204 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. - RV (READ MORE)
Zialcita’s first movie with Vilma was the 1980 festival entry, a drama about bigamy, Langis at Tubig. The following year, Zialcita and Santos joined forces again in another festival entry, Karma. The film earned Vilma her second Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actress. The following year, Ziacita’s Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan broke box office record, Earned P7.3 million during its first day of showing in Metro Manila and assured Vilma Santos the box office queen of 1982. - RV (READ MORE)
Langis at Tubig (1980) - "...Muli, binigyan ng magagandang linya si Vilma Santos mula sa umpisa kung saan kinompronta niya ang manloloko niyang ka-live in at sinabing: “namputsa naman nahuli ka na ayaw mo pang aminin” at sa bandang huli nang intindihin niya ang asawa at handing magparaya, sinabi niya “…handa akong magparaya, kung gusto niya isang lingo sa kanya, isang lingo sa akin…” Pero halatang ang pelikulang ito ay pelikula ni Dindo Fernando. Deserving si Dindo sa kanyang pagkapanalo sa Famas bilang pinakamahusay na actor bagamat nang taong ito’y mahusay rin si Christopher Deleon sa Aguila at Taga ng Panahon at Jay Ilagan sa Brutal. Tahimik lang ang pag-arte niya’t makikita ang kanyang intensity sa kanyang eksena kung saan nagtapat na siya sa asawang si Cory tungkol sa kanyang kaso. Mahusay rin siya nang hinarap niya si Pilar at sabihin niyang, “mahal ko kayong dalawa.” Maganda ang location ng pelikula. Makikita ang mga ordinaryong tanawin ng Albay sa Bicol at ang mga ordinaryong manggagawa rito mula sa mga nagtatanim ng palay hanggang sa mga nagtitinda ng mga paninda sa palengke ng bayan. Sa kabila ng ordinaryong istorya ng Langis At Tubig, ang mahusay na direksyon at mahusay na pagkakaganap ng mga artista rito’y nangibabaw ang tunay na karapatan nitong panoorin muli ng mga mahihilig sa pelikulang Pilipino. Sayang nga lang at hindi na gumagawa ng pelikula ang ang gumawa ng obrang ito." - RV (READ MORE)
Karma (1981) - "...The movie boasted of several bold scenes. Those involving Vilma weren’t much as we know for a fact that Vilma could show only so much. One scene showing Chanda was a different story. It showed her with absolutely nothing on, yet it didn’t offend anybody as it was executed in style, shot with great care. There was just one thing, which looked unnatural to me – the way in which one of the main characters killed himself. “That’s all right,” Danny assured me. “Before we shot it, we double-checked its possibility.” Reincarnation and transference are undoubtedly mind-boggling subjects but, to his utmost credit, Danny managed to present them simply, bringing them down for everybody to understand. “Bala lang yan. Katawan lang ito. Babalik at babalik kami sa mundong ito,” Dante vowed. Come back they did as they promised building the foundation of the story..." - Bob Castillo (READ MORE)
Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan? (1982) - Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan? (1982) – “Gaano kadalas ang Minsan” Grossed 7.3 Million in its few days run in Metro Manila in 1982 outgrossing “Sinasamba Kita” for Philippine movies’ all-time box office tally. With inflation and currency rate in consideration that will be around 95 million. But that's not the only exciting thing about these film. It was the only film that Vilma Santos and Hilda Koronel did together and when Hilda was still at her peak of her illustrious career. Ofcourse, Ate Vi's career remained as hot as ever, still able to carry a film while Koronel now accepts supporting roles. It was obvious that when both star did Gaano, Hilda was more glamourous than Vilma but looking at the two right now, Vilma maintained that slim, youthful look while Hilda struggled and visibly gained so much weight she can be mistaken as Ate Vi’s aunt or mother (As of 2012, Hilda shed that pounds and now back to her glamourous looks!)! After Gaano, Hilda did a few more leading roles under Viva Films even co-starred with Nora Aunor but didn't get the same results as Gaano. Like what William Leary says, "mahirap matalbugan si Vilma, Vilma is Vilma in any seasons and whatever movie!” - RV (READ MORE)
T-bird at Ako (1982) - "...For him, every dialogue is a song,” says Mark. “May intro, may refrain. You don’t go to the refrain right away.” Consider this confrontation scene between Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor in T-bird at Ako. Nora’s character, a lawyer, has just expressed her romantic intentions to Vilma, a nightclub dancer, who responds to the proposition, quietly, with “Nandidiri ako.” Nora: Bakit, sino ka ba? Ano bang pinagmamalaki mo? Katawan lang yan ah, sa’n ba galing yan? Sa putik! Vilma: Putik nga ako pero kahit ganito ‘ko nagsisimba ako kahit papa’no. At ang sabi ng nasa itaas ang sala sa lamig, sala sa init, iniluluwa ng langit, isinusuka ng Diyos! Which takes us back to Mark’s statement. First, you have to be a competent actor to come to work without a script. Danny is famous for not doing scripts, only rough storylines and sequence guides that get revised easily on the set when a new idea strikes him. “I don’t want them coming to the set with a planned line, a planned movement. So that they can surpass their own,” says Danny. Second, you have to be an intelligent actor to deliver lines like the ones above, to convince the audience that the character is capable of churning out knockout philosophical punches at the tip of a hat—which, incidentally, people wore in Zialcita films. ..." - Jerome Gomez (READ MORE)
Danny Zialcita is a fun-loving gifted and colorful filmmaker who left his mark as one of the best in the stimulating era of the ’60s and ’70s. Then without any warning he left the industry. Stories of drug addiction, withdrawal from the world, and worse, loss of sanity dogged his absence until even his colleagues lost touch with him and didn’t know what to believe. Zialcita is a master of improvisation on the set, he also had the knack for casting the right actors, choosing the right material, and pleasing his producers. One of his favorite actors was Dindo Fernando whom he termed “the complete actor” and cast him in such movies as Langis at Tubig, Karma, Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan, Mahinhin at Mahinhin, its sequel Malakas, si Maganda at si Mahinhin and Ikaw at ang Gabi which gave Dindo his first Urian Best Actor trophy. Other favorites were Vilma Santos cast in Karma, T-Bird at Ako, Langis at Tubig; Pinky de Leon; Laurice Guillen; Ronaldo Valdes; and Beth Bautista who won Best Actress award in Hindi sa Iyo ang Mundo Baby Porcuna. - Bibsy M. Carballo (READ MORE)