Showbiz Prattle November 3 - November 10, 1996 issue From: ©1996 The Manila Times

[Clyde Adkins]

From: ©1996 The Manila Times
http://www.portalinc.com/manilatimes/news1.html
Send e-mail to The Times at manil...@portalinc.com
Copyright Reprinted by permission

November 3 - November 10, 1996 issue

[STM] ENTERTAINMENT

Showbiz Prattle

Been There, Done That
When the news of starlet Jessa Zaragosa and her attempt at suicide
went to town, one of our moles had some series of flashbacks--yes,
of the cinematic kind. But before we indulge our prattler, here's a
backgrounder: Jessa reportedly overdosed with sleeping pills after
having a breakdown on the set of the movie she is currently filming
with Joko Diaz. Why the breakdown? The poor girl reportedly got so
scared when her director, Jose "Kaka" Balagtas, threatened to tell
Viva bosses about her refusal to strip off her undies for a love scene.
Viva just might go bland on her, she thought, therefore endangering
her future as a movie star.
Now back to our mole's, um, hot flashes. Checking his memory
bank, our prattler remembered seeing Jessa in a movie baring her
buxoms during a wet 'n' wild love scene shot in the cold splendor of
a waterfall. In another steamy scene from the same flick, our mole
saw her screen partner giving her twin peaks a tongue job. Of course,
these two scenes were cut from the final version that was screened in
movie houses. But our mole's contention runs thus: Jessa Zaragosa's
been there, done that and, well, more. And now she's coy about
going there and doing that again? Our mole's perplexed.

Ruffa To The World
Ruffa Guttierez sure knows her mom's age bracket--why else
would she opt for a ballroom dancing affair to celebrate
fortysomething mom Annabelle's birthday?
At the La Jota Baile Ristorante in Greenhills last Wednesday,
glittery and not-so-glittery names such as Ton-ton Guttierez, Daisy
Romualdez, Mother Lily Monteverde, Rudy Fernandez, Alfie
Lorenzo, Jude Estrada, Bob Soler, and Richard Bonnin and mom
Elvie Gonzales, gathered to greet the grand Waray a happy birthday.
The affair might as well have been Ruffa's party, too, for the girl
surely has a great reason to celebrate. She is set to inch her way to
prime billing again what with the many projects she's scheduled to
take on.
Today, the beauty queen leaves Manila--with fellow stars and
beauty queens Alma Concepcion and Charlene Gonzales--to model in
a Pitoy Moreno fashion extravaganza in Singapore. From the Lion
City, the group proceeds to Bangkok to present the same show,
except that this time it's going to be some sort of a command
performance for the King of Thailand who's celebrating the 50th
anniversary of his crowning as king.
Ruffa's next stop will be the United States for another fashion
show. This time it's Renee Salud's for which she'll just take on host
duty, not take to the ramp. The modelling chores will be taken on by
local supermodel Melanie Marquez and Sheryl Cruz. (Prattle
wonders though if Mama Renee has come up with a pregnant
collection. We hear Sheryl is on that interesting stage.)

Hot Triangle
After the ramp, Ruffa is set to face the cameras again when she
flies back to Manila by the third week of November to start filming
the much-talked-about movie which, her friends hope, will help clear
the air and her name. The film, of course, is the Bong Revilla-Lani
Mercado-Ruffa project which the latter accepted to prove that that
whole Bong-Ruffa affair was just plain tsismis, and that she and Lani
are okay. (Now.)
Regal is said to be revising the script to lengthen Ruffa's part in the
film whose original screenplay only gives Ruffa a cameo playing the
part of the other woman (which was originally offered to Rosanna
Roces who said no as she probably thought she's worth more than
just a two-day shoot). In the revised version, Ruffa will not only get
longer exposure but a whole new character as well. What, you
thought the entire 'other woman' is acceptable to mama Annabelle
and even to Ruffa herself?
Besides this intrigue-friendly project, Ruffa is just waiting for
Kutob, another Regal film which co-stars Christopher de Leon, to
finish post-production and take to the theaters by January.
Meanwhile, two more film projects await Ms. Guttierez's services.
Take time out to breathe, Ruffa dahling!

Double Dose of Rizal
Albert Martinez might have to leave his Rizal overcoat on for a
longer time than he originally expected or planned. While he has only
eight more shooting days (four to be shot in Cuba, four in Dapitan)
left before wrapping Dapitan--the Tikoy Aguiluz film where he
portrays the country's national hero--he has just recently said yes to
another Rizal role, this time under a Neo Films-Solar Films merger
billed Himagsikan.
Gladly, the typecasting ends there--well, as of now. Local
producers are now starting to give Albert his due by making him their
actor-of-the-moment. He is set to star opposite Sharon Cuneta in
Joey Reyes' domestic drama, Kung Iiwan Mo Ako, under Viva. Next
he plays Christopher de Leon's lover in an as-yet-untitled movie
centering on a homosexual relationship.
For a while Albert was hesitant to accept another gay role (after
taking on one in a recent telesine). But then you know the enduring
charm of having Boyet as a costar. The film's script, though, is still
up for final revision and approval by both actors.
Next in Albert's line-up is the villain role in the remake of the Tessie
Agana-starrer, Roberta, meant for this year's Metro Manila Film
Festival. Being the serious actor he's become--and worried his new
role might affect his family--Albert plans to take a vacation from
home for at least half a month to internalize his extremely vicious
character (originally played by Van de Leon) in this remake of a
blockbuster tearjerker from the '40s.
While the last four films await production, Albert will soon be seen
in starlet Rufa Mae Quinto's star vehicle, Gloria, Gloria Labandera.

Kool Girl
Speaking of Rufa Mae, it might be too early to pronounce her as
the next Rossana Roces when it comes to being blunt about anything
under the sun and everything under her clothes. Recently when talk
careened to her bumpers, the 36-incher starlet revealed she prefers
not wearing bras. Why? Because, according to her, it just might
emphasize the monstrosity of her bullions. Besides, she likes the idea
of her mammaries swaying in sync with her hips when she walks or
runs or heaven knows what else. Another reason is that upper undies
irritate her, especially in hot weather. But even if she says she's not
afraid of breast cancer--and even if we know this is all just studio
packaging--we suggest she try on some undies for her twin peaks, the
better to boost and make use of her labandera role. Right, Viva?
Still on this starlet-on-the-rise. Asked to choose her type between
Albert and her other Gloria leading man, Jay Manalo, Rufa Mae says
she prefers the former because he exudes dignity and maturity--a
Papa-figure, if you will. While Rufa Mae may reportedly be flirty
with Albert on the set, Papa, er, Albert makes sure the advances
don't get to his head--and to all other significant places in his
oh-some bod.
P.S. While Gloria, Gloria Labandera has yet to hit the screens, talks
of a sequel is already abrewing in the Viva camp. It will still have
Rufa Mae as lead and Edd Palmos as director but the title gets a
major raunchy boost. The flick will be called--hold your
breath--Maria, Mariang Palad. To the wiseguy who thought of this,
you deserve a hand. But it's 100 percent sure that that won't be
coming from anyone from within the MTRCB. Then again, maybe it
will--a hand for spanking that is.

No Debt
Remember that bit from several issues ago about Alain Sia "owing"
interior designer Raymond Agana 65 grand for a sofa set he (Alain)
ordered from him some months back? Well, Alain, in a missive from
a lawyer, denies that any such debt exists.
"On the record, my client has no debt and has not received the sofa
set which he allegedly ordered," goes the rebuttal. "Parenthetically,
there is no sofa set whatsoever delivered to my client's residence."
If that be the case, then prattle may indeed have erred in, um,
reporting the matter the way it was reported--one-sidedly, thank you.
And that an apology needs to be issued to Alain.
But then, according to the prattlers who fed us the story, Raymond
firmly stands by his claims. So, inasmuch as we would not want to
be accused again of taking sides, we'll have to keep things as they
now stand--i.e., Raymond's word against Alain's. Fair enough for
everybody?

Regine Rages
Talk about living up to the "MTV Generation" tag.
Teen-star-on-the-rise Regine Tolentino is not only the newest Pinay
VJ for MTV Asia, she seems to be inhabiting, too, the fast-paced
world of the music videos she presents. Two weeks from now,
tapings for her own show will kick off, therefore taking her job
description a step higher from just being a mere presenter of music
videos. For the new show, she will be touring the Philippines with
her own staff and crew from MTV Asia.
Regine, if you haven't noticed, is also the luckiest of the girls from
the Star Circle Batch 1. And the most favored, too, what with
ABS-CBN even hosting her a special press conference after hearing
of the news that Regine triumphed in her MTV auditions. Regine is
juggling not just one, not two, but three ABS-CBN shows these
days--Palibhasa Lalake and the Star Network's two new boob tube
babies, Super Laff-in and Midnight Madness.

If You Can't Beat 'Em... Join 'em!
This seems to be the principle that has steered the latest
programming shake-up at GMA-7, which is set to join the Mexican
telenovela bandwagon very soon. As soon as next Monday,
November 11, in fact, when the network premieres Agujetas de
Color de Rosa, dubbed as "the first youth-adult musical
telenovela"--what exactly that means we all will find out on
Monday--on the hotly-contested 7 to 7:30 p.m. time slot.
Yup, GMA, the network that has taken pride in its fierce resistance
to the Mexican invasion, has fallen from its former hardy stance.
Anyway, here's more about Agujetas. It takes its title from the pink
shoelaces on the ice skates of principal character paola Almendares, a
pretty 18-year-old whose greatest passion is ice skating (now, ain't
that a surprise?). Wow, finally a telenovela version of Ice Castles
(remember that hit love-story-on-ice movie from the early '70s.)
Now, if you will indulge us in some prognostication, we feel that
this new show will make it real big. Of course, we're basing that
solely on the great potential we see in its lead star, Natalie Esperon,
to become another darling. Just peruse her photo fixed somewhere
on this spread. Isn't she lovely? Why, if you'll indulge us some more,
we'd say she's far prettier and more charming than Thalia, don't you
think?