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These Asians are amazin’
at the film festival

HIFF IS THE WORD: HIFF (as in Hawai'i International Film Festival) is the word this week with screenings on Oahu continuing through Sunday. Three best bet films with Hawaii ties are director Gerard Elmore's superhero spoof, "Amasian: The Amazing Asian," starring Paul Ogata, "To You Sweetheart, Aloha," a touching and compelling look at ukulele virtuoso Bill Tapia by Mercedes Coats and S. Leo Chang, and "Kokua," director Ira Opper's day-in-the-life look at Jack Johnson's commitment to making recycling a way of life in Hawaii ... On the other hand, witnesses confirm that the lengthy scenes of slasher-style killings and cannibalism in director Lon Takiguchi's "public access: EPISODE 04 of 05" have caused at least one person to vomit, and others to walk out ...

GANGSTER'S HOLIDAY: Tom McWilliams got married here in 1967, started a family, stayed until 1979, and describes himself these days as a "kamaaina emeritus." He and wife Clare are back for the weekend and plan to celebrate their 37th anniversary with dinner at Orchids at the Halekulani on Saturday. Count yourself a long-time Hawaii resident if you remember McWilliams' days as a television newscaster who appeared as "Torpedo Tom" McWilliams in commercials with fellow newscaster "gang members" "Dandy Don" Rockwell and "Foxy Linda" Coble ...

DON'T MISS THIS: Anybody interested in the evolution of electronic music should catch writer/director Jason Rem's film, "Put the Needle on the Record," which screens at Dole Cannery at 9:45 tonight. Among DJs who participated are Hawaii favorites D:Fuse and Dieselboy ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Big Teeze, Jon de Mello and Carole Kai, who are celebrating today ... also to Yesod Williams (Friday), Janel Parrish (Saturday), Manu Boyd, Genoa Keawe, Maori entertainer Rhonda, and Alfredo "Darth Vato" Villagas (Sunday), and Eddie Gudoy (Wednesday) ...

GET A CHEAP COLLECTIBLE: There's still time to get a copy of the original pressing of the controversial anthology CD, "The 50 Greatest Hawai'i Albums of All Time," released last month as a spin-off of the equally controversial Honolulu Magazine article. The original cover art shows Genoa Keawe, Gabby Pahinui and Don Ho, even though none of their recordings are on the album. Mountain Apple Co. has issued a second pressing that shows Olomana, Ho'okena and the Brothers Cazimero instead, but copies of the original are still out there. Once those are gone there won't be any more ...

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