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Ain’t your typical Toy Story film

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I wasn’t born yet when Disney and Pixar released the first ever Toy Story film back in 1995. Back then, it was a talk not just of the town, but the whole planet for being the first ever 3D-animated feature film.

Still, I’m one of those lucky kids who were able to catch up and watch the Toy Story franchise several times back when Disney Channel (not Disney+) was still the thing of the past. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are two of the most iconic characters I cherished since then.

During the pandemic, it was mentioned that a special spinoff film of Buzz named Lightyear will come to cinemas. Fast forward this 2022 (still under the pandemic), kids and kids at heart (like me) were all ecstatic to know that Lightyear has his own story to tell.

The Special Screening

Last Saturday, June 11th, selected people were invited to watch the special screening of Lightyear at SM Megamall — one of the biggest malls in the Philippines.

Other than these free Lightyear pins, the real treat is the Lightyear film itself being shown through the gigantic IMAX 3D screen — a feast in the eyes, I must say.

Overall, the experience was fun — and the film itself, well, I have many things in mind but here are…

6 reasons why you need to watch Lightyear right now

⚠️ Warning: Some spoilers ahead! ⚠️

1. Voiced by Chris Evans

 If you miss Captain America, now is the chance to hear him again, but in a different suit. Pretty much like Captain America, Lightyear is also a wise-sounding hero that does it all for his teammates.

2. A Rollercoaster Ride of Emotions

As told by Chris Evans, Lightyear isn’t your typical film. It’s an “epic sci-fi” one, and I attest to that.

Other than the usual action-packed fight scenes, there are also melodramatic parts that will truly make you cry if you’re onion-skinned (like I do). And it wouldn’t be a classic Disney film without the hilarious comedic parts in it.

And as we’re already on the topic, Emperor Zurg reveals himself around the middle part of the film.

The real spoiler here is that, Emperor Zurg is none other than Buzz Lightyear himself — but from the future.

This either makes or breaks the part when Emperor Zurg revealed he IS Lightyear’s father in Toy Story 2 — though this can very easily be just a gag referencing the Star Wars moment between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

3. Sox

That’s it. That’s the tweet — I mean how can you resist this adorable cat?

Sox isn’t your typical feline. It is actually a robot assistant made by Space Ranger Hawthorne to Buzz Lightyear.

As adorable as it looks, it can do more than that — anything and everything between hacking into systems, examining the inconsistencies in Buzz’s hyperspeed fuel compound, and heck even play sleepy sounds to make you asleep.

That said, Sox, whether just a pseudo-cat, still lives to the spirit of a real and cute cat — just the friendlier one.

4. The (Not-so) Epic Dream Team

After Lightyear’s lone hyperspeed experimentation for more than half a century, the dynamic duo between him and his Space Ranger partner Alisha Hawthorne didn’t actually go as planned. Even so, Hawthorne parted happily and peacefully.

The almost epic dream team is actually far from being perfect. Together with Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy, Sox, and the two nutheads namely Mo Morrison and Darby Steel, they’re gonna make a huge leap in and out of space that no one will expect — not even Lightyear has even thought of.

5. Interstellar-like

If you’ve watched (or a huge fan of) Interstellar, chances are you might love Lightyear even more. From terms like “time dilation”, “Space Rangers”, and even the existence of “Hypersleep Pods”, Interstellar fans will surely get the unintentional connection and references between the two films.

It should come to no surprise that the film was produced by Warner Bros. and not Disney — but the similarities are uncanny to many eagle-eyed Interstellar fans.

6. #Pride Over Prejudice

Saving the sixth number for the sixth month is none other than the portrayal of homosexuality in the film. Well, we’re not talking about Buzz here.

As already reported by a lot of news outlets, Lightyear is banned in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries due to this “controversy” where Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne and her wife had a subtle kiss upon celebrating their marriage. They even created a family through surrogacy and resulted into a son — which is Izzy Hawthorne’s father btw.

If you’re homophobic, chances are you would feel “disgusted” by the same-sex family portrayal in the film. But not today son, not on my watch. Especially not during Pride month. And also, educate your kids not to hate same-sex parents. A loving family, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, is still a family.

The much-awaited premiere

If you have time (I say you need to make time), Lightyear will start showing on cinemas this June 15 — at least if you reside in the Philippines — or June 17 in other parts of the world.

And just like other Disney films, you should wait for post-credits before leaving the cinema 😉  (and please, don’t leave your garbage, too).

Entertainment

LE SSERAFIM Chaewon flexes Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display

She says the feature is cool

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Collage. Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display | Edited image of Chaewon holding a Galaxy S26 Ultra
Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display | Edited image of Chaewon holding a Galaxy S26 Ultra

LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chaewon didn’t set out to show off a feature. But somewhere in the middle of a Weverse live, she ended up doing exactly that. It’s a pretty good flex.

In a clip that’s now making the rounds online, Chaewon shared that she recently switched to the Galaxy S26 Ultra and has been enjoying one specific feature in particular:

“I just changed my phone lately to Galaxy S26 Ultra. And it has a privacy screen feature, right? It’s so cool. You really can’t see anything from the side. I show this to everyone I meet and make them jealous.”

It’s just someone genuinely impressed by a feature — and casually flexing it.

A feature that makes sense instantly

The feature Chaewon is referring to is Privacy Display, one of the headline additions on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

When enabled, it limits the viewing angles of the screen. That way. only the person holding the phone can clearly see what’s on it. Anyone looking from the side gets a dimmed or obscured view.

If you’ve ever used a privacy screen protector, the concept is similar. The difference here is that it’s built directly into the phone and can be toggled on or off, or even set to activate only for specific apps.

It’s a small addition on paper, but one that solves a very real, very common problem — especially if you’re using your phone in public spaces.

Samsung contract renewed?

It’s worth noting that LE SSERAFIM has been using Galaxy smartphones for a while now. That’s likely due to a partnership with Samsung and/or Google.

The music video for their track “Come Over” heavily features the smartphone, along with Google Gemini features integrated into the experience.

Another member, Sakura, also mentioned to fans recently that she has switched phones — from a Galaxy Z Flip to now also using a Galaxy S26 Ultra.


Whether this points to a renewed partnership or just continued preference isn’t something officially confirmed. But moments like Chaewon’s certainly keep Galaxy devices in the spotlight.

It’s easy to imagine the same scenario playing out anywhere — on a commute, in a café, or sitting next to someone who’s just a little too curious about what you’re doing on your phone.

It’s also something we’ve explored ourselves.

In one of our reels, we showed a straightforward demo of how Privacy Display works. We tilted the phone to show how the screen becomes unreadable from the side. In another, we leaned into a more playful skit: someone trying (and failing) to peek at what’s on the screen of the person beside them.


The result is the same. From certain angles, the display practically disappears.

The kind of feature you show off

Privacy Display isn’t the flashiest feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But it’s the kind of feature you end up showing people. Not because you have to — but because it’s surprisingly satisfying to see in action.

If Chaewon’s experience is anything to go by, it’s also the kind of feature that makes people just a little bit jealous.

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Forgotten Island is an upcoming film based on Filipino culture

The film features the talents of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, and Lea Salonga.

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Despite all the Filipino actors in Hollywood today, it’s still difficult to feel scene in an industry where Filipino stories aren’t as abundant. Now, it’s time for the Philippines to shine. DreamWorks Animation has just released the first trailer for Forgotten Island, an upcoming animated film based on Filipino culture.

Played by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, Jo and Raissa are childhood best friends about to go their separate ways after one decides to study abroad. However, during their last night together, they discover a magical portal that takes them to Nakali, the Forgotten Island.

The island calls itself home to an army of creatures from Philippine mythology including The Dreaded Manananggal (voiced by Lea Salonga). Dave Franco also plays a weredog named Raww.

Besides the presence of all these monsters, the island has an even more dangerous quirk. The longer that Jo and Raissa stay on Nakali, the more of their memories are erased until they eventually forget each other. It then becomes a race to find their way home before they lose memories of their friendship forever.

Supporting the main cast, the film will feature the voice talents of Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, Amielyn Abellera, and Ronny Chieng. It will be made by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the prolific team behind the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Forgotten Island premieres in Philippine cinemas on September 23.

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Marvel’s Wonder Man greenlit for a rare second season

The first season holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe back? After years of floundering through Phases Four and Five, Marvel Studios is poised to get its mojo back from a flurry of much-awaited Phase Six projects this year, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday. And it all started this year with the critically acclaimed Wonder Man. Now, after the success of that series, a second season is officially in the works.

When its first trailer came out, Wonder Man did not look like anything that Marvel Studios has worked on before. For one, it was incredibly grounded, perhaps overshadowed only by Daredevil: Born Again. Second, it was about the reboot of a fictional superhero movie, itself called Wonder Man.

Actor Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II) wants to energize his career by performing in the upcoming Wonder Man revival from acclaimed director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Helping the former is the returning Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who you might remember as the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3.

Despite how different it looks compared to previous Marvel Studios projects, the series is one of the most acclaimed, currently holding a 91 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Because of this, Wonder Man has received the green light for a second season, via Variety.

A second season is relatively rare for Marvel Studios with its history of one-and-done series. There are some exceptions, though. Loki, for example, ended its run with a second season. Daredevil: Born Again will air its second season very soon (with a third one potentially in the works already).

SEE ALSO: Marvel’s Wolverine gets a release date

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