Shawn Mendes’ 3rd album benefits from knack for pop hooks, soulful singing
If Charlie Puth has enviable singing skills fueling his catchy songs, Shawn Mendes has his fragile soul backing up his continually evolving musicality. This much is obvious in the latter’s eponymously...
View Article‘Submergence’: Provocative interplay between isolation and connection
Like the Cannes-winning auteur (Wim Wenders) who helmed it, “Submergence” refuses to pander to mainstream cinema’s lazy penchant for been-there, done-that repetition as it examines how its themes about...
View ArticleCruel joke is on Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman in ‘Arrested’ mess
The show must go on. Or at least that’s what the cast members of the acclaimed television series “Arrested Development” has been saying to show their support for Jeffrey Tambor, who plays the Bluth...
View ArticleShocking moments when Letterman meets Stern
David Letterman should thank his lucky stars for meeting Howard Stern at his “mellowest.” But a sober Howard, who is David’s final guest in his six-episode gabfest on Netflix, “My Next Guest Needs No...
View Article‘Halimaw’s’ discordant musicality
Lav Diaz’s political drama “Ang Panahon ng Halimaw,” starring Piolo Pascual and Shaina Magdayao, is an odd cinematic brew that unapologetically turns the movie musical genre on its head—and, like his...
View ArticleFitting follow-up for Dingdong’s game-changing thespic triumph
With the release of Irene Emma Villamor’s “Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story,” Dingdong Dantes finally finds a fitting follow-up to his game-changing thespic triumph in “Seven Sundays”—with affable Anne...
View Article‘Sense8’ goes out with a bang
The action-packed finale of the web series “Sense8,” which launches globally on June 8, is guaranteed to tickle viewers’ fancy, especially when it shines the spotlight on polarizing issues that have...
View ArticleWider reach for the Fab Five in ‘Queer Eye’s’ latest season
In the second season of the “Queer Eye” reboot, which begins streaming on June 15 on Netflix, the new Fab Five advocates acceptance and respect more than mere tolerance, not just for issues involving...
View Article‘Succession’: Plot-twisting urgency in HBO’s crackling family drama
Succession,” HBO’s 10-episode drama series, revolves around the dog-eat-dog environment that characterizes media and the entertainment biz. But, at the heart of its intriguing tale is the combustible...
View ArticleNo price tag for Jessie J’s absorbing musical confessional
It’s hard to resist Jessie J’s chartbusting singles, from the spunky “Domino” and the anthemic “Flashlight,” to her funky collaborations with B.o.B (“Price Tag”) and Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj...
View ArticleFor Dulce, it’s time to pay it forward
You don’t need more than 10 minutes of chitchat time with Dulce to realize that the rags-to-riches tale behind her inspiring rise to fame is one for the books. The post For Dulce, it’s time to pay it...
View ArticleSobering power of fatherhood softens the blow in Kanye’s angry ‘Ye’
You can’t ignore Kanye West when he’s spewing rant-laced diatribes against people who get on his bad side (hello, Taylor Swift and Wiz Khalifa), or delivering divisive pronouncements that declare...
View Article‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’: Lost in rambling translation
The last time Sylvester Stallone tried to break out of an impenetrable prison, he had Arnold Schwarzenegger by his side to help him accomplish his Herculean task. The post ‘Escape Plan 2: Hades’: Lost...
View Article‘Us and Them’: Love makes the ultimate sacrifice in riveting romantic drama
Love means never having to say you’re sorry. But, sometimes, letting petty misunderstandings pile up unaddressed could have disastrous repercussions. The post ‘Us and Them’: Love makes the ultimate...
View ArticleLove is ‘deeper than pain’ in surprise Beyoncé-Jay-Z collaboration
There are inescapable hooks in Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s latest surprise release, “Everything is Love”—from the irrepressible toe-tapper “Heard About Us” and the dance-floor pounder “LoveHappy,” to the edgy...
View Article‘Hereditary’: Brutal meditation on guilt and forgiveness
Most horror flicks utilize formulaic scare tactics to surprise, startle and shock viewers, but the best ones, like John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place,” Michael and Peter Spierig’s “Winchester” and Sergio...
View Article‘Dark’ drama
Initially, we were fascinated by the intriguing premise fueling Richard Somes’ suspense-thriller “Cry No Fear,” about half-sisters Kaycee (Donnalyn Bartolome) and Wendy (Ella Cruz), who are constantly...
View ArticleWhat Jing Boran learned from bittersweet screen drama about love and family
Jing Boran’s share of career-boosting triumphs is nothing to scoff at: He topped the talent tilt “My Hero” in 2007, then formed the boyband BoBo with that competition’s third place winner, Fu Xinbo....
View ArticleHot-to-trot collaborations enliven music scene
When the world around you is in such a disputatious mess, you can always rely on music and its endorphin-releasing ability to chase the blues away. The post Hot-to-trot collaborations enliven music...
View ArticleHow star-studded web series parlays Jerry Seinfeld’s wit, dry humor into...
If “Seinfeld” was a “show about nothing,” the web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” which begins streaming its 12-episode 10th season on July 6 in its new “home” on Netflix, is also a program...
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