WASHINGTON—Superstar Lady Gaga on Friday launched a bracelet to support relief in Japan as top names in the entertainment world offered condolences after the mega-quake and tsunami.
SANTA MONICA, Calif - Following is a complete list of winners at the 26th annual Spirit Awards, honoring the leading U.S.-made independent features of 2010, announced during a beachfront ceremony on Saturday.
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - After winning Philippine television network ABS-CBN's talent search "Star Power," Angeline Quinto took one of her prizes, a black SUV Hover, on a victory ride to Baclaran Church.
Philippine President Noynoy Aquino, who assumed office at a �bad time," will continue to go through the wringer in 2011. Singer Charice Pempengco�s star will burn even brighter this year, perhaps even eclipsing Lea Salonga�s earlier achievements. As for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, she�ll remain a formidable fixture in Philippine politics in the years, even decades to come, whether you like it or not.
And what about Shalani Soledad, President Aquino�s ex-girlfriend and Willie Revillame�s co-host in �Willing Willie?" She�ll definitely run for higher public office in 2013, and will continue to attract potential voters along the way, as long as she remains everything Kris Aquino is not.
These are some of the fearless forecasts and off-the-cuff observations made by a panel of influential, highly opinionated, and at times controversial individuals during HSBC�s recent Coffee Talk 3, �Crossroads: Who�s Going Where?" at Makati Shangri-La.
The panel was composed of Inquirer Lifestyle columnist Maurice Arcache, society editor Raul Manzano, entertainment editor Isah Red, tour guide and RH Bill advocate Carlos Celdran (he of �Damaso� fame), and feng shui consultant and astrologer Paloma.
Juicy backgrounder
The discussion was made livelier by moderator RJ Ledesma�s juicy backgrounders and mix of pointed and leading questions regarding last year�s biggest newsmakers, including Manny Pacquiao, Venus Raj, and even the much talked-about �prenup video� of Victor Consunji and Maggie Wilson.
�When I was first told to view their prenup on the Web, I wondered why I was being asked to look at a piece of paper," said Paloma. �I realized only later what prenup for them meant after I went to the site."
When Arcache countered that the couple was just too hot, Paloma replied: �Sometimes too much heat is not good. Too much sun blisters the skin."
The inimitable Celdran even wanted to know how the person behind the video was able to make Consunji look taller, then zeroed in on Wilson�s distracting zit.
Now on its third edition, Coffee Talk is part of HSBC�s efforts to promote its latest tie-up with Starbucks and Caltex. HSBC credit cardholders can present any single HSBC credit card receipt worth 2,000 pesos and up, and get a free tall drink of their choice or a three-pack Via Ready Brew from Starbucks.
Or they can choose to get 100 pesos off from their Caltex fuel bill with every charge slip worth 2,000 pesos. Depending on the number of receipts they present, they can even get a full tank of gas without spending a single peso.
�If they want, they can even bring a bayong of accumulated credit card receipts to gas up," said Annette Tirol, HSBC�s deputy head of personal financial services.
Paloma had a mouthful to say about certain individuals as well as the current state of the nation. She also warned the public to expect more calamities due to severe weather disturbances. Now is also not the best time to travel unless it�s �necessary." The long overdue earthquake we�ve been bracing for might finally come in 2011.
Highlights of the discussion:
On President Aquino
Arcache: �His love life is kind of confused. He seems to love his cars more than his women. He started better, but when you have your best gang all around you, what happens to you?"
Manzano: �Especially when you play video games all night."
Celdran: �I just hope he doesn�t drag us all down with him in his midlife crisis. There are things happening below him, but there�s an overall feeling I get that nobody is driving the car."
Paloma: �It�s not a good year for him because he just came after a trying five years. In astrology or feng shui, we come up with cycle charts. He got in the Palace at not a very good time."
On Mar Roxas
Arcache: �He�s been too quiet. Like my dad said, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all."
Manzano: �He should be put either in the finance or budget department where his expertise is."
Celdran: �He can�t even get along with the VP. Let�s just see what Noynoy does with him after May."
Paloma: �I agree that he should be utilized in business, but when I look at his chart, I think he should continue to lie low."
On Manny Pacquiao
Celdran: �He�s just a congressman, not on a national level. He probably has some good things to offer in Saragani. Intellectually speaking, God save us all if he becomes president."
Red: �He�ll have a hard time running nationally, unless somebody bankrolls his candidacy. He�s a tightwad. The way he�s spending money like there�s no tomorrow is more for publicity. He needs a bankroller to win an election on a national scale."
Paloma: �He has 15 more years in the limelight. Don�t underestimate him and Filipinos voting for people like him. In the Philippines, anything can happen."
On Charice Pempengco
Arcache: �She�s going to be a big star, not a falling star. How did Lea start? She got this big break and the rest is history."
Manzano: �She�s going to be a star, that�s for sure. Even a crossover star."
Red: �And she�s younger than Lea when she started. Of course, they belong to different fields, since Lea is more for the stage. But pop music�s influence is even broader."
Celdran: �She has America�s changing demographics to thank for her lucky stars. She�s hit this demographic who loves Miley Cyrus."
Paloma: �According to her stars, she�s on a really good 45-year run. She�s going to be popular even into her 50s. That doesn�t mean she�s not going to have problems. She has to deal with the painful polishing process along the way."
On Venus Raj
Red: �She can probably succeed if managed well. ABS-CBN is very good at packaging its stars. She has to go through a workshop."
Arcache: �She�s been invited to a number of social events because she�s an eye-catcher. When you talk to her, which I have, it�s like doing the question and answer portion. She doesn�t know how to prolong a conversation. She�s not the type either to open her mouth to keep everybody awake."
Celdran: �Like in the case of most beauty queens, people want to know who she�s going to end up marrying. As a beauty queen, it�s really who you wake up with that could dictate the rest of your career and your life path."
Paloma: �I wish for once we�d have a beauty queen who will not want to become an actress or a celebrity. She could be a good start. Unfortunately, her cycle is not good. Everything she has and wants to get, she really has to work hard for."
On Shalani Soledad
Red: �Willie (Revillame) is energy! But Shalani is e-ner-gy (laughs). It could be working for her, because the masa is so used to celebrities who play to the gallery. Here comes Shalani, prim and proper, and the exact opposite of most stars."
Celdran: �She�s the anti-Kris Aquino. Anything Kris is, she�s not."
Red: �She�s a cut above the rest. Her supporters and admirers are most likely people who don�t like Kris. As long as she doesn�t marry Willie, I don�t see any scandals coming her way."
Paloma: �There�s one attitude of hers that stands out, which probably endears her to the public. Shalani has a very regal bearing."
I just got a text from him the day of his birthday�imagine being in Piolo Pascual�s phone! Some people would die for the privilege! Anyway, he said I made his 2010 very special. This was because his book, �Piolo Revealed," was finally published and launched last December at Fully Booked.
Making a coffee-table book was one of the hardest things I had to do last year. It was a test of creativity, patience and friendship. As clich�d as it may sound, nothing worthwhile comes easy. Bien Bautista, the photographer, once recounted to me the hardships of producing a book. I understood it then, but the experience didn�t come close to his stories; it was harder!
Needless to say, the birth pains were all worth it, just seeing the book materialize and the number of guests who came, not to mention the number of people who purchased the book on the day itself. As I write this, Fully Booked just called for us to deliver 50 more copies to MOA due to demand.
What made me even more elated was the presence of people who seldom showed themselves at events, but showed up early to support the book. Gabby Lopez, none other than the big boss of ABS-CBN, came in discreetly, but then again, how can you not know the guy? Ms Charo Santos was there, ageless and beautiful as ever. And would you believe that the glamorous Gretchen Barretto stunned us in her fuchsia dress by arriving early, with RS Francisco in tow? Of course Gretchen will always have the talented Patrick Rosas around for her makeup and as a posse to events like these.
And I have to give credit to Johnny Manahan and Mariole Alberto for their ability to avoid the paparazzi. You will only see them in the background of most PR photos, but they never gave the photographer a chance to catch them alone on cam.
With the years of working in show biz, the lines between friends and coworkers seem to blur. That is why Direk Joyce Bernal, as she is fondly called, was caught looking like she was worshipping Piolo�s abs in one of the exhibit photos on the wall. And no, she wasn�t intoxicated at all. With her was Erik Raymundo, who handles the affairs and schedules of Sam Milby. The two are inseparable.
I am glad Vicki Belo and Cristalle Henares were both present at the launch. The Belo group won�t be complete without Leah Salterio, who is as much a moving force in the company as Vicki and Cristalle. I just wished Ben Chan were there, too, but he was in New York that time. In his place, though, were the Bench team, Lawrence Cua, Paulo Nocum, Eric King, Marian Flores, and the ever efficient Karen Jardenil. A little bird told me Jojo Liamson was also there, but stayed inconspicuous. Without Bench and Belo, I don�t think the book would have ever seen the light of day.
The other supporters of the book were Sunlife, Banco de Oro and Clear Shampoo, whose representatives came in full force to support not only their endorser, but a friend, as well.
It also looked like a showdown of the most beautiful editors in the industry. Only Piolo�s charm can gather Joanne Rae Ramirez, Sari Yap, Anna Sobrepe�a and Joanne Maglipon in one place to help introduce the book to the public.
Canon printers sponsored the exhibit prints that highlighted some pages of the book. And I must add, some of the prints got stolen in the middle of all the revelry. What can I say? That was a great compliment for both Piolo and me.
I was so glad that Ms Rita Neri handled the event for us that day. Piolo and I came from separate location shoots, and she made sure I had nothing to worry about. I even had to change in the parking lot before showing myself.
For those who want a glimpse of the book, here is an exclusive for Inquirer. Get a copy for yourself, and enjoy. It�s a limited run.
Live na nakausap via phone patch ni Joey de Leon sa Startalk si Dingdong Dantes noong Sabado, January 8.
Napag-usapan nila ang panibagong achievement na tinanggap ni Dingdong bilang isa sa 2010 People of the Year ng People Asia magazine.
Kasama ni Dingdong sa listahan sina Venus Raj, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Josie Natori, Kenneth Cobonpue, Fr. Rocky Evangelista, Rhett Eala, Ryan Cayabyab, Mike Enriquez, Felino Palafox Jr., Rachy Cuna, at Jaime Bautista.
Tinanong ni Joey si Dingdong kung ano ang pakiramdam niya sa panibagong parangal na iginawad sa kanya.
"Napakasarap ho na way para mawakasan ang 2010, at isang magandang motivation siya talaga para mas gumawa pa ng mas maraming magaganda [na mga bagay] for 2011," sabi ni Dingdong, na halatang masayang-masaya.
Nabanggit din na isa pang magandang pangyayari sa career ni Dingdong ay ang pagsasama nila ng Asia's Songbird na si Regine Velasquez sa upcoming series ng GMA 7, ang I ♥ You Pare.
Matapos ba ng mahabang Christmas at New Year vacation ay nag-taping na ulit si Dingdong para sa serye nila ni Regine?
"Ako, wala pa akong taping. Pero alam ko, isa sa mga unang ipapalabas [na serye] ngayong 2011 ang I ♥ You Pare. Siguro by the end of January, or probably early February.
"Nakarami na ho kami ng taping bago magbakasyon so we have enough episodes already," saad ni Dingdong.
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - And now, at year's end, it would be wise to reflect on the number of young Filipino talents making waves in the international music scene. Charice, Bruno Mars... now there's Darren Criss.
Yes, Gleeks, the curly-haired, green-eyed heartthrob - who started out as a guest character, a gay teen named Blaine, and is now the show's newest regular star - is of Filipino stock, and very proud of it.
Gregarious
In town for a set of Christmas shows for Ayala Malls in Manila, the gregarious Darren sat down with the press only hours after he landed in the morning, and only a few minutes before he and his team started rehearsals for his show later that afternoon. Darren, however, is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as only a hot new Hollywood prospect can be, and was in the mood to talk about his previous adventures in Makati, a posh enclave in the Philippines' capital.
"The last time I was here was for my cousin's wedding, about two years ago, and it's so good to be back," Darren told this writer in a one-on-one.
"My mom is Cebuano (from Cebu in central Philippines), born and raised in the Philippines, and she went to the (United) States when she was an adult. She's the youngest of seven, so I have a lot of family in Makati, a lot of them have moved on to other countries but many of them are still here. My dad's side is rather tiny, so I feel like a great part of my family is Filipino. I love the Filipino community so much."
The fact that the Filipino community is, in his words, "notoriously embracive", is one of the reasons he had jumped on the chance to perform here so close to Christmas, and while nursing a cold.
"I wasn't born here, so I won't make any claims of being fully Pinoy (slang for Filipino), but I don't know," he said.
"Every time I come here I feel this sort of kinship with the country. Probably because Filipinos are so notoriously embracive of anyone, specially in the entertainment industry. I couldn't be happier to be here."
Even before landing "Glee", Darren has had a sizeable, if underground, fan following, which came about when he and his college friends from the University of Michigan theater department decided to post a Harry Potter parody musical they produced on YouTube.
With songs written, produced and performed by Darren, the project, "A Very Potter Musical", got millions of hits, and gave birth to two other musicals, also posted on YouTube. When they formed a company to release the soundtrack albums, one became the very first college musical to land the Billboard and iTunes charts.
DIY advocate
Which makes Darren an advocate of doing things yourself. That being said, he pointed out, "There are no rules to this game. People are always saying, 'Yeah, very smart to go on YouTube first,' and you know, none of it is connected. I've just been very very fortunate and I can't stress that enough. The strength that our musicals have had -the ones I help make with my company, Star Kid Productions - was completely organic. We had no idea people would like it as much. And 'Glee' happened because I auditioned for it. I don't think anyone in 'Glee' knew about that other world that I had.
"My recommendation is that in this day and age there's a big do-it-yourself mentality. We made that thing ourselves, produced it ourselves. If you want to do something, it's very easy with the tools available now. Create, create, create."
Even after becoming hot Hollywood property, Darren is devoted to his other creative pursuits, and with the same collaborators.
"My friends from Michigan (have all been) very supportive, and I'm still working with them. In fact, our fourth musical comes out in February. It's called 'Starship,' and we're rehearsing now," he said, and added deprecatingly, "At the end of the day, I'm just some random guy, not really any different, the same old weird dorkish guy."
Independent
Wait, that's not all!
"Then, pending my schedule, I'll be working on a full-length studio album," said Darren, who released an EP of five songs as an independent before TV beckoned.
"That was always gonna happen, then I got cast in 'Glee', which kinda stalled it for a bit. Depending on what time I have, I'll be going back and forth between 'Glee', my company and my musical and the album, and between those three, I'm keeping myself pretty busy. It also depends if I get a film this summer. I'm always auditioning."
With such a wealth of talent, it seems Darren's path is full of possibilities, but will he ever choose between acting and music?
"I'm devoted to both. But... who ever thought I would be doing both on one television show?" he asks.
"I wanna have my cake and eat it, too. They complement one another, and I'm gonna keep going until one or the other makes me decide."
Loves Blaine
He loves the role of Blaine, and doesn't fear typecasting one bit, despite playing a gay role. (Darren is straight.)
"I am no more a gay teenager in a blazer who's 16 years old than Max Adler, who plays Karofsky, is a homophobic bully, or Heather Morris is a dumb blonde. We're all playing parts and serving the story," he pointed out.
"I've been handed the tremendous opportunity to play an incredibly strong character. I can't stress enough how important Blaine is to me. I mean, I play him, but taking that away from the equation, I think he plays such an important role in what's going on in our world, what's going on with young people. The things he has to say can transcend the gay topic, and into all sorts of exclusion and alienation and inclusiveness and acceptance."
I RECEIVED a letter from the lawyers of Willie Revillame after the publication of my column “Free Willie or Jail Willie?”, which was an objective narration of how the legal tussle between Willie and ABS-CBN came about. In the interest of fair play, we are publishing that letter:
“…The crux of the matter is whether or not Revillame’s contract with ABS-CBN is still subsisting and enforceable. The provision of Revillame’s contract states that the contract is immediately terminated upon ABS-CBN’s cancellation of the program ‘Wowowee.’ However, despite canceling ‘Wowowee’ unilaterally, ABS-CBN refuses to let Revillame go, which necessitated the filing of the civil suit before the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City to confirm the rescission of his contract and uphold his claim that he is the injured party.
“ABS-CBN responded with a claim of P486 million as liquidated damages for every week that ‘Willing Willie’ was shown, which claim has now accumulated to more than P2 billion. It likewise sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop Revillame from performing similar work with another network. Judge Luisito Cortez of RTC Branch 84 (who has since inhibited himself from the case on the petition of ABS-CBN) denied the network’s application for a TRO. Absent a TRO, the program ‘Willing Willie’ was launched and aired on TV-5. For the second time, ABS-CBN applied for a TRO, this time with the Court of Appeals, but the higher court likewise denied its application.
“After suffering two legal blows by twice failing to get a TRO, ABS-CBN has taken another tack. This time, a copyright infringement case was filed before the Regional Trial Court of Makati where the network, for the third time, asked for the issuance of a TRO to stop Revillame and ‘Willing Willie.’
“The Makati court is an improper venue for this infringement suit since none of the parties reside in Makati including ABS-CBN. Further, the contract between Revillame and ABS-CBN stipulates that any action between the parties should be filed and resolved exclusively before the courts in Quezon City.
“The filing of the case before the Makati court is forum shopping, which is prohibited by law as forum shopping trifles with the administration of justice and manipulates court processes. When multiple suits involving practically the same issues are filed, this may result in different courts issuing contradictory rulings. This is not what justice should be.
“ABS-CBN is not unaware and innocent of copyright infringement, having been embroiled in infringement complaints twice before—one involving ‘Kuwarta o Kahon’ and ‘Pera o Bayong’ and another involving ‘Winner Take All’ and ‘Smart Ka Na Ba?’
“In the ‘Kuwarta o Kahon’ and ‘Pera o Bayong’ case, ABS-CBN was sued for damages because its ‘Pera o Bayong,’ the most popular segment of its show ‘Magandang Tanghali Bayan,’ allegedly copied the format and mechanics of Pepe Pimentel’s ‘Kuwarta o Kahon.’ ABS-CBN won that case by relying primarily on the case of Joaquin v. Drilon (GR No. 108946) where the Supreme Court held that the format or mechanics of a television show was not copyrightable. The Joaquin case was Revillame’s very same defense in this copyright infringement case before the Makati City court. Ironically, ABS-CBN conveniently disregarded the doctrines laid down in the said Joaquin case—it was now claiming that this was not applicable in the case of Revillame.
“In the ‘Winner Take All’ and ‘Smart Ka Na Ba?’ dispute, a certain Wilfredo G. Cuevas sued ABS-CBN and Smart Communications Inc. for infringement and claimed that ABS-CBN stole his copyright for a game called ‘Winner Take All’ when ABS-CBN broadcast the game show entitled ‘Smart Ka Na Ba?’ ABS-CBN likewise heavily relied on the Joaquin case to support its position that the format of television programs was not entitled to copyright protection.
“What is sauce for the goose should also be sauce for the gander.
“As enunciated in the Joaquin case, formats and mechanics of a television show are not copyrightable. The Intellectual Property Code also enumerates what works are protected by copyright, and ideas, concepts, formats of, in this case, a television game show, are not included within the protected works. Copyright and its infringement involve legal as well as technical issues. The article, for all its worth, did not capture and comprehend the real picture of the controversy involving Revillame and ABS-CBN.” The rest of the letter deals with propaganda and praise for Revillame which I think we should not punish the readers with.
* * *
A word of advice: It would help Revillame if he had less conceit. The program “Willing Willie” just oozes with conceit that repels many viewers.
A group of journalists held a poll on who is the most conceited Filipino, and Revillame easily ranked first. Kris Aquino was runner-up. Not far behind was Manny Pacquiao.
All three, you would note, are newly rich. Which shows you what sudden wealth does to people—they become swellheads. They need head shrinkers who would deflate their enormous egos and put them back to earth.
* * *
Sa totoo lang, the newscasts of the three major networks are imitating one another. That may not be copyright infringement but they exasperate many viewers. All three have segments on show-biz gossip which are only concoctions of the movie scribes.
Even the network identifications are imitative. Channel 7 calls itself “Kapuso,” Channel 2 calls itself “Kapamilya,” so the newcomer TV5 calls itself “Kapatid.” Can’t they be more original?
