The Girl and her love for Films

 

MMFF is a Filipino tradition done every December where no foreign films will be shown in the theatres but pure Filipino films made by Filipinos for Filipinos to spend their times on during the Christmas season. The first day of showing, starts on December 25 and stretches out to one or two weeks after, depending on the demand from the masses. Not all of my close friends would know but I would prefer watching history, and/or indie films. Imagine my excitement when the films up for this year’s MMFF are all indie films! If only I had enough money. Sadly, I do not.

Still, films play a huge role in my very routinary and mundane life, so I am going to watch.

Maybe not all, but at least one.

Films, huh?

The trailer for The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise was released two days ago and has reached 3.1 M views and counting.
On that note, 2017 is going to be a very nice time for moviegoers like me and a very bad time for my wallet. A lot of widely advertised, and well-anticipated films will air; animes, animations, shorts, and feature films alike.

 

Animes I grew up on, like Code Geass, Sword Art Online, Full Metal Alchemist, are going to release a new season, movie, and a live action film respectively. New animes that have been well-received by its audience and the masses are going to releasr much awaited seasons too. Animes like Attack on Titan and One Punch Man topping the list, among others.

Leaving the world of anime and moving on to TV series, more of these will be aired in the upcoming year. Sherlock on BBC will air its much awaited fourth season and they have just released their first official trailer that left fans speculating. Game of Thrones, of course, is set to air on HBO for its seventh season in April, and other series on my roster are House of Cards‘s fifth season and Mr. Robot’s third season. A lot of series will surely be on the screen for the lot of us but those will suffice to get you interested, well at least for me they are. Add to the list the next season of How To Get Away with Murder and it is all one with lots of free time can ask for.

 

For feature films, a lot – and I do mean a lot have made my list. The new film of the Pirates of the Carribean series, Skull Island, XXX 3: The Return of Xander Cage, and many more are obviously included to spice things up and mainly because of the popularity the trailers are making for these films; but if we’re talking about films absolutely worth going to the movie theatres for, one needs only to mention, multiple personality disorder, Marvel, and Milla Jovovich.

Split, the fascinatingly gripping story of a man with multiple personality disorder (MPD) played by James McAvoy is enough to get me to watch the film. After Sybil, I do not think there have been films made that are centered on a character diagnosed with the disease. Thank heavens for the filmmakers of this film. A psychothriller film is always great to watch, especially if it’s one with the most intriguing mental disorder known to man.

As for Marvel movies, a lot of Marvel films are coming up next year but one that is definitely making a buzz and getting all of the fans excited is, Thor:Ragnarok. For someone like me, who isn’t much of a fan of superhero films in general, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the way it is crafted by its filmmakers is enough to get a fan and moviegoer to go and see where the next infinity stone might be located.

Speaking of MCU, another MCU is sure to be up for moviegoers next year seeing as, The Mummy,  is also showing some time during the first quarter. A monster cinematic universe. Hmmm… Not so bad, right? I wonder how they would craft it. Dracula, Van Helsing, and the others. It’s a sure fire way to get the people interested into films, that is – making a series of stand alone films that in a whole, are related because they are all part of the same universe. Nice idea guys.

Milla Jovovich, in my opinion, is without a doubt the best American sci-fi action film actress of her time. Fifth Element, Ultraviolet, and of course, The  Resident Evil series. For a fan of the genre, this film is too good and much anticipated to pass up for.
A lot of films were marketed and advertised over the past few weeks. Films like Beauty and the Beast, and many more Disney films are sure to come our way come 2017. Knowing how fickle I am though, I’d probably end up watching whatever gets me in the mood for watching. Rom Coms are a wide favorite in my local neighborhood theatres – maybe? Another film on my roster is Ghost in the Shell which is stirring up news because of casting an American as the lead for a Japanese main character. And since I am a fan of historical fiction, and/or films with a hint of history in its background, I might just watch King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword.

 

Nevertheless, I am definitely saving up for these dates and keeping my free time all to myself.

Yep. I watch movies all alone. Okay, nice segue. Moving on.

Back on to today’s timeline, a beautiful send-off for the films and series that aired in 2016 is necessary, like always, right? (Nah. I watch the replays any day I like, anyway). And what better way to do it than the award shows. Oscars is up in February 2017 but there are no nominations yet. There is, however, already a list for the films that made it to the 74th Golden Globe Awards. And while this is also known as the litmus test for Oscar contenders, we never know who the academy might give a nod to.

I am happy most of the films I have seen this year, were recognized by the guild behind this event since as someone so cleverly put it, “not all of us can have perfect taste.”
Nominations? Click here.  But come back afterwards, I am not yet done!
I have my own biases of course.

For best director, it really ought to go to Tom Ford for his directing of Nocturnal Animals. But I would not be so mad if they give it to Mel Gibson for his work in Hacksaw Ridge, too. Both films greatly directed and great casting, too.

I also think that while films like Jackie, films centered on a powerful figure in history, are widely frequent in the Oscars and even though I really admire Natalie Portman’s role in the film (an intelligent actress, by the way), Amy Adams deserves the role for her acting in Arrival; a film that is really a film about humanity and not just about the extraterrestrials. Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool is the very definition of dark humor. I do not have bets on this category. Last time, Robert Downey Jr., won,  Reynolds might. Maybe. Best Motion Picture! The category for kids, kids at heart, and adults alike! Kubo and the two strings is nominated, Moana is nominated, My Life as a Zucchini is nominated. Kubo and Moana have very similar story lines and character arcs; the only difference may be that Kubo is a 3D stop motion film, and Moana is CG-animated. The academy, last year, released a video honoring motion animation and motion animators featuring Kubo’s father, Daniel Alderson. Either of the two is up and running for the title but like I said, I am a biased woman and Moana is a great film showcasing diverse culture and unity. Not only is its storyline great, its humor very witty, but the fact that it is the first (and hopefully not the last) Disney princess without a prince charming.

 

The sea is my friend.

Moana wins by a hair.

Screenplay and original score really need to go to Nocturnal Animals and Moana. If you’ve seen both, it’s not that hard to understand my fascination. They fit the bill – perfectly.

TV Series. Never could really get into the hype for  This Is Us, but Game of Thrones is once again nominated and so is Westworld. Why Kevin Spacey and Anthony Hopkins are not nominated are beyond me, though. They, as villains, are more than enough for one to get addicted to the series they each star in.

However, on a lighter and happier note, at least Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad and Trumbo) is making more films and getting recognition by the minute. Mr. Robot costars, Rami Malek and Christian Slater, each get nominated for an award too which is nice for fans of the show. Well-deserved nominations, Rami looking for another win after winning best actor in the recent Emmys.

The 74th Golden Globe Awards is scheduled to air in January 8, 2017. A week after we welcome the new year ahead of us.

How are you going to spend it?

Me?

Fleeing to the movies every now and then, obviously.