Ogie: No time for Regine

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

Ogie Alcasid is supposed to join Goma Cup in Boracay with Regine Velasquez but he's so busy now he had to beg off. He and Michael V host the new game show, "Hole in the Wall," as their "Bubble Gang" alter egos, the spoiled Angelina and Yaya. This starts airing tonight to replace "Family Feud. " He's also finishing a movie with Judy Ann Santos, "Oh My Girl," and he'll start the new comedy "Ang Spoiled Brat" with Michael V for GMA Films in May.

"Sa sobrang busy ko, I spend very little time for Regine na nga," he says. "E, matagal din siyang nawala dahil sa 'Divas 4 Divas' concert nila nina Kuh Ledesma. Three weeks siya sa States at sobrang na-miss ko kaya naiyak ako when I saw her again. Bakasyon sana namin 'yung Gomacup sa Boracay, kaso di pa natuloy. It's good she's very understanding and knows na trabaho talaga ang dapat na unahin. But I'll make sure we'll be together sa birthday niya mismo on April 22, Wednesday. We'll have a get together with family and friends sa bahay niya. "

At the "Hole in the Wall" launch, he and Michael V were in their Angelina and Yaya outfits. When they first did Angelina and Yaya, did he have an inkling the characters will be such a hit? "No. Hindi namin akalaing sisikat sila nang husto. Napansin na lang namin na sa taping, kapag Angelina at Yaya na kami, ang daming nanonood na gustong magpa-picture with us. Heto nga, may sarili na silang show ngayon. Di na sila maabot. "

"Hole in the Wall" started in Japan as a segment in a show and became such a big hit that other countries adopted it. Contestants are grouped in threes, garbed in skintight suits. They have to figure out how they can fit into holes on a wall made of thick styrofoam that will hit them. It they can fit into the hole before they're pushed into a swimming pool, they can win up to P100,000 in facing the Jackpot wall. We've seen the pilot episode with JC Tiuseco, Rochelle Barrameda and Tess Bomb as guests and it's really a big riot. It'll be shown Monday to Friday, after "Gokusen" and before "24 Oras" It's so funny we have no doubt it'll be a big hit.

HEART FOR INDIES

JACLYN Jose is very supportive of indie films and she has been nominated and won best actress for them, like in "Sarong Banggi" and "Ataul for Rent. " "I feel I have to help new directors na magagaling naman at di lang nabibigyan ng break," she says. "I was a newcomer once at kung walang tumulong sa'kin, I wouldn't have made it also. So binabalik ko lang yung tulong that I got when I was starting. Also, I'm doing it to satisfy my own needs as an actress kasi mas magaganda ang roles offered to me sa indie films. "

She was nominated as best supporting actress in the recent Hong Kong International Filmfest for "Serbis," but it was Gina Pareño who won. How did she feel about it?

"I'm very happy for Ate Gina," she says. "She played my mom in the movie and, actually, lead actress siya, so I knew she'd win kasi mas markado ang role niya and she has won several international acting awards before kaya kilala na siya ng international jurors. But when we were walking sa red carpet, may nagtanong sa amin, how do you feel that you are competing with each other? And we realized that we don't consider ourselves as rivals kasi good friends kami. I'm really proud of her. At saka 'yung pinapunta ako sa Hong Kong na libre lahat tapos we were treated like international celebrities, okay na sa'kin 'yun. At least na-meet ko roon sina Michelle Yeoh and Directors Oliver Stone and John Woo in person. "

Jaclyn gets to do a movie for the first time with Ariel Rivera in "Padre de Pamilya," an indie film directed by Cesar Buendia who earlier megged "Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan. " "I'm so glad to be a part of this film as it imparts very good values about family life and about corruption in government. Ariel and I play Joselito and Maggie Mirasol. We have three kids who we try to bring up as good, God-fearing Roman Catholics. Ariel works in the municipio as sanitary inspector and he refuses to be corrupted like the town mayor, si Tessie Tomas, whose family is noted for corrupt practices. Kaso, dahil maliit lang ang kita niya, ang daming needs ng family namin at dina-dyalisis pa ang brother niya, natukso siya to accept a bribe from a fishball factory, not knowing it's a setup that will be used by the media kaya nagkakaso siya. The film has a controversial ending kasi, in the end, parang nilamon din ng sistema si Ariel, but it's something a lot of people no doubt experience today na napakahirap ng buhay. It's explained here how and why someone becomes corrupt. "

Aside from "Padre de Pamilya," she has just completed two other indie films: "Nursery" for a new Cinemalaya director and "Biyaheng Lupa" where she plays a married woman having an affair, the first directorial job of award-winning screenwriter Bing Lao for producer Atty. Joji Alonso who's entering it in international filmfests.

"Padre de Pamilya" is endorsed by Bishop Socrates Villegas and Msgr. Gerry Santos. Part of proceeds from ticket sales will be used to buy bibles. The movie opens in SM Theatres on April 29. For inquiries, call 703-7432.

TARAY QUEEN STRIKES AGAIN?

Marian Rivera is trying her best to be nice to everyone butbut this did not deter her detractors in their smear campaign. "Ewan ko nga, may mga tinarayan na naman daw akong fans," she says. "Yung isa raw, malapit sa bar ni Dingdong Dantes sa Timog, when I haven't been there. Tapos noong Holy week daw, may tinarayan din ako sa isang drug store. Wala naman akong maalala dahil I don't go to drug stores at kung pupunta man ako, di magpapautos na lang ako. Wala na lang sila sigurong mahanap na issue against me kaya paulit-ulit na 'yang nagtaray ako. But I'm not bothered kasi di naman ako guilty. Maba-bother lang ako, kung ang magko-complain, 'yung mga katrabaho ko sa 'Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang' na unprofessional at delinkuwente ako. E, kaso, maayos naman lagi ang trabaho ko kaya walang reklamo sa'kin as far as work is concerned. "

Is it true she's now trying on the Darna costume for her next show? "Nothing is sure. Basta sabi, pambata ang gagawin ko next, but no formal talks yet. Sana nga, 'yun na. But after 'Babae', I think magpo-focus muna ako sa gagawin kong horror movie sa Regal, 'Tarot'. After that, puede na kong mag-TV uli. "

"Babaeng Hinugot" will end in May and as it reaches its finale, the story gets even more exciting.

GOOD NEWS FOR NORA'S FANS

ATE Guy's fans have reason to rejoice. Someone from the U. S. emailed us a story saying Nora Aunor has just finished recording an album in the U. S. , "Habang Panahon. " It has 10 songs in English and Tagalog, all original. Nine are from the U. S. based team of award-winning songwriters Odette Quesada and Bodjie Dasig, who also produced it. The last song is composed by Christine Bendebel. The last recorded song of Ate Guy we know is "Bagong Bayani" used in her 1995 movie, "The Flor Contemplacion Story". She was supposed to record an album with Danny Tan, including the song "Nagkataon Nagkatagpo" with lyrics by Joey Reyes, but she never got to finish it. We just don't know when the album will be officially launched in the States and, if ever, when it will be released in the Philippines. This is one good reason for Ate Guy to come home so that her fans can see her perform again.

MOVIE REVIEW: FRIDAY THE 13TH

FOR SERIOUS film buffs, horror remakes are so unnecessary. But for Hollywood businessmen with no scruples (like Michael Bay, who also remade "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in 2003)), they know they can still make money by re-imagining what may be considered as horror classics. After all, the remake of "Halloween" did so well at the tills, so what will stop them from remaking the original 1980 "Friday the 13th" which spawned no less than ten sequels?

"Friday the 13th" 2009 is the 12th edition of the movie franchise. This was released in the U. S. on Feb. 13 itself and hit the number one in the box office chart, meaning, they still got a lot of cash mileage from the same old formula. It was made with a budget of only $19 million and has since raked in $65 million so, for sure, there will be a remake of "Friday the 13th Part 2".

At the outset, let's say that those looking for spiritually uplifting and Oscar calibre movies should avoid this at all cost. It's a slasher movie and it caters to a certain market, so the body count goes higher than ever before. There are, all in all, 13 gruesome deaths shown in the movie. And since this is basically an exploitation film featuring violence and sex, aside from the grisly killings, there are also sex scenes and nudity with nubile girls showing off their boobies.

The opening scene shows Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason, killing the counselors in Camp Crystal Lake for the drowning of her disabled son. But her last victim fought back and beheads her. But legend has it that Jason came back and goes on rampage. After this prologue, we see a group of five young people foray to the camp. Some of them get ecstatic to find that marijuana is being grown there. But it's not only the weed that can be found there but also Jason, who then massacres them, except for one. This turns out to be a second prologue as the opening credits roll (after about 15 minutes) and we're introduced to the film proper that happens a few weeks later.

We meet a new group of young people invited by their rich boy friend, Trent (Travis Van Winkle), into their family's cabin by the lake. Also entering the frame is a biker Clay (Jared Padalecki of the "Supernatural" series and "House of Wax"), who's looking for his sister who's a member of the first group, Whitney (Amanda Righetti). She's been missing for a month now, imprisoned by Jason in his underground cavern. The rich boy's girlfriend, Jenna (Danielle Panabaker, who we remember as the daughter of Kevin Costner in "Mr. Brooks") hits it of with the more hunky Clay and volunteers to help him search for his missing sister.

In the original movie, Jason killed only the bad and immoral teens who do drugs and engage in wanton premarital sex. The new movie also makes sure that all those killed by Jason are those who go the lake for sex and drugs. This time, Jason doesn't use an ax alone but also a bow and arrow, a spear, a screwdriver, a machete and other weapons of death. His victims are mostly deserving of their fate: throwing their trash everywhere, wearing shirts that say "F--k Christmas", boozing, doing drugs, and making out unabashedly. They're really asking for it so the audience does not sympathize with them. As a matter of fact, when we watched this movie, a group of teeners behind us were laughing with glee each time Jason nails a victim. For them, it's not gruesome or horrifying. Director Marcus Nispel ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") turned killing humans into a comic sport. And that's definitely more horrifying, thinking how viewers today have become so jaded with over-the-top violence.

If you're to enjoy this movie, don't ask how come Jason has been on a killing spree for nearly three decades and the cops never even suspect anything about the creepy camp. Slasher films usually have plot holes that are so big you can drive a bike right through them. One thing with this new "Friday" is that it doesn't beat around the bush and usually just go straight to the killings, not giving much time for the viewer to feel scared, suspenseful or to sympathize with the victims. The question is: who'll be killed next? The end shows a surprise twist that has been used in countless other flicks of this sort to indicate there will yet be another sequel. Oh, now we're horrified already.

Source: People's Journal