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‘The Batman:’ Bold and brooding
By Wendell Gaa Batman has been my favorite superhero from as far back as I can remember. Yes, the fact alone that he is a mere mortal with no superpowers yet relies solely on his wit and resources makes him unique, but moreover he is such a complex and multidimensional antihero who has been reinterpreted […]
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2 films win praise, awards at Sundance filmfest
In a historic first for the Philippine film industry, two Filipino films received praise and won awards at the recently concluded 2022 Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the United States. Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer congratulated the filmmakers behind “Leonor Will Never Die” and “The Headhunter’s Daughter”, as […]
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‘Drive My Car:’ Another Asian flick gets the Oscars attention
By Wendell Gaa Asian cinema has once again been recognized at this year’s Academy Award nominations for Best Picture. Japan’s “Drive My Car” seems assured of at least bagging the Oscar for Best International Feature Film of 2021, and for good reason. Directed by auteur and Oscar nominee Ryusuke Hamaguchi, this is an excellently crafted […]
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On Global Filipinos: Kinding Sindaw: Telling the stories of Mindanao for 30 years
By Loida Nicolas Lewis This year marks the 30th year of the inimitable and only indigenous dance and cultural group called Kinding Sindaw, which means “Dance of Light”, from the ancient Austronesian language: Kinding meaning graceful movement and Sindaw which means Light. To shed light to the unwritten stories of Mindanao through this graceful movement. […]
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Buddhakai: The rapper as spiritual warrior
Hip hop is not exactly the route to model minority status for some Asian Americans but it gave direction to the once-turbulent life of Bernard Quisumbing. Born in Cebu, and raised in New Jersey since age 5, he is now a recognized name in Denver’s hip hop music scene as the rap artist and songwriter […]
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Hard to tell who is good, evil in ‘Cobra Kai’
By Wendell Gaa The 1980s for me was a golden decade for film, including the “Karate Kid” series, a classic story of the underdog overcoming all odds, starring Ralph Macchio as the titular character Daniel LaRusso and the late Pat Morita as his beloved mentor the wise Mr. Miyagi. For me, these films which I […]
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Alfa Garcia: Indie musician in every way
Born in Mindanao, raised in New York and New Jersey, and now living in sunny SoCal, singer-songwriter Alfa Garcia has been creating music inspired by the constant shifts in her life. She has released three albums and several singles of original songs, some of which have been featured on film and television, including “Keeping Up […]
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‘Spider-Man’ is best Marvel movie: Emotionally rousing and inspiring
By Wendell Gaa “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and third solo outing for English actor Tom Holland as Peter Parker, is the best film adaptation of what I would have to say is Marvel’s greatest superhero ever. Yes, there are countless other superheroes in the Marvel Comics storytelling vault, […]
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Albert Guerzon pens tribute song for his father who died from COVID-19
In April 2020, Broadway singer-songwriter Albert Guerzon (“The Visitor,” “Mamma Mia!”) lost his father, Robert Guerzon, to COVID-19. Along with thousands of New Yorkers, the Guerzon family was at the mercy of limited ventilators and hospital beds. In the end, Albert bid his father farewell through a telephone screen and a prayer. In the summer […]