After third and final reading at the Senate, the “Eddie Garcia bill” was sent in April to the Office of the President for signing. No action has been taken so far. Meanwhile, certain quarters in the local entertainment industry have spoken about some questionable provisions in the final form of Senate Bill No. 2505, or...
Category: Entertainment
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A mouthful of a musical, and spectacular
“Buruguduystunstugundstuy” is quite a mouthful of a musical. With a title like that, the audience expects something beyond the usual fare. The creators of “Buruguduystunstugunstuy” promised a wild ride—an “acid trip,” as director Dexter Santos described it. They did not disappoint. They delivered as they promised. Using songs of the popular band Parokya ni Edgar,...
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‘Mainstream’ star Marian Rivera to star in an indie for Cinemalaya
Marian Rivera is scheduled to shoot her first indie film, and it’s a political one. The “Kapuso primetime queen” will take on the role of a public-school teacher who witnesses electoral fraud as the Philippines transitions from manual to automated counting. How she acts on what she has seen and its consequence to her personal safety...
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New chair of film council to lead ‘Parangal ng Sining’
The first official function of Jose “Joey” Javier Reyes as the new chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is the “Parangal ng Sining” scheduled on April 19. Reyes will lead the Parangal, or the FDCP’s annual homage to the women, men and organizations who have shaped the Philippine film industry and...
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What’s cookin’, Juday?
Viber beeps a message: “Can you take a call?” I reply: “Who is this, please?” A few minutes later, Viber beeps again: “Hello, Mr. Farmer. Can I call?” I realize who it is. Ext. Seashore. Early morning. The scene opens with a man preparing to cast a fishing net into the sea. Another man is...
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Ricky Lee’s birthday party was a wedding like no other
I kept gushing about the arrangements at his party and our dear birthday boy, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, replied that if he would get married, it would also be potluck. But I was talking about his wedding! On his 77th birthday last March 19, Xavierville Clubhouse was transformed into some kind of wedding...
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Piolo Pascual returns to the ‘teleserye’
Cinema is transforming, and actor-producer Piolo Pascual hopes that Filipino filmmakers are ready for the changes. Unlike the naysayers who predict the death of the cinema, Piolo would rather view recent developments in the film industry as a transformation. Developments in technology, the economy, and the attitudes and habits of the movie-going public are dictating...
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New head of film development council chosen
Malacañang has chosen his replacement as chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), according to Tirso Cruz III. Citing “personal reasons,” Cruz resigned as FDCP chair early this month after one year and eight months of service. His replacement will cover his term remainder of one year and four months. Cruz said...
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Our acting workshop was a sad-funny experience, but we never say die
I’ve discovered that traveling the extra mile to Isabela to conduct a theater and acting workshop on my own initiative for a planned film is not a walk in the park. Even looking for three girls to play the children of a mother who is also a herbalist and healer did not come easy. Such...
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‘Spirit of the Glass’ keeps the fight for human rights alive
“Spirt of the Glass,” a new play written by Bonifacio P. Ilagan and directed by Joel Lamangan, had a brief run at the IBG-KAL Theater at the University of the Philippines, Diliman on March 8-10, with two performances per day. We caught the 2:30 p.m. show (the other was at 7 p.m.) on March 10,...