A
movie with Dolphy, the acknowledged King of Pinoy
Comedy, is Vic Sotto’s next project after his
double victory at the Metro Manila Film Festival with
Enteng Kabisote 3 (EK3). And, no, marriage to latest
and current girlfriend Pia Guanio is not among his
planned projects this 2007!
The
actor-producer-TV host remains unaffeced and unmoved
by the controversy that trails his MMFF entry’s
win as first best picture based on the questionable
criterion of 40 percent box office receipts.
Among those questioning EK3’s award is ABS-CBN
Film Productions, Inc. (also known as Star Cinema)
which claimed that despite that box office criterion,
its entry Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo – which was
named only second best picture – should still
have won over EK3.
Malou Santos, Star Cinema managing director, has officially
writen the MMFF executive committee headed by Metropolitan
Manila Development Authority Chairman
Bayani Fernando to ask for clarification on whether
the competition’s announced criteria of 40 percent
box office gross and 60 percent artistic and technical
excellence were strictly and honestly applied.
Santos pointed out in her letter that aside from being
number two to EK3 at the box office at the time of
the awards night on Dec. 29, the movie starring Judy
Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo won eight other major
awards – while EK3 won |
nothing
at all. Santos firmly believes that their movie had
a clear edge over EK3.
Some win, some lose,
some are sore losers
Unfortunately for ABS-CBN Films, Chairman Fernando,
as of press time, seems to have no plan at all to
make the 11-man board of jurors – or anyone,
for that matter – explain how the criteria were
applied and resulted in EK3s winning first best picture.
Almost nonchalantly, Fernando was reported to have
said that that’s just the way competitions are
– some win, some lose, some are sore losers.
So EK3’s win remains controversial.
But Vic Sotto, the producer, actor and box office
champ in the recent fest, remains unperturbed by the
swirl of negative opinions about his movie bagging
the top award.
“ We did not expect to win best picture,”
Sotto said during the luncheon blowout he threw for
the showbiz press at the Ilacad-owned Virgin Cafe
on Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City. “What
we were expecting was to win some of the technical
awards, such as best visual effects or best editing.
But neither I nor my co-producer (Orly Ilacad of OctoArts
Films) approached anyone in the executive committee
or in the board of jurors so we can win anything.
If the movie makes money, which means the people flocked
to it, that would be more than enough award for us.”
He intoned, “And for those who feel the movie
doesn’t deserve to win, I will not question
their opinion. They have all the right to express
their opinion.” Vic did not attend the awards
night. He said he and girlfriend, TV host and news
reader Pia Guanio, who had a cameo in the movie, were
vacationing in Singapore at that time.
It must be true that his co-producer and the film’s
director, Tony Y. Reyes, did not expect to win any
of the best picture awards. Both Ilacad and Reyes
attended the awards night at the Aliw Theater at the
CCP Complex but left after all the technical awards
had been given – and they had not won anything
yet.
“ Orly and I had no inkling the movie would
win any of the best picture awards, so we left after
all the technical awards had been given and we did
not win anything,” revealed direk Tony.
The Best Picture trophy was accepted by sexy actress
Angelica Jones who had a supporting role in the movie.
Comedy
heaven
In spite of the ballyhoo, Vic, known by his nickname
“Bossing” was very proud of the award.
He had the little glass trophy in front of him at
the presidential table during the press blowout. He
raised the trophy several times and declared at various
times during the do: “Ah, basta, sa amin na
ito. Hindi na ito makukuha ng iba.”
At one point, he jokingly addressed the trophy in
front of him: “D’yan ka lang, ha! Wag
kang aalis d’yan. Amin ka lang!”
At another point, he remembered to tell everyone that
it was not the very first time that an MMFF entry
of his won a major award. He proudly recalled that
in 1992, his Okey Ka, Fairy Ko won the Gatpuno Antonio
J. Villegas Cultural Award. Enteng Kabisote 3, as
well as all previous Enteng Kabisote movies, is a
spin off of the Nineties TV fantasy comedy Okey Ka,
Fairy Ko.
As for the movie with Dolphy, nothing has been finalized
except that the grand old man of Pinoy comedy has
committed to do one with him – and to co-produce
it with him. (Vic’s company is known as M-Zet
Productions while that of the Comedy King is RVQ Productions.)
All the while, Vic has been quietly meeting with the
grand old man of Pinoy comedy and working out ideas
with him for a movie. They have even agreed that a
third producer will be on the project, namely, APT
Productions which is headed by Antonio P. Tuviera,
the producer of Eat Bulaga for GMA 7. (Eat Bulaga,
however, is not produced by APT but by Television
and Entertainment Productions, better known as TAPE,
which is known to be primarily owned by convicted
child rapist and former congressman Romy Jalosjos.)
They have also agreed that the movie will be directed
also by Tony Y. Reyes and the script written by RJ
Nuevas, who is identified with GMA 7 (though he used
to work with Viva Entertainment, also as a scriptwriter).
“ We have passed on a bunch of ideas to a scriptwriter
and once we have approved the script, then casting
and pre-production work will be done. We’ll
shoot February and March, do post-production in April,
then show the movie most likely in May or June,”
Vic revealed.
Real
life leading ladies for reel?
He did not want to speculate on the possibility of
having Pia as his leading lady and Zsa Zsa Padilla
as Dolphy’s, insisting that he, Dolphy, Tuviera,
and direk Tony have to meet and agree among themselves
about the movie’s final casting.
On the other hand, direk Tony has revealed that filming
will be done mostly in Olongapo and Cavite, since
the story has something to do with resorts. Since
they all know that filming can be very physically
taxing, they plan to build a soundstage to do the
scenes that involves Dolphy who is, after all, already
in his 80s. (Recently, though, the old man has been
proving to be healthier than live-in sweetheart Zsa
Zsa who had to be hospitalized for a surgery in October
last year.)
As for the possibility of Vic’s marrying Pia,
he said it was very possible though he maintained
that doing it this year is already out of the question
since his daughter Danica is getting married to Purefoods
PBA player Mark Pingree in March.
“ Masama ang sukob sa taon, di ba?” he
quipped, referring to the Filipino belief that members
of a family should not marry in the same year to prevent
bad luck. |
He
said he does not know the details about Danica’s
wedding since Danica and Mark are planning the Big
Day themselves. However, since Danica is very close
to her mother, Vic’s ex-wife Dina Bonnevie,
it’s possible that she is consulted more often
by their daughter about the finer details of the wedding.
But then as Danica’s father, Vic will definitely
march her to the altar and hand her over to Mark Pingree.
A sense of propriety and humility prevented him from
letting the press know his wedding gift to Danica
(Vic has another daughter with one-time actress Angela
Luz. The girl and her mother are reportedly based
in Baguio City.)
The father in Vic insists he doesn’t know what
caused the break up between his actor son Oyo Boy
Sotto and actress girlfriend Angel Locsin. He feels
though that the break up will be temporary, since
he is not aware of any third party involved. He simply
laughed off
talks that the cause was Bing Loyzaga who has separated
from her husband of 16 years, Janno Gibbs.
” I am sure magkabarkada lang sina Oyo at Bing,”
Vic opined. “Pero kung ano man o sino man ang
dahilan ng break-up nina Oyo at Angel, hindi ko alam
at ayokong pakialaman. Mukhang alam naman ni Oyo ang
ginagawa nya, eh! Saka, ang feeling ko, matindi talaga
ang pagmamahalan nila, kaya parang stage lang sa relasyon
nila yung break-up nila ngayon. I have a feeling magkakabalikan
din sila after some time.”
Talks have it that it’s actually Angel’s
lack of time to be with Oyo as often as the latter
wants that led to the split. Angel is actually far
busier than Oyo. Angel was 2006’s hottest female
young star – and she might still be the It Girl
of 2007.b
Danny
Vibas is a veteran entertainment journalist who writes
for The Manila Times.
On his movie with comedy king Dolphy: ‘We don’t
have a script yet but the movie will likely come out
in May.’
On
son Oyo’s breakup with Angel Locsin: ‘Matindi
talaga ang pagmamahalan nila…. I have a feeling
after some time. |
