BELA Padilla and JC Santos are together again after they did two consecutive hits, “100 Tula Para Kay Stella” and “The Day After Valentine,” both directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. They were also together in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) top grosser, “Miracle Cell No. 7,” but they don’t play romantic lovers in it.
“Lolo ko siya roon in his role as Mambo at malaki ang age gap niya sa akin sa role ko as Yesha,” says Bela at the press con of their latest collaboration, “On Vodka, Beers and Regrets” where they are directed for the first time by Irene Villamor (“Sid & Aya” and “Ulan”).
The trailer says it’s a movie “na lakas-tama” and they once again play tormented characters, like what they’ve portrayed in their previous two movies which both didn’t have a happy ending as they didn’t end up with each other.
In the story, Bela plays Jane, a former movie star who, after some setbacks in her career and personal life, has now become an alcoholic. This is reminiscent of her role in “Mañanita” where she’s a depressed female soldier shown guzzling beer by the bottle.
“Full of angst ang character ko rito at kakaiba ang psyche niya kasi she started as a child star, then she got involved in a sex video that ruined her career, then she meets JC as Francis, a musician who genuinely cares for her,” says Bela.
Why is the title “On Vodka, Beers and Regrets”? Does Bela have any regret at all?
“Ako, no regrets, kasi kapag nagmahal ako, binibigay ko nang todo-todo. Pero kapag natapos ako sa isang relasyon, tapos na talaga ako. Move on na.”
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Dimples Romana is really very much in demand these days. She was part of Star Cinema’s last movie for 2019, the MMFF hit, “The Mall The Merrier.” Now, she’s also in the cast of their first movie offering for the new year 2020, “Block Z.”
“Nagkataon lang na magkasunod ipinalabas ang dalawang movies ko,” she says. “Pero magkaiba ang roles ko in these two films. Kontrabida ako kina Vice Ganda at Anne Curtis in ‘The Mall The Merrier’ but this time, kakampi ako ng mga bida in ‘Block Z’.”
In the movie, she plays a courageous lady security guard in the university where the story takes place. “Nang magkaroon ng virus epidemic sa loob ng campus, naging zombies ang ibang teachers and students. Naging kasama ko nina Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Mccoy de Leon and Maris Racal sa paglaban sa zombies kasi ako ang nakakaalam kung saan nakatago ang mga armas na panlaban namin sa zombies,” she relates.
So she did action scenes in the movie?
“Yes, for the first time, you’ll see me shooting a gun. At hindi basta baril ha, kundi shotgun. The movie is so tiring as we’re always being chased by zombies. Kung minsan, the same scene, ilang beses isu-shoot para makunan from other angles kaya ilang beses din kaming paulit-ulit na tumatakbo rito. We have a young director, si Mikhail Red, who’s only 27 years old kaya naman punong-puno ng energy, hindi napapagod.”
On TV, no doubt Dimples’ career has been greatly enhanced by her role as Daniela Mondragon in “Kadenang Ginto.” It’s said she’s already getting wary of her villain role, but there’s no denying it truly clicked with the viewers and gave her so many endorsements. We heard, though, that “Kadenang Ginto,” will soon have its conclusion since it’s now being trounced in the ratings game by GMA-7’s hit afternoon show, “Prima Donnas,” led by Jillian Ward where the villain, Aiko Melendez, is also making waves as the scheming contravida, Kendra.
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Rachelle Ann Go is currently in town to do a Valentine concert. She has just wrapped up work for the hit long-running West End musical, “Hamilton,” and she will go back later in March to London to be part of “Les Miserables” where she will play the role of Fantine. Rachelle is happily married to her businessman husband, Martin Spies, and they now have their own two-bedroom house in London.
“It’s a simple house but just perfect for the two of us, with a small garden,” she says. “My husband loves to grill food and he says the garden is ideal for grilling, so ‘yun ang pinili niya for the two of us.”
Martin is still at work in London but he will be coming over to Manila to watch her Valentine show. How does she feel now that her friend, Sarah Geronimo (they are both grand winners in Viva’s search for a star, Sarah in 2003 and Rachelle in 2004), is also officially engaged to Matteo Guidicelli?
“Of course, I’m very happy for both of them. Sarah knows that, as she is one of my closest friends in showbiz. Even when I was still in London, updated ako sa mga nangyayari sa kanya and I wish her and Matteo all the best. We’ve already seen each other at buong araw kaming nagchikahan. She asked for some advice tungkol sa pag-aasawa at marami akong nai-share sa kanya based on my own experience sa marriage ako. I told her mahirap ang marriage but it is so beautiful if you’d choose the right partner in life. Ako, masayang-masaya ako sa married life ko.”
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GMA’s hit action-drama, “Beautiful Justice,” will have its final telecast this Firday and they have Cherie Gil as their special guest star. She will play the role of Diorella and viewers don’t know yet if she’s an ally or a foe of the show’s lead stars. Replacing “Beautiful Justice” on January 27 is the combination of drama and romance in “Anak ni Waray Vs Anak ni Biday.” Waray will be played by Dina Bonnevie and her “anak” is Kate Valdez while Biday will be played by Snooky Serna and her anak is played by Barbie Forteza. The original movie of “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” was produced by Regal Films in 1984 and had the late Nida Blanca and the enduring Gloria Romero, who’s still active until now, as the two mothers.
Nida did the hit LVN Pictures comedy “Waray-Waray” in 1954 that cultivated her image as a tomboyish gamin who’s so feisty she fights even tough guys bigger than her. She was paired with her perennial ka-love team then, the late Nestor de Villa, who’s one of the best looking matinee idol heartthrobs in local cinema.
You can watch “Waray-Waray” for free. You can access it on Vimeo (along with many other LVN classics complete with their Bollywood like song-and-dance sequences), and see how lovable the late Nida is. The movie spawned the now classic hit song “Waray-Waray,” with music by Juan Silos Jr. and lyrics by Levi Celerio that was later covered by American singer Eartha Kitt.
Gloria did the hit Sampaguita Pictures comedy, “Dalagang Ilocana,” also in 1954. It won for Gloria her first FAMAS best actress award playing the role of the cigar-smoking Manang Biday. The daughter of Gloria in “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” then was Snooky while the daughter of Nida was Maricel Soriano. It would have been nice if Maricel would play the Nida Blanca role now, but she’s already a Kapamilya, so GMA-7 cannot get her and got Dina Bonnevie instead.
They’ve also changed the story. It starts as a love triangle drama, with the young Dina played by Lovi Poe and the young Snooky played by Max Collins. They’re both girlfriends of Jason Abalos, who becomes the father of their daughters. So in this version, the “anak ni Waray” and “anak ni Biday” turn out to be half sisters, with Jason later to be played by Jay Manalo.
