40 Years of Madonna: “Like a Virgin”
MTV was only three years old when the 1st Annual Video Music Awards Show aired in September 1984. The affair was hosted by Dan Akroyd and Bette Midler, who in hindsight, were far from the target demographic. But consider this. … Continue reading 40 Years of Madonna: “Like a Virgin”
“Oppenheimer” Review, Or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying About the Running Time and Love the Bomb
Many things in Oppenheimer can’t be absorbed upon first watch, or, for that matter, written about in first writing. Such is the Christopher Nolan Experience. It can’t be wholly captured in one go and by no means does it end … Continue reading “Oppenheimer” Review, Or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying About the Running Time and Love the Bomb
Woke in Plastic, It’s Fantastic: A Review of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”
It was easy to take the animated route, much like the home video fluff of the 2000s or a substantial chunk of Netflix’s children’s section. They could have even given the Toy Story incarnation a spin-off and have Woody and … Continue reading Woke in Plastic, It’s Fantastic: A Review of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”
40 Years of Madonna: The First Album
Madonna Louise Ciccone only wanted to be a dancer. That was initially the plan when she dropped out of college at age 20 and moved to New York City in 1978. While her terpsichorean skills did earn her breaks, her … Continue reading 40 Years of Madonna: The First Album
Blur’s “The Ballad of Darren”: A Delightful Downer
Just to get it out of the way, the Darren in question is Darren “Smoggy” Evans, Blur’s longtime bodyguard, who once urged frontman Damon Albarn to complete an unfinished song in 2003. That song eventually became “The Ballad”, originally conceptualized … Continue reading Blur’s “The Ballad of Darren”: A Delightful Downer
My Monthly Dig: Arlo Parks’ Collapsed in Sunbeams
Just like any recent debut, Collapsed in Sunbeams was completed over quarantine. Surely, the circumstances influenced the mood and Arlo Parks confirmed as much in interviews. In a December 2020 Billboard feature, the British singer of Chadian-French-Nigerian lineage shared: “I was mining these deep-rooted, sometimes traumatic places … Continue reading My Monthly Dig: Arlo Parks’ Collapsed in Sunbeams
50 Years of Margie Moran
“Athens welcomes the Universe, and Miss Universe welcomes you to Greece” It was the first Miss Universe held in Greece, and for that matter, the first outside American soil. Before then, the first 20 editions had been staged in the … Continue reading 50 Years of Margie Moran
When Partial Feels Complete: A Review of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Pt.1”
First things first, expect loose ends. “Part One” in the title should provide enough hint. But those loose ends don’t mean you won’t have your fill. Besides, it’s Mission: Impossible. It’s a franchise built on excess, spectacle, and sensory overload. … Continue reading When Partial Feels Complete: A Review of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Pt.1”
Fantastic Friends: A Review of the “Wham!” Documentary
It was 1975 when Georgios “Yog” Panayiotou, then 11, and Andrew Ridgley, then 12, met as schoolboys in Hertfordshire, England. What then felt like a random connection later unfolded into a deep kinship. Because, besides having immigrant dads (one Greek-Cypriot, … Continue reading Fantastic Friends: A Review of the “Wham!” Documentary
Supra-Surprises: A Review of Miss Supranational 2023
For the third time this decade, the Supranational pageants took place at the Strezelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sacz, Małopowska, Poland. As usual, the female contest kicked off the two-day affair, with the male counterpart happening a day later. Production-wise, … Continue reading Supra-Surprises: A Review of Miss Supranational 2023
Miss Supranational 2023: The Final Wishlist
The Preliminary Competition for Miss Supranational 2023 has taken place. Inevitably, this causes a shake-up in fans’ and followers’ lists. In what’s easily the most competitive batch since the pageant’s inception, more than half of the roster have valid reasons … Continue reading Miss Supranational 2023: The Final Wishlist
Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 8 to 10)
GROUP 8 CUBA – Monica Aguilar. The incumbent Mr. Supranational is from her island country, so that might earn her mileage. Outside of that, this biology student hasn’t made much of a splash. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Crystal Matos. In a year anticipated to be … Continue reading Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 8 to 10)
Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 4 to 7)
GROUP 4 – BOTSWANA, GHANA, KENYA, NAMIBIA, SOUTH AFRICA, ZAMBIA BOTSWANA – Dabilo Moses. This model lists poetry and styling as among her passions. As Africa’s second new entry, she gives justice to her country’s past pageant achievements. Among this year’s newcomers, … Continue reading Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 4 to 7)
Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 1 to 3)
GROUP 1 – BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, COSTA RICA, MOZAMBIQUE, PANAMA, PORTUGAL BOLIVIA – Stephanie Terrazas. In case you’re still reeling from Camila Sanabria’s pullout, don’t fret. Her replacement is just as promising. This Cochabamba bombshell looks like Glee’s Lea Michele with … Continue reading Miss Supranational 2023 Candidate Round-Up (Groups 1 to 3)
Miss Supranational 2023: A Prelude
10 years ago, Miss Supranational entered Pinoy consciousness when Isabela’s Mutya Johanna Datul became the first Filipina and Asian to win that pageant. She was only the country’s third candidate at the time, following 2011’s Lourenz Grace Remetillo and 2012’s … Continue reading Miss Supranational 2023: A Prelude
Whip and Whimper: A Review of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
We knew this was coming. In fact, it was before it even began. Before Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered in 1981, George Lucas and Paramount Pictures had already struck a deal for five movies. So, Indiana Jones was never envisioned to be just a trilogy, even … Continue reading Whip and Whimper: A Review of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
Plot Twist: I’m on Radio
It was showbiz reporter MJ Marfori who commented: “[Ito] ang tunay na Plot Twist!” (“This is the real plot twist!”). I guess that’s a way to put it. I was sure I closed the chapter on Artist Relations late last … Continue reading Plot Twist: I’m on Radio
My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (The Top Ten)
#10) Maria Fernanda Aristizábal (Colombia/UNIVERSE). She may have lost her shot to Laura Olascuaga due to 2020’s national license shift, but all roads still led her to the Universe. Call it fate or divine timing, but it’s a thrill to … Continue reading My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (The Top Ten)
My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (#20-#11)
#20) Hannah Arnold (Philippines/INTERNATIONAL). In a Miss International edition that ignored virtually all of Asia, this Fil-Aussie took one for the team in the Top 15. In that respect, she remained a frontrunner. And it was still well worth her … Continue reading My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (#20-#11)
My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (#35-#21)
#35) Esther Oluwatosin Ajayi (Nigeria/EARTH). It’s strange how the most-awarded African doesn’t always top her continent in Miss Earth (Abena Appiah, anyone?). Whatever the case, this stylish showstopper was an easy Top 12 pick. And looking at her freshly appointed … Continue reading My 100 Favorite International Candidates from 2022 (#35-#21)
Planet Chuckie 