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“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1” ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER JENNIFER LAWRENCE SETS THE WORLD ON FIRE ANEW ON NOVEMBER 20   Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss is set to set the world anew on fire as she stands to lead their people in the highly-anticipated third installment of the blockbuster phenomenon that blazed across movie screens around the globe, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay –Part 1.”     The movie finds Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1” is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong, from an adaptation by Suzanne Collins and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the

“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1” ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER JENNIFER LAWRENCE SETS THE WORLD ON FIRE ANEW ON NOVEMBER 20   Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss is set to set the world anew on fire as she stands to lead their people in the highly-anticipated third installment of the blockbuster phenomenon that blazed across movie screens around the globe, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay –Part 1.”     The movie finds Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1” is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong, from an adaptation by Suzanne Collins and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the

DISTRICT 13’S REBELS AND WARRRIORS IN “THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1”   War is on in the world’s most awaited survival game onscreen, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” that reveals for the first time the most covert place in all of Panem: secretive District 13, where Panem’s rebels have carved out their own rigidly ordered society miles underground.   District 13 and The Capitol are mirror opposites in every way. The Capitol is sensationalist spectacles, over-the-top garish hues and gleaming lights. District 13 is steeped in shades of gray, claustrophobia, conformity and the stark reality of what’s happening in the Districts. While The Capitol has been living high on the hog off the people, District 13 has been biding its time, preparing for the day when they would finally take a stand.   Up until now, only The Capitol knew about District 13, having carved out a non-aggression treaty that allowed it to exist so long as it stayed underground. As rumblings of wa

“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1” PREDICTED TO EARN $150 MILLION ON ITS OPENING WEEKEND (NOVEMBER 21 IN THE U.S.)   OPENS NOVEMBER 2O NATIONWIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES                   The most-awaited first part of the penultimate chapter of the world’s bestselling YA novel adapted to screen “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay –Part 1” stands to be the top movie choice at the box-office this coming week and is expected to earn at least US$150 million on its opening weekend in a report by Hollywood Reporter since becoming the top-selling title of the year to date from ticket sales reports from Fandango.com and MovieTickets.com.     Likewise, www.boxofficemojo.com predicts that “Mockingjay” will be the highest-grossing movie of the year at the domestic (US) box-office and is further predicted to earn $385 million when it finally opens November 21 (in the US).  The movie opens a day earlier in the Philippines- November 20.                   In this latest instalment, “The

LIAM HEMSWORTH REACHES TIPPING POINT IN “THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1”                   Blazing at cinemas nationwide this November 20 in the Philippines, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” Liam Hemsworth reprises his role as Gale Hawthorne who finds himself at the tipping point in the latest instalment following the events that transpired in “Catching Fire.”    In “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” from the moment Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up in District 13, Gale is there – one of her only touchstones to the world she left behind. But he, too, is no longer the same. A hero who saved hundreds during the destruction of their home in District 12, he is now becoming a dedicated soldier in the rebellion and yet his heart is as unsettled by Katniss as ever.   Returning in the role is Liam Hemsworth, who says that in the wake of Catching Fire events, “He’s had enough as far as The Capitol’s abuse goes, so he’s not scared to stand up to it. He feels r

“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1” REBELLION STARTS NOVEMBER 20 (PHILS.) The world’s hunger for the most anticipated “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” will finally be filled when the biggest-projected movie to open this 2014 opens  November 20 (Phils.).  Tracking projections on this week’s opening movies continues and “Mockingjay –Part 1” stays on top of the list in the US and in the local front (Phils.).  To-date, it’s not much a question if  “Mockingjay – Part 1” will finish top but more on how much it will make once it makes it the top of this week’s list and the odds are in favour with projected receipts tracked at more than US$150 million once it opens. Living up to the world’s already intense expectations, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” heightens the odds against the movie’s heroine, Katniss, played and reprised by Academy-Award winner Jennifer Lawrence when Peeta Melark (Josh Hutcherson) now becomes The Capitol’s precious prisoner.  As he comes forth in

SHAILENE WOODLEY’S COMING OF AGE IN “WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD”                   “White Bird In A Blizzard” brings together an eclectic versatile cast headed by Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Thomas Jane, Christopher Meloni and Gabourey Sidibe based on acclaimed book of the same title by Laura Kasischke and directed by Gregg Araki that tells the story of a girl’s coming of age under unusual traumatic circumstances.   Set in the late 80’s, on the surface, Kat’s (Woodley) home life seems perfect. A normal, college-bound teenager, Kat listens to the era’s Depeche Mode, hangs out with her tragically hip pals, and is critical of her parents. She’s also having her first romance with, literally, the boy next door and is starting to feel comfortable in her own skin—all under the watchful eye of her glamorous, but disturbed, homemaker mothe, Eve (Green). When her mother mysteriously vanishes, Kat and her father suppress their emotions and try to resume their lives. Years later, Kat’s subc

TOM HARDY STARS IN CRIME THRILLER “THE DROP”   Tom Hardy heads up a phenomenal cast in this gripping tale of crime and passion in “The Drop” from a screenplay of world-renowned crime novelist Dennis Lehane.  At first glance nothing looks particularly unusual as the movie starts. But as the clientele of the bar put their hands on their hearts, Bob (Hardy) discreetly stashes an envelope of cash behind the bar. Indeed, there's more to Cousin Marv's bar than meets the eye. Cousin Marv (played by the late James Gandolfini) has been drawn into working with a group of nefarious Chechen gangsters, meaning his employee Bob has to go along with the scheme. Meanwhile, the bartender has found an abandoned pit bull puppy in a trash can, leading him to cross paths with the beautiful but troubled Nadia (Noomi Rapace) and her violent ex-boyfriend Eric (Matthias Schoenaerts). It's the set-up for an explosive, emotional drama with plenty of twists and turns. Bob’s simple life becomes m

JAMES GANDOLFINI IN HIS FINAL MEMORABLE FILM PERFORMANCE IN “THE DROP”   “The Drop,” a thrilling and emotional drama that stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Matthias Schoenaerts based on a short story by Dennis Lehane follows Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy), a lonely bartender who one day finds a pit bull puppy in a trash can. Soon Bob will cross paths with the equally damaged Nadia (Noomi Rapace), her ex-boyfriend Eric (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a gang of hardened Chechen criminals. There will be violence, but also the possibility of redemption for Bob.                   Also starring the late James Gandolfini and John Ortiz, “The Drop” is directed by Michaël R. Roskam, whose debut picture “Bullhead” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  “The Drop” is a gripping and suspenseful movie, centered around a powerful performance by Tom Hardy. Pulling pints at a grubby Brooklyn bar run by Cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), a place used for organized crime money

“DEVIL’S PACT” UNLEASHES NOVEMBER 12                   Horror returns in “Devil’s Pact” when a woman finds herself plagued by recurring nightmares involving a serial killer only to realize that her dreams are for real.   Directed and written Dallas Richard Hallam and Patrick Horvath, “Devil’s Pact” follows the highly successful “The Pact” and sees a new female protagonist fighting for her life and the lives around her – June Abbot (played by Camilla Luddington), a woman whose carefully constructed life in Los Angeles is beginning to unravel due to lucid nightmares so awful they disturb her waking life.  The film takes flight weeks after Annie Barlow’s (from The Pact) confrontation with the Judas Killer from the first film."   June Abbot is a freelance crime-scene cleaner and aspiring horror illustrator in “Devil’s Pact” where she was assigned at the horrific murder of erotic model Ellie Ford (Suziey Block) where after a while,  June begins to experience terrifying waki

GET READY FOR THE WORLD’S MOST-AWAITED ADVENTURE EPIC MOVIE – DREAMWORKS ANIMATION’S “PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR” (in 2D, 3D and IMAX)   Super spy teams aren’t born…they’re hatched.  Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.  These elitest of the elites are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind.  Led by handsome and husky Agent Classified (we could tell you his real name, but then…you know), voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.  Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, voiced by John Malkovich, from destroying the world as we know it.   The Penguins’ transition from beloved supporting characters in “Madagascar” to headlining their own big screen epic was a no-brainer, thanks to their memorable traits. “What drives the Penguins in all the films are their distinct and strong personalities,” says director Eric Darnell.  Adds director Simon J. Smith:

REKINDLING FIRST LOVE IN “1 ST KO SI 3 RD ”  - EXCLUSIVE AT AYALA MALLS CINEMAS STARTING NOVEMBER 12                   This year’s Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (year 10) box-office hit “1 st Ko Si 3 rd ” of the new breed category will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting November 12.                 Starring multi-faceted and respected actors Nova Villa, Freddie Webb, Dante Rivero (Cinemalaya’s Best Actor for his role in the movie) along with a up and coming young talents Ken Chan, Coleen Burgonia, Denisce Barbacena and RJ Agustin, “1 st Ko Si 3 rd ” centers on Cory’s (Villa) rekindled first love and her apprehensions in life after retirement.                 In this funny drama, Cory, a 65-year old woman gets reunited with her 1st love and finally the supposed 1st date happens five decades after they got separated, when Third (Webb) suddenly comes to the fore after years of absence.  Things could have been simple but Cory had been marrie

NOOMI RAPACE: WOUNDED SOUL IN “THE DROP”   Tom Hardy heads up a phenomenal cast along with actress Noomi Rapace, the late James Gandolfini and Matthias Shoenaerts in “The Drop,” a gripping tale of crime and passion where Bob (Hardy) works as a bartender at his cousin Marv’s (Gandolfini) bar and crosses paths with Nadia (Rapace) that unearths the depth of human frailties leading to an explosive, emotional turns never before bared.   Acclaimed director Michaël Roskam assembled an international cast for his American film debut,   he says was not specifically looking for European actors to headline this film. “But when I found them, it made sense. New York is a city full of nomads. It’s a gateway to the rest of the world. There are so many nationalities represented here. Probably 40 percent of the people I met during location scouting spoke with an accent that wasn’t purely Brooklyn.”                   Noomi Rapace, who plays Nadia, is in the process of bui

 NOVEL "WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD" TRANSLATED INTO SHAILENE WOODLEY STARRER                  Acclaimed young actress and passionate environmentalist Shailene Woodley who first came to worldwide attention for her  award winning performance opposite George Clooney in Academy Award® nominated film "The Descendants" and has further catapulted to fame in the book-based films "Divergent" and "The Fault In Our Stars" again essays the lead role in "White Bird In A Blizzard" based on the tome by Laura Kasischke.                  In "White Bird In A Blizzard," Woodley takes on the character of Kat Connors,  17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve (Eva Green), a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears - just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and

 NOVEL "WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD" TRANSLATED INTO SHAILENE WOODLEY STARRER                  Acclaimed young actress and passionate environmentalist Shailene Woodley who first came to worldwide attention for her  award winning performance opposite George Clooney in Academy Award® nominated film "The Descendants" and has further catapulted to fame in the book-based films "Divergent" and "The Fault In Our Stars" again essays the lead role in "White Bird In A Blizzard" based on the tome by Laura Kasischke.                  In "White Bird In A Blizzard," Woodley takes on the character of Kat Connors,  17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve (Eva Green), a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears - just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and

SAN DIEGO’S KID FILM FESTIVAL 2014 ANIMATED WINNER “HOUSE OF MAGIC” IN LOCAL CINEMAS                 The family and children’s adventure animated movie “The House of Magic” that won Best Animated Feature in this year’s San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival that was also nominated at Seattle International Film as “2014 Films For Families Youth Jury Award,” introduces Thunder, an abandoned kitten who stumbles into an old mansion.                    Seeking shelter from a storm, abandoned young cat Thunder sneaks into a mysterious mansion owned by retired magician Lawrence, aka “The Illustrious Lorenzo”.   Lawrence shares his fairy-tale world with many animals and a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos capable of whipping up breakfast while rolling out a spectacular song-and-dance routine. He soon makes Thunder feel welcome, but Jack the rabbit and Maggie the mouse start plotting to get him kicked out. When Lawrence ends up in the hospital, his nephew tries to