ON TWEEN MOVIES AND THE PINOY BOX OFFICE

Here’s an item that I read from the entertainment section of tabloid Balita. Tween Academy: Class of 2012 beat Way Back Home in the box office with the former making P29.88 M compared to the latter’s P25.78 M, according to a certain tabulating group called Box Office.

Reactions: First, I never heard of Box Office. Who runs this group? SM, Nielsen Media or Kantar? Entertainment Weekly, an American magazine that I read, uses the services of Rentrak for its box office news. I think I’ll do a little more research to find out more about this Box Office.

Next. So what if Tween made 4 million more than WBH? That means nothing. The real issue here is that in spite of all the hype created by their studios, both films didn’t make much money. They made some but not the 100 million pesos GMA, Regal and Star Cinema probably hopes for. Notice the absence of those “now on it’s 3^rd week” ads? Yes, the teens in those films may have a huge fan base. Unfortunately, they don’t have the dough. Why would a fanatic spend close to 200 bucks when they can watch them teens live in a TV studio or in a mall show where they can scream all their lungs out for FREE? Remember that film First Day High? There’s another teen film by Star Cinema that didn’t make much money.

Non-teen rom-coms, formulaic comedy, fantasy-comedy and horror are the genres that make money in local movies today. Recently for the rom-com hit My Amnesia Girl, Toni Gonzaga and John Lloyd Cruz were named Box Office King and Queen by SM Cinemas, who owns almost all the theaters in the country. I wonder why the Guillermo Memorial Scholarship Foundation keeps on handing out box office awards every year? What right do they really have and what is their basis in giving them? And why are the artistas actually making a big deal out of them? Hmmm…

GROWING BULILITS

Time is really going way over the speed limit these days. Goin’ Bulilit’s Sharlene San Pedro and Nash Aguas used to be the youngest in the group at the age of 6 when the show began airing back in 2005. 6 years later they are the oldest in the group. And that means it’s time to leave the show.

Just last Sunday, it’s graduation time for Sharlene and Nash along with Mika, Noemi and Aaliyah. It’s a tradition in the show that kids who reach the age of 12 will leave the show. You can’t be in Bulilit if you are no longer a bulilit (a little kid). Unless you are Dagul, of course, who is forever a bulilit. Dagul, along with Kobi, are the two remaining original cast members. Angel Sy was also a part of the 1^st batch but she came a little bit later in the season.

Goin’ Bulilit is the funniest comedy program in local TV today (yes, in your face Bubble Gang). There was a time that this show was much maligned by the holier-than-thou folks from Anak TV and other “most honorable guards of society” but then the Catholic Mass Media Awards named Goin’ Bulilit the Best Comedy Show at one time, so they could be doing something right, right? A constant top-rater toppling many shows in their timeslot including the short-lived Bubble Gang Jr. Anyone remember that?

So where do the kids go after graduating from the show? Some become regulars on MMK or play the sibling role on Star Cinema movies like Miles, Eliza, and Carl. Others go MIA (where art thou Yong An and Igi Boy?) Oh, while I’m at it, whatever happened to Basty?

And a few became the next big TV stars like Kathryn and Mara aka Julia. That is where Sharlene and company should aspire for.

ONLINE CHAT NG MGA TELESERYE CHARACTERS

TheCoach enters the chatroom

TheCoach: mukhang ako pa lang yata dito, ah?

Su/San/Dra enters the chatroom

Showdancer enters the chatroom

Su/San/Dra: Good eve po.

Showdancer: Hi. Nandito na pala kayo? Wala pa si Doc?

Doc enters the chatroom

Doc: Good evening sa lahat. Maaga kayo ha?

Su/San/Dra: Good eve Doc.

Showdancer: Hi Doc 

TheCoach: gandang gabi po.

Doc: mamaya may mga bago tayong makakasama. 2 days ko na silang kausap sa online clinic ko & I advised them na sumali dito.

Lavagirl enters.

Lavagirl: Gud PM po.

Doc: Right on time ka Lavagirl. Guys, bigyan natin siya ng welcome.

Su/San/Dra: Good eve Lavagirl.

Showdancer: Hello n welcome.

TheCoach: hi

Doc: Simulan natin ang gabi sa iyo Lavagirl. Pakilala ka sa kanila.

Lavagirl: Ordinaryong dalaga lang po ako noon. Probinsiyana. Nakatira kami malapit sa bulkan.

TheCoach: taga bicol ka?

Doc: TheCoach, no asking of personal info. Tuloy mo Lavagirl.

Lavagirl: Nagkaroon po ako ng nobyo. Farmer po siya. Ayaw po sa kanya ng tiyahin ko, kasama ko sa bahay, at ang gusto niya ay yung ex ko na mayaman. Pero wala siyang nagawa ng magkaanak kami ng nobyo ko. Pero nung ikakasal kami nalaman kong may iba siyang babae, kaya di natuloy ang kasal.  Isang araw sumabog ang bulkan. Magulo nung araw iyon. Mausok, maingay, lumilindol.  Tumakbo kami paalis ng tiyahin ko at ng baby ko.  May kung anong malaking bagay ang bumagsak at sumabog sa harapan namin kaya nawalan kami ng malay.  Nagising na lang ako sa ospital, wala na ang baby ko. Nawala daw sabi ng ex ko na nagligtas sa amin. 5 taon na ang lumipas pero naniniwala pa rin ako na buhay ang anak ko.

TheCoach: halos ganyan din ang nangyari sa akin.

Doc: Sige guys. Para makilala kayo ni Lavagirl, ikuwento ninyo ang experiences nyo. But make it brief.

TheCoach: Biktima ang pamilya ko ng tsunami mga mahigit 10 taon na ang nakalipas. Nakaligtas ako. Natagpuang patay ang asawa ko, pero di nakita ang baby namin. Katulad mo Lavagirl, umaasa ako na buhay din ang anak ko.

Lavagirl: Hindi ako umaasa. NANINIWALA AKO!!

TheCoach: easy lang!

Doc: Lavagirl, no all caps please. Magkakaibigan tayong lahat dito.

Lavagirl: Pasensiya na po.

Su/San/Dra: Ako naman. Dati po akong nurse. Ikakasal po ako sa isang anak-mayaman at buntis na po ako sa kanya. Di pa nga matutuloy kasi may babaing sumulpot, buntis, at ang nobyo ko daw ang ama. Lumindol. Sa ospital din ako nagising. Wala akong maalala. May lalaking nagpakilala na asawa ko daw siya. At may anak daw kami. 5 taon ang nakalipas. Nalaman kong niloko lang ako ng lalaki na iyon. Di ko talaga siya asawa

TheCoach: naputol. log-out na yata siya.

Showdancer: Hello? Anong nangyari?

Doc: Su/San/Dra? Gusto mo munang magpahinga.

Su/San/Dra: Sorry doc. Naiyak lang po ako. Itutuloy ko po ang kuwento ko. Nagkita ulit kami ng mayaman kong nobyo, dun ako sa kanila tumira at nagnars sa lola niya. Nalaman ko rin na di ko tunay na anak ang batang babaeng kasama ko. Ngayon hinahanap namin ang tunay kong anak. Lalaki daw hindi babae ang sinabi nung nanloko sa akin na nakulong matapos akong ihostage.

Lavagirl: Grabe pala ang nangyari sa iyo.

Showdancer: Very tragic indeed. Pansin nyo bang we all lost our kids because of a disaster. Mine naman has to do with fire. Iniwan ko ang baby ko sa kapitbahay para puntahan ang ama ng anak ko sa trabaho niya.  Isa siyang dance instructor at nalaman kong ang karibal ko ang kliyente niya.  Nagtalo kami doon at pag-uwi naman nasusunog na ang lugar namin.  Sunog ang bahay ng pinag-iwanan ko ng anak ko.  I was devastated.  

Madam enters the chatroom

Doc: Madam, I thought absent ka tonight? 

Madam: Good evening doctor. I was supposed to, pero nasa office pa ako, waiting for my sister’s meeting to end. So I decided to log in to see what’s going on at may good news ako. May bago pala tayong kasama. Hi Lavagirl.

Lavagirl: hello po.

Madam: Ang story ko naman differs a bit, Lavagirl. I got pregnant by a man who I thought loved me pero pinagpustahan lang pala nila ako ng barkada niya. I gave my baby away. I feel na magiging kawawa lang siya sa akin dahil wala akong nararamdaman para sa kanya. Well, that’s what I wanted to believe at that time. Anyway, many years later I became a very successful and influential businesswoman in a very lucrative industry. Then something tragic happened. I don’t want to elaborate pero after that nawala na lahat sa akin. But I was allowed to return to correct some mistakes I did in the past. I was given 100 days at kapag hindi ko naitama lahat mapupunta ako sa… well, let’s say “a very hot place”. I found help from a young woman who I made to pretend to be my sister. I got her to work in a top position inside my former company kung saan I believe I have made most of my “mistakes”.

TheCoach: hanggang ngayon di ka pa rin nakikilala doon?

Madam: No. Let’s just say I’m no longer as BIG as I used to be. Anyway, halfway in my “mission” my sister suggests that maybe I need to find my daughter. Baka kasama daw iyon sa mistakes ko. I was reluctant at first pero lately I’m slowly realizing na baka tama nga siya.

Doc: OK. Mahabang oras na rin ang nagamit natin with the re-intros for lavagirl.

Lavagirl: Pasensiya na po.

Doc: That’s ok. Moving on. So kumusta kayo ngayon?

TheCoach: ako muna. matapos ang mahabang panahon ng pagtatago at pagpapabaya, natuto na uli akong mag-ayos ng sarili. Coach na ako ng football ngayon ng mga bata. ang nagbibigay stress sa akin ngayon e yung dati kong karibal sa football na coach na rin ngayon.

Doc: yes, naikuwento mo nga iyan previously. Anything new?

TheCoach: may isang babae akong nagugustuhan ngayon. single mom siya at iyung adopted son niya ay very close din sa akin. parang biglang nagkagap nga lang ang dalawa nung dumating iyung tatay daw ng bata pero maaayos din iyon.

Showdancer: Nakwento ko na dati na I found success in dancing. Pero lately ang daming nagpapasakit ng ulo ko. Bumalik ang tatay ng nawala kong anak at ngayon ay involved sa career ko. A woman I hate got out of prison. At may gap rin kami ng other daughter ko.

Su/San/Dra: Problemado rin ako. Ikakasal sana uli kami ng nobyo ko pero kinidnap siya ng lalaking nagpanggap na asawa ko. Tinorture siya at nilibing ng buhay. Nakasurvive siya kaya lang nagkaamnesia siya.

Sim_One enters the chatroom

Sim_One: d mo ko mtataguan susan alam ko ikaw yan 

Doc: Paano ka nakapasok dito?

Su/San/Dra leaves the chatroom

Sim_One: mula ng magkalaptop ako mrami akong n22nan. jan na kyo

Sim_One leaves the chatroom

Showdancer: Anong nangyari? Nakakatakot! Grabeeeeh!!

TheCoach: dapat ayusin nyo doc ang privacy settings. nababasa ko rin ang usapan dito kahit di ako nakasign-in.

Doc: Sorry. aayusin ko ito later. may oras pa tayo, may gusto pang magshare?

Madam: Stressed din ako ngayon. Nalaman kong adopted iyung “sister” ko, and was born the same year my missing daughter was born. Add to that na kahit ilang warnings ang binigay ko, na-inlove pa rin ang sister ko sa kapatid ng dati kong protégé. And just recently, I found the woman na pinag-iwanan ko ng baby ko.

Doc: Well we hope that’s good news.

Madam: Yes. At nalaman ko na rin sa kanya na ang missing daughter ko ay walang iba kundi ang “sister” ko!

Showdancer: Oh my God!!

TheCoach: !!!!!

Doc: Nasabi mo na ba sa kanya? 

Madam: Pinoproblema ko nga iyan e. Di ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanya na siya ang anak ko after so many times na pinag-awayan namin ang tungkol sa paghahanap sa anak ko.

Doc: Well, we wish you luck. Ikaw naman, lavagirl.

Lavagirl: Napangasawa ko ang ex ko. Pinipilit niya na kalimutan ko na ang anak ko. May times na sinasaktan niya ako.

Madam: You should never allow a man to do that to you. I don’t care kung mayaman siya, you should go to the police. Kuha mo?

Doc: Tama si Madam, lavagirl.

Madam: I have to go. Nandito na ang sister/daughter ko. I’ll see you guys again next meeting. Bye.

Madam leaves the chatroom.

Doc: Anyway wala na rin tayong oras. magmeet ulit tayo this monday at ang pag-uusapan naman natin ay kung paano natin ma-so-solve ang mga bagong stresses na dumating sa mga buhay natin. Good night, people.

TheCoach: gudnight

Showdancer: bye guys 

Lavagirl: good night po 

TheCoach leaves the chatroom

Showdancer leaves the chatroom

Lavagirl leaves the chatroom

WerNaU_Elise enters the chatroom

WerNaU_Elise: Good evening Doc

Doc: Nahuli ka ng dating, sir. we had just concluded. But that’s alright. sa monday ang next online session natin. let’s leave this chatroom at dun na lang tayo sa Facebook magchat in private about your missing teenage daughter. ok?

WerNaU_Elise: Ok Doc.

WerNaU_Elise leaves the chatroom

Doc leaves the chatroom

PROTEGE OR THE VOICE?

One show that I’ve been watching for a couple of weeks now is The Voice currently seen on AXN.  Yes, it’s another singing contest but the way it differs from American Idol is that instead of judges they have coaches.  The coaches are composed of singing superstars Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine.  The idea is they will each create a stable of artists that they will mentor and have them compete for the viewers’ vote. I really enjoyed the process of how they create their stables. The coaches have their backs turned from the stage so that it’s only the artists’ voice that they can hear (hence, the title of the show).  If they liked what they hear, they will press a button so that their chairs will turn to the stage.  If only one of the four turns, he/she gets the artist.  If more than one makes the turn, the artist gets to pick which coach’s stable he/she would like to join.

Tonight, GMA7 will debut a new show called Protégé.  The press releases call it a “one-of-a-kind singing contest” neglecting the fact that it was obviously patterned after The Voice.  In Protégé, 10 local singers will search the country to find a singer/s that they will mentor and have him/her/them compete with the other mentors’ talents.  I’m looking forward to see this show and I hope that it will succeed not only ratings-wise but also for GMA7 to finally have a singing contest winner that people will really care about.  Pinoy Pop Superstar, Pinoy Idol and Are You The Next Big Star didn’t really create a Sarah Geronimo or a Yeng Constantino or even an Angeline Quinto for the Kamuning based station.

A dilemma for me is that Protégé will air at almost the same time with The Voice.  The Voice airs two episodes every Sunday night from 8-10.  There is a 9 PM replay on Monday and Tuesday but I can’t wait that long.  I’ll watch both shows and if I missed certain parts then it’s either I’ll see the replays or find it online.  Thank God for the Internet.