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Family bond is the heart and soul of ‘Minari’
By Wendell Gaa Amidst the disturbing rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans, it is inspiring to know that Hollywood has given due recognition to films conveying the unique perspective of the Asian American experience and the invaluable role and wonderful contributions our communities have made to the kaleidoscopic ethnic patchwork of the world’s most […]
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Prof. Joel David wins Gawad Balagtas for film criticism
Manunuri film critic and author Joel David won the Gawad Balagtas (Balagtas Award), a life-achievement prize named after Tagalog poet Francisco Balagtas, for film criticism in English. The award is conferred by the Writers Union of the Philippines or the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), the largest organization of Filipino writers. Founded in […]
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A letter to my grandson Lucas
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Hello Sweetie, Myriad thanks to a story from the “Dog Trainer.” A description of the New York-based band of “singer/songwriter/producer Nick Broman (25) and guitarist/songwriter/producer Lucas del Calvo (26) who had originally titled their new album “Every Word Is True.” Your Lola would never have known the heights you’ve undertaken in the world of music […]
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Patricia Dinglasan: Looking for laughs in a plague year
By Cristina DC Pastor “I am Filipino. I am not a nurse. I just play one in my husband’s sex fantasies.” Trust comic Patricia Dinglasan to find humor amid a depressing pandemic and mold it into a hilarious punchline. For this budding Manhattan comedian, let’s just say the pandemic is a wellspring of jokes and other […]
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A villainless film in ‘Soul’
By Wendell Gaa While I didn’t personally find this new film by Pixar to be among its best — like “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo” or “The Incredibles” — it is a shining example of what the animation studio does so excellently well: Telling stories with relatable characters using innovative and compelling narratives. The film’s plot […]
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The refreshing treatment of same-sex romance in ‘Monsoon’
By Tricia J. Capistrano There is same-sex foreplay in the movie, Monsoon. Henry Golding of Crazy Rich Asians plays Kit, a gay Vietnamese British man, who returns to Vietnam 30 years after he and his family members left in the 70s when the North Vietnamese won the war. Kit meets Lewis (Parker Sawyers, Southside with […]
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On Global Filipinos: Losing my friends to COVID-19: DI Dodie Potenciano (Part 2)
By Loida Nicolas Lewis Because I was tall for a Filipina and I love to dance during Filipino Gala nights, a good friend Nena Lozada Smith introduced me to Dancing Instructor Dodie Potenciano. He was a terrific dancer and I would hire him as my DI whenever I would attend dancing parties of the Filipino […]
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Marathon-watching ‘The Mandalorian’
By Wendell Gaa Thanks to modern digital technology, home entertainment has provided us much-needed relief from all the daily hardships continually plaguing the world. One popular streamline series which has already made a positive impact on pop culture and has nearly entered the universal lexicon is “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. The first ever live-action TV […]
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On the 12th day of Christmas my true love sent to me… a coffee table book of Hollywood
By Cristina DC Pastor Imagine curling up by the Christmas tree with a cup of cocoa and browsing thousands of uncommon photos of Hollywood celebrities: Robin Williams’ eyes welling with tears from laughing so hard. Olivia Colman appearing “unroyal” with a funny face. Or Ian McKellen wickedly breaking into song. Entertainment journalist Ruben Nepales snapped […]