JERRY OLEA
Lumutang sa takilya ng North America nitong Memorial Day Weekend (Mayo 26-29, Biyernes hanggang Lunes) ang kontrobersiyal na The Little Mermaid.
$118.8M ang opening weekend gross sa U.S. at Canada ng musical-fantasy film, na live-action adaptation ng Disney’s 1989 animated film of the same title.
As we write this, umabot na sa $197.8M ang worldwide gross ng The Little Mermaid. Pasok na agad ito sa Top 10 na pinakamalalakas na pelikula globally this 2023.
Lumampas na sa $700M ang Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, samantalang agad-agad na umabot sa $500 benchmark ang Fast X.
Nananatiling pinakamalakas ang The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.28B), na sinundan ng Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($744M), Fast X ($520M), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($476M), at John Wick: Chapter 4 ($430M).
Ang lima pang pelikula sa Top 10 worldwide ngayong 2023 ay Creed III ($274M), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ($208M), The Little Mermaid ($197.8M), Scream VI ($169M), at Evil Dead Rise ($145M).
Kasabay ng The Little Mermaid na nag-open sa local cinemas noong Mayo 24, Miyerkules, ang Tricycle Driver Kasangga Mo ni Vin Abrenica, ang Indonesian horror film na Tainted Soul: Kalian Pantas Mati, at ang re-release ng 1978 superhero film ni Christopher Reeve (RIP) na Superman The Movie.
Noong Lunes ng gabi ako nanood ng The Little Mermaid sa SM Mall of Asia. Pila-pila ang moviegoers!
Around 6:00 pm ako pumila, at more or less 20 minutes bago ako nakarating sa isa sa dalawang takilyera. Puno na iyong 7:00 p.m. screening, kaya iyong 7:30 p.m. screening sa Cinema 4 ang in-avail ko. Iyong 7:45 p.m. screening kasi sa isang Director’s Club, sa first row iyong natitirang two available seats.
May mga nanonood pa rin ng Fast X, in fairness. Noong araw na iyon ay may inilaan pa ring screening para sa Tricycle Driver.
Kamangha-mangha ang visual effects ng The Little Mermaid! Hindi biro na mag-musical ka sa dagat. Ang gaganda ng mga disenyo ng mga buntot ng merpeople!
“Bridgerton Under The Sea” ang dating sa akin ng The Little Mermaid kung saan title role bilang Ariel ang African-American na si Halle Bailey, at ang gumanap na adoptive mother ni Prince Eric na si Queen Selina ay ang South African-British actress na si Noma Dumezweni.
Take note na ang paglalarawan ni Hans Christian Andersen sa bida ng 1837 fairy tale niya na The Little Mermaid ay “her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea.”
Sa nasabing fairy tale ay iba ang pinakasalan ng makisig na prinsipe, at pumanaw ang munting sirena.
“G” (General Patronage) ang MTRCB rating ng The Little Mermaid, samantalang PG (Parental Guidance) ito para sa Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) “for action/peril ang some scary images.”
Ngayong Mayo 31, Miyerkules, ay showing na sa local cinemas ang mga pelikulang Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Boogey-Man, The Wandering Earth 2, Siglo ng Kalinga, at Blood Power.
Ang Siglo ng Kalinga ay prinodyus ni Dr. Carl E. Balita, at idinirek ni Lem Lorca mula sa panulat ni Archie B. del Mundo. Nars lahat ang gumanap dito.
Kaugnay ito sa centennial anniversary ng Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). Kuwento ito ng mga nars na inspired ng buhay ni Anastacia Giron Tupas, na nagtatag ng Filipino Nurses Association (FNA) noong 1922. Ang FNA ay naging PNA kapagkuwan.
Dapat ay today rin ang opening ng Hypnotic na pinagbidahan ni Ben Affleck, sa direksiyon ni Robert Rodriguez. Inilipat sa Hunyo 21 ang playdate nito.
Certified flop ang Hypnotic na noong May 12 pa nag-open sa U.S. Ito ang pinakamahinang pelikula ni Ben Affleck, ganoon din ng direktor na si Robert Rodriguez.
Sa Hunyo 7, inaasahang magpapayanig sa takilya ang sci-fi action film na Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Makikipagsalpukan dito ang South Korean action crime film na The Round-up: No Way Out.
Nakatakda sa June 14 playdate ang animated rom-com na Elemental at superhero film na The Flash.
Iyong Elemental ay love story ng fire element na si Ember Lumen (boses ni Leah Kewis) at ng water element na si Wade Ripple (boses ni Mamoudou Athie).
Tampok sa The Flash sina Ezra Miller bilang Barry Allen/The Flash, ang Latina na si Sasha Calle bilang Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, at Michael Keaton bilang Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Nasa June 21 playdate ang dalawang Viva Movies na magkaiba ng genre — ang Will You Be My Ex? nina Julia Barretto at Diego Loyzaga, at ang Mary Cherry Chua nina Joko Diaz, Alma Moreno, Kokoy de Santos, Lyca Gairanod, at Ashley Diaz.
Naka-lineup din doon ang Strays, Kandahar, No Hard Feelings, at Hypnotic.
Nasa June 28 playdate naman ang Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ni Harrison Ford, Ang Pangarap Kong Oskars nina Joross Gamboa at Paolo Contis, at Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken na July 5 ang unang napabalitang playdate.
Maggi-guest kaya uli si Paolo Contis sa Fast Talk with Boy Abunda para i-promote ang Ang Pangarap Kong Oskars?
Para sa Hulyo, naka-line up ang Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Hulyo 12), Barbie (Hulyo 19), at Haunted Mansion (Hulyo 26).
Iyong The Marvels na July 26 sana ang playdate ay nalipat sa November 8.
Para sa updates ng mga pelikulang palabas, bisitahin ninyo ang Facebook pages ng Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) at SM Cinema, pati ang website ng Click The City.
GORGY RULA
Sa Facebook page ng Siglo ng Kalinga ay may panawagan noong Martes, “MGA KABABAYAN, Tomorrow, May 31, we are showing our tribute film, SIGLO NG KALINGA, to Filipino nurses, in select cinemas in the country. And by select, 25 cinemas only. 35 cinemas short of what was expected.
“We have the SM malls to give our sincerest gratitude for accommodating us most of all. But some branches and other big venues could not accommodate an advocacy drama feature that trains the spotlight on a heroic profession.
“They have to prioritize giving more venues to the tune of 3 cinemas per mall to an international film that says it is okay for women to lose their power and voice for the man they love than a film that treasures that empowerment, martyrdom, and sacrifice oneself to save lives of others.
“We’ve heard that we have been getting declined by major network television shows to promote our film only because we don’t have celebrity casts to bring in.
“It is so disheartening that these national media supposed to support the heroic professions could not look beyond the corporate side of entertainment. Even if it meant keeping and paying tribute to the nurses and the film about them, including their sacrifices and services they provided us during the recent pandemic.
“May we just remind you that while these television shows ought to be serving mass entertainment and at the mercy of rating games and advertisers, they also hold, most importantly a responsibility to the public they serve.
“Letting us promote an independently produced film about nurses, with an emphasis on having all nurses cast, will give their audience the opportunity to watch a film that will not only entertain, but also inform, educate, and arouse their social consciousness.
“It is unfortunate that we are not being given a chance to reach the masses to whom this film we dedicate. It seems bold to assume that we have not learned so much from the lessons of the pandemic.
“We all should support one another as we would always postulate and announce when we were all locked down. While these nurses and their stories unfolded and were almost unseen by all, a film about them and their experiences could have been a great opportunity for all to see and appreciate.
“If only you allow us to spread the message.”
NOEL FERRER
Paano na ang Siglo Ng Kalinga?
Baka mas makabawi ito kung mare-require ang mga nurses sa Pilipinas na mapanood ito. Baka ibang business model ang dapat gawin dito para lalo pang kumita.
Nakakalungkot naman ang kinasasapitan ng mga nalunod na Filipino films. Buti na lang at may The Little Mermaid na tinatao.
I hope lang it’s earning enough to offset yung mga lotlot and friends sa takilya.