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Aziz Ansari tries to meld social commentary and comedy in his new film ‘Good Fortune,’ about wealth disparity and the shackles of the gig economy. It’s populist territory that is ripe for a big screen skewering and Ansari, who wrote, directed, and stars, is attempting something sincere, noble, and broadly entertaining. But a modern-day ‘Sullivan’s Travels’ this is not.

‘Good Fortune,’ in theaters Friday, gets a little lost in the logistics of its familiar high-concept premise, involving a guardian angel (Keanu Reeves) who makes the poor guy (Ansari) switch with the wealthy guy (Seth Rogen). In its attempts to be empathetic toward everyone, it ambles around between absurdity, social realism, and Apatow-esque antics, trying to find its groove. And yet nothing is ever quite laugh-out-loud funny, which is shocking considering the people involved, and its messages are essentially toothless.

Workers unite? Find joy in the small things?

Perhaps the idea that no matter how bad life gets, there are always cheap tacos and dancing and laughter should be life-affirming. And yet it feels hollow, like fodder for an embroidered throw pillow in the discount bin, instead of what it should be: Frank Capra for the billionaire age.

Still, ‘Good Fortune’ is the rare mainstream comedy that doesn’t turn its lens away from the tents and RVs all over Los Angeles and the plight of the omnipresent gig worker, toting food all around town and facing the wrath of a rating system that blames the driver for everything.

Arj (Ansari) is a kind of perfect victim, a college-educated film editor who has found himself at the mercy of round-the-clock freelance work and still unable to afford a place to live. We see how unfair the app-based-for-hire system is in comedic situations: He stands in line for two hours for a viral cinnamon bun. When the shop runs out and the client cancels the transaction, he loses that money and that time.

Then there are all those parking and traffic tickets that keep coming, and one night, while trying to charge his phone at a Denny’s, his car gets towed. It’s yet another bill he can’t afford to pay, and it gets more expensive every day.

He gets a sliver of hope when a wealthy venture capitalist named Jeff (Rogen) hires him to be his assistant on a one-week trial basis. Jeff lives a life of leisure and excess in a Bel Air mansion where his biggest concerns are finding a disco floor for his birthday party and a shaman for an Ayahuasca trip. He’s a caricature of a VC bro and also basically a decent guy. But when Arj uses the company card to cover a personal expense which he promises to pay back, he’s sacked. That’s when Reeves’ guardian angel Gabriel decides to intervene.

Gabriel is a junior angel looking for more to do (because job dissatisfaction exists among celestial beings as well) and decides to save Arj though this little switcheroo. But it ends up backfiring because for Arj, things really are better with immense wealth, and the movie never quite figures its way out of that puzzle. There is no joy in watching Jeff live like common people for a week either, or Gabriel have his own crisis of self as a chain-smoking, hard drinking dishwasher at an all you can eat restaurant. Reeves is particularly underserved by the script, which basically only asks him to be a beautiful, well-meaning idiot.

Perhaps the writing staff of ‘The Studio’ should have taken a pass on this screenplay. Or any number of the food delivery drivers Ansari shadowed while researching the movie, which does in fact resemble ‘Sullivan’s Travels,’ but not in a flattering way.

The only character I wanted more of is Keke Palmer’s Elena, one of Arj’s co-workers at a hardware store who is mostly there as a plot device to show Arj that it is possible to love your minimum wage life, but somehow rises above as the most human of the bunch. ‘Good Fortune’ has its heart in the right place, but it lacks a spark and internal engine that might have made it more entertaining, and ultimately impactful.

‘Good Fortune,’ a Lionsgate release now showing in Philippine cinemas. Running time: 98 minutes. Two stars out of four.

THE country’s beach volleyball team will aim for the gold medal in the 33rd 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand, according to Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara.

‘Gold is what we’re aiming for in Thailand,’ said Suzara in the sides of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge at the Nuvali Sands Court by Ayala Land in Santa Rosa, Laguna, on Sunday.

‘We have plenty of [SEA Games] bronze and we know it is difficult, but we believe it’s possible,’ said Suzara, also the president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation. ‘I’m hoping they will be able to convert what our athletes learned here in Nuvali to a SEA Games gold medal.’

Thailand and Indonesia are the dominant force in SEA Games beach volleyball with eight gold medals each in the women and men categories, respectively.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has six bronze medals-three in each gender-since the discipline became a medal sport in 2003.

Alas Pilipinas’s beach volleyball head coach, Brazilian Joao ‘Kioday’ Luciano Simao Barbosa, meanwhile, announced the pairs for the SEA Games-Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons and Dij Rodriguez and Sunny Villapando in the women’s and James Buytrago and Ran Abdilla, Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Vergara in the men’s contest.

Each country is allowed two pairs in the Thailand games which start with the opening ceremony on December 9 with beach volleyball serving from December 12 to 19 at the Huamark Sports Complex in Bangkok.

‘We’re working so hard to fight for the gold. All the opponents are strong and we have a few months to prepare,’ Kioday said. ‘Step by step, we’re going to reach for that gold.’

Italy’s Manuel Alfieri and Alex Ranghieri and Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jasmine Fleming beat separate foes to clinch bronze medals in in the Beach Volley Pro Tour Challenge on Sunday.

World No. 48 Alfieri and Ranghieri rallied past world No. 28 Christoph Dressler and Philip Waller of Austria, 17-21, 21-18, 15-12, to secure a podium fininish in the men’s division.

Fejes and Fleming, ranked No. 58th pair, recovered from a sluggish opening set to defeat No. 45 Kylie Neuschaeferova and Martina Maixnerova of Czechia, 13-21, 21-15, 15-13, in the women’s division.

The Italians combined for 41 points-highlighted by Alfieri’s 19 kills-against the Aussies’ 37 points

Fejes led the scoring with 19 kills in Australia’s 40 total points while the Czechia had only a combined 35 total points coming from Kylie and Maixnerova.

Earlier on Sunday, crowd favorite twins Joaquin and Javier Bello of Great Britain advanced to the men’s final with a close 11-21, 21-19, 15-11 semifinal win over Italian Manuel Alfieri and Alex Ranghieri.

They faced Spain’s Alejandro Huerta and Adrian Gavira in the final set later in the day.

Huerta and Gavira beat Austrians Christoph Dressler and Philip Waller, 22-20, 18-21, 16-14, in the other semifinal.

In women’s semifinal play, Finland’s Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Prihti relied on blocking to beat Czechia’s Kylie Neuschaeferova and Martina Maixnerova, 21-19, 18-21, 15-10, to punch their way to the final against Lithuania’s Leva Dumbauskaite and Gerda Grudzinskaite.

The Lithuanians beat Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jasmine Fleming, 21-18, 21-18 in the semifinal.

Zambales will bid for the 2027 Palarong Pambansa, according to Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. as he announced the province’s desire to bring to Central Luzon the annual multi-sport competition for student-athletes in public and private elementary and secondary schools.

Ebdane said the provincial government is now preparing a multi-purpose sports event center, swimming pool, gymnasium and related facilities for the much-anticipated event.

He said the centerpiece of the provincial government’s proposal is the Zambales Sports Complex Track and Football Stadium, a 17,000-seat arena now under construction in the capital, which is touted to be at par with international standards.

‘If ever, this will be the primary venue for the 2027 Palarong Pambansa,’ Ebdane said.

The governor is also continuously meeting with concerned agencies, as well as local school officials, to map out the direction and requirements of the prospective hosting, including billeting facilities for athletic teams in local schools.

Organized by the Department of Education (DepEd), the national competition draws athletic delegations that qualify by winning at the regional sports meet held across the 17 regions in the country each year.

Last September 18, technical inspectors from the DepEd Central Office headed by Jason Razal of DepEd’s Palarong Pambansa Secretariat (PPS) and from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) led by Reb Igan Viduya, arrived in Iba to assess facilities at the Zambales Sports Complex.

Provincial Sports Development Office (PSDO) manager Jade Ballesteros and School District Supervisor William Rodrick Fallorin accompanied the PPS and PSC teams in the inspection and briefed them on the status of the athletic facilities here.

The Palarong Pambansa started as the Bureau of Public Schools-Interscholastic Athletics Association Games (BPISAA) in 1948 and features 34 sports disciplines, including the para-games, demonstrations, and exhibition sports, as well as indigenous Filipino games also known as ‘Laro ng Lahi.’

So far, Central Luzon had hosted the Palaro twice-once each in Pampanga and Tarlac.

The Palarong Pambansa was hosted by Ilocos Norte this year and Prosperidad in Agusan Del Sur will host next year’s games.

The Diocese of Ávila in Spain reported on August 28, 2024, that the body of St. Teresa of Ávila, a doctor of the Church, was still incorrupt after her death on October 4, 1582-almost five centuries ago.

‘Today the tomb of St. Teresa was opened and we have verified that it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914,’ said the postulator general of the Discalced Carmelite order, Father Marco Chiesa of the Carmelite Monastery of Alba de Tormes, where the remains of the revered Spanish saint rest.

Father Miguel Ángel González, the Carmelite prior of Alba de Tormes and Salamanca of the Diocese of Ávila, explained how the procedure was carried out:

‘The community of Discalced Carmelite mothers together with the postulator general of the order, the members of the ecclesiastical tribunal, and a small group of religious moved the reliquaries with stringency and solemnity to the place set up for study. We did it singing the Te Deum with our hearts full of emotion.’

The diocese explained that the event took place as part of the canonical recognition of the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila, requested from the Vatican on July 1, 2024, by the bishop of Salamanca, Luis Retana, with authorization granted by Pope Francis through the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The process of studying the body, the heart, an arm, and a hand, the latter of which is preserved in the Spanish town of Ronda and has been taken to Alba de Tormes for research, took place from August 28 to 31, 2024.

The diocese said that, in order to get to the body of St. Teresa, the marble slab of the sepulcher was first removed. Then-in the room set up for the studies and now only in the presence of the scientific medical team and the members of the ecclesiastical court-the silver coffin was opened.

The tribunal is made up of the Carmelite provincial of the Iberian Province of St. Teresa of Jesús in Spain, Father Francisco Sánchez Oreja; González; and the superior of the Daughters of Charity of Alba de Tormes, Sister Remigia Blázquez Martín.

The silver coffin was opened with the help of the goldsmiths Ignacio Manzano Martín and Constantino Martín Jaén, who will also be present on the last day of the work.

The Diocese of Ávila also revealed that 10 keys were used to open the tomb: ‘The three that are kept in Alba de Tormes, the three that the Duke of Alba lent them, and the three that the father general [a Discalced Carmelite] keeps in Rome, in addition to the king’s key. Three of these keys are to open the outer grille, three are to open the marble tomb, and the other four are to open the silver coffin.’

Chiesa pointed out that the images preserved from the 1914 examination are in black and white, so ‘it is difficult to make a comparison,’ although ‘the parts uncovered, which are the face and the foot, are the same as they were in 1914.’

‘There is no color, there is no skin color, because the skin is mummified, but you can see it, especially the middle of the face,’ he noted. ‘The expert doctors can see Teresa’s face almost clearly.’

3 stages of the process

The first stage was the opening and recognition which took place up until August 31, 2024. In this phase, a team led by Dr. José Antonio Ruiz de Alegría from Madrid took photos and X-rays as well as properly cleaned the reliquaries.

The second stage took place in laboratories in Italy for a few months and resulted in various scientific conclusions. Finally, as a third stage, some interventions were proposed to better preserve the remains.

Before the final closure, a time was set aside so the relics of St. Teresa could be venerated.

The 1914 opening

The previous opening of the tomb of St. Teresa of Jesús took place from August 16 to 23, 1914. At that time the Diocese of Ávila stated that the body remained ‘completely incorrupt,’ as occurred at the opening in 1750.

According to Carmelite Father Daniel de Pablo Maroto, the tomb was opened in 1914 because the superior general of the Discalced Carmelites, Father Clemente de los Santos, wanted to take advantage of his visit to Spain to see the bodies of the founding saints: St. John of the Cross in Segovia and St. Teresa in Alba de Tormes.

The study conducted in 2024 with the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila was similar to that carried out in 1991 with those of St. John of the Cross in Segovia on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his death.

Who was St. Teresa of Ávila?

The website of the general curia of the Discalced Carmelites explains that they recognize as their mother and founder St. Teresa of Jesús, also known as St. Teresa of Ávila, the first woman to become a doctor of the Church, who wanted to ‘preserve the continuity of Carmel’ with the desire that ‘a new style of religious life would be born,’ always ‘in fidelity to the Church.’

Born in Spain in 1515, St. Teresa of Ávila was also a mystic and writer of Jewish descent, recognized both for her contribution to Catholic spirituality and to Spanish literature.

A famous saying of hers is: ‘Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you. Everything passes, God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks for nothing. God alone is enough.’

BUTUAN City’s Artjoy Torregosa and Kenya’s Kelvin Kiplagat ruled the 10-kilometer races of the rain-drenched Asics META: Time: Trials (MTT) Philippines on Sunday at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City on Sunday.

Torregosa delivered one of the most stirring moments of the race as she stormed past favored contenders, including national team standout Joida Gagnao, to claim the women’s overall crown with a time of 36 minutes and 23 seconds.

‘I really didn’t expect this,’ said Torregosa. ‘There were members of the national team in the race and I’m not part of that team. My only strategy was to keep up with them.’

‘But in the last lap, when I asked myself if I still had something left, that’s when I gave it everything I had,’ she added.

Torregosa was in emotional pain throughout her training following the death of his grandfather.

‘I dedicated this run to my grandfather,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t able to attend his funeral because I had to train for this race.’

Kiplagat, a first-timer in local races, defied both unfamiliarity and a crack field to post a victorious 30:32 finish and held off local aces Richard Salaño (30:41) and Sonny Wagdos (31:22), who had recently won in Thailand.

‘It felt kind of funny and exciting at the same time,’ said Kiplagat, who hails from the high-altitude town of Eldama Ravine. ‘This is my first time racing in the Philippines, and the weather was challenging, my body was hurting. But I gave it everything.’

Like Torregosa, Kiplagat was not among the pre-race favorites but his goal is to follow the path of greatness carved by compatriots Eliud Kipchoge and Daniel Simiu.

Both champions ran away with P100,000 each but more than the cash prize, they left an imprint of perseverance on a day when the rain tried but failed to steal the spotlight.

Despite the rain, the event-part of the global Asics META: Time: Trials series-was hailed as a resounding success with more than 3,000 runners of all backgrounds turning out for the precision-focused loop course, energized by hydration stations, elite pacers and a cheering crowd that braved the storm to support every stride.

Rounding out the top 10 in the women’s division were Christine Hallasgo (37:07), Jessa Mae Roda (38:45), Nicole Diloy (38:57), Michelle Zamora (39:22), Macrose Dichoso (40:18), Melljoy Gonzales (40:35), and Maricar Camacho (40:54).

In the men’s division, Dickyias Mendioro (31:25), Eduard Flores (31:32), Mark Mahinay (31:38), Arlan Arbois (31:47), Junel Gobotia (32:02), Roy Laudit (32:14), and Corsino Satinitigan (32:19) completed the Top 10.

According to Kabir Buxani, Chief Executive Officer of Sonak Retail Group-the official distributor of Asics in the Philippines-the event was more than just a race.

‘We’re proud to bring this global performance race concept to local runners and to witness how the Filipino running community embraced it with so much passion,’ Buxani said. ‘Today was about every athlete discovering what’s possible when focus, preparation and innovation come .’

Runners were also given the exclusive opportunity to test the brand’s latest innovations, including the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and the newly introduced Metaspeed Ray. These state-of-the-art racing shoes are engineered to optimize stride mechanics and running economy, offering a competitive edge to those looking to smash their limits.

Nonstop fun arrives in the Philippines as vivo launches the vivo V60 Lite, a stylish smartphone built for gamers and entertainment lovers.

Starting at P14,999, the vivo V60 Lite is now open for pre-order in vivo concept stores, kiosks, and authorized dealers nationwide until October 30, 2025.

When you pre-order today until October 30, enjoy exclusive perks:

vivo VIP Card worth P4,020 (includes 6-month Broken Screen Insurance and Extended Warranty)

Limited-edition vivo Buds worth P1,699

P1,000 discount

Extra Php 500 off via Home Credit

Enjoy 0% interest installment plans via Home Credit and major credit cards nationwide.

Top 7 features of vivo V60 Lite

The vivo V60 Lite blends gaming performance, entertainment features, and sleek design for a next-level experience. Here are its top highlights:

6500mAh BlueVolt Battery + 90W FlashCharge

Enjoy up to 12 hours of nonstop gaming with a massive 6500mAh BlueVolt battery that can last up to five years. Recharge 100% in just 52 minutes with 90W FlashCharge and charge worry-free with 24-dimension safety protection.

MediaTek Dimensity 7360-Turbo Chipset

Experience up to 60% overall performance boost, with faster frame rates, smoother graphics, and lag-free gameplay. Perfect for MOBA players and content streamers alike.

Bypass Charging + Ultra Game Mode

Stay cool during long sessions with Bypass Charging, which powers the system directly to reduce heat. Ultra Game Mode adds pro tools like Game Boost, Esports Mode, Mistouch Prevention, and Game Small Window for zero interruptions.

6.77′ 120Hz AMOLED Display

Immerse yourself in every frame with a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, HDR10+ visuals, and 120Hz refresh rate. Enjoy vibrant colors, fluid motion, and an ultra-slim 94.2% screen-to-body ratio.

400% Volume Dual Stereo Speakers

Turn every game, show, and song into a full concert experience with 400% louder dual stereo speakers delivering rich surround sound and cinematic clarity.

50MP Sony IMX882 Camera

Capture victory moments in stunning detail with the 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor. Its large 1/1.95-inch size and 2x lossless zoom ensure crisp, realistic shots even in low light – perfect for streaming and vlogging.

AI Four-Season Portrait

Add creative flair to your photos with AI Four-Season Portrait, which lets you transform your selfies with cinematic seasonal effects – spring, summer, autumn, or winter.

Blending powerful performance with an eye-catching design, the vivo V60 Lite is crafted for modern gamers who value both substance and style.

Available in stunning Pop Pink, Titanium Blue, and Elegant Black, it comes in three variants to match every gamer’s needs and budget: 8+256 (4G) for P14,999, 8+256 (5G) for Php 17,999, and 12+512 (5G) for P20,999.

BEFORE announcing his decision to skip the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand, Carlos Yulo told reporters in Jakarta that he’s only competing in floor exercise and vault at the world gymnastics championships that kicked off Sunday and ends Saturday.

Yulo said he’s cautious about risking his left wrist injury.

‘I still want the taste of competition,’ Yulo said in an Olympic.com report before the weekend. ‘That is the most important for me right now.’

The double gold medalist in vault and floor exercise at last year’s Paris Olympics announced on Saturday through Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton that he’s skipping the Thailand SEA Games.

For two reasons: He’s giving his fellow Filipino gymnasts the opportunity to win golds and because Thai gymnastics organizers have limited Yulo-and all other elite gymnasts-to only one event in the December 9 to 20 games.

‘Carlos [Yulo] just decided not to push through with the SEA Games because he can only compete in one event,’ Carrion-Norton said. ‘It’s a selfless decision because he likes to give others a chance.’

‘He’s now focused on winning in the world championships,’ she added.

Carrion-Norton also said that Thailand scrapped the all-around event.

‘Golds are only for each apparatus,’ added the GAP president who added that Yulo’s wrist has been progressing the past few days.

The two-time world champion told Olympic.com that he injured his wrist two months before Jakarta.

‘I kind of have been having trouble with my wrists,’ said Yulo, blaming the injury to his intent to develop a new dismount-double pike front with a half twist-in the parallel bars. ‘I kind of did it too much.’

Yulo said he’s still going all out despite competing in only two events in Jakarta.

‘My goal is to perform beautiful gymnastics, to be really graceful,’ he said. ‘I want to show really good and graceful gymnastics and I’m just really happy that I get to compete.’

With Yulo in Jakarta are Miguel Besana and Cambodia Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Ivan Cruz.

Once upon a time, from the years 1997 to 1999, the rock world witnessed an explosion of exclusively female talent called the Lilith Fair, a traveling music festival put together by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

This documentary feature, ‘Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery’ on Disney+, directed by her fellow Canuck Ally Pankiw, extracts from over 600 hours of never-before-seen footage and features numerous interviews to capture the heady, joyous, and congenial outdoor atmosphere of those Fair days, as well as the toxic male-dominated showbiz culture that prompted its creation. It can perhaps be described as musical woman power at its non-combative best. One of the Fair’s artists calls it ‘the best drug in the world.’

The performers featured, either in interviews or snippets of performances or both, include Liz Phair, Erykah Badu, Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Sinead O’ Connor, Emmylou Harris, Chrissie Hynde, Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls, Missy Elliott, Jewel, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Osborne, Paula Cole, Queen Latifah, and Christina Aguilera, to name just a few.

The documentary highlights the suffering and harassment undergone by female artists from brickbats, snide remarks, and at times, physical assault by a heavily sexist, testosterone-ruled mainstream media, with the likes of Bill Maher, shock jock Howard Stern, Jerry Springer’s tabloid TV show, Time Magazine, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and even Beavis and Butthead cited as offenders in clips and comments.

Madonna gets a mention from Vega. ‘In the 80s, she used sex to sell records. That was her empowerment message, which was great for her, but it was not something that I was going to do.’ Vega says she was being pressured to be more like Madonna, but she preferred to ‘cover up’ and allow listeners to focus on her face, hands, and song lyrics.

McLachlan recalls a childhood where she was not allowed to open her mouth and say anything, what with an ‘incredibly strict’ mother who never let her out of the house, grounded her for the ‘tiniest of infractions,’ and remarked that if Sarah ever joined a band, ‘you’re gonna fail.’ Sarah backhandedly credited her mom, who, by telling her she wasn’t good enough, in effect motivated her to prove otherwise.

Everyone will have his or her favorite performances from the docu, although none of them are aired in their entirety, perhaps not to show any favoritism. My personal faves include: the Indigo Girls rendering the vigorous ‘Closer to Fire’ complete with yodeling; Vega engaging the crowd to clap along to her introspective a cappella ditty ‘Tom’s Diner’; the statuesque Badu chilling out her audience with a ‘cup of tea’ in the cool ‘On and On’; Chapman unleashing her deep-voiced desire in ‘Baby Can I Hold You’; and the artists briefly jamming and rehearsing backstage to Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi.’

As the Lilith Fair progresses, the events and their performers are hardly spared by the misogynistic press. The Fair is called names like ‘vulva-palooza’ and ‘lesbian-palooza.’ In its initial year, it was also called the ‘Lily-white Fair’ for not featuring non-white artists, although the festival eventually invited black artists like Erykah Badu and Tracy Chapman, the latter now considered the festival’s most popular performer. Cole gets blasted and mocked by critics and talk show hosts for not shaving her armpits in a performance.

O’ Connor, who died in 2023, is shown here calling Lilith Fair ‘a healing experience.’ Publicly lambasted for tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II, an incident no self-respecting Catholic surely could not help but condemn, she is able to find solace in the Fair.

Inclusiveness emerges as a major theme here as testimonials from LGBTQ audiences focus on their Lilith festival experience as a venue for being themselves in a happy and fun ambiance. But apparently, for McLachlan and her ilk, feminist inclusiveness has its limits. It’s admitted that ‘Lilith Fair was very much pro-choice.’

Sarah shows a clear double standard by allowing the pro-abortion Planned Parenthood organization to put up a booth in the concert, but in a seeming display of hypocrisy, forbids a pro-life group, Feminists for Life, from doing the same. This would have been ‘politically correct’ during the liberal-minded time period covered, the reign of Democratic President Bill Clinton. However, given that this docu was released in 2025, at a time where the government has defunded PP and the Supreme Court no longer recognizes abortion as a right, the film fails to place this issue in its present context; instead we get a lame, dismissive and intolerant explanation from Sarah that ‘this is my festival, so I can do what I want.’

After this, the docu also makes mention of the claim of Jerry Falwell, televangelist and publisher of the newspaper The National Liberty Journal, that Lilith, the mythical woman that the Fair was named after, was a ‘demon,’ thus opening up another can of worms. While the docu does mention early on the legend that Lilith was Adam’s supposed first wife prior to Eve, it skips over the fact that she was also indeed considered a demon in Jewish lore. So this Lilith Fair actually has. demonic roots?

These belatedly inserted issues threaten to nearly ruin the cheery vibe that the docu had established up to this point; still, the film soldiers on, leading the narrative to the Fair’s eventual decline and trying to persuade the viewers to mourn its passing.

Overall, ‘Lilith Fair’ is still able to make its mark as an adventurous and nostalgic feminist vehicle and solid pop entertainment that may still work for many audiences; just try to ignore the annoying occasional leftward detours into what is now recognized as 21st-century wokeness and you’ll be fine. I guess.

‘Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery’ is now streaming on Disney+. Running time: 1 hour and 39 minutes. Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

For someone who already spent 25 years in music, singer-songwriter Ebe Dancel is not in a rush to achieve milestone after milestone-he’s just there, still in awe of the craft.

In an interview with SoundStrip, Ebe shared that despite spending a good amount of time in the industry, the simple joy of writing songs and performing in a crowd keeps him going.

‘Just two weeks ago, I was able to write a new song. I sent it to my manager, who is also my producer, Rico Blanco,’ he shared, smiling.

‘And then he said, ‘No notes. This is good.’ You know, you hope to have those days when you can still write new songs,’ he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

For Ebe, every show is also a reminder of why he stayed. ‘Each show, big or small, is always a different experience because your audience is always different, especially in the province,’ he quipped. ‘The audience in Bicol is different, the audience in Tarlac is different. Seeing people enjoy, seeing people have fun, hearing the songs live is always a great motivator for me to keep doing it.’

Staying true, not trendy

In an age where virality and algorithms dictate the music industry’s rhythm, Ebe remains unfazed about staying relevant.

Although his music catalog saw a resurgence in streaming, led by the viral revival of ‘Burnout,’ which surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify-a rare feat for an OPM track from the 2000s-the timeless resonance in his songs keeps him humbled.

”Burnout’ is a big part of who I am as a musician,’ he shared. ‘Whether it’s the Sugarfree version, or the 3D (Danao, Dancel, Dumas) version, or the one I recorded by myself, it doesn’t really matter. I’m just grateful that the song I wrote resonates to this day, to a generation that probably wasn’t even born yet when I wrote it 25 years ago.’

His poignant lyrics that continue to haunt and heal at the same time pierce through generations, speaking to both longtime listeners and younger fans discovering his work anew online.

‘My focus has always been on songwriting and performing well,’ he commented, ‘[Tha]t means handling your instrument well, singing well, singing properly-I even went to a vocal coach to improve my singing.’

He recalled how, early in his career, relevance was never demanded of him. ‘I was lucky when I joined [because] I wasn’t required to be relevant. They just told me, ‘whatever you’re doing now, just keep on writing songs.”

Surrounded by an encouraging environment, Ebe never felt out of place. ‘Sometimes you think, because all the kids are playing now, you don’t know where your place is – until you step on stage and feel like everything’s still the same. Everything’s still familiar,’ he mused.

Another sold-out concert

Ebe is set to return to a bigger stage to mark his 25-year career, with tickets to Ebe Dancel with The Manila String Machine: The Repeatsold out after just one day.

The one-night-only concert will take place on November 15, 2025, at the New Frontier Theater to revisit Ebe’s greatest hits accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra led by musical director Chino David.

It’s not his first time performing with an orchestra – his first was back in 2005, with the Manila Symphony Orchestra during his Sugarfree days.

‘Whenever the opportunity allows, I really want an orchestra with me,’ he said. ‘We did it in 2020, we’re doing it again now. Sugarfree did it a few times. During my time with 3D, we had 8-piece, 16-piece orchestras.’

The reason is simple: his songs leave room for strings to breathe. ‘There’s a lot of space for my songs to enter the orchestra, to elevate the experience,’ he explained. ‘After five years, we’re doing it again.’

Dreams fulfilled

At 25 years in, Ebe doesn’t measure success by fame or numbers. ‘In those terms, I feel like I’m already ‘over quota.’ I’ve already overachieved,’ he said.

He remembered how modest his early dreams were: ‘When I was starting out, we just wanted to do a demo so we could play in small bars and do front acts for Eraserheads and Rivermaya. And now, I actually share the stage with them sometimes. To that point, I’m already over-fulfilled.’

The production of Sugarfree’s debut album Sa Wakas was in collaboration with Rico Blanco, while Eraserheads’ Buddy Zabala and Raymund Marasigan have also worked on producing Dramachine.

‘I’m still hoping to create something new from time to time in terms of songs. That’s still the goal – to reach many corners of the Philippines and the world,’ Ebe said.

Beyond the spotlight, Ebe also worked behind the scenes as an artist and repertoire manager for Widescope Entertainment, discovering new talent and signing established ones as well.

However, he found himself at a crossroads. ‘My health was suffering. I had to pick one-and I chose what I’ve been doing for the past 25 years,’ he shared.

Still, his commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians has not waned. ‘Anytime someone approaches me, I’m open. If younger musicians come and ask for advice, I won’t turn them away.’

After all these years, Ebe’s fire is still burning. ‘I’m still hoping to create something new from time to time in terms of songs. That’s still the goal – to reach many corners of the Philippines and the world.’ If he ever performs in a festival attended by 10,000 people and he sees two people happy to see him sing, Ebe said, ‘That’s already fulfilling for me. That gives me enough juice to keep doing it.’

Janrey Pasaol shines with 17 points and 10 assists as Far Eastern University (FEU) compounded University of the East’s (UE) woes, 95-76 victory, to close the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. FEU improves to 2-5 won-lost, while UE goes 0-7-0-13 since the second round of last season.