Mario O’ Hara is a prolific character in the foundation of our nation’s own cinematic identity. His prominence goes without question as his oeuvre gave birth to some of the best films of the 70’s and the 80’s, all of which lay bare the harrowing truths of the everyday Filipino
Category: Opinion
Where did all the critics go?
I wrote this for an hour, but this may take about two to three minutes to read. And I propose this question to the wind, to you, and to everyone else reading this: Where did all the critics go? When I ‘started’ out on this industry as a member of
Neomanila: Earned Redeption Failure
Warning: Full spoilers below. Neomanila has the uncanny ability to disorient. The film initially posits that in the underbellies of Manila, its inhabitants learn how to hold on to whatever light they can manage to get their hands on. It makes its audience believe that optimism is its endgame, that it
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KYLO: Regarding that Star Wars Trailer
Unless you’ve been living in a galaxy far, far away, you’ve no doubt heard about The Last Jedi trailer that dropped earlier this week. There’s also an overwhelming chance that you’ve seen it. Multiple times. Despite the director’s warnings not to. You scruffy-looking nerfherder. To your potential disappointment, this isn’t
Death by Activism: Stray Observations on Eli Roth’s ‘The Green Inferno’
2015 is quite the substantial year for director Eli Roth—two of his films see limited worldwide releases, unsurprisingly to an almost cult-like fan reception. His newest film Knock Knock starring Keanu Reeves opens in Philippine theaters today; Armando Dela Cruz remembers his previous effort, the pompous, internet troll-like satire The Green Inferno. This
Notes on ‘Heneral Luna’: The piece, the orchestra, the maestro
Our Movie of the Week feature puts the spotlight on Jerrold Tarog’s terrific historical drama Heneral Luna. The film is still showing in cinemas and we encourage everyone to catch it. In this piece, Armando shares a few stray notes he has on Tarog’s latest. Spoilers ahead! Different people know Jerrold
I. Am. A. God.: Revisiting Dodo Dayao’s ‘Violator’
As first features go, Eduardo ‘Dodo‘ Dayao’s Violator (’14) is leaned more towards the introduction of a voice rather than the solidifying of a statement. I saw it the first time during its auspicious run at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival last November where it won, rightly, Best Picture; wrote a verbose,
The enduring action hero of Tom Cruise
It’s not that Tom Cruise is post-humanly impervious nor invincible; he, as an actor (billed by Anthony Lane “the Dorian Gray of action movies”), is really just risk-taking and daring. This risque in project choices has pointed him to some of the greatest talents in Hollywood (De Palma, Spielberg, among
Let’s analyze the new ‘Batman v Superman’ images
Warning: Some spoilers and speculation, based on what I know about this film and what rumors I’ve heard, ahead. Entertainment Weekly has just released new stills from Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The images feature some of the interactions between the DC trinity – Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman – and also
Indie Ko Pa Napapanood Eh!
Is indie cinema’s limited reach a matter of distribution or devotion? Right off the bat, I have to be honest with you: I’m coming clean. If you ask me how many indie movie screenings I have been to, you know deliberately, on my own volition, I could just raise one
The Virtue of Naivety: the romantic dramedies of Antoinette Jadaone
Antoinette Jadaone is on the crusade of deciphering love—the great mystery she synonymizes to “katangahan” or naivety, so indulgently she chews in and spits out, and with which she ultimately wins the collective heart of the peoples. When she appears the vindicator of this laughable anomaly, she comes out a noble
The stylistic cunning of Magkakabaung
If you are not fond of spoilers but seek a considerably insightful piece on the film, I’d redirect you to Jonell Estillore‘s review here; the interview I conducted with filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana is a supplement of insight on the backend of things, but contains major spoilers, as are my
Two Cents and Too Cents: On an unspoken dilemma in film criticism
The world we live now is at an age for free-thinkers. Liberals, the fancier folks call them. There are good and bad sides to that. Both make very long lists. But when this privilege to free self-expression is threatened or lambasted, it guarantees the inflictor abysmal doom. A recent article
