Author: JE CC
Humor and romance blend beautifully in this episode of one of ABS-CBN’s most loved romance-drama anthologies. If you were a teenager in the late 2000s, chances are–like those high schoolers, you set aside Sunday afternoons so they could watch the cutesy and charming love stories on Love Spell Presents. It’s a weekly fantasy-romance drama anthology which ABS-CBN aired from 2006 to 2008. The show featured fantasy-themed love stories that usually run on-air for several weeks. One of the reasons why the series became so popular is–its theme song titled Mahiwaga, which got sung by Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 1 housemate,…
It’s sex extravaganza in this new Vivamax feature. VIVA FILMS Actors: Kylie Versoza, Cindy Miranda, Marco Gumabao, Adrian Alandy Genre: Romance, Drama Premise: An ex-couple learn to rekindle the flame of their love while both commited to their new lovers (Vivamax) Running Time: 108 minutes Director: Mac Alejandre Watch it on: Vivamax Why You Should See It: My Husband, My Lover is [definitely] not going to be Viva Film’s last sexy feature this year, even though moviegoers are now inclined to start entering the movie theaters, this month. That should take away a significant chunk from the established stream-loving moviegoers, but…
Fast-rising P-POP act, BGYO, is all about bringing out the nostalgia in ‘Kundiman’, a rousing soul ballad that could potentially be your next slow dance anthem. Most of their previous music videos are distinctly vivid in color, and there seems to be a great deal of imagination employed in their production. Judging on their Ilustrado-inspired attires–it’s easy to mistake the Kundiman music video as a sequel or it’s set in the same universe as The Baddest, the Liza Soberano-featuring pop-throbber, that the group released a few months ago. According to Danyl Geniciran, the group’s visual director, the music video is a trip to…
De Leon faces a tall order as the two previous TV versions of the iconic Pinay superhero soared in popularity. Darna’s cultural impact continues to transcend through time and forms of media. After lording the Pinoy Komiks scene in the late ‘40s and the ‘50s, the woman in a red suit found great fame on the silver screen, with several iconic films made to celebrate her symbolic prowess and strength. She has since been a timeless icon, the definitive Filipino superhero, who portrays an important socio-political emblem for many Filipinos. On television, Darna, is portrayed not often as she has been in films. Her…
Four boys, each with personal secrets, try to run a dessert shop, as they try to navigate their differences and the challenges of running a business. GMMTV l iWantTFC Actors: Singto Prachaya Ruangroj, Lee Thanat Lowkunsombat, Pluem Purim Rattanaruangwattana, Foei Patara Eksangkul, Jamie Juthapich Indrajundra, An Oliver Pupart Genre: Romance, Comedy Premise: A fast-rising dessert shop becomes the center of a controversy when a kid went missing while wandering around the shop’s location. A deep investigation into the case now threatens the life of the shop’s owner and his three staff members, who each has his own secrets to hide.…
There are no creeps aplenty in this low-budget horror-comedy, but there are more than enough visual gags and comic antics to keep you rolling on the floor, laughing. Octo Arts Films I MAVX Productions Actors: Paolo Contis, Archie Alemania, Beauty Gonzales, Isabelle Daza, Elisse Joson, Sunshine Garcia, Analyn Baro, Aiko Climaco, Niño Mulach Genre: Horror, Comedy Premise: Two brothers accompany a group of vloggers on their search of a mystical island. But when they find it, they uncover one sinister secret after another (Netflix) Running Time: 85 minutes Director: Barry Gonzales Watch it on: Netflix Why You Should See It:…
Through the years, ABS-CBN has delivered top-rated teleseryes that explored plots on ‘cursed beauty’ and featured characters who became champions of either magic or technology. The fascination with physical and aesthetic beauty is well-reflected on local TV shows whose main characters are girls or women who magically transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful lady-swan. More often, these shows contained elements of magic and fantasy. Hence, the number of female-led TV shows where the main character becomes beautiful through magic. Similarly, TV shows that featured characters with facial deformities and later became beautiful through cosmetic procedures are also a…
The PBB house has consistently been thrown into disarray, from chips to peanut butter by the housemates’ seemingly perpetual war over food. You can’t say PBB is really the ‘teleserye ng totoong buhay’ if the house tenants don’t get confused by some misunderstanding over food. Over the years, the issue of food has been a constant point of argument between housemates, and it’s easy to understand why. As the PBB house runs on fixed budgets, the scarcity and allocation of food is a major concern among housemates. In 2014, Mang Juan’s product placement on the show was inadvertently maximized when it became…
Filipinos are streaming more than ever—and Filipino producers are creating more content than before. Since the pandemic, Filipinos have been actively using streaming platforms, with local services achieving record-high streams and subscribers. The last few months, alone, have ushered incredibly rapid progression of non-linear entertainment. Vivamax, Viva Entertainment’s streaming service, for example, has quickly become one of the country’s top digital streaming services. In August, the platform announced that it already surpassed 600,000 subscribers, making it the number one entertainment app in the Philippines on GooglePlay. In October, that number skyrocketed to 1 million in 71 countries. Following its shutdown…
While ABS-CBN already reclaimed its domination in nationwide ratings as early as 2007, the Mega Manila, is still a GMA Network bailiwick until 2009 when Kapamilya programs began to pose threats to the Kapuso leadership. When ABS-CBN lost its leadership in the rating game to GMA Network in 2004, there were no strong indications it could easily win its domination back in the next few years. The Kapuso Network further solidified its lead in the Mega Manila area with a double-digit advantage over ABS-CBN, as reported by media rating firm–AGB Nielsen. Strong programming comprised of phenomenal TV shows such as…
The 2006 Star Cinema-produced Pacquiao film was among that year’s most-anticipated films. Apart from the fact, Jericho Rosales and Bea Alonzo starred in the biopic, [already] speaks volumes of how big the production was. With the award-winning director, Joel C. Lamangan, at the helm–the film is expected to be more than good but excellent. Pacquio: The Movie follows the life of the ‘Pambansang Kamao’, the now-senator Manny Paquiao from his humble beginning as a young boxer in General Santos City to his sensational rematch with the Mexican boxer, Erik Morales, where he won via a 10-round technical knock-out. In the film,…
Matti concocts a delightful anthology film that strengthens its anthemic horror, grotesque sinister, and bizarre imagination. UPSTREAM.PH Actors: Vance Larena, Ricci Rivero, Donna Cariaga, Kent Gonzales, Ayeesha Cervantes, Pam Gonzales, Ameera Johara, Jay Glorioso, Ynigo Delen, Jake Macapagal, Cheska Diaz, Brace Arquiza, Ube Lola Genre: Horror Overview: Rabid probes into our everyday reality and anxiety, uncertainty and paranoia. It features distinct but interwoven stories that revolve around the different ways this world drive us, human beings, to the brink of madness Running Time: 104 minutes Director: Erik Matti Why You Should See It: Violence, mayhem, and madness, brim relentlessly in…
There is no trace of network war in the official music video of TV5’s Christmas station ID for the year. Stars from the three major TV networks shine in TV5’s newest Christmas station ID, which feels practically the Kapatid Network’s heartfelt gesture of gratitude for the Filipino audiences who remained as loyal ‘kapatids’ throughout the pandemic. It’s a meaningful reminder of how Christmas should be ours, and ours alone, regardless of the struggle we faced and the sense of abandonment we felt in the past two years. Penned and given music to by the OPM icon, Rey Valera, Atin Ang Paskong…
The new season of the oldest and longest-running amateur singing contest on Philippine television is returning with an exciting new format. ABS-CBN Hosts: Vice Ganda, Kim Chiu, Amy Perez, Vhong Navarro Format: Amateur singing competition Gameplay: Daily contestants give their own takes and twists to the same song for them to advance to the next round, and become the defending champion. Time slot: 12:00-2:00 pm Why You Should See It: Now in its sixth year, the search for the greatest Filipino vocal heroes resumes in Tawag Ng Tanghalan. With new and exciting changes in its format, the biggest nationwide singing search,…
Janno Gibbs’s humor does not always land in the right places in this superhero film based on the Parokya ni Edgar song of the same title, but he has the charm to compensate for where he lacked. VIVA FILMS Actors: Janno Gibbs, Manilyn Reynes, Mikoy Morales, Jerald Napoles, Bing Loyzaga, Gab Lagman, Leo Martinez Genre: Comedy, Action Premise: A modern-day superhero covertly saves people only if they rent him out, at a time superheroes are being hunted down by a feisty super villainess Running Time: 90 minutes Director: Raynier Brizuela Watch it on: VIVAMAX app, web.vivamax.net Why You Should See…
Since its debut in 2015, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano got pitted against 20 different GMA network shows. FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano is truly the pambansang teleserye. The now six-year-old action-drama primetime series continues its domination online and remains among the most-watched TV programs in the country, despite its limited free TV reach. According to rating provider Kantar Media, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano never lost a single episode in the rating game. With its shift to Kapamilya Online Live on YouTube, the Coco Martin-starrer temporarily suffered a loss in viewership. Its return to free television via ABS-CBN’s block-time agreements with TV5 and A2Z Channel 11 has since allowed the series to…