A lot can happen in a year. Just ask Mylen Fe Yamamoto. When we interviewed her a year ago, her Kickstarter for her new invention, Cropsticks, was just 24 percent funded. Cropsticks took the viral hack of snapping off the…
I have samurai blood in me. At least that’s what my mother tells me. Her ancestors were land owners so that meant they were samurai. But if there’s one thing I learned after watching the new documentary “Mifune: The Last…
This Friday, the Ohina Short Film Showcase is back at the historic Hawaii Theatre. Since 1999, Ohina’s been a celebration of short films created by local storytellers, fueled by a passion for film. In keeping with last year’s Ridiculously Short…
I remember flipping through the channels. Sportscenter was showing the trailer for “Gleason,” the story of former New Orleans Saints, special teams kamikaze, Steve Gleason. It was about how this tenacious, physical athlete responded to a diagnosis of ALS. It…
This Wednesday, DC Comics released “New Super-Man” #1. For you non-nerds, DC Comics is the home of pop culture’s holy trinity of super heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But what makes “New Super-Man” #1 so special? And why am…
If you live in Hawaii, there’s a 99 percent chance you saw this video on your social media feed last week: Pashyn Santos is the comic mind behind “Pidgin Siri.” The video was a viral phenomenon, garnering over 3 million…
Take a moment and think. What were you doing five years ago? Who were you dating? How many pounds lighter were you? What were you listening to on your iPod? Why did you sign up for Google+? Maybe, if you…
There was a lot to love about “Captain America: Civil War.” But one of the best parts had to be the reintroduction of our friendly neighborhood Spider-man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film rights for Spidey have been with…
Last month, you may have seen this clever chopstick hack on social media and asked yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” You simply break the top off your disposable wooden chopsticks to create a chopstick rest, avoiding the mess…
“This is the best night ever!” The movie hadn’t even started yet, but for my daughter, the night was off to a good start. That was a relief for me because tonight was a big deal. A Death Star-sized big…
They say the journey is the destination. But for comedian Jonah Ray, the destination is pretty damned sweet too. I first heard of Ray as a regular listener of the “Nerdist Podcast,” not knowing he was actually a local boy…
It happens every year at the Hawaii International Film Festival. So many choices. To help, we asked Hawaii’s top filmmakers, producers and curators to share the movies and events they’re most excited about at HIFF 35. So here are 11…
Photo by Hugh E. Gentry. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved. “Be patient.” That’s what I told my antsy 4-year-old daughter towards the end of Monday’s “Moana” press conference at the Disney Aulani. That’s right, I took a 4-year-old to…
Well folks, it’s officially “Star Wars” season. As we creep up to Dec. 18, the official release date of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” let’s rewind the tape back to 1977 to a time when we were younger, more innocent…
This year, I was asked to be a judge at the Ohina Short Film Showcase by Gerard Elmore, the executive director. I was honored – but wary. This micro-fest has showcased Hawaii’s best short films for 15 years. But would…
If you thought puberty was tough, try parenthood. That’s the impression I walked away with after seeing Pixar’s “Inside Out.” My 4-year-old, of course, had a completely different take. A little over a year ago, I took my daughter to…
TWO big Hollywood films shot in Hawaii are at your multiplex this weekend. So which movie should you spend your hard-earned money on? Let’s look at the contenders. While the trailer for “Aloha” gave me high hopes, this star-studded film…
Next Wednesday’s Consolidated Theatres Hana Hou Picture Show promises to be one hell of a dinner and movie night with “Big Trouble in Little China” and a special “Pork Chop Express” pop-up by the Pig & the Lady. That’s fitting,…
There was no pressure on Nahnatchka Khan. All she had to do was pitch, write, manage and will into existence a new sitcom based on the outspoken and iconoclastic Eddie Huang’s memoir — which also happened to be the first…
“Imagine there was someone out there you’d never met who looked exactly like you and was born on your birthday. ‘Twinsters’ is the story of Samantha Futerman and Anaïs Bordier, two strangers who discovered they were potential twin sisters separated…
“Furious 7’ premiered last night at South by Southwest. Variety said, “The hit muscle-car franchise does itself and the late Paul Walker proud with a solid seventh entry.” In light of the good reviews and the monumental expectations for the…
I first met Kimee Balmilero a few years ago at the HIFF Creative Lab New Media Camp. At the time, I was a mentor and she was a participant.Little did I know, she could’ve taught ME a thing or two.If…
Hi, John Cusack. Is that really you? If you’re reading this, you’re probably on set between takes and you’ve stumbled upon this column on your iPhone because you were Googling yourself. Not judging. We all do it. So while I…
“The Godfather” is back on the big screen this Thursday night for Consolidated Theatres Oscars Classics series at Ward. I have. So much. To write about. Next to “Citizen Kane,” “The Godfather” is widely regarded as THE best film of…
Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and a shaka in “Aloha.” I know what you’re thinking. Has it come to this? Have our attention spans atrophied so much that we’ve stooped to reviewing film trailers? Don’t you know trailers have more to…
Photo by Matt Lankes from the book “Boyhood Twelve Years on Film.” Sunday night, “Boyhood” won three Golden Globes for best director (Richard Linklater), best supporting actress (Patricia Arquette) and best drama. The ultimate coming-of-age story, filmed over the course…
Is the term “pop culturist” just a fancy way of saying “nerd?” Yes. In the same way “wine enthusiast” is a fancy way of saying “wino.” The thing is, I’m too old to be a “nerd.” I’ve got kids. I’ve…
Ty Sanga wants to tell you a story. It starts in Kalihi where he grew up. His mother was first-generation Filipino and his father was Hawaiian-Chinese. They worked hard, so Ty did too. He worked room service at the Ihilani…
Photo courtesy of Bao Nguyen. Anderson Le has your dream job. As programming director of the Hawaii International Film Festival since 2002, Le travels the world watching movies. While it’s more fun than typing TPS reports, his work is…
Alfred Hitchcock directed over 52 films. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly the number of films directed by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, combined. Over his 50-year career, Hitch was an innovator, an icon and one of the most…
It was Saturday night, May 21, 2005. The host was Lindsey Lohan and the musical guest was Coldplay. My then-girlfriend, now-wife, and I were living in New York City for almost two years, and we finally got tickets to “Saturday…
When I told my wife I had an idea for a column called, “My summer in baby jail,” this was her reply… “Oh, you’re in baby jail? Oh, YOU’RE in baby jail? OH, YOU’RE IN BABY JAIL?” Then she threw…
“The story ended up being a lot darker than we intended it to be. Part of it is that I was going through a divorce at the time, and I wasn’t in a good mood; and part of it was…
There’s a black and white photo hanging near the doorway in Gecko Books. It’s of a crowd in front of the Waikiki 3. “Batman” is on the marquee. It looks timeless, which seems antithetical for the ’80s. I always wondered…
It was a good night for Adam Braff. Last night at Consolidated Theatres Kahala, a packed house was treated to the Hawaii premiere of “Wish I Was Here.” Braff co-wrote and produced the film with his brother, Zach Braff, who…
For me, summertime means movies. But sometimes, those movies have meanings of their own. Movies are time travel. Like hearing your favorite summer song, films can uncork a flood of memories from the past. Does that mean in 20 years,…
Ah, summer. For most in Hawaii that means sun, sand and sunburn. But for some (I know you’re out there), it means something else. This one goes out to the pale ones. The ones who ask: Why lie on the…
Photo courtesy of Kaui Hart Hemmings It’s hard to believe this is only the beginning for Kaui Hart Hemmings. Her critically acclaimed first novel, “The Descendants,” was adapted into an Oscar-winning film directed by Alexander Payne. She walked on the…
In high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I knew exactly what I was.I was a slacker.This Wednesday, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is back on the big screen, part of Consolidated…
Is a 3-year-old too young to watch a movie in the theatre? Probably.But this was a big deal for me. See, the first movie I remember seeing in a theatre was “Star Wars.” I was waaay too young to watch…
My role models came from the movies. I grew up your typical ’80s child of divorce with a healthy distrust of adults. So I turned to the movies to meet the people I wanted to be. Han Solo. Indiana Jones.…
I get it. You’re a young Millennial with big dreams, a high Klout score, and a type-A obsession with designing your future.Why would you want to watch a film that’s 57-years old?The simple answer is, “The Bridge on the River…
People get passionate about good work.Just ask the roughly 450 die-hard fans that packed Consolidated Theatres Ward to watch the big screen premiere of “Sherlock” season 3. PBS Hawaii hosted the sneak preview, days before the show’s official debut this…
Fighting over mall parking? Done. Bulk gift card buying? Over. Your credit card bill? Don’t even think about it. It’s time to kick-back, have an adult beverage and wrap some gifts by the tree while watching your favorite holiday movie.…
“You can always tell somebody’s sense of humor by if they like this movie or not.” ~ Kurt Russell.Everybody relax, Jack Burton’s here. For a lot of die-hard “Big Trouble in Little China” fans, Wednesday’s special Hana Hou Picture Show…
“If one were to ask, ‘What are the movies of Alfred Hitchcock like?’ You could show them “Rear Window” and in a sense, touch on everything in Hitchcock.” ~ Curtis Hanson (director, “L.A. Confidential”)When I was a kid, I remember…
“You’ll never grow old, Michael. And you’ll never die.”Those words, from a young Kiefer Sutherland in “The Lost Boys,” just might sum up our collective fascination with vampires. After all, not many of us dream about turning into bats and…
How old were you when you first saw “Sixteen Candles”? It’s a question I asked myself when thinking about this fan favorite, which is back on the big screen for the Hana Hou Picture Show. I personally can’t remember the…
Truth is, I’ve never been in a fight.The closest I’ve been to a brawl? Blue belt judo classes in the 5th grade. Playing “Punch Out” on the Wii. Impulse-buying the 13-disc “Gracie Combatives” DVD (never opened). Pretty sure those don’t…
Obsession is a funny thing. If you’re obsessive and successful, you’re considered brilliant. If you’re obsessive and a failure, you’re considered crazy.The obsessive pursuit of accomplishment is at the heart of “Somm,” a look into the arduous process of passing…
