‘Should watch’ films and shows this season

Piolo Pascual

March and April are turning out to be exciting months in the current show biz season, due to a number of “should watch” productions on a range of performing “platforms.”

On the movie screen, the big treat is Piolo Pascual’s new starrer, “Northern Lights,” which also topbills Yen Santos and Raikko Mateo.

As per the film’s title, the icing on the cake is its first-time-ever location shoot in Alaska, for amazing shots of the aurora borealis.

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t be all that pumped-up about a new Piolo starrer, but the actor has invigorated his acting career of late with some “indie” incursions that have made him dig deeper into his thespic resources, with bracing results.

“Northern Lights” may be more “maindie” than indie, but we hope that it will also benefit from Piolo’s new “attack.”

It’s also a big break for Yen Santos, who gets to play the movie’s female lead. Yen has done a number of build-up TV drama series, but this is her first notable big-screen exposure, so we hope that she more than passes muster in it.

Another substantial role in the film is played by child actor Raikko Mateo as Piolo’s estranged son. We trust that he takes full advantage of it, too.

Next on our “should-see” list is the film version of Nick Joaquin’s “Larawan,” originally produced onstage by Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis, and directed by the late, great National Artist Rolando Tinio.

The film version is megged by Loy Arcenas, with original music by Ryan Cayabyab.

It topbills Rachel Alejandro, Joanna Ampil, Paulo Avelino, Sandino Martin, Nonie Buencamino, Cris Villonco, Celeste Legaspi and Zsa Zsa Padilla, among others.

Having loved the original stage production of “Larawan” as a musical, we are looking forward to watching the film before its reported September release date in theaters.

Finally, after a year’s absence, Kris Aquino will be making a TV comeback on GMA 7, by way of a two-hour travel, food and lifestyle special titled, “Trip ni Kris,” which could air on GMA 7 in March or April.

It’s a should-see show because, when Kris was as busy as a bee on ABS-CBN, she established herself as a key viewing draw due to her gift of gab, idiosyncratic views and reputation for telling it like it is.

Love her or not, viewers watched her shows, so her comeback, initially “one-shot” though it may be, should be avidly watched by people who want to see for themselves how she’s faring and projecting herself now.