Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 20 | Page 26

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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY October 16 - 31, 2017
The Snowman (PG) ***
By Alan Samuel
Winter Wonderland!
Puzzles are a hallmark of good thrillers. Be on the
lookout for a madman or madwoman or combo on the
loose in The Snowman. Expect the tension to ramp up
in this classy whodunnit from Universal Pictures now
convincingly carving corpses up meticulously at Cineplex
Theatres around B.C.
Snowy Norway is the ideal setting for this mystery.
Based on the runaway international bestseller Michael
Fassbender stars as a down on his luck detective whose
unsolved past cases weight heavily on his conscience.
When a new murder materializes trust the veteran sleuth
to need all his innate abilities to solve the crime.
Aided and abetted by a new officer on the team
with a hi-tech approach to catching culprits the two
wind-ups in a race against time as all of a sudden more
bad thing occur. Rebecca Ferguson nicely portrays the
new team player whose own past comes into question
as does Fassbender’s character. Obvious baggage of the
two become integral to the puzzle as a Series of suspects
come to the fore. Like a game of CLUE all the pieces in
this murky mystery don’t quite fit leaving the authorities
at a loss as to who exactly is responsible for the horrors
gripping the land.
Top flight acting from the likes of Toby Jones,
Val Kilmer and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) only ups
the ante in this suspense laden spectacular. Trust
the cinematography to wonderfully caress the snowy
seductive landscape of the Norwegian slopes and fiords
as a murder spree spreads oh so cunningly.
Despite being only a tad slow at times and a
teeny bit moody The Snowman only proves you should
trust no one and perhaps take to living in warmer climes
as the mix of murder and snow is most revealing.
ABS-CBN shows recognized
at 39th CMMA
ABS-CBN’s shows and efforts upholding good values were recognized at the
39th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMAs) in Pasay City on Wednesday.
The afternoon drama, “The Greatest Love,” about the efforts of an
Alzheimer’s-stricken mother to keep her family together, led the way for ABS-
CBN, alongside the weekend sitcom, “Home Sweetie Home.”
Below is the list of ABS-CBN shows that took home awards:
Best News Commentary — Failon Ngayon sa DZMM 
Best Secular Song — Ikaw Ang Sunshine ko
Best Comedy Program — Home Sweetie Home
Best Religious Program — Pluma (Couples for Christ Global Mission
Foundation Inc.)
Best Drama Series Program — The Greatest Love
Best Entertainment Show — ASAP
Best Station ID — ABS-CBN Palawan Christmas Station ID 2016
Best Music Video — Together We Thrive by Piolo Pascual 
Best Inspirational Song — Together We Thrive by Piolo Pascual
Best Children & Youth Program — Oyayi
Best Adult Educational Cultural Program — Green Living (ANC)
Best TV Ad - Public Service — Halalan Prayer
WHY HALLOWEEN
Halloween, like Christmas and Easter, originated in a pagan celebration.
Its name is a shortened form of All Hallow’s E’en, that is, October 31, the
evening before All Hallows; or All Saint’s Day. The festival was introduced
in the 7th century by Pope Gregory IV to commemorate all those saints
and martyrs who had no special days to themselves, and was held on
May 13. But in the 8th century All Hallow’s Day was moved to November
1, to counteract the pagan celebrations held on that date. October 31
was the last night of the year in the ancient Celtic calendar, and was
celebrated with bonfires as the end of summer and its fruitfulness.
For The Record. Only since the late 18th century and early 19th century
has Halloween developed as a jolly date for kids (and adults) with
costumes, lanterns and games. Before this, it was regarded as a night of
fear when people, respectful of goblins and wandering demons, stayed
indoors.
Ganito Sila Noon. Early Filipinos believed that the cause of death, not the
way he lived, determined whether a dead man could go to ``heaven`` or
`hell,`` and that he continued to live there as he lived on earth. Thus he
was buried with his possessions, weapons, tools, and even food.
WORD WATCH
Phasmaphobia ( fas-moh foh’bi-a) : morbid fear of ghosts
The cast of “The Greatest Love,” which was named Best Drama Series Program
at the 39th Catholic Mass Media Awards.
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