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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/HBO Asia) |
Viewers today have a lot of entertainment content choices, to the point that it can sometimes be overwhelming. With an extensive library of shows like that of HBO GO, it’s good to get recommendations for shows that are really worth your time. To help you discover the best watch lists especially as you spend more time at home in this bed weather, PLDT Home ambassadors Gigi de Lana, Gretchen Ho, Jairus Aquino and more are sharing their personal recommendations and favorites — which you just might get to enjoy, too.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Currently making waves in the local music scene, singer-songwriter and actress Gigi de Lana is known for her soaring high notes and soulful voice. She picked up her musical passion at a very young age, with the legendary rock band Queen as one of her biggest influences. No wonder one of her favorite films is Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), an enthralling celebration of Queen — their music and extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and convention to become one of history’s most beloved entertainers.
“Bohemian Rhapsody is a personal favorite because throughout the film, it was like watching history being made – I saw how they composed some of their biggest hits, their struggles as a band and as individuals, how they used their life experiences to write their songs. And the recreation of the Live Aid performance was nothing short of amazing! It felt like I was there and the total euphoria of hearing them sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ still gives me the chills after several rewatches!” Gigi said.
Barry
Like actor Jairus Aquino, most of us have a couple of go-to genres. Jairus is partial to comedy with long-running reality show (Impractical) Jokers and action-comedy-drama like the film Catch Me if You Can (2001). One of his newest discoveries is Barry, a dark comedy series created by and starring Bill Hader. “What I love about Barry is its premise — it’s a show about a depressed hitman who wants to change his life and become an actor instead – and how they mixed violence and comedy in the script. Not only that, but they also created this crazy combination of characters that will always get a chuckle out of you even when they are trying to kill each other. Bill Hader is great as the emotionless and often awkward hitman Barry but, personally, NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) with all his oddball shenanigans will always be my personal favorite,” Jairus shared.
The Batman (2022)
Health and fitness guru Jacq Yu has had a long-standing fascination with DC superheroes, especially Batman. “Superheroes are human, too, they have their own issues to deal with while they fight crime and save the world. Their humanity is what makes them relatable,” she said. It’s a no-brainer then that her favorite movie so far this year is Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City. “I love this movie so much because one, it’s a thrilling cat-and-mouse game between the Riddler (Paul Dano), Batman, and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), and two, it shows Bruce Wayne making a decision between using justice as a way for self-destruction or actually moving past his traumas and find his true purpose in protecting the people of Gotham,” she added.
Tokyo Vice
Actor Troy Montero has always been a fan of Japan, charmed by its culture where the traditional and the modern often intersect. This fascination led him to discover his new favorite series, Tokyo Vice. Tokyo Vice is loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat. Filmed on location in Tokyo, the crime drama series captures Adelstein’s (Ansel Elgort) daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late ‘90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem. “Tokyo Vice is an interesting look into Japan — where organized crime (yakuza) and the police work together to form this tenuous balance,” he said. “The series is the perfect neo-noir thriller for when you want to have your mind blown by plot twists. The best part? It has amazingly crafted characters, and Ken Watanabe as senior detective Hiroto Katagiri is both complex and badass. He is easily my favorite.”
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
In the world of basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers have built an almost-mythical reputation. This is the team of NBA greats that includes Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kobe Bryant, to name a few. But what made them such basketball heavyweights in the first place? Find out in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, a fast break series about the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.
TV presenter and athlete Gretchen Ho has this series firmly in her favorites list. “Basketball fans should catch Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as it charts the lives of the Lakers in the 1980s, right in the thick of their Showtime, run-and-gun era where they became the behemoth of the league. It also shows us how players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more created the blueprint of their success. It’s a great series if you want to learn more about your favorite purple and gold players," Gretchen said.
On The Job
Erik Matti is a Filipino director known for using his films as undisguised social commentaries. And in this hotly anticipated neo-noir thriller On The Job, he didn’t hold back. This six-part series inspired by true events centers around crime syndicates that temporarily release contracted prison inmates to carry out political assassinations for those in power, except that the crime syndicates are run by politicians. On The Job also puts a spotlight on the real-world predicament concerning fake news and how easily truth can be manufactured and disseminated to the public in today’s age of information.
Host-mompreneur Roxanne Montealegre recommends the show not only because she stars in it as journalist Pam Sarmiento, but because it’s a timely film about what’s happening in the country. “Direk Erik has a masterful way of delivering hard truths on what’s happening in the Philippines and what we’re letting happen. On The Job forces us to re-examine our values and what we need to do to create a better Philippines for Filipinos — do we stay silent, or do we stand up against injustice?” she said.
Catch all these shows and more on HBO GO powered by PLDT Home, the Philippines’ fastest and most reliable broadband connection. Subscribe to HBO GO using your PLDT Home account to avail of the service at an affordable rate of Php299 every 3 months — all charged conveniently to your fiber bill. For more information, visit www.pldthome.com.
