Tuesday, January 26, 2016

"Anino sa Likod ng Buwan" Director Jun Lana Holds Free Writing Workshop



In a Facebook post, Lana announced:

"The screenwriting lab is completely free of charge, and open to 
all aspiring writers 18-40 years old. A full resumé with photo must be submitted to jrlworkshops@gmail.com on or before February 10, 2016. Please include information about any work experience related to writing for TV, Film and/or Theater, including past writing workshops attended. Selected applicants will be invited to the preliminary screening on February 21. Only 20 applicants will be chosen for the workshop."

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Matteo Guidicelli Trained with an Ex-CIA Agent for Tupang Ligaw




In this action film where he chose to perform risky stunts without the use of a double, Matteo opted to work with a circle of people he can trust. “They’re a group of friends that I’ve worked with. One of them is Tom Picorro, he’s an ex-CIA agent. He’s been a CIA agent in America for 25 years and now he’s based in the Philippines working as security.” The film’s protagonist told those present at the press conference held at Victorino’s Restaurant last June 18 not to expect any exploding cars or special effects, just “authentic stuff” consisting of hand-to-hand combat and lots of gunfire. He further related, “We were in the firing range. We were shooting live ammo all the time.”





This is the Filipino Italian actor’s first time working with BG Productions’ matriarch Baby Go, yet plans are already underway for more future collaborations. “Expect another project for him. May hinahanda na kami,” confirmed Dennis Evangelista. The film is purportedly a Visayan-language film which will be set in the Kapamilya actor’s hometown, Cebu. Matteo was said to play an impoverished fisherman. In 2013, he has already proven his acting chops by bagging the Best Actor award at the Cinema One Originals via the film Saturday Night Chills.  His most recent television work was being one of the main characters in Inday Bote as well as having had prominent roles in the films Catch Me, I’m In Love, My Cactus Heart, and Somebody to Love.




BG Productions, the company behind this film, came out victorious some hours ago with their film Child Haus, the Best Children’s Film winner at the recently concluded 14th Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh.




For Matteo’s fans, they should expect to see total adrenaline rush in this movie as his character dukes it out with El Diablo (Paolo Contis) to seek retribution for his missing brother (Rico Barrera). In Barrio Paraiso, good and evil will collide in a bloody battle. Will he be able to protect his brother’s wife (Ara Mina) and child (Johnny Regana)?

2015 did not end that well for Matteo since rumors that he  and Sarah Geronimo broke up surfaced. However, he clarified that he would gamely invite her to the premiere night and would have no qualms acting with her should there be forthcoming offers for a film.





The film was directed by Rod Santiago, the former graphic artist behind several episodes of fantasy-themed television series like Wansapanataym and Buhawi Jack (a Komiks arc). Tupang Ligaw will open in selected theaters this coming February 17.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Dennis Trillo Tells Solenn Heussaff That Riding a Bicycle is Like Lovemaking

“Pag natutunan mo na, hindi mo na makakalimutan,” said Trillo who plays Jay-R Agimat in Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil’s advocacy film Lakbay2Love. Heussaff plays the videographer Lianne, who is hung over her ex-boyfriend Macky (played by Kit Thompson). Three people in a love triangle find their common ground in this film about biking, companionship, and holding on to one’s passion.




            Similar to his character Jay-R, Trillo is also an environmentalist and immerses himself in nature by biking. He has been an avid biker since he was eight years old. “Mahilig talaga akong mag-bike. Ito ang madalas kong ginagawa kapag may free time ako. Kahit marami akong work at merong kasabay na ginagawang movie, I make time to go biking. Ito ang rest ko,” the actor fondly shared.




            Marfil confirmed that most of the biking scenes in the film were done without using doubles. Heusaff’s scene where she rides behind Trillo while the two were mounted on a Benguet bike with no brakes was one of the most daring scenes she shot, since they skidded along a narrow mountain slope. She has one more unforgettable experience during the shoot. “We were supposed to shoot in a forest pero umuulan noong day na ‘yon. So everyone, including the bikers from different groups who were part of the scene, sumilong kami sa tents, nagsiksikan. Super fun! We were just eating ice cream and having fun!” Art indeed imitates life since there’s a scene in the film which seemed to be inspired by this incident where all the bikers huddled together in the tent after the unpredictable weather forces them to take shelter.




            This is Marfil’s third film after her two critically-acclaimed works Pusang Gala and Boses. She affirmed that another challenge in completing the film was Trillo’s commitment to the film Felix Manalo. “Minsan, once a week lang kami nakakapagshoot,” she added.




            Lakbay2Love opens in theaters nationwide on February 3. It was produced by Erasto Films. Some of the interesting songs in the film which are part of the soundtrack are Liwanag by Kai Honasan and Kilig sung by Heussaff herself. The film is supported by La Mesa Ecopark, Timberland Heights, 7-Eleven, Firefly Brigade, and the Cordillera Conservation Trust.





            For more details, you may visit 
www.facebook.com/Lakbay2Love or www.lakbay2love.com.ph.

Monday, January 18, 2016

2016 Presidentiable Boboy Syjuco’s Life Told in Webisodes

“Tingnan mo ang mga tumatakbo ngayon, wala man lang nakaisip na ilagay ang buhay nila sa pelikula. Puro pakyut sila sa commercials,” webisode director Benny Agapito remarked. The other prsidentiables aside from Syjuco are Mayor Rody Duterte, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Mar Roxas, and VP Jojo Binay.




            In May 2013, Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco Jr., also known as “Ang Paboritong Tito”, ran for the position of Iloilo Representative under UNA. He lost to Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta and blamed “massive elextronic fraud”. This year, he has his eye on the presidency. Last November 2015, the former TESDA chief was adopted by KBL as its presidential candidate. In his interview with Philippine Star, KBL president Vicente Millora stated why. “Syjuco is the most qualified candidate to run (for president) being a former congressman and (having a) track record of public service and one of the richest candidates as reflected in his statement of assets and liabilities.” Millora affirmed that Syjuco’s assets is around P300 million.

            The 12 webisodes which will be released under the umbrella title Binuhay Ako Dahil Sa’yo chronicles Syjuco’s life story, from his birth up to his appointment as TESDA Chief. The teaser can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vKhFQvjLa0. Some of the highlights include his experience of bullying as a boy, his bout with diphtheria in 1953, and introduction of the overseas voting law as a public servant. All the actors in the film are first-timers.
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His achievements as TESDA Chief include the ladderized sustem of education, where individuals who do not have the financial capability to continue their college studies can opt to take technical courses which can be finished in 7 years. These 7 years will include both classroom sessions as well as paid work experience. He said he has given away 11.5 million scholarships and self-published “Mag-Tek Book ka Bok”, a supplementary reading material. He is strong advocate of affordable quality education for Filipinos and believes everyone deserves the chance to finish their studies. “Ang pagpasok sa eskuwela ay parang pagpasok sa tubo. Wala kang ibang labasan kundi sa dulo,” he quipped.





            Even though the Comelec’s Second Division nullified Syjuco’s COC last Dec. 3, appeal are being made so the decision is not yet irrevocable. One of his goals bor a better Philippines include establishing a internet connection faster than Singapore’s up to 69.69 Mbps using fiber optic technology. He officially launched Augment Broadband Spead (ABS) Movement last January 16. It is “an organization established by Tito Boboy Syjuco pressure the government to take immediate actions in solving our very poor internet connection.”




Thursday, January 7, 2016

German 'Kuya Germs' Moreno joined our creator at the age of 82

According to GMA News, the "Master Showman" died earlier 3:20 a.m. due to cardiac arrest. About year ago, he suffered from a stroke January 2 of last year but was able to recover and even attend events as usual. He even returned to hosting the abovementioned late evening show as early as June of last year. His death was confirmed by his nephew, John Nite, who is also his co-host in GMA-7's Walang Tulugan.



His television break was in the late 70's when he hosted GMA Supershow, a Sunday noontime variety show. Eventually, he was able to launch stars via a youth-oriented variety show he produced, which was That's Entertainment.

Some of the stars he was able to help get noticed in showbusiness through his show were Ramon Christopher, Francis Magalona, Lotlot De Leon, Ruffa Gutierrez, Aiko Melendez, Carmina Villaroel, Isabel Granada, Leandro Baldemor, Billy Joe Crawford, Donna Cruz, Maricar de Mesa, Sharmaine Arnaiz, Sheryl Cruz, Sunshine Cruz, John Arcilla, Vina Morales, Smokey Manaloto, Jeffrey Quizon, Sunshine Dizon, Glydel Mercado, and Cristina Paner.



Aside from Nite, he is survived by his adopted son Federico Moreno as well as his grandson Luis Moreno.

Photo credits: GMA News and German Moreno's personal Facebook page

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

FILM REVIEW: Sliding Doors (1998)



             One would not think that Peter Howitt is the same man who directed the lackluster thriller Antitrust or Johnny English, the James Bond parody which stars Mr. Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson. In fact, Sliding Doors is his first outing as a writer-director. Howitt became known for his role as Joey Boswell in BBC’s Bread, a TV sitcom. Most probably, he was able to first grasp his sense of comedic timing here, which he applied to two of his works.

            Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow) is your typical workaholic woman who is in her twenties. She lives with her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch), a typical serial cheater who has an affair with his ex-girlfriend, Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn), sneaking her in as soon as Helen leaves for work. At the start of the film, it easily established by alternating scenes that after Helen is booted out from her position in a public relations company (which involves missing Smirnoffs), downtrodden and on her way home, she ends up in front of a train with doors about to close. After this, the film’s narrative splits into what happens when she catches it as well as when she misses it.


Howitt’s positioning of women in the society is revealed by how he painted Helen, Lydia, and Helen’s friend, Anna (Zara Turner) in this British-American romantic comedy film. The three were very passive characters and only Helen (from both timelines) experienced character growth in the movie. Lydia started out as flirtatious bitch prone to tantrums when she doesn’t get her way and ended up that way. Anna was just the usual supportive girlfriend who consoles the female protagonist. We don’t know anything much about Anna and Lydia save for the former is the good cop and the latter is the bad cop. This is reflexive of the situation in UK at that time as well as now, where there is gender inequality and big businesses are noticeably bereft of women on top.

On the other hand, the males in the film have all the luck in the world. James (John Hannah), Helen’s other flame from an alternate timeline, only had to pick-up an earring, get misunderstood, and bumble with his heavy British accent while explaining, to get reconciled with Helen. The same goes for Gerry, who’s undecided not because he’s afraid of the women, but because it seems that his singular lower attachment controls his brain. In the film, Gerry is supposed to be a novelist working on his book. For a writer, he sure comes up with the lamest excuses. No wonder he couldn’t finish his first novel.



The film ends on a sour note in the alternate timeline where Helen had met James because she was able to catch the train. However, in reality (the real timeline), it ends with the meeting of the two. This leaves us a question with regards to predestination and evokes the concept of having a soulmate.


Paltrow and Hannah’s organic chemistry brought to life the limp lines they uttered out of the script. However, the ‘comedy’ part of this romantic-comedy was almost non-existent, as most of the jokes fell flat. The film is watchable though hardly memorable. This is the most palatable (not necessarily most enjoyable) of Howitt’s works so far, by the way.