Short films will take center stage in this year’s edition of the Cinemalaya Film Festival which will push through despite the challenges of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. According to festival organizers, because of the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic on the filming schedules and budgets of full length film entries, many of the… Read More Short Films Take Center Stage at Cinemalaya 2020
I’ve been watching Korean dramas for years but I am constantly surprised by the acting range of the actors who play different roles for each project. I have been so impressed to see actors take a gamble on roles in suspense thrillers and even murder mysteries instead of sticking to their romantic prince image. While… Read More Evil Oppas: Kdrama Actors Who Successfully Portrayed Villain Roles
Audiences should not be attacked for the type of content that they prefer. And art should know no race. Good cinema is good cinema is good cinema. It transcends language and boundaries. If we want to bring local cinema to the attention of the world, our filmmakers should be open to different world views and approaches. Our local industry should be mindful of quality even while balancing it with profitability. … Read More A Tale of Two Direks: Kdrama Perspectives from 2 Filipino Directors
Rarely do I find myself as affected by documentaries as I did by Netflix’s The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, which talked about the systematic torture and death of a seven year old by the hands of his own mother and her boyfriend. I’ve seen my fair share of documataries about serial killers, sociopaths and psychopaths… Read More The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez: Documentary Review
As I was watching Crash Landing on You, I became curious to see Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin’s first collaboration, a film called The Negotiation to see how well they jived together in the movie to generate this muvh chemistry in the drama. Unfortunately, I was more frustrated than impressed ny how this film… Read More The Negotiation: Korean Movie Review
I was seriously expecting The Kingmaker to be a documentary favorable to the Marcoses, given that it was being shown at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and former First Lady Imelda Marcos was its patron. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it presented an insightful documentary true to its purpose, highlighting the role of Imelda… Read More The Kingmaker (and the politics of Imelda Marcos): Documentary Review
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez was much like his first trial, incompetently handled and a mess altogether.
… Read More Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez Review
I kicked off the year doing catch up for the films I missed in 2019. Truth be told, I was really looking forward to catching It Chapter 2 in the cinemas but its screening time in local theaters (owing to its 3 hour run time) always made it too early or too late to… Read More It Chapter 2: Movie Review
All in all, both the original and the remake were great movies but the original Miracle in Cell No. 7 was on a different level. It delivered on a film that personifies an innocence that grips on the heartstrings and never lets go. Amazing film. Worth every tear.
… Read More Miracle in Cell No. 7: Korean Movie Review
To enjoy this movie, the best advice I could give perhaps, is to view it as its own movie instead of a remake. Miracle in Cell No. 7 holds a different kind of magic. One that is unusual for the season but one that will leave a mark on one’s heart.
… Read More Miracle in Cell No. 7: Filipino Remake Review
