Happy 50th, Singapore! This year marks the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, when it was ejected from the Federation of Malaysia amidst social unrest. I’d say it’s done quite well for itself; in these five decades, the former British colony has transformed itself into one of the wealthiest countries in the world, not to mention one of the cleanest and…
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 a press conference. Can you blame me? After all, press conferences for Polynesian Disney films featuring Mililani girls don’t exactly…
Hawaii is a melting pot of different cultures, and yet local Koreans do not have a cultural center to share their history and traditions. Polynesians have one. Japanese, Okinawans and Filipinos all have one. Local Chinese have an entire plaza. Taste of Korea this Friday, Oct. 16, will help fix the situation. It’s the second annual fundraiser for the Hawaii…
A naïve boy leaves home and is thrown into the middle of a rebellion against an evil empire. The rebels are led by a brave and beautiful young woman who regards the boy a savior to help end the war. They are assisted by a more experienced adventurer with questionable loyalties who’s obviously fought a few battles in his lifetime,…
While Jake began his career playing traditional Hawaiian music, his sound has transitioned to a unique, contemporary style.
October 15 is the last special performance dinner for the year at Stage Restaurant as they gear up for the holidays, so they’re ending with a big throwback to the cruise ship era, when the Lurline sailed through Honolulu with jazz, dining and dancing. Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Starr Kalahiki is headlining this event, which means seats may sell…
We’re giving five people a VIP family four-pack of tickets to an advance screening of “Goosebumps.” Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) and his two friends learn that R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series, has a dangerous secret: the creatures in his stories are real! In a crazy night of adventure, they have to team up to…
We’re giving 10 people a pair of tickets to an advance VIP screening of “Bridge of Spies,” a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of a series of historic events. The film stars Tom Hanks as James Donovan, a Brooklyn lawyer who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on a near-impossible…
“Sicario” is the Spanish word for “hitman.” It’s also the title of the best movie of 2015 — so far. I’ve only seen two of director Denis Villeneuve’s films prior to “Hitman”: the criminally overlooked “Prisoners” and the severely twisted yet brilliant “Incendies.” Both times I could not take my eyes off the screen. Villeneuve is a genius filmmaker. It’s…
Haunted houses aren’t for the faint-hearted. But if you love the thrill of a good fright, check out our guide to the scariest haunted houses around O‘ahu.
I just came back from a trip to Korea where the flight from Honolulu took more than nine hours. The flight was full, the food was awful and I couldn’t get a wink of sleep. I must’ve looked at my watch at least 20 times with time just standing still. And yet, that was less grueling than watching “The Martian.”…
I generally hate 3D films. Only a small handful of films have done it right (“Avatar” and “Hugo”), but most just tend to irritate me with the needless gimmick and burdensome glasses. But “The Walk” is an excellent showcase of how 3D can really enhance a film viewing experience. Based on the true story of French artist and street performer…
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 and far less obsessed with nerdery. It’s no secret that George Lucas’ “Star Wars” had its influences. Joseph Campbell’s book,…
Rex Moribe and the Martins (Photo credit: Kenna Reed) It’s a story that has already touched many hearts. After my blog post in March about Dear Thalia: What it’s really like to be homeless, local filmmaker Rex Moribe’s documentary about a 3-year-old living in Kakaako, thousands of people shared Thalia’s plight on Facebook. Now I have some updates. First, there…
Filmmaker Nancy Meyers has a real knack for writing about rich white folk. The talent behind films such as “Father of the Bride,” “Something’s Gotta Give” and “It’s Complicated” loves to engage audiences with stories involving privileged white people whose conflicts many of us would scoff at given their laps of luxury. Her films are the cinematic equivalent of the…
We’re giving 10 people a pair of tickets to an advance VIP screening of “The Walk,” a biographical drama about French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as Petit and Ben Kingsley as his mentor. The screening is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7…
Known for having the best pizza on the north shore, Jerry’s Pizza has expanded to Kalihi. I was headed home on King Street the other day when a sign for pizza and pasta caught my eye. I’ve lived in the 96817 for 15 years and one of the things that always bothered me was the shortage of Italian food. Yes, there…
The Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2015 wrapped up Sunday, with several panels and events geared toward children. On its final day of the three-day convention, attendees crammed into Hawaii Convention Center to get their last look at comics and cosplay. Here’s a look Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2015 Day 3 ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 28 Photo by…
The second day of the Amazing Hawaii Comic Con was filled with costumes and cosplay. We took a look at the select cosplays throughout the day. The finale of the day was the Cosplay Contest in the main hall, featuring more than 40 cosplay contestants. Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2015 Day 2: Cosplay ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of…
The Amazing Hawaii Comic Con made its Hawaii debut Friday at the Hawaii Convention Center, featuring special guests, exhibitors, panelists and local artists tied to the comic book industry. The Amazing Hawaii Comic Con runs through Sunday. Here’s our preview of the event. Here are scenes from Day 1, along with cosplay stand outs. Amazing Hawaii Comic Con 2015 Day…
Humidity and morning rain weren’t enough to keep away the crowd that showed up for the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival’s Battle of the Brunch II on Sunday. The weather cleared up shortly before, and the three chef teams were ready to compete. Lee Anne Wong of Koko Head Cafe and Sven Ullrich of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki were back…
We’ve rounded up the most memorable moments from the Hawai‘i Five-0 Season 6 premiere.
We interviewed these two Hawai‘i Five-0 stars at the Season 6 red carpet premiere event.
After two years of compiling traditional Chinese dishes with an island twist, Tom has lots of family recipes. Lynette Lo Tom is a woman of many accomplishments: former news reporter and anchor, Hawaiian Tel spokeswoman, marketing diva, mother. Now, having just published “A Chinese Kitchen,” she’s also a cookbook author. The self-proclaimed news junkie started out at All News Radio…
