VHONG  WISHES  TO  REPRISE  DOLPHY'S  FACIFICA  FALAYFAY

MANILA, MARCH 20, 2008 (MALAYA) DREAM FACTORY by MARIO BAUTISTA (Actually, gustong-gusto kong gawin ang isang old movie niya, ‘Facifica Falayfay,’ na sobrang hit in its time. –Vhong Navarro’)

JOEL Lamangan is not only a film and TV director. He’s also a concerned citizen of this country and this is why he is active in the protest rallies against the government. "We all have a responsibility to our country," he says. "Hindi tayo puedeng magsawalangkibo na lang kung nakikita nating garapalan na tayong niloloko ng ating public officials."

So even if he’s busy directing "Babangon Ako at Dudurugin Kita" for GMA-7 and "Manay Po 2" for Regal, he’s also active in the movement Artists for Truth (Artista Para sa Katotohanan), a conglomeration of artists from film, theater, music, dance, literature and other art forms. "Anytime, we will issue an official statement about what’s happening to our country and we will stage our own protest activities."

How will he assess the performance of his lead actress, Yasmien Kurdi, as the beleaguered heroine of "Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita?" "She plays a very complex role and she’s good. She delivers. Even Dina Bonnevie who plays her long-lost mother in the story, gulat sa husay niya. One thing lang with Yasmien, hirap na hirap kapag may religion involved na eksena. One time, I told her to kneel and pray in front of an altar at ayaw niyang gawin kasi wala raw ganun sa kanila sa Iglesia ni Kristo. Napagalitan ko. Sabi ko, artista siya, when she’s asked to do a role, dapat, magampanan niya nang maayos dahil kailangan sa eksena. Sabi ko, paano kung ang role mo, madre or nun? Aayawan mo? Talagang conflict daw yun for her and what’s worse, hindi lang siya Iglesia kundi Muslim din as her Lebanese dad is a Muslim. Sabi ko, naku, if you want to be a really good actress, dapat, i-resolve mo yang conflict na yan."

After "Babangon," Direk Joel’s next dream is a Lino Brocka project to be remade on TV is the award-winning 1974 drama about the hypocrisies of people in a small town, "Tinimbang Ka, Ngunit Kulang."

"Ang gandang gawin noon sa TV as there are so many characters and we can expand all their stories. It introduced Christopher de Leon in his first movie role. This time, we can ask him to play the role of his dad, then played by Eddie Garcia. I want Lorna Tolentino to play Kuala, the madwoman that gave Lolita Rodriguez a best actress award. For the role of Mario O’Hara, the leper, okay sana si Rudy Fernandez. For the role of the young boy, we have to look for a new young actor, an ingénue na babagay sa role that catapulted Christopher to stardom."

Our suggestion is Chris-topher’s own son, Gabriel, who looks so much like him when he was young.

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Vhong Navarro admits he personally requested Star Cinema to get Valerie Concepcion as his leading lady in "Supah Papa-licious," but not because he wanted to court her. "It’s common knowledge naman na may girlfriend ako ngayon," he says, referring to Desiree del Valle who attended the premiere night of his last movie with his two kids, Frederic Vhong and Isaiah Vhong, in tow. "Kinuha ko lang si Valerie kasi she’s new to ABS-CBN. Fresh na fresh pa siya kaya magiging fresh din ang tambalan namin. Also, she’s perfect for the role, that of a single mother, and everyone knows may anak na siya, ‘di ba? It turns out, napakagaling niyang artista kaya hindi ako nagsisi at all na siya ang nirekomenda kong maging kapareha ko."

He says Dolphy is his idol. Is this why he’s also linked to many women and has two sons, both first born? "Hindi ko yata makakayang tularan si Tito Dolphy sa parteng yun. May 18 anak daw siya and these days, mahirap ang ganun karami. Hindi ko makakaya. Ang gusto kong tularan sa kanya, yung pagiging professional niya, very caring sa mga katrabaho at iginagalang ng lahat. Actually, gustong-gusto kong gawin ang isang old movie niya, ‘Facifica Falayfay,’ na sobrang hit in its time. Palagay ko, it will be an ideal gay role for me. Dito nga sa ‘Supah Papalicious,’ I play three other roles and two of them are women."

In the story, Valerie wants to meet his family and so he dons various disguises to introduce to her some of his relatives, all also played by him: A black guy named Apple like Apl of "Black Eyed Peas," a matron named Ate Barbara, and a wrinkled grandma.

"This is my most difficult movie so far as I have to have different prosthetic make up for each of these characters. Bawat isa, four hours bago mailagay and two hours naman ang pagtatanggal. Mahirap, dumidikit sa balat at nagkaka-rashes ako. But it’s worth it, habang pinapanood namin ang mga eksena ko, lahat kami, tawa nang tawa."

After "Supah Papalicious," Vhong will next be paired with Toni Gonzaga in "Amnesia Girl" (which must be like Adam Sandler’s "50 First Dates" where Drew Barrymore had amnesia). But Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera also have a project with GMA Films titled "Amnesia", a thriller. Wonder which one will give way.

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Dr. Vicki Belo, doctor to the stars, had a grand launch for her Belo’s Skin Magazine with Claudine Barretto and for the opening of the new clinic of the Belo Medical Group at the 3rd floor of Trinoma Mall.

The park and garden at the 4th floor of Trinoma was transformed into a fabulous party place heralding in the coming of summer. Joyce Jimenez, Dingdong Dantes and Mariel Rodriguez were the first celebs to arrive, with Dr. Vicki’s boyfriend, Dr. Hayden Kho, hosting the affair. Hayden definitely now has his own showbiz career. After his stint in "Marimar," he’s now in a TV series to be shown in Singapore no less.

Skin Magazine features the celebrity endorsers of Belo giving testimonials about how the treatments they get from Dr. Vicki continue to enhance their good looks. The mag has never before seen photos of Lorna Tolentino, Christopher de Leon, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Richard Gomez, Albert Martinez, Anne Curtis, Lucy Torres, Katrina Halili, John Lloyd Cruz, Sam Milby, Piolo Pascual, Ara Mina, Joyce Jimenez, Ai Ai de las Alas, Christian Vasquez, Bianca Gonzales, Eula Valdez, John Estrada, Paolo Contis, Will Devaughn, and many others.

"I’m so proud of our new magazine that highlights the many beauty breakthroughs we have pioneered for the past 18 years," says Dr. Vicki, a specialist in thermage, firm plus, eyelid and nose surgery, carbosytherapy, mesotherapy, pan-G, botox, breast augmentation and laser hair removal. "I’m also proud of our new Trinoma clinic, after our clinics in Podium and Rustan’s Makati, making us more accessible to people."

With its expansion to the malls, the Belo clinic is the first ambulatory surgical center outside the hospitals, certified by the DOH. For inquiries about the magazine and their clinics, call Belo Help Desk at 844-2939 or visit their website at www.belomed.com or email infor@belomed.com.

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It’s Holy Week, so "Eat Bulaga" will have its now traditional Lenten-themed drama special. But unlike the previous years when they had it from Monday to Wednesday, they will now air it only on Holy Wednesday, a Holy Week presentation titled "Mga Anak ng Maestro," written and directed by Bibeth Orteza who will also direct two episodes of Vic Sotto’s "Fulhaus." The story is about a retired teacher, Mr. Moises (Noel Trinidad), who invites his former students from various batches to a reunion. For this year, real estate magnate Lito (Tito Sotto) and his younger brother, I.T. expert Vicvic (Vic Sotto) and painter Joey (Joey de Leon), do not want to go. Lito and Vicvic have a personal conflict while Joey feels their teacher ignores his achievements.

The other students are streets smarts Charlie (Jose), a caterer; Allan (Allan K), who just had a sex-change operation that cost P5 million; the class clown of her batch, Birubs (Ruby Rodriguez) who is a nurse based abroad and now flies home for vacation, raring to see her long-time crush, the humorless Francis (Francis Maga-lona) now a lawyer. Then there’s Andy (Anjo Yllana), the inveterate womanizer, who pits his two girlfriends, the former best friends Julie (Julia Clarete), and Paula (Pauleen Luna), against each other; Jaime (Jimmy Santos), who is very insecure as he didn’t really take high school formally like the others and got his diploma only through the Alternative Learning System; Waldo (Wally Bayola), the braggart who postures to live up to the fame he enjoyed as a student, and Peter (Michael V), who is a priest.

During their reunion, secrets will be revealed and emotions will run high to help them gain new insights about their teacher and about each other. Don’t miss this touching story of love, friendship, betrayal and redemption on Wednesday noon, in place of the usual "Eat Bulaga."