Ayala Malls Cinemas continues to bring prestigious and highly acclaimed films to Philippine cinemas with their exclusive release of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” a movie musical based on the acclaimed 1976 novel Kiss of the Spider Woman by Argentinian writer Manuel Puig and the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical of the same name by the multiple Tony Award®-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Master Class, Ragtime) and composer/lyricist team John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago).
Starring Emmy® and Grammy Award® nominated superstar Jennifer Lopez, Emmy Award® nominee Diego Luna (Andor, Y tu mamá también), and Tonatiuh (Promised Land, Vida), “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is now showing exclusively in Ayala Malls Cinemas. The film is directed by Bill Condon, the Academy Award®-winning writer-director known for such films as Gods and Monsters, Chicago, Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Films / Ayala Malls Cinemas
With this latest offering, Ayala Malls Cinemas continues to be a choice destination for premium and curated entertainment. “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, is set in 1983 Argentina. With the country’s military dictatorship waging a brutal war against its political opponents, prisoners Valentín (Luna) and Molina (Tonatiuh) find themselves thrown together in a cramped cell. Initially at odds, they begin to bond as Molina narrates the story of his favorite movie, “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” A colorful fantasia of song and dance starring screen siren Ingrid Luna (Lopez), the film follows a woman attempting to outrun a mythical predator who kills with her kiss. Jointly visualizing the dazzling Technicolor adventure, the men escape the indignities of confinement, and their shared experience leads them toward hope, grace and connection.
“Musicals have been having a resurgence since they were first declared dead in 1931,” said Condon about the cultural resurgence movie musicals are enjoying of late. “I think they’ve been resuscitated more often than Dracula. One of the reasons the genre always bounces back is that, as with suspense and horror, musicals are enhanced by the communal experience. In recent years we’ve been searching for reasons to go back to the theater, and musicals, when they work, give you that extra jolt of pleasure.”
Photo credit: Lionsgate Films / Ayala Malls Cinemas
The film’s vivid colors, larger-than-life musical numbers and suspenseful scenes from the political part of the story make “Kiss of the Spider Woman” a cinematic experience best enjoyed on the big screen.
“It’s easy to get caught in the web of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’” said Movieweb in its review.
USA Today also gave the film a positive review, praising the talented cast: “Lopez struts and vamps like an A-list champ, Diego Luna oozes gravitas, but everybody – and hopefully some Oscar voters – will remember this “Kiss” as a star-making turn for the fabulous Tonatiuh.”
“‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ is astounding,” The Film Maven lauded the new adaptation in her review. “If you aren’t a musical fan, will you be in hell? Probably. But for those who enjoy a sweeping musical story, or for lovers of Old Hollywood, you’ll be in Heaven for the next two hours.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Films / Ayala Malls Cinemas
Ayala Malls Cinemas, strategically nestled in every bustling city in the country, brings “Kiss of the Spider Woman” within reach to film enthusiasts and offers a premium cinematic experience with plush seats, updated technology, ease of ticket purchase and quality snacks from The Movie Snackbar always available at each cinema branch. Known for their lineup that includes prestigious, critically acclaimed movies that can’t be seen elsewhere, Ayala Malls Cinemas is a choice and premiere venue for exclusive movie releases.
Don’t miss the emotional musical journey that is “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” now showing exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas. To book your tickets, visit www.sureseats.com. For other updates, visit Ayala Malls Cinemas Facebook and Instagram pages.
