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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Vilma Santos’ Top 10 Film Directors 1/6


Introductions: 197 films, 70 directors, 5 decades, Vilma Santos, one of the original Philippine movie queens, rose up to become the versatile actress that has been given the fitting title of “Star for All Seasons” because of her capacity to adapt to the changing mores and values of the Filipino woman, giving a face to their plight and struggles, albeit in success both critically and box-office wise in some of Philippine cinema’s classics such as Trudis Liit (1963), Lipad, Darna, Lipad (1973), Burlesk Queen (1977), Relasyon (1982), Sister Stella L. (1984), Alyas Baby Tsina (1984), Pahiram ng Isang Umaga (1989), Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story (1993), Anak (2000) and Dekada ’70 (2002). This are top ten directors who contributed to her success.

Special Mention: First, here are the directors who made a considerable impact but not lucky enough to be included in our list:

10. (tie) Pablo Santiago was the father of actors Randy, Rowell and Raymart. He was known for his big-budgeted action movies, many of them starring Fernando Poe Jr. He made his directorial debut at 19 with Larry Santiago Productions’ Lo Waist Gang, which catapulted Poe to stardom. For nearly fifty years, Santiago made award-winning films such as Batingaw, Nueva Vizcaya, Perlas ng Silangan, Ibong Adarna and Digmaan ng mga Angkan, a 1974 Metro Manila Film Festival blockbuster starring Ronnie Poe and Joseph Estrada. His last movie starred FPJ opposite Anjanette Abayari in Ang Syota Kong Balikbayan, in 1996. He died in 1998 at the age of 67 from lingering kidney ailment (Sol Jose Vanzi).

Highlights: Santiago first directed Vilma Santos in a Joseph Estrada movie, Batang Iwahig in 1966. Eight years afterward, He will direct Vilma again, this time as the leading lady of the Joseph Estrada’s rival, the late Fernando Poe Jr in light comedy and a smash hit, Batya’t Palo-palo. He will direct three more projects with Vilma, the follow up of the FPJ-Vilma teams in 1976′s Bato Sa Buhangin, the forgetable, Big Ike’s Happening in 1976 and the action film Vilma Vente Nueve in 1975 starring Vilma and action star, Jun Aristorenas.

Total Number of Films in our list of VSR’s Top 50 films: 2 #37 Bato sa Buhangin 1976, #40 Batya’t Palu-Palo 1974

Total Number of Films: 5 Batang Iwahig 1966, Bato sa Buhangin 1976, Batya’t Palu-Palo 1974, Big Ike’s Happening 1976, Vilma Viente Nueve 1975



10. (tie) Maryo J. De los Reyes is a film and television director from the Philippines. He began his career in the 1970s (Wikipedia). Reyes’ most significant works are the critically acclaimed Magnifico (2004), Tagos Ng Dugo (1987) and the commercial hits, Bagets (1983), Annie Batungbakal (1979).

Highlights: In 1987, Maryo De Los Reyes directed Vilma Santos that critics considered one of the most shocking film that year, "Tagos Ng Dugo."  The film was hailed as feminist as seldom a Filipino woman was seen on screen as a murderous serial killer.  It earned Vilma Santos her fourth FAMAS Best Actress.  Ironically, the conservative Catholic church's award giving body, Catholic Mass Media Awards, agreed with the FAMAS.  They gave Vi their Best Actress award while the critics' group, Gawad Urian refused to hand-out their yearly award citing there were no deserving films that year.  Reyes last directed Vilma in another memorable off-beat role, the 1992 drama, "Sinungaling Mong Puso."

Total Number of Films and Films in our list of VSR’s Top 50 films: 2 #13 Tagos ng Dugo 1987, #28 Sinungaling Mong Puso 1992