Erik Matti’s new original six-part Philippines series “On The Job” will premiere on HBO Go in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in September and will also air later on the region’s HBO channel.
Select episodes from the series will screen in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September, the only Asian title in contention out of the 21 in the lineup.
HBO Go has also released a trailer.
The first two episodes of the series were shown as a film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where was nominated for an Sacd Prize at Directors’ Fortnight. It went on to win several awards globally, including two at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Inspired by true events, “On The Job” centers around crime syndicates that temporarily release prison inmates to carry out political assassinations for those in power. However, the crime syndicates themselves are run by politicians. The...
Select episodes from the series will screen in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September, the only Asian title in contention out of the 21 in the lineup.
HBO Go has also released a trailer.
The first two episodes of the series were shown as a film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where was nominated for an Sacd Prize at Directors’ Fortnight. It went on to win several awards globally, including two at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Inspired by true events, “On The Job” centers around crime syndicates that temporarily release prison inmates to carry out political assassinations for those in power. However, the crime syndicates themselves are run by politicians. The...
- 7/28/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
While the country had experimented with the format before, it wasn’t until 1984 that the Philippines really got a handle on the Anthology format. Already perfected in Britain through the stellar works of Amicus Studios as well as the US with George A. Romero’s masterclass in “CreepShow,” three big directors in the genre, Ishmael Bernal (“City After Dark”), Emmanuel Horlaza (“Dugo ng Vampira”) and Peque Gallaga (“Tiyanak”) created a massive hit in their homeland that started a franchise which has extended into one of the longest-running series in the genre as a whole.
The first story, “Baso”, isn’t necessarily the fastest-paced entry for an anthology opener but was enjoyable nonetheless. Arriving at a friends’ house, friends Johnny (Joel Torre), Paolo (Rey Abellana) and Girlie (Arlene Murloch) decide to pass the time playing a game known as Spirit of the glass, which puts them in contact with a trio of spirits.
The first story, “Baso”, isn’t necessarily the fastest-paced entry for an anthology opener but was enjoyable nonetheless. Arriving at a friends’ house, friends Johnny (Joel Torre), Paolo (Rey Abellana) and Girlie (Arlene Murloch) decide to pass the time playing a game known as Spirit of the glass, which puts them in contact with a trio of spirits.
- 7/16/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
The film is based on a series of actual events that shocked the public in the Philippines, where prison inmates were contracted by politicians to temporarily leave jail and conduct a number of assassinations before they returned to prison.
“On the Job” is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival
The story revolves around two axes, which collide at times, based on the aforementioned story. The first one concerns two inmates-assassins, veteran Tatang and his trainee, Daniel. The first one actually has a family, and uses the money he receives to support them and to pay for his daughter’s intuition, who is studying law. Daniel, on the other hand, is a cocky, naive, and a bit too eager young man who lies to his mother about what he is actually doing. When the two of them murder a drug lord, veteran Sergeant Acosta is tasked with the investigation,...
“On the Job” is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival
The story revolves around two axes, which collide at times, based on the aforementioned story. The first one concerns two inmates-assassins, veteran Tatang and his trainee, Daniel. The first one actually has a family, and uses the money he receives to support them and to pay for his daughter’s intuition, who is studying law. Daniel, on the other hand, is a cocky, naive, and a bit too eager young man who lies to his mother about what he is actually doing. When the two of them murder a drug lord, veteran Sergeant Acosta is tasked with the investigation,...
- 7/16/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Filipino director Borgy Torre made the move from commercial and music video work in fine style a few years back with his award winning thriller Kabisera (The Patriarch) which starred Joel Torre as a man plunged deeper and deeper into a life of crime after discovering a cooler full of drugs while fishing one day. Kabisera was a phenomenally strong debut that promised great things from its director. Well, Torre (the director) is back now and once again features Torre (the actor) in his latest effort, Tisay. Again backed byt he Channel One Originals program that also supported Kabisera, Tisay looks to be a dark drama set in the world of sports betting - specifically around the Filipino basketball leagues - with a dash of...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/31/2016
- Screen Anarchy
On the Job is an intriguing crime drama out of the Philippines that will please fans of old-school Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann. It focuses on the murder of a drug dealer named Tiu by two assassins who happen to be incarcerated criminals: the hardened, experienced Tatang (Joel Torre) and the brash up-and-coming killer Daniel (Gerald Anderson). The two men are smuggled out of jail by corrupt officials in order to off whoever is deemed necessary to die before being smuggled back in again. It seems like the perfect cover-up for any crime; after all, who would suspect someone of committing murder that, by all accounts, was trapped behind bars when the crime occurred?
Read more...
Read more...
- 6/13/2014
- by Lee Jutton
- JustPressPlay.net
We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes photos from Utero, The Last Halloween, and Phantasmagoria, release details on The Horror at 37,000 Feet starring William Shatner, casting news for The Divine Tragedies, and much more:
First Details on Utero: “Writer/Director Bryan Coyne’s (Harvard Park and Incarnate) new film Utero started production this week in Los Angeles.
Independently financed by Coinopflix, the movie stars Jessica Cameron who is also producing along with her Truth or Dare partner, Jonathan Higgins. Former Platinum Studios Exec (Cowboys and Aliens, Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night) Richard Marincic also serves as a producer on the film.
Utero is about “an agoraphobic unwed mother who finds her psyche unraveling as she becomes convinced that her unborn child is more monster than human.”
Cameron’s latest film Truth or Dare, is playing...
First Details on Utero: “Writer/Director Bryan Coyne’s (Harvard Park and Incarnate) new film Utero started production this week in Los Angeles.
Independently financed by Coinopflix, the movie stars Jessica Cameron who is also producing along with her Truth or Dare partner, Jonathan Higgins. Former Platinum Studios Exec (Cowboys and Aliens, Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night) Richard Marincic also serves as a producer on the film.
Utero is about “an agoraphobic unwed mother who finds her psyche unraveling as she becomes convinced that her unborn child is more monster than human.”
Cameron’s latest film Truth or Dare, is playing...
- 3/2/2014
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Well Go USA has announced its plans to release Erik Matti‘s On the Job (2013) February 11, 2014. The crime thriller stars Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Michael de Mesa, Leo Martinez, Angel Aquino, and Vivian Velez. Marquez and Pascual play a police sergeant and a federal agent investigating the assassination [...]
Continue reading: Home Entertainment News: December 16, 2013: On The Job, Ender’S Game...
Continue reading: Home Entertainment News: December 16, 2013: On The Job, Ender’S Game...
- 12/17/2013
- by Romney J. Baldwin
- Film-Book
The bookends of Borgy Torre's Kabisera are presented with such disarmingly romantic flair that they immediately stand out from the gritty reality that consumes most of the film. Andres (Joel Torre) sits in the head of the table, while the rest of his family are eating dinner. In both the opening and the ending, Andres is all smiles, delighted in seeing his family intact and sharing a meal together. The stark difference lies with Andres' family, all of whom exchange their immaculate smiles in the film's opening with the tears and gestures of resignation in the ending. Only Andres is left in a state of joy, obviously oblivious of tragedy. Kabisera opens with a dream. It ends with a nightmare. Everything in between is a...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/28/2013
- Screen Anarchy
It was just last week that we brought the first trailer for Borgy Torre's Filipino crime drama Kabisera - which stars On The Job's Joel Torre as a man drawn into the drug trade - and today we follow that with a pair of posters for the film. Check those out - along with the trailer, in case you missed it - below....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/4/2013
- Screen Anarchy
After the international success of Erik Matti's On The Job - a selection of the Director's Fortnight program in Cannes - leading man Joel Torre returns to the crime genre with what promises to be another gritty, stylish affair.A selection of the 2013 CinemaOne Originals festival in the Philippines, Borgy Torre makes his feature debut with Kabisera with Torre starring as a family man who turns to the drug trade and gets caught in a cycle of violence as things spin out of control. Torre has long been one of the nation's most in-demand ad men and from the look of the trailer it's not at all hard to see why as the promo spot is excellent, firing on absolutely all cylinders.Art Acuña, Bing Pimentel,...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/30/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Plot: Two inmates (Gerald Anderson & Joel Torre) are hired out by their prison as assassins. Released on day-passes, the two men eliminate political targets with ties to corrupt government officials, and as a reward are able to send money to their families, as well as spend the occasional night back home. Unbeknownst to them, a police inspector (Piolo Pascual) with close ties to the government is hot on their trail. Review: On The Job reminds me a lot of a South Korean film called...
- 10/1/2013
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Part Time Inmates: Generic Baddies Work Manila’s Streets
At this point in the history of cinema crime dramas have become a commodity for mere financial motivations and occasionally to throw in a big Hollywood star into the mix. Furthermore, the cops v. thief’s scenario has been so overdone it is hard to believe there could be any new twists, or a spin on the generic corrupt higher-ups, or a anything that would revitalize the genre. Erik Matti’s On the Job doesn’t achieve any of those feats; in fact, it actually makes use of several go-to clichés that cement it as a very Hollywoodesque tale that could easily be remade with a Mark Wahlberg or a Bruce Willis, which would make it even more run-of-the-mill.
Set in the Philippines, the film follows a par of criminals who are among few that are given a job with preferential treatment.
At this point in the history of cinema crime dramas have become a commodity for mere financial motivations and occasionally to throw in a big Hollywood star into the mix. Furthermore, the cops v. thief’s scenario has been so overdone it is hard to believe there could be any new twists, or a spin on the generic corrupt higher-ups, or a anything that would revitalize the genre. Erik Matti’s On the Job doesn’t achieve any of those feats; in fact, it actually makes use of several go-to clichés that cement it as a very Hollywoodesque tale that could easily be remade with a Mark Wahlberg or a Bruce Willis, which would make it even more run-of-the-mill.
Set in the Philippines, the film follows a par of criminals who are among few that are given a job with preferential treatment.
- 9/29/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- IONCINEMA.com
The Philippines gets their own “Infernal Affairs” with “On the Job,” a propulsive new actioner. It’s not a remake of that Hong Kong hit, but it features the same cops-and-criminals conflict and stock moral ambiguity that turned that earlier film, and “The Departed,” into an ethical funhouse mirror for its protagonists. And hey, the action isn’t bad either. If you wanted a Filipino film from less-skilled filmmakers who worship at the altar of Johnny To and Michael Mann, you could do worse. The film’s deceptively simple twist is announced beforehand as we spend a considerable amount of time with Tatang and Daniel, two hitmen who register kills in broad daylight before heading back into their cells at night. Yes, this is based on a true story: apparently prison inmates were being used as traceless killers to erase liabilities for crooked cops and politicians in the Philippines. It’s a great hook,...
- 9/27/2013
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
It's a familiar problem for the criminal element: You need to rub your enemies out, but those pesky police always end up apprehending your shooters. The solution, as presented in Erik Matti's On the Job (and based on a frankly amazing real-life scandal in the Philippines), is to use prisoners—temporarily freed from incarceration with the blessing of corrupt prison officials—to perform political assassinations. The drama follows two of these prisoners, the world-weary "Tatang" (Joel Torre) and his up-and-coming hitman protégé, Daniel (Gerald Anderson). There's also a parallel story involving a golden-boy federal investigator (Piolo Pascual), himself the son of a former congressman, and a grizzled police sergeant (Joey Marquez) who may or not have told us...
- 9/25/2013
- Village Voice
Fantastic Fest kicked off its eight-day celebration of genre fare last night in style in Austin, Texas. This year’s festival has a new venue, the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, partly to show off the new digs and partly because the old ones at South Lamar are currently under a whole ton of construction. The opening night festivities were mostly centered around the marquee film playing at three of the Drafthouse screens: Robert Rodriguez’s new film Machete Kills, with Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, and Alexa Vega in attendance. Now, here’s the thing (and where this report, like the forthcoming ones, will diverge slightly from SoS fare): I didn’t get to see Machete Kills, in no small part because my desire to see it wasn’t exactly high. Yes, it’s one of the bigger events here, but I think an advantage to a festival like this one, as...
- 9/20/2013
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
It has taken some time getting there, but it looks like Surviving Evil, starring Billy Zane, is finally getting a U.S. release.
Freestyle Digital Media has announced it picked up the rights to the film featuring Zane, Christina Cole, Natalie Mendoza and Filipino star Joel Torre. Written and directed by Terence Daw, Surviving Evil will be available on all VOD platforms on August 20th.
In the film a television documentary crew begins shooting a jungle survival special on the remote Mayaman Island in the Philippines. Things start out casual for host Sebastian "Seb" Beazley (Zane) and his team until the jungle takes a terrifying turn. With horror they discover a local legend is all too real when a mythical creature called the Aswang ultimately descends from the trees and begins stalking them through the jungle. Check out a clip inside...
Read more...
Freestyle Digital Media has announced it picked up the rights to the film featuring Zane, Christina Cole, Natalie Mendoza and Filipino star Joel Torre. Written and directed by Terence Daw, Surviving Evil will be available on all VOD platforms on August 20th.
In the film a television documentary crew begins shooting a jungle survival special on the remote Mayaman Island in the Philippines. Things start out casual for host Sebastian "Seb" Beazley (Zane) and his team until the jungle takes a terrifying turn. With horror they discover a local legend is all too real when a mythical creature called the Aswang ultimately descends from the trees and begins stalking them through the jungle. Check out a clip inside...
Read more...
- 8/12/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes release details and clips from Abandoned Mine, information on Judgment and Unit 44, a video from Joe Dante discussing his film Dark, a teaser trailer from All Hallows’ Eve, and much more:
Abandoned Mine Trailer and Clips: ”In Abandoned Mine, five small-town school friends celebrate Halloween with an overnight adventure into the legendary “haunted” Jarvis Mine. Local legend tells of the angry spirits that have occupied the mine since a family was murdered for still mysterious reasons exactly 100 years ago. But that doesn’t stop these young adrenaline junkies from exploring the unknown – and bringing mini-cameras to capture their every move.
Yet once deep into the mine their best-laid Halloween plans go awry, leaving the adventurers trapped without escape. Are their misfortunes purely accidental or is the legend true and...
Abandoned Mine Trailer and Clips: ”In Abandoned Mine, five small-town school friends celebrate Halloween with an overnight adventure into the legendary “haunted” Jarvis Mine. Local legend tells of the angry spirits that have occupied the mine since a family was murdered for still mysterious reasons exactly 100 years ago. But that doesn’t stop these young adrenaline junkies from exploring the unknown – and bringing mini-cameras to capture their every move.
Yet once deep into the mine their best-laid Halloween plans go awry, leaving the adventurers trapped without escape. Are their misfortunes purely accidental or is the legend true and...
- 8/11/2013
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Last night, Korea's Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) wrapped its 17th edition, handing out awards and screening the world premiere of Korean thriller The Terror Live, starring Ha Jung-woo, who was in attendance.The big winners of the night were Ben Wheatley's Sightseers, which won Best Film and Best Actress (Alice Lowe) and Erik Matti's On the Job, which took home Best Actor (Joel Torre) and the Jury's Choice Award. Among the other main competition awards, Indian crime film Ugly picked up Best Director for Anurag Kashyap and Jang Cheol-soo's webcomic hit Secretly Greatly walked away with the Nh Nongyup Citizen's Choice Award.Outside of the Puchon Choice section, the Japanese high school mystery The Kirishima Thing won the Netpac award, Indian thriller Talaash was given...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 7/27/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The 17th Puchon International Film Festival (PiFan) wrapped with Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers bagging the top Best of Puchon Award as well as the Best Actress Award for Alice Lowe.
The UK buzz film scooped up the cash prize of $13,500 (KW15m) which comes with the Best of Puchon Award.
Wheatley in a video message to PiFan said, “I want to thank you for supporting my films over the years and it’s really an honour to get an award from such a prestigious film festival. Thank you.”
Held in the city of Bucheon, about an hour’s drive from Seoul, PiFan holds onto the former official Romanized spelling of the city’s name, Puchon.
Singaporean director Eric Khoo, who headed the Puchon Choice: Feature category jury, said, “We’ve watched many interesting films and have been very inspired.”
His jury awarded Anurag Kashyap the Best Director Award (KW10m) for Indian film Ugly.
Joel Torre took the...
The UK buzz film scooped up the cash prize of $13,500 (KW15m) which comes with the Best of Puchon Award.
Wheatley in a video message to PiFan said, “I want to thank you for supporting my films over the years and it’s really an honour to get an award from such a prestigious film festival. Thank you.”
Held in the city of Bucheon, about an hour’s drive from Seoul, PiFan holds onto the former official Romanized spelling of the city’s name, Puchon.
Singaporean director Eric Khoo, who headed the Puchon Choice: Feature category jury, said, “We’ve watched many interesting films and have been very inspired.”
His jury awarded Anurag Kashyap the Best Director Award (KW10m) for Indian film Ugly.
Joel Torre took the...
- 7/26/2013
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Just hours ahead of its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director's Fortnight, Erik Matti's long-awaited Filipino thriller On the Job has been picked up for distribution by Well Go USA Entertainment. Featuring a bevy of top Pinoy stars such as Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joey Marquez, Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, Rayver Cruz and Leo Martinez, On the Job is based on a real case of top Filipino political brass issuing day passes to incarcerated criminals in order to carry out hits. It's been almost four years since Twitch first caught wind of the project and following early test footage and a pair of recent trailers highlighting the film's stellar technical specs, expectations are sky high as the thriller hits...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/24/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Well Go USA Entertainment acquired all North American rights to Erik Matti’s On The Job, a Filipino crime action-thriller, ahead of its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight on Friday. The film is set for a fall 2013 theatrical release. Written by Matti and Michiko Yamamoto, On The Job was inspired by a real-life corruption scandal involving the temporary release of inmates so they could work as contract killers for crooked politicians. It stars many of the Philippines’ mainstream actors including Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Rayver Cruz, Shaina Magdayao, Empress Schuck, alongside vets such as Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, Vivian Velez, Joey Marquez, Leo Martinez, Michael de Mesa, Al Tantay and Niño Muhlach. “On The Job reiterates that it is an exciting time for Filipino cinema,” said Doris Pfardrescher, President of Well Go USA Entertainment. Said Matti: “All the hard work and patience has paid off. After almost four years, we...
- 5/23/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Festival scene regular Brillante Mendoza is certainly a divisive filmmaker with his shaky-cam, documentary-like sensibilities. Like Hong Sang-soo has evidently uncovered, if you're a filmmaker who frequents Cannes with success, you're likely to catch the eyes of French-thesp Isabelle Huppert who's starring in the helmer's latest effort, "Captive." Based on the true story of the 2001 kidnapping of 20 hotel guests from the island of Palawan in the Philippines by the group known as Abu Sayyaf with Huppert playing a foreign missionary who is caught up in it all. While the clips are in Filipino with French subtitles, you can the sense of the film's about and Mendoza's style which, if anything, seems suited to story like this. Other than Huppert, we also spotted Mendoza's "Lola" star Rustica Carpio among the chaos with Maria Isabel Lopez, Mercedes Cabral and Joel Torre co-starring. "Captive," in fact, premiered at the...
- 2/13/2012
- The Playlist
It was all the way back in January of 2010 when Twitch first shared a lengthy promo for Filipino hitman thriller Ojt. Director Erik Matti was in the early stages back then, putting together a project loosely based on actual events and as part of that process recruited a pair of actors and a pair of Red cameras for a day to shoot a nearly nine minute proof of concept.And it was simply astounding. It certainly helps that one of the actors was the great Joel Torre - recently seen in John Sayles' Amigo - but it helped even more that Matti seemed to be taking elements of Johnnie To and Fabien Bielinsky and working them into something fresh and exciting. Yeah, Matti's been...
- 10/23/2011
- Screen Anarchy
#5. Century of Birthing Director: Lav Diaz Cast: Angel Aquino, Joel Torre, Perry Dizon, Hazel Orencio, Angeli Bayani Distributor: Rights Available Buzz: Hearts skipped beats when the title was revealed for this newest Lav Diaz work. 'Oh lord, he's finally done made a hundred year-long movie'. The guy known for the longest average film-length of any active filmmaker may have actually lowered said average with this relatively modest six hour-long film, but it's awfully dismissive to simply write him off as a high-brow spectacle. Combining performance art, an utmost humanism, and the frankest portrayals of duration that the cinema has ever seen, Lav Diaz is the Thanksgiving meal of film festival offerings. It's an awfully exorbitant serving, but boy do you crave it every day thereafter. The Gist: A filmmaker battles with film festival programmers, his girlfriend, and the media in order to retain his un-doctored vision. Coming from a filmmaker...
- 9/2/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Four new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Opening in almost 3000 theaters is the horror comedy Fright Night directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Please, David Tennant and Toni Collette. The film’s music is composed by Ramin Djawadi. A soundtrack CD will be released on August 30, 2011 by Varese Sarabande. The album is already available to download on iTunes, where you can also listen to audio clips. Check out our soundtrack announcement for more details.
Also opening wide is the action remake of Conan the Barbarian directed by Marcus Nispel and starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rachel Nichols, Rose McGowan and Stephen Lang. Warner Bros Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the film’s music by Tyler Bates. For more details and audio clips, visit our previous article. Also check out a lengthy audio interview with the composer on Film Music Magazine, as well...
Opening in almost 3000 theaters is the horror comedy Fright Night directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Please, David Tennant and Toni Collette. The film’s music is composed by Ramin Djawadi. A soundtrack CD will be released on August 30, 2011 by Varese Sarabande. The album is already available to download on iTunes, where you can also listen to audio clips. Check out our soundtrack announcement for more details.
Also opening wide is the action remake of Conan the Barbarian directed by Marcus Nispel and starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rachel Nichols, Rose McGowan and Stephen Lang. Warner Bros Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the film’s music by Tyler Bates. For more details and audio clips, visit our previous article. Also check out a lengthy audio interview with the composer on Film Music Magazine, as well...
- 8/20/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
For his 17th feature film, writer/director John Sayles performs one of his periodic 180 degree shifts. Throughout his 33-year directing career, the gifted chronicler of the histories and familial legacies of small-town Americana (in films such as Lone Star and Honeydripper) has occasionally ventured outside that comfort zone. The Irish-set Secret of Roan Inish and the Spanish language, Latin American-set Men with Guns are among Sayles’s best-reviewed works. In Amigo, his most ambitious film yet, the filmmaker heads to the Philippines, circa 1900, for an old-fashioned yet all-too-resonant portrait of U.S. imperialism run amok. There’s an aesthetic stiffness to certain elements of Sayles’s picture, which concerns the drama that plays out in a fictional village during the Philippine-American war. The camerawork is stately and largely of the front-and-center medium shot variety, while the limited, spare jungle setting exudes a sort of abstract theatricality. It’s not always the most vibrant enterprise as it charts...
- 8/19/2011
- by Robert Levin
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The year is 1900. The setting is a sleepy, small village in the Philippines. A group of American soldiers arrive to secure the area and rid of it any rogue elements. It's nothing new to the villagers of San Isidro. They've been under the Spanish rule, until recently. It's the same white people in different clothes (nice blue wool shirts and cream colored khaki pants, I might add). The man in charge of this barrio is Rafael (one of the biggest name in Filipino cinema, Joel Torre). He has a difficult task of pleasing both the occupying force and the rebels, in which his brother, Simon (Ronnie Razaro) and his young son are part of. Freed by the American soldiers, a Spanish priest (Yul...
- 8/18/2011
- Screen Anarchy
John Sayles' latest feature, "Amigo," is an intriguing moral fable, marrying historical narrative with a fictionalized tale that takes us on an emotional journey with those on both sides of a conflict. The background is the Philippine–American War of the early 20th century, a well-documented but not widely known (it certainly was skimmed over in our history classes) attempt to "win hearts and minds" of Filipinos. The "amigo" of the title refers to Rafael (Joel Torre), a cabeza (head) of a barrio whose initially envious position becomes his downfall when the Americans unceremoniously occupy the village and attempt to root…...
- 8/17/2011
- The Playlist
A war movie made for $1.5 million--is that even possible? Certainly not in terms of the Hollywood fare we.re used to, but John Sayles has never made your average Hollywood fare. The director of Matewan, Passion Fish and Lone Star has brought a tight, low-budget focus to the war movie with Amigo, a story set during one of the most overlooked American conflicts, the Phillippine-American war. Sayles narrows the story down to a single baryo and what happens when Us troops take over. Lt. Compton (Garret Dillahunt) is the man in charge and names Rafael (Joel Torre), the village leader, his chief liaison to the people, as Rafael.s declared his opposition to the Spaniards. Trouble is, after the invasion, Rafael.s son runs off to join his uncle and the local band of rebels. While Rafael works to both appease the intruding Americans and keep his loved ones safe,...
- 8/14/2011
- cinemablend.com
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, and from the looks of the Philippine-American War film "Amigo," the United States forgot a lot of that conflict. I only wish the director of "Amigo," the fine filmmaker John Sayles, hadn't forgotten recent cinematic history and made the choice to favor didactic political statements over human drama like so many of the movies that came out in the first few years of the War in Iraq.
The evidence of our folly in the Philippines, and its obvious similarities to our repeated follies around the globe in the decades since, would have been clear in "Amigo" without cardboard cutout characters like Chris Cooper's Colonel Hardacre, a military man who drops none too subtle bits of dialogue about needing to win the "hearts and minds" of the locals or letting the "bleeding hearts figure out" the mess they've made of the...
The evidence of our folly in the Philippines, and its obvious similarities to our repeated follies around the globe in the decades since, would have been clear in "Amigo" without cardboard cutout characters like Chris Cooper's Colonel Hardacre, a military man who drops none too subtle bits of dialogue about needing to win the "hearts and minds" of the locals or letting the "bleeding hearts figure out" the mess they've made of the...
- 8/12/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Amigo from award-winning writer-director John Sayles is set during the Philippine-American War in 1900. The film stars Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Garret Dillahunt, Joel Torre, Yul Vazquez, Ronnie Lazaro. The trailer below is pretty bad, it looks and feels like a TV movie and the editing is terrible. John Sayles is one of a kind; see proof below and on August 19, 2011 when the film gets a release.
When U.S. troops garrison his village, Rafael comes under pressure to collaborate from the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) as he tries not to betray his people, especially his brother Simón (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local Filipino guerrillas. A sympathetic American lieutenant (Garret Dillahunt) learns that ‘hearts and minds’ cannot be won at gunpoint. A devious Spanish friar (Yul Vazquez) thwarts communications with his spiteful intrigues. Rafael is forced to make the near impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by civilians in an occupied country.
When U.S. troops garrison his village, Rafael comes under pressure to collaborate from the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) as he tries not to betray his people, especially his brother Simón (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local Filipino guerrillas. A sympathetic American lieutenant (Garret Dillahunt) learns that ‘hearts and minds’ cannot be won at gunpoint. A devious Spanish friar (Yul Vazquez) thwarts communications with his spiteful intrigues. Rafael is forced to make the near impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by civilians in an occupied country.
- 7/11/2011
- by Graham
- City of Films
You aren't going to see too many movies about the Philippine-American War, which resulted from the Spanish-American War -- it's an unpleasant piece of American history that's seldom remembered in modern classrooms, and it's certainly not much of a pop culture topic. But leave it to a film maker like John Sayles to take something like that and create something that could potentially be a remarkable and intense experience.
His newest film, Amigo, takes place in 1900 in the Philippines during the uprising, and it looks like another gorgeous, character-driven, unflinching film. The American portion of the cast is spectacular -- Chris Cooper, who was so goddamn brilliant in Sayles' Lone Star (as well as Matewan and City of Hope), plays a hard-nosed American army colonel, and it also features the outstanding Garret Dillahunt, who recently completely wrecked me in Oliver Sherman, as well as, um... DJ Qualls. Ok, sure, why not.
His newest film, Amigo, takes place in 1900 in the Philippines during the uprising, and it looks like another gorgeous, character-driven, unflinching film. The American portion of the cast is spectacular -- Chris Cooper, who was so goddamn brilliant in Sayles' Lone Star (as well as Matewan and City of Hope), plays a hard-nosed American army colonel, and it also features the outstanding Garret Dillahunt, who recently completely wrecked me in Oliver Sherman, as well as, um... DJ Qualls. Ok, sure, why not.
- 7/11/2011
- by TK
Amigo is the latest film from award-winning writer-director John Sayles, and is set during the Philippine-American War in 1900. It stars Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Garret Dillahunt, Joel Torre, Yul Vazquez, Ronnie Lazaro. When U.S. troops garrison his village, Rafael comes under pressure to collaborate from the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) as he tries not to betray his people, especially his brother Simón (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local Filipino guerrillas. A sympathetic American lieutenant (Garret Dillahunt) learns that 'hearts and minds' cannot be won at gunpoint. A devious Spanish friar (Yul Vazquez) thwarts communications with his spiteful intrigues. Rafael is forced to make the near impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by civilians in an occupied country. Friendship and betrayal, romance and heart-breaking...
- 7/8/2011
- Screen Anarchy
There aren't many directors like John Sayles. The man may have begun his career working for Roger Corman, and he has made a living doing studio rewrite gigs (many uncredited) over the years. But he has also carved out a unique career as a director of films that aren't quite like those made by anyone else. He had a great run of films from the mid-'80s to the late '90s (Matewan, Eight Men Out, City of Hope, Passion Fish, The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star and Men With Guns) and has made several films with the great actor Chris Cooper. Their latest is Amigo, set during the Philippine-American war. The film premiered to mixed reception at Tiff last year, and now you can see the latest trailer below. Sadly, this trailer is pretty terrilbe -- the voiceover is awful, and the way the footage is cut underscores...
- 7/8/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
After a poster debut earlier this week, the first trailer for John Sayles‘ Amigo has landed just as expected. I missed the premiere of the war story starring Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt and D.J. Qualls at Toronto International Film Festival last year, but it has been picked by Variance Films for distribution. It looks a bit like a TV movie and I haven’t heard the greatest of things, but you can see it in limited release later this summer. Check out the trailer below or at Apple in HD.
Synopsis:
Amigo, the 17th feature film from Academy Award-nominated writer-director John Sayles, stars legendary Filipino actor Joel Torre as Rafael, a village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American War. When U.S. troops occupy his village, Rafael comes under pressure from a tough-as-nails officer (Chris Cooper) to help the Americans in their hunt for Filipino guerilla fighters.
Synopsis:
Amigo, the 17th feature film from Academy Award-nominated writer-director John Sayles, stars legendary Filipino actor Joel Torre as Rafael, a village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American War. When U.S. troops occupy his village, Rafael comes under pressure from a tough-as-nails officer (Chris Cooper) to help the Americans in their hunt for Filipino guerilla fighters.
- 7/8/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
One of the films I missed at Toronto International Film Festival last year was the world premiere of John Sayles‘ war story Amigo. Starring Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt and D.J. Qualls, I didn’t hear the greatest things about it, but considering the director’s body of work I definitely want to check it out when it hits limited release later this summer. Fandango has just premiered a beautiful first poster, which can be seen below and expect a trailer very soon.
Synopsis:
Celebrated writer and director John Sayles uses America’s occupation of the Philippines at the dawn of the 20th Century as an analogy for several more recent political and military blunders in this period drama. It’s 1900, and Rafael (Joel Torre) is the leader of a village in the Philippine countryside. Rafael is well respected by the locals for his sense of decency and fair play,...
Synopsis:
Celebrated writer and director John Sayles uses America’s occupation of the Philippines at the dawn of the 20th Century as an analogy for several more recent political and military blunders in this period drama. It’s 1900, and Rafael (Joel Torre) is the leader of a village in the Philippine countryside. Rafael is well respected by the locals for his sense of decency and fair play,...
- 7/6/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
That's right! The kind folks over at Variance Films have given us an exclusive poster premiere for Amigo. The film is the latest from acclaimed indie director, John Sayles, and is about a Filipino leader's struggle with keeping the peace with the American troops occupying his village or join the insurgency with his brother and son during the Philippine-American War. The film stars Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt and D.J. Qualls. It opens on 8/19 in several major cities and expands shortly thereafter. So what do you think? Will you go see it when it comes out? Are you a John Sayles fan? Check here for complete Amigo photos, videos, showtimes and tickets.
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- 7/6/2011
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
That's right! The kind folks over at Variance Films have given us an exclusive poster premiere for Amigo. The film is the latest from acclaimed indie director, John Sayles, and is about a Filipino leader's struggle with keeping the peace with the American troops occupying his village or join the insurgency with his brother and son during the Philippine-American War. The film stars Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt and D.J. Qualls. It opens on 8/19 in several major cities and expands shortly thereafter. So what do you think? Will you go see it when it comes out? Are you a John Sayles fan? Check here for complete Amigo photos, videos, showtimes and tickets.
Read More
Read Comments...
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- 7/6/2011
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
Directed/Written by: John Sayles
Starring: Joel Torre, Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Yul Vázquez, Jemi Paretas and Dane DeHaan
Sayles scripts and directs this period drama set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century. In the remote region of San Isidro, U.S. military forces have been assigned to protect and pacify an area with strong community ties to guerillas hiding out in the surrounding jungle. Stuck together while the powers that be hash things out, the Americans and Filipinos come to an uneasy coexistence. (Variance Films)
Read our review.
Photo courtesy Variance Films
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Starring: Joel Torre, Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Yul Vázquez, Jemi Paretas and Dane DeHaan
Sayles scripts and directs this period drama set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century. In the remote region of San Isidro, U.S. military forces have been assigned to protect and pacify an area with strong community ties to guerillas hiding out in the surrounding jungle. Stuck together while the powers that be hash things out, the Americans and Filipinos come to an uneasy coexistence. (Variance Films)
Read our review.
Photo courtesy Variance Films
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“Final Destination 5″ >> << Back to Summer Movie Preview 2011 >> Search Terms Leading to This Post: shari solanis, dane dehaan...
- 5/13/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Directed/Written by: John Sayles
Starring: Joel Torre, Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Yul Vázquez, Jemi Paretas and Dane DeHaan
Sayles scripts and directs this period drama set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century. In the remote region of San Isidro, U.S. military forces have been assigned to protect and pacify an area with strong community ties to guerillas hiding out in the surrounding jungle. Stuck together while the powers that be hash things out, the Americans and Filipinos come to an uneasy coexistence. (Variance Films)
Read our review.
Photo courtesy Variance Films
<< “Conan the Barbarian”
“Final Destination 5″ >> << Back to Summer Movie Preview 2011 >> Search Terms Leading to This Post: shari solanis, dane dehaan...
Starring: Joel Torre, Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Yul Vázquez, Jemi Paretas and Dane DeHaan
Sayles scripts and directs this period drama set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century. In the remote region of San Isidro, U.S. military forces have been assigned to protect and pacify an area with strong community ties to guerillas hiding out in the surrounding jungle. Stuck together while the powers that be hash things out, the Americans and Filipinos come to an uneasy coexistence. (Variance Films)
Read our review.
Photo courtesy Variance Films
<< “Conan the Barbarian”
“Final Destination 5″ >> << Back to Summer Movie Preview 2011 >> Search Terms Leading to This Post: shari solanis, dane dehaan...
- 5/13/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Check out the trailer and poster for Bigfoot Entertainment's Deep Gold, starring Bebe Pham, Jaymee Ong, Ken Arden and Laury Prudent. Deep Gold is an action adventure directed by Michael Gleissner who co-writes alongside Frederick Bailey, opens April 22nd. Also in the cast are , Amelia Jackson-Gray, Joel Torre, Lorenzo Ramos, Richard Magarey, Earl Mullen, Jack Ruenprapan, Thomas Walter, Kersten Hui, Marketa Belonoha and Jude Moore. Deep Gold Synopsis: After a government plane carrying a fortune in gold disappears, champion free diver Amy Sanchez (Bebe Pham) and her sister (Jaymee Ong) go looking for the plane’s pilot – Amy’s boyfriend – but soon find themselves thrown into the middle of a deadly conspiracy...
- 3/25/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out the trailer and poster for Bigfoot Entertainment's Deep Gold, starring Bebe Pham, Jaymee Ong, Ken Arden and Laury Prudent. Deep Gold is an action adventure directed by Michael Gleissner who co-writes alongside Frederick Bailey, opens April 22nd. Also in the cast are , Amelia Jackson-Gray, Joel Torre, Lorenzo Ramos, Richard Magarey, Earl Mullen, Jack Ruenprapan, Thomas Walter, Kersten Hui, Marketa Belonoha and Jude Moore. Deep Gold Synopsis: After a government plane carrying a fortune in gold disappears, champion free diver Amy Sanchez (Bebe Pham) and her sister (Jaymee Ong) go looking for the plane’s pilot – Amy’s boyfriend – but soon find themselves thrown into the middle of a deadly conspiracy...
- 3/25/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Indie filmmaker by day, Hollywood script doctor by night, John Sayles succumbs to the worst qualities of his latter gig in his latest passion project. Set during the Philippine-American War at the turn of the last century, "Amigo" zeroes in on the remote region of San Isidro, where U.S. Lieutenant Compton (Garret Dillahunt) and his men have been assigned to protect and pacify an area with strong community ties to guerillas hiding out in the surrounding jungle.
He deals directly only with Rafael (Joel Torre), the mayor of the village. But his translator is Hidalgo (Yul Vázquez), an embittered Spanish padre who, until the Yankees arrived, had been held captive by the villagers. (Betrayed by their supposed allies, the Filipinos have traded one occupying power — the Spanish — for another — the Americans.) Southern soldiers, a hypocritical priest, stoic natives — these cinematic clichés are just the beginning of the problems with...
He deals directly only with Rafael (Joel Torre), the mayor of the village. But his translator is Hidalgo (Yul Vázquez), an embittered Spanish padre who, until the Yankees arrived, had been held captive by the villagers. (Betrayed by their supposed allies, the Filipinos have traded one occupying power — the Spanish — for another — the Americans.) Southern soldiers, a hypocritical priest, stoic natives — these cinematic clichés are just the beginning of the problems with...
- 11/30/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Filed under: Toronto Film Festival, Cinematical
Before Vietnam or world-wide strife, the United States ushered in the new twentieth century with the Philippine-American War. An oft-forgotten conflict spanning from 1899 to 1902, the Philippines population were fighting against U.S. rule, after the Spanish-American War found the islands in American control. It was a time of confusion and mixed messages, battles that just so happen to draw parallels to today's international concerns -- making it the perfect cinematic landscape for venerable independent filmmaker John Sayles. But this isn't a polarizing and politically critical film in the vein of 'Silver City.' It's a character study that reveals what we see only rarely in big-screen war films -- the real people behind the conflict once the pomp and circumstance are washed away.
'Amigo' focuses on the turmoil one small and fictional Filipino baryo suffered during the American occupation. The village is...
Before Vietnam or world-wide strife, the United States ushered in the new twentieth century with the Philippine-American War. An oft-forgotten conflict spanning from 1899 to 1902, the Philippines population were fighting against U.S. rule, after the Spanish-American War found the islands in American control. It was a time of confusion and mixed messages, battles that just so happen to draw parallels to today's international concerns -- making it the perfect cinematic landscape for venerable independent filmmaker John Sayles. But this isn't a polarizing and politically critical film in the vein of 'Silver City.' It's a character study that reveals what we see only rarely in big-screen war films -- the real people behind the conflict once the pomp and circumstance are washed away.
'Amigo' focuses on the turmoil one small and fictional Filipino baryo suffered during the American occupation. The village is...
- 9/18/2010
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Sneak Peek the first teaser poster supporting the upcoming Philippines-lensed feature "Amigo" (aka "Brother From Another Country") from director John Sayles.
"...An American invasion of a foreign country. A battle for hearts and minds. A pacification programme to quell an insurgency. Guerrilla warfare. Firefights. American filmmaker John Sayles winds the clock back to 1900 and the Us occupation of the Philippines in his new film, 'Amigo', finding parallels behind this event in history and current events in Iraq and Afghanistan..."
Written/directed by Sayles for producer Maggie Renzi, "Amigo" cast includes Garret Dillahunt, Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Yul Vazquez, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Lucas Neff, James Parks, Dane DeHaan, Stephen Taylor, Bill Tangradi, Jemi Paretas and Brian Lee Franklin.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...An American invasion of a foreign country. A battle for hearts and minds. A pacification programme to quell an insurgency. Guerrilla warfare. Firefights. American filmmaker John Sayles winds the clock back to 1900 and the Us occupation of the Philippines in his new film, 'Amigo', finding parallels behind this event in history and current events in Iraq and Afghanistan..."
Written/directed by Sayles for producer Maggie Renzi, "Amigo" cast includes Garret Dillahunt, Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, DJ Qualls, Yul Vazquez, Rio Locsin, Ronnie Lazaro, Bembol Roco, Lucas Neff, James Parks, Dane DeHaan, Stephen Taylor, Bill Tangradi, Jemi Paretas and Brian Lee Franklin.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/24/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
"Surviving Evil" In Cinemas October 2nd 2009 On DVD October 5th 2009 Written Directed by Terence Daw Six Crew......Six Days......No Escape "Surviving Evil" stars Billy Zane ("Titanic", "Dead Calm"), Christina Cole ("Casino Royale", "Doctor Who") and Natalie Jackson Mendoza ("The Descent"). Shot on location in South Africa the film is written and directed by Terence Daw, best known for his directing duties on some of British TVs most popular shows ("The Bill", "Heartbeat"). Synopsis: A British TV crew arrive at the remote Mayaman Island to shoot a jungle survival special. The team are led by presenter and survival-skills expert Seb (Billy Zane) along with two local guides Joey (Joel Torre) and the sexy Chill (Natalie Mendoza). It's not long until the crew hear...
- 9/20/2009
- www.ohmygore.com/
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