lifestyle and culture

November 15, 2010

CHRIS BROWN shows his extreme acting skills in TAKERS


Grammy®-nominated recording artist Chris Brown, already the star of the musical hit “Stomp the Yard,” plays Jesse, one of the suave outlaws in Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller “Takers.”

A recent No. 1 box-office hit in the U.S., “Takers” also stars Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez and Hayden Christensen.

In the film, a group of 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. 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.

For Chris Brown, “Takers” was a chance to break away from his image as a musical artist who sometimes acts. “This role is different from any of the others I’ve played,” he says. “The earlier movies played to my strengths, which is cool, but it’s also good to be able to use your other abilities.”

The film marks producer Will Packer’s third project with Brown, who was only 19 when the film was shot. “I may not be able to krump like he can, but nobody produces a Chris Brown movie like me,” laughs Packer. “He was in his element in the first two films. In “Stomp the Yard,” he was a kid who was part of a dance crew, which was like breathing for Chris. In “This Christmas,” he was a kid who could sing, which is also not much of a stretch. He dances, runs, jumps, plays basketball. Anything athletic, this kid can do and with boundless energy.”

Which made him perfect, in Packer’s view, for the action genre. “He gets an opportunity to really showcase another side of his talent in this film,” says the producer. “He’s jumping from moving cars, jumping off a building, bouncing off the roof of a taxi and loving every minute of it. There is nothing that he does not believe he can do, so of course he insisted on doing his own stunts.”

That didn’t always sit well with the producer. “One of my responsibilities is to protect our key talent. There definitely were times on set when we wanted to have a trained stunt man, someone who does this for a living every day as opposed to one of our main actors, do it. Chris didn’t always agree. Sometimes he would push back, but it’s great when you have an actor that wants to give a hundred and ten percent.”

Brown’s headlong dash though downtown Los Angeles to escape the police is one of the film’s most thrilling set pieces. Using elements of parkour, a highly athletic, acrobatic sport, Brown surmounts seemingly impossible obstacles without any outside assistance. “I had to jump from one story to the story below on a building by scaling a wall,” he says “It was difficult because I had to grab while I was free-falling. It actually came out great.”

But even more fun than the stunts for Brown was the opportunity to work with so many actors of such high caliber. “I’m a fan of all these people,” he says. “I watched them work while I was growing and wanted to be like them. To be a part of that magic is incredible.”

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 24, “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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DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 movie review

the last book of the generation phenomenon, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is for everyone to see. Warner Bros. is providing the first installment of the 2-part movie experience in cinemas worldwide starting November 18.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is ready for his battle with his allies, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) against the wrath of the evil wizard Voldemort. aside from the protection Harry Potter is getting from his friends, he encounters a lot of problems. his friendship was nearly shattered as Ron suspected that Harry and Hermione are getting along well. just because Harry needs all the attention now.

it's nice to see how the three main stars grew in front of our eyes. they are now pretty much capable for battle in this movie. i can still remember about 8 years ago how Daniel, Emma and Rupert look like and the buzz of how they got the legendary parts.

this is one movie that you really don't have to miss. even though that it will be in 2 parts, you might not want to leave your seats because of the hanging and exciting cut. but readers of the book and movie fans will surely be satisfied of this installment.

also, Part 1 tells us the Tale of the Deathly Hallows - a legend famous with the magical world and why it makes a wizard powerful and invincible. i like how they treated the legend in animation bringing you back into its time with the dark motifs.

speaking of dark, this movie is not really formatted for kids. it's very dragging and a lot of despair is portrayed throughout the story. cinematography is quite good and this is another cinematic achievement. wait for part 2 in 2D and 3D formats in July 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is brought to us by Warner Bros.

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November 11, 2010

VOLDEMORT wants HARRY POTTER killed by himself

In Warner Bros.“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” -- the seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series told in two full-length parts -- Lord Voldemort is on a mission: to end the life of “the Boy Who Lived.”

Director David Yates says, “Voldemort is on the cusp of absolute power. He’s been hiding in the shadows, biding his time until he could come back and impose his will on the rest of the world. Everything else in his master plan has come together; he just needs to deal with this one tiny detail. Voldemort doesn’t understand how this ‘child’ has become his strongest adversary, but he does know he must be the one to kill Harry Potter. First of all, it was destined and, secondly, there is the sheer satisfaction of it after being thwarted so often. It’s beyond personal at this point.”

Ralph Fiennes, who is virtually unrecognizable in the role of Lord Voldemort, says that his character is “driven by a deep rage. The only thing that fires him up is power and more power—the ability to control, to manipulate and to destroy people. It’s his addiction.”

Yates remarks, “Ralph is very scary when he’s playing Voldemort. He has the capacity to tune into some very dark places as an actor; you can literally feel the temperature in the room drop as he inhabits the character.”

The Death Eaters regard the Dark Lord with a mixture of reverence and fear, knowing he needs little provocation to turn on even his most loyal followers. If they need a reminder of that threat, it is there in the companion always at Voldemort’s side—and the only living creature Voldemort treats with actual tenderness—the great snake named Nagini.

Voldemort has summoned his most elite Death Eaters to Malfoy Manor to plan when, where and how to ambush Harry Potter. The last to arrive is Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman. Snape informs those assembled when Harry will be leaving his Privet Drive home, warning them that he will be “given every protection” by the Order of the Phoenix. Nevertheless, Fiennes states, “Voldemort believes he is finally going to defeat Harry Potter. He is enjoying his rule, emperor-like.”

However, Voldemort has discovered that he cannot kill Harry Potter with his own wand. He has extracted from wand maker Ollivander (John Hurt) that his and Harry’s wands are “twins,” possessing the same core and thereby robbing them of their power against each other. In a voice dripping with thinly veiled malice, he suggests that Lucius Malfoy have the “honor” of giving up his wand to Voldemort.

Jason Isaacs, who again assumes the role of Lucius Malfoy, says the loss of his wand may be only the latest comeuppance to befall Lucius, but it is, by far, the worst. “To take a wizard’s wand is to completely undermine him, and not only does Voldemort take it, but he also snaps off the snake head—a flashy, personal family adornment—and flings it on the table like a piece of dirt, which emasculates Lucius in front of all the other Death Eaters. Lucius had always been an incredibly vain and arrogant peacock; he’d always assumed he’d stand with Voldemort as his right-hand man. But after being broken by prison, after Draco failed in his mission to kill Dumbledore, and after this public humiliation, he has no idea what the future holds for him…if he has a future. All-in-all, a just reward.”

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” will be released worldwide starting November 18, 2010, and “Part 2” starting July 15, 2011.

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November 10, 2010

sneak peek: SECRETARIAT based on the impossible true story

Everyone needed a hero. They got two. One is a massive, chestnut-colored horse, known to his friends and family as Big Red. Everyone else will call him Secretariat. The other, a self-described Denver housewife, is less recognized, but she is as gallant and charismatic as her steed. Her name is Penny Chenery Tweedy, and her faith in this horse will galvanize America , revolutionize horse racing and, ultimately, change her life’s course entirely.

Based on the remarkable true story, Touchstone Pictures’ new inspiring tale “Secretariat” chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery Tweedy (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing experience. Against all odds, with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), she manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

To be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 & Trinoma), “Secretariat” also stars Dylan Walsh (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”) as Jack Tweedy, Penny’s very traditional and highly skeptical husband and real-life jockey Otto Thorwarth as Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte.

“The story is about heart — Secretariat’s and the heart of the woman who owned him. Both were greater than anyone imagined,” says director Randall Wallace, who is the Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-nominated screenwriter of the global hit “Braveheart.” “I believe that when Secretariat was running the last of his races, he was no longer running against other horses; he was running for the joy in becoming who he was meant to be.”

Filmmakers tried not to veer from the facts of the story, but Wallace makes clear that he didn’t want to make a documentary account of Chenery’s life. “I have worked on many historical subjects as a filmmaker and I have a saying: Let’s not let the facts get in the way of the truth. The way I see that is, in making a movie, you are making an impressionistic painting. You are choosing which facts to highlight and which facts to omit. Inevitably, by making that choice, you are writing a story from the stark facts of journalism to the vivid majesty of myth. So in this story, what people are going to feel is the deeper truth of what Secretariat and Penny accomplished.”


“Secretariat” brings that spirit to the big screen, showcasing the power of the human (and animal) spirit. But according to Wallace, “Secretariat” has an even greater significance. “I think this movie is about transcendence, about people and animals achieving more than anyone thought possible,” he says. “It has an inspiring theme and story — it’s the powerful story of a horse and a woman who did what no one believed could be done. And it reminds us of the miracle of life, how life is bigger than we believe it can be.”

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UNSTOPPABLE movie review

hold on to your seats for 20th Century Fox's latest action thriller, UNSTOPPABLE, starring Chris Pine and Denzel Washington.

based on a true story, an unmanned train is set to bring terror across Pennsylvania with toxic chemicals and will pulverize anything that block its way. thanks to the neglect of the train employee.

i, too, would like to commend the heroic deeds of Frank Barnes (Washington) and Will Colson (Chris Pine), the train was able to slow down from its more than 75 mi/hr speed. with their job-experience differences, a machine at rage is no match for teamwork. what they did is really amazing.

the movie is really breath-taking. this was commonly my reaction in action movies. the last time i remember i had that feeling was when i saw Die Hard. intensity grows minute after minute and mile after mile as 777 takes the railroad. you will be biting your nails to what Denzel Washington and Chris Pine does in the scenes when they were able to catch up with the raging train. all in all, you will enjoy the movie.

opening today in cinemas, UNSTOPPABLE is produced by 20th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.

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November 9, 2010

MATT DILLON is a chasing cop in TAKERS

His searing performance as a racist officer in the Oscar-winning “Crash” earned Matt Dillon an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller “Takers,” Dillon plays another cop but of an entirely different mold.

“No, he’s not like the guy in `Crash' at all. Although if you are going to play a cop, I would prefer to play one who is messed up!,” he laughs. “What I mean is, I prefer to play a character who is human, with flaws. Mostly in movies, criminals are more interesting than cops but in the case of `Takers,' the character is as interesting as the bad guys. He’s got flaws and I like that. He’s divorced, he’s got a daughter, and he’s an adrenaline junkie who is very caught up in his work.”

“There’s a sequence in the film where he’s taking his daughter to a museum on his day off but then he gets some information about a guy that they’ve been looking for and he ends up going on a stakeout with his daughter. He ends up chasing this guy down the street with his daughter sitting in the car, with her colouring book, next to him.

“Who would do that? You could end up getting your daughter killed. But that’s what I mean, he’s a messed up guy.”

Dillon's character, Welles, may be a flawed man but he is also a brilliant detective, dogged in pursuit of a young crew – played by Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen and Idris Elba - who specialise in spectacular heists and are planning a $20 million bank robbery.


“I really liked those guys,” says Dillon of his young co-stars. “And I think they work really well in these roles – they have a lot of style, in fact, I think the movie has a lot of style and with a genre like this, it fits together perfectly. It’s ambitious and there are a lot of characters in the film so it’s a big ensemble cast but I think it works.”

“But I didn’t really get a lot of opportunities to work with them as much as I would have liked – you see them planning their heist and I’m trying to catch them, so for a lot of the film we’re really acting in two separate stories. I did some scenes with Paul towards the end which was good. I love Idris’s work too, he’s great.”

Director John Luessenhop used multi camera set ups to film “Takers” and Dillon found the technique produced great results. “John handled the film really well,” he says. “It’s the only film I’ve done where they had so many cameras going at once. And from an acting standpoint there were times where you didn’t even know a camera was there. It also means that when you are shooting action scenes, as we were, you can get a lot done a lot faster. `Takers' was shot digitally,” he says. “And it looks beautiful so it was great to watch how that works.”

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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November 8, 2010

what you don't know about TRON: LEGACY

In line with the upcoming release of “TRON: Legacy” – a 3D high-tech action-adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen – Disney dishes out the interesting fun facts behind the making of this eagerly anticipated film.

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.
  • The 3D technology in “TRON: Legacy” was developed post-“Avatar” and represents the most advanced in the world today.
  • It's the first 3D movie to integrate a fully digital head and body upon an existing actor to create a younger version of Jeff Bridges’ character, Kevin Flynn, using advanced Emotion Capture technology developed by Digital Domain.
  • Jeff Bridges is the first actor in cinematic history to play opposite a younger version of himself.
  • Grammy®-award winning, French electronic duo Daft Punk scored “TRON: Legacy,” composing 24 tracks in all. They are also seen in a brief cameo.
  • The light suits were created using electroluminescent lamps made from a flexible polymer film.
  • Lightcycle design was inspired by the original sketches of Syd Mead, who designed them for “TRON” back in 1982. Creating Lightcycles that would form visual units with their riders and still give them room to move was a challenge for “TRON: Legacy” vehicle designer Daniel Simon and the rest of the vehicle design team.
  • Both Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde received training in Parkour and martial arts for their roles.
  • Because donning the light suits was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, special inversion boards were provided to allow actors to get off of their feet and recline without endangering the costume.
  • The light discs created for the film consist of 134 LED lights, are radio-controlled, and attached to the suits with magnets. In addition, they house the batteries that power the suit lights. They are heavy, so care had to be taken when throwing them on set.
  • Several of the vehicles were practically fully built for certain scenes, as opposed to computer-generated, in keeping with director Joseph Kosinski’s vision of blurring the line between CGI and reality.
  • Flynn’s Arcade holds a treasure trove of icons for “TRON” fans: the Master Control Program desk caddy from the original film; the tabletop computer interface and a condensed version of the Shiva laser, which takes Sam into the Grid; a map of the Grid embedded in the code of the background image; and Sam’s drawings from childhood on the wall.
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines, “TRON: Legacy” will open soon across the country in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular formats.

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