Category Archives: Film and TV

Actors Kal Penn And Dave Patel Separated At Birth?

November 29, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – Either Hollywood actors Kal Penn and Dave Patel are twin brothers separated at birth, or they are one and the same person.

The Wall Street Journal’s Pulitzer Prize winning film reviewer, Joe Morgenstern recently wrote a piece on the movie ‘Lion,’ which stars Patel (Slumdog Millionnare), Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara.

In his review, Morgenstern called Patel’s performance his best since ‘The Namesake.’

The problem is, Patel wasn’t it that movie. It was Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) who was.

All Asians look alike. You better believe it, coming from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Diversity, Film and TV, Politics, Race Relations

Asian Americans Protest Casting Of Michelle Yeoh On Star Trek: Discovery

November 26, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

HOLLYWOOD, California (The Adobo Chronicles, Los Angeles Bureau) – Asian Americans have long criticized the lack of Asian American lead actors and actresses in Hollywood films and on prime time television.

They protested when Emma Stone was cast in the role of a quarter Hawaiian in the film, ‘Aloha.’ With the release of the new Disney film, ‘Moana,’ they are not happy about how Polynesia was portrayed as an encompassing race. They are angry that in the film, ‘Doctor Strange,’ a character that had originated in comic books as a Tibetan monk was reimagined as a Celtic mystic played by Tilda Swinton.

When “Fresh Off The Boat” made it to prime time TV, they said, “it was about time.” When a Filipino American became the love interest of a white womn in “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, they were titillated.

Now, Asian Americans are again complaining after Michelle Yeoh was cast in ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’

‘Discovery,’ the name of the show’s main ship, marks the franchise’s return to the small screen since ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ concluded in 2005.

Yeoh is best known for her role in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’

In in new upcoming series, Yeoh is set to play the character of Han Bo, Captain of the USS Shenzhou.

In criticizing Yeoh’s casting, Asian American activists said that they are unhappy about her role as the captain of a ship other than Discovery. “It seems the show’s producers think the seasoned Asian actress is not capable of being the captain of the main ship, and that’s why they cast her to be the leader of a lesser ship,” they said.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.

Entertainment, Film and TV, Politics

Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco To Play Lead Roles In Leila De Lima-Ronnie Dayan Love Story

November 23, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – It has the makings of both a box-office hit and an award-winning film.

Star Cinema announced today that it has started filming a new love story-thriller based on the now confirmed romantic relationship between Senator Leila De Lima and her driver-lover Ronnie Dayan.

In just the recent week, both De Lima and Dayan confirmed their relationship, with the senator saying it lasted “a few years” while Dayan revealing it was for seven years.

The relationship between the two has been one of the most followed stories on news and social media, especially in the light of the ongoing investigation on the alleged proliferation of illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (National Penitentiary).

Multi-awarded actress Nora Aunor will play the role of De Lima while actor Bembol Roco will play Dayan. This is not the first time that the two play the lead roles in a Filipino film. They played husband and wife in the 2012 acclaimed film, “Thy Womb.”

Film experts and enthusiasts predict that the De Lima-Dayan love story will surpass all box office records because of the Filipinos’ penchant for intrigue, scandal and ‘chismis’ (gossip).

They are also saying that Aunor is perfect to portray De Lima because both women have a distinctive mole on their faces. While Roco has a shaved head, it would be easy to don a wig to look more like Dayan, they added.