Event: X-Men Days Of Future Past Southeast Asia Premiere

This event is indeed one-in-a-lifetime experience.  Never kaming naging lucky sa mga raffles and promos, even the puchu-puchu raffles.  OA much but I think this was a gift for being a loyal X-Men fan over the years.

Autographs Peter and Fan

Let me help you understand bakit ganito ako kasupport sa X-Men, during elementary years - it was a great support for someone na nabubully, so in some sort - it has been a refuge and I can associate with this band of misfits.

So going back sa event na ito, from the inception of the film - super subaybay na talaga ako.  I was glad to know that Matthew Vaughn was chosen to direct but felt to leave the directorial seat and chose to be one of the writers, and was more happy that Bryan Singer will direct the film.  There are a lot of haters out there (not because of the scandal and being gay) but they thought that Singer was not the right man for the X-Men.  I felt different, personally - he has a vision may not be truthful to comics but the fact he understands these mutants is alright for me.

Anyway, as the momentum progresses from actors to characters to sentinels, really became hopeful this will be the X-Men film, I've hoped it would be.  Singer better not f*ck this up.

As the screening gets closer and closer, I learned that they are planning to have premiere nights in different parts of the world.  For Asia, they have chosen Singapore.

PH Delegation

Super search ako sa internet at super like ako ng mga Fox related sites sa FB.  Voila!!! May promo to watch the advance screening and a chance to meet some of the characters. Binasa ko ang qualifications - anakngteteng naman bakit di eligible ang Philippines *@&$($&!!!

Ok fine - what I need to do is to secure tickets for the opening, if may advance screening e di better na makakuha din.  While browsing FB, I saw Ayala Cinemas na may promo - but a ticket and chance to win to attend the SG premiere.

Paguwing paguwi wala pang palitan ng damit, bumili na ako ng 4 tickets so 2 chances of winning.  Not expecting anything pero I asked A "ano kaya manalo tayo ano?" pero "hindi yan".

Friday morning, 3 days after I bought the tickets - nag ring ang mobile

Me: Hello - good morning?
Caller: May I speak with A?
Me: Ay iba na number niya eto na....
Caller: Ah ok kasi ito binigay niya...
Me: Yeah nagpalit na siya, may I know who's this?
Caller: This is B calling from Ayala Cinemas
Me: Sa isip isip ko OMG OMG - uhmmm is this regarding sa X-Men promo?
Caller: Yes
Me: Nanalo ba kami?
Caller: Yes
Me: Kulang na lang magcartwheel ako sa tuwa.  Talon ako ng talon and tili ng tili.

Di pa rin ako makapaniwala, ni hindi ko din ito pinangarap and I know mababaw lang naman pero still.  

Joey Mead-King

Fast forward to the event itself - brunch na sobrang small serving lang kinain ko during that day.  Around 5:30 nandun na kami sa Blue Carpet site, para akong lumulutang sa ere.  Feel na feel ko ang event.  Nagstart ng dumating ang mga local guests around 6pm, one of them was Joey Mead a Filipina celebrity/VJ/Model.  Wuw rubbing elbows :)

Mga 7pm mahilo hilo na ako dahil wala akong kinain medyo majinit jackson pa.  Punyeta magsusuka pa yata ako sa carpet, medyo palamig na pawis ko.  Shet shet!!! Pero nung sinabi na nandiyan na si Hugh Jackman, wala ng hilo hilo.  Hahahahahahaa...

Then, inannounce si Peter Dinklage and Fan Bingbing.

Sumabog ngalangala ko kakasigaw and I was lucky enough na makapagslefie with Peter and Fan.  Sayang iyong kay Hugh :( pero keribels lang.

Peter Dinklage

Fan Bingbing

Hugh Jackman

The screening started 930 buti may tindang hotdog nagkalaman sikmura ko.

A week ago medyo di pa rin ako makamove on hahaha siguro next week ok na ako.

X-Men Days Of Future Past (2014) [Unbiased Review] - No Spoilers

Even I am an uber-fanatic of X-Men and everything of its franchise, rest assured I will be unbiased and will not give any spoilers (I hope).

So let me begin by saying that this is not a Michael Bay-Roland Emmerich type of apocalyptic film (and please don't mention the name of Brett Ratner).  This is a Bryan Singer end-of-the-world style which means a balance of drama and action sequence in both timelines.  Heavy on dialogues and a little bit of humor, here and there.

In my opinion, it's so wrong to expect that the story will be the same as the comics.  IT WILL NOT HAPPEN!  Hence, the term adaptation - we give freedom to the writers and directors to envision a new world of possibilities.

The greatest thing about the film was the subtlety of rebooting all X-Men franchise (that includes Wolverine movies) by explaining the relationships of all 6 X-films and patching the flaws (some/most) depending on your viewpoint.  Second greatest thing was the nostalgia which brought closure to the original trilogy.

Of course, no qualms about the acting capability of the cast members but I have to say this, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy interactions were the best.

There were violent reactions on Quicksilver, but I tell you this - that's one of the movie highlights.  

I loved the "American Hustle" vibe, well because it's the 70s.  

What's lacking for me is the screen time given to the future, my only complain.  

Regardless of the changes - one thing remained constant, the idea of "people with gifts who has sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them".  

We all know the next sequel will be "Apocalypse" so stay tuned until the last of end credits.  I really wish Singer will direct this next episode.

Of course this advance screening would not be possible if not for the generosity of Ayala Malls and 20th Century Fox.

Fan Bingbing and Peter Dinklage Autographs

X-Men Days Of Future Past (Empire Magazine)

Empire Magazine teamed up with Director Bryan Singer to feature X-Men DOFP characters and has a variant cover of each.  Fascinating!

Grabbed from Empire Magazine Website

I love it.

Although I cannot understand the hate with Singer - I personally think he did a fantastic job handling the franchise.  He understands and knows the characters well enough to have a great superhero film.

Also take a peek inside X-Men Days of Future Past