John Lloyd: It's Ruffa who should talk

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

John Lloyd Cruz celebrates his 26th birthday on June 24, but Star Magic already hosted a birthday lunch for him on June 17 as he's leaving soon for the Star Magic U. S. Tour. "It's going to be a working birthday kasi magso-show kami sa U. S. sa birthday ko," he says.

Some say he's meeting Ruffa Gutierrez there, who's also celebrating her birthday on June 24. "I'll be meeting some friends in L. A. I know siya naman, meron siyang show dun for her Roof-A-Child Foundation. Pero ano naman ang masama kung magkita kami habang naroroon? I just wish tigilan na ang intriga sa'min kasi naapektuhan na ang friendship namin. Kaya nga I told her huwag na lang tayo mag-hang out para tigilan na ang mga balita at pilitin silang paniwalaan ang sinasabi nating friends lang tayo. Sa totoo lang, nahihirapan na kaming maging normal na magkaibigan kasi nauunahan ng intriga. Ganyan ang nangyari sa 'min noon ni Carmen Soo when we played husband and wife in 'T2'. Yung friendship namin, naunahan ng intriga, so naputol. Kaya lang, itong kay Ruffa, extreme ang nangyari dahil nag-away pa sila ng mommy niya na wala namang dapat pag-awayan. Sobra na ang layo ng narating ng isyung ito, siguro masarap kasing pag-usapan ang intriga kaya pinapahaba nang pinapahaba. Lalo na nga, I just came from a relationship at ganun din siya, so parang ang gandang i-link kami dahil hot item, di ba? But at our expense. "

What can he say about Annabelle Rama's allegation that he seems to be ashamed of Ruffa? "Ayoko na lang mag-comment doon kasi, if I'd answer, then she'd also answer, mas hahaba, hindi na matatapos. So I will keep my silence na lang. Basta friend ko pa rin si Ruffa, we understand each other at alam namin kung ano ang totoo. I think it's Ruffa who should explain to her mom na magkaibigan lang kami talaga, wala nang iba. "

But Annabelle says he woos her and gives to her. "Minsan ko lang siya nabigyan ng food. When I bring food kasi noon sa set ng 'Betty La Fea', it's for everyone. But one time, I brought some pasta na hindi nakain sa taping and I asked her assistant kung gusto kaya 'yun ni Ruffa. Very casual yun na tanong, which I do to everyone. Tapos ayun, nabigyan ng ibang interpretation. "

What's his birthday wish? "Wala. I'm not in a mood to celebrate, so basta lilipas lang yung birthday ko, and also, I cannot wish for anything more as I'm already so blessed. I don't even expect to have a party or to have gifts. A simple text message greeting me, masaya na ako run. "

What about his gift for Ruffa? "I don't know. Baka may makita ko sa States. Baka shoes. Kasi sinukat ko yung sapatos niya, kasya sa akin," he laughs. "I hope tigilan na talaga ang ganitong intriga dahil hindi pa ako ready for another relationship after the previous one just ended. I want to focus muna on my personal life and my work. Dito lang sa movie namin ni Tita Vi and Luis Manzano, nauubos na ang energy ko kaya dito muna ako. "

JOMARI, POPS KISSED AGAIN
Jomari Yllana didn't expect to bump into ex-girlfriend Pops Fernandez at the wake of his late manager Douglas Quijano. "Hindi ko naisip na puwede kaming magkita roon, but the moment I saw her, ako na ang lumapit at nakipagbeso sa kanya," he says. "Alangan namang hindi ko pa siya batiin when our eyes met already. Pero ganun lang at ni hindi kami nakapag-usap kasi busy rin ako with the media. "

Jomari will also be reunited with another ex, Aiko Melendez, mother of his son Andre. "Kami ang gaganap na parents ni Ogie Alcasid as Angelina in his movie with Michael V na 'Whatever, Yaya'. Wala namang problema as Aiko and I are friends. Nag-shoot na kami at masaya nga sa set. "

Won't they rekindle their romance now that he's loveless and Aiko's love affair with Bulacan vice mayor Patrick Meneses is also reported to have waned? "Ganun ba? Wala na ba sila? Itatanong ko sa kanya. But kami ni Aiko, we're really better off as good friends. Ang mutual concern namin ngayon is the welfare of our son. "

What about his other ex, Ara Mina? "Friends din kami noon. Actually, 'yung last movie ko was with her, 'Minsan Pa. ' Nagkita na rin kami sa isang show and we even sang together. "

TITO DOUGS' LAST WARD
BENJ Besa is one of the last batch of new actors managed by the late talent manager Douglas Quijano. "I was only 14 and I was introduced with Jay Aquitania and Kiel Rodriguez in GMA 7's 'Kakabakaba' directed by Dingdong Dantes," he says. "Pero hindi ako nagpatuloy as I finished high school. I made a comeback last year, pero sa ABS Star Magic na. But I will always be thankful to Tito Dougs for being my ninong in getting into showbiz. "

He turned 21 on June 12 and is now taking up hotel and restaurant management at CEU. He has guested in various ABS shows but he now has a regular role in TV 5's "Lipgloss" as Knoxx, where he's paired with Maxine Eigenmann and Regine Angeles. "I play a dark character, but in real life, I'm a good boy," he adds.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE COFFIN
A THAI horror film currently being shown, "The Coffin", is based on a true Thai ritual about mock burial where one lies in a coffin for a few days to avoid misfortune and help prolong one's life. The story focuses on two central characters: Chris and Sue. Chris (played by Thai heartthrob Ananda Everingham who's best known for his role in the original "Shutter" that was remade in Hollywood) is an architect whose fiancee is in coma due to a brain ailment. He undergoes the morbid ritual to help save his endangered sweetheart.

Sue (Karen Mok, the Chinese actress who starred in the international action-comedy hit, "Shaolin Soccer") is from Hong Kong and is just visiting Thailand. She also does the burying ritual as she's been diagnosed to have a cancer that she learned about just one week before her wedding. She keeps it a secret and she hopes the act of lying down inside a coffin will help extend her life.

Chris and Sue are not at all related. They've both tried conventional methods to remedy their problems, but to no avail. Desperate, they resort to the mock-burial ritual to cheat bad karma. But after their respective coffins are shut, they both begin to have hallucinations. Chris is claustrophobic and being confined in the coffin nearly gives him a stroke. He regains consciousness in a hospital. But soon after, both he and Sue discover that their lives have taken a turn for the better.

Chris' girlfriend miraculously wakes up from her coma while Sue's cancer goes into quick remission. It seems everything is okay, until both Chris and Sue start experiencing unforeseen side effects of the ritual. They see ghostly apparitions that try to do them harm. The series of frightening incidents that haunt them escalates and they seek the help of a professor specializing in paranormal cases that have emanated from the Thai ritual. They set out to exorcise the spirits that bother them to reverse the wheel of karma.

The ritual the protagonists undergo really exists in Thailand, called "Non Loeng Sadorcro", which literally means Lie in Coffin, Rid of Bad Luck. And the shot where hundreds of people go through this mass mock-burial is really quite bizarre and eerie, with the coffins stacked in circles around the statues of Buddha while monks perform funeral rites on them. Those who've actually participated in the ritual say they feel like being reborn, with their bad karma left behind so they can start new lives.

The movie is from Director Ekachai Uekrongtham, who's best known for his 2004 debut movie about the Thai transsexual kickboxing champ, "Beautiful Boxer. " This is his third film, the second being "Pleasure Factory" (2007) about the red light district that also starred Ananda Everingham. He uses the burial ritual as a point of departure for his film which is basically about loss, redemption and acceptance. "The Coffin" was released in Bangkok last year and it's a big hit.

The ritual is performed yearly but there are no reports of blood-thirsty spirits trying to kill those who go through it as this concept is not part of Buddhism. The director just added the "ghost" elements to make this a generic Asian horror flick with the usual scenes that shock and scare involving ugly pale faces. He manages to come up with such effective "boo" moments, even at the film's opening sequence which we didn't see coming. He knows how to build up tension and there are some twists and turns that are definitely rivetting and intriguing.

The acting is more than adequate, with leads Mok and Everingham doing fine work in all of their scenes, even in the ones that appear to be quite unbelievable. All in all, if you want to have a good scare, "The Coffin" is guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seats with chilling scenes that will stay with you even after you've left the theatre.

Source: People's Journal