The Interview

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Dave Skylark (James Franco) is the host of an entertainment TV show notorious for its lowbrow interviews which contribute nothing to the betterment of society. Producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) is ever supportive, but begins to doubt his purpose in life after receiving an offhand remark regarding his job from a college friend who works for serious news. He sees an opportunity to be taken seriously when they find out that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (Randall Park) is an avid fan of the show, and is willing to do a scripted interview with them straight from Pyongyang. CIA Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) contacts the duo proposing a plan to discreetly assassinate the dictator in order to free the country from his repressive government. Dave, however, finds this hard to do as he spends more time and gets to know the dictator on a more personal level.

Into the Woods

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The Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) have no other wish than to have a child. What they do not know is that the Witch (Meryl Streep) next door has cursed not only their house, but also their ability to conceive an offspring. She offers them a deal: They shall go into the woods to recover the secret ingredients that would help restore her youth and beauty, in exchange for lifting the curse she had cast. They are to bring back to her: a cape as red as blood, worn by Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) who is off to see her grandmother, but eventually ambushed by the Wolf (Johnny Depp); a cow as white as milk, which is tasked to be sold by Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) in a neighboring village; hair as yellow as corn, let down by Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) from above her lonely tower; and a slipper as pure as gold, which Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) wears as she repeatedly runs away from her Prince (Chris Pine). But one’s wish could very well be a curse for another, leading to a short-lived happy ending disturbed by a giant problem caused by each of their selfish desires.

English Only, Please

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Julian (Derek Ramsay) just could not get over his ex. He regularly stalks her on Facebook and even follows her all the way back to Manila. His obsession results in a scathing letter which he wants to be translated to Filipino, so he could say it straight to her face as some sort of closure for their failed relationship. Hence, he hires a personal tutor to get it done. Tere (Jennylyn Mercado) eagerly obliges, what with the USD1000 price tag for the personal lessons. She uses the amount to support her family in Bulacan, as well as to buy her ex a new iPad. She is a hopeless martyr and she knows it, but that's just how she is. Sick and tired of their inability to move on, both teacher and student decide to help each other forget their respective breakups, and perhaps develop something more than friendship for the two of them.

Shake, Rattle & Roll XV

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AHAS: One of the fitting rooms at Alegria Mall doubles as an elevator leading unwary victims to the lair of a snake monster, whose existence has fed persistent rumors for years. Sandra (Erich Gonzales), the daughter of the mall mogul, denies the existence of an evil twin, and even laughs off many a hearsay that she herself is the snake. But her twin sister Sarah (Erich Gonzales) does not agree. Life under the mall is lonely, and now more than ever she wants the world to know of her existence so she can profess her crush on Troy (JC de Vera), whose wife she devoured for dinner a few years back.

Gonzales gives the role her best shot but her every attempt is sabotaged by the crappy CGI. Good graphics is essential to the success of storylines like this; anything subpar would result in a half-baked product that is simply cringe worthy. As for the story, no youngster in the 90's would not know the urban legend of the giant snake supposedly lurking in the basement of a once popular mall chain. This episode capitalizes on that but adds nothing substantial to the myth. It is because of this that the episode seems lacking, like they could have done something more but chose to rush production instead. Alice Dixson, one of the alleged victims of the "real life" snake makes a cameo appearance.

The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin

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Benjamin Santos VIII (Vice Ganda) is back and this time saves the world from what would have been a zombie apocalypse brought about by a virus which starts to spread in France. Honored by none other than the president himself, Benjie’s success easily gets into his head, which leads to a demotion due to his hasty actions. He is now transferred to the unit of Wilson Chua (Richard Yap), a commanding general whose expertise as a soldier seems to be inversely related to his parenting skills. The Metro is being threatened by a terrorist group led by Janjaranjan (Tom Rodriguez) and only Bimbee (James Aquino-Yap), Wilson’s son with his terrorist ex, knows where the bombs are located but would not tell anyone. Benjie is then assigned to try and convince the kid to spill the beans, for the sake of peace and order in the country.

Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2

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Veron (Elizabeth Oropesa), the leader of the Kubot, avenge the massacre of the Tiktik in the hands of Makoy (Dingdong Dantes) by killing his wife Sonia and abducting their son Macky. He loses one hand in the encounter and barely survives with Nestor (Joey Marquez), Sonia’s father. Two years later, the two of them live a new life in Manila with his sister Nieves (Lotlot de Leon) who works as an assistant in an ob-gyn clinic. Her boss is young gynecologist Alessandra (Isabelle Daza), whom she suspects to be doing abortions on the side. The truth is, she is an Aswang, albeit a reformed one who has effectively assimilated with human beings. She is forced to reveal her secret, though, as she gets in the way of Dom (KC Montero), a fellow Aswang who is hell-bent on world domination through the production and distribution of hotdogs with human flesh as the main ingredient. Such product turns a human being into one of them after consuming an entire package. Despite his reluctance, Makoy needs to team up with Alessandra to save mankind from an impending Aswang invasion.

Feng Shui 二

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10 years after the events in the previous film, the haunted bagua continues to claim innocent lives before it finds its way to Lester (Coco Martin), a streetwise thug who has been commissioned by Lotus Feet's grandniece to retrieve it. As expected, he is showered with good luck: he easily gets cash through various means; his father who abandoned her mother (Carmi Martin) five years ago suddenly comes back and the three are reunited; they even transfer to a new house, the real estate agent of which happens to be Joy (Kris Aquino). She has finally moved on from the unfortunate events as the bagua’s owner a decade prior, but her chance meeting with Lester in the midst of destroying the Chinese lucky charm brings back more than memories, as Lotus Feet aims to go full circle and double the fun by getting back at all her cursed possession's previous owners.

Feng Shui (2004)

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A hardworking wife and mother of two, Joy (Kris Aquino) unwittingly becomes the owner of a bagua, a Chinese lucky charm said to bring good luck. True enough, her family experiences a windfall both in cash and in kind: her husband Inton (Jay Manalo) gets promoted while she reaches her maximum quota for the month; she wins the grand prize in a supermarket raffle; an old client leaves her five hectares of land in Batangas; so on and so forth. What she does not know is that the bagua is cursed. Its owner, referred to as Lotus Feet, was part of the Shanghai elite when the Cultural Revolution erupted in Mainland China. She was left to burn inside her mansion while clutching the ornament, leaving it with a curse: whoever sees himself in its mirror will perish in exchange for the good fortune it brings to its current owner. As people around her start to die one by one, Joy must find a way to stop the curse before it takes the lives of her husband and children.

Gemini

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Police detective Manuel (Mon Confiado) conducts an interrogation session in a mental facility where distressed Julia (Sheena McBride) is confined. She is being accused of the murder of a man named Anton, but she insists that it was her twin sister Judith (Birigitte McBride) who did the crime. She even issues a grim warning that she is going to be the next victim. Eager to extract more information, the detective tells her again and again that her version of the reality is hers and hers alone, and that nobody can really say that it is not true. Together, the duo recounts the night of the incident, but navigating the mind of a troubled individual proves to be a formidable task as her recollection of the truth constantly changes with every new bit of information that comes to her mind. Who really killed whom?

Mulat (Awaken)

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An engaged couple bicker about the details of their upcoming wedding while driving late to an appointment. Their heated discussion takes a turn for the worse when he loses control of the wheel and their car collides with a motorcycle. The resulting impact sends the driver flying off his bike, while the fiancee is left all bloodied and unconscious as Vincent (Ryan Eigenman) desperately tries to revive her. Soon after, Sam (Loren Burgos) is no longer the clingy ex-fiancee she once was, but her new mantra about relationships is getting in the way of her rebound romance with Jake (Jake Cuenca). She is now detached and aloof, while her new beau appears to be the serious one, just like she was before her accident. Things get more complicated as she starts hearing voices in her head, as well as having recurring nightmares with visions of herself all black and blue and covered in blood.

[CAVITE] Budget and Itinerary

WEDNESDAY: December 17, 2014

Corregidor Day Tour Package (Sun Cruises) - 2,350.00
Malinta Tunnel Show (Corregidor) - 200.00
Coke (Corregidor Hotel) - 75.00

Total - PhP2,625.00

[CORREGIDOR] Correct Me If I'm Wrong

“Corregir” is a Spanish verb which means to “correct”, and a fundamental knowledge of Spanish suffixes should tell you that a “Corregidor” would be the one doing the correcting. Why name an island as such then? It does pique one’s curiosity, but there are several plausible theories mentioned by the tour guide to justify this island’s name: one involving the Acapulco-Manila galleon trade; and the other, that of the island being used as a correctional facility.

Chicago (Lunchbox Theatrical)

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Roxie Hart (Bianca Marroquin) dreams of fame but instead lands herself in jail after shooting her lover Fred, who promised her stardom but was apparently just interested in the “extra” benefits of their relationship. There she meets vaudeville veteran Velma Kelly (Terra MacLeod) who is also imprisoned for the “alleged” murder of her philandering husband and sister. The two eventually vie for the attention of Matron “Mama” Morton (Roz Ryan) and star lawyer Billy Flynn (Jeff McCarthy), both of whom they perceive as their ticket to freedom. But more than the get-out-of-jail ticket, the two seem to be more interested in the fame brought about by the media circus involved in their respective court trials hoping that each of them would have a showbiz career after the final verdict is passed. However, the game changes as one of their Hungarian inmates is hanged, a first in the history of the Windy City. The two then forge their own strategies to get the media in their favor. After all, it does not really matter if you are innocent or not in 1920’s Chicago. It’s all about image, fame, and all that jazz.