How do you rate two lead female performers, both allies and foes, armed with fierce clawing nails ready to attack each other in a blinding glamorous colorful setting? To me it was sheer delight. I haven’t met Dolly de Leon yet (and I can’t wait to see and talk to her in person) but i’ve been with Kathryn a lot of times – thanks to Charo, Cory V and Direk Olive Lamasan who have brought Kathryn closer to me seeing her upclose and personal.
The title of the movie, A VERY GOOD GIRL, would have sounded so plain, simple and boring if it was shown in the 60s – as audiences during that time could only think of an ideal girl who could only be a good daughter, an ideal friend, a church going attendee, and who lived by the rules of the ten commandments. But not in this era of almost non-private existence in showbiz when information (true or fake news) reveals what time the celebs brush their teeth and change undies. Today, what you say could mean the opposite and interpretations twist the real score.
So there we were with our Sine Institute group at the Yorkdale cinema watching the 10 pm show. Would A Very Good Girl be a streaming entry to our coming film fest March of 2024?
Anyway…As you gaze at Kathryn’s publicity pix for this film, you forget her off and onscreen partner Daniel Padilla. You feel that Kathryn is on the way of being Meryl Streepish, not even being Julia Roberts – not just a pretty woman but soaring on a higher level of what’s being beautiful. Her recently being knighted as Asia’s Outstanding Asian Star awardee says it all. But wait, Dolly’s advantage is her being Hollywoodish, remember Triangle of Sadness?
This time, Dolly de Leon is finally playing her very first lead role in a mainstream Filipino movie. The story is about Philo (Kathryn), a motherless, self-made millionaire whose life mission is to exact revenge on Mother, a ruthless retail mogul played by Dolly de Leon. Did Philo succeed to get even? Was Mother more clever to parry the blows? Each encounter makes you still on your seat and you even make an effort to crunch your popcorn quietly to avoid breaking the cinematic air of tranquility.
The film seems to be a goodbye bid to the previous huge blockbuster romcoms by Star Cinema – looks like they’re doing a new branding/label megged by Petersen Vargas. We are not telling you the spoilers but let me tell you this. It is worth every cent you pay at the takilya. We were entertained. It was a glorious trip to see the details of Kathryn and Dolly’s acting prowess. Indeed, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but this is not limited to the subject of love.
So, is Kathryn no longer the girl next door?
“Hindi porket artista, perfect. Hindi porket role model, wala kaming imperfections, wala kaming mistakes or we can’t learn from our mistakes,” she stated. “I always tell the fans na wag niyo akong [i-idolize] dahil perfect ako, kasi hindi talaga, promise.”
They say A Very Good Girl proves to be the ideal vehicle for Kathryn to send that message in the loudest and clearest way possible. Finally you get to see a side of her that goes beyond the typical border of what we generally think as a nice girl. Kathryn as Philomena Angeles is ruthless, sly, and out for blood – as her character suggests.
One short scene drew some humor – when Dolly was shown in a neck brace similar to Gloria Arroyo’s. The message hit us.
But how good is the film? A Very Good Girl is not perfect (we are looking for more solid content) but it is enough to forget and escape your blues, impressive naman and not shy to say hey, this is a Pinoy product. Congratulations! Encore! Isa pa nga, kahit hindi San Miguel. But I wanted sana a better ending.
Parokya ni Chito
I have always been interested in bands. Maybe because I used to play the lead guitar back to the times of DanceORama and JamSession (about the same time that my publisher/ed Tess Cusipag was also doing the ramp but not decided to be a fashion mannequin). We also did the rounds during combo festivals known then as FallOuts (Bagsakan na ala Parokya?). Known as Polka Dots, we were invited to play at the home of Susan Roces which marked my first official meet with her…But this isn’t about me now, I will just want to share with you my recent experience with PAROKYA NI EDGAR whose members are: Chito Miranda (once rumored to be with Angel Locsin) on lead vocals; Vinci Montaner on back up vocals; Buwi Meneses on bass guitar; Darius Semana on lead guitars; Gab Chee-Kee on rhythm guitars and vocals; and Din Din Moreno on drums.
They have been together for about 3 decades making us happy and kinda sentimental too by their quirky and strange string of hits.
Why the name Parokya ni Edgar, none of them is named Edgar. Here is some story. The band name’s origin has been a long time subject of disputes and debate among fans. It was in 2013 though when Chito Miranda officially posted the subject matter and confirmed it in their Facebook page. The name “Parokya Ni Edgar” actually came from a joke by a classmate named Bambi Cuna during one of their high school classes. Sources state that the class subject was Filipino. When the teacher asked Cuna where Jose Rizal‘s fictional hero, Crisostomo Ibarra (in the novel Noli Me Tangere), was educated, it was said that Cuna answered with the daft remark “sa Parokya ni Edgar”.
For some reason, former vocalist Jeric Estaco then decided to declare “Parokya ni Edgar” as their band name during an introduction on one of their first live performances in an impromptu manner and got stuck by it ever since. In the 1990s, PNE became regular performers in Club Dredd, a popular club in Manila at the time. The band slowly gained popularity during the height of the Filipino rock explosion, with the local rock community welcoming the influence of foreign grunge acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Last Sunday (Oct 22), while on the front row of Whitby’s Event Centre, we jammed with them (I was in the company of UP stalwarts Mary Ann Allain and Nova Rellosa who both admitted to me they were there and witnessed first hand the rise of Parokya). This Whitby scenario was a show of raw passion – the 3,200 PNE devotees chaotically screamed the lyrics of their all time hits, like they didn’t want the music to end.
Chito up on the stage and only a breath away probably saw me not lypsynching so he grabbed my hand and said something funny. Actually, I was very familiar with their song Harana – Puno ang langit ng bituin, At kay lamig pa ng hangin, Sa ‘yong tingin ako’y nababaliw giliw, At sa awitin kong ito, Sana’y maibigan mo, Ibubuhos ko ang buong puso ko, Sa isang munting harana, Para sa ‘yo…
(Ryan Orlanda and Cesar Marquez later told me that they love PNE’s greatest hits like Buloy, Inuman na, Mang Jose, Gitara, Halaga, Para Sayo, Pangarap lang kita – and not to forget, Mr. Swabe.)
When the roaring crowd chanted Bagsakan, it was madly deafening but it rose like a collective wave of rhapsody on a perfect cue. We joined in the singing – Nandito na si Chito, si Chito Miranda, Nandito na si Kiko, si Francis Magalona, Nandito na si Gloc-9, wala s’yang apelyido, Magbabagsakan dito in five, four, three, two….Yey!
Venerating Ian
Almost 2 weeks ago, I was at TD Pavilion to watch Ian Veneracion. I was asked later by some music aficionados. “Can he sing?”
Over dinner with some friends, the same question was addressed. Three of my friends replied asap, “ANG GUAPO!” (You saw how the women attacked him on the stage – kissing and hugging him like gusto na syang dalhin puawi.)
“That’s not my question – may tono ba sya?” the same person asked.
O sige, why is Ian Veneracion doing concerts? Okay, let us be fair to this extremely good looking guy – his looks overshadow his other talents. Do you know he can fly planes? He is a smooth motorcyclist? He paints!
Let me recall the first time I heard him sing an MP3. i was staying with Dear Charo (Santos but of course) in her suite at Waldorf Astoria in 2016. Charo and I were on the way to attend the Venice International Filmfest at Lido Beach and one morning, Charo announced, “You’ll be among the very first to hear this raw recording of Ian V. Magaling sya! He could sing!”
I listened and liked what i heard. He’s gooood! Songs for his teleserye soon to ba aired “A Love to Last” with Bea Alonzo.
What else don’t you know about Ian?
Ian started in showbiz as a child actor, he played the son of Joey de Leon in the RPN-9 sitcom “Joey and Son” back in 1982. Apart from acting and singing, Ian has also pursued his love for the visual arts, was featured in several exhibitions, even mounting solo exhibitions in the past.
“The more I understand painting or sculpture, I understand music so much better and vice versa. There are emotions that are hard to express, except on the canvas,” revealed Ian then.
An artist for four decades, it is not surprising to know of his eclectic interests, including skydiving, paragliding, boating, sailing and riding motorbikes. Despite these daredevil stunts, Ian admitted that he felt the jitters during his very first foray into the concert scene. He performed for Sharon Cuneta in
her US concert in 2017.
Ian came from a family of pilots. “Doing something dangerous makes you aware of safety precautions. I’ve seen the Philippines from the air, land and water that’s why I promote our country to everybody. Power comes in needing less. Others amass more as they get older. When I reached my ’40s, I started subtracting. It’s the quality of the experience, not the quantity. We are only here for a short time. There are many ways to see things through different lenses, like I see clouds differently as a kid or as a pilot,” said Ian, who has already released a recording with Star Records. He has also recorded three original songs: “We’re All Alone” on guitar; “I Miss You The Most” for his wife, Pam Gallardo and “Ninuno.”
Ian feels fortunate to have a wife like Pam, who never tried to stop him from pursuing his hobbies.
“She’s really the most supportive person in the world. She knows about my ever-changing interests. One moment, I’m fixated on sailing and that’s all I ever think about. But then, I might do something different after six months. That’s how it is,” he related.
“So yeah, I have no issues with [death],” said Ian, who’s a licensed private pilot. “I’m a student of life trying to enjoy everything that can be discovered.”
Still on the topic of living his life to the fullest, Ian said another thing that made life easier and more enjoyable was cutting out his excesses in every sense of the word.
“In the first 40 years of my life, my goal was to add: I want to have this, I want to have more friends, I want another house and save up for another car. But I think what my midlife crisis made me realize was that I have to start subtracting,” he pointed out.
What else could he do? He gave us a winsome smile and said, “You’ll be the first to know.”
For the Kids
Congratulations JDL Performing Arts! Now at the famous Filipino town (Bathurst and Wilson) – can you sing, dance, act? This is the place! You’ve heard of their first school which turned newbies to amazing performers. The 2nd one is at Scarborough, and will they open another one after this 3rd? We are wishing you the best, Josie de Leon for having an array of special coaches/trainers who make effective mentors.
Almost every concert or show in town has always featured talents from JDL and when they do, we marvel at how they have progressed.
“Why I am adding another location? More than 10 years ago, when I opened in Mississagua, I prayed hard to succeed – it was not easy and the mentors worked double time to achieve our goals. We strive for ceativity, this is an ever-changing world and we need to come up with new and interesting ideas. Teamwork is important, it is not only wanting to sing, act or dance. We also need workshops to foster and develop co-existence in our members,” Josie said.
The presence of Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez at the event brought back memories. “Years ago, long before she got associated with her present status, she was always around lending a helping hand” some of the parents of the youths told us. “Look at her now, findng time tio be with us.”
“I thought I could not make it because of my hectic schedule But I did not want to miss this, look at the kids – it is so inspiring to feel their enthusiasm,” Minister Rechie observed.
“I am so touched by the assistance of all the parents who came to help me put up the decors, they prepared and brought food and made me feel like we are all one big family,” JDL added.
On a personal level, this reminds me of my years in Manila during my active days in entertainment. I recall how a 13-yr old pretty girl called my attention when i saw her in a crowd and asked her, “Do you want to become a movier star?” Her name was Susan Reid – now known as Hilda Koronel. Was it 1973 when another young girl knocked on my door saying “I want to be a movie star – I can sing and dance.” She brought a tape and played it and showed me she could…Her name was Vanessa Lacsamana. I called Direk Temyong Marquez and Mother Lily to tell them to try this new face. she was rechristened Alma Moreno. I have other stories to tell in our next issues.
Dreams do come true. And JDL knows it. The best is yet to come.
How about you, dear readers. Have you something to share? Remember, life imitates art.
See you in 2 weeks.