Maniolas

 Sheeran has won Brits, been nominated for the Grammys, toured with Taylor Swift and others, and is now selling out concerts all over the world Great love stories in the movies also produce great theme songs. This was true of As Time Goes By from Casablanca back in the ’30s, also of Love Story and Where Do I Begin, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Moon River, The Way We Were, Superman’s Can You Read My Mind, Somewhere in Time and so on down to recent times with My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.  Now Titanic happened 17 years ago and while there has been no shortage of good music from the movies, we still have to come across a theme of the same tremendous impact as My Heart Will Go On. It must be because times have changed and films are not that romantic anymore. Also because film producers have discovered the marketing boost that old songs provide. Think of She in Notting Hill. This is sad but maybe Ed Sheeran and All Of The Stars from The Fault in Our Stars can change the situation. The Fault in Our Stars is based on a best-selling book by John Green about two cancer stricken teenagers. Bright, attractive, very smart and with a uniquely humorous view of the world around them, Hazel Grace and Augustus meet and fall in love while attending a cancer support group. The story does not deal with changing the inevitable, it is instead about how these young Read More …

National Artist for Film Lino is known for directing films such as Bona, Wanted: Perfect Mother and Jaguar     MANILA, Philippines – Last month was the 23rd death anniversary of filmmaker and National Artist for Film Lino Brocka who died in a car accident on May 21, 1991. Film lovers are lucky that the cable channel, Cinema One, continues to show some of his classic films, among them, Ina, Kapatid, Anak which showed actors Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis at their best. The parting scene between sisters had a quiet Solis looking at Rodriguez from the window. That scene was so taut and illuminating it bagged for Solis the Best Actress award over her closest competitor, Rodriguez. On the other hand, Brocka’s 1970 film, Wanted: Perfect Mother, was a virtual nostalgia trip as we saw today’s adult stars in their rare childhood roles namely Snooky Serna, Gina Alajar and Arnold Gamboa, among others. Of course, we saw a younger version of Caridad Sanchez and Mary Walter and the rare appearance of the emcee for all seasons, Eddie Mercado. The film had a virginal Boots Anson-Roa paired with the once young and dashing Dante Rivero. Indeed, today’s cineastes can have the best of Brocka not just on cable channel but on YouTube as well. We were able to savor Tubog Sa Ginto, which was a far more engrossing movie than the hit teleserye, My Husband’s Lover. Here, you see a young Eddie Garcia making it with the younger Mario O’Hara to the shock of Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The idea of portraying an understanding, faithful and caring wife, despite knowing her husband’s infidel ways in the GMA 7’s latest primetime drama Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real, makes Maricel Soriano want to “freak out.” She could hardly hide her “strong feelings” for the kind of persona she is about to portray. Maricel is pertaining to her role as Millet Gonzales-Real, a successful woman who is willing to do everything for her family, especially for her husband Anthony Real (played by Dingdong Dantes). But never did she expect that she will one day discover that there is another Mrs. Anthony Real in the person of Shiela Salazar-Real (Lovi Poe). The actress relates that while reading the script, her heart started to beat faster in anger towards Millet. “I told them (the production staff), ‘Huh? Could this really be possible? Millet’s undying love is surreal, nanggigigil ako sa kanya.” And until the day the cameras started to roll, Maricel was still trying to convince herself that she is able to plunge into the character easily “because I cannot take her personality. Millet has this unconditional kind of love no matter how painful it is for her to be cheated by her man. Naloka ako, may tao bang ganito?” Maricel even jokes that she needs to sit down face to face with Millet to make her realize her foolishness. But given her personal feelings, Maricel does not ask the writer if a moment of redemption will occur in the end. Read More …

In Photo: Bernard Palanca and Jerika Ejercito together with their newborn son Isaiah Joseph.-Bernard Palanca’s Instagram account  MANILA, Philippines- Bernard Palanca is one proud dad again as his girlfriend Jerika Ejercito gave birth to a baby boy Wednesday, May 7. Bernard posted a photo of their new born child on Instagram. In the caption he said: “My son ISAIAH JOSEPH EJERCITO PALANCA has arrived! :)) thank you LORD for the safe and healthy arrival of my boy! :))” Isaiah is Bernard’s second son as he has a six-year-old son with ex-wife and now good friend Meryll Soriano named Elijah. Meryll and Elijah actually visited Isaiah, as shown on Jerika’s Instagram account. Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 In the caption she said: “Thank you for visiting auntie Meme and kuya Eli #brothers #family #isaiahejercitopalanca” Meanwhile, in an interview aired on “Startalk” Sunday, May 11, Bernard said that “kailangan ko mag-concentrate ngayon sa work and at the same time ‘yong pag-alaga sa bata.” The actor also said that he plans to marry Jericka as soon as he gets the approval of her parents Laarni Enriquez and Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada. “If mayro’n man akong, let’s say gustong makasama na, siya na ‘yon,” Bernard said. “So kung kailangan kong dumaan sa [butas ng] karayom o tatlong karayom pa, I mean pagdadaanan ko ‘yon. “Kung papakasalan ko man siya in the future, that is going to be because I deserve it. Meaning dahil nakuha ko na ‘yong blessing ng Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – May 11 is Mother’s Day! Since it’s hard to find the best words to express how precious our mothers, nanay, nana, mommy, mom, inang, ina, Mama are. Here are some stories to remind us why our mothers are the best. Flowers for Mother A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.” Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers. As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave. The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house. My mom only had one eye My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family. There was this one Read More …