Like a broken record

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Dream Factory

THESE are the questions that writers repeatedly ask when they interview the following stars. Talagang paulit-ulit na lang tuwing may presscon.

To Sarah Geronimo: Kailan ka magbo-boyfriend?

To Piolo Pascual: Kelan ka magkaka-girlfriend?

To Jennylyn Mercado: Kailan mo papatawarin si Patrick Garcia? Or: kailan pakilala ang anak mo sa tatay niya?

To Mark Herras: Magkabalikan kaya kayo ni Jen?

To Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo: Kailan kayo magkaka-baby?

To Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres: Kailan nyo susundan si Julianna?

To Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez: Kelan kayo pakakasal?

To Ate Vi: Tatakbo ka bang vice president?

To love teams Aljur and Kris, Gerald and Kim: Kayo na ba talaga or kelan magiging kayo? Or: Kailan kayo aamin?

To Assunta de Rossi: Kelan kayo magkaka-baby ni Jules?

To Mart and Jennica: Nagbalikan na ba kayo?

We won't be surprised if one of these days, these stars would say: Ang kulit nyo! Do you think such questions are national issues that will benefit the welfare of our motherland?

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Teaser trailers of entries in the forthcoming December Metro Manila Film Festival are now being shown in cinemas. First is Imus Productions-GMA Films co-prod "Ang Panday" starring Sen. Bong Revilla, followed by M-Zet's "Ang Darling Kong Aswang" showing Vic Sotto and Richie D'Horsie being chased by a winged aswang who turns out to be Vic's darling (face not shown on trailer, but it's Cristine Reyes). Then there's "Ang Tanging Pamilya" with Erap Estrada and Ai Ai de las Alas from Star Cinema and "Wapakman" with Manny Pacquiao and Rufa Mae Quinto.

Mother Lily Monteverde's Regal Entertainment has three entries but they'll start shooting it just this week. First is "Shake Rattle and Roll XI," followed by "Mano Po 6" but without the scenes of Sharon Cuneta yet who'll start shooting in October.

"Shake Ratlle XI" will see the debut of three new film directors and two of them begins shooting their episodes this week. Rico Gutierrez (director of "Showbiz Central") megs "Diablo" starring Maja Salvador as a girl possessed by the devil, with Mark Anthony Fernandez as leading man. AF Denaga (a TV commercial director) megs "Lamanlupa," starring Jennica Garcia as a girl impregnated by a "laman lupa," with Mart Escudero, Rayver Cruz, Lovi Poe, Felix and Dominic Roco. The third episode is "Ukay-Ukay," directed by Don Michael Perez, starring Ruffa Gutierrez who finds an old gown in a used clothing store that turns out to be haunted, with Zoren Legaspi as leading man.

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Jennylyn Mercado reveals that her Mommy Lydia is still very partial to ex-boyfriend Mark Herras. "If you'd ask her, she'd say she prefers na si Mark ang makatuluyan ko," she says.

But what about her?

"Hindi ko muna pinag-iisipan yung ganun. I'm just glad GMA-7 gave me the chance na makabalik ako, first with 'Paano Ba ang Mangarap?' and now with my new show with Mark on primetime, 'Ikaw Sana.' But I can feel Mark is very sincere in caring for my son, Alex Jazz. Kung minsan, dinadalaw niya ito kumustahin, which is not surprising kasi ninong naman siya ng baby ko."

As for the boy's father, Patrick Garcia, she'd rather not talk about him at all. "I'm so over that na, bakit naman lagi nyo pang inuungkat? I don't want to look back to that anymore, sarado na talaga kaya sana, tigilan na."

How come some people are accusing Mark of trying to alienate the baby from his real dad?

"Nabasa ko nga yung sinulat na inaagaw raw ni Mark ang pagiging ama, which is not true. Talaga lang concerned si Mark sa anak ko, pero hindi niya inaagaw ito."

"Ikaw Sana" started airing at 6 last night. Jen plays Eliza, a simple teacher in the province who's the daughter of Mariz and Tirso Cruz III. It turns out Tirso has another family in the city, Maritoni Fernandez and Pauleen Luna. When Mariz dies, Tirso brings Jen to Manila. At first, Pauleen is very nice to Jen, but it turns out that Pauleen's boyfriend, Mark, was once the boyfriend of Jen when he worked with an NGO in the province. Their love affairended when Mark's grandfather, Tony Mabesa, told him to break up with her.

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At the presscon of "Ikaw Sana," "Starstruck 3" recruit Janna Roxas admitted she felt hurt when Alfred Vargas denied that they once went steady.

"I chose to keep quiet then para di na lumaki ang gulo," she says. "Matagal ko ring inilihim ito but I hope he understands why I'm talking now. I really felt so much pain when I saw him on TV na itinatanggi ako. Ang sakit-sakit kaso walong buwan kaming on and the people around him knew about it. I was really crying while he was denying me on TV. Up to now, each time I remember it, I still cry kasi I don't know of anything bad na nagawa ko sa kanya for him to do such a thing to me. This is one reason why I chose to lie low in showbiz for a while. But I've since realized na walang mangyayari kung I'll just stay home and mope so I'm really thankful na kasama ako rito sa 'Ikaw Sana.' I play Jennylyn Mercado's supportive best friend in the story noong inaapi na siya ni Pauleen Luna."

Wonder what Alfred, who now has a new girlfriend, Jasmine Espiritu, would say about this confession from Janna.

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Ogie Alcasid is close to both Michael V and Janno Gibbs. So who is his real best friend between the two?

"Both of them. Hindi naman siguro masama kung dalawa ang best friends ko, di ba? Each of them has his own good qualities kaya nagtatagal ang friendship namin. Si Janno, original na small brother ko yan at kasama ko in my first movie na 'Feel na Feel.' Si Michael V. naman, we've been together for 18 years now since our 'Tropang Trumpo' days sa ABC 5.Birthday ni Janno and may special presentation siya last Sunday sa 'SOP,' so niyaya ko si Michael to come and greet him sa show, sabay promo na rin for our movie 'Yaya and Angelina, The Spoiled Brat Movie' that's showing this Wednesday."

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All is set for the remake of "Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit," the 1984 hit movie where Maricel Soriano played a bida-kontrabida who's so ambitious and greedy she won't hesitate to kill people just to get what she wants, directed by Maryo de los Reyes. The Maricel role will be interpreted by Iza Calzado and with her in the cast of the TV version are Wendell Ramos doing the William Martinez role and Angelika de la Cruz in the good girl role originally played by Gina Alajar. This is Angelika's comeback role after she gave birth to her first born, a baby boy they named Gabriel.

"Ang ganda nga ng comeback ko as I won't be playing a contravida role this time," she says. "Ako yung mabait na sister ngayon, unlike in my role sa 'La Lola' which I did nung pregnant pa ko na villain ako. Natuwa nga ako kasi I didn't ask for this but sawa na rin siguro ang GMA na lagi akong nagtataray kaya good girl naman ako this time. First time ko rin to work with Iza Calzado in a regular series and looks I'll enjoy na makasama siya kasi magaling siyang artista kaya masarap na kaeksena."

Angelika is no longer managed by her dad but now has the same manager as Dingdong Dantes, Perry Lansigan. She had a civil marriage with husband Orion Cesareo last year and they intend to have a church wedding on December 4 in Tagaytay. "We want it to be a simple intimate wedding for only our closest friends and relatives," she says.

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After winning the best director (for GB Sampedro), best supporting actor (for Arnold Reyes), best sound and best editing awards at the last Cinemalaya Filmfest, the indie film "Astig" (produced by Boy Abunda), is now joining the 14th Pusan International Filmfest in South Korea on October 8. It'll be shown in the New Current section for new directors. "Astig" will also be shown on a special run at Robinson's Galleria starting this Wednesday, September 23.

"Astig" is about four young men struggling to survive in the urban jungle that is Manila. Dennis Trillo is a hustler who dupes women and sells fake documents. Arnold Reyes is a provinciano who comes to Manila to sell an inherited property and becomes the victim of a gay man and a prostitute. Edgar Allan Guzman is a teenage dad who is forced to cater to an old gay to pay for the delivery of his baby. Sid Lucero is a not-so-bright young man who wants tobe a seaman and sees his younger sister (Glaiza de Castro) committing suicide after being infected with venereal disease by Dennis Trillo. They all give creditable performances that make the film worth seeing.

Source: Malaya