What movies should you see on weekends?

MANILA, Philippines — Thinking of ways to spend your free time during weekends?

Here are some movies and TV shows you can watch from January 31 and beyond.

John Woo’s action masterpiece returns to the big screen

Can brothers divided by hatred be united again by love? Find out as "A Better Tomorrow," a film adaptation of the original John Woo 1986-hit movie of the same title opens on January 31 nationwide.

The story revolves around a former drug smuggler who attempts to start his life anew and repair his relationship with his estranged brother, an up-and-coming star in the police department's narcotics division.

The original movie, which has three sequels and a remake in Korea two years ago, established Woo as a prolific action director who has mastered the highly stylized actions. It has also launched Chow Yun-fat to global stardom after winning Best Actor on the prestigious 6^th Hong Kong Awards a year after the movie was screened.

The comeback of China's biggest and number one action franchise to the big screen is now helmed by the acclaimed director Ding Sheng and topbilled by Chinese superstars Ma Tian Yu, Wang Kai and Darren Wang.

Unique love story in “Shape of Water”

Guillermo Del Toro’s “Shape of Water” has emerged to be this year’s frontrunner in the 90^th Academy Awards with 13 major nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

The acclaimed fantasy film set against the backdrop of Cold War era in America explores the idea of love and its barriers—internal and external. An amphibious creature (played by Doug Jones) forges connection with mute cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins).

“I wanted to create a beautiful, elegant story about hope and redemption as an antidote to the cynicism of our times.  I wanted this story to take the form of a fairytale in that you have a humble human being who stumbles into something grander and more transcendental than anything else in her life,” Del Toro said.

The master story teller added: “And then I thought it would be a great idea to juxtapose that love against something as banal and evil as the hatred between nations, which is the Cold War, and the hatred between people due to race, color, ability and gender.”

The fact that the film’s two leads don’t speak, not conventionally anyway, only heightens the love story by stripping away the miscommunications that often stand between humans. “One thing about love is that it is so incredibly powerful, it doesn't require words,” says Del Toro.

“Shape of Water” opens Febuary 21 in cinemas nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

“The 15:17 to Paris”: A true story of real heroes

Clint Eastwood’s drama “The 15:17 to Paris” tells the story of real-life heroes who derailed a terrorist attack during a high-speed train ride.

In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe.

The film follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. 

Catch the film in Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma and Greenbelt 1) starting February 21.

Oscar Best Picture nominee “The Post” to hit PH cinemas

Fresh from receiving a Best Picture nomination in the 90^th Academy Awards, Universal Pictures' timely thriller “The Post" is headed to Philippine cinemas on February 24, a week before the actual Oscars.

Marking their historic, first-ever on-screen collaboration, Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in “The Post,” a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents.

The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.

“The Post” brings Spielberg into the world of newspaper reporting at a critical moment for the nation and the world, a realm on the cusp of change with the rising power of women and the coming of corporatization.

Most of all, the story provides a riveting context for a timeless dilemma: when must one speak out to expose a grave national danger even knowing the stakes are unfathomably high?

The Post is distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Survival of the biggest “Pacific Rim: Uprising”

The new official trailer for Universal Pictures' 3D epic adventure "Pacific Rim: Uprising," the follow-up to Guillermo del Toro's 2013 cinematic epic Pacific Rim, has just arrived online.

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger who has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld.

But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.

Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left.  Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

Check out the trailer below and watch Pacific Rim: Uprising in Philippine cinemas March 2018.

See the future in “Ready Player One”

Steven Spielberg brings his trademark storytelling to new heights in the futuristic action-adventure “Ready Player One” to Philippine cinemas Saturday, March 31.

The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world.

When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

“Ready Player One” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Love, Simon: A Charming Coming-Out Movie

From blockbuster filmmakers Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen ("Fault In Our Stars", "Maze Runner" and "Twilight") comes another highly-anticipated young-adult movie "Love, Simon"—about a boy's coming out and finally facing his anonymous correspondent online whom he's fallen in love with.

Everyone deserves a great love story. In "Love, Simon," seventeen-year old Simon Spier's (Nick Robinson) situation is a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves to be hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.

Directed by Greg Berlanti, written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger, and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, "Love, Simon" is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

The cast of "Love, Simon" also includes today's fast-rising talents—Katherine Langford and Miles Heizer, Alexandra Shipp, Logan Miller, Jorge Lendeborg and Keynan Lonsdale with Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel.

Catch Love, Simon in Philippine cinemas starting May 9.

Sarah-John Lloyd’s hit romcom to bring ‘kilig’ Sunday night

“Finally Found Someone,” one of the biggest blockbuster films in 2017 starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz will be aired once again on Cinema One as the cable channel’s New Year blowout.

“Finally Found Someone” is the fourth team up of the love team after the highly-successful “A Very Special Love,” “You Changed My Life,” and “It Takes a Man and a Woman.”

In this film, Aprilyn (Sarah) is left by his groom on the day of their wedding. Her devastating breakdown becomes viral online. She then meets Raffy (John Lloyd), an unromantic PR man hired by the father of her former fiancé, who will help her move on.

The funny yet touching movie, graded B by the Cinema Evaluation Board, is directed by Theodore Boborol. It also stars Christian Bables, Joey Marquez, Yayo Aguila, Dennis Padilla, Tetchie Agbayani, Alwyn Uytingco, Alexa Ilacad, among others.

Catch the romcom flick on January 28 at 8 pm on Cinema One. Cinema One is available on SKYcable and Destiny Cable Digital 56 and Destiny Analog Ch. 37.

Crime thriller series “RELLIK” premieres exclusively on CINEMAX February 3

The original six-part crime thriller “RELLIK” premieres on Saturday February 3 at 12 pm, with a same primetime day encore at 9pm, exclusively on CINEMAX.

Focusing on a serial killer, “RELLIK” begins with the capture of the suspect and moves backwards in time to the crime itself, gradually unravelling the truth. Richard Dormer plays Gabriel, an obsessive and disfigured UK police detective, and Jodi Balfour plays Elaine, his bright and intense partner. 

As Gabriel’s personal and professional lives unfurl alongside a thrilling chase to catch a brutal killer, “RELLIK” explores the very nature of motivation and how our pasts make us who we are. 

“RELLIK” airs immediately after the 11 am premiere of the returning CINEMAX action series, “STRIKE BACK Season 5,” back-to-back and exclusively on CINEMAX. 

New episodes debut every Saturday at the same time. Both series will also be streaming on HBO GO. 

Over 90 free SKY Channels offered this January

Nothings spells a happy new year for television aficionados better than getting access to dozens of channels across genres. Lucky for SKYcable subscribers, they are getting #FREESKYCHANNELS until January 30.

Go channel surfing and catch over 90 channels including five new ones, namely Fight Sports HD, EdgeSport, Liga, Euronews, and TLC HD.

There’s something for every member of the family, from movies, talk shows and series, cartoons, documentaries, and reality TV, to lifestyle, cooking shows, and sports programs.

Fans of Scarlett Johansson can look forward to watching her suit up in the action adventure movie “Ghost in the Shell.” Based on a popular anime series, the story is set in a future world where people are enhanced with technology to counter cyber-terrorism. Watch it on January 27, 9 PM on HBO.

Meanwhile, kids can enjoy new episodes of “Spongebob Squarepants” on Nickelodeon from January 22 to 26 at 6:30 PM.

K-pop fans will get a kick from watching Sandara Park and her brother Thunder, tour the Philippines and try different delicacies and experiences all while competing against Grace Lee and Sam YG in tvN’s “One Night Food Trip – International.” Watch them every Wednesday at 8 PM.