8 films to see from Sept. 25-Oct. 2, 2015:
The PBA: A Nation’s Passion
THE 90-MINUTE documentary traces the beginnings of basketball in the Philippines to the creation of the PBA and on to the league’s popularity today. It includes interviews with such basketball greats as Samboy Lim, coach Baby Dalupan, Robert Jaworski, Danny Florencio. Sean Chambers, Francis Arnaiz, Abe King, Mon Fernandez, and Mon and Manny Paner, among many others.
MTRCB Rating: G
Resureksyon
TRAGEDY BEFALLS a family twice — first: their overseas Filipino worker loved one returns to the country in a coffin; second: it turns out that he is not quite dead. Alfonso Torre III directs this Regal Films horror movie starring Isabelle Daza, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Paulo Avelino.
MTRCB Rating: R-16
The Intern
THIS COMEDIC DRAMA revolves around a retired successful business owner and widower, played by Robert De Niro, who lands an internship at a fashion Web site run by a young, career-driven woman, played by Anne Hathaway. Directed by Nancy Meyers, it also stars Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, Andrew Rannells and Celia Weston. “It takes all the leads’ considerable combined charm to forestall the aftertaste of the pic’s smug life lessons and near-comically blinkered worldview,” writes Variety’s Guy Lodge.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Hotel Transylvania 2
IN THIS SEQUEL to the popular monster cartoon movie, Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half-human, half-vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the film fesatures the voices of Adam Sandler (who co-wrote the film), Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Mel Brooks, Kevin James and Steve Buscemi.
MTRCB Rating: G
Breaking Through
A young dancer is discovered on YouTube, and is thrust into the world of internet celebrity and culture, where she must find a way to balance her identity and her online persona. John Legend produced original music for the movie. Written and directed by John Swetnam (Step Up All In), it stars Sophia Aguliar, Jordan Rodrigues, and Robert Roldan.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Attack On Titan 2: End Of The World
OVER A HUNDRED years ago, man-eating Titans first appeared and what was left of mankind retreated behind three enormous walls. A century later, the titans breach the walls and a young boy becomes humanity’s only hope. This live-action sequel is directed by Shinji Higuchi. It stars Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongo, and Satomi Ishihara. “Attack on Titan brings nothing new to the scenario, nor wrings any particular thrills from it and pales in comparison to similarly themed young adult-focused offerings from Hollywood, such as The Hunger Games and Divergent. The zombie apocalypse has never felt so lifeless,” writes James Marsh of The South China Morning Post.
MTRCB Rating: R-16
The Green Inferno
FROM HORROR DIRECTOR Eli Roth (Hostel and Hostel: Part II, Grindhouse, Cabin Fever), The Green Inferno follows a group of American student activists who travel to the Amazon to save the rainforest. Naive do-gooders in the Amazon — of course things go horribly wrong. The film stars Ariel Levy, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Lorenza Izzo, and Sky Ferreira. “A serviceable reintroduction to Roth’s idiosyncratic brand of horror, but it fails to either offend or exhilarate, instead chronicling the misadventures of a group of student activists with more technical acuity than singularity,” writes Todd Gilchrist of TheWrap.
MTRCB Rating: R-13
Cooties
WHEN A CAFETERIA food virus turns grade school children into killer zombies, a group of teachers must escape the playground carnage. Directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott, it stars Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Alison Pill. “I honestly have no clue who this film is for. Whoever they are, they’re likely to walk out of the theater wanting a refund,” writes Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty.
MTRCB Rating: R-16
