JOHN CARTER Trailer Unleashed!

Walt Disney Studios has just released the new trailer (codenamed Trailer B) of its 2012 action-adventure, “John Carter.” The trailer can be viewed on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcj9xnRGb8A.





From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL-E”), “John Carter” is a sweeping action adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). Based on the classic sci-fi novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs (“Tarzan”), the film tells the story of John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter discovers that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.


The film also stars Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, with Thomas Hayden Church.


Opening across the Philippines in March 2012, “John Carter” will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

WRATH OF THE GOD'S Trailer Unleashed!

Warner Bros. has just unveiled the new trailer for its upcoming 3D fantasy-adventure “Wrath of the Titans” which you can watch on this link: http://youtu.be/fvZy94Y_5i4.



Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, “Wrath of the Titans” stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson as gods at war. A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Worthington) —the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson)—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Opening across the Philippines in March, “Wrath of the Titans” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

War of the Gods erupts in "Wrath of the Titans"

Warner Bros. Pictures' new 3D epic adventure “Wrath of the Titans” revisits the Greek mythology first explored in the global box office hit “Clash of the Titans.” The new film is directed by Jonathan Liebesman and sees the return of Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) as Perseus, as well as Ralph Fiennes (the “Harry Potter” films) as Hades and Liam Neeson (“Taken”) as Zeus.


A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus — the demigod son of Zeus — is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

"The Muppets" wins OSCAR for Best Original Song

The beloved song “The Rainbow Connection” sung by Kermit the Frog didn't win the Academy Award for Best Original Song when it was nominated in the '80s. Now, Kermit has been vindicated as the ditty “Man or Muppet” from Disney's new comedy “The Muppets” has just bagged the Oscar for its songwriter Bret McKenzie.

“It’s a power ballad that deals with a man/Muppet identity crisis,” McKenzie says. “We’ve all been there. I hammered it out on the piano, imagining I was Eric Carmen.” The song required strong vocal performances from both castmembers Jason Segel and Walter. “Luckily, they did an amazing job,” says McKenzie, who also serves as music supervisor.


“I know Bret from ‘Flight of the Conchords,’ says director James Bobin. “We used to watch ‘The Muppet Show’ quite a lot when we were writing ‘The Conchords’ together. We’d watch ‘Mah Na Mah Na’ and ‘Hugga Wugga’ during breaks. In one of our ‘Conchords’ episodes, we even included a Muppets tribute. So we love the Muppets. We thought about songs from the previous movies and how that would feel now. The music is incredibly important because of the rich tradition of Muppet music.”

Marvel Reveals Avenger Character Descriptions

Marvel Studios has just revealed the official character descriptions of “The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, composed of iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Directed by Joss Whedon, “The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series of the same title first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

CAPTAIN AMERICA aka Steve Rogers. After a top secret Super-Soldier program transformed frail Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) into the powerful and heroic Captain America, his amazing WWII exploits made him a living legend. Steve saved New York City and turned the tide of the war, but crashed into the Arctic during his final mission. Awakening in the modern day, Steve learned that he had spent decades frozen in the icy tundra. Now, Steve Rogers finds himself alone in a modern world that he hardly recognizes. When Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D., calls on Rogers to help save the world again, he quickly suits up as Captain America, taking up his iconic shield and bringing his strength, leadership and no-nonsense attitude to The Avengers.

"MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” this Feb 29 only at Ayala Cinemas!

The Weinstein Company's critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film “My Week With Marilyn” starring Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Feb. 29.


The film has been nominated for two Academy Awards, namely Best Actress (Williams) and Best Supporting Actor (Branagh).

In the film, fresh graduate Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) met Marilyn Monroe (Williams) while working as a young assistant on Laurence Olivier's "The Prince and the Showgirl." When Marilyn experienced emotional difficulties during shooting, the 23-year-old third assistant director came to her aid and romance developed. But one week of honesty and fun was not enough to save the doomed star from self-destruction…
In its review of the “My Week With Marilyn,” Variety is all praises for the film, saying, “To the extent that Michelle Williams' multilayered interpretation of Marilyn Monroe serves as its raison d'etre, the film succeeds stunningly.

“The film belongs to Williams, whose tour-de-force turn conflates three Marilyns: the lost, damaged little girl who seeks to escape others' expectations and return to simpler childhood days; the sexy superstar who impishly poses with a wink in complicity with her public; and the actress playing a pre-scripted part. The genius of the performance lies in the way Williams stresses the interconnectedness of these personalities: The neediness fuels the impudence, the vulnerability turns sexually provocative, and the little girl and sexpot together drive the screen role.”

The Hollywood Reporter, for its part, writes, “Monroe's beauty was one of a kind. No one, not even Williams, can act it. What Williams does, with fierce artistry and feeling, is illuminate Monroe's insights and insecurities about herself at the height of her fame. Her scenes with a superb Kenneth Branagh, his wit martini-dry as the thin-lipped, defensive Olivier, ignite. It took a toll on Monroe to look effortlessly buoyant on camera. Williams lets us see why. It's a great, soulful performance. Sit back and behold.”

Finally, Time Magazine applauds, “It’s the compassion of her performance that makes Williams end up not just looking but feeling like Marilyn Monroe. Williams locates a central truth, the contradictory allure of this utterly impossible woman — mercurial, vain, foolish, but also intelligent in some very primal way and achingly vulnerable. You like her, but you wouldn’t want to work with or for her.”

Jack and Rose in TITANIC 3D

Return to the deep as 20th Century fox brings back “Titanic” in 3D to the big screen on a global theatrical release on April coinciding with its 100th anniversary since sailing.
Opening April 7th in the Phils., the most celebrated film in history is presented to an untapped new generation of audience in 3D format.


James Cameron who pioneered the first and only truly immersive 3D in “Avatar” brings back timeless “Titanic” in its full glory with enhanced, never-before-seen experience re-mastered in digital 3D. Starring today’s most admired and accomplished actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, “Titanic” first released in 1997 is an epic romance and disaster film. A fictionalized story of what was then believed to be unsinkable, “Titanic” is the voyage of the most luxurious ship ever built, the RMS Titanic where Jack (DiCaprio) and Rose (Winslet) fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.

THE VOW” WINS PINOY HEARTS, GROSSES P34-M IN 7 DAYS

MANILA, Feb 17 – Columbia Pictures' touching romantic drama “The Vow” stole the hearts of Filipino audiences as it grossed an outstanding P34.08-million nationwide in its first seven days of release (Feb 10-16) and on only 61 screens. This was announced today by Vic Cabrera, managing director of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. which distributed the film.

Attracting a predominantly date-market, “The Vow's” successful box-office performance benefited from a pre-Valentine and Friday opening – an irresistible formula for the film's target audience.
“Our decision to launch the film on the same date as its U.S. bow has paid off,” said Cabrera. “We've always believed that `The Vow' is a special love story that Filipinos can relate to, given our fondness for sentimental, romantic movies. Add to this the unmistakable screen chemistry of stars Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, and you have a clear crowd-pleaser.”

Controversial Thriller ANONYMOUS” Exclusive in Ayala Cinemas

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Columbia Pictures' new thriller “Anonymous” speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Sigmund Freud, namely: who actually created the body of work credited to William Shakespeare?

The Ring

It all came as a surprise, we were just watching a movie, then commenting on the a radio show, eating dinner and indulging on a chocolate cake, and now i am wearing this..

Ofcourse Angel, you know I would say this.. Been meaning to say this for a long time..

THIS MEANS WAR is Based on Personal Account of Writer

At the heels of the most unforgettable and most action-packed films “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” comes “This Means War” - the latest romantic-action comedy making hilarious waves screening after screening starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine. 


Recent (and all) screenings of “This Means War” yielded outstanding scores, which revealed that it plays to men, women, singles, and couples.


Collaborated by filmdom’s most creative talents, director McG, scribes Simon Kinberg and Timothy Dowling and producers Will Smith, Robert Simonds and James Lassiter – “This Means War” is an original story by Marcus Gautesen based on his personal experience. While attending Putney School in Vermont, Marcus was living with his best friend in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City’s Little Italy. Both unemployed, they decided to move into one bedroom and rent out the other. A beautiful French woman took the second room, and the guy’s friendship quickly went south as they repeatedly submarined each other’s attempts to win her over – it was war.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Movie Review

Former stuntman and bounty hunter of rogue demons Johnny Blaze has been living in self-imposed exile, believing that his powers are a curse. But when he is approached by a member of a monastic order who is looking for someone to protect a mother and her son, who are being pursued by the devil in the figure of a man named Roarke, the Ghost Rider takes the case.

I wasn’t able to watch the first Ghost Rider movie and so I was afraid I might not understand this second movie, but i’m thankful and was informed that Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has nothing to do with the first movie. Frankly, i’m not a fan of dark and gory movies; i’m the rom-com and drama type of person. What I like about action movies, would be the of course the execution of the action itself and effects if ever they have one. The film, presented minimal action but I’d have to say they are consistent on the effects of the Ghost Rider, it’s amazing to watch a guy’s head, skull actually, burning all the time. It was Nicolas Cage lunatic acting also that made this movie interesting to watch. A lot of people actually commented that he acted better in this movie, though I find the script very weak and the story quite simple for an action film. People expect a lot if you are going to make a Marvel Comic into a movie, and this film didn’t quite meet a lot of that expectation.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is still showing in your favourite theatres.

“MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” EXCLUSIVE AT AYALA MALLS CINEMAS

The Weinstein Company's critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film “My Week With Marilyn” starring Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma).

Early in the summer of 1956, American film star Marilyn Monroe (Williams) set foot on British soil for the first time. On honeymoon with her husband, the celebrated playwright Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), Monroe came to England to shoot “The Prince and the Showgirl” - the film that famously united her with Sir Laurence Olivier (Branagh), the British theatre and film legend who directed and co-starred in the film.
That same summer, 23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) set foot on a film set for the first time in his life. Newly graduated from Oxford, Clark aspired to be a filmmaker and found a job as a lowly production hand on the set of “The Prince and the Showgirl.” Forty years later, he recounted his experiences of the six-month shoot in a diary-style memoir entitled The Prince, the Showgirl and Me. But one week in Clark's account was missing... It wasn't until years later that Clark revealed why. In a follow-up memoir entitled My Week with Marilyn, he recounted the true story of one magical week he spent alone with the world's biggest star -- the week he spent with Marilyn.

"For a lot of people Marilyn is more of an iconic image than an actress,” admits director Simon Curtis. "People haven't seen her films as much as they have her portrait. My way into this project was falling in love with the first of Colin Clark's two memoirs. As somebody who was assistant director at The Royal Court Theatre, I found it fascinating to uncover this moment in time.”

LATEST CG VISUAL FX STUN IN “GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE”

Though the directors’ focus for Warner Bros.' “Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance” was to capture as much of the action in camera as possible, it was clear from the beginning that the film would have to employ CG effects as well. After all, the title character has a flaming skull.

In the film, Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) -- still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy from the devil. At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

LOVE in the City You Love: A Valentine's Concert

“Makati enlivens the city experience this February as it hosts a night of romantic celebration at heart of the Makati central business district.”

Fall in love with the captivating charm of the city that makes it happen as Makati City stages “Love In The City You Love”—a special Valentine’s concert featuring real-life couple, Nikki Gil and Billy Crawford, at the Ayala Triangle Gardens this February 14, Tuesday. Discover how Makati is making its denizens even more excited with a dynamic roster of new happenings and developments that form part of the “Make It Happen, Make It Makati” campaign.

See you tomorrow, February 14 at 6pm in Ayala Triangle Gardens!

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Movie Review

Young Sean Anderson receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It's a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather, Hank, joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter, they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

Family Adventures movies are always fun to watch, and it’s a bonus if it’s in 3D! Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is one movie that you wouldn’t want to miss watching with your whole family, especially if you watch the first instalment, Journey to the Center of the Earth. They story of course is nothing like a 12-year old could ever want, it’s quite extreme for a teen viewer and quite dreary for adults viewers. I like the CGI effects of the movie, and I didn’t regret watching it in 3D! The effect is somehow like a mixture of Avatar and Jurassic Park, watch it and you will know what I mean. The cast blends well with the story and is perfect for the adventure type of this movie.

Fall in love with CHANNING TATUM in THE VOW

One of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors who have established themselves among the next generation of leading men, Channing Tatum (“G.I. Joe,” “Dear John”) now stars opposite Rachel McAdams in Columbia Pictures' inspiring romantic drama “The Vow.”

In the film, newlyweds Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) were struck by tragedy shortly after their marriage. A car crash puts Paige in a coma, where she is cared for by her devoted husband. When she comes to, without any memory of her husband or their marriage, thehusband must woo her and ultimately win her heart once again.

Tatum is a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, and felt the script told an authentic story about a once in a lifetime love and what people will do to hold on to that. “Falling in love is the easy part!” notes Tatum. “Getting on with your life together and making sure you stay in touch and connected because life can get in the way sometimes, that’s the tough part. I think that a huge part of Leo and Paige’s journey is based onthe fact that not only do they make each other intensely happy and support each other, but that they pushed each other to grow and when you do that it really does take you to the next level in a relationship and in life.”

RACHEL ADAMS struggles with Memory Loss in THE VOW

She broke countless hearts in such memorable romantic dramas as “The Notebook” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Now, Rachel McAdams stars in another touching love story – Columbia Pictures’ “The Vow” opposite Channing Tatum.

"The Vow” is the real-life story of Paige and Leo, a newlywed New Mexico couple, who were struck by tragedy shortly after their marriage. A car crash puts Paige in a coma, where she is cared for by her devoted husband. When she comes to, without any memory of her husband or their marriage, the husband must woo her and ultimately win her heart once again.

Rediscover Love in THE VOW - Now Showing!

In Columbia Pictures' new, poignant romantic drama “The Vow,” Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) are a young married couple, madly in love and living fulfilling lives as artists in Chicago. One snowy night, the two fall victim to a car accident. Leo survives intact, but a head trauma erases Paige’s entire memory of her relationship with her husband. When she comes out of her coma, Leo is a stranger to her.

Suddenly Leo finds himself in the painful position of rebooting the relationship he’s waited his whole life for, and win his wife's love all over again. Paige has reverted mentally to the young law student she was five years earlier, before she met Leo and became an artist. In seemingly an instant, she is no longer the wife Leo knew, and on top of that, she no longer recognizes her current life. She can’t fathom why she is estranged from her parents (Jessica Lange and Sam Neill), misses her more conservative wardrobe, and doesn’t understand why she would have dropped out of university and a promising career in law. Making matters worse, Paige thinks she's still engaged to charming businessman Jeremy (Scott Speedman), who still wants her, and remains reluctant to embrace Leo, with his less conventional lifestyle making music, as anyone she might have ever loved.

Best Picture Nominee "MONEYBALL" Soon in Philippine Cinemas

Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, Columbia Pictures’ critically acclaimed sports-oriented film “Moneyball” is based on the true story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) – once a would-be baseball superstar who, stung by the failure to live up to expectations on the field, turned his fiercely competitive nature to management.

Directed by Bennett Miller (“Capote”), “Moneyball” also bagged nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
In 2003, former Salomon Brothers bond trader turned author Michael Lewis, at the time best known for such business and politics bestsellers as Liar’s Poker and The New New Thing, published a book about baseball. Only it wasn’t just about baseball. On the surface, it was about how the under-funded, underrated Oakland A’s took on an unfair system of big-money and powerhouse teams. But it was really about the fascinating mix of men behind a major cultural shift and how a risky vision, born from necessity, becomes reality, when a ragtag team of cast-offs rejected due to unfounded biases, get the chance to finally prove their potential.


Now, Lewis’s book has been adapted into a feature film, “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the A’s General Manager – the man who would have to think differently and reinvent the rules if his team was going to compete. “Moneyball is a classic underdog story,” says Pitt, who also serves as a producer of the project. “They go up against the system. How are they going to survive, how are they going to compete? Even if they do groom good talent, that talent gets poached by the big-market, big-money teams. And what these guys decided was, they couldn’t fight the other guy’s fight, or they were going to lose. They had to re-examine everything, to look for new knowledge, to find some kind of justice.”

Stargazing at the STAR WARS Episode 1: The Phantom Menace 3D Screening

20th Century Fox recently held a special invitational screening of “Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” at SM Megamall where groups of fans of the epic franchise gamely came in wearing costumes of their favorite characters from the movie.

Louise Bernardo

Maliksi and Marikit Morales, Ann Sy

Lerrick Serrano

Seen at the well-attended screening posing with cosplayers and fans are from Star Magic talents Maliksi and Marikit Morales, Ann Sy, Janine Berdine, Kyline Alcantara, Queenie, Louise Bernardo, Veyda Inoval, Joshen Bernardo and newcomer Lerrick Serrano.

“Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace” in 3D is the first the widely phenomenal saga from George Lucas to be converted to 3D. Other Star Wars episodes are in the process of 3D conversion that will also be released in theaters soon. EPISODE I’s framing plotline involves Senator Palpatine (played by Natalie Portman), an influential politician quietly making moves to consolidate his power in a time of unrest throughout the Republic, during which the government has been weakened and turned into a bureaucratic quagmire.

STAR WARS EPISODE 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Now Showing

CONVERTING AN EPIC FRANCHISE INTO 3D

The epic adventure “Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace,” from visionary filmmaker George Lucas, captivated global audiences when it first came out in 1999. The Force is back. But this time in 3D giving the film an immersive dimension and turning it into an altogether richer cinematic experience. It’s an experience that will inevitably be thrilling: watching “Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” 3D on the big screen. The first Star Wars movie to be presented in spectacular 3D, all the exciting elements of the original remain, with added dimension and nuance.

SAFE HOUSE Movie Review

For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post in Cape Town. A "housekeeper" who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he's had proves to be the most dangerous man he's ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA's known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets to North Korea to aiding splinter cells, the damage he's done to the U.S. is immeasurable. And he's now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston's safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it's up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they're both eliminated from the game.

The movie started in a Safe House and ended in another Safe House, short but action packed movie. The mixture of action, drama and mystery makes the movie an exciting one to watch. You will look forward to the star rated actors Denzel and Ryan. I have seen Denzel the enemy in some movies but he did very well in Safe House. You would appreciate how Denzel studied his character in the movie, his acting was indeed flawless. Ryan on the other hand is doing well in his career as an action star.  I was actually thinking of some other actors that should have been in his role but while I was watching the movie, I felt he is a good combination to Denzel too. They both genuinely clicked in the movie and I enjoyed watching and unravel the mystery throughout the movie. The action scenes and the script though are simple and safe though there are killing in most parts of the movie and as for me the ending is quite predictable towards the end of the movie. Overall it was a good movie with just enough elements of action for a conspiracy-drama driven movie.

Denzel Washington researches his Character in SAFE HOUSE

When casting Safe House, producer Scott Stuber and director Daniel Espinosa placed importance on avoiding tired tropes. Stuber explains the rationale: “Action without character is boring. The script read well because everything moves at a quick pace. Then, when you sit and get to know these people, there’s a real depth to them. We went after actors who could be in those moments and have the audience feel what these characters are feeling.”

As the producer and the director discussed their dream cast, Denzel Washington was brought up as their ideal Tobin Frost, the CIA’s most notorious traitor. The two invited Washington (then starring on Broadway in the play Fences) to discuss the proposition. Stuber recalls the meal: “At the end of lunch, Denzel stood up and said, ‘All right, we’re going to do this,’ and walked out. I thought, ‘What? Is he going to call his agent? Is it a done deal?’ I wanted to make sure, so I called Denzel’s agent and he said, ‘I just got off the phone with him. He’s doing the movie with you and Daniel.’ It was one of those rare, great moments in this business.”
Washington, who had a window in his schedule coinciding with preproduction, labored with the filmmakers to hone the project and the character of an operative who has spent the past nine years selling out the United States. The actor offers what attracted him to the role of a man wanted for espionage on four continents: “I got the chance to see Daniel’s film Snabba Cash, and it had a unique style and was a very different film. That made me very interested in him as a filmmaker. Scott, Daniel, David and I worked on developing the character. Safe House was an opportunity to revisit ways of working what I used to do. I invested heavily in the character and the story.”

As he prepared for the role, the performer went into full immersion mode. Washington says: “I didn’t want to do a lot of CIA research because Tobin Frost wasn’t CIA anymore. He hated everything about the CIA, and I wanted to discover his dark side. Scott gave me some great books to read, one of which was ‘The Sociopath Next Door,’ which became my bible that I would refer to in developing the character. I felt Tobin was a sociopath. When you think ‘sociopath,’ you think violence, and the majority of sociopaths aren’t violent but they want to win and manipulate. I thought he was a great liar, a great manipulator and perfect for the CIA.”

The filmmakers valued the actor’s work ethic on the project. Offers Espinosa: “Denzel is a master. He works harder than any actor I’ve ever met. When he decided to do the movie, he thoroughly researched and spent about a half a year studying his character before we even shot. When he got on set, no matter what the situation in front of him was, he reacted as the character that he was playing.”

With Washington attached, the team began the search to find Matt Weston played by Ryan Reynolds, the man responsible for his house guest. For Espinosa, it is the contrast between and the evolution of Frost and Weston that distinguish the story. Notes the director: “Matt is a guy who has a lot of dreams. He believes that he can maintain a relationship with his girlfriend and have a somewhat normal life, while at the same time, coming closer to his goal of becoming a full-blown CIA case officer. He clings to the notion that you can be a strong, ethical, moral person while working in his chosen field. There is no gray area. Frost, however, is well beyond any such notion.”

What attracted you to this film?
My late agent, Ed Limato, passed away last July and this was the last project that he wanted me to take a look at it. I just felt I should do it because I knew it was the last thing he wanted me to do.

Did you have a hand in developing the story?
Daniel Espinosa (director), Scott Stuber (producer), three different writers and I worked on the story for months. We wanted to keep going deeper, making more sense out it. I’m a logic monster. I always want to know why things happen the way they do.

How is it working with director Daniel Espinosa?
Daniel is a fine filmmaker. He did SNABBA CASH and it’s a really interesting film. I’m sure Hollywood is looking at Daniel as the new hot guy. He’s very passionate and very talented.

What’s been the most difficult aspect of filming on SAFE HOUSE?
I’ve got a bad knee and there’s been a lot of running, jumping and fighting. And I was water-boarded. Having somebody poor water up your nose when you’re upside down is kind of tough.

Do you see your character as a villain?
I see him as a sociopath. I’ve been researching and learned that 80% of sociopaths aren’t violent, they just want to dominate. Tobin doesn’t think he’s a villain. He thinks he’s right and everybody else is wrong.

“SAFE HOUSE” Showing on February 10, nationwide.

Released and distributed by United International Pictures through

Solar Entertainment Corp.

Ryan Reynolds shines brightest in SAFEHOUSE

Ryan Reynolds is the perfect guy as Matt Weston in Safehouse, producer Scott Stuber recalls: “We had to be certain that the actor opposite Denzel would be ready. I’ve known Ryan for a long time and was sure that he would step up to that challenge. More importantly, he wanted such a challenge.” Reynolds explains his interest in joining the team: “First and foremost, I was riveted by the story. It was also an opportunity to work with Daniel, who is an unusual and unpredictable filmmaker. 


 He is unlike anyone I’ve ever worked with, or even met before. He’s this incredibly wise, intuitive, intellectual thug. It’s a weird combination that gives him this incredible street sense. He’s a guy who could easily be in a bar fight, and at the same time, if you name any book, there’s a good chance he’s read it—among the plusses, not the least of which was working with Denzel. You know you will learn a lot working with Denzel: Spending time with him makes you a better actor.”

Chronicle Movie Review

Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over.

While watching the movie, I can’t help but compare it documentary film. The movie is made interesting because of how it presented itself to the viewers. It gives the viewers a feel that they are either the one holding the video camera or they are really part of the footage. Though, there are times that some scenes are messy, I’d like to think it’s all part of the plan. I like the script, it’s very smart and very straight. The actors are very young and talented indeed, it’s like they are just doing their project at school. I like the docu-footage type of film because it has the sense of authenticity in the story and having that everything good will follow.