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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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Summertime. It is the proverbial season for the multi-million-blockbuster movie. It is also the season that gave us the films ET, Star Wars, Titanic and most of the films in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time.
But it is also the season when I have experienced the worst of habitual movie spoilers–the kind of moviegoers who spoil every movie they have seen by disclosing the endings and crucial elements of the film to poor movie fans who are yet to see the film in question.
Last winter, the hype created by the marketing forces of giant Hollywood companies tickled my interests, as usual, with trailers and teasers of coming 2005 summer flicks like Batman Begins, Star Wars Episode 3, Madagascar, Cinderella Man and War of the Worlds..
So I must have learned from my past failures to protect my self from these stupid movie spoilers because I am about to finish all of the movies in my summer 2005 list and still I am unscathed by these creatures.
Once I was in a bar after my band’s gig and I met this old pal of mine who happened to catch our show. And over a round of beer, he revealed that Bruce Willis is the ghost in the film, ‘The Sixth Sense’. My blood rose up to passing out levels and I wanted to thrust his head into my amplifier for his grave offense.
At another time, my pal ‘Sord’ went to my apartment and saw me slide into my video player a newly rented tape of ‘Saving Private Ryan’. And without blinking an eyelash, He told me how he had a lumpy throat when Tom Hanks died at the end of the movie. I mean, I haven’t pushed play yet, and suddenly I knew the ending. I didn’t talk to him the entire 1999.
Probably the worst is sitting besides a habitual ‘movie pre-empter’. The person who has seen the movie more than once and kinda explains to his or her companion what the next scene will be. Even recites the dialogues before the actors do it.
I sat with one while watching Titanic at SM Megamall. And I was still wiping my sweat from Leo and Kate’s hot steamy car-backseat scene, when this guy described aloud how Leo freezes to death eventually.
I was so angry I wanted to drown him in my giant gulp right there and then,
These spoilers are indeed stupid; they even spoil the endings of films that have obvious endings.
Like an acquaintance of mine who tried to spoil Star Wars Episode 3 by telling me that in the end, Anakin Skywalker will become ‘ guy who wears black clothes, with a black shiny Nazi-like helmet and talks like James Earl Jones on morphine. Or this girl who told me that at the end of the film ‘Philadelphia’, she discovered that Tom Hank’s character was gay. Or this co-worker who told me before I saw Spiderman that Peter Parker and Spidey were one and the same.
If I become a senator, I will really author a bill punishing movie spoilers with 10 years of watching nothing but Chuck Norris films. Or if I become a king, I will throw these violators in an inescapable dungeon with nothing but re--runs of The Shawshank Redemption and Escape from Alcatraz.
We should enjoy movies without interruptions caused by the tragic existence of these movie spoilers, who rob us with money and priceless entertainment. Right?
Now if you are one of these people, please refrain from doing further damage by just shutting your mouths. You are indeed worse than the pirates who rip DVDs and sell them for 5$ along Canal Street!
RecommendedDVD of the week: TROY.
Last year’s heavily panned flick is actually great. Not a history lesson, but a sincere and moving action-epic worthy of your time and money.
One thing about Troy:
In the movie – Prince Paris said before escaping the burning city “As long as the sword of Troy is being held by a Trojan’s hand, their people have a future”. -Obviously the guy who received the sword might have pawned the sword to a Roman or a Filipino because the only Trojan nowadays is a contraceptive
Ted Reyes is a journalist, composer, musician and record producer based in NY. For comments about this column or submissions for music or film review etc. you can email him at tedreyes@mac.com.
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MANILA --- Eric Ramos saw Chynna Ortaleza in one of her television appearances and he knew right away he has found the perfect cover girl for the initial issue of his new men’s magazine, Pump.
Eric used to edit FHM, considered the leading men’s magazine in the Philippines. He resigned from his job, however, when he felt his right as editor of the magazine was being obstructed.
While preparing for the first issue of Pump, he wanted to feature on the cover a girl who has turned into a woman right in front of the public’s eye, one whose career in showbiz the public followed. Exactly like Chynna, who started her career in television when she was just 10 years old. She was one of the young hosts of the public affairs show, “5 and Up,” which Cheche Lazaro produced.
When Chynna became a teenager, she was paired with Richard Gutierrez. For a while, their tandem was a hit.
“But three years ago, I told Richard that it was time for us to move on individually. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘di ko pinangarap na makilala lang bilang half of a love team.
“Ganun din pala ang paniniwala ni Richard. Although, unlike me, who was cast in TV shows bilang ako lang, he got Angel Locsin for his ka-love team,” related Chynna.
At 22, Chynna thinks she’s ready for mature roles. And striking a sexy pose for a men’s magazine like Pump may be a stepping stone.
“Ganun pa man, when Eric first broached the idea to me, I had second thoughts,” she said. “But I didn’t tell him my fear outright, kung baga. Instead, I told him kakausapin ko ang Artist Center, which handles my career, and Tito Albert Martinez, who is helping me repackage myself. Natural na my parents’ opinion also counted a lot.”
Chynna’s dad is former advertising man Gryk Ortaleza, who used to also produce films. Her mom, Lea, is her chaperone to wherever she goes, which is understandable because Chynna is the youngest and only girl in a brood of three.
So far, Albert, Chynna’s parents and all of the people behind Artist Center, gave their thumbs up when they saw Chynna’s pictures. Eric gave them a free hand to choose the pictures which they want published.
“Halos lahat ng photos ay okay sa amin para i-publish. In my case, nakita ko exactly the image I want to project, kaya I am not just satisfied (with the results of the pictorial), I am also happy.
“Parang itinugma na in my new TV series, ‘Sugo,’ which stars Richard in the title role, I play a ‘dark’ character. I am not a downright kontrabida pero iba ang dating ko,” said Chynna.
School, according to Chynna, is still a priority for her. She is currently enrolled in Masscom at the University of the Philippines. Eventually, she wants to become a newscaster. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Claudine Barretto considers her adopted daughter, Sabina, as her lucky charm. “Ever since she came into my life, patong patong na ang mga suwerteng dumating sa buhay ko,” she says.
There’s no question that at the moment, Claudine is the best in her generation. At ABS CBN where she is under contract, she gets only the best roles.
Currently, Claudine is in the cast of “Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin,” co-starring her with John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo and Diether Ocampo.
Likewise, her role in her movie for Star Cinema, “Nasaan Ka Man,” is the type any young actress her age would give her arm to.
Jericho Rosales and Diether (Ocampo) are just Claudine’s co-stars in the still being shown movie, “Nasaan Ka Man.” It’s, after all, her movie all throughout.
For this year alone, Claudine garnered two best actress trophies for her role as an overseas worker in “Milan.”
To top it all, she is finally getting married to the man whom she has chosen to live with all her life.
Claudine and Raymart Santiago have set the date of their wedding in January next year with little Sabina as their flower girl. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Friends have advised Kris Aquino to ask her cager boy friend James Yap if he’d be willing to sign a pre-nuptial agreement. This will make sure that in case their marriage doesn’t work, he won’t get any part of the properties Kris earned through the years before they tied the knot.
It’s no secret that between the two of them, Kris is the one who has money since she earns millions from her ABS-CBN shows and endorsements, while James comes from a simple family from Escalante, Negros. Someone told us James felt offended when the pre-nup was brought up.
“Nag-offer na nga raw siya ng kasal kay Kris, pera pa rin ang pinag-uusapan,” our informer says. “But Kris assured him na hindi ang pagkatao niya ang kinukuwestiyon. Gusto lang gawin iyon ni Kris for her child, Joshua, now ten years old. Kris told him Joshua is a special child with special needs. Kaya raw gusto niyang makatiyak na anuman ang mangyari sa kanya ay magiging secure ang future nito.”
If we were James, we’d quickly sign the pre-nup, so that no one would suspect that he’s just after the money of Kris, who’s also an heiress of the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Amid reports of a breach of contract case filed against them by Viva Records three months ago, Rivermaya manager
Lizza Nakpil appeared unfazed by the legal complaint against the popular rock band.
In a statement last Tuesday, Nakpil, saying she has yet to see the formal complaint on paper stressed, “I’ve heard about the case and yes, I have been asked about it in the past. But I haven’t seen a document about it so I really can’t say anything concrete about it. I can’t divulge details on what the nature of the charges were. I remember I was asked about a demanda nga. But you know what? It’s old news to us,”
Obviously unaffected by the reports, Nakpil nonchalantly stressed, “Either may demanda raw or in-demand ang Rivermaya. Maybe they just mixed it up,” she further commented.
Highly - placed sources revealed that Viva Records has filed charges of breach of contract against Rivermaya and Warner Music three months ago. It allegedly stemmed from the release and distribution by Warner of an Extended Play (EP) CD compilation of Rivermaya songs entitled “You’ll Be Safe Here,” also the title of one of the tracks in the CD Lite, without permission from Viva.
Viva’s Baby Gil confirmed that a case has been filed three months ago against the 10-year-old band but refused to reveal further details as the charges have been formally filed in court already.
“Yes, there is a case but lawyers have told me that it would be best not to comment about it,” Gil said in a phone interview.
The source also revealed that it took three months before the courts could serve the subpoena to one of the respondents. Warner Music, the source added, was finally served recently.
Warner Music gave a “No comment” stand citing that it’s the company’s decision not to disclose further details while the case is ongoing as any statement may affect the legal proceedings. A source from the recording company, however, confirmed that Warner indeed released early this year, an EP featuring Rivermaya.
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