Maniolas

Showbiz is burning with explosive issues. So what else is new? Controversy is the lifeblood of the business. I suspect that if all stars behave (they really should, don’t you think?), showbiz will be bereft of excitement. • Issue No. 1: Anjanette Abayari hit by blast from the past. When nobody was looking, Anjanette broke her 15-year absence by breezing back home with her sons Aiden and Ashton. The persona-non-grata status slapped on her by then Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada, after she was detained in Guam for a drug case, was reversed by the court. Obviously a changed (read: drug-free) woman now, Anjanette said she’s here (from Jan. 31 until first week of March) to shoot two action B-movies, Showdown in Manila and Blood Raid (with Michael Dudikoff as co-star in one of them) by two US-based companies, and to sort of “feel the water” if she still has space in the local industry. First on her agenda was to pay his father, a stroke patient, a visit in her native Iloilo City, whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years. Anjanette’s flourishing career was rudely cut short by the drug incident, similar to what also happened to Alma Concepcion in Guam. Inevitably, Anjanette was hit by a blast from the past when she guested on Startalk last Saturday. In answer to host Lolit Solis’ question, Anjanette recalled that her then boyfriend David Bunevacz (now married to Jessica Rodriguez and living in California with their family) sold her Rolex watch, her Read More …

The perfume lotion, endorsed by movie stars, has an intriguing label: “Intrigue,” a product of Blanchard New York and distributed in the Philippines by Hermoso Drug Store, owned by Premiere producers Dr. Ciriaco Santiago and wife Doña Adela Hermoso-Santiago. No wonder then that Premiere stars were the image model of Intrigue Perfume Lotion. Consider the sales pitch: For glamour that beckons… Fabulously enchanting. Headed by romance. Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The perfume was popular in the ’40s and ’50s. — RKC

The Russian play The Cherry Orchard tells the story of how the rich never learn their lesson that money doesn’t last forever and one should be careful of his wealth. It tells of how an aristocratic Russian family loses its estate including the famous Cherry Orchard. From the very beginning, the play has attracted translations and adaptations into many languages around the world, becoming a classic work of dramatic literature. The play has influenced the dramatic works of many, including Eugene O’Neill, George Bernard Shaw, David Mamet and Arthur Miller. In the Filipino adaptation by writer Rody Vera with direction by Loy Arcenas, The Cherry Orchard was translated as a Fire Tree produced by PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) with Cherie Gil in the role of the matriarch Ranevskaya. There were several experiences in Anton Chekhov’s own life that are said to have directly inspired his writing of The Cherry Orchard. When Chekhov was 16, his mother went into debt after being cheated by some builders she had hired to construct a small house; a former lodger offered to help her financially, but secretly bought the house for himself. Later in his life, living on a country estate outside Moscow, Chekhov developed an interest in gardening and planted his own Cherry Orchard. Chekhov is often singled out as Europe’s first ecological author. Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard over the course of several years, alternating between periods of light-hearted giddiness and despondent frustration. Throughout this time, he was also further inhibited Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – It’s that time of year again. Just a few days into 2015, more than a hundred of the country’s loveliest once again trooped to the offices of Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and filed their applications to join the premier beauty pageant. Only 34 made the final cut and will be presented to the press today at the Sunset Pavilion of the Sofitel Manila. Two Binibining Pilipinas queens, Rosemarie “Chiqui” Brosas (1975 Miss Universe fourth runner-up, held in El Salvador) and Ariella “Ara” Arida (2013 Miss Universe third runner-up held in Russia) share their insights on the current batch and how the search has evolved and reached new heights. There are 34 ladies in this year’s roster. What are your initial reactions to the batch and how do you think they will fare in the international competitions? Ariella: Most people say, and I agree, with this observation, that this is the batch which has the most number of prettiest faces. I also noticed that there are a good number of returning aspirants, which is good because one should keep trying to reach a dream. The Philippines will always be a strong contender in beauty pageants although sometimes hindi naman tayo laging mananalo. Chiqui: Back then we were having such a hard time getting good candidates. Through the years, we were really trying to get the candidates na talagang maganda at pambato. Maybe because of the winning streak, Binibini now enjoys better prestige and presentation of the winners Read More …

An off-the-radar company provides the ultimate best man services for a bro-less groom in the comedy MANILA, Philippines – Are you bro-less? Buddy-deficient? About to settle down with a girl without ever having lived it up first with the boys? You might just need The Wedding Ringer. Top comedians Kevin Hart (The Grudge Match), Josh Gad (voice of Olaf in Frozen) and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting (TV’s The Big Bang Theory) star in the new buddy comedy from director Jeremy Garelick (The Break-Up). For any man getting married, there’s a lot to take care of before the big day. But no matter how stressful it gets, he can be certain of one thing: The guys that make up his wedding party — from best man to groomsmen — will help him out, from the bachelor party to the reception toast. They’re his crew, after all: The guys who have always been there for him, through good times and bad (and good times that memorably go bad, right?). They’re the guys who matter. The guys that lovable, socially awkward groom-to-be Doug Harris (Josh Gad) never had, and doesn’t have. And if he doesn’t want to look like a fool to his bride, they’re the guys he desperately needs. The Wedding Ringer is now showing in cinemas nationwide.