While sitting out an appointment at a car dealership the other day, Cecile and I caught a screening of a vintage Fernando Poe, Jr. film, Alupihang Dagat.
The film got us hooked, frame by frame, that we almost didn’t mind what the poor staff was trying to sell us. Like many FPJ films, this one had grand locations, the beautiful countryside of our Philippines, a story so engaging, a young and sexy Elizabeth Oropesa, an endearing but quite missed Mary Walter. Thank God she isn’t quite horrific here.
And there was FPJ, still in his prime, fast on the draw, even in middle age. Even in death, the man has remained a living icon in our collective memory.
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In celebration of the 83rd birth anniversary of the late actor-director-producer, National Artist for Film Fernando Poe Jr., the Film Development Council of the Philippines is holding free screenings of four of his films (August 31-September 3) at various FDCP Cinematheque Centres nationwide.
A project of the Philippine Film Archive, shown are the films Ang Padrino, Ang Panday, Ang Pagbabalik ng Lawin, and Asedillo.
By the way, the copy of Alupihang Dagat that we saw by chance looked neat and clean, perhaps already restored by his nephew, Jeffrey Sonora.
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PASSERBY: Heard that ABS-CBN and GMA-7 are collaborating on another project, possibly a movie costarring Joshua Garcia and Gabbi Garcia (not related). Looks like a beautiful pairing. Both are also quite talented.
Ronaldo Valdez thanks Daniel Padilla for caring for him on and off the set of their current hit series,
ABS-CBN’s “2 Good 2 Be True.”
“Ours is like a real grandfather-grandson relationship. He’s quite strict when it comes to my health,” the 74-year old says.
The veteran actor is all praise for Kathryn Bernardo, who’s not only such a nice girl, he says, “but one who’s also extremely talented so that acting with her in every scene is just a breeze.”
US-based Liza Soberano is learning some new songs in preparation for a music career in 2023. Under the management of actor James Reid and his label, Careless Music Manila, the former ABS-CBN actress is said to collab with top K-Pop artists.
Liza has scored her first Hollywood film, “Lisa Frankenstein.”
Earlier, another ABS-CBN actor, Inigo Pascual, made it to the main cast of Fox series, Monarch. The series tells the story of a distinguished family in country music whose matriarch is Susan Sarandon.([email protected])