IN THIS TIER: Odds-breakers from Africa’s best Miss World year, a Kiwi surprise, and drought-enders half-a-century overdue #80 – Liza Gundowry (Mauritius/World). We should have underestimated her island nation’s status as Miss World’s tourism sponsor last year. But that’s just … Continue reading My 100 Favorite International Contestants of 2024 (80 to 66)
A few side notes, before we begin: As far as my pageant fandom is concerned, May 12 has always been momentous. While my tradition technically began on May 21, 1994, many memorable subsequent editions fell on the former. Two of … Continue reading My 100 Favorite International Contestants of 2024 (100 to 81)
I once said that I may not afford to watch Miss Universe live each year, I’ll at least try to make Miss Universe Philippines an annual habit. So far, I’ve been at it since public gatherings resumed in 2022, even … Continue reading Ripe for the Picking: Watching Miss Universe Philippines 2025
“Puksaan” has obviously replaced “Bardagulan” as Pinoy pageant fans’ favorite word. With a field as formidable as this, who can blame them? It does feel more like an “elimination” than a mere “showdown”. Much as anyone from the 66 can … Continue reading Miss Universe Philippines 2025: My Final Wishlist
ORIENTAL MINDORO to TUGUEGARAO ORIENTAL MINDORO – Rechel Hoco. As Rechel in Dubai, this content creator has quite the following. That’s bound to give her an edge in anything that involves a Fan Vote of sorts (BingoPlus, perhaps?). Not that … Continue reading Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Candidate Round-Up (Part Three)
IFUGAO to OCCIDENTAL MINDORO IFUGAO (FILIPINO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK) – Valerie Claire West. True, this singer’s every inch a New Yorker, with no trace of Cordillera upbringing. Then again, we don’t always see the home of Banaue Rice Terraces … Continue reading Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Candidate Round-Up (Part Two)
ALBAY to GUIPOS, ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR ALBAY – Rani Lachmi Dado. Skipping 2023 didn’t go without repercussions for the home of Mayon as it missed the cut upon its return. Hoping to restore its fortunes is this junior architect, whose … Continue reading Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Candidate Round-Up (Part One)
After only five years, Miss Universe Philippines has already entered a new era. This year’s edition began with National Director Shamcey Supsup-Lee announcing her bid for Pasig councilor in the 2025 Local Elections. This left her no recourse but to … Continue reading Miss Universe Philippines 2025: A Prelude
Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys was, in effect, one of the last great reads from the Old Normal. Published in mid-2019, the book followed two African-American boys enrolled in Nickel Academy, a reform school based on the now-defunct Dozier School … Continue reading Immersive Hidden Dread: A Review of RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys”
Its brilliance begins with its broad title. The British mini-series Adolescence depicts exactly what you’d associate with the word, from schoolyard bullies to grappling with repressed emotions. A quarter of it also happens on campus, which, admit it or not, … Continue reading “Adolescence”: Bound to Stun All Age Groups
Four years zoomed by since Japanese Breakfast’s happier-than-usual Jubilee earned them both Billboard and Grammy attention. It’s also been that long since their vocalist, Michelle Zauner, showcased her writing skills in her best-selling memoir, “Crying in H Mart”, which was … Continue reading Japanese Breakfast’s “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)”: A Morose Return to Form
They called the original “Walt Disney’s Folly”, because everyone was convinced that any cartoon longer than Silly Symphonies was doomed to fail. They were wrong, of course. Not only did “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” earn more than all … Continue reading Snow Woke is the Real Disney’s Folly
It’s not often that we hear of films so economically made, that no storyboards were used and no scenes had to be deleted. Yet, here we have Latvia’s Straume (English title: Flow), a hit so surprising, it’s now the most … Continue reading Festival Log: FDCP’s A Curation of World Cinema (“Flow”)
The two Asian entries are acquired tastes. Stick around long enough, and you’ll be rewarded. BLACK DOG (China) Stories about man and man’s best friend are dime a dozen, but there’s something uniquely whimsical about Guan Hu’s Black Dog, even … Continue reading FDCP’s “A Curation of World Cinema” (“Black Dog” & “A Traveler’s Needs”)
The opening Arabic text gives the lowdown on the metaphorical tree. In English, it goes: “Ficus Religiosa is a tree with an unusual life cycle. It seeds, contained in bird droppings, fall on other trees. Aerial roots spring up and … Continue reading Festival Log: FDCP’s “A Curation of World Cinema” (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”)
This year’s Western European entries happen to be offbeat coming-of-age tales. The British film follows a teenage girl who discovers her inner power thanks to her peculiar new friend, while the Belgian entry redefines young love. BIRD (United Kingdom) Barry … Continue reading Festival Log: FDCP’s “A Curation of World Cinema (“Bird” & “Young Hearts”)
For the third straight year, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) showcased “a diverse selection of acclaimed internationally-produced films” in the mini-festival aptly titled “A Curation of World Cinema”. Through this initiative, they continually seek to solidify the … Continue reading Festival Log: FDCP’s “A Curation of World Cinema” (“Dahomey”)
Three months ago, Jomelle Joegy Marquez didn’t think she’d head this route. That was until she turned 15 last January, when she found herself joining Miss Teen International Philippines as Parañaque’s representative.It was hard to believe she only had nine … Continue reading THIS IS 40: Discovering a Teen Queen
Given the horrors faced by Asian-Americans as of late, the title is already enough to provoke. More so, because the first sentence already speaks of a Chinese-born character’s death. But, it’s not from a random act of violence, as some … Continue reading The Horrors of Appropriation: A Review of R.F. Kuang’s “Yellowface”
40 years ago today, Prince won his only Oscar. It was presenter Michael Douglas who summed up the category’s criteria, saying that the film score should contain at least five original songs. Kathleen Turner then further clarified that the songs … Continue reading My Monthly Dig: “Purple Rain” by Prince & the Revolution
Planet Chuckie 