"...PX, short for Paula Xavier (Vilma Santos) was an illegal alien in New York City. She’s broke and waiting for fiancé, Cocoy laurel to fulfill his promise of marriage despite the fact that Cocoy has already married an American to secure a green card. Hiding from the authorities, PX met two men who are willing to take care of her but conflicts arise as the two wanted to maintain a serious relationship with her. Played wonderfully by Christopher Deleon and Bembol Roco, the film resolved the love quadrangle between ex-fiancé, Cocoy Laurel and the two brothers when the jealous Cocoy reported Vilma to the immigration authorities. PX was deported back to the Philippines. But the films didn’t end in a sour note, PX found herself reunited with Christopher Deleon when the later followed her in the Philippines..." - RV (READ MORE)
“…Pinay, American Style (1979) carries such attributes. Shot entirely in America, it depicts the plight of some Filipinos living there – Filipinos who are obsessed with amassing fortunres and landing high-paying jobs and enjoying the dolce vita in the muchballyhooed “land of the brave and home of the free” and the “land of the mighty dollar.” Compared to foreign movies with explicit sex scenes, Pinay… would not even deserve the “For Adults Only” tag or an “X-rated” classification, according to Elwood. Basically, the movie is a relfection of the typical plight of Filipinos living abroad. It is a plight that runs counter to the optimism and false hopes entertained by potential Filipino immigrants. Arriving in the U.S. as tourists, some Filipinos would choose to stay behind in their search for “greener pastures.” Having done so, they have to play hide-and-seek with immigration authorities, accept odd jobs to survive in the asphalt jungle, get married to ward off deportation, and similar evasive maneuvers. These same incidents are what the cast – Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, Bembol Roco and Victor “Cocoy” Laurel – portray in Pinay. Pinay is Elwood’s second movie shot abroad after Lollipops…” - Manny B. Fernandez, Expressweek, July 12, 1979 (READ MORE)
FAIR USE NOTICE (NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE): This site contains copyrighted materials the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to preserve the film legacies of actress, Vilma Santos, and to make her career information available to future generations. We believe this is NOT an infringement of any such copyrighted materials as in accordance to the the fair dealing clauses of both the Canadian and U.S. Copyright legislation, both of which allows users to engage in certain activities relating to research, private study, criticism, review, or news reporting. We are making an exerted effort to mention the source of the material, along with the name of the author, performer, maker, or broadcaster for the dealing to be fair, again in accordance with the allowable clauses. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
This, time "Talagang Mali ang Hula nila..." - Would it be different scenarios if Nora Aunor won the Urian? It would probably get one of the eight spot in the 2014 MMFF for “Whistle Blower” and heightened the pressure for the President to include her in the list of this year's National Artist. Two reasons that I could think off...that some of her supporter would probably would not like. Noranians has been very vocal particularly in social media. I noticed several Facebook comments that were tragically personal even attacking the President. In the social media, the three main reason suggested were, political, drugs, and her citizenship. I guess if you're National Artist, your loyalty should be with your country and can't be divide between two nations. Nora have to go back and forth between the Philippines and the Unites States of America to retained her Green Card. Another anti-Nora mentioned her addiction to gambling and substance abuse, which to some needs clarification from Nora. The other nasty comments were about her non-traditional relationship that ended up in a marriage in Las Vegas which also needs clarification from her. Our own personal opinion is that, all of her struggles makes Nora unique and like her kumare, Vilma deserving of the title, National Artist.
Success in Life - Logically, what is the rush? Why does Aunor's supporter so obsessed for their idol to be proclaim this year? Truth is, she is clearly not at her peak yet or if you don't agree with that (because of her so much awards), she is still very much active and can amass more career milestones! In fact she has four more indie projects - that can earn her more awards! Why are they in hurry? Even Nora said in an article, "...Wag na nating pag-usapan...Kung darating, pasalamat tayo. Kung hindi, pasalamat din tayo..." She is wise enough not to psych herself up to avoid disappointment and this could be a blessing in disguise for Nora. I don't believe that she did not get the NA because of her past troubles. In fact her struggles can be seen as success in life. When you overcome and rise above all the test with your personal life it is a milestone in itself. These setbacks will not startle her when the right time comes, no one will hesitate or ignore her day in the sun.
Seniority - As for her rival, Vi believes in conformity. She knows Filipinos believe in ritual, habits and tradition. In fact, when it comes to National Artists, she believes, it is seniority. Gerardo de Leon got his NA a year after his death. Six years after his death, Brocka got his NA while Bernal got his five years after his demise. Manuel Conde's recognition came in the longest, he have to wait twenty four years while FPJ only have to wait two years, this are after both died. The only film artist who got his bragging rights alive was film director, Eddie Romero in 2003 when he was seventy-nine years old and retired already in directing films (He will direct two more films after his NA recognition and died last year). That's why Vi did not put herself into a position where everyone will assumed you will be declared the winner and end up the loser (lesson learned, remember Rubia?).
Don't Cut in Line - Let's face it, National Artists are for artists who are: dead, semi-retired and no longer active in their fields particularly in films. It's stupid but can't do much about that. We're fond of rituals, habit and superstitions. Filipinos will say, "una una lang yan (if you're first in line, you comes first) at bigyan ng "respeto ang mga nakakatanda, (respect the elders)." Which in this case, makes sense. Who will argue that the likes of Dolphy, Charito Solis, Gloria Romero, Lolita Rodriguez, Celso Ad Castillo, Joseph Estrada, Rogelio dela Rosa, Eddie Garcia, Anita Linda, and Carmen Rosales...don’t deserves their day in the sun? Some of these artists already left us but some are still alive. Some are still active and some are already retired. But definitely way senior than Vi and Guy, kunbaga nauna sila sa pila...sabi nga walang singitan sa linya (u can't cut in line, go at the back, please). - RV
FAIR USE NOTICE (NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE): This site contains copyrighted materials the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to preserve the film legacies of actress, Vilma Santos, and to make her career information available to future generations. We believe this is NOT an infringement of any such copyrighted materials as in accordance to the the fair dealing clauses of both the Canadian and U.S. Copyright legislation, both of which allows users to engage in certain activities relating to research, private study, criticism, review, or news reporting. We are making an exerted effort to mention the source of the material, along with the name of the author, performer, maker, or broadcaster for the dealing to be fair, again in accordance with the allowable clauses. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
1978 MMFF - A tear fell when Nora Aunor was declared Best Actress for her role as a maide (a tailor-made role, as her detractors describe with glee) in Ian Films' Atsay and it was a tear of joy. Atsay has been called Nora's "last card" and that if it wouldn't make it at the Metro Manila Filmfest, Nora would be down and out and she might as well say goodbye to the movies. But Nora Aunor has a certain magic that is hard to discern until now. Just when everybody is casting stones at her and predicting doom fo her career and turning against her because her movies hadn't been making as well as expected, the Little Brown Girl from Iriga would bounce right back to the top, not without vengeance, and reclaim her throne. In last week's Metro Manila Filmfest Awards at the Cultural Center, Nora fought a "decisive" battle for supremacy against her nearest rival, Vilma Santos, who was said to be the other contender for the Best Performer trophy for her role as Rubia Servios (although others claim that it was really Phillip Salvador who was Nora's biggest competition for the plum statuette, Phillip's performance in Rubia Servios being his best and his most credible so far). Vilma's last year's Best Actress for her role in the controversy-ridden film Burlesk Queen (also produced by this year's producer of Best Film Atsay, Ian Films), took her defeat not without a wan smile of disappointment. In this spread, you can see the two faces of showbiz: that of the Victor and that of the Vanquished. The awards night was a veritable of superstars. 1978 was Vilma's year. Will 1979 be Nora's? - Expressweek, January 18, 1979, Photograph by Eddie Alfonso (READ MORE)
Atsay - "...This episodic nature of the film robs it of much of its power. Too slack in pacing and too mannered at times, the film runs a long two-and-a-half hours and can easily stand some re-editing. Such scenes showing what happened to Nora’s friends in Lilian Laing’s cabaret may be pruned without actually damaging the central story. This would also add greater impact to Nora’s reunion with Amy Austria, also a “provinciana” who is transformed into a brazen ago-go dancer with half-a-dozen sugar daddies...Edgardo Reyes’ script succeeds though in showing the various experiences typically encountered by household helps: unruly children who torture helpless servants, wives who treat their pets more humanely than their overworked slaves, husbands who take advantage of their loneliness and are known as atsay-killers. People who have been unkind and inconsiderate to their servants at one time or another may feel uneasy, if not totally guilty, as they watch the film. Garcia assembled a uniformly first-rate cast from Armida and Angie to the nameless housemaid who befriends Nora. Even Ronald Corveau is less irksome here than in his weekly TV show. Nora Aunor’s performance bears the distinct marks of style and self, welding character and personality. As Nelia, the atsay, she delivers a muted performance that successfully treads the thin, delicate line separating genuine sentiment and mawkishness..." - Mario E. Bautista, The Philippines Daily Express, 1978 (READ MORE)
Rubia Servios - "...Undoubtedly, the two best entries in the 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival are Atsay and Rubia Servios...Rubia Servios, on the other hand, does not dilute the message. Willy (Phillip Salvador), the son of a powerful and wealthy figure, is portrayed as totally evil, devoid of any redeeming quality. To screenwriter Mario O’Hara and director Lino Brocka, the province is the same as the city. Rubia Servios (Vilma Santos) is raped both in the city and in the country. Rubia kills Willy in the country. Violence unites all places. It is the “unity” of conception, scripting, design, and direction, in fact, that Rubia Servios is superior to Atsay. Lino Brocka does not waste shots in his attempt to create a Filipino classical tragedy. He subordinates everything to the building up of one emotion in the viewer, that of hatred of Willy. So despicable does Willy become at the end that, when he is murdered by Rubia, no viewer can say that Rubia is at fault. And yet, morally speaking, no one is allowed to take the law into his own hands. The law, in fact, put Willy in prison for the first rape. There is no reason to think that the law will not put Willy to death for the second rape. By conditioning the reader to condone Rubia’s revenge, Brocka succeeds in questioning one of our deeply rooted moral beliefs. The unity that characterizes Rubia Servios contrasts sharply with the tendency of Eddie Garcia in Atsay to exploit Vitug’s versatility even at the expense of tightness. There are shots in Atsay, for example, which could easily be cut without hurting the film’s integrity. Even the train sequence, one of the best sequences in Atsay, is far too long. Rubia Servios is Lino Brocka’s film; Atsay is Romeo Vitug’s. Nora does an excellent acting job; but so does Vilma Santos, and Rubia is a much more demanding and difficult role..." - Isagani Cruz, TV Times, 1979 (READ MORE)
The Queen of Film Festival - Nora Aunor has become a regular staple at the film fest circuit, locally or abroad. Since her first local entry "Bato Bato Sa Langit" in 1975, (not including all her international recognition) she amassed eight acting local trophies, the most recent was for last year's "Thy Womb," directed by Cannes Film Fest best director, Brilliante Mendoza. Some hightlights would be, 1982's Himala, now restored into its glory and was exhibited in Venice Film Festival; 1978's "Atsay" where she clobbered her closest rival Vi in a Lino Brocka opus "Rubia Servios"; 1979's battle of dramatic stars not only Nora competed against her co-star, veteran drama queen, Lolita Rodriguez in Lino Brocka's "Ina Ka Ng Anak Mo" but also Aunor successfully defeat the tandem of Vi and Charito Solis ("Modelong Tanso"); and 1980's "Bona," another Lino Brocka drama that also featured Phillip Salvador, was screened at the 1981 Cannes International Filmfest. Aunor is now the winningest local actress in Metro Manila Film Fest history, since her first win in 1978, a feat that would be hard to break. The only blemish to this historical feat was the inconsistent box office results of most of her festival films. Meanwhile, Aunor's rival Vilma Santos' record in terms of festival entries was quite remarkable as well. She received several acting awards from the international circuit where her films competed and screened. But perhaps her success can be more aptly measured by its commercial results (revenue) instead of awards. Some of the highlights: 1977's Celso Ad Castillo's "Burlesk Queen" mixed of art and commercial swept all the acting awards and top the revenue gross; 1981's commercial success of Danny Zialcita's "Karma," a film about reincanation that also earned Vi her second best actress; and 2002's Martial Law film, "Dekada '70" where Vi lost to supposed to be in a supporting role, Ara Mina for the very first of the franchise "Mano Po" series. - RV
Dugo at Pag-ibig sa Kapirasong Lupa (1975) is a must for the Filipino History Students and for everyone who wants to awaken the innate nationalism in them. These series of stories depicting the fight of the Filipinos against colonialism of Spain, Japan and even their fellow Filipinos abusing the power in the government. A seemingly serious film but spiced with the star-studded cast like Fernando Poe Jr., Ramon Revilla, Joseph Estrada, Nora Aunor, Dante Rivero, Eddie Garcia, Vic Vargas, Goerge Estregan and the other all time favorite artists. This movie even highlighted the comparison between the love of country and the other kind of love we offer to our family and to our beloved as the story featured love stories in the midst of tragic and bloody war happening in our society. - Kabayan Central (READ MORE)
FAIR USE NOTICE (NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE): This site contains copyrighted materials the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to preserve the film legacies of actress, Vilma Santos, and to make her career information available to future generations. We believe this is NOT an infringement of any such copyrighted materials as in accordance to the the fair dealing clauses of both the Canadian and U.S. Copyright legislation, both of which allows users to engage in certain activities relating to research, private study, criticism, review, or news reporting. We are making an exerted effort to mention the source of the material, along with the name of the author, performer, maker, or broadcaster for the dealing to be fair, again in accordance with the allowable clauses. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
