It’s not every day that one encounters a militancy in/of a filmmaker like Joselito “Jay” Altarejos. Local show business isn’t traditionally and usually attuned to or associated with activism, political or otherwise; it’s more known for glitz and glam, if not gossip. Anything of the hoi polloi, the great unwashed, and being combative, truthful and...
Author: Boy Villasanta (Boy Villasanta)
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This master of fantasy and horror films was born in Manila
The name of American filmmaker Brian Yuzna might not ring a bell to the mass audience of commercial films, especially from Hollywood, but he is a master in his own right. Come to think of it, Yuzna is on a par in innovations with such legends as Alfred Hitchcock or Brian de Palma, or even...
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From fish vendor to town mayor
I was in Dolores, Eastern Samar, a few weeks ago and had a chance to take a photo of the new mayor of the third-class municipality (annual income: P15-20 million) facing the Pacific Ocean, on a billboard near the port. The story of Rodrigo “Onoy” Rivera, 62, a fish vendor who became mayor, is one...
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A tale of two int’l film festivals
BUCHEON CITY—The saying “You can’t be in two places at once” no longer holds water given one’s overwhelming presence, literally, in this era of cybertechnology. On the visceral level, one can virtually recreate manifold characters by way of cloning (computer image generation) in multiple time zones. (A tale of two …) This I learned when...
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‘I won’t let politics ruin my beauty’
Unlike in her previous defeats in electoral contests in Laguna, the actor-comedian known as “Miss Flawless” now sees no need to cry a river.”It’s impractical to cry anymore. What for? At least I know my constituents love me,” Angelica Jones, now 39, said in Filipino shortly after the May polls.“I won’t let politics ruin my...
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Pride Month: Ice calls for street marches for gay rights
Not only is June a season for weddings and romantic unions; it is Pride Month as well. As part of the celebration, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has launched a film festival showcasing LGBTQIA+-themed audiovisuals in cinema houses nationwide until June 26. I was among those invited by the FDCP Channel to...