Philippine Entertainment News

I actually kinda like both Raya Martin and Adolf Alix, Jr., but the ambition of this collaboration terrifies me. First, I doubt follow ups (like the Eraserheads reunion concerts), and it’s not just the title and imagery that scream Manila by Night but the outright indication in this poster–”Base sa mga Tauhang Likha nina ISHMAEL BERNAL, RICARDO LEE, JOSE LACABA” (at least they’re not hiding an obvious thing).

Second, the Piolo Pascual casting smells fishy to me. This means a huge nod from ABS-CBN, and I don’t think they give their most bankable actor for nothing. Nevermind that he was as awkward as a fresh Star Circle inductee in Milan, but his presence says the giant network has actually welcomed its bastard child named Indie back into the master’s house. If this happens more, it shouldn’t be too hard for Dos to actually encroach into indie productions and mess them up for commercial purposes before they are released under Star Cinema.

Three, all these are masked with a ginormous slew of award-winning but kind-of-alternative cast including Rosanna Roces (Aurora), Jay Manalo (Aishite Imasu), Alessandra de Rossi (Mga Munting Tinig), Baron Geisler (Jay), Anita Linda (Adela), Iza Calzado (The Echo), Jiro Manio (Magnifico), and Katherine Luna (Babae sa Breakwater). I can only hope for a good reception at Cannes and, cross our fingers, nothing that will kill indie filmmaking before it redeems Philippine cinema.