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Thursday, December 20, 2012

DISCO FEVER (1978)

Basic Information Directed: Al Quinn; Story, screenplay: Maryo De Los Reyes; Cast: Vilma Santos, Christopher De Leon, Victor Laurel, Rio Locsin, Romeo Enriquez, Sandy Garcia, Freddie Aguilar, Sampaguita, Anak Bayan Band; Executive producer: Emilia Blass; Cinematography: Al Quinn, Joe Batac; Film Editing: Nonoy Santillan; Film poster courtesy of Video48

Plot Description: Love Triangle (Christopher De Leon-Vilma Santos-Cocoy Laurel) and lots of dancing!

Film Achievement: One of 23 Film collaborations of Christopher and Vilma Santos.

Film Reviews: "...I was Vilma’s choreographer for her movies (Disco Fever, Good Morning Sunshine, etc.) and at the same time I was also choreographing for Nora on her show Superstar. When Vilma had her own TV show, she got me as choreographer but I stayed with her for only one month. The network bosses told me that I shouldn’t be handling two superstars at the same time. Nora was on Channel 9 and Vilma was on Channel 13. Because of loyalty, I chose to stay with Nora kasi mas nauna naman ako sa kanya. I was with her for four years na at that time. But first, I talked to Vilma who is a ninang of my son Miggy. I left Vilma with a heavy heart...(Asked if she was a Noranian, Geleen thought for a while and smiled), “Noon ‘yon!”...“It’s hard to tell. Nora is good in memorizing dance steps and Vilma is good in the execution.” Other stars Geleen choreographed for included Alma Moreno (for her TV show Loveli-NESS), Maricel Soriano (for Maricel Live! on Channel 13 and Maria, Maria on Channel 4)), Kuh Ledesma and Manilyn Reynes (Manilyn Live!). It was Maribeth Bichara who replaced Geleen as Vilma’s choreographer. Perhaps as an offshoot of their star-mistresses’ rivalry, Geleen (for Nora) and Maribeth (for Vilma) were also pitted against each other and the two dancers tried to ride on the wave of the faked rivalry between them when actually, claimed Geleen, “Maribeth and I were good friends...” - Geleen Eugenio (READ MORE)

"...I'd rather be known as Victor Laurel. But really, this Travolta is a sensation. I met him in Studio 54 and how the crowd loves him. He's a wonderful actor, singer, and dancer." Cocoy, too is a seasoned dancer even before the Travolta fever. He has a catlike grace that gives the impression of strenght and his dancing ability has helped tremendously in his career. "The Travolta dance is typical of hero worship even in San Francisco, Los Angeles and other big cities. Mondays, everyone who has caught the fever, even 30 year olds shop and prepare for the disco on Fridays and Saturday and stay up till the wee hours of the morning...We were about to ask another question about Vi, his leading lady in Lea's Disco Fever but Ate Josie came in to remind Cocoy that the Sampaguita people were waiting with sketches of his costume for Dyesebel, the movie he was going to make for the Gilmore Studio. But didn't. As a parting shot, Cocoy revealed that he'd soon put a disco. The Third Kind or something in Makati..." - Nena Z. Villanueva, Expressweek, November 16, 1978 (READ MORE)