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Rant and Rave: ‘Tuhog’

In this season where cinema houses are plagued by eye-catching international movie posters, what would make one spend his or her bills on seeing a locally crafted film? Worry not. Tuhog is a ride-all-you-can bus ticket that will take one to the many avenues of life. The film starts with a bus accident causing the…

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Rant and Rave: ‘The Wolverine’

On a ninja rampage. Not quite Jackman. Marvel once again aimed to set the bar high for the return of our beloved anti-hero Wolverine in the sixth instalment of the X-Men series. Set within the confines of aesthetic Tokyo, famed actor Hugh Jackman reprises his ageless role with the same passion and poignancy as he…

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Rant and Rave: ‘Pacific Rim’

What is the most logical thing for humanity to do when a leviathan suddenly bursts out from the ocean and attacks major Pacific cities? Well, build huge robots of course! This is the main premise of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest brainchild, Pacific Rim. Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnman) is a former Jaeger pilot, men who drive…

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Rant and Rave: ‘Before Midnight’

From exploring possibilities to entertaining repossession in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, Richard Linklater is bent on de-familiarizing love next. The 2013 sequel Before Midnight destroys the idealistic romance built by its predecessors. And yet simultaneously, the film does piece a romance — one that is made strange by uncomfortable realism but made familiar by…

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Rant and Rave: ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’

From the director of Blue Valentine comes a drama that is sure to move and amaze people who are old enough to understand it, The Place Beyond the Pines. Set in Schenectady, New York, this crime drama features great direction in Derek Cianfrance, touching screenplay, unique cinematography and a star-studded cast in Ryan Gosling, Bradley…

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Rant and Rave: ‘Despicable Me 2’

After he inadvertently made a family in his attempt at an ‘out of this world’ robbery, Gru (Steve Carrell) has left villainy behind to care for his three lovely daughters and make a living as a seller of funny-tasting jelly instead. Meanwhile, everyone thinks it’s about time the new father meets a lady friend. One…

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Rant and Rave: 4 Sisters and a Wedding

                  Once in a while, an unlikely gem of a Filipino movie comes along, and this is arguably one of them. Its trailer is not at all enticing, appealing and inviting to viewers. It seemed very mundane and typical of a Filipino movie, with the same melodramatic plot…

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Rant and Rave: ‘Monsters University’

The trend of sequels has become more popular in today’s world, Pixar took a unique route with the Monsters Inc. franchise after they released Monsters University this year, a prequel to the 2001 box office hit that grossed over $500 million in theaters across the world. Prequels are often avoided by filmmakers in general because…

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Rant and Rave: The Last of Us

In the year 2013, a parasitical fungus known as Cordyceps (yes, that’s a real thing and it takes control of several species of arthropods), begins to infect humans, taking control of their brains and causing them to attack other humans. When these infected humans are on the verge death, they release spores that, when inhaled,…

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Rant and Rave: ‘World War Z’

A twist from author Max Brooks’ classic and complex zombie tale will leave viewers either hungering for more or feeling bloated and overwhelmed. The apocalyptic thriller adaptation of World War Z – directed by Marc Forster and starring Brad Pitt as an official United Nations investigator dropped in the midst of the undead frenzy –…