Kylie Verzosa on what pageants are looking for and her mental health advocacy
If you aspire to be an international beauty queen, there’s nobody more credible to talk about the dos and don’ts of pageantry than titlists like Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa. The 29-year-old...
View ArticleLet’s talk about ‘Bruno’: Twin win for Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Billboard...
As if hitting the peak of the Billboard 200 chart isn’t an astounding feat in itself for the soundtrack of “Encanto,” the track “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” one of eight songs written by Lin-Manuel...
View ArticleA series of fortunate events: Markki’s road to wellness
Markki Stroem is turning 35 in March, but he looks much younger than he was, say, before the pandemic. These days, the singer-actor-host shuttles from one project to another, and he says that every...
View ArticleJames Gunn and his team explain method to ‘Peacemaker’s’ madness
James Gunn is known for putting a fresh spin into superhero stories and knocking his unique vision for them out of the park, like what he did with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. But for his “The...
View ArticleAnatomy of a dance sequence
It may look like dancing in the opening sequence of “Peacemaker” was easy-peasy for Jennifer Holland, but the 35-year-old actress said she really put in a lot of work to make it seem so. Along with the...
View ArticleSteven Spielberg on reimagining ‘West Side Story’: The rage and hatred had to...
First of two parts If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. For any filmmaker worth his salt, such is wise advice that’s best heeded, particularly if you’re thinking of reviving a well-loved movie musical that...
View ArticleSteven Spielberg on reimagining ‘West Side Story’: The rage and hatred had to...
Seen side by side with Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ 1961 big-screen version of the 1957 Broadway musical, Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation of “West Side Story” is exhilarating to behold. Last...
View ArticleWhy Yale-educated Shakespearean actor thought he would get fired on his 1st...
Chukwudi Iwuji is known in theater circles for his formidable acting chops. But the 46-year-old Olivier-winning stage luminary disclosed in our recent chat with him that none of his formidable...
View Article‘Trafficked,’ Season 2: Mariana van Zeller goes deeper into the world of...
The danger is real, indeed. Merely hours after our one-on-one interview with Peabody-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller about her must-see National Geographic documentary series “Trafficked” that...
View ArticleSteven Spielberg on George Lucas calling him a ‘frustrated musical director’
Steven Spielberg, who directed the currently showing Oscar-nominated revival of 1961’s “West Side Story,” is known for immensely entertaining films that brim with urgency (“Indiana Jones,” “E.T., the...
View ArticleMeet the men of ‘Euphoria,’ including Fil-Am Dominic Fike
Like its lead star Zendaya, HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Euphoria” is on a roll. According to Variety, Season 2 of the gritty eight-part drama about troubled teenagers, which just aired its...
View ArticleCoffee-table book on H’wood celebs wins at National A&E Journalism Awards
It was great news that landed in my inbox just before the clock struck midnight on Feb. 18. In it, Fil-Am HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) member Ruben V. Nepales happily announced: “Good...
View Article‘Euphoria’s’ fabulous femmes on sex, drugs, booze and violence
The characters of “Euphoria” are so flagrantly flawed that they’re almost intoxicating to watch. In Season 2, as high school junkie Rue Bennett (limned to troubling perfection by the transfixing...
View ArticlePattinson talks about gritty, horror-channeling ‘The Batman’
While we’ve heard of Bruce Wayne’s crime-busting mission and tragic backstory spun so many times before, director Matt Reeves’ iteration of the Dark Knight, starring Robert Pattinson as the billionaire...
View Article‘Winning Time’ a slam-dunk depiction of LA Lakers’ rise to NBA glory
The 10-episode drama series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is essential viewing for basketball and NBA (National Basketball Association) aficionados, but you don’t have to be a fan or a...
View ArticleHow Sandra Oh, young voice cast brought coming-of-age tale ‘Turning Red’ to life
Why is there a big red panda running around with three culturally diverse middle schoolers in Disney/Pixar’s groundbreaking latest film “Turning Red”? The answer to that valid question is less...
View ArticleSparks fly as Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner talk about revisiting their past
Time travel is probably more science fiction than science fact for most people these days. But Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner, who play Ryan Reynolds’ parents, Louis and Ellie Reed, respectively, in...
View Article7 comic books and films that were Matt Reeves’ biggest influences for ‘The...
It’s a risk that has beautifully paid off for director Matt Reeves. With its $128.5-million debut at the box office, “The Batman,” Reeves’ grittier-than-usual take on the Dark Knight’s tale, has just...
View ArticlePeter Dinklage: From Tyrion to a singing ‘Cyrano’
What is Cyrano de Bergerac without his oversized nose? “Cyrano,” director Joe Wright’s glossy movie-musical adaptation of the French nobleman’s story, has been adapted from playwright Erica Schmidt’s...
View Article‘Turning Red’ director, producer discuss the making of Pixar’s latest triumph
You can always count on Disney Pixar movies to deliver the goods, and director Domee Shi’s “Turning Red,” its 25th film since “Toy Story” was released 27 years ago, is no exception. In fact, it has...
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