I went back to the remote Barangay Villa Espina in Lopez, Quezon, one Tuesday morning. At 6:30 a.m. after insufficient sleep the night before, I jumped into a decrepit jeepney—only one unit plies the route twice daily if the weather is fine—bound for the barangay (village). It was sunny, unlike the first time I embarked...
Category: Film/TV
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Korean megahit film producer says ban on censorship is key to success
With the worldwide success of the “Korean wave” or hallyu, the Korean entertainment industry is now regarded as one of the most prominent, productive and moneymaking enterprises on the planet. Korean cinema already conquered the world market in 2016, when “Train to Busan” made a killing at global box offices. In 2019, “Parasite” won the...
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Unhappy Heart and the loudest whisper
Is it literally the seven-year itch? Heart Evangelista and her husband, Sen. Chiz Escudero, recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary, but the loudest whisper these days is that their marriage is on the rocks. Adding to the intrigue was GMA Network’s supposed impending official announcement on the alleged breakup. But according to entertainment writer Dave Rojo,...
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Filming in the boondocks on a shoestring budget
The short documentary was supposed to be about the indigenous language of the Aeta in the remote, hilly village of Villa Espina in Lopez, Quezon (boondocks). It was my intended entry to the 2022 Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) in Sabah, Malaysia, on Sept. 17-25. But a tight production schedule and a looming deadline...
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The militancy in/of Jay Altarejos
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...
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Glamour and glitz (and more) in drag
Dahhhlings, it’s time to put your wigs on. But be ready for the fabulous queens of Drag Race Philippines to snatch them right off. The local version of the hit global franchise has everything you want in drag—fashion, camp, music, talent, drama (oh, the drama!), comedy, culture, heart—and much more. The race to crown the...
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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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The extraordinary Cherie Gil
Cherie Gil came across in varying ways—imperious and intimidating; funny, warm and open; beguiling and sexy. Writing this, thinking about her and my time with her, I realize I probably really knew only one facet of a woman I love dearly and hold in great esteem. I’m certain her family, her barkada (the women—and man—who I fondly...
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‘Katips’: Martial Law 101 on dramatic steroids
“Katips” is not for those looking for a nuanced, layered, complex movie about martial law. It caters to a less sophisticated crowd—those who have not yet seen a martial law film, those who have zero to little knowledge and appreciation of martial law, and those who deny martial law atrocities altogether. That’s a wider net,...
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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...