Animax animates the ‘Laminated Woman’

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

LaMB premieres 8 p.m. tonight. It is the first multi-platform, multi-disciplinary, and multi-media production for online, mobile and television produced by Animax.

This $6-million animated film, the biggest Animax original production, is also the channel’s first production in High Definition to be broadcast across several countries. The story is inspired by the script submitted by Filipino amateur writer Carmelo Juinio to the Animax Awards 2007 pan-Asia scriptwriting contest.

Juinio’s entry entitled Laminated Woman: To the Sand Planet Cerra, won in the Philippine leg of the competition and was sent to the regional competition in Japan where it won second prize.

“I lost in the finals in Japan. I massively missed on the fact that I do not have a strong child character in the script. I think all animés should have a strong child character even if it is just a sidekick. Most animés are really about kids,” Carmelo Junio told us before the special screening of the full-length animated movie.

Laminated Woman lost out to the competition winner Takane’s Bike written by Hayato Takamaga from Japan.

According to Animax, Juinio’s script impressed Japanese industry experts with its dark beauty and soulful depth, and was accorded a Special Award recognition for his amazing talent. Handpicked from over 3,000 entries across Asia, LaMB is centered on the life of a woman in a laminated suit.

“Japanese people have a peculiar way of shortening long words. So from laminated, they made it lamb,” the amateur writer said explaining how the title became LaMB from the original “Laminated Woman,” adding also that lamination is a system of virtual slavery that punishes convicts yet still makes them productive members of the society.

The writer’s meme

LaMB revolves around the story of two protagonists named Eve, a laminated woman or simply a LaMB, and Jack, a scientist who is on a mission to turn the unforgiving landscape of planet Cerra green.

“The real-life inspiration would be two people sitting in the same room, probably colleagues at work, they’re seated right across each other but they don’t communicate. It is the same thing here, but it is more extreme,” Juinio conveyed.

He added that a laminated person can barely speak nor make his own decisions. So the two protagonists are practically in the same room but they are not communicating until they discover something which is very Filipino, a communication tool which is equivalent to text messaging.

“My ideas are accidental; it’s opportunistic in the sense that for example the dinosaurs became extinct and the little furry creatures at that time evolved into large mammals and eventually into us, humans. So I guess it’s opportunism in a grand scale, mine is opportunism in a smaller scale,” the writer related.

Juinio seemed awestricken seeing the animated film for the very first time. He believes that there were changes made in the script to adapt the story to other Asian audiences.

“I tried to control my emotional level because it’s bad for the health, it causes ulcer and all, you know. My excitement is actually gradual; it’s like gradually a rising hill. I’m not overly excited,” Juinio said before the screening.

Juinio, who proclaimed himself as a professional bum (a creative bum that is), said that the idea of the story has been with him all along. Something came to him at the turn of the century but it was only when the contest came around that he took opportunity to evolve the idea into something concrete.

“It came about through evolution, it was a very germ of an idea, I can’t remember what precisely it was but it was a very simple idea like a song in the night, I have this vision of two people holding hands and not touching,” Juinio concluded.

LaMB will have special encores on March 25 to 29 for the Part 1, and Part 2 will be broadcast on March 30. The animated movie also features French-Canadian band Simple Plan and the American band The Click Five. Both bands produced songs that serve as title tracks of the movie. Meanwhile, Hong Kong actress Josie Ho and Taiwan’s heartthrob Van Ness Wu are also part of the animated movie as voice actors of the main characters, Eve and Jack.

Richard Gutierrez relives the Legend of Zorro

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

This year’s most anticipated and ambitious program to be produced on primetime television is the first and official localized version of the story of a fictional character created in the early 20th century.

Zorro, GMA Network’s latest addition to its strong Telebabad block, will be headlined by Richard Gutierrez playing the role of Antonio Pelaez, a nobleman and master swordsman living in the Spanish colonial era.

Gutierrez is set to charm three of the television’s hottest and equally talented young actresses: Rhian Ramos as Lolita, the ladylove of Zorro; Bianca King as Cara; and Michelle Madrigal as Juana.

According to GMA vice president for entertainment Wilma Galvante, this world-class series is shot entirely in the picturesque and Spanish-inspired location in Bagac, Bataan. She added that viewers will have a visual trip into the past with the presence of grand old-style houses, cobblestones pathways and fortifications. The scenes that feature gypsies, carnivals, circus actors, courtesans and pirates are few of the main attractions that will give the series an authentic Spanish-era feel.

Directed by distinguished directors who have helmed numerous top-rating programs in GMA: Mark Reyes, the man behind successful series Encantadia and Codename: Asero; and Dominic Zapata, the virtuoso director whose projects include Mulawin and Captain Barbell, are out to transform the Legend of Zorro into a moving tale that will captivate local audience starting today.

The masked hero

At the grand launch of the series, which was indeed a grandiose event, Richard entered the newly built state-of-the-art Studio 7 of GMA hovering across the venue through a harness connected to a cable. He then gave the entertainment press a peek of what kind of action viewers can expect from the action-packed made-for-television program.

“Our main goal is not to surpass what the original Zorro did. We just want him to look like a Pinoy. With the help and cooperation of the whole team, I think we are on the right track,” Richard related when he was flanked by the press.

Richard will be seen carrying a long, slender, two-edged sword throughout the series, as he reprises the role of the masked hero.

According to the actor, although he knows how to ride a horse, he had to undergo training in horseback riding to prepare for the role. Just like the whole cast, he also had Spanish lessons to prepare his tongue in pronouncing foreign words included in the script. As part of the preparation, the actor even studied fencing that primed him for difficult skirmishing stunts.

The blazing ‘Z’ mark

The original Zorro is famous for branding his tyrants on the chest with a blazing “Z” mark. Will this new series make another mark to GMA’s primetime block?

Zorro is Richard’s seventh collaboration with the station after Mulawin, Sugo, Captain Barbell, Lupin, Kamandag, and Codename: Asero. All of these top-rating programs gave Richard the moniker “Primetime King.” Aside from the established connection the actor has made with the loyal Kapuso viewers, the series’ powerhouse cast is also one of the program’s main attractions.

The star-studded cast are Eddie Gutirrez as Governor Luis Argon, Mark Gil as Capt. Horacio Pelaez, TJ Trinidad as Ramon Pelaez, Jomari Yllana as Diego dela Vega, Sandy Andolong as Maria, Pinky Marquez as Doña Catalina Pulido, Leo Martinez as Don Carlos Pulido, Bobby Andrews as Sgt. Pedro Gonzales, Ricky Davao as Padre Felipe, Sheena Halili as Lena, Bubbles Paraiso as Magda, Maureen Larazabal as Bella, Robert Villar as Pepe, Antonio Aquitania as Bernardo, Elvis Gutierrez as Silverio, Epi Quizon as Shishong, Bodie Cruz as Agustin Manalo, Paloma as Paquita, Shiela Marie as Liza, and Gloria Sevilla as Nana Zita.

The program that also boasts lavish production design and exceptional visual effects tells a story of a skilled horseman who becomes the champion of the masses. Abandoned by his courtesan mother (Marcela, to be played by Lani Meracdo) at a young age, Antonio (Richard Gutierrez) was raised under the care of the well-off haciendero Don Roberto Pelaez (Joel Torre) and his wife Doña Chiquita (Jacklyn Jose).

Amidst being raised by an affluent family, Antonio builds close ties with the commoners called Indios and empathizes with their plight. The romance, on the other hand, starts when Antonio meets the hardheaded Lolita (Rhian Ramos), during his search for his mother.

“I’m excited about this. Even though I didn’t audition, I’m still happy that I got the part,” Rhian revealed. “I’m so happy to be with a leading man I’m comfortable working with.”

The young actress said that because of her busy schedule during the casting of the series, she wasn’t able to audition for the plum role, but it was anyway her intention to be part of the much awaited series. Zorro is the third onscreen tandem of Rhian and Richard after Captain Barbell and Lupin.

Rock band restarts journey with Arnel Pineda

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

Our old pals can still rock, and the inclusion of Filipino rocker Arnel Pineda provided new energy to the band that has been entertaining fans across the globe for more than three decades now.

Last Saturday at exactly 8:30 p.m., rock aficionados had a dynamic auditory and visual experience. It’s a kind of concert that some Filipinos have been missing all these years because it was the Journey’s first-ever concert in the country. The Philippine concert was also the band’s first pit stop in Asia to promote the new album Revelation.

Before the band hit the stage, there was an announcement that the concert is being filmed for a special DVD. The cooperation of 20,000 people was needed to show how the band was received in the hometown of its new lead vocalist.

Right after the announcement, the band composed of Neal Schon (guitars), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), Ross Valory (bass), Deen Castronovo (drums), and Pineda immediately started the show with the upbeat “Never Walk Away.” Pineda moved like a torpedo on the concert platform as if he was trying to familiarize himself with the stage while belting “Only The Young.”

The opening salvo and the succeeding few songs were ripped from the band’s latest album. Indeed, the concert served as a launch pad to introduce the band’s latest offering that features Pineda as its new vocalist. Pineda had crowd stand up with the rock ballad “After All These Years.” It was enough to keep the crowd standing in the succeeding numbers “Change For The Better and “Where Did I Lose Your Love.”

The spirit was high until the five-piece band performed the classic records “Ask The Lonely,” “Stone In Love,” and “Separate Ways.”

For not so avid followers of the band, some of the songs appeared to be unfamiliar. When Pineda went backstage and changed his outfit, the pint-size rocker dished hard rocking performance of hits the band is known for. As Pineda reappeared on the stage, majority of the audience stood up and sang along with him as he belted “Open Arms,” which was introduced by a genius play of the piano. Pineda furthered with “Faithfully” and dedicated the song to all the women present at the concert ground, including his wife.

Did the band live up to the expectation of the audience?

There was no element of surprise in the three-hour rock concert but it was long enough to squeeze in all the songs that the band wanted to share to its audience. Unfortunately, that was the very downside of the whole show. Not everybody who visited the Journey at the Mall of Asia concert ground was a die-hard supporter.

Although the band has established its sound and can brag about numerous hits tucked under its belt, most of its songs do have the same melody. If you would just close your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish if the band had started performing the next song. It was also noticeable that the band wanted to leave an impression that its musical talent is beyond outstanding. Every number was actually a showcase of each member’s musical flair. Most performances were prolonged to give way for the drummer to do a little exhibition and for the six-string master to do complicated guitar.

Majority of the concert attendees packed tightly onto the standing-only Silver and Bronze areas and the more affluent concertgoers with Gold and VIP tickets sat comfortably fronting the stage seeing the band in action. But these people seemed to have enough of the long performance that the encore appeared to be bland and people started moving to the exit not minding what Pineda would have to say.

One discernable showcase in the concert was the way technical staff played with the lights. The professional and creative lighting system excitingly transformed the stage and the whole venue in producing different visual treats. But the real spectacle in the concert was Pineda who has been fronting the band for two years now.

Pineda, who frequently shouted “Proud to be Pinoy” and waved small Philippine flag throughout the concert, earned some loud cheers from the audiences, which did not just include his countrymen because there were ample numbers of expatriates among the crowd.

If people would ask if Pineda sounded like Steve Perry (Journey’s best-known lead vocalist), the answer is yes. In fact, his genuine energy was outshined by the similarity of vocals to Perry’s.

Final set throws fans into hysterical frenzy

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

It’s around 10:30 in the evening, what emotion would you feel if the iconic “Ang Huling El Bimbo” was being performed by the greatest local band, and you were in the middle of one hundred thousand people who are practically singing the song through their hearts, and the sky was just perfectly lit up by magnificent fireworks display?

To Eraserheads fans, and to anyone who would have the firsthand experience of it, the feeling would be a surreal mix of emotions, if not a four-minute escape from reality.

On March 7, as early as 3 p.m., the E-heads fans (the generation of Pinoy Rock lovers who are generally in the age group of early 20s and early 30s) queued up at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds to watch the landmark concert, The Final Set.

The critically acclaimed quartet of Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, and Marcus Adoro was back onstage to follow-up the last year’s concert that was prematurely cut-off due to Buendia’s health condition.

When the sun went down on the horizon of Manila Bay, the production staff started testing the lighting system on the stage; the entire setup was as high as a seven-story building. It was a trip down memory lane when an audiovisual presentation of one of the country’s most important rock bands was shown on widescreen monitors and video walls, four of them were suspended more than 20 feet above the stage.

The AVP showcased old videos and interviews of the band. It was immediately followed by a countdown that started with the letter Z and ended with the letter E. As the last letter flashed on video walls, the Eraserheads made a grand entrance to play the first song of the night, “Magasin,” which was complemented by fireworks that briefly gushed around the stage.

The first set saw the band’s performance of the songs “Walang Nagbago,” “Maling Akala,” “Maskara,” “Poor Man’s Grave,” “Waiting for the Bus,” “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong” (with Marcus giving it a reggae twist), “Slow/Slo Mo,” “Alkohol,” “Insomia,” and “Torpedo.”

A 25-minute break gave the fans a new feeling of great anticipation waiting for the E-heads to dish out another set of songs that give definition to what 90s OPM rock is all about.

More relaxed and more connected with the mammoth audience, the four music geniuses went back onstage for the second set doing the acoustic versions of their international hit “Julie Tearjerky.” Even though it was an open-air venue, the sound system neatly fit the acoustic versions of the other hits like “Tikman,” “Wishing Wells,” “Fine Time,” “Pare Ko,” and “Kailan.” They went rocking again by reliving the other colossal hits “Back2Me,” “Trip To Jerusalem,” “Spolarium,” and “Overdrive.”

Tribute to Francis M.

The Eraserheads paid tribute to Philippine rap icon Francis Magalona, who died a day before the event of multiple organ failure due to leukemia. The Master Rapper was scheduled to appear as a special guest at the concert and since the demise of the rapper made a big impact across the local music world, the band instead dedicated the concert to the late musician.

November last year, Ely and Francis decided to do a collaboration by coming up with an album called The Sickos Project. The idea came about when both musicians were confined at the hospital with Ely recuperating from a heart surgery and Francis under treatment due to the illness that recently claimed his life. The slated appearance of Francis at the concert is said to be in line with the promotion of the album.

It was during the encore when Ely said, “Sumigaw tayo para kay Francis,” and played the song “Superproxy” ripped from the band’s third and best-selling album, Cutterpillow. It was followed by the performance of “Alapaap.” The band ended the song with “Kaleidoscope World” with its more recognizable lyric.

The final set

The encore witnessed the euphoric performance of “Ang Huling El Bimbo.” The song was accompanied by a genius play of lighting and a boastful surge of gold confetti complemented further by fireworks display. It was a four-minute emotion-filled finale where Ely had to burn the piano they used to render the anthemic ditty; it was the same piano that appeared on the CD cover of Sticker Happy, the band’s fifth album. He even smashed the musical instrument to complete the fiery stunt.

“Group hug, group hug,” yelled the one-tenth of a million number of audience asking the band to give each other an embrace.

Instead of giving its fans the last treat, the quartet just put their arms across each other’s shoulders, bowed, and bade goodbye. And as the exit areas were clogged by people who thought the show was over, Raimund Marasigan went back onstage and asked the audience, “Gusto n’yo pa?”

Raimund said for the last time, “Hindi ’to kasama sa Set List ah,” and Ely followed with “Here’s three for the road.”

As part of the (second) encore, the quartet gave its audience the final treat for the night singing the songs “Ligaya,” “Sem Break,” and the catchy and nostalgic “Toyang.”

The Eraserheads staged a milestone concert, and yes, Edsa was congested three hours even after the concert. Indeed, it is safe to say that The Final Set was the concert of the year. It attracted a number of audiences who were gathered by the same fascination and admiration for the band that made an indelible mark in the history of Pinoy Music.

The performance of the band itself was already predictable, but seeing the members together for the last time made all the difference. The songs played at the concert, and the way the crowd reacted and religiously sang along with them, greatly defined the influence of the Eraserheads’ music, not to mention its successful attempt to bridge the generation gap in musical taste.

Saying ‘I do’ for the nest egg

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

We were invited to an event that launched ETC Entertainment Central’s newest program, Here Come the Newlyweds. Bonifacio High Street was an apt location for a launch that was attended by chatty disc jockeys from top FM radio stations and some energetic and young scribes from magazines and dailies.

Right smack in the middle of the posh location, ETC set up a huge projection monitor and a couple of LCD screen monitors around the venue. While having sumptuous dinner, the program’s first episode was shown on the screens.

The first installment of the 12-episode show (the US version was actually six episodes and ETC decided to divide each episode into two) introduced seven just-married couples. The fresh-from-the-altar couples are diverse, sexy and competitive, including such pairings as high school sweethearts, couples who fell in love at first sight, an arranged marriage, an interracial couple, and two divorcees who are hoping the fourth time is the charm.

As the seven couples met for the first time, each husband was blindfolded and was asked to choose which kiss belongs to his wife. A sex therapist also gave the couples some interesting advice.

All of us had a hard laugh and some didn’t even mind to stand up from their seats to queue at the buffet table because of the show’s interesting kick-starter. The couples, in the episode entitled My Wife the Backseat Driver, were asked to maneuver, drive, and properly park a car, the husbands were blindfolded and the wives were in the passenger seat giving the instruction (imagine motorists doing that on Edsa).

Because couples can’t live on love alone, the couple that earned immunity on the first task took the money offered by the host, Canadian writer and comedian Pat Bullard. Amidst the couple’s willingness to stay in the reality competition, they were subsequently voted off.

Every other week (make it each week for the original version), one couple will be sent home after every competition. Every challenge requires the couples to compete for a nest egg worth hundreds of thousands of dollars by accomplishing a variety of mental and physical challenges together. The idea is to test their love and passion for one another while completing the tasks, which are not so far from the challenges they encounter in real life.

After watching the first episode, we were asked to go back to our designated tables, and then the host of the evening, Karen Pamintuan, told everyone that the program is not yet over. It was our turn now to have a dip on the exhilarating experience the newlyweds had by joining our assigned team to race and go for egg hunting with a twist. Though we had just finished dinner, we agreed to go for the challenge.

There were seven pit stops, where we had to accomplish a task to get one egg that contained another direction that led us to another pit stop. The challenge tested our endurance as we ran from Rox to Fully Booked, then to The Spa, to Topshop, VMV, and practically around Bonifacio High Street before finally getting to the final pit stop, Coffee Bean. The winning team’s four members each received an egg that contains a three-day vacation package for two in Boracay. The other six non-winning teams didn’t go home empty-handed for they were given gift packs that were quite good enough for a consolation.

When the game was over, some of us quipped that if the Here Come the Newlyweds will showcase the same adrenaline rush we had, the show must be good and an exciting one to watch out for.

Catch the show on ETC every Friday at 8 p.m.; ETC is available on SBN 21, SkyCable channel 16, Destiny Cable channel 30, and CableLink 48.