indignation. "There are these almost aggressive condemnations."

"The real other extreme is, 'I just wanted to give him a hug through the whole movie. I just felt so bad for him' — this is my mother talking," Eisenberg jokes. "But other people, too. 'The kid was so desperate to connect and just doesn't know how to. He's so lonely.' "

Even the visuals in the film try to underline that. Director "David Fincher practically composed the movie that way, with him behind panes of glass, in corners of rooms, framing him in a way that makes him look more isolated," Eisenberg says.

One personal reaction the actor hasn't received is from Zuckerberg himself, who did not cooperate with the filmmakers or meet Eisenberg prior to the shooting.

The script, by “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, explores the fractured friendships and allegiances between Zuckerberg and a handful of fellow Harvard students who in 2004 helped create Facebook, now estimated to be worth $33 billion.

On “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Zuckerberg dismissed the film with a smile: "The last six years have been a lot of coding and focus and hard work, but you know, maybe it would be fun to remember it as partying and all this crazy drama." Zuckerberg was on the show to discuss a $100 million donation to Newark's troubled school system, which took place on the day of the movie's premiere — something widely regarded as an effort to burnish the back-stabbing image depicted in the film.

Eisenberg is inclined to go easier on Zuckerberg. "What he did was so incredibly generous," the actor says. "To attribute it to anything else seems mean-spirited and cynical."

It may be the only time he goes easy on Zuckerberg. Though Eisenberg didn't set out to attack, he plays the young CEO-to-be as brilliant but revoltingly condescending and lacking even a modicum of tact.

That's before the story even gets rolling.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 27, “The Social Network” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads and at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH to join fan contests.

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TRON Night: an IMAX 3D experience

The Philippines will take part in Walt Disney Pictures' global event “TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience” on Thursday, Oct. 28 at the IMAX Theaters of SM North EDSA and SM Cebu.

Simultaneously scheduled in IMAX cinemas worldwide, “TRON Night” will gives audiences the chance to see more than 20 minutes of never-before-seen 3D footage from Disney's upcoming film, “TRON: Legacy,” a 3D high-tech action-adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen.

"It's exciting to offer fans an early, exclusive 3D preview of `TRON: Legacy' in the ultimate of formats. We can't wait for audiences around the world to experience the visually stunning and cutting-edge world that director Joe Kosinski has created," said Sean Bailey, President of Production, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, is equally enthusiastic. "We are ecstatic that the Disney team and the `TRON: Legacy' filmmakers elected to debut this amazing footage exclusively in our network of theaters," said Foster. "This first-look in IMAX 3D is the most immersive way to bring audiences into the world of `TRON: Legacy' and kick-off the countdown to the film's highly-anticipated launch."

If you're from Metro Manila or Cebu and you have a Facebook account, find out how you can win tickets to “TRON Night” by visiting the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/waltdisneystudiosph. Promo period is until Oct. 22 only.

In “TRON: Legacy,” Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years.

Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Qora (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines, “TRON: Legacy” will open across the country in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular formats.

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MILLA JOVOVICH goes drama in STONE

As Milla Jovovich is best known for her starring role in the futuristic action franchise “Resident Evil,” audiences are in for a huge surprise with her latest project – the provocative drama, “Stone” which will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma, Glorietta 4 & Greenbelt 3) starting Oct. 27.

In the film, convicted arsonist Gera'd `Stone' Creeson (Edward Norton) looks to manipulate correctional officer Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife Lucetta (Jovovich) in the lawman's path.

Producer Jordan Schur says, “This is a real star turn for Milla. The character has edge. She is compromised in multiple ways. It's a real departure. It took real courage and tremendous talent to approach the role the way she has, and I think she is going to enjoy accolades within the film community.”

After headlining three installments in the futuristic action franchise “Resident Evil,” Jovovich was eager to take on a role that would allow audiences to see her in a different light. Lucetta's complexities and contradictions provided exactly the sort of challenge the actress was looking for. “On the one hand, she's an innocent,” says Jovovich. “On the other, she's very sexual. Put these two elements together and you get a really wild character who's living life every day to its fullest. In contrast to these two men who are always thinking, she doesn't think, she just does.

“Lucetta's relationship with Stone is very passionate,” continues Jovovich. “He's in control, but at the same time he's been in prison for eight years, so she's had to make her own way. She's trying to get her husband out of prison, but once he goes through his spiritual experience, she doesn't recognize the man that she fell in love with. The man she worked so hard to get out is not the man that comes out in the end.

Jovovich's unique blend of innocence and sophistication captivated the filmmakers at her first audition for the role, says producer Holly Wiersma. “She can be as playful and fun as any teenager one moment, and then, in a flash, demonstrate the maturity of a grown woman.”

Director John Curran was impressed by the supermodel-turned-actress' nonchalant attitude about her looks. “Milla made me laugh in her audition,” he says. “More than anyone we saw, she understood the contradictions in Lucetta and had the most fun teasing out every side of her.”

Her character's easy sexuality did not come easily to Jovovich. “I have some crazy scenes in this movie, she reveals. “As an actor, you often walk in shoes that you would never wear otherwise, and it can be difficult, especially in a movie like this where I had multiple sex scenes with different men. At times, I found myself really upset by the end of the day. John gave me so much support and that was very important to me. When you're putting yourself out there as a woman, in the way that I do in this movie, it's so important to trust that the director really knows what he wants and knows how he's going to cut it together in the end so it's never gratuitous and the nuances remain intact.”

Her dedication did not go unnoticed by her co-workers. “Milla had a very difficult task in creating this character,” says De Niro. “And she really did a great job. She totally committed.”

The caliber of her co-stars also saw her through some of her more difficult moments. “Working with Edward Norton and Robert De Niro was just one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had,” she says. “They put so much passion into their work. Edward is a highly intelligent, highly articulate, and very generous person. Robert is an icon and an amazing actor, but he's also a very sweet family-oriented guy.”

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