It's a Homer-run!

As a grade school kid, my fascination with Greek Mythology and stories was prominent. 

I've written about this factoid on this blog before, but I'd spend hours in the library reading Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" and Homer's "The Odyssey."

That was decades ago, and it's been a while since I've held those 2 books.

So, it's exciting that one of those 2 pieces of Greek literature is now a film. By Christopher Nolan, no less.

Judging by the trailer, it looks like "The Odyssey" will be a must watch for me. 

I'm sure it'll bring me back to my childhood, and I'm all for it!

That's practical

After "The Devil Wears Prada 2," here's another film whose sequel comes more than 2 decades after the release of the 1st one.

"Practical Magic" came out in 1998, and yes, I watched that film in 1998. So, it's exciting to see the same characters and actors reprise their roles after 28 years.

Hope the sequel is as magical as the original.

Oak-kay

Just when you thought you've seen every type of Dinosaur film, something like this comes along.

A sudden Dinosaur invasion in an American suburb? Anne Hathaway as a suburban housewife defeding her family from dinosaurs? Interesting.

While there's not much hype on "The End of Oak Street," looks like I'm going to wait for and watch this one.

2 good 2 pass up

The more trailers they drop, the more appealing this film is.

It looks like "The Devil Wears Prada 2" will be a line-fest aside from being a fashion fest. That line by Emily Blunt has all the makings of a classic line:

"May the bridges I burn light my way."

If this is a preview of what's to come, you know it's going to be SO good!

Speak of the Devil

Here it is!

The full and official trailer of "The Devil Wears Prada 2."

So many questions. So much curiosity piqued. 

Can't wait to see this on screen in a few months.

Wear it's at!

The only line in this trailer, delivered by THE Meryl Streep, captures my sentiment about this upcoming film.

It took them too long to make "The Devil Wears Prada 2." Twenty years to be exact.

Hope it's worth the wait.

Wednesday on a Wednesday

As a fan of "The Addams Family," I'm intrigued by the trailer for the soon-to-be streamed "Wednesday, Season 2."

Having grown up on the comic and madcap iteration of the series, seeing this dark, ominous and sinister trailer is both intriguing and unsettling. Where's the wholesome cuteness? Where's the slapstick comedy? Where are the laughs?

Then again, this is just the trailer. Maybe I'll catch an episode or 2 and see if I'll give this series the time of day.

Fantastic!

The "Fantastic Four" movie franchise has had several iterations. And I've watched two of them.

The 2005 version wasn't as bad as people said it was. In fact, it was enjoyable for me. Then came the 2015 version, which tried to be more nonchalantly comedic and less heroic. But again, it was okay.

Now, a new film is in the offing. 

By the trailer alone, it seems like this version is a bit more serious. But it also has touches of nostalgia, particularly in their uniform.

Because I've watched the previous versions, there's no reason why I'd miss this one.

Isla in the stream

After what feels like ages, it's great to know that Isla Fisher is coming out in a new film soon.

This family comedy/rom-com is right up her alley, so I'm sure she'll knock this out of the park.

If they don't show this in theatres here in MNL, hope they stream it in one of the platforms.

Wickedly Good

Seeing the new trailer for "Wicked" is making me excited for the actual film.

We've seen the musical, and it looks like the film will be as good.

Free Willy

The Willy Wonka film has another iteration coming out soon!

Timothee Chalemet and Hugh Grant? They’re not playing!

Gotta watch out for this Willy.

Va-va-villains

On its onwnthe film "Shazam" and the upcoming "Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods," isn't really something I"m into.

Then, I saw the trailer:

Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the villains?

Where to I line up for tickets.

A Marry February

For a time, JLo was one of the queens of RomCom.

Like millions of film viewers, I smiled and swooned at J. Lo in "The Wedding Planner," "Maid in Manhattan," "Shall We Dance," "Monster in Law," among others.

But it's been a while since we last saw her in this genre. And admittedly, we miss her!

So, there's a giddy thrill when the trailer for "Marry Me" dropped. Plus, the film already opened in theaters in the US!

This is a surefire rom-com formula. There's JLo, then there's Owen Wilson - another rom-com stalwart, then there's the "Notting Hill-esque" plot of a superstar and a regular bloke falling in love.

Hope they show this in Manila soon. Or at least in Netflix.

I'm down for it!

Legion of Dune

Back in 1984, there was one film that truly captivated me, and made my inner sci-fi geek giddy to the farthest ends of the galaxy.

It was a film directed by David Lynch and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. A film that I watched several times, and whose trailer is still fresh in my mind - 36 years after I first saw it. A trailer with a line that my mind recalls until now:

"The Planet is Arrakis. Also known as - Dune."

Gosh, thinking of that line makes me geek out already!

Back then, this was already a very high-concept Sci-fi film. From the location, the costumes, the premise - they were all so fantastic! From the sandworms of Arrakis, to how Baron Harkonnen looked and hovered - it was a feast for the eyes and the imagination.

The 80s version had a cast that was a mix of new faces and established actors. The lead role went to Kyle MacLachlan, and if memory serves me right, this was his first film. Also cast in this film was a very young Sting. Plus, there were veteran actors like Max Von Sydow and Francesca Annis. It also had a very young Patrick Stewart, Sean Young and Virginia Madsen. So, it was a powerhouse film.

With that awesome story and cast, it was easy to see why my affinity to this film was so strong. Something that remains until now.

Yesterday, I found out that they did a remake of this iconic film. The trailer popped up on my youtube, so it was automatic to view it.



Come to think of it, a 2020 version would be a good move, considering all the advances in film making. But as other remakes have demonstrated, sometimes technology goes overboard and the narrative suffers. This has been evident in many films the past decade. (Uhrm... Tron...)

That thought is making me wonder whether this 2020 version of "Dune" should be something to watch, or should the 1984 version be the only one in my mind. Because a bad remake can ruin even the original.

Well, it'll be a few more months before they show this in the US. And who knows if this will actually be shown in the Philippines.

So, there's still time to think about it.

More Wonders

Not surprisingly, the new trailer of "Wonder Woman 1984" does not disappoint.



Wonder Woman's gold armor, Barbara Ann Minerva's full transformation as Cheetah - it's worth the price of admission!

I wish the pandemic would be over by the time this hits the big screen. This is the type of film (just like the 1st one) that's best appreciated in a cinema!

Missing Mulan

If the pandemic and community quarantines didn't happen, they would have shown Disney's live action version of "Mulan" already. And chances are, Mark and I would have already watched it.



Unfortunately, like most films, the showing has been pushed back until things go back to the "normal-normal" and theatres can open and accommodate people again.

Who knows? Maybe like Aquaman, we'll get to watch this the next time we travel to the U.S.

Traveling abroad, and watching this Mulan film, gosh, I miss both.

Camp Royal

Sometimes, Disney comes up with the most strangely entertaining film plots and premises.

And I'm actually on board with these films, especially if they have an element of fantasy, sci-fi or heroism in them.

Sometimes, the films can come across as slightly campy, especially with how they treat the villains, but hey, it's part of the film and ups the entertainment value. And because of that, I'm on board!

The "Witch Mountain" films were part of this genre and I thoroughly enjoyed. The first film "Escape to Witch Mountain" was shown when I was still a baby, but I remember watching it on VHS when I was in High School. The second film - a remake of sorts - "Return to Witch Mountain" was shown when I was already working, and of course, it was a film that was worth watching. Mainly because of my fascination with the first film.

While watching youtube, a trailer for a new Disney film popped up. After watching it, the feeling was similar to that thrill of watching "Witch Mountain." Yes, it has all the potential to be campy, it has a strange, underdog-ish, outcast-ish plot, but it definitely has a high chance of being entertaining.

With that, let me present the trailer for "Secret Society of Second Born Royals." (The title alone gives you an idea of how campy this can get.)



I've got a feeling this will be a bit "Sky High"-esque, with a smidge of Mission Impossible thrown in. Strange combination, yes, but you can't knock it until you've seen it, right?

Question is, will I be able to see it, though.

Gimme Mor-bius!

Jared Leto is sick in the trailer of "Morbius." (Figuratively and literally.)



The Marvel Cinematic Universe is really full of interesting characters.

Star Struck!

After seeing the final trailer for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” I’m even more psyched to see it!

Check it out!

Aren’t you Star-struck?

Little Women, Big impact

When I first saw the film "Little Women" way back in 1994, the film left such an imprint in my heart and mind. It immediately became one of my favorite films.

The stories of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy were so heartfelt and current, it was hard to believe this was a period film. The film was also acted very beautifully by - at that time - up and coming actresses like Trini Alvarado, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst. Then, of course, there was Susan Sarandon as the matriarch.

I still remember the rage in my heart when Amy threw Jo's manuscript into the fireplace, and how my heart broke when Beth said "I, too, can be brave" on her deathbed.

It's been 25 years since the film came out, and Hollywood decided to release a new version this year:



This, too, has a powerhouse cast. (Hello, Meryl Streep!) And I'm sure they'll give justice to the roles.

But for me, the 1994 version is still the standard.