6 reasons to watch “VIY: The Spirit of Evil” aside from a chance to win an iPhone 6

Halloween is just a couple of weeks from now and for sure you are already thinking of a scary movie where you’ll have a chance to hug or cling on your date especially during creepy scenes. Well, I have one “astig” recommendation which I saw last night at My Cinema, Greenbelt 3 during a special screening by Futuretainment, Inc.

I have six reasons for you to watch VIY: The Spirit of Evil and on top of them is a hair-raising news that you might end up owning a brand new iPhone 6 by just watching the film which will be shown in 3D in select theatres in Metro Manila, and in in 2D nationwide starting October 22.

1.  “VIY: The Spirit of Evil” is a hit dark fantasy film loosely based the story “Viy” by Nikolai Gogol, a legendary Russian poet. Gogol has been featured many times on Russian and Soviet postage stamps; he is also well represented on stamps worldwide. Several commemorative coins have been issued from Russia and the USSR. In 2009, the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative coin dedicated to Gogol.  At least ten streets have been named after Gogol in various towns and cities and Russia.

2.  If you’re a big fan of the worldwide monster HBO hit series “Game of Thrones” and deeply missed just about everything about the said TV show, you’ll have at least Charles Dance who plays Tywin Lannister in GOT in an important role in VIY. Plus, shades of special effects, gore and brutality of GOT can be felt in the movie.  VIY was shot in Prague at the Gatteo, Barrandov, and Letnyany studios, world-renowned locations that are also called the "European Hollywood" and home to the production of many blockbusters such as Van Helsing, The Brothers Grimm, The Chronicles of Narnia, Casino Royale, Hellboy, and Blade.

  

3.  VIY is produced by Russian Film Group and Marins Group and is distributed internationally by Universal Pictures, one of Hollywood so-called “Big Six” film studios. Lead star Jason Flemyng, who played the role of “Master Scientist” Jonathan Green, has also appeared in some of recent Hollywood box-office hits like Transporter 2; Case of Benjamin Button; Clash of the Titans; Kick-Ass; and X-Men: First Class.  

4.  VIY is the name of the dark and notorious monster responsible for the deaths of many village people in a sleepy 17th century Ukrainian village. It’s most terrifying ability is to murder and cut through the soul of any one with just the gaze of his many eyes. There is one very creepy sequence in the film where a number of terrifying monsters of all shapes and sizes appeared that made me blurt, “This is nightmare!”

5.  Jason Flemyng on VIY: “It's a classic story of redemption and of love and of adventure. “The special effects and the 3D is as good if not better as I've ever seen it, so the potential is limitless. I've made a hundred films now and five of them I love, and Viy is one of those five.”

6. The film became a certified hit when it was first released in Russia earlier this year. The first weekend take was $17 million, an all-time record for a Russian movie. 

Now if I happen to convince you to watch VIY, hold on dearly to the tickets that you’ll purchase because they might be your only chance ever of owning an iPhone 6. Here’s how:

a. All viewers of the movie are qualified to join the promo.

b. Participants must write their name and signature on their movie ticket (the side where the movie title is visible), and then take a selfie with their movie ticket.

c.  Go to the movie’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/futuretainmentinc and they must like th page and click the Watch and Win iPhone 6 promo logo for the next step and complete details.

d. There will be 3 winners of an iPhone 6 unit each, which will be drawn on October 25, 28, and 31.

e. Winners will be announced via Futuretainment FB account, Instagram account (@futureupdate) and the registered mail. Participants can only win once during the entire promo.

If this stuff still can’t charm you to watch VIY, don’t let the monsters in the film (watch the trailer below) make you.

The list is out! Top Grossing Local Movies of 2011

For the first time this year, I was able to do my regular task of scanning local newspapers today.

It has been quite a transition for the half portion of my body still on vacation mode to finally accept the reality that there was no long New Year vacation last week.

So I grab every available broadsheets I can find in the lobby and check for some interesting news that might impact the local business landscape that my company should know--- inflation hits 11-month low, Bangko Sentral planning to cut interest rates, the government earning $1.5 billion from a global bond sale. Wow!

But the most interesting news I read today is from Business World courtesy of their Weekender sub-editor Jeffrey Valisno who wrote the feature The Filipino Movie: Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.  By the title itself, one can tell that the writer wants to prove the fact that local cinema is very much alive.

He supported his article with some figures which I scanned (so forgive me with the quality of the images in this post) from the hard copy of the newspaper.  Browse the lists below and see for yourself.  2011 gave three of the top ten all-time box office hits in the Philippines: The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin, No Other Woman and Enteng ng Ina Mo.      

 

Now, when almost everyone is excited about The Avengers, Hunger Games and the likes, would it be quite interesting to wait and see what great finds local movie goers are in for in 2012?