"Hugo" and "The Artist" lead the winners of the 84th Academy Awards

Source: Rappler

"Hugo" and "The Artist" lead the winners of the 84th Academy Awards, held Sunday, February 26 (Monday, February 27) in Los Angeles.

Both films had 5 wins each, with the silent film "The Artist" taking Best Picture, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. It also took home awards for Costume Design and Original Score.

Photo courtesy

The film is the first silent film to win the top prize since "Wings," which won Best Picture back in 1928, in the first Academy Awards ceremonies.

The animated Martin Scorsese film "Hugo," meanwhile, won awards for Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects.

Meryl Streep's performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" won for her the Best Actress Oscar, beating presumed frontrunner Viola Davis ("The Help").

A standing ovation from the crowd at the Hollywood and Highland Theater (the former Kodak Theater) greeted her third Oscar win, which came after a record 17 nominations throughout her career.

Octavia Spencer ("The Help") won Best Supporting Actress, while Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") made Academy history by winning Best Supporting Actor at the age of 82, the oldest awardee ever.

The Iranian film "A Separation," meanwhile, wins Best Foreign Language Film.

The Oscars was hosted by comedian Billy Crystal, who has led the ceremonies 8 times in the past.

Here is a list of the nominees and winners (highlighted) for the major categories at the 84th Academy Awards. This list is according to presentation of the awards during the ceremonies.

Cinematography

• "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
• "Hugo" Robert Richardson
• "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
• "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Art Direction

• "The Artist" - Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" - Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• "Hugo" - Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• "Midnight in Paris" - Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• "War Horse" - Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Costume Design

• "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
• "The Artist" Mark Bridges
• "Hugo" Sandy Powell
• "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
• "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Makeup

• "Albert Nobbs," Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
• "The Iron Lady," Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Best Foreign Language Film

• "Bullhead" Belgium
• "Footnote" Israel
• "In Darkness" Poland
• "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
• "A Separation" Iran

Best Supporting Actress

• Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Film Editing

• "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
• "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Sound Editing

• "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
• "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• "Hugo," Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• "Moneyball," Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco and Ed Novick
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• "War Horse," Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Documentary (Feature)

• "Hell and Back Again," Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front," Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• "Pina," Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• "Undefeated," TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Rich Middlemas

Best Animated Feature

• "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
• "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Visual Effects

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• "Hugo," Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning
• "Real Steel," Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Best Supporting Actor

• Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
• Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
• Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Music (Original Score)

• "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
• "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
• "Hugo" Howard Shore
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
• "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from "Rio," Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Adapted Screenplay

• "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
• "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Best Original Screenplay

• "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
• "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
• "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
• "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Documentary (Short Subject)

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement," Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• "God Is the Bigger Elvis," Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• "Incident in New Baghdad," James Spione
• "Saving Face," Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom," Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Short Film (Animated)

• "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
• "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
• "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Best Director

• Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
• Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
• Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
• Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
• Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

2011 Governors Awards (Given last November 12, 2011)

• Honorary Awards: James Earl Jones, Dick Smith
• Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Oprah Winfrey

Best Actor

• Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
• George Clooney in "The Descendants"
• Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
• Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
• Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Best Actress

• Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis in "The Help"
• Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
• Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
• Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Best Picture

• "The Artist," Thomas Langmann, Pr"Hugo" and "The Artist" lead the winners of the 84th Academy Awards, held Sunday, February 26 (Monday, February 27) in Los Angeles.
• Both films had 5 wins each, with the silent film "The Artist" taking Best Picture, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. It also took home awards for Costume Design and Original Score.
• The film is the first silent film to win the top prize since "Wings," which won Best Picture back in 1928, in the first Academy Awards ceremonies.
• The animated Martin Scorsese film "Hugo," meanwhile, won awards for Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects.
• Meryl Streep's performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" won for her the Best Actress Oscar, beating presumed frontrunner Viola Davis ("The Help").
• A standing ovation from the crowd at the Hollywood and Highland Theater (the former Kodak Theater) greeted her third Oscar win, which came after a record 17 nominations throughout her career.
• Octavia Spencer ("The Help") won Best Supporting Actress, while Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") made Academy history by winning Best Supporting Actor at the age of 82, the oldest awardee ever.
• The Iranian film "A Separation," meanwhile, wins Best Foreign Language Film.
• The Oscars was hosted by comedian Billy Crystal, who has led the ceremonies 8 times in the past.
• Here is a list of the nominees and winners (highlighted) for the major categories at the 84th Academy Awards. This list is according to presentation of the awards during the ceremonies.
• Cinematography
• "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
• "Hugo" Robert Richardson
• "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
• "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Art Direction

• "The Artist" - Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" - Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• "Hugo" - Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• "Midnight in Paris" - Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• "War Horse" - Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Costume Design

• "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
• "The Artist" Mark Bridges
• "Hugo" Sandy Powell
• "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
• "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Makeup

• "Albert Nobbs," Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
• "The Iron Lady," Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Best Foreign Language Film

• "Bullhead" Belgium
• "Footnote" Israel
• "In Darkness" Poland
• "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
• "A Separation" Iran

Best Supporting Actress

• Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Film Editing

• "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
• "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Sound Editing

• "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
• "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• "Hugo," Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• "Moneyball," Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco and Ed Novick
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• "War Horse," Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Documentary (Feature)

• "Hell and Back Again," Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front," Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• "Pina," Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• "Undefeated," TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Rich Middlemas

Best Animated Feature

• "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
• "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Visual Effects

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• "Hugo," Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning
• "Real Steel," Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Best Supporting Actor

• Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
• Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
• Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Music (Original Score)

• "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
• "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
• "Hugo" Howard Shore
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
• "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from "Rio," Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Adapted Screenplay

• "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
• "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Best Original Screenplay

• "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
• "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
• "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
• "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Documentary (Short Subject)

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement," Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• "God Is the Bigger Elvis," Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• "Incident in New Baghdad," James Spione
• "Saving Face," Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom," Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Short Film (Animated)

• "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
• "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
• "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Best Director

• Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
• Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
• Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
• Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
• Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

2011 Governors Awards (Given last November 12, 2011)
Honorary Awards: James Earl Jones, Dick Smith
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Oprah Winfrey

Best Actor

• Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
• George Clooney in "The Descendants"
• Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
• Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
• Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Best Actress

• Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis in "The Help"
• Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
• Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
• Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Best Picture

• "The Artist," Thomas Langmann, Producer
• "The Descendants," Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," Scott Rudin, Producer
• "The Help," Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• "Hugo," Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• "Midnight in Paris," Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• "Moneyball," Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• "The Tree of Life," Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner and Grant Hill, Producers
• "War Horse," Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

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Movie Review: Contagion

Contagion is a sci-fi drama flick that tackles how people from different walks of life struggled from an airborne native virus. Surprisingly, this movie is a star-studded one; Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Marion Cottilard and Jude Law starred this flick.

Let me tell you this in a straight-forward manner: the movie didn’t impress me at all. Nadah.

As a former Biology student with an extensive background in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, facts presented in the movie, like how the virus behaved and the manner it was assayed (a scientific term of analyzing a specimen) were true, except for the part wherein the Virologist/Immunologist found the vaccine in just a short period of time. It was deliberately cut short due to obvious reasons.

But, Contagion really has a promising plot and style. No sarcasm intended on that statement but because there were so many characters presented in the movie, some of them didn’t have any development at all, most especially to Marion Cotillard’s role. It could have been presented better by putting some events that transpired to each main characters as the movie nears its end.

And oh, the ending was really disappointing. Don’t ask me why. You just have to watch it at your own risk.

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2011 Metro Manila Film Festival Winners (Official List)

Written below are the winners of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2011 awards night.

The awarding event was presented during the Gabi ng Parangal on December 28 at Resorts World, Pasay City.



MMFF 2011 Winners

MAJOR AWARDS:


2011 MMFF Best Picture – Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
2nd Best Picture – Enteng ng Ina Mo
3rd Best Picture – Shake Rattle & Roll 13
Best Actor – Dingdong Dantes for Segunda Mano
Best Actress – Maricel Soriano for Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Best Director – Darell dela Cruz for Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story (Tikoy Aguiluz was not recognized)
Best Supporting Actor – John Regala for Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
Best Supporting Actress – Eugene Domingo for My HouseHusband (Ikaw Na!)
Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award – Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
Lifetime Achievement Award - Mr. Eddie Garcia

Best Float - "Ang Panday 2"
Best Production Design - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story"
Best in Editing -  "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" (Jason Cahapay and Ryan Orduna)
Best Musical Score - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" (Nonong Buencamino)
Best Sound Recording - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" (Mike Idioma)
Best Festival Visual Effects - "Ang Panday 2" (Riot, Inc.)
Best Make-Up - "Enteng ng Ina Mo"
Best Festival Original Theme Song - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" ("La Paloma" by Ely Buendia)
Best Cinematography - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" (Carlo Mendoza)
Gender Sensitivity Award - "My Househusband"
Best Festival Child Performer - Bugoy Cariño ("Shake, Rattle & Roll 13")
Best Story - "Shake, Rattle & Roll 13" ("Rain, Rain Go Away")
Best Screenplay - "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" (Roi Iglesias and Rey Ventura)


Special Awards:

Male Kutis Ganda Celebrity Award - Ryan Agoncillo
Female Kutis Ganda Celebrity Award - Ai Ai de las Alas
Celebrity Sexiest Appeal of the Night - ER Ejercito
Celebrity Sexiest Appeal of the Night - Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo
Male Face of the Night - Richard Gomez
Female Face of the Night - Iza Calzado
SMDC Most Glamorous Stars: Iza Calzado and Ryan Agoncillo
Posthumous Award for Excellence – Director/Choreographer Lito Calzado

New Wave - Independent Film Section:

Best New Wave Actor - JM de Guzman ("Pintakasi")
Best New Wave Actress   - Iza Calzado ("HIV")
Best New Wave Full-length Film - "Pintakasi"
Best New Wave Student Short Film - "Mate" and "Payaso" (Tie)
New Wave Section Special Jury Prize - "Biyahe Ni Barbie"
Gender Sensitivity Award (Student Category) - "Speechless"
Gender Sensitivity Award (Full-length Category) - "HIV"


The telecast of the 2011 MMFF Awards Night reportedly will be aired on ABS-CBN this Sunday, January 1, 2012, at 10:45 p.m.

So, what can you say about the recently concluded Gabi ng Parangal? Share your thoughts about it by dropping some comments below!

I'd want to hear from you.

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Enteng ng Ina Mo Tops MMFF Box Office Results

The Enteng Kabisote and Tanging Ina collaboration is surely a great hit as it further widens its lead on box office on the second day of screening of MMFF.

The Amazing Tandem

Their tandem resulted to Php 38 MILLION GROSS on its first day, breaking ALL TIME FIRST DAY GROSS this year. Segunda Mano is the most talk topic on Twitter and trended since yesterday but ranked 3rd with Php 18 million. Panday 2 by Bong Revilla finished second with PHp 20 million.

FIRST DAY GROSS

1. Enteng Ng Ina Mo – 38.5 million
2. Ang Panday 2 – 20 million
3. Segunda Mano – 18.25 million
4. My Househusband – 17.33 million
5. Shake Rattle & Roll 13 – 15.9 million
6. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – 10.1 million
7. Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story – 3 million

Asiong Salonga, despite being given a Grade A by the Cinema Evaluation Board ranked 7th (last) with only Php 3 million gross. But the rankings will change in the coming days, most especially after the winners Metro Manila Film Festival Awards Night will be revealed on December 28, 2011.


SECOND DAY GROSS

1.) Enteng ng Ina Mo- 30.46M (Total= 69M)
2.) Panday 2- 17.9M ( Total= 38M)
3.) Segunda Mano- 17M (Total= 35M)
4.) My Househusband- 12.7M (Total= 30M)
5.) Shake Rattle and Roll 13- 7M (Total= 22.9M)
6.) Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow- 8.7M (Total= 18M)
7) Asiong Salonga 2M (Total 5M)

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Top Movies of MMFF as of Dec 25

Cinemas nationwide were greeted yesterday with excited people who were eager to watch their favorite Metro Manila Film Festival movies.

Here's the standing of the seven movies of MMFF:


1. Enteng ng Ina Mo -  Php 38.5 million
2. Panday 2 - Php 20 million
3. Segunda Mano - Php 18.25 million
4. My Househusband - Php 17.33 million
5. Shake Rattle and Roll 13 - Php 15.9 million
6. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Php 10.1 million
7. Asiong Salonga - Php 3 million

Awards Night of the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival will be held at Resorts World, Pasay City, Philippines on December 28, 2011.

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Official Entries of the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival

Christmas marks the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also a day when the official entries of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) start its screening in major cinemas nationwide.

The first day was jampacked with avid fans of different actors and actresses.


The 2011 MMFF Movies (in alphabetical order) are:

Enteng ng Ina Mo
Cast: Vic Sotto and Ai-Ai delas Alas
Director: Tony Y. Reyes
Producer: Star Cinema / M-Zet Films / APT Entertainment

Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
Cast: George ER Estregan, Philip Salvador, Baron Geisler, Sam Pinto, Bangs Garcia, and Carla Abellana
Director: Tikoy Aguiluz

My Househusband (Ikaw Na!)
Cast: Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos
Director: Jose Javier Reyes
Producer: OctoArts Films

Panday 2
Cast: Bong Revilla, Phillip Salvador, Iza Calzado and Marian Rivera
Director: Mac Alejandre
Producer: GMA Films / Imus Productions

Segunda Mano
Cast: Kris Aquino, Dingdong Dantes and Angelica Panganiban
Producer: MJM Productions

Shake Rattle & Roll 13 (Lunod, Tamawo, Parola)
Cast: Eugene Domingo, Paulo Avelino, Albie Casino, Maricar Reyes, Kathryn Bernardo
Directors: Chris Martinez (Lunod), Richard Somes (Tamawo), Jerrold Tarog (Parola)
Producer: Regal Films

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Cast: Dennis Trillo, Heart Evangelista, Carla Abellana, and Ritz Azul
Producer: Studio 5

---

Meanwhile, the following movie failed to make it as an official entry:

Love Will Lead You Back
Starring: Judy Ann Santos, Coco Martin, Gina Pareño and Maja Salvador
Producer: CineMedia

The 37th Metro Manila Film Festival will run from December 25, 2011 to January 7, 2012.

---

The annual awards night will be held at the Resorts World, Pasay City on December 28, 2011.


Now, who's your bet? Comment below!

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Top Ten Movies That Made Me Cry Buckets

We all love to watch movies, and yes and that is a fact that we can't deny. While watching movies, some of us might be critical to some technical aspects whilst others just sit back and enjoy it. 

Along the way, we get carried away by our emotions. We laugh when actors spill hilarious punchlines. We get mad if the actors did something awful. And most of all, we cry because we share our sympathies with the characters of the movie.

Prepare numerous rolls of tissues as we reveal the top ten movies that made me cry buckets.

10. Flipped (2010)

Written and directed by Rob Reiner
Starring Calan McAuliffe and Madeline Carroll

Flipped lands on our tenth spot. Based from Wendelin Van Draanen's novel, Flipped tackles the story about the two eighth graders who started to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites. A lot of people can relate to this movie since every one of us has a story to share about first love. You fall in love. You get carried away by your emotions. You get hurt. And you become stronger, more mature and wiser.


9. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata
Starring Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi and Akemi Yamaguchi

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) lands on the ninth spot. It is a tragic animated movie about the struggles of a young boy and his sister during World War II. All throughout the movie, watching these helpless kids was painful and you couldn't help but to feel sad about their situation. But inspite of their tribulations, they still find ways to be happy.


8. Windstruck (2004)

Directed by Jae-young Kwak
Starring Gianna Jun and Hyuk Jang

The tragic love story of Myung Woo and Kyung-jin lands on the eighth spot. The story line itself was truly heartbreaking, accompanied by the beautifully arranged original sound track. Windstruck had left a good impression not just to its Korean viewers but also to some of its viewers from different Asian countries.

"When I'm gone and I would like to turn into the wind." - Myung Woo.

Boo-huhuhu.


7. The Land Before Time (1988)

Directed by Don Bluth
Starring Pat Hingle, Gabriel Damon and Judith Barsi

Our seventh spot features the story of a dinosaur who struggled in crossing the prehistoric arid lands in order to reach the Great Valley whilst outwitting the ferocious T-Rex dinosaur. The adventures of Little Foot seemed childish but if you watch it more closely, there's a deeper meaning on it. We all wanted to be cared and guided by our mothers even if we're old. There this particular scene in the movie when Little Foot saw the shadow of her mother, only to find out that it was just an optical illusion. Ouch.



6. Magnifico (2003)

Directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes
Starring Jiro Manio, Lorna Tolentino, Albert Martinez and Gloria Romero

Maginifico is truly a magnificent story. Who wouldn't expect that this kid has a mature way of thinking about life. At a young age, Magnifico had already experienced so many trials in life. Maginifico truly won the hearts of its viewers, well, including me.


5. One More Chance (2007)

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina
Starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo

When choosing a particular decision, do you just think of yourself? Well if you do that, you better watch this movie and maybe think twice before deciding on a certain thing before you break someone's heart. One More Chance is far the most famous movie of John Lloyd-Bea tandem. Everyone loves Popoy and Basha's love story.


4. Anak (2000)

Directed by Rory B. Quintos
Starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto

Anak is a movie dedicated to all Filipino OFWs who sacrificed a lot just to give their children a brighter future. But no matter how big the opportunity is, the motherly and/or fatherly love that we always long would still be the most important thing no matter what. This is a heartwarming movie and you will learn a LOT from it.


3. Marley & Me (2008)

Directed by David Frankel
Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston

Marley may be the worst dog ever but the family who adapted him had learned so many things about raising their family, the importance of their career and a whole lot more. It made me realized that no matter how naughty these creatures are, they would still choose to be with us. I cried so hard on the last part of this movie. Oops, spoiler.


2. Like Stars on Earth (2007)

Directed by Aamir Khan
Starring Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary

Like Stars on Earth is not your ordinary Hindi movie. Directed by Ahmir Khan, the movie focuses on children who are special - those who need special attention and those who are often misunderstood. It seemed that every scene was truly heart breaking, from Ishaan (Safary) being misunderstood by his parents for being dumb (later in the movie, they learned that he has dyslexia) to his triumphant moment of his life.

This is a must-see movie if you want to learn more about learning disabilities.


1. Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen

Hachiko, our canine hero lands on the first spot. Hachi: A Dog's Tale tells a story about a loyal dog who keeps on coming back at the train station even if his master had already died. Loyalty played a big part on this movie as Hachi still hoped that his master would still come home and play with him. It was so heartbreaking that I was still crying minutes after the movie ended.

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There you have it! This is the official top ten list on movies that made me cry.

I'm pretty sure that you have your own personal list. Don't forget to post a comment about it! :)

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Cats Gone Wild

Puss in Boots

Directed by Chris Miller

Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis

I never liked Puss in Boots, well judging from the fairy tale that mom used to read every night before going to sleep. 

I never understood why a cat outwitted a king or some sort. The cat should be the antagonist of the story and not the other way around.

Or so I thought. Pardon me if I have poor judgment and analytic skills when I was little.

But anyway, soon after watching the first movie of Shrek, I started to admire this feline hero. Puss is actually not your ordinary hero. Armed with swift moves and big, beautiful eyes, Puss would surely win every adventure that he had (and also win every female cat's heart). Nonetheless, after watching his very first solo movie, I have realized that our feline friend deserved to be revered as a hero.

What makes Puss' first solo movie special is its story itself. Like any other heroes, human or animal, Puss had a very sad but interesting story to tell. But that's not it. Apart from the stunning scenery like the "wild wild west", the urban slums and the cloud castle, the funny mash-up of all nursery rhyme characters were there too. One wouldn't expect that the innocent Jack and Jill who just tumbled down the hill after fetching a pail water would be the most sinister-looking thieves in the movie! And who would've thought that the magic beans would be the center of the story! But the bulk of the followers of Jack's adventure takes the bean stalk and hunt for golden eggs. Yes, the golden eggs.

I laughed at almost every scenes of the movie, and yes, both children and adults can relate to it!

Overall, this movie is perfect for people who seek nothing but pure fun and excitement.

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The Curious Case of Praybeyt Benjamin

Photo credit from Viceganda.net

There's this particular scene in the movie where Benjamin, played by the unkabogable Vice Ganda, was shunned by his own grandfather due to his sexual orientation. Although the weird thing was, every generation of his paternal roots has a hero.

Vice Ganda's second movie was really a big hit, at least it did compensate from the loss incurred from his first movie, Petrang Kabayo.


The plot of the movie was somewhat similar to Walt Disney's Mulan. Both Mulan and Benjamin were a disgrace to their respective families, thus prompting them to leave their home and head to the military camp to prove something about themselves - that they can do something extraordinary regardless of their gender. More so, both movies presented an equally hot platoon leader. Derek Ramsay surely made the people screaming inside the movie house; one can also surmise that Vice Ganda's screaming inside during the shoot of his second film.

But what made Vice Ganda's second movie so successful? Well, it was not because of his jokes but it was how he delivered it. Whether if it is a havey or waley joke, Praybeyt Benjamin is just a movie where everyone can just laugh and enjoy. There is no need to analyze the plot and its story line like any other movies. You just need to enjoy it. Yes, there's a need to reiterate that statement. The story itself was really predictable, yes, but the madlang people loved Vice Ganda and showed their undying support to his second movie.

And as for Vice? It doesn't really matter whether his second movie received low scores from movie critics. The important thing is, it's not a flop. It's a big hit!

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Cap Ou Pas Cap?

We all have this common notion of what true love is. We always think that true love will always have the happiest endings, an impeccable and lifelong relationship with each other and most of all, a blissful family. But the true definition of love is the otherwise as it comes with lots of sacrifices.

We have Sophie, a 7 year-old girl who is a favorite toy of bullies and Julien, also a 7-year old mischievous but sensitive boy who loves to do nasty things. The two of them both attend the same elementary school. At first, Sophie was a bit shy, but eventually they got comfortable with each other. At a tender of age of 7, they start a game of eagerness, which will last for a life-time.


There are different scenes, both real and surreal that portray different challenges as they grow older. Sophie wasn’t really sure if Julien is seriously in love with her. He didn’t realize that Sophie was having a maturational crisis. The way they communicate through love was really impressive, in fact the viewers might have thought that such manner of communicating might not have exist in real life due to its exaggeration. But then again, they both understand that they’re meant for each other. There are signature scenes and moments in between their reunion times with an excellent transfer of surrealism into storyboard sequences.

Despite the betrayal, they still keep their game deep into their hearts. This became crucial to understand when the social and sociological obstacles happened to put an end to their game. Whereas, they realize the meaning of love is to go after your lover no matter how hard the situation is. They put an end to their life together at the end to be able to stay loyal to their game.

It is fantasy in a sense that it lets you suspend realism for a moment, and dwell on the things we take for granted many times- laughter, romance, and childlike innocence.

About the movie: 

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children — a fearless competition to outdo one another with daring and outrageous stunts. While they often act out to relieve one another’s pain, their game might be a way to avoid the fact that they are truly meant for one another. 

Release Date: 10/19/2004 Directed by: Yann SamuellStarring: Guillaume Canet, Marion CotillardWritten by: Yann Samuell

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No Other Woman: Now Showing

The much-awaited movie, "No Other Woman" premieres today starring one of ABS-CBN's caliber actors Derek Ramsay, Cristine Reyes and Anne Curtis produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films.

The original date for the movie's premiere night was called off due to the onslaught of Typhoon Pedring. It was moved the next day.



Directed by Ruel Bayani, the movie revolves around the story of loyalty and loyalty. Kara Zalderiaga, portrayed by Anne Curtis, is a beautiful playgirl socialite who was emotionally detached to love until she met Ram Escaler (Derek Ramsay), a loyal husband to Charmain Escaler (Cristine Reyes).

More so, the trailer of the movie caught my attention because of the notable lines spilled by some of the characters.

"Ang mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo. Maraming Snatcher. Maagawan ka. Lumaban ka!" - Carmi Martin 

"Naku huwag na. Baka makita mo nilalagyan ko ang pagkain mo ng lason." - Christine Reyes 

"Ano ba ang mas mahirap kalaban? Yung putang mahirap o putang mayaman?" - Christine Reyes 

"Pare-parehong puta lang 'yon!" - Carmi Martin 

"Anong gagagwin ninyo if the only man that you love is unfortunately married... I'm not gonna give up Ram without putting up a god damn fight!" - Anne Curtis 

"Panahon na para i pack-up mo yang Lucy Torres mo. Ilabas mo na diyan si Gretchen Baretto. Anak, ako na ang bahala sa Red Stilleto mo!" - Carmi Martin

I am so excited to watch this movie!

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The Invasion of Zombadings

For decades, zombies have already invaded several movie industries which offer the same plot - a biological disaster which led to the transformation of humans to zombies, a few survivors and ends of dealing with this unimaginable ordeal.

This year, the Philippine movie industry offers an eccentric zombie-apocalyptic movie which deals with prejudice and acceptance.

The story starts with the naughty boy named Remington who kept on teasing gay people whenever he sees them around in the quaint town of Lucban, Quezon. One day, while visiting a grave at a public cemetery with her mother, he saw a middle-aged gay (Paulate) who wept at a nearby grave. Remington teased him and he got furious with the boy's teases and cursed him that he will turn gay when the right time comes.

15 years later, the once quiet town was disturbed by the news of an alleged serial killer lurking around the town who kills only gay people. The police chief inspector (Janice de Belen) who happened to be Remington's mother was perplexed with these heinous killings. The story continues when Remington was attacked by an unidentified man while taking a bath outside his friend's house. Little by little, he learned that he's about to change - his physical appearance and his sexual preference.

Searching for the cure was futile but because of his supportive parents and friends, everything was possible.

Zombadings is not your ordinary apocalyptic flick. No, scratch that. It ain't apocalyptic in the first place. Armed with witty lines and funny punchlines, viewers would surely love this flick. Coming out and acceptance are the two main themes of this movie. It tackles about its difficulties, the pain and how the society embraced their true color. Although on the critical side, one might have the difficulty of catching up with the development of the characters, especially with Roderick Paulate's. The first 20 minutes was actually the highlight of the movie but the excitement goes down until the end of the movie.

But overall, the movie left a good impression to the viewers last night. In fairness, I had fun, at least.

Mark your calendars everyone! August 31 is National Zombaday! Watch Zombadings: Patayin Sa Shokot si Remington in theaters near you.

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