Sunday, May 27, 2012

Movie openings on 31 May

Snow White and the Huntsman

Theatrical release poster
 Starring:
  • Kristen Stewart (who played "Bella" in Twilight)
  • Charlize Theron (Academy Award winner who is also a cast in Prometheus which will open on 7 June)
  • Chris Hemsworth (who played "Thor" in Thor and The Avengers)
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Budget: US$170 million

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Men In Black 3 opens on 24 May

Men In Black 3 is the third film in the MIB series, and sequel to Men in Black II (2002).


The blockbuster primarily stars Will Smith as Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, alongside other actors including Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve and Jemaine Clement. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film involves having Agent J to time-travel back to 1969 in an attempt to prevent Boris, an alien criminal, from assassinating Agent K.

Men In Black 3 opens in Singapore cinemas on 24 May 2012, in IMAX, 3D and 2D conventional theatres.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Review of WE Cinemas Suntec City

A movie theatre at WE Cinemas Suntec
WE Cinemas was formerly known as Eng Wah Cinemas until its recent re-branding in 2011. It has two cinemas in operation - Suntec and West Mall, while one at Empress (near Clementi) is due to be completed in 2013 together with the entertainment complex. WE Suntec is the newer of the two cinemas, as it underwent an extensive major renovation in 2011.

The first thing you would see is a big screen at the walkway entrance to the cinema made up of 9 TV screens which shows the latest movie trailers. Walk a bit more and you will step onto the soft light purple carpet of the box office area. Unlike other cinemas, WE Suntec does not have separate popcorn counters - the ticketing counter is the same as the popcorn counter, allowing you to get everything you need at one place. It's usually not very crowded and the queue is not long perhaps except for the peak hours, so it is generally quite a peaceful cinema for you to sit back and relax.

The 5 halls at WE Cinemas Suntec are all digital halls with 2K digital projectors, while two of the halls have 3D capabilities. It is worth noting that all of them have the same seating configuration - about 200 seats in each theatre with a middle aisle cutting through. They offer good elevation but slightly less legroom though. One thing I like about this cinema is that the seats look very new and clean each time you visit it, which definitely provides a good cinematic experience.

Just on a side note, since most patrons would sit along the aisle so that they would be at the middle of the screen, the blue lights which show the row and seat numbers are a bit too bright and glaring if you sit just beside the aisle. Because of the single aisle configuration it sort of shines at the opposite row. Not that it really that uncomfortable, but perhaps something for the management to think about.

Till next time!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Avengers ranks second of all-time US box office openings

Marvel's The Avengers Theatrical release poster

On its opening day on 4th May, Marvel's The Avengers achieved the 2nd best all-time opening at US$80.5 million in US and Canadian cinemas. This was just behind "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" which had a US$91.1 million first day opening at the box office. Noting that the film opened slightly earlier in other countries worldwide, it has reached US$414.8 million as of 4 May.

The American superhero blockbuster produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures was also well received by worldwide critics for its powerful storyline and special effects. The film also appears to receive much praise by local cinema-goers.

Marvel's The Avengers opened in Singapore cinemas on 1 May, in IMAX, 3D and conventional 2D theatres.