unSAULicited

Careers come and go. It is how one makes or breaks it. As a prelude to the forthcoming silver linings of her career in the arts next year, multi-talented artist Banaue Miclat-Janssen has been connecting her heart, mind and soul into a wholistic process as part of her time capsule in order to become a much more meaningful artist. Having worked with many co-artists over the past two decades in Manila and New York, Banaue has been praised for her openness to communicate thoughts, views and ideas by explaining the purposes of her goals. With her high level of intelligence, excellent memory, charming mannerisms, sensitivity, innovativeness, imaginativeness and loving temperament, Banaue’s career will surely fall properly into its place spelling more successes in the near future. But even while others seem to have perceived Banaue for keeping a low profile in her career path, she has actually a very keen interest in its advancement. Quiet competence and consistency, that’s what she ...

Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his role in the phenomenal worldwide hit franchise “Harry Potter” enters the magic realm once again in the astounding caper thriller “Now You See Me 2.” Directed by John M. Chu, “Now You See Me 2” sees the master magicians known as the Four Horsemen return and elevate the limits of stage illusion to new heights to clear their names and ultimately expose the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate. One year after their astonishing Robin Hood-style magic shows win the public’s adulation and confound the FBI, the quartet resurfaces for a dazzling comeback performance that will make their previous escapades seem like child’s play. With the help of FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), the Horsemen — J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and new addition Lula (Lizzy Caplan) — mount a meticulously planned surprise appearance, in hopes of exposing corrupt tech tycoon Owen Case ...

The story of the hapless Gyeon-woo (played by Cha Tae-Hyun) in the fall-of-your-seat Korean romantic hit movie “My Sassy Girl” continues in the highly-awaited sequel “My New Sassy Girl” where he is now married to an unpredictable tough woman played by Victoria Song. In "My New Sassy Girl," Gyeon-woo has trouble forgetting his "old" sassy girl (Jun Ji-hyun), but soon reunites with his childhood love (Song). The "new" sassy girl, the only child of a rich family in China, returns to Korea to marry Gyeon-woo despite disapproval from her family. However, Gyeon-woo's married life with his new, but familiar sassy girl is tougher than he ever imagined. Directed by South Korean veteran Jo Geun-shik, “My New Sassy Girl” now explores the problems of the newly married couple. Cha Tae-hyun who reprises his role shares that, “The new movie elaborates on the romance, and love can be blind, risky, and unpredictable theme. There's no change to the characte...

Money moves the world in the espionage thriller “Our Kind of Traitor” starring Ewan mc/gregor and Naomi Harris based on the hit novel of the same title by celebrated novelist John le Carré. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Susann White, “Our Kind of Traitor” is a taut thriller about an unsuspecting married couple, Perry (Ewan McGregor) and Gail (Naomie Harris) on holiday in Marrakech, who meet the flamboyant and charismatic Russian, Dima (Stellan Skarsgård). He befriends them over games of tennis and lavish parties at his villa before revealing he is the top money launderer for the Russian mafia and wants to defect with his family to Britain. From that moment on, Perry and Gail are thrown into the fractured, dangerous world of international spies and dirty politics as they endeavor to save Dima and his family, and ultimately themselves. Indeed, “Our Kind of Traitor” captures a very British fascination with espionage, international double-dealing and Britain’s place in the world. ...

20th Century Fox’s “X-Men: Apocalypse” reigns supreme at the box-office with its PhP 230 million opening weekend (first five days) in the Philippines in 476 screens. It also dominated and opened number one on its first day of release (opened May 18) in the country with PhP 45 million in box-office receipts. In the Philippines, “X-Men: Apocalypse” has taken the franchise to new heights with its strong box-office results. It now holds as the Biggest Fox Opening Weekend All-Time, tracking 131% higher than “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” It is also now the Biggest Non-Holiday May Opening Weekend All-Time. Ultimately, “X-Men: Apocalypse” records show that it is now the Biggest Opening Weekend in the X-Men franchise. In addition to its opening weekend box-office results, it has become the Biggest Fox Opening Day All-Time, Biggest Non-Holiday May Opening All-Time and the Biggest Opening Day in the X-Men franchise. “X-Men: Apocalypse” also cemented its apocalyptic power on Philippine s...

The latest out-of-this-world family movie “Ratchet and Clank” stars Award winning Sylvester Stallone along with a talented voice cast including Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, Jim Ward, James Taylor and David Kaye. In “Ratchet and Clank,” two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile villain named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “Lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colourful heroes called the Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, the will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity. Ratchet, voiced by James Taylor, is the only Lombax anyone has ever seen. A typical impulsive teenager, Ratchet...

What can you do for love? “Happiness is a Pearl,” an original play penned by Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Famer Rody Vera is all set to open on June 9 at the 1701 The Little Room Upstairs located at Landsdale Tower, Mother Ignacia St. corner Timog Avenue, Quezon City. The play shall run until July 3, 2016 with 7 pm shows from Wednesday – Friday; 3 pm and 7 pm shows every Saturday and Sunday. As the opening production for the second season of Artist Playground, “Happiness is a Pearl” revolves around three characters ---Kenji, a male courtesan; Maria, a poor Pinay Japayuki; and Mari, a wife who falls in love with Kenji. Before becoming a prostitute in a club in Kabukicho, Tokyo, Mari was married to a wealthy businessman. But Mari’s billionaire husband soon leaves her when she becomes attached to a male gigolo named Kenji, who has a pearl stitched under the skin of his penis. However, Kenji sets his eyes on a poverty-stricken Filipina entertainer named ...

The most awaited epic battle of mutants in “X-Men: Apocalypse” is about to unfold on the big screen on May 17, Tuesday in selected cinemas – Alabang Town Center, Greenbelt 3, Glorietta 4, Trinoma, SM Aura, SM BF, SM Fairview, SM Light Mall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Marikina, SM Marilao, SM Megamall, SM Molino, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM Clark, The Block, Century Mall, Commerce Center, Eastwood, Evia, Newport, Starmall Taguig, Uptown, Abreeza Davao, SM Cebu, SM Lanang and Gaisano Davao. In “X-Men: Apocalypse,” we find our favorite group of mutants in 1983, dealing with more than just the fashions of the time. An ancient, powerful and extremely angry creature named Apocalypse has awakened after millennia spent slumbering, decided that our civilization is too corrupt to survive and must be destroyed so he can restore proper order. Charles Xavier must rally his young students for the fight of their lives against not just Apocalypse, but also his powerful Four Horsem...

One of the long-running PlayStation video game series of all time, “Ratchet and Clank” steps out of the console and springs to life in a CG-animated movie of the same title that will open on May 25 in local cinemas nationwide. “Ratchet and Clank” is based on the iconic PlayStation video game where two unlikely heroes Ratchet (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) and Clank (David Kaye) struggle to stop a vile villain named Chairman Drek (Paul Giamatti) from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “Lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colourful heroes called the Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, the will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity. ...

Set a decade after the events of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” the latest “X-Men: Apocalypse” that will open on May 18 in Philippine cinemas finds the mutants in 1983 living their own lives. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has his school for gifted youngsters up and running, and has some promising new students he’s guiding as they figure out their lives. Erik “Magneto” Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) is living a quiet family life in Poland, while Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) is eschewing her mutant side, worried that humanity still doesn’t completely accept them. Their world is thrown into chaos when an incredibly powerful, ancient mutant named Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) awakens and decides that the world has taken a turn for the worse and decides to destroy civilization and create it again in his own image. Taking the cinematic experience to the highest level this time, “X-Men: Apocalypse” will also be available in 3D and IMAX screens where director Bryan Singer brings the...

Welcome to a vacation spot like no other in the horror-thriller “Generation Z,” (also known as “The ReZort”) where an unusual kind of theme park is created to entertain visitors interacting with zombies as its main attraction. But all hell breaks loose when a zombie- rights activist hacks into the park’s security system and uploads a virus which disables all security settings releasing thousands of zombies back into the wild. Directed by Steve Barker, the director was on the lookout for something new having worked extensively in the horror genre previously. A huge fan of zombie movies, Barker, was drawn to the possibilities offered by “Generation Z’s” script: “Zombie movies are always now set in an apocalyptic world – this script fascinated me because we had won and this was something that I hadn’t seen before. It’s not a traditional film but a throwback to the movies that I loved; John Carpenter movies, where you weren’t tied to just one genre.” “Generation Z” is written by Paul...

From the surprise romantic blockbuster South Korean film “My Sassy Girl,” the comical and lovable Cha-tae Hyun is back in his latest romantic misadventures in “My New Sassy Girl.” Following the sincere, funny and hapless Gyun-Woo (Cha-tae Hyun), he is now married in “My New Sassy Girl” to his childhood sweetheart played by Victoria Song. In the movie, Gyun-woo is trying to mend his broken heart after being separated from his love at the end of the first film. He then finds himself reunited with his childhood sweetheart while mending his broken heart. In no time, Gyun-woo falls in love once again, marries her and goes through a honeymoon which no man would ever dream of. “My New Sassy Girl” will soon open in local cinemas on June 1 from Pioneer Films. Click here for the film’s trailer:

Expectant moms, single moms, stepmoms, gay moms, estranged moms, long-lost moms and mothers of all kinds get their due in an emotional tribute to the tie that can’t be broken in “Mother’s Day,” an endearing and entertaining romantic comedy about everyone’s first love, our mothers. Director and producer Garry Marshall once again brings together an all-star cast for a joyous holiday celebration in his new film, “Mother’s Day.” Marshall tackles the complicated connection between mother and child through a series of deftly interwoven stories that salute the sometimes maddening, often conflicted and always powerful bond of maternal love in a movie about the impact mothers have on their children’s lives — even when they don’t mean to. Jennifer Aniston ( “Friends”), Kate Hudson (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”), Julia Roberts (“Pretty Woman”), Jason Sudeikis (“We’re the Millers”) and Britt Robertson (“Tomorrowland”) star in interwoven stories about a group of women with one important thing...