A true blooded Vilmanian will not forget the time when a teaser (a very brief trailer) was shown to the theatres in the summer of 1991. It was Viva films’ “Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?” Another box office hit from Vilma Santos and Christopher DeLeon. The teaser (almost worth the whole movie ticket) was the scene where Lisa, played by Vilma discovered that her son (to Eric’s brother , Jay Ilagan) was gone courtesy of her evil rich mother-in-law (Armida Sigueon Reyna). Here’s the lines and the explosive acting of the Queen. The scene: After running around looking for the baby in all the rooms in second floor of of this huge mansion, Lisa confronted Eric who were stunned to find Lisa’s hysterics.

Lisa: Dinaya n’yo ako! Saan n’yo dinala ang anak ko?!!!
Eric: Hindi ko alam!
Lisa: Hindi mo alam…Sinungaling!
Eric: Lisa, makinig ka muna
Lisa: Kasabwat ka ng ina mo! Alam ko matagal n’yo nang plano ito!
Eric: Ano bang pinagsasabi mo?
Lisa: Dinaya n’yo ako! Mga Traydor Kayo! Traydor kayong lahat!Eric: Lisa, huminahon ka baka mapaano ang bata!
Lisa: Wala akong pakialam! Ibalik mo sa akin si Jun Jun! Ibalik mo sa akin ang anak ko! Ibalik mo sa akin si Jun Jun! Ibalik mo sa akin…. AHHHH (mahuhulog sa hagdanan). Just this scene alone, Vilma should be rewarded that year’s best actress award! Bravo! – RV, (READ MORE)

Taxes and The Young Stars – Young stars should take care of their finances and pay their taxes. This advice came from Vilma Santos, whose assets were frozen by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the ’80s for non-payment of income tax. “But I know what [other stars] are going through right, now it’s not easy. When you’re young, somebody else handles your money. When you start having problems, then you start wondering what happened to your earnings.” she added. She considers herself lucky to have recovered from the brush with the BIR even if her marriage to Edu Manzano suffered from it. “Edu wanted me to be Mrs. Manzano, to lie low from show biz. But I had to work and pay my debts. I survived and recovered. Not everybody is as lucky.” Vilma was surprised to learn that Luis, her son by Edu, paid a bigger income tax than she did this year. “For the first time in my life, I felt insecure,” Vilma said, laughing. “Luis was earning more” I told myself, this couldn’t happen. But it’s happening.” She described Luis as a good person who wants to enjoy life. “[And] the girls! I know my son, he’s definitely no longer a virgin. But I still don’t want him to get married and make me a grandmother,” Vilma admitted. “He just turned 25!” Direk Vi? The actress…observed that today’s young stars are all talented. “And beautiful,” she gushed. “They can dance, sing, they can do anything. But the problem there is, it’s hard to stand out. During my time, it was a one-on-one with Nora (Aunor) and me.” – Nini Valera, Inquirer, May 03 2006 (READ MORE)

Battle of the Superstars – A tear fell when Nora Aunor was declared Best Actress for her role as a maide (a tailor-made role, as her detractors describe with glee) in Ian Films’ Atsay and it was a tear of joy. Atsay has been called Nora’s “last card” and that if it wouldn’t make it at the Metro Manila Filmfest, Nora would be down and out and she might as well say goodbye to the movies. But Nora Aunor has a certain magic that is hard to discern until now. Just when everybody is casting stones at her and predicting doom fo her career and turning against her because her movies hadn’t been making as well as expected, the Little Brown Girl from Iriga would bounce right back to the top, not without vengeance, and reclaim her throne. In last week’s Metro Manila Filmfest Awards at the Cultural Center, Nora fought a “decisive” battle for supremacy against her nearest rival, Vilma Santos, who was said to be the other contender for the Best Performer trophy for her role as Rubia Servios (although others claim that it was really Phillip Salvador who was Nora’s biggest competition for the plum statuette, Phillip’s performance in Rubia Servios being his best and his most credible so far). Vilma’s last year’s Best Actress for her role in the controversy-ridden film Burlesk Queen (also produced by this year’s producer of Best Film Atsay, Ian Films), took her defeat not without a wan smile of disappointment. In this spread, you can see the two faces of showbiz: that of the Victor and that of the Vanquished. The awards night was a veritable of superstars. 1978 was Vilma’s year. Will 1979 be Nora’s? – Expressweek, January 18, 1979, Photograph by Eddie Alfonso (READ MORE)

Film Criticism – “…Early days of Manunuri, ang palagi kong binabasa ay ang reviews ni Jun Cruz Reyes. Jun Cruz’ movie reviews were shaped up by the existing social injustices. Unlike most of the Manunuris na kadalasan, ang kanilang reviews reeked of the formalist tradition of the academe. You can’t read Jun Cruz these days, but I make it a point to read a Mario Bautista review in this mag. I noticed Mario has gone beyond the formalist approach. In Soltero, Mario deplores the fact na ang boredom ng middle-class ay iba sa boredom ng masa – ‘yung Pinoy whose basic problem is how to make both ends meet. Which is true. Mario did the same in his review of Sister Stella L, which I would call the movie of the decade, if not the height of Philippine cinema. I’m always partial to movie reviewers and artists as well whose hearts and eyes are with the masses. Kasi nga, given two equally well-crafted movies, to judge say Soltero or Sister Stella L., ang reviewer na walang social consciousness would have second thoughts of giving the highest award to Sister Stella L. Film criticism, as we know do change with the temperaments of a particualar time and milieu. Pati ang kosepto ng magandang pelikula must change. Kung nasa Third World country ka, kailangang may pagbabago ang batayan mo ng isang magandang pelikula dahil sa limitations. Kung nasa First World country ka naman, s’yempre iba rin ang pamantayan. Puwedeng gamiting pamantayan ang elitist view of art na pa-universal-universal-kuno. Naniniwala ako an art must serve to humanize the conditions of the sorry lot, and not just the conditions of the few elitist groups. After all, art and its greater number of poeole ought to shape each other. Ano’ng pakialam ng mga nagugutom na Pinoy sa boredom ni Jay Ilagan sa pelikulang Soltero? Mas nakaka-identify pa siguro sila sa exploitation theme ng Sister Stella L. kaysa Soltero, di ba? All other factors being equal, sa dalawang movies na ito, I guess those who cannot go beyond the chains of formalist approach to reviewing will take Soltero anytime, pero for those whose orientation is one of social concern, Sister Stella L. would be their kind of movie, Ang tanong, kailan naman kaya mapapanood ng masa ang Sister Stella L.? These days of sheer elitism, we need reviewers like Mario Bautista. Napuna n’yo ba, na wala nang ginawa ang vanguards of Philippine Cinema kundi, hala, magbigayan ng awards taun-taon. Wala silang paki sa mga masang Pinoy na naglulupasay sa kahirapan. As if they make movies para lang magkaroon sila ng elitistang seremonya year in and year out. Pag magkakagulo na ang Pilipinas katulad ng nangyari sa Nicaragua, siguro, ‘yon na. Magigising na tayo sa kahibangan ng mga pa-award-award blues natin. Meantime, let’s enjoy the circus of showbiz. Magpakahilo at magpakabaliw tayo like what Nero did amidst the burning Rome. The signs of bad times are coming. When that time comes, we must know which side of the fence to take para hindi tayo magmukhang daga na bumabahag ang buntot. ‘Yong lang at ‘yon na…” – BCMatignas, Movie Flash Magazine, 14 June 1984 (READ MORE)

Channel 2 – “…Kung napuna ninyo, sa top 20 programs, dadalawa ang nanggaling sa Channel 2, ang VIP at ang 2 + 2 na medyo malayo pa ang agwat. Siyam ang galing sa Channel 13; tatlo ang sa Channel 9 at anim ang galing sa Channel 7. Hindi maikakailang pinakamahina ang Channel 2. ‘Di ba’t nag-closeshop na ang Okey Sha! ni Sharon Cuneta dahil hindi ito kumikita, samantalang ‘yung iba pang programa sa Channel 2 ay hirap na hirap na ring mag-rate, kabilang na rito, ayon kay Inday Badiday, ang True Confession ng mga Bituin na idinidirek ni Gene Palomo, na kung tutuusin ay may kakaibang format na nagugustuhan ng masa. Noong December nga’y nasa number 29 na ito pero ngayon ay nasa below 40 na. Malungkot ngang isipin na sa kabila ng pagpapaganda ng mga programa sa Channel 2 ay hindi ito gaanong napapanood sa malalayong lugar. Sabi nga ng mga nakausap namin, “Dito lang kami sa Pasay, pero malabung-malabo ang reception ng Channel 2, kaya iba na lang ang pinapanood namin.” At ang napag-alaman pa nga namin na lalong di na makapanood ang mga taga-Alabang, Muntinlupa, Cavite at iba pang parte ng Metro Manila at katagulan. Kaugnay nito, nagbaba ng memo ang City 2 Television para sa mga station-co-produced na programang wala sa top 20. Ayon sa memo, bibigyan na lang sila ng tatlong buwan mula noong May 15, 1984 para pataasin ang rating ng kanilang mga programa. At least day, ayon pa sa memo, ay makapagpapatuloy nito sa ere. Kung hindi, tulad ng Okey Sha! at iba pang programa sa 2, na hindi na napapanood, ikakansela na lang nila. Tulad ng True Confessions ng Loca Productions, sinabi ni Inday Badiday, na ililipat na lang siguro nila sa Channel 13 ang programa para tumaas ang rating nito dahil ‘yon lang ang paraan, yaman di lamang na napatunayang kokonti ang nakakapanood sa Channel 2. Humihina ang programa hindi dahil sa uri ng palabas kundi kapos sa viewership, hindi gaya sa Channel 13. “Siguro, kung ang See-True ay nasa Channel 2, mahihirapan ding maka-number 1,” sabi ni Inday…” – George Vail Kabristante, Movie Flash Magazine, 14 June 1984 (READ MORE)

Reunion of the Year – “…At ngayon, naririto pa ang ibang awards na iginagawad ng Movie Flash para sa iba pang important events and people in local movies for the year 1983…Reunion of the Year – Hindi po ang Famas Grand Reunion na inabot ng alas kuwatro ng umaga kundi ang pagbabalik ni Edu Manzano sa asawa niyang si Vilma Santos…and so, after two peso devaluation that made our currency a relative of mickey mouse money, after galloping inflations that sent the prices of basic commodities soaring so high heavens, we are all wondering what’s in store for the Philippines and the Filipinos in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighty four A.D. More peso devaluations? More rallies? More censorship? More problems and less and less solutions? The important things is for us not to lose our sense of humor in the face of forthcoming calamities. From Movie Flash to all our readers, seasons greeting and brac yourselves for ’84!” – The Movie Flash Staff, Movie Flash Magazine, 05 January 1984 (READ MORE)

Ayaw Kong Maging Querida on February 20th – “…Last Jan. 31, the Mowelfund, PMPPA, Film Academy of the Philippines and IMPIDAP threw a cocktail party at the Luzon room of the Philippine Plaza ballroom for the MIFF guests and delegates. Manny de Leon arrived promptly with Tierra Alexandra at 5:30 p.m. but decided to wait at the lobby when he learned there wasn’t anyone yet in the hall except the waiters. The American vice consul arrived next and then Fred Marshall, Hongkong-based correspondent who’s a fixture at Asian film festivals. Aling Miling Blas looked pleased as punch during the affair. She said German buyer bought her Hell Train for $15,000 which was directed by Cirio Santiago last year with American actors and actresses in the cast. She said she nixed another offer of $35,000 for the European territory rights to the film except Germany. Atty. Espiridion Laxa said she could get a higher price for it. Atty. Laxa’s Vilma Santos stateside picture, Ayaw Kong Maging Querida, was already in the can and booked for Feb. 20, he said…Atty. Laxa reminded everybody that the First Lady was expecting to see producers and movie personalities at her Fort Santiago affair at eight that same evening. The coffee shop of the Philippine Plaza was a favorite spot of the movie crowd during the MIFF. After the coctail party, we saw Eddie Garcia in coat and tie dining with attractive girl at the coffee shop. Tony Ferrer later came in with Lando Navarette, Amay Bisaya and several other companions. Then Armida Siguion-Reyna walked in. We were sipping coffee at a table with Manay Ichu Maceda, Jesse Ejercito, Manny Nuqui, Nick Lizaso and Rolfie Velasco when Celso Ad Castillo joined us. The kid seem to have regained his confidence with the success of Virgin People.” – Danny Villanueva, Movie Flash Magazine, 24 February 1983 (READ MORE)

Deborah Sun – “…Bonggang-bongga ang papel ni Deborah Sun sa “Pakawalan Mo Ako.” Even her co-stars here, Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, and Anthony Castelo joked na madalas silang maagawan ng eksena ni Deborah. Tila nga lalong tumataas ang career ni Gigi (her monicker in real life). Bukod sa “Pakawalan,” lumabas din siya sa “Rosang Tatak” at sa highly successful na first directorial job ni Bembol Roco, ang “Asal Hayop…” – Artista Magazine, 1981 (READ MORE)

Sampaguita vs LVN – “…During the 1950s and the early 1960s Sampaguita and LVN were acknowledged leaders of the industry. Dr. Jose Perez, Sampaguita general manager, went on to discover an array of luminaries including Gloria Romero (who won the FAMAS best actress award in “Dalagang Ilocana”), Rita Gomez, Greg Martin, Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes, Romeo Vasquez, Barbara Perez, Tony Marzan, and Eddie Garcia who has won more acting trophies than any other Filipino thespian in the history of Philippine movies. It was also Doc Perez who gave both Vilma Santos and Rod Navarro their first movie breaks. Vilma was the child star of “Trudis Liit” while Rod appeared as an extra in a now forgotten Sampaguita movie. Meanwhile, LVN too was turning out blockbusters during the 1950s. Among its many stars were Pugo and Tugo (Doctor X, Pulo ng Engkanto, Dalawang Prinsepeng Kambal), Armando Goyena (father of Maritess and Tina Revilla), Celia Flor, Teody Belarmino, Tony Santos, Lilia Dizon, Tessie Quintana, Mario Montenegro, Jaime de la Rosa, Delia Razon, Rosa Rosal, Nestor de Villa and the uninhibited Nida Blanca. LVN produced such unforgettable musical comedies as Batanguena, Waray-Waray, and Saydwok Bendor (all starring Nida Blanca); such fantasy films as Tungkod ni Moses (where Director Richard Abelardo divided the Red Sea) and Rodrigo de Villa; and such dramatic tearjerker as In Despair (Mila del Sol and Jaime de la Rosa), Pag-asa (Armando Goyena and Priscilla Cellona), Yolanda (Celia Flor and Teody Belarmino), and Aklat ng Buhay (Rosa Rosal and Oscar Keesee)…” – Joe Quirino, Times Journal, August 19, 1977 (READ MORE)

Method vs Classical Acting – “…..Sa Amerika at iba pang bansa, palasak ang mga organized schools of acting na doon ay p’wedeng mag-enrol ang isang nag-aambisyong mag-artista at nang ma-refine niya o lalong mapagbuti ng anumang likas niyang kakayahan sa pag-arte.  Isa sa mga pinakatanyag nilang acting techniques ay iyong tinatawag na Method Acting.  Ang taguriang The Method ay pinaiklu mula orihinal na Stanislovsky Method, sinulan noong 1909 bg Rusong aktor-direktor na si Konstantin Stanislavsky.  Si Stanislavsky ay mula sa Moscow Art Theatre at ang kanyang pamosong pamamaraan sa pag-arte ay pinakilala naman sa Estados Unidos ng kanyang mga disipulo.  Ang Method Acting ay isang well-rounded system of training na binibigyang-pansin hindi lamang ang pag-arte kundi pati na ang wastong pagtindig, paglakad, at paggamit ng boses.  Ang pinakabantog na paaralan ng Method Acting ay ang Actor’s Studio ni Lee Strasberg sa Nuweba York.  Si Strasberg yung matandang aktor na marahil ay napanood na ninyo sa “The Godfather II” at sa “Casandra Crossing.”  Ang pinakatanyag niyang estudyante ay sina Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, Patricia Neal at ang yumaong James Dean…Sa pelikulang Pilipinoay maaaring hatiin ang mga uri ng pag-arte sa dalawang pangkat.  Ang una’y kinabibilangan nina Lolita Rodriguez at Nora Aunor.  Ang pangalawa’y binubuo nina Charito Solis at Vilma Santos.  Ang istilo ng acting nina Lolita ay banayad, mahinahon, pigil.  Ang nadarama’y mababasa sa mga mata at sa bahagyang kiling ng ulo o sa kilos ng katawan.  Kung ihahambing dito ang klase ng arte nina Charito, ay iyon namang matatawag na obvious, halos natatawag ng pansin.  Kung nagagalit ay talagang hysterical na, nangininig ang mga labi, nandidilat ang mga mataat nagtutumili sa pagsasalita (ang buong katawa’y nangangatal).

Natatandaan marahil ninyo si Charito doon sa eksena sa “Araw-Araw, Gabi-Gabi” (nanalo siya rito ng best actress sa Manila Filmfest) na muli silang nagkasama-sama ng kanyang mga napahiwalay na kapatid.  Napaluhod pa siya at napahagulgol sa matinding tuwa.  (Pero tila nagbago na si Ms. Solis sa ganitong estilo mula nang mahawakan siya ni Brocka “Larawan”).  Natatandaan din siguro ninyo si Vilma Santos sa “Dama De Noche” (nanalo siya rito ng best actress sa Famas), doon sa eksenang dinala siya sa pagamutan ng mga baliw at nang matuklasan niya ito’y nagsisigaw siya, nanlalaki pati mga butas ng ilong at halos lumuwa ang mata sa galit.  Sa malas naman ay ito ang higit na naiibigang istilo sa pagarte ng ating publiko.  Kung bigay-tudo at eksaherado ay mas maganda para sa kanila.  Di ba’t maging sa buntalan ay mas nagugustuhan nila yung matatagal na eksena ng bakbakang walang patlang ang palitan ng mga suntok at sipa?  Makakaama nina Lolita at Nora sa kanilang liga sina Marlene Dauden, Rita Gomez, Susan Roces, Hilda Koronel, Elizabeth Oropeza, Beth Bautista at Lorna Tolentino.  Sa kabilang kampo naman nina Charito at Vilma ay puwedeng idagdag sina Pilar Pilapil, Amalia Fuentes, Chanda Romero, Rosemarie Gil, Alma Moreno, Rio Locsin at Amy Austria…” – Mario E. Bautista, , Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, 11 February 1980 (READ MORE)

Nangunguna at Kulelat – “Nasa ikatlong araw na ngayon (Monday, Dec 27) ang 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival na nagsimula noong Dec 25, Saturday, at ngayon pa lamang ay nadarama na ng mga producer ang kanilang kapalaran sa takilya. Nakangiti na ‘yong mga nangunguna at lulugo-lugo naman ‘yong kulelat. Subalit hindi pa tapos ang festival. Ngayong gabi, Dec. 27, Monday, ay ang Gabi ng Parangal sa Cultural Center (Main Theater) at dito’y tiyak na lalabas na naman ang dalawang mukha na simbolo ng show business. Isang nakatawa at isang umiiyak. Makikita ngayong gabi ang simbulong ito sa paggagawad ng karangalan sapagkat tiyak na ang mga magwawagi ng mga pangunahing karangalan ay nangakangiti at ‘yong mamalasan ay tutunganga na lang. Sa gabing ito ibabatay ang tunay na kalalabasan ng festival sa susunod pang pitong araw. Dikasi ang magaganap ngayong gabi ang siyang magdudulot ng pagbabago sa takbo ng labanan sa takilya….Sa sampung pelikulang naglalaban-laban, di lang sa takilya kundi sa karangalan, ang unang paboritong magta-top gross ay ang Santa Claus is Coming to Town ng Regal, Panday Ikatlong Yugto ng FPJ, Himala ng ECP, Moral ng Seven Star Films at Haplos ng Mirick Films. Ang mga paborito namang magwawagi ng awards: sa Best Actor, mahigpit ang labanan nina Robert Arevalo sa Santa Claus at Christopher de Leon sa Haplos. Sa Best Actress, labanang umaatikabo rin sina Vilma Santos sa Haplos, Lorna Tolentino sa Moral at Nora Aunor sa Himala…” – Movie Flash Magazine, 1982 (READ MORE)

Little Big Stars – “There is a saying that “Good things come in small packages.” In the movies, some of the most successful and the most talented are “small people….Then, of course, there’s Vilma Santos. Despite a failed marriage and near financial disaster in 1980, Santos has become, barring none, the most successful actress in local cinema. And she stands at five feet flat. She is a success not necessarily because she is more talented than her peers but mainly due to her remarkable sense of good timing and her capacity for learning. The top actress has a knack for picking the right project at the right time and she apparently learns from every mistakes she makes. When Santos co-hosted with the Apo at the Metro Pop Music Festival in 1982, many has criticized her, saying that she should just stick to acting. But that hosting stint has earned for her a regular job – first on Channel 2’s VIP and now on Channel 7’s Vilma. Curiosly, Santos often seems to know where to place herself and make it work to her advantage. And wasn’t it only last year when she sat down as a judge at the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant? The fact is, for more than 25 long years, Santos has continuously come up with surprise that have made her fans closer to her. No wonder a lot of people consider her the female counterpart of FPJ…” – Meg Mendoza (READ MORE)

 

Nalagpasan na si Nora – “…Para sa isang artistang tulad ni Nora Aunor, oras-ang panahon ang tunay na kaaway. Mahigit na sampung taon siyang nasa itaas, pero bumaba man ang kanyang popularidad sa tuktok ng kanyang tagumpay ng maski kalahi, hindi pa rin ito kayang abutin ng ibang artistag tulad niya-maliban na nga marahil kay Vilma Santos. Noong una, talagang walang pasubaling segunda lang si Vilma kay Nora, peron nitong nakaraang tatlong taon, medyo nagiging ptas na ang labanan. At habang steady wika nga ang takbo ng career ni Vilma, maraming ups and downs ang kay Nora. Ngayon ay mas malaki ang presyong tinatanggap ni Vilma kaysa kay Nora, ngayon mas maraming pelikulang kumikita si Vilma. At dahil ang tunay na labanan naman ng mga artista ay hindi sa dami ng mga fans o sa dami ng mga mangingibig o sa dami ng mga pakulo at gimmicks kundi sa dami ng mga taong nanonood ng kani-kanilang pelikula. Nitong nakaraang dalawang taon, masasabing nalagpasan na ni Vilma Santos ang lakas ni Nora sa takilya. Marahil dahil sa trend ng pelikula ay may pagka-bold na puwede pang sagupain ni Vilma samantalang sa sarili na rin niyang pagtatapat, hindi kaya ni Nora ang magbold-dahil wala naman daw siyang ipapakita. Pero lubhang bold ang tunay na buhay ni Nora. Ang kanyang masalimuot na romansang kinabibilangan nina Manny de Leon, Tirso Cruz, Joseph Estrada, Christopher de Leon, Rolly Quizon-katotohanan man on hindi ay lubhang interesante para sa madlang nagaabang ng kapira-pirasong kahinaan ng kanilang idolo…” – Ric D. Romasanta, Jingle Extra Hot Magazine 26 November 1979 (READ MORE)