Kubrador (The Bet Collector)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Title: Kubrador
Year: 2006
Cover:
Synopsis:
An ordinary meaningless existence can suddenly be challenged by the perplexing game of life, luck and death.
Amelita or Amy is an aging jueteng kubrador (bet collector). Despite the regular crackdown on the illegal numbers game, she clings to the job she has known for more than 20 years. She walks around the poverty-stricken squatter’s neighborhood collecting bets from her regular patrons everyday. Her husband Eli, who is equally aging, can only manage to help by manning their small sari-sari (variety store). Amy’s grown up children have all left home. Her eldest daughter Mona works as a domestic helper abroad. Her second daughter, Juvy, who is always pregnant, lives with her in-laws. Amy’s youngest son, Eric, a young soldier, recently died on combat duty in Mindanao.
While collecting bets three days before All Saints day, Amy is apprehended by a police officer. She joins the other kubradors in the police station until their kabo (handler) bails them out.
The following morning, Amy returns to the streets and continues her clandestined activity. She meets the parish priest, who informs her of a young neighbor’s sudden death from an accident. The priest asks her to collect abuloy (donations) from neighbors and friends.
When Amy remits her afternoon jueteng collection to her kabo, she finds him sick at home. He then asks her to attend the next jueteng draw on his behalf, Amy being a trusted ally of the jueteng network for a long time.
Amy and the other kabos await the arrival of the table manager (supervisor) of the draw in a secluded location. But when the table manager arrives, he announces that the draw is cancelled and informs everyone the winning numbers from the jueteng financier.
When Amy goes home that night, her husband Eli tells her the bad news. He failed to hand over a bet from a neighbor whose numbers, to Amy’s surprise, won the rigged draw. Pissed off, she has no choice but to go to her kabo and borrow money in order to pay out the neighbor. That night, the neighbors have lighted candles in front of their houses to welcome the feast of All Saints Day the next morning.
A mammoth crowd greets Amy and her family as they approach the cemetery. At Eric’s grave they see Glenda, Eric’s girlfriend, offering flowers and prayers for her dead boyfriend. Still pissed off with Eli, Amy leaves and wanders around the cemetery to cool off. Suddenly she hears a commotion. Two vehicles figured in a collision. The two drivers engage in a heated argument until one of them pulls out a gun and fires a shot. The bullet goes pass Amy and hits a teenage boy behind her. Amy shouts for help. Police arrive and arrest the suspect. Other bystanders help load the bloodied body of the boy in a vehicle. Still in a state of shock, Amy follows gaze as the vehicle speeds away from the crime scene.
Cast:
Gina Pareno
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Posted by rgomez at 5:31 PM 0 comments
Tanging Yaman
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Title: Tanging Yaman
Year: 2000
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Synopsis:
Three siblings are now well settled with their respective families, in widely contrasting lifestyles. The one common thing that binds them loosely together is the love that their mother holds for all of them and her grandchildren, albeit expressed in varying ways and degrees, but always equally nurturing and self-giving. Much as they are held together by her, they are in turn separated by physical distance and the sad legacy left behind by their deceased, erstwhile strong-willed, patriarchal father.
Long suppressed pains and resentments unravel as the three siblings argue over the prospect of selling a vast track of land left behind by the patriarch. The process also brings to surface the hurts between parents and children, a likely spectacle of the "sins of the father visiting upon the children", threatening to spill over to the third generation.
What stuff each one is made of faces its true test when the family matriarch, in an act richly resonant with ritual Christian self-offering, yields her whole being to the God of Providence and succumbs to a debilitating disease. Do her beloved children unite, or do the frayed relationships finally break up?
The family saga is a stark and poignant dramatization of provincial values vs. urban survival instincts precariously held in the balance by the abiding love, hope, and faith against the gnawing disease of the spirit brought by cynicism, materialism, and an unforgiving heart.
Cast:
* Gloria Romero
* Hilda Koronel
* Dina Bonnevie
* Edu Manzano
* Johnny Delgado
* Marvin Agustin
* Carol Banawa
* Shaina Magdayao
* Jiro Manio
* Janet McBride
* Dominic Ochoa
* Cherry Pie Picache
* John Prats
* C.J. Ramos
* Jericho Rosales
* Joel Torre
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Posted by rgomez at 11:12 PM 0 comments
Inang Yaya
Title: Inang Yaya
Year: 2006
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Synopsis:
Norma (played by Maricel Soriano) straddles between two worlds as mother and nanny yo Louise. When Norma takes Ruby to the City to live with with Louise's Family, the two girls striggle to share the woman they both fiercely love.
Everyday is balancing act for Norma as she deals with her demading ward and her headstrong daughter; a generous employer and her opinioanated mother in law; the desire for a good life and the need to survive. Veering away from the stereotypical melodrama, Inang Yaya portrays the filipino nanny with veracity and shows both her strengths and vulnerability. The film imparts valuable lessons, and inspires the audience to stand for the difficult choices one has make in life.
Cast:
Maricel Soriano
Sunshine Cruz
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Posted by rgomez at 11:03 PM 0 comments
Anak
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Title: Anak
Year: 2000
Cover:
Synopsis:
This is the story of a mother's agony and her desperate attempt to piece back the broken fragments of her shattered family.
Josie (Vilma Santos) return to Manila after working as a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong for ten years. Her beloved husband, Rudy (Joel Torre), who died five years ago, was good-natured, loving and kind but was not a good provider. She was forced out of financial need to go abroad and slave under abusive emploers in order to rpovide a better life for the family.
But her happy expectation of a joyful reunion with her beloved children is dashed to peices when she finds that her absence, her family has fallen apart: her first-born, Carla (Claudine Barretto), has run loose and wild for lack of guidance; her son, Michael (Baron Geisler), is in deep trouble in school; and her youngest, Daday (Sheila Junsay), doesn't even know who she is.
Josie is a stranger to her own family. She tries to maintain a happy and cheerful exterior while desperately trying to reach out to her children but they continue to repel her tender appeals. Ironically, it is Daday, her youngest who grew up without knowing her, who first opens her own heart and embraces her into the family.
Unknown to Josie, her two elder children harbor a deep and painful resentment toward her. In their minds, their mother does not care for them. She had left for abroad even when they cried and begged her not to, and she did not even bother to come home to be with them for their father's funeral.
But Carla and Michael do not know their mother's side of the story. Josie was devastated upon hearing of Rudy's death but she had been unable to go home because her employers cruelly kept her locked inside the house. And she had endured another five years of hard labor knowing that her family would need money then, more than ever.
Josie's problem, despite all her desperate efforts, become worse and worse. She loses all of her savings in a failed business venture, Michael is kicked out of school, and worst of all, Carla becomes pregnant by one of her many lovers. Josie is horrible aggrieved when Carla, in a fit of helpless fury, throws at Josie's face all her years of pent-up anger and resentment. She blames Josie for the aimless, ruined life. Josie was never here to give her love, she says, that is why she seeks it in the arms of men.
Finally, Josie admits defeat. She has failed bitterly in her role as a mother. What is the right thing for her to do? Should she stay or should she go? Will she have the courage to try to reclaim her family, or will she take the easier way out and return to her familiar life in Hong Kong?
Cast:
Vilma Santos
Claudine Barreto
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Posted by rgomez at 5:16 PM 0 comments
Dubai
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Title: Dubai
Year: 2005
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Synopsis:
Raffy and Andrew were orphaned as kids and had only each other to depend on. Raffy has spent the last nine years of his life working in Dubai. His ultimate goal is to fulfill a lifelong dream: to eventually move to Canada with his younger brother, Andrew. The Alvarez brothers are finally united when Andrew goes to Dubai.
in Dubai, Andrew meets Faye, one of Raffy's many girlfriends. They hit it off well in spite of their age difference. She becomes his guide, comfort and lover. Seeing the two together, Raffy realizes that he still and really loves Faye. When Andrew discovers that Raffy still loves Faye, conflict srises between the brothers, almost severing the ties that bind them. In the end, what they choose and achieve are not as planned. But their experiences in Dubai lead to new beginning in their lives.
Cast:
Aga Muhlach
Claudine Barreto
John Lloyd
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Posted by rgomez at 1:46 PM 0 comments
All My Life
Title: All My Life
Year: 2004
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Synopsis:
Sam and Louie meet aboard the Star Cruise. Despite being strangers and complete opposites, with Sam (Aga Muhlach) being carefree and Louie (Kristine Hermosa) being obsessive-compulsive, they become unlikely acquaintances and eventually friends. Both pained on carrying life's baggage before they took the cruise, Sam and Louie will never be the same person again after. For once in Louie's rigid life, she is living for the moment and Sam lets his free spirit enjoy the ride.
But once back to their usual lives, feat sets in. Louie is still healing from a traumatic love relationship, while Sam is still in denial that he fell in love. Fate brings them back together again and this time, it's as if nothing can hold back what their hearts yearn for. Together, they will thread the path of uncertainty and in the end prove to themselves that indeed, the true essence of living is loving.
Cast:
Aga Muhlach
Kristine Hermosa
Angel Jacob
Bernard Palanca
Ces Quesada
Dimples Romana
Ricky Davao
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Posted by rgomez at 11:17 AM 0 comments
Muling Buksan Ang Puso
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Title: Muling Buksan Ang Puso
Year: 1985
Cover:
To be updated.
Synopsis:
Jim(Dindo Fernando) is a doctor and Cristy(Vilma Santos) is his nurse. Good looking and successful, Jim finds himself an ardent admirer of Cristy. But Cristy is not ordinary -she's daring and defiant. She'll do whatever it takes to win him, even if he's very much married. Cristy's persistence and Jim's longing for a child leads to an illicit relationship. But too much love suffocates and covetousness can breed hate...
Cast:
Vilma Santos
Dindo Fernando
Lorna Tolentino
Coney Reyes
Jimmy Melendez
Sandy Andolong
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Posted by rgomez at 11:51 PM 0 comments
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita
Title: Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita
Year: 1989
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Synopsis:
Salve is a sweet girl, the kind who would wait hand and foot for her husband. But she lacks the qualities Alfred is looking for in a wife. He wants a woman who can be his business partner, who can help him meet his goals, provide support and whom he can show off proudly to his friends and business associates. Alfred meets such a woman in Via, who becomes his business partner and later his lover. Together, they plot to eliminate Salve. Rod, a rich man, who takes pity on the likes of Salve because he was once a victim of injustice, promises to help her get her hands on Alfred and Via. Together, Salve and Rod plot their moves too.
Cast:
Sharon Cuneta
Christopher De Leon
Hilda Koronel
Bembol Roco
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Posted by rgomez at 11:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: 1989, Action, Drama, Thriller
Kailangan Kita
Friday, March 14, 2008
Title: Kailangan Kita
Year: 2002
Cover:
Summary
New York-based celebrity chef Carl Diesta (Aga Muhlach) is coming home to the Philippines after many years to marry his fiance, supermodel Chrissy Duran, in her hometown of Albay province. Chrissy still being held up somewhere in Europe for a photo shoot, Carl has to meet her family by himself.
Amidst the frenetic pace of the wedding preparation, Carl has come to realize that while Chrissy may be the "face" of the image-conscious Durans, Lena (Claudine Barretto), Chrissy's other sister is the "guts" of the household.
The brief homecoming became a period of awakening for Carl, for Lena not only opened his mind to true character, she likewise led his heart to true love. Will Lena forego her personal happiness to keep her family from falling apart? Will Carl fight for his love for Lena? Will there be a wedding at all?
Cast:
Aga Muhlach
Claudine Barreto
Johnny Delgado
Liza Lorena
Cris Villanueva
Cholo Escano
Gerald Madrid
Nikki Judalena
Igi Boy Flores
Ces Quesada
Mads Nicolas
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Posted by rgomez at 12:05 AM 0 comments
Ouija
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Title: Ouija
Year: 2007
Cover:
Summary
"Half-sisters Aileen and Romina, along with first cousins Ruth and Sandra, reunite in Camiguin to bury their grandmother. Accompanied by Sandra's friend, Lucy, the five girls dare to call on the spirits of the dead when they find their old Ouija board from when they were kids. The Ouija board is burned by accident before they are able to finish the ritual, trapping a murderous entity around them.
As they begin to realize the terror that they have brought upon themselves, Aileen and Romina's hostile relationship becomes even more strained, while Lucy's sanity brings a heavy burden on Sandra, and Ruth's boyfriend, Gino, is unknowingly pulled into the danger and horror that await all of them. Confronted by imminent death, the girls have nowhere to go unless they can identify the spirit and find out where it is buried. It is only by leading the spirit to its burial ground that they will able to release it from the Ouija board and survive its fatal hauntings.
This blockbuster film has been rated ""A"" by the Cinema Evaluation Board and is directed by Topel Lee who gained praise on his Yaya segment of Shake, Rattle & Roll 8."
Cast:
Desiree Del
Iza Calzado
J.C. de
Jackie Lou
Jolina Magdangal
Judy Ann
Perla Bautista
Rhian Ramos
Ryan Agoncillo
Valerie Concepcion
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Posted by rgomez at 11:31 PM 0 comments
Sinasamba Kita
Title: Sinasamba Kita
Year: 1982
Cover
Summary
They are half-sisters, connected by blood. But to Divina(Vilma Santos), Nora(Lorna Tolentino) is just her late father's illegitimate daughter. Yet, despite the harsh treatment she gets, Nora remains awestruck and continues to adulate her strong-willed older sister. But even the meekest of people can only bear so much. Nora leaves the comfort of home to find her own place under the sun, and in due time, she and Divina are to meet again to settle the score once and for all.
Cast:
Vilma Santos
Christopher de Leon
Lorna Tolentino
Phillip Salvador
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Posted by rgomez at 2:49 PM 0 comments
Sana Maulit Muli
Title: Sana Maulit Muli
Year: 1995
Cover
Synopsis
Will love stand the test of time and distance?
Agnes and Jerry find their love put to the test when Agnes is petitioned by her mother to join her in the States. She constantly calls Jerry for companionship but the latter has been busy prioritizing his work. Parallel events lead them to lose touch.
They meet again after a year. Jerry is surprised however that a different Agnes welcomes him. She's now a confident and successful real estate dealer-- a complete opposite of who she once was.
Jerry professes his love for Agnes and decides to give up everything for love this time.
But being a second-class citizen is not for him. He must regain his self-respect before he can build his life with the woman he loves.
Sana Maulit Muli is a very real love story that will surely tug at your heart strings.
Cast:
Aga Muhlach
Leah Salonga
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Posted by rgomez at 2:41 PM 0 comments
Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan Ang Nakaraan
Title: Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan Ang Nakaraan
Year: 1984
Cover:
Synopsis
A heart rendering drama of love - resisted and revived. Rod leaves Helen for his career and she falls in love with another. Rod becomes successful and goes back to Helen who obviously still feels strongly for him. An illicit affair ensues. And the resulting conflict revolving around three of the Philippines' most awarded stars makes this movie one of the most remembered love stories. From the powerful pen of Racquel Villavicencio and the dynamic direction of Marilou Diaz-Abaya.
Cast:
Christopher de Leon
Vilma Santos
Eddie Garcia
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Posted by rgomez at 2:13 PM 0 comments
Pitong Dalagita
Title:Pitong Dalagita
Year: 2006
Cover:
Synopsis
What do girls in between being a teen and full-grown adults do in those awkward years?
On eventful Sunday morning, sever teenagers -- six girls and one boy, are found lying on the playground inside a public school with their wrists slashed. An investigation leads the guidance counselor to the dark secrets that these teenagers keep their personal desires, fears, insecurities, and self hatred.
Intriguingly, what starts as a simple love triangle leads to intertwined relationships of emotional interdependence, as the seven principal characters unravel their points of view on how events led to the final act of self-mutilation.
Cast:
Angelica Panganiban
Archie de
Cristine Reyes
Iwa Moto
J.R. Trinidad
Nadine Samonte
Valerie Concepcion
Yasmien Kurdi
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Posted by rgomez at 1:34 PM 0 comments