Top picks from QCinema
The fifth edition of the QCinema film festival is taking its final bow today. So, it’s your last chance to catch the best titles in its thematically diverse lineup. The movies may be uneven but...
View ArticleNiall Horan’s debut solo album something to crow about
Niall Horan marks a significant milestone in his performing career with the release of his debut solo album “Flicker,” which bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week. The post Niall Horan’s debut...
View ArticleKim Chiu, Janine Gutierrez defy thespic odds in spooky starrers
The Ghost Bride” gives Kim Chiu good reasons to crow and scream about, thanks to director Chito Roño’s penchant for turning obscure tales into elaborate stories that benefit from his flair for...
View Article2-handers shine the spotlight on love and its vagaries—with mixed results
There’s nothing foolish about a couple discussing the unrelenting irritants that threaten to break them apart. But, director Dondon S. Santos’ dramatic two-hander “12,” starring the attractive tandem...
View ArticleStar-studded foreign films among Cinema One fest’s thrilling cinematic treats
When the 13th edition of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival commences its 16-day run today, the seven diverse entries being fielded in the feature-film category aren’t the only ones that deserve...
View ArticleWith ‘The Punisher’ and ‘Westworld,’ Ben Barnes finally hits his stride as a...
“I have the quickest makeup compared to everybody in ‘The Punisher.’ Just a blow-dryer and some powder—and I’m good to go (laughs),” Ben Barnes told us when we visited him early this year on the set of...
View Article‘The Exorcist’ and ‘42nd Street’ jump from screen to stage—with exhilarating...
The West End stage has always been a treasure trove of thrilling theatrical treats and a boundless source of artistic inspiration for us. But, with our crazy and confining schedule these days, its...
View ArticleNo sophomore slump for ‘The Crown’s’ latest season
The British monarchy is in the news again as it celebrates two momentous milestones that demonstrate a “changing of the guard” that vivifies how a modern royal family, now far removed from the...
View Article‘Unexpectedly Yours’ and ‘Wonder’—films for the heart and soul
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. In the case of Sharon Cuneta and Robin Padilla’s reunion film “Unexpectedly Yours,” that fondness is clearly and cleverly mined by director Cathy Garcia-Molina with...
View Article‘The Crown’s’ Vanessa Kirby—this ‘princess’ doesn’t play second fiddle
LONDON—Binge-watching can sometimes be exhausting. But, Vanessa Kirby’s scrumptiously limned portrayal of Princess Margaret in the 10-episode sophomore season of Netflix’s acclaimed series “The Crown,”...
View ArticleLove knows no age and gender
Love stories are often being churned out, onstage and onscreen, to tap into their common theme’s universal relatability. But, on our recent trip to London and Paris, we “stumbled” into unconventional...
View ArticleNo throwaway episode in 4th season of ‘Black Mirror’
There’s good reason why “Black Mirror,” the tech-horror TV anthology series created by Charlie Brooker, deserves the growing anticipation it’s generating for its latest season. The post No throwaway...
View ArticleClaire Foy, Matt Smith talk about loving and leaving ‘The Crown’
It isn’t every day that you can say you’ve been to London to visit the queen. But, that’s exactly what we did on our recent trip to the United Kingdom—when we were granted an “audience” with the...
View ArticleThird time’s the charm for Red Concepcion
LONDON—One of the highlights of our recent trip to Europe was our last-minute brunch with theater stalwart Red Concepcion, the latest Filipino thespian tasked to portray The Engineer in Cameron...
View ArticleCelebratory ‘Larawan’ lights up regressive MMFF lineup
Here’s why you shouldn’t miss Loy Arcenas’ end-of-an-era screen musical, “Ang Larawan,” when it attempts to buck the kwela-film trend in this year’s regressive Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) lineup:...
View ArticleSia, Fantasia, Kaskade go caroling
There’s a lot to cheer about on the music scene this Yuletide season, not the least of which are the brand-new songs and reimagined carols being fielded by some of the industry’s most talented singers...
View ArticleRecalibrating MMFF standards to suit festival ‘needs’
After some enlightened souls’ attempt to steer the Metro Manila Film Festival back to its quality-driven glory days in the ’80s by way of last year’s “Sunday Beauty Queen”-led lineup, the think tanks...
View ArticlePolitics, personal woes reverberate in Eminem’s ‘Revival’
Has Eminem gone soft? In “Revival,” which marks the rapper’s eighth consecutive No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, there is as much edge as vulnerability. The post Politics, personal woes reverberate in...
View ArticleHow magic turned illusionist Cosentino’s life around
Australian illusionist and escapologist Cosentino has a lot of jaw-dropping tricks up his magic sleeve, from shrewdly staged vanishing acts and nifty card stunts to death-defying capers. The post How...
View ArticleJudy Ann, Angelica forge ‘unholy alliance’ in gay romp
Comedy is more effective when it manages to mine simple truths alongside life’s ironies and contradictions. But it quickly loses its appeal when it veers too far away from reality. The post Judy Ann,...
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