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[popdojo]

Open Your Eyes: Doctor Sleep Unveils Three Spooky Posters

Fear never sleeps. Three, eye-popping brand new artworks has been released for Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming supernatural thriller Doctor Sleep, the next chapter in The Shining story of Stephen King.

Check out below the chilling posters below and watch the film’s featurette explaining what the shine is.

View the film’s main one-sheet artwork here

In Philippine cinemas Thursday, November 07, “Doctor Sleep” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a WarnerMedia Company.

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Doctor Sleep Main Poster Returns to Where the Horror Began

Dare to go back. Check out the main one-sheet artwork of Warner Bros. Pictures’ new supernatural thriller Doctor Sleep, the next chapter in “The Shining” story of Stephen King.

Watch Doctor Sleep’s final trailer.

Doctor Sleep delves into Danny Torrance’s life, 40 years after his horrifying ordeal in the Overlook Hotel. His almost quiet life becomes shattered once again by Abra, a teenager who also has the “shine”, as she seeks his help in running from people who feed off the shine of innocents.

In Philippine cinemas Thursday, November 07, “Doctor Sleep” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a WarnerMedia Company.

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Costume & Make-Up: Designing the Look of the New "Joker"

To create the new costumes in Warner Bros. Pictures’ new psychological thriller Joker, director Todd Phillips sought out costume designer Mark Bridges, who had designed for lead actor Joaquin Phoenix (Arthur Fleck aka Joker) in both the latter’s acclaimed films “The Master” and “Inherent Vice.”

Bridges was flattered when Phillips reached out. “Todd sent a lovely note that said that he had this project coming up and would I consider working on it. Certainly to get a note like that from someone of Todd’s caliber… And of course working with an old friend like Joaquin is truly a joy for me. We have a wonderful back and forth and I trust him. We talk and he’s quite open to my suggestions as to how best represent on the outside this person he’s working on on the inside. So, all the pieces fell into place based on Todd’s personal request.”

Arthur Fleck’s Joker Suit

When it came down to the actual Joker costume for the film, Bridges happily reports that its design was, in part, written into the script as “a rust suit Arthur has had for many years.” Still, he confesses, “You have a million thoughts running through your mind and there’s a little bit of external pressure to serve the fans as well as the piece. But ultimately my work comes down to telling this particular story, where the outfit has to be something very organic to the character: pieces we’ve seen Arthur wear before, now reassembled to become what Joker wears.”

Working backwards, Bridges was able to determine when and how much of the building blocks to the final look would appear throughout the story. “I started from the beginning and then took it on a journey—this piece in the comedy club, how it gets recombined with different items at different beats—to get to the final result. When Joaquin and I had our final fitting for the full suit, it was all put together with the right shirt, the right waistcoat… It was dead-on `70s with a slightly longer line in the jacket, and he took on a strange, slinky confidence that he doesn’t have as Arthur, but which was just right for Joker. To me, that was really satisfying.”

Phoenix agrees, “As Joker, he walks tall. He’s confident. Prior to that it’s like he was a shell of himself.”

The Joker Make-Up

Throughout the film, Arthur dons a clown face of varying degrees for various performances. His ultimate Joker look was designed by Phillips and Phoenix as an exaggerated version of Arthur’s regular maquillage and executed to perfection by make-up department head Nicki Lederman and her team, utilizing the basic red and green of Arthur’s clown character. Lederman herself created a unique shade for Arthur’s tears from various pigments she had on hand, dubbing it antique blue.

In Philippine cinemas Thursday, October 3, “Joker” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a WarnerMedia Company. 

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Critically Acclaimed Joker Rated R-16 Without Cuts in PH

Opening in Philippine cinemas this Thursday, October 3, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Joker, one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year, has been rated R-16 Without Cuts by the Movie and Television Review & Classification Board (MTRCB).

Watch the final trailer here.

In its official review report, the MTRCB writes, “Viewers are advised that the film deals with mature themes…There are scenes depicting graphic violence and gore, the treatment of which is not suitable for children, and use of strong swear words throughout. Only viewers sixteen (16) years of age and above may be admitted.”

Joker earlier won the coveted Golden Lion prize at this year’s edition of the prestigious Venice Film Festival, boosting its stature as as prime contender for the upcoming Academy Awards.

Currently has an impressive 77% Fresh Rating at Rotten Tomatoes, Joker has likewise been a hit with critics, with a consensus that the film “gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star -- and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema.”

Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur Fleck seeks connection.  Yet, as he trods the sooted Gotham City streets and rides the graffitied mass transit rails of a hostile town teeming with division and dissatisfaction, Arthur wears two masks.  One, he paints on for his day job as a clown.  The other he can never remove; it’s the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel he’s a part of the world around him, and not the misunderstood man whom life is repeatedly beating down.  Fatherless, Arthur has a fragile mother, arguably his best friend, who nicknamed him Happy, a moniker that’s fostered in Arthur a smile that hides the heartache beneath.  But, when bullied by teens on the streets, taunted by suits on the subway, or simply teased by his fellow clowns at work, this social outlier only becomes even more out of sync with everyone around him.

Directed, co-written and produced by Todd Phillips, Joker is the filmmaker’s original vision of the infamous DC villain, an origin story infused with, but distinctly outside, the character’s more traditional mythologies.  Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society.  Longing for any light to shine on him, he tries his hand as a stand-up comic, but finds the joke always seems to be on him.  Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty and, ultimately, betrayal, Arthur makes one bad decision after another that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty, allegorical character study.

Three-time Oscar nominee Phoenix stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro.  The film also stars Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, Marc Maron, Douglas Hodge, Josh Pais and Leigh Gill.

Check out PopDojo’s review of the Joker.

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Joker (2019): When The Social Contract Fails

Pop Rating: 100% Perfect for: Comic book enthusiasts, and 99% of the population who wants to guillotine the rich Where to watch: In Cinemas, October 3 Age rating: R-16 (Violence)

Joker (2019) is one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year, thanks to all the buzz surrounding it. After snatching the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and receiving an eight-minute standing ovation on its premiere, we expect this movie to make history⁠—and it delivered. But this hype proved to be a double-edged sword: as with anything else that tries to be profound these days, there’s a rising worry that the film might attract the wrong crowd.

At best, Joker is a warning to us all, and the movie made that clear. It’s easy to get distracted by the controversial undertones of its core message, and people are bound to misinterpret it. In the US, there are already reports of threats of mass shootings once the movie hits theatres, and that alone drives home the point that Joker is trying to make. Even in the comics, the Joker became a symbol of what happens when the social contract fails the common, everyday man. Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke was a good example of how one bad day can create Gotham’s most iconic villain, but Joker takes it a step further by showing us an unsettling yet highly understandable decline.

What is “The Social Contract” anyway?

In its essence, this theory posits that members of a community or state willingly surrender part of their freedom and submit to the authority of a governing body in exchange for the protection of their rights and the maintenance of the social order. It pretty much tries to explain the existence and the need for a government, its laws, and what we expect them to do for us.

Many comic book storylines have explored this principle, but none show it best than DC’s Batman and its rogues' gallery. Gotham’s vigilante defenders and violent troublemakers are all born from the same fire: it’s the governing body’s incompetence that created a need for people to either try to fix the system themselves or wreak havoc and break the system even more. When Heath Ledger’s Joker told Batman that he completes him, he wasn’t wrong⁠—in every iteration of the masked hero and the demented villain, they were meant to represent both the far ends of the same spectrum.

Why is Joker (2019) different?

Admit it, the idea of having another live-action Joker in a post-Suicide Squad world had most of us thinking, “Again? Really?” until the first trailer rolled out and changed our minds. The writing, coupled with Joaquin Phoenix’s incredible performance added a much-needed layer to the Joker’s origin story. We’ve grown used to seeing this clown as a larger-than-life criminal mastermind that we have overlooked his humanity: underneath the garb and the makeup, it’s just a man who lost his marbles. Todd Phillips did a stellar job of giving us a fresh, yet inspired perspective on how to look at the titular character. This Joker is raw and harrowingly realistic⁠—he could be out there right now.

The film’s approach to issues of mental health is laudable. It’s dangerous for anyone to see themselves in Arthur Fleck, and this is exactly why we need to put emphasis on mental health care and rally for our governments to make it a priority. Addressing the roots of societal ills is the solution, instead of trimming away its branches with more unnecessary regulations and laws⁠—don’t wait for the real world to be as anarchic as Gotham in Joker’s final act.

In Conclusion

Joker (2019) is a masterful amalgamation of an art and comic book film. Packed with stunning and metaphorical visuals that perfectly capture and relay emotion, amazing storytelling, and strong performances, it’s truly one of, if not the best movies of the year. What I loved most about it is how true it remained to the Joker’s identity as a character: not as a political being, just a product of how we failed as a society.

[popdojo]

Ad Astra: Should We Stop Looking For What's Out There?

Pop Rating: 100% Perfect for: Space nerds and people who loved 2001: A Space Odyssey or Interstellar Where to watch: In Cinemas, September 20 Age Rating: PG-13

Space exploration has come a long way, and Ad Astra offers a peek into the near future that's alarmingly grounded in today's truths. It dared to ask questions that we often skirt around when talk of aerospace technology comes up: Have we already done enough?

(Warning: This article contains spoilers!)

Ad Astra, on the surface, builds upon what we already know and expect from space flicks. It didn't scrimp on paying homage to Kubrick, Nolan, and perhaps a dash of Coppola. The film didn't bother with flamboyant gestures of heroism: for once we are not watching an OP protagonist save the world, and instead, we follow the journey of one man coming to terms with his place in the universe. While there is a lot to unpack here, Ad Astra focuses on two inevitable questions that beg to be answered—the first being, "Is it time to stop looking for what's out there?" and the second, "How much of our humanity stays with us the farther we go?"

“I am looking forward to the day my solitude ends.”

- Maj. Roy McBride

The film uses clever visual cues paired with amazing scoring to accurately paint the cold of space. I'm no astronaut, but the deeper we go into the movie, Roy's feelings of instability and isolation get all the more palpable thanks to Brad Pitt's amazing performance. If you've seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'll probably enjoy all the references you can spot in the film. I particularly loved the inspired idea of commercializing space flight: Disneyland is so cancelled, fly me to the moon baby! Even as early as now, you can actually get the chance to step on lunar soil if you're a billionaire. 

There's an eerily accurate sense of realism in the movie's universe and you can't help but feel conflicted if this is the kind of future you wanna look forward to, yet this is where we are likely heading to anyway. Since I'm no expert on astrophysics, I won't go into the issue of the science checking out, but to my mind, it was far enough from the film's core that it barely mattered (pun intended). Think Mike Cahill with Another Earth and I Origins, where the science plays merely as a background for the rest of the fiction—Ad Astra is more concerned with the human aspect of the plot as it delved into the rising internal conflict within Roy. Perhaps Ad Astra's greatest strength is how it remained original despite borrowing from the great legends of sci-fi that came before it. I also loved how it took the human element into a different direction and led to a much more hopeful conclusion. It's what Europa Report and Pandorum wished it could be.

What I appreciate the most about its core message are the lessons you can take away from this film that force you to be introspective about things. Of course, that's highly subjective but for me, I've come to at least three stark realizations. One: the next time you look up the stars, do not think of how infinitesimally small you are compared to the grand scheme of the universe, and instead, be grateful that you are able to comprehend your existence. Any other animal can look up at the same sky and not realize the wonder it holds: our intelligence is a gift that we shouldn't take for granted.

Two: ask not what your place is, and instead consider what you can do and contribute to the world. If a curious Italian man was able to change the way we look at the universe by putting two pieces of glass in a tube and looking at the stars, what's stopping you from becoming the next Galileo Galilei?

And for the third one, which I think is what really holds the most weight: Maybe it's time to slow down at looking for another refuge and instead ask how we can save our home. We are too consumed with reaching beyond the clouds that we often forget the possibility of salvaging Earth. That maybe, just maybe, we need to plant our feet back into the ground and ask how we can be part of the planet's rehabilitation, instead of packing our bags and heading to the stars.

Ad Astra is now in cinemas and we highly recommend watching it! 

[popdojo]

Death Stranding to have a "Very Easy Mode" for Non-Gamers

Japanese video games are usually difficult, designed to challenge its audiences but that won’t be the case for Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding. After working on Metal Gear Solid games, the famed creator seems to be considerate this time with his upcoming game.

In his recent tweet, Kojima confirmed that there will be a “Very Easy” mode in the game for those who are non-gamers and just want to see the performances of the all star-studded cast. Namely, Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen. The former being a cast of The Walking Dead TV series while the latter is well-known for his performance in the Hannibal TV series as the title character and other movies such as Casino Royale.

It’s also noted that the mode is for RPG gamers, which is a bit odd to say, but this may be because those that mostly play that genre but wants to experience Death Stranding as either fans of the said cast or may want to dwell in another genre of games, can be able to cope up with the faster pace of action games and be able to complete the game with ease. 

Death Stranding will be available on November 8, 2019 exclusively for the PS4.

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FREAKS - Quick Review

Pop Rating: 95% Perfect for: People who enjoyed Brightburn Where to watch: In cinemas, August 23 Age Rating: PG (Violence)

Debuting as a standout in last year's Toronto International Film Festival, FREAKS reimagines a genre we've come to know too well. Featuring strong performances and a cleverly-written plot, this movie is definitely a must-see so don't let it slip under your radar.

The Good

When Marvel and DC made superhero films a staple, it's hard to picture how anyone else could attempt to breakthrough in this niche. Carrying a similar tone and feel as James Gunn's Brightburn, FREAKS offers a peek into a possible outcome of a world where superpowers exist. It didn't bother with the usual over-the-top backstories and complicated premises.

I absolutely loved the pacing and how it took its time in keeping the audience in the dark. Like Chloe, we are just as trapped in that run-down house, wondering what exactly is happening outside. Lexy Kolker's notable performance as Chloe is probably one of the film's strongest point.

The Bad

It's evident how much the budget was for this film, but besides its obvious limitations, there really wasn't much left to criticize about it. Though I can see the off chance that someone might find it comparable to Marvel's upcoming New Mutants.

I'd totally love to see an extended Freaks movie universe, though the film's one-shot type of storytelling drops the need for one.

With all that said, I cannot stress this enough: Please go see Freaks—premiering in Philippine cinemas this August 23, and then eventually hitting US theaters by September!

Photo Credits: TBA Studios