EntertainmentNews (03/31/23)

Film screenings explore the limits of time and space

AWARD-winning and critically acclaimed international films discover the essential aspects of one’s life and existence will be screened for free online every Wednesday of April. The line-up features diverse works that traverse the limitlessness of space and time. The films are La Jetée (1962), a science fiction featurette by French writer, photographer and filmmaker Chris Marker which dissects a man’s obsession with an image of his past as he becomes ensnared in an endless cycle of memories (April 5); I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020), a surrealist psychological thriller directed by American filmmaker Charlie Kaufman about a young woman and her new boyfriend as they go on a trip to his parent’s secluded farm (April 12); A Trip to Infinity (2022), a feature-length documentary and debut piece by Jonathan Halperin and Drew Takahashi which showcases animated clips created by varied artists from across 10 countries (April 19); and, Interstellar (2014), directed and co-written by British-American filmmaker Christopher Nolan, follows the journey of a farmer and ex-NASA pilot who leads a ship of scientists and engineers through a wormhole to find a new home for the human race (April 26). Curated by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle- College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), the free and public online screenings will be conducted via Zoom at noon on the scheduled dates. To register, e-mail mcad@benilde.edu.ph.

Ruel returns to Manila for 4th Wall World Tour

AUSTRALIAN singer-songwriter and pop star Ruel is coming back to Manila for his 4th Wall World Tour on May 26 at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura Premier. Tickets will go on sale on April 11 starting at 10 a.m. via SMTickets.com and SM Tickets outlets nationwide. The concert is presented by Wilbros Live. Ruel is about to release his debut album 4th Wall via RCA (ROW) and Sony Music (Australia). Executive produced by long-time collaborator M-Phazes, 4th Wall was originally heading down a Pop/R&B lane, however, the pandemic acted as a major personal and professional conduit for Ruel. Since making his debut in 2017 at the age of 14, Ruel already has three EPs — Ready, Free Time, Bright Lights, Red Eyes — has had over 2 billion global streams, 1.2 million Instagram followers, and five Platinum records.

Voltes V Legacy sneak peek to be shown in cinemas

GMA Network gives a sneak peek of what fans can expect from the highly anticipated live action adaptation of the hit animé series via Voltes V Legacy: The Cinematic Experience. It will be shown exclusively in SM Cinemas from April 19 to 25. The film is a special cut of the first three weeks of the series before it premieres on primetime TV in May. Voltes V Legacy is said to be the network’s most expensive and biggest TV production to date. The live action adaptation is produced by GMA Network in partnership with Toei Company, Ltd. and Telesuccess Productions Inc. Local animators from Riot Inc., and GMA’s Post Video Graphics and Audio team handled the program’s heavy CGI and other visual effects. Director Mark Reyes helms the live action series. The series stars Miguel Tanfelix as Steve, Matt Lozano as Robert or Big Bert, Raphael Landicho as Little Jon, Radson Flores as Mark Gordon and Ysabel Ortega as Jamie Robinson.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens April 19

NINTENDO’S mustached hero Mario, along with the rest of the characters from the Super Mario Bros. that have been captivating gamers and fans for decades jump out of the game in the animated The Super Mario Bros. Movie that will open in Philippine cinemas on April 19. In the movie, while working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario taps into his own power. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, The Super Mario Bros. Movie features a comedic cast, including Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, plus a special voice appearance by Charles Martinet, who has voiced the characters of Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario games for more than 30 years.

Russell Crowe takes his first horror movie lead

PRIOR to The Pope’s Exorcist, Russell Crowe had never led a horror film. “It was just something I hadn’t done — a genre I’ve never really touched at all. Scary movies put me off my sleep,” said the Academy Award-winning actor in a statement.  Crowe plays the late Father Gabriele Amorth, the real-life Pope’s exorcist who was able to chronicle his stories in the best-selling memoirs on which the film is based. In the film, Father Amorth and his partner, Father Esquibel, played by Daniel Zovatto, investigate a possession at St. Sebastian Abbey in Castile, Spain, where a young family is making a fresh start by renovating the old property. The film is directed by Julius Avery. In cinemas starting April 19, The Pope’s Exorcist is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Netflix series Black Knight premieres May 12

THE NETFLIX series Black Knight is set to make its worldwide premiere on May 12. The series follows the journey of refugee Sa-wol, and the legendary deliveryman 5-8, as he takes on the all-powerful Cheonmyeong Group in a dystopian portrayal of a Korea devastated by severe air pollution, making it uninhabitable without an oxygen mask. Adapted from a widely acclaimed webtoon, Black Knight narrates the story of black knights, the delivery men who endanger their lives to transport essentials to people in a polluted and dystopian world, where strict social hierarchy is enforced. It stars Kim Woo-bin as 5-8. Also in the cast are Song Seung-heon, Kang You-seok, and Esom.

Raven releases new song

FILIPINO singer-songwriter/producer Raven recalls his fondest moments with a lover in his new single “Sunday,” now out via Sony Music Entertainment. Written and produced by Raven himself, “Sunday” is a pop-rap ditty that glides smoothly into stripped-down territory, with the young artist’s penchant for catchy guitar riffs and lo-fi sonic details adding color to the production. “Sunday” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide.

HBO GO shows limited series Love & Death in April

THIS April on HBO GO will have a series of premieres, from the Japanese film The Last 10 Years (Yomei Junen) to the Max Original limited series Love & Death, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons. The month will also see the premiere of Succession Season 4 and the final episode of The Bachelor Indonesia. The Last 10 Years (Yomei Junen) premieres April 21. Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has 10 years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides to not dwell on her life and to not fall in love, but she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion. The series stars Nana Komatsu, Kentarô Sakaguchi, Yûki Yamada, Nao Honda, Lily Franky and Hideko Hara. Love & Death, which premieres on, April 27, tells the true story of Candy and Pat Montgomery and Betty and Allan Gore — two churchgoing couples enjoying their smalltown Texas life… until an extramarital affair leads somebody to pick up an axe. Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons star in this drama written by David E. Kelley and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. Catch the finale of The Bachelor Indonesia on April 7, Quantum Leap Season 1 on April 4, and new episodes of Succession Season 4 every Monday and Sesame Street Season 53 every Thursday. Also available is Making of The Last of Us.