ASSORTED ITEMS
By: Butch Macaro
Screenwriters’ Guild of the Philippines


I’m going experimental! I just tried putting and lumping together several items in one article to accomplish more in one sitting. Must be more exciting. Lets find out. Here is the beginning item.

A welcome respite!

Vic Felipe, a veteran newsman, was elected president/chief operation officer in a recent election held at an undisclosed place to head a new group of film industry people called FilKor World Entertainment, Inc. with Leo Jeong as chairman of the board. The following completed the board of directors: Jose ‘Kaka’ Balagtas, Amay Bisaya, Rudy Dela Pena, Eddie Mapile, Jun and Romy Passion.

The group aims at launching a ‘Korean telenovela’ using local talents and shoot in the Philippines. Philippine television it seems had been dominated by imported television shows notably from Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and some other Asian countries.

I admit that I am personally peeved at the onset of this foreign ‘invasion’ since I must insist that our local talents are better looking than the actors from other countries, and undoubtedly better actors too. I detest seeing some neighbors in Quiapo where I live swoon and giggle at these foreign actors. Pardon me but I feel corny over them. I never watch them anyway. Let us patronize our own products.

The purpose of the FilKor group is to make telenovelas using local talents and shot entirely in the country. For me, this is a welcome respite over the proliferation of imported entertainment fare. The cast will be headed by Leo Jeong, a Korean actor who surprisingly speaks Tagalog fluently.

The group is at present looking for Asian looking actors to complete the cast. The project does not intend to employ big named stars since the group believe they can survive through exciting storylines. Jose ‘Kaka’ Balagtas will direct the pilot episode. Hope that with this pioneering idea, the local audience will not patronize imported telenovelas.

Mother Roles?

After a lull of several years in her acting career, Joyce Jimenez is staging a comeback via mother roles. Joyce Jimenez created ripples several years ago with her daring roles in most of her films notably Ang Galing-galing Mo, Babes where she showed not only her voluptuous body but her acting mettle as well.

After R-rated films were banned by the SM circuit of theatre malls, sex stars took a back seat. Some of them simply left for other countries or got married.l Others performed and guested in some clubs to do some striptease.

Instead of sulking in dark corners and die of hunger, Joyce accepted a more daring role, playing the roles of mothers in films. Some years back, she temporarily shelved her film projects and opted to return to Australia and finished a college course. But instead of using the course she finished to land a job somewhere, she returns to show business. Unfortunately, she finds it difficult to get film assignments since there are fewer film producersaround. She doesn’t want to stay idle and decided to accept mother roles which she is now doing for Magpakailan’.

During her Sampaguita days however, veteran Rosa Mia delineated mother roles before she turned 30 and succeeded in portraying mother to Sampaguita mainstay acxtresses, like Gloria Romero, Rita Gomez, Lolita Rordriguez. Will Joyce Jimenez double the feat? Let’s wait and see.

Denials…anyone?

Denial I think is the most abused term in local film industry. Anything that may ‘destory’ one’s movie career no matter how true and concrete the item is, the easiest way to do is to ‘deny’. Period.

Some months back, the film world was surprised by news from the grapevines that Kristine Hermosa and Dieter Ocampo got married in Bulacan. For days, the pair was the center of write ups on the rumored wedding but Kristine was very vocal in denying the rumor. Ditto with Diether. None of them admitted the supposed wedding until the ‘chizmiz’ died its natural death. Perhaps the reason was to protect her hot love team with Jericho Rosales. But nonetheless, their loveteam suffered the loss. Now Jericho Rosales is paired as the new sweetheart of Heart Evangelista. As it is, there is no denying from the duo.

Recently, some people in the industry confirmed that Kristine Hermosa is
a regular sight at the condominium of Diether Ocampo in Cubao. Now look who is ‘NOT’ talking.

In one of my early columns some months back, I wrote about a new and exciting star in the person of Lovi Poe. I predicted she will in no time turn out to be a brilliant and exciting new find in showbislandia. I was then neither glad nor annoyed by reactions from people who have read the item. One even let out an expletive or a curse, belittling Lovi. Another angrily predicted she will not make it. But Lovi Poe is now making waves in her chosen career. Edging herself slowly but steadily to carve a name in the industry without lodging under the shadow of her late father, the idol king Fernando Poe Jr., she started by appearing as guest in some popular programs by singing and after fans took notice of her, the network carefully and meticulously gave her small parts in the beginning in the network’s series to test the possibilities that she will make it. Now she is a regular in the series Bakekang and the way it looks, her legion of fans are increasing as the days go on.

I have mentioned in that column that Lovi became my regular textmate by accident. She has missent a message to my cell, I texted back and it started it all. Perhaps her busy schedule in her new career cut our fledgling cellphone partnership because our means of communication suddenly stopped.

I enjoy predicting the future of a newcomer in the movies and in most cases I am proven right. Hope the same will happen to Lovi Poe. I am still looking forward to someday meeting her in person to personally congratulate her for making the grade.

Another One

More on the Snakeman. Harold Montano is a business administration graduate of La Consolacion College in Bacolod and owns and manages a bar and restaurant in Quezon city called Angkab, whatever it is. At a very young age, this guy is really bent on preparing for his future. He is very serious in pursuing a movie career and intimated he will do everything to succeed. His very short appearance at Mel Chionglo’s Twilight Dancers hopefully will serve as a springboard for an exciting movie career. The guy is not the mestiso type that local movie fans swoon to but I think he has the innate capacity to hurdle and handle any role given to him. I think it is a blessing that his looks will not limit him to a select role.

In short, it is my belief that he will not suffer type casting. This early, Harold is busy with several commitments including corporate shows, guest appearances in a seminar and an important participant in a fashion review. Articulate that he is, Harold can handle any subject to discuss. Quiet an intelligent person is how I look at him. In his first movie appearance. He experienced his first long wait, reporting to the set at seven in the morning but his scene was taken at past eight in the evening.

In the Twilight Dancers, Harold appeared totally nude with only a snake to cover his private part. He was so scared but there wais no turning back. All that he needed is something to warm and condition his senses. He needed some kind of brandy or whisky but the place was remote and he settled for a bottle of gin he drunk to ease his tension. He was then assured that his name will be included in the layout of the movie with an ‘also starring’ billing but in the final layout, his name was laid out. With a very meager talent fee for two shooting days is the first blow Harold had experience in his movie career.

But headaches really fill a showbiz life and one must not wallow in this inconvenience lest you surrender early. If I am gifted with eyes to see potentials and predict positively, which I already have told Harold, this time I hope my prediction will prove me right once again for this newcomer to hurdle the almost impossible feat. Good luck to a star!