GMA, Regal bullish on KC-Richard starrer

Author: Isah V. Red
Column: Life & Entertainment

For the First Time wasn’t really a flop (by local standards), but industry analysts say it didn’t perform to Star Cinema’s expectations (a mega blockbuster, perhaps).

KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez had become a staple in tabloid gossip (even if both are giving the nosy writers a runaround about their real relationship) but failed to translate those goo-goo eyes that they have been exchanging during press dos to ticket sales. Some say that there’s too much hype on the couple, but very little on the movie itself.

Now, Regal Entertainment and GMA Films are taking a chance at making this nearly mythical love team into a box-office legend. That is if fans of both take time to go to the theaters, buy tickets again and again (as in the days of Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos, and Sharon Cuneta, mother of KC) until their eyes pop out.

But admission tickets have become expensive, compared to those days when you only needed P2 to watch a movie in the orchestra section. In multiplexes originally meant to screen foreign films only, a Tagalog movie doesn’t get a reprieve and fans are charged an average of P140 a ticket. To the three children of Aling Maring who sells tomatoes on the sidewalk of Edsa fronting Mercury Drug on Edsa, that can buy them their whole meal’s day. Yes, they dream of watching When I Met You when it opens in theaters on Feb. 11, but they have to sell several tumpok ng kamatis to save up P420 for the tickets (add to that their fare to the mall and a little for popcorn and soda). Aling Maring would say, “Mga bata na lang ang manonood, mahal na kasi ang sine [I’ll just let the kids watch, movies have become expensive for us].”

Yet, Star Cinema, Regal, and GMA seem unaware of that aspect that most of the people who prefer to watch Tagalog movies are just like Aling Maring and her kids. There are millions of them across the country, really, but most of them can barely afford to buy the tickets.

This reality doesn’t change the optimism of Lily Y. Monteverde of Regal Entertainment and Anette Gozon Abrogar of GMA Films. The two are banking on the fact that their Richard-KC project falls on Valentine weekend, when most people, whether in love or not, will try to go and snatch a bit of romance, realistically or vicariously.

So, the mood at both Regal and GMA Films offices is one of anticipation for a box-office hit. Perhaps, yes, it will be a hit. Maybe it would do better than the first KC-Richard movie, which of course, would sadden the guys over at Star Cinema.

Shooting was completed last week, and the stars are now in the thick of post-production activities, particularly dubbing. KC has recorded “When I Met You” that will be used as the movie’s theme song.

lya Villania, Alfred Vargas, Cherry Pie Picache, Tirso Cruz III, Chinggoy Alonzo, Chanda Romero, Bubbles Paraiso, Paolo Paraiso, Chariz Solomon, Bearwin Meily, and Mavi Lozano complete the movie’s cast.

A premiere will be held on Feb. 10 at SM Megamall.

Star-studded founding day bash

The 103rd anniversary celebration of the founding of Navotas City came to a glittering climax with a celebrity-studded show and a spectacular fireworks display.

Navoteños jammed Centennial Park in the heart of the city for a two-hour musical treat from top performers and entertainment personalities.

Ai Ai de las Alas showed the crowd why she is the top comedy draw. Also rocking the stage were Rachelle Ann Go, Billy Crawford, Kitkat, Gerald Santos, Blakdyak, Bugoy Drilon, Aljur Abrenica, Kris Bernal, EB Babes, Ogie Diaz, and the Sandwich band.

The crowd stayed on for a breathtaking pyrotechnic show that lasted for 30 minutes.

Thoroughly enjoying the proceedings was Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, who has through the years made sure that the city’s anniversary is a memorable event for the townsfolk.

“I still have grand plans for Navotas. I strongly believe that we can achieve our full potential for growth and development if we continue to pursue our dream for a better tomorrow,” Mayor Tiangco said.

Navotas was a part of the town of Malabon until it was declared separate town in 1906. It achieved cityhood in 2007 mainly through Tiangco’s initiative.

Today Navotas is one of the 16 cities that make up the National Capital Region. It has 14 barangays with a population of 265,000.

Binay going showbiz

Tomorrow, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, or simply Jojo to his friends and family, will be in a showbiz event that is at the same time has a political color.

He will be at Ascott Makati (the high-end residence hotel attached to the Glorietta 4 mall) to mingle with the stars of Walang Iwanan, Walang Atrasan, a movie produced by 7101 Islands Entertainment Production. A new guy in the movie business, Cyril Lorenzana, directed the movie.

Many are curious why Mayor Binay has chosen to rub elbows with showbiz personalities starring in the movie, particularly Boots Anson Roa, Pauleen Luna, Aiza Marquez, Kier Legaspi, Alvin Anson, and Fredmoore de los Santos, who, by the way, plays Jojo Binay in the movie.

Actually, the movie is about Binay’s life and according to Lorenzana, a very inspiring tale that young Filipinos can draw a lot of important lessons.

Will Binay declare his intention to run for the highest office in the land? That’s what guests invited to the affair are waiting for him to do.

Workshop for star wannabes

Star Magic will offer a series of public workshops in March. The basic acting workshop for the camera will be handled by award-winning directors and actors from the film and television. Bodjie Pascua, Director Maryo J. delos Reyes, Mel Chionglo, actor Vangie Labalan, Cirque de Soleil acting coach Phil Noble, and writer Ricky Lee have been commissioned to be the workshop instructors. Heading the group is Director Rahyan Carlos.

Apart from the acting workshop for teens and adults, there will be an acting workshop for kids, also on dance, and film and TV production.

Only limited seats available, so this will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration starts on Feb. 28 and March.

For inquiries and registration, call ABS-CBN Star Magic at 415-3828 or 415-2272 local 5142.

More awards for Emilio

After winning several awards last year for his acclaimed performance as an inmate in Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos’ Selda, actor Emilio Garcia once again triumphs as he wins the Gawad Tanglaw Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the menacing cop in Joel Lamangan’s Walang Kawala.” Indeed, it is another victory for the actor.

Last year, Emilio won the Best Actor in the Thesalloniki Film Festival in Greece, as well as the Gawad Urian, Gawad Tanglaw, and the Star Awards Best Supporting Actor Awards, all for Selda. This is Emilio’s second Gawad Tanglaw award in two consecutive years. The actor is busy now taping for the television programs Gagambino and Paano Ba Ang Mangarap? for GMA-7. He is set to start work in Paul Sta. Ana’s Marino, about the lives of Filipino Marines where he is set to co-star with Ara Mina, Victor Basa, Allen Dizon, Geneva Cruz, among others. Another project that excites Emilio is Joel Lamangan’s Dukot (Desapericidos), written by Palanca Awardee Boni Ilagan and also co-starring Iza Calzado, Gina Alajar, Robert Arevalo, Allen Dizon, and Snooky Serna. In Dukot, Emilio plays a reporter who is fighting for a cause and helping out victims of human rights. Meanwhile, Emilio will be awarded by the Ani ng Sining Awards by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in celebration of the Philippine International Arts Festival on Feb. 28. This is for Emilio’s triumph for Selda in the Thesalloniki Film Festival in Greece.

Eat Bulaga’s new millionaires

The country’s longest-running noontime show is definitely celebrating its 30th year with the grandest prizes and most entertaining productions as a way of thanking its generations of viewers who consistently made it the no.1 show for the past three decades. This early into its 30th year, Eat Bulaga! is riding high with an initial salvo of more than P5.6 million in total prizes given away, with four studio contestants winning the P1 million jackpot in the first month of the year alone!

Eat Bulaga! opened the new year’s lucky streak with a winner of P160,000 in its Taktak Mo o Tatakbo segment on Jan. 1. This proved to be a peek into grander prizes to come as the succeeding days produced winners of P60,000, P70,000, and P90,000 for the Jan. 2, 3, and 5 episodes.

On Jan. 6, a driver from Marikina bagged the first jackpot for the year with a total of P1,090,000 cash prize. Barely two weeks after, Eat Bulaga! produced another new millionaire, Kenth Carillo of Manila, who won P1,080,000.

Two millionaires are just the opening salvo for the show’s much-anticipated 30th anniversary celebration. Two more became millionnaires in two consecutive episodes—Mary Luna Mateo of Marikina with P1,050,000 on Jan.22 and Fernando Agustin of Pateros with P1,060,000 on Jan. 23!

With these four new millionaires and other Filipinos whose lives changed for the better with the help of Eat Bulaga!, the no.1 noontime show promises grander prizes as it nears its 30th anniversary in July. This could be the grandest celebration Filipinos have ever seen.

Four medals at 2009 New York Festivals

ABS-CBN’s winning streak continues with a triumphant campaign in the prestigious 2009 New York Festivals, taking home four medals, the most by a single TV station in the country this year.

Leading the winners are Bantay Bata 163’s 10th Anniversary Special, which won the Gold World Medal for Best Variety Special, and Korina Sanchez’s investigative report on substandard glutathione food supplements, which took a Silver World Medal.

Bantay Bata 163’s 10th Anniversary Special was produced by the ABS-CBN Special Projects Group (SPG), headed by event maven Chit Guerrero. The SPG is behind the company’s grandest and biggest special events like Miss Earth and Dolphy at 80. The Bantay Bata Special, which also won in the 17th Golden Dove Awards, is just one of the group’s many world-class productions.

Meanwhile, also making an impression among the judges at the New York Festivals are Silver World Medalists Boy & Kris for the Talk/Interview category and Lastikman for the Action/Adventure category.

Kapamilya programs Kung Fu Kids, Wowowee, and Rated K, meanwhile, were awarded with finalist certificates for Children’s Program, Family Program, and Magazine Format, respectively.

Korina, ABS-CBN’s chief correspondent and Bandila news anchor, also received a finalist certificate in the Best News Reporter category at the New York Festivals.

The New York Festivals International Television Programming and Promotion Awards is on its 49th year of recognizing “The World’s Best Work” in news, documentary, information, entertainment programming, music videos, infomercials, promotion spots, opening, and IDs.

Judging is done by several hundred US producers, directors, writers, and other media professionals.

With this victory, the network is even more upbeat to outperform itself in next year’s competition to bring more glory to the country, while “in the service of Filipino worldwide.”

Secret agent Lucky?

Luis Manzano has the gift of gab, so to speak. He won Best Host for Star Circe Quest by the PMPC Star Awards for three consecutive years.

Now, Luis Manzano takes a new turn in his career with his latest product endorsement for Mister Donut Meattie Bun. In this new campaign, Luis showcases his comedic skills as he plays a spoof of a popular movie icon. Shot in a single day, his acting skills are tested as he brings to life the humor of one of cinema’s favorite spies, while continuing to uphold Mister Donut’s tradition of Sarap Pang-Surprise.

Being a Mister Donut fan himself, Luis enjoyed shooting the commercial. He says the new Meattie Buns are a tasty treat he’d readily add to his favorites, which includes Belgian Bites and Twist.

Just like Luis’ image, the all-new Mister Donut Meattie Bun is a delightful mix of flavors—slightly sweet outside and savory inside. Likewise, Luis’ image is an exciting burst of characters, wholesome yet enlivened with the spunk and humor of a comedian.

Mister Donut aims to capture the younger market by adding Luis to its roster of endorsers.

Program changes

Expect changes in program schedule at the Kapuso network beginning today. Overheard that with the launch of the much- anticipated re-teaming of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera in Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang, the primetime matrix has been recast, which means that after 24 Oras, it will be Gagambino, followed by the new show to give Kapamilya’s top-rating Tayong Dalawa a more formidable competition, and then Luna Mystika.

With this anticipated change in the primetime programming block, we will not be surprised if the Kapamilya will start reshuffling their shows as well.

Dingdong and Marian are a team to reckon with. Marimar and Dyesebel gave the Kapuso network points in the provinces (where the network’s signal has had great improvements) and with Hinugot on the air, the competition will get tighter.

Will Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson bow down? We will see tomorrow when the overnight ratings are released if the Kapamilya’s premier love team holds it against Kapuso’s undisputed primetime couple.

Source: Manila Standard Today

Copyright © 2005 - 2009. Telebisyon.net. This article is a copyright property of Manila Standard Today. This page serves as an archived copy of the article written by Isah V. Red. All rights reserved. No part of this website shall be copied or reproduced in any means possible without explicit permission from the owners.