Popcorn Movie Mix August 9: Aftermath, Rough Night, Double Barrel, Hard Target

Forget the weekend blues with this week’s movie mix. Sometimes, after the daily grind, the only remedy is some film therapy. Not only do films help us relax, they actually broaden the way we see the world. Some say that art reflects life, and vice versa, but the point is, films are beneficial to get some perspective. Just be sure to be extra picky. You wouldn’t want anymore of the negative vibes to further cloud our weary minds.

It will be interesting to see  how cinema buffs will pick their movie-of-choice. You have Scarlett Johansson in a all-girl hangover comedy, “Rough Night;” Arnold Schwarzenegger on a devastating loss in “Aftermath;” the Pinoy action film “Double Barrel,” starring Jeric Raval, Phoebe Walker and AJ Muhlach; and the non-stop action movie about the true-to-life heroism of MI5 Special Forces, “Hard Target.”

Movie Mix August 9: Loss, a Bride-to-Be’s Escapade, Drugs and MI5

Arnold Schwarzenegger grieves the loss of his family and seeks peace in “Aftermath”. The film is based on the Überlingen mid-air collision incident that happened on July 1, 2002. It involved the collision of a passenger jet and a Boeing 757 cargo in mid-air over the town of Überlingen, Germany. In the film, Arnold plays the role of family man Roman Melnyk who loses his family to the devastating plane crash. His grief then gets intertwined with the depressed air traffic controller, Jacob Bonanos. It was Jacob who was somehow the cause of the mishap. The question that has to be asked here is, “What prevails? Forgiveness or Bitterness?”

Rough Night: Girl Friends + Bride-to-Be = You-Don’t-Wanna-Know. When college girl friends Jess, Alice, Frankie, Pippa and Blair decide to have a bachelorette party in Miami, things get pretty unpredictable. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, Zoë Kravitz, Kate McKinnon, Paul Downs, Demi Moore and Ty Burrell. It is directed by Lucia Aniello and written by Paul Downs, himself.

Indie actors AJ Muhlach and Phoebe Walker star in Philippine action film, “Double Barrel.” The film produced by VIVA Films is directed by Toto Natividad. It tells the story of a drug pusher named Jeff (AJ) who is caught by the authorities (Jeric) in a anti-drug operation. In time, Jeff becomes an asset to close the cases on the most wanted drug lords. His wife Martha (Phoebe), then decides to help him accomplish his mission for their sake. The story is based on a true story and the issue on extra-judicial killings. The film marks the coming-out of indie actors AJ and Phoebe into mainstream cinema.

“Hard Target” involves an eight-novel series about real-life accounts of former Special Boat Service commando, Duncan Falconer. In the 1940’s the SBS were highly trained UK Special Forces. The film stars Dominic Cooper as MI5 Agent John Stratton whose mission is to take down an international terrorist cell involved in biochemical weapons. The film is directed by Simon West who is known for other iconic action movies “Con Air,” “The Expendables 2,” and “The Mechanic.”