'John Shaw: Nuclear Winter' producers defend use of AI

Whether testimonies are glowing with praise or laced with criticism, critics can help drive a film’s publicity. For the independently produced action thriller “John Shaw: Nuclear Winter,” its biggest boost may have come from a film critic who recounted attending a screening that never happened.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

Philbert Dy, who writes for publications including the Philippine editions of Vogue and Rolling Stone, said he was strolling through a mall in Quezon City on September 8 when he came across a red carpet being rolled out for a film premiere.

Curious, Dy looked up the trailer and was shocked to discover the film was Al-generated. “Full-on AI slop cinema, and not at all ironic,” he said. He then approached the registration booth, where he secured a ticket simply by saying he was from the media, without being asked for his name or the outlet he represented.

After a long walk down the red carpet, where other attendees were being interviewed, guests were finally ushered into the theater by 8 pm, only to sit through another 40 minutes of cast interviews before the trailer was played three times on the big screen.

When the film was expected to start, director Danni Ugali and lead actor-writer Ron Chan announced it could not be screened. Dy said the filmmakers initially cited a technical issue before

Chan admitted they had failed to secure a permit from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Dy walked out and documented the surreal experience in a 16-part Instagram Story. The following morning, he reposted it on X after fellow critic Jason Tan Liwag urged the Filipino film community to check his Instagram, where netizens quickly expressed their bewilderment. He would later write his scathing review of the film’s trailer for Rolling Stone Philippines, published on September 10.

One notable reaction came from internet personality @scorsaguin, who quipped: “Parang nasa Wow Mali si Sir.”