MISS X (1980)

Basic Information: Directed: Gil Portes; Screenplay: Ricardo Lee; Cast: Vilma Santos, Mark Gil; Executive producer: Jesse Ejercito; Original Music: George Canseco; Theme Songs: “Dito Ba?” performed by Kuh Ledesma

Plot Description: Shot in Amsterdam’s red light district, Vilma Santos played a Pinay working in the Netherlands’ flesh trade market. Mark Gil was the leading actor in the film which was directed by Gil Portes. - Local Films Shot Abroad

Film Achievement: 1980 FAMAS Best Musical Score – George Canseco

Film Reviews: In 1980, Gil Portes directed Vilma Santos in "Miss X," shot in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Vilma plays an illegally recruited Filipina who ends up being a prostitute, occupying one of the glass "windows" in the city's red light district. The movie was a blockbuster. - Manila Bulletin, 13 December 2006 (READ MORE)

"...Did you know that as early as the ’80s, nagsusulat na ang award-winning scriptwriter na si Ricky Lee tungkol sa plight ng ating mga OFW (overseas Filipino workers)? He started with “Miss X”, filmed in Amsterdam in The Netherlands with now Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos in the title role. For an entire month, namalagi sa Amsterdam si Ricky kasama ang cast and crew ng pelikula. Naging simula ang Miss X ng ilang collaboration sa pagitan nila ng equally award-winning director na si Gil Portes. Ang next movie together nila ni direk Gil was “Carnival In Rio”, which was filmed naman in Rio de Janeiro. Alma Moreno, who was at the height of her popularity as a bold star then, played the lead role. Then came “’Merika”, na isinapelikula naman sa New Jersey and New York with Nora Aunor playing the lead role. "Because of that movie," ani Ricky, "I was able to explore New York, the city of my dream. After my travels to all these places, I wrote (direk) Gil a letter, thanking him for the rare chance he gave na marating ang mga lugar na ito na ’di ko Inakalang mararating ko," pahayag ni Ricky. For Anak, which was filmed in Hong Kong, Ricky had the chance na makatrabaho muli si Vilma sa ibang bansa muli. This time, na-renew, wika nga, ang kanilang bonding. Ricky remembered that because Anak was a blockbuster, binigyan ng Star Cinema ng malaking bonus si Ate Vi. Nagulat daw siya when one day, he received a P40,000 check from the actress. Contribution daw ang pera ni Ate Vi sa isinagawa niyang workshop for aspiring scriptwriters...." - Nel A, The People’s Tonight, 31 Aug 2005 (READ MORE)

"...For one, hindi masakit sa tenga ang musical scoring ni George Canseco sa pelikulang ito. Hindi yata niya ipinilit na gawing mas malakas pa kaysa mga dialogue ang music niya. Turned-on kami doon sa song na "Amsterdam" yata ang title. Hindi yata inilagay sa credit kung kaninong kanta 'yun. O baka naman hindi lang namin napansin. Kung ang ultimate goal ng pelikulang ito ay i-discourage ang mga Pinoy from illegally working and living abroad, the movie is almost a complete failure. Ang nakuha naming impresyon ay enjoy na enjoy ang mga Pinoy doon sa Amsterdam. Ang pathetic scene lang nga talaga ay 'yung bandang ending nang mabaril si...at mag-iiyak si...Madali namang intindihin kung bakit kapos ang mga eksenang nagpapakita ng pamumuhay ng mga Pinoy do'n. Magiging masyadong magastos ang pelikula. Mas marami ang mai-involve na cast. At dahil nga kokonti lang ang ginamit na Pinoy sa cast sa Amsterdam, parang walang relevance kung saan man ginawa ang pelikula. Amsterdam was not meaningfully integrated in the movie. Sure, may mga scenes ng mga windmills, mga flats, mga patio at electric trains, pero hindi ipinakita ng script kung paano nakakaapekto sa buhay ng mga Pinoy na naroroon ang atmosphere ng Amsterdam. It's almost like the movie has no social-awareness at all. Kaya nga nanghihinayang 'yung isang tagahanga ni Ricardo Lee sa script niya sa pelikulang ito. Well, it was a good try for Ricardo Lee and director Gil Portes, but there's really nothing fantastic sa script and direction nilang dalawa. And it's been a good vehicle for Vi and Mark. It's also worth your P4.50 dahil hindi naman ito nakakairita tulang ng mga pelikula ni Cloyd Robinson. The movie is credible, despite the shaky script. Dapat panoorin!" - Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, 10 March 1980 (READ MORE)

"...The issue of film spectatorship is also a tenuous one. Gil Portes recalls that his own Munting Tinig (Little Voices, 2003) was not a box-office draw in the Philippines but it made good business abroad. He narrated how the mostly Filipino audience who watched the film when it was shown in New York and California, where a large contingent of Filipinos reside, were reduced to tears after the film screening. Portes himself lives half the time in New York and half the time shuttling between his Manila and Barcelona homes. He made what he considered the first diasporic film called Miss X in 1979, which was followed by his critically-acclaimed ‘Merika in 1982. Both films made box-office profits in the Philippine when they came out because of his strategic casting of two of Philippine cinema’s foremost actresses in both films – Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor. He maintains that his films occasionally borrow from foreign materials for inspiration but it is his job to imbue them with a sensibility that is “uniquely and distinctively Pinoy”. In the case of Munting Tinig, he said he was inspired by Majid Majidi’s Children of Heaven (1997). Although he did not specify what constitutes the ‘Pinoy sensibility’ present in his films, he said that a Filipino film ‘can be shot abroad as long as it is distinctively Pinoy but with a universal message” (Portes interview, 2006). Film historian and self-described ‘filmologist’ Teddy Co insists that “there is no such thing as a pure, unfettered and essentialist Filipino film” because foreign influences are natural and real (Co interview, 2006)..." - Joseph Palis, Cinema Archipelago: A Geography of Philippine Film and the Postnational Imaginary 2008 (READ MORE)

"...In Gil Portes’ Miss X (1980), about a Filipino prostitute working in the red light district of Amsterdam, Gil was cast as the leading man to Vilma Santos, who at that time was already regarded as one of the Philippines’ best actresses. He ably fulfilled Portes’ requirements, churning out a performance that exemplified the grit that the material called for..." - Francis Joseph "Oggs" Cruz, Rappler, 02 Sep 2014 (READ MORE)

"...For the record, here is a quick rundown of last year's most significant local films...Miss X - the screenplay by Ricky Lee worked despite director Gil Portes' mangling of it. Vilma Santos gave a credible performance as the ill-fated seeker of fortune. The fact that the producer was willing to spend on a production filmed abroad augured well for the local film industry..." - Isagani R. Cruz, TV Times Magazine, 11-17 January 1980

Mga Kalapati sa Amsterdam - "Okey din naman pala itong utol kong si Ethel Ramos. You see, she went with Vilma Santos to Amsterdam and like a good sister...she sent me these exclusive pictorials of Vilma Santos and that of up-and-coming actor Mark Gil. Mark, as you have probably heard went ahead of Vi to Amsterdam. So, Mark was able to see the rounds of Amsterdam even before Vi came. So impressed was Mark that he almost memorized the favorite spots he went to and volunteered to become Vi's guide. Sa Damsquare unang ipinasyal ni Mark si Vi. Sa lugar na ito raw malimit na nagpapasyal ang mga tagaroon. Karaniwan na, doon sila nag-papalipas ng maghapon, nakaupo sa mga upuang sadyang ginawa para sa mga turista at kundi nagpapahangin ay nagpapainit kaya. Sa Damsquare ay makikita ang pagkarami-raming kalapati. Kung gusto mong pagkalumpunan ka ng mga kalapati na pagkaaamo, pakainin mo lang sila at pagkakaguluhan ka ng mga ito. Maraming nagtitinda ng mga pagkain ng kapati sa Damsquare. Iyon ang tagpong malimit nating makita sa mga pelikulang English. May eksenang ganito si Vi na mapapanuod natin sa "Miss X" na ginawa nila in its entirety in Amsterdam. "Nakakatuwa si Vi habang pinanonood mo siyang nakikipaglaro sa mga kalapati..."

Hindi Nakaporma - "She was bubbling with joy," puna ni Mark, who obviously was smittened yata with Vi's charm. Kaya lang, ang balita namin, tipo raw na hindi nakaporma si Mark kay Vi dahil sa isang Dutchman na laging nakadikit sa aktres. Kamukha raw ni Ramil Rodriguez ang "suitor"na ito ni Vi at talaga raw matinding-matindi ang tama sa ating dalaga. Makikita ninyo sa movie ang Dutchman na ito dahil kasama rin siya sa cast ng "Miss X." At mukhang seryoso raw ang Dutchman na ito dahil may nagbulong sa amin, malamang na pumunta siya rito sa ating bansa para totohanin na ang kanyang panliligaw. Kapag nangyari ito, masaya siguro. By the way, back to Damsquare, naroon din daw pala ang palace ni Doña Juliana, ang reyna ng Amsterdam, pero hindi siya doon nakatira. Minsan isang buwan lang kung buksan ang palasyo at itoý kung may cabinet conference. Si Doña Juliana ay anak ng first queen ng Amsterdam na si Doña Wilhelmina. Sa Soastdijk (pronounced as Susdak) siya nakatira. Isang lugar din ito sa Netherlands. Ipinasyal din ni Mark si Vi sa Red Light District. Dito kinunan ang malaking bahagi ng "Miss X." Dito nga makikita ang much talked about na mga babaing naka-display sa eskaparate at for hire for a 15-minute pleasure..." - Article by Chit A. Ramos, Photos: Bing Cruz, first published at Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, 26 November 1979, Posted by James DR, Pelikula (READ MORE)

 

Related Reading:

• IMDB: Miss X (1980)
• 26 Days in Amsterdam
• Vilma Santos in "MISS X" 1 of 7 (Video)
• Mark Gil From Wikipedia
• Vilma Santos as "MISS X"
• Governor Vilma Santos says no to cameo role in "Miss X" remake
• Can Katrina surpass Vilma?
• ‘Miss X’ film remake due

NEVER EVER SAY GOODBYE (1982)

Basic Information: Directed: Gil M. Portes; Story, screenplay: Jose Javier Reyes; Cast: Vilma Santos, Nonoy Zuniga, Jenny Ramirez, Ting Jocson, Allan Bautista, Ian Veneracion; Executive producer: Wilson Theng; Original Music: Willy Cruz; Cinematography: Ely Cruz; Film Editing: Edgardo Vinarao; Theme Songs: “Never Ever Say Goodbye” performed by Nonoy Zuniga

Plot Description: No Available Data

Film Achievement: 1982 Aliw Awards for Record of the Year – Never Ever Say Goodbye.

Film Reviews: "...After these two awards, Nonoy Zuñiga, Pops Fernandez and Ivy Violan performed a medley of the five nominated theme songs. Sinasamba Kita by the late George Canseco was voted the best original song, winning over Willy Cruz’ Never Ever Say Goodbye, Marita A. Manuel’s Puppy Love, Rey Ramos’ Paalam (from Get My Son, Dead or Alive) and Pablo Vergara’s Katumbas ay Buhay (from Vendetta). The late Ernani Cuenco won the best musical score award for Pedring Taruc. The other nominees were Ryan Cayabyab (Kamakalawa), Willy Cruz (Never Ever Say Goodbye), Lorrie Ilustre (Batch ’81) and Marita A. Manuel (Puppy Love)..." - Jose N. Carreon (READ MORE)

Heart Out Trance - "...(He lost a leg during the 1980 explosion at a hotel where he and his band were performing regularly; and how he tucked up a degree in Medicine from UST even while doing shows (plus a movie, Never Say Goodbye, inspired by his hit song) and recordings)...Many know me as a balladeer but not the fact that I can also sing folk songs and pop-rock and play the guitar. I actually started as a folk singer, then got into a showband, and then went solo with romantic songs. So, I want to share and bare more of myself...(here are the five songs: Ako Ay Ikaw Rin; Doon Lang; Kumusta Ka; Never, Ever Say Goodbye; and Love Without Time, that mean so much to Nonoy)...about "Never, Ever Say Goodbye," Willy told me that he had an unfinished song based on his experience with a girlfriend whom he loved so much when he was abroad but they had to part ways because of his pressing commitments in Manila. He asked me if I could relate to the song because I was still young then. All I could say was, ‘Yeah, a little.’ So, during the recording, I put myself in a trance and sang my heart out. By the way, Willy said that he dreamed of the prelude and melody. As soon as he woke up, he wrote the lyrics and taped the melody before he forgot about it..." - Nonoy Zuñiga, reported by Ricky Lo, The Philippine Star, 12 March 2019

Related Reading:

• Nonoy Zuniga - Bio, Albums, Songs and Lyrics - OPM Filipino Music

26 Days in Amsterdam

There was both sunshine and a little rain when the KLM 747 flight which took us from Manila to Amsterdam finally landed at the Amsterdam Schipol airport. The air terminal was huge, but bigger was the crowd, mostly Filipinos residing in Amsterdam, who welcomed us. Although there were happy smiles in their faces, I eagerly looked around for familiar faces. Sure enough, Gil Portes, my Miss X director, and Mark Gil, my leading man, were there. Both waved happily at me. I waved back at them. “Where to now?” I heard my mommy ask Gil when all the proper and necessary introductions were conducted. “Since it is a Sunday,” Gil suggests, “Why don’t we hear mass at the church of the Bigginhoff?” The church is situated in a strategic area, along several residential houses, and it is one of the only two Catholic churches in Amsterdam. Since between the two churches, it is the Bigginhoff which celebrates one mass in English, it is where most Filipinos attend their Sunday mass. The front yard of the church, after the mass, serves as a melting pot of sorts for most Filipinos. It si here where they renew acquaintances, exchange tete-a-tete, or get the latest tsismis about a fellow Filipinos. It is in this area where my group and I chanced upon Eddie Gutierrez, who was on the last leg of his European tour. Eddie works as a promotional salesman for Belcraft International, a firm which has its main office in Canada and which specializes in household wares.

We had a hearty meal at the Aide residence (the man of the house, Albert, is a jolly fellow; we all think he would do well as a comedian. Gil and his group stayed with him and his wife, Mila, and their only daughter, four year old Rachel) with the newly assigned utility girl for the production, Batangas beauty, Rose Perez, and her assistant, Arthur Dotollo, serving us their own concoction of Filipino dishes. Actually, it was because of Rose and Arthur and, of course, my mommy why we never missed a serving of whatever Filipino food that catches our fancy. In any case, you would think that because of the seemingly endless 20-hour flight we went through, I would choose to have a long nap after meal. No, I didn’t. Instead, right after we had unpacked our luggage at the house assigned to us (located at 24 Vanhouweningestraat and owned by Chit Mallo), I asked Gil and Mark to accompany me in making rounds of Amsterdam. Since they’d come ahead of me; they mush know the place like hell, I even kidded them.

“But Vi, stores in Amsterdam are closed on Sundays, ” Gil warned me. Apparently, he thought I wanted to go on a shopping spree, as is the usual case among woman travelers. “But Gil,” I reasoned, “at least, give me the chance to get the “feel” of Amsterdam before we start shooting tomorrow morning.” Indeed, I wanted, in particular, to ge the ambiance of the popular “red light” district before we finally explore the area for the much-needed highlights in Miss X. As expected, touring the entire Red Light district, watching the girls do their “thing” inside their display windows and accommodating a customer for a 15-.minute moment of pleasure was a truly marvelous experience. But mind you, the girls have class, and with a capital C, no less. There is no age limit among the participants, I noticed. Thus, there are girls on display who appeared even much younger than my sister Winnie (and she is 17), while a few looked old enough to be grandmothers. But most of the girls are about 18 and above. Sila rin and pinuputakti ng mga marino. Where their dressing habits are concerned, there seems no particular requirements. So, you see them clad in different attires, but mostly the attires enhance the girls’ ’exiness. But they are quite expensive attires. There are a few, though, who take to wearing just a panty and a bra. Me, when my turn came to be “one among them,” I chose to wear a fiorrucci one-piece bathing suit, Ano, patatalbog?

Inside their “cubicle,” actually the size of an ordinary excaparate which can house one mannequin, the girls can pose any way they want. Hence, you find someone sitting atop a table reading a book or a magazine. Or, there is one in a reclining position and she usually has for company her dog. Yes, kahit sa pagdi-display sa sarili, kanya kanya silang patalbugan. But one thing apparent in all these cubicles is the small red bulb, placed at an angle where it would help enhance the occupant’s prominent features. Let me tell ou about the “room” where the girls usually take their customers, granting that they have agreed on the price. It is a small and compact room, no different from the smaller room in two-bedroom apartments. There is a double bed on one side, and across it are two toilet bowls, one for the male customer and the other for the lady occupant. There is a small bar along the doorway and on display are bottles of wine of different sizes and brands. Funny, but we had no chance to ask whether a customer pays more for a gulp or two of any of the brands. But one thing about the room, it si spotlessly clean. And guess what, only a red lamp lights the room.

It is said that each girl in the escaparate, even on what is known as the lean season, gets as much as 300 to 400 guilders a day. Which is big moola, if you ask me. No wonder, when Gil and Danny Datu, acting producer of Miss X in Amsterdam, talked to the girls for a short appearance in the flick, they had a hard time convincing them. But it is of course, going ahead of the story. The weather suddenly became extremely bad when we had our first day of shooting. Since I promised to be thoroughly authentic even with my costumes in this particular movie, I had mommy shop for me new jackets, gloves, shoes and some other paraphernalia. The amount she spent was a big dent in our pockets, considering the fact that we were spending in pesos but buying in guilders (a guilder is equivalent to four bucks, Philippine money). But what is an extra amount compared to what my wardrobe would contribute to the credibility of the flick? Really, if not for an unpleasant incident, which involved the loss of our cameraman, Mang Bert Bitong, Nagra, the Polaroid camera which Miss X assistant director, Roger Vivero used for continuity purposes, and Mark’s newly bought pair of boots, we actually had encountered no problem in the shooting.

More of less, here’s how the robbery incident happened. Since the scene which to be shot would see Mark walking along an area where disco clubs and nightclubs abound, Albert, who acted as both our driver and tour guide, parked the utility van, which the entire group used for the shooting at a place close by. Obviously, Albert has had no experience of being burglarized in all of his six years in Amsterdam. Thus, when they discovered what happened, he was so surprised, it took a while before he managed to brace himself. Then, he said, “Don’t you worry, magtatanong ako kung paano mababai iyon.” “No need to worry really,” say someone who overheard Albert, “somebody will call you tomorrow morning.” True enough, Albert got an early call from the supposed leader of the group and he demanded the amount of 600 guilders for the return of the nagra. Poor us, we had no choice but to accede to the demand. Happily for all of us, nothing untoward happened since then. We managed to even finish shooting the entire movie ahead of schedule.

Now that I am back home, things which I should have done and which I shouldn’t keep rushing back into my mind. Truly, my days in Amsterdam continue to evoke memories for me, both pleasant and otherwise. For example, how can I forget the group who made up Miss X? They were such a happy lot that I would love working with them again. Gil, my director, despite himself, is a dear. I love the guy, since I know he loves me, too. Mark G., my leading man, will forever hold a special place in my heart. He proved so sweet, so pleasant to work with, so much so, I pray he will succeed. And my Ductch leading man, Max van Os, he did make my last days in Amsterdam memorable. I will always take him as one of the most warm-heated persons I’ve ever met in my whole life. My memories of Amsterdam will never be complete without me mentioning the kindness and generosity of the Filipinos residing there. The way they welcomed and treated us in their respective homes truly amazed me. I love them all and will cherish their memories for a long, long time. – Vilma Santos as told to Ethelwolda A. Ramos, Photographed by Bing Cruz, Expressweek December 20, 1979 Source: Pelikula At Iba Pa (READ MORE)