Ang Kiukoks for casino money

Author: Edgar Cruz
Column: BuzzStation

Who is this host/comedian who has allegedly been disposing of his prized collection of paintings by Pinoy masters? He let go of a large painting by National Artist Ang Kiukok for the bargain price of P800,000! Why does he need such a large amount of cash when he has several high-paying shows and product endorsements? Has he gotten tired of these artworks or is there another compelling reason? The buzz is he is now a casino rat and his heavy losses force him to come up with the next bet money. Since he’s no longer liquid, he has to dispose of his Kuikoks. Could this financial setback be the long-awaited karma for a long list of debts for past indiscretions with co-artistas?

‘1 Vs. 100’ yanks out competition

Even before it could fly, Edu Manzano’s ABS-CBN’s 1 Vs. 100’ had yanked out ABC’s Slingo (hosted by Joey de Leon) and GMA’s Celebrity Duets (hosted by Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid) as Saturday night’s prime show. Although they don’t share exact timeslots, ABS-CBN came up with s strong show, which demolished competition upon initial salvo. Particularly affected is direct competitor Slingo. Although offering a P1 million-plus jackpot, winnings have been in the P10,000 to P20,000 range. With the kind of prizes the ABS-CBN shows have been giving out, that’s cigarette money. Celebrity Duets still suffers from a so-so format. Format (cash prize by the million, believability of winning such a prize, challenging mechanics), it seems, is king in this competition.

1 Vs. 100overwhelms with its size and the real probability of winning P2 million. One contestant in a head-on collision with 100 other contestants is undoubtedly an intimidating proposition. What the one contestant fails to win is divided among who remains of the 100 contestants. Host Edu Manzano is not the Kapamilya, Game Ka Na Ba? host here. He’s more reserved (if you consider not dancing in the show as being reserved). In the case of Kabarkada, Break the Bank as hosted by Mo Twister, it gave out the top prize of P100,000 on first day of narrowcasting. Mo proved to be a competent host although I missed his rapid talk. ABS-CBN has the primetime covered with an attention-grabber if we’re to line up Deal or No Deal as hosted by Kris Aquino.

Breaking buzz: “We’ve taken more than enough checks!” reveals ABS-CBN Business Unit Head for comedy and games Alou Almaden when asked if the new hit game show 1 Vs. 100 had been glitch-proofed. They must have. Host Edu Manzano did not hide his dislike for the people from Endemol, who supervised the show’s launch during the press conference. He said he felt humiliated for being treated by them like a newbie. At one point, they threatened that they won’t have an opening show with just one mistake. But Alou was quick to point out that the Endemol representatives were just doing their job. “They just want a perfect opener,” she said. It worked! The taping was error-free.

Reality check

Here’s the truth about these malice-ridden buzzes from the broadsheet and tabs about Wowowee host Willie Revillame.

Buzz 1: Willie was forced by ABS-CBN management to take a one week leave. Truth: T’was Willie’s decision. He said, “Matagal na ang Wowowee pero hindi pa rin ako nagbabakasyon. E may sakit pa ako!” He wants to de-stress and he found the solution by getting away from the show for the meantime. He admits that every time he hosts Wilyonaryo, he feels bad that about the game’s credibility issue. He wants to de-stress He wants to relax his throat, which have growths from too much talking that needs to be operated on. Besides, he has issues about the show that he wants solved and acted upon before he returns.

Buzz 2: Willie contradicted the official ABS-CBN statement with his own explanation. Truth: Willie has always wanted transparency. When it became clear certain vested interests were making an issue about a non-issue, he wanted to admit there were two numbers in the Wilyonaryo prize wheels, the “mechanical glitch” and “design flaw” referred to by the ABS-CBN statement. He did not proceed so as not to put more importance to the non-issue. But Willie prevailed when Gabby Lopez III approved his action. Thus, he appeared on Wowowee last Tuesday despite being on official leave.

Buzz 3: It’s “unfair” for Willie to fire the Wilyonaryo staff as he was the one who committed the mistake. Truth: Willie is the game master and anybody who has knowledge of television production knows that the staff prepares and runs such games. So how could Willie be unfair? He committed the mistake out of the negligence of such staff. He wants to professionalize his staff to avoid an the Ultra accident repeat.

Moonstar88 to the max

Even with its “(I Get No) Satisfaction” lick, carrier song “Tadhana” is the best sampler of the new sound of Moonstar88 with new vocalist-guitarist Maychelle Baay. This takes place in their debut Sony BMG Music CD release, Todo Combo. Now in the habit of incorporating sound curiosities into their songs, Maychelle’s beguiling voice floats over the full-blast instruments by Herbert Hernandez, Bon Sundiang and Paolo Bernardo. While they maintain elements of their former, the quartet clearly moves to new territory. They exploit the full potential of their fresh sound, that’s why members call the album Todo Combo. And here’s the happy thing about it: Maychelle is a more superior singer than their ex-frontwoman!

This CD is full of upbeat and sappy songs about juvenile and post-juvenile angsts told in slight introspection. They are “Migraine,” “Can’t Stop,” “Senti,” “Late Ka Na Naman,” the APO original “Panalangin,” “Late Ka Na Naman,” “Dot Song” “Bintana,” “Lumiliwanag,” “Friendster,” “Di Kasi,” “Di Kita,” “Girlfriend” and “Damang-Dama.” There’s a breakthrough quality to these songs. If not for dialect songs, there’s a global quality it. There are even numbers that Maychelle sounds like an alien hottie of alternative songs. “Todo Combo” “FVO,” “T.Y.P” and “M.V.O.” are sound effects and radio jock talk treated as track numbers. The tracklist on the back cover does not follow the lyrics in its inner sleeves.

Angel Locsin back in the loop

No, Angel Locsin’s boobs are not sagging as buzzed by a tab when she co-hosted Wowowee last Saturday! She was bra-less! As we very well know, it’s her prime asset besides her beautiful eyes and shapely bod. Angel called up last Monday to apologize for not greeting a group of entertainment journalists, who watched the memorable show. She says she was overwhelmed by the whole thing that she fumbled on her lines (with co-hosts Valerie Concepcion and Mariel Rodriguez helping her out) and, in our case, failed to greet us. That’s okay as far as I’m concerned. The men in uniform who largely made up the audience went crazy with her friendly ways. She said she thoroughly enjoying the guesting stint and volunteered she wants to be Willie Revillame’s co-host.

Breaking buzz:How could Angel be Willie’s co-host when she has an overload of schedules to keep? She had a boom launch of Avon Colors at the Jia Hotel in the Causeway, Hong Kong, graced by nine fashion editors. The tri-media campaign follows in Manila mid-September. She’s proceeding to Thailand to shoot a TVC with Richard Gutierrez. After this she’ll do skills training for her Taong Lobo teleserye with Piolo Pascual, which starts shoot third week of this month.

Headed for a back-to-back win?

As early as November last year, Kubrador lead actress Gina Pareno wanted to thank members of media for our support of her breakthrough movie. The Attys. Roger Rayala and Joji Alonso-produced movie gave her a second wave of fame at her age, making her in demand in ABS-CBN shows and movies. It finally happened last Sunday in her Paranaque City home with friends in the movie industry in attendance. When I projected she’s headed for a Best Actress for Kubrador and Best Supporting Actress for Kasal, Kasalo, Kasali at the Urian Awards on Sept. 13, she asked, “Nominated ba ako sa Best Supporting Actress? Bongga!” Atty. Joji comments, “Ed, palagay ko hindi. Urian will not do such a thing.” This created a stalemate, which I broke by inquiring about their gowns to the important occasion. Gina reveals she had a peach gown made by her costurera, while Atty. Joji will wear a red gown with a short train she wore at the Berlin Film Festival. Lucky gown? The guarded person that she is, she wryly answers, “It still has to establish credibility.”

Official battlecry

Kala’s “Bakbakan Na” is the official war cry of WarRock, the country’s number one online First Person Shooter game published by Amped Games. The song appears in Kala’s Manila High debut CD, a warcry, the angst of which smoothly harmonizes where the listener can feel the energy, but still stay calm and controlled. Made up of guitarist JP Tanchangco, keyboardist and synthesizer Brian Tanchangco, drummer Raymond Daylo, bassist Lyle Pasco and vocalist Mike Grape,Kala songs depict messages for peace, advocating the Global Call to Action Against Poverty like foreign acts Bono (U2) and Santana. WarRock got commercially launched on Sept. 1 at Trinoma Activity Center during the gaming event Amped Fest 2007.

Shorties

Says a source about this column’s scoop that GMA is acquiring the Philippine Idol franchise: “If Fremantle is predisposed to go with GMA, that’s sad, but can’t blame them!”...But Bobby Barreiro insists ABC will broadcast Philippine Idol’s second season...Will Sen Loren Legarda find it funny or libelous when Tirador, a movie about petty thieves, screens and she finds the ending scene with her, Senators Noynoy Aquino and Miguel Zubiri with Mike Defensor being compared to crooks?...ABS-CBN will not renew the Deal or No Deal franchise so it ends in October! The free timeslot will be allocated to the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition second season...PPB Teen Edition 2 will air in March and PBB Season 3 in August next year...Armando “Bing” Lao has started work on the new MLR Films production in poetic time!...

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Source: The Daily Tribune

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