September 2021 | Otaku No Culture |

Three Filipino Films at LA’s Asian Film Festival in Review

Playing at the Regal L.A. LIVE: Barco Innovation Center will be a treat for those looking to expand their horizons with Filipino produced works. One is actually Canadian because that’s where the director is from (Fanny), but as for why this county matters, it’s easy to see how their influence is shaking things up in the art house cinematic world. Sadly, these works run nearly back to back with each other, and this guide can help those locals decide on which work deserves to be seen.

Lumpia with a Vengeance

Oct 1, 8:30 pm

It’s rare to find a movie that mixes superheroes up with food. Lumpia is one of those rare films not very widely known, but somehow it gained a cult recognition. It was a sophomore work of Patricio Ginelsa Kuya and its Filipino-American representation made this work unique.

The sequel shows this superhero is back with even more egg rolls! Normally, I’d be all over this like I am to this deep fried goodness it extols. There’s so many flavourful regional variants, and I’d eat them all up. In this sequel, perhaps a second serving isn’t needed. While it’s fantastic to get caught up with the people from the first film decades later, including seeing this avenger take on a side-kick, this story needs editing.

The world has gotten bloated. The lengthy run time is the problem and we’re dealing with a lot of unneeded subplots. Part of the tale includes Kuya taking on a side-kick. Rachel (April Absynth) wants to help in the fight. Her high school is flooded with bad guys selling drugs hidden in the egg rolls.

It’s terrific to see a few big names, like Danny Trejo, become part of this narrative, but I think this film doesn’t need all this this added celebrity support. I’d fare better on its own merits than further world and character building.

3 Stars out of 5

The Monsters Without

Oct 1, 2021
9:00 pm

The Monsters Without is a fun action-fantasy-adventure that delves into the folklore of the Philippines. Here, the monsters want to reclaim the world. The only organization able to do something about it is P.H.A.S.E. They operate much like M.O.N.A.R.C.H. in Legendary’s Godzilla. The cast are specialists from different countries and the hope is that they can come up with a way to save the planet.

When a rogue Yablo decides it’s time for a new future for his species, it’s up to Setsuko (Christina Yr. Jun) and her fiance, Rommel Romero (Jake Macapagal), to do something about it. They have a lot of friends to help, but is it enough?

This film by Randal Kamradt has a lot to like. It’s a loving tribute to the monster films of the 80s. Anyone who thinks we don’t have enough Filipino genre style films will be in for a treat. It’s tough to keep track of all the creatures, and a checklist is required. There’s a vibe that’s recognizable for those who love Harryhausen’s stop motion films and Ghostbusters.

Plus, there’s a familiar enthusiasm from Yr. Jun’s performance. She’s like Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere) from Relic Hunter, and a woman to be respected. Her resiliance on the field is what kept me interested. I’m hoping for a sequel after this film gets picked up for a proper theatrical release after its debut at this festival. I wouldn’t be surprised for WELL GO USA to pick up the title, but that’s not likely to get a home video release until next year.

4 Stars out of 5

Fanny: The Right to Rock

Oct 1, 2021
7:00 pm

For upcoming screenings, please visit the official webpage.

The music industry has forgotten about Fanny, a Filipina American garage band who shot to fame in the early 70s. In the excellent documentary, The Right to Rock, their legacy is examined with a fine-tooth comb to understand the life and times of the founders–June and Jean Millington–and the world they left behind since they folded in 1975. Just what they dealt with was not restricted to the racism they faced. There was also misogyny.

Their carefree LGBTQ attitude makes any movement of today look like a third attempt for proper recognition. Bonnie Raitt, Joe Elliott, Kate Pierson, and David Bowie loved them. A few visited their retreat and got to jam. This group predated later acts who would emerge from the same decade. On this list includes Joan Jett, Go-Gos and The Bangles. Most of them cite this group as their inspiration.

This work by Bobbi Jo Hart suggests they’re planning a massive comeback. These musicians still got it, and as for whether there’ll be another album, it’s hard to say after the release of Fanny Walked the Earth (2018). This documentary was filmed during the making of and was released early this year.

5 Stars out of 5

Come Join the Tiong Bahru Social Club, You’ll Be Happy…

At a glance, Ah Bee (Thomas Pang) joined a cult known as Tiong Bahru Social Club. But In reality, he joined a strata, where the complex and the people who lives there look like they are rejects from THX-1138.

Regal L.A. LIVE:
A Barco Innovation Center
Played Sep 25 6:00 pm

Please check this film’s Facebook page for future screenings.

From Fantasia 2021 to the Los Angeles Pacific Asian Film Festival, I’m sure there’ll be more stops Bee Thiam Tan Tiong Bahru Social Clubwill make a stop at as it tours the film festival circuit and recruits. At a glance, Ah Bee (Thomas Pang) joined a cult. In reality, he joined a strata, where the complex and the people who lives there look like they are rejects from THX-1138.

The concept is far from it. This film’s quirky and pastel coloured 50s sci-fi vibe permeates through half of this comedy of errors. It’s set in a not so far-off future in Singapore, where closed communities are managed by artificial intelligences and data analysts who think happiness can be easily made. But when Bee gets promoted to manage the place, he gets in over his head. Life is not as pleasing or easy.

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After Dark at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Top Picks

We Have mini-reviews of the films presented at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival After Dark Program.

Regal L.A. LIVE:
A Barco Innovation Center
October 1, 2021
9:30 pm

Somtimes, those dirty secrets are best left sitting in the closet, but other times there’s just a terror that’s waiting to bust out. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival’s After Dark shorts program offers a mix of more than just those tropes in its collection of tales that will tantalize and even terrify. It’s a great mix that doesn’t always have to be about the supernatural either.

ANYTHING FOR YOU

Richard (Alain Uy, The Paper Tigers) wants to have an affair, and needs George (Sunkrish Bala) to help. It’s a hilarious bromance where goes to places that few would expect, as Rich doesn’t want to break that sacred bond between man and woman. So why not ask a bro instead?

Both actors give excellent performances as they unleash a well of suppressed feelings, lust and desire–all while having lunch and with no clothes being torn off.

JOURNEY TO THE EAST

In this variation of the great Chinese novel, Journey to the West, this short film goes down a different rabbit hole. A Woman with No Name may well have no home, let alone no husband. He went to America, only to die in a mining accident.

She’s alone and desperate; where she travels is a purgatory shaped by the Wild West. The film moves like a stuttered dream and the concept is purposeful. It’s like Kung Fu the TV series. She wants her beau, and this tale is simply Eve Liu’s own version of Orpheus. Instead of meeting Cerberus, she meets three gatekeepers known as “The Chinamen.”

It seems she’s not supposed to be reunited, but in this tale, the woe comes in who hath no fury than a woman scorned. I’m sure Quentin Tarantino would love to help Liu develop her short into a feature film.

KIDS ON FIRE

J.C. (Alexis Negrite) isn’t an ordinary boy. He thinks he has a special power, and it doesn’t manifest unless he does a sinful deed. Is mastrubation bad? It seems he can cause earthquakes, but perhaps what he’s imagining is a metaphor for something deeper within himself. This Filipino short offers something else, and a surprise for many few would expect.

Maybe he’s doomed. In this work, the zealotry that goes on makes for a startling contrast, because this boy may well feel trapped between worlds. To say what happens to J.C. makes this tale more than just an examination of what defines faith, but instead may well be about innocence. Did he deserve his fate? Nobody is telling….

KOREATOWN GHOST STORY

Nearly everybody knows about Ghost Brides and those movies about an unwitting man cajoled into this supernatural marriage. In this gender-swapped case, Hannah (Lyrica Okano) is going to see Mrs. Moon (Margaret Cho) for an acupuncture session. Things go from simple to worse. This medic is perhaps mad too. These two ladies have a history. Hannah doesn’t even remember because it all happened when she was very young. Had she’d known, I’m sure she’d be running out the door in this short and simple tale of terror.

MAKE A WISH

Freddie (Edward Hong) has the best girlfriend ever. Lexie (Josephine Chang) is like Harley Quinn, short on temper and deranged enough to kidnap anyone whom her beau sees as problematic, and offer him a chance at sweet revenge. Just what happens next is an exercise and discourse on what defines relationships, be it romantic, platonic, or something else. The idea is effective.

This short film is supposed to be comedic, but I don’t think so. Sometimes revenge is a dish best served cold, and this tale has all the makings of turning a seemingly good man to someone bad, and creating the next Bonnie and Clyde.

THE COCKTAIL PARTY

Charlotte Taschen plays an unnamed waitress at a cocktail party where everything goes wrong. She sees people at their worst, and she wants to do something about it. When she’s had enough, this actress shows off her best kung fu moves, and proves that it’s best not to snub the host and steal from them. The moments are quick, but wow, this actress can move!

This action film has a point. Sometimes, workers just want the day to be over with. For this lady, however, sometimes it’s best left the imagination to answer a lingering question: what if you stand up for doing what’s right when everyone else around you–the party goers-are being a jerk.

A Closer Look at LAAPFF’s Spirited Away Program

This unique set of eclectic works do more than define humanity’s relationship with Nature. There’s spirits, wisdom and counter-culture to be found in each.

Regal L.A. LIVE:
A Barco Innovation Center
1000 W Olympic Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90015

Sept 29, 2021
9:00 pm

Thematically, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival’s Spirited Away shorts program is an apt title to describe a set of works that deals with spirituality. It’s a topic few understand when they are about philosophies from smaller regional areas.

Udval Altangerel is a Mongolian filmmaker whose works explore anthropological subjects, and to introduce this group of films, she wrote for the program guide, “Guided by shamans and ancestral spirits, we traverse the line between the living and the dead, tradition and transformation, fiction and nonfiction.”

This unique set of eclectic works do more than define humanity’s relationship with Nature. There’s spirits, wisdom and counter-culture to be found in each. Fans of slam poetry will like Hinga. This piece argues for change. Unlike the fight to keep Fairy Creek pristine in my neck of the woods, this performance theatre is captured onto film and explores the complexity of what the Filipinx people in the Bay Area are passionate about. They want a utopia that transcends political and geographical barriers. Their message isn’t hard to follow, but it’s the rhythm which sets an unusual pace.

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More than a Retro Ode to Centipede Recharged

Centipede Recharged is massively updated and locally produced. Vancouver, BC based Adamvision Studios is the brains behind this product

AdamaVision Studios
Sneakybox Studios

Officially, there aren’t a lot of Atari “Recharged” titles. To my knowledge, there’s Battlezone VR, Tempest 4K, Missile Command and now Centipede. There’s a few unofficial updates and they don’t hold a candle to the classics unless the company is involved. There is Asteroids, and I’m still searching for a modern remake of Frogger, Pong, Pole Position and Breakout.

Centipede Recharged is available for the Atari VCS, Nintendo Switch, Steam (PC), Xbox Series X/S, Epic and PS4/5. Aside from blasting apart bugs and ranking up the global leaderboard, this highly addictive game will keep players shooting, bug wranglers cackling and game players shaking a fist at those scorpions. The fleas rain down the screen like they are part of The Matrix far more often when players last longer than ten minutes.

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Sailing Down “The Silent River” Isn’t Easy…

L.A. Asian Pacifc Film Festival
Regal L.A. LIVE:
A Barco Innovation Center
Sept 25, 2021
5:30 pm

Spoiler Alert

Eliott (West Liang) looks like a man on the run in Chris Chan Lee’s Silent River. After a long drive into the Mojave Desert, he holes up at a motel and is simply waiting. While there, he meets Gretta (Amy Tsang) and she’s a mystery. Not only does she resemble someone he is looking for, but her agenda is straight out of time. She’s from the future and searching for Patrick. Their separate agendas collide, and their reluctance to help each other out makes for a very intriguing film.

Although this work is billed as science fiction, I’m enjoying the supernatural bits more. Eliott hears things, and he doesn’t know where they come from. He can see things others don’t, and we’re uncertain if he’s going crazy or not. Liang plays up the apocryphal Lovecraftian type of character, someone too curious for his own good; and the suggestion that others have “moved on” makes me think I’m watching a very unconventional ghost story.

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