Bright start for the new show biz season

Atom Araullo

At the end of every “expiriing” year, we say “good riddance” to failed efforts—and, hope eternally springing, “ring out the old and bring in the new.”

For the upcoming 2018 show biz season, the good news is that things do appear to be looking up, with a number of positive prospects ushering in a more beneficent and bountiful year.

Topping our hopefully lengthening list of upbeat prospects is the production of new TV shows that aim to go beyond the usual, pat and predictable, tired and tattered teleserye fare.

Pacing these positive prospects is AXN’s new program, “Adventure Your Way,” which has Atom Araullo proudly showcasing the country’s best tourist sights and other visual and “experiential” delights.

Even better, Atom will be taking his specific travel cues, not from his new show’s writers and researchers, but from suggestions and contributions culled from social media.

If the culling is creatively done, this should result in bright surprises and pleasant discoveries, disarmingly taking viewers and armchair travelers way off the beaten track.

Let’s hope that Atom and his new program live up to breezy expectations, because we’ve had it up to here with “official” travel shows on TV that betray their lack of curiosity and sense of adventure, not to mention their “word from our sponsor” subservience!

Upbeat viewing prospect

Next, we’d like to cite the year-ender Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) as another upbeat viewing prospect—but the jury is still out on that one, as of this writing (Dec. 20).

It depends on how many of the eight official entries to the 2017-2018 edition turn out to be substantial and meaningful films, or at least well-produced ones.

We can say, however, that “Ang Larawan” has gotten a “unanimous A” rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board and the fest’s vetters—so it’s logical that you should put it at the top of your MMFF viewing list, right?

As we hope for the best at the year-end fest, we should make it a point to also cite the 2017 movies that have turned out to be exceptional—“Kita Kita,” “Seven Sundays,” “Smaller and Smaller Circles,” “Unexpectedly Yours,” “Birdshot” and “Last Night.”

And, looking forward to 2018, a coming attraction that deserves to be on enlightened movie buffs’ should-see list is ace filmmaker Mike de Leon’s comeback production, “Citizen Jake.”

Its issues and conflicts are hot off the headlines, so it’s the epitome of relevance and significance, and fully deserves our support and patronage.

Another viewing incentive is the fact that “Citizen Jake” is Mike’s first film in many years. He’s also a strong and logical choice for our next National Artist for Film due to his exceptional body of work.

We should honor and reward our best artists with our gratitude and patronage, so let’s all watch “Citizen Jake” when it finally hits our movie screens, soonest in 2018!