December 12, 2024 | 12:00am
After six decades (and counting) in the biz, Vilma Santos practices quality control in the movies she puts her full emotional investment into.
So you can be sure that her Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Uninvited” is not mediocre at all. The gripping thriller-drama from Mentorque Productions is also topbilled by Nadine Lustre and Aga Muhlach. Helmed by Dan Villegas, its trailer alone is already award-worthy. Guilly Vega’s (Aga) ominous line in the teaser — “hindi lang ito basta party” — emphasizes the film’s deeper themes. Behind the mysterious story and lavish setting lies a thought-provoking message: Till death do them PARTY or till death do them PART?
Pops Fernandez has ticked off another item on her bucket list, launching her own make-up line, Pick Cosmetics, in partnership with VIVA Beauty.
Here are quotes from Ate Vi:
“A party I would like to gatecrash as an uninvited guest is one that’s thrown by Richard Gere. I will muster enough guts and tell him that it’s been my longtime dream to do a movie with him.
“The character I portray Eva is consumed by anger. In real life, what makes me angry is when people don’t deliver what they promised.
“There was a scene where direk Dan asked me to do three kinds of reactions at the same time. Kumbaga sa kape, 3-in-1. It was tough but with direk’s guidance I was able to pull it off.
“I’ve worked with Aga before but this time around, he’s a totally different actor. His depth and range blew me away.
“I don’t mind redoing a scene if it’s necessary. But as much as possible, gusto ko ‘Take One’ parati. Kasi yung unang buga, yun ang galing sa puso. When you do several takes, it becomes mechanical. Para ka ng robot.
“I refuse to feel pressured to bag the Best Actress award again after winning it in last year’s MMFF.
“If I would plan a dream dinner, the five guests I will invite are my crush Richard Gere, my idol and peg Meryl Streep, Mother Teresa, a janitor and a teacher.
“I will ask Richard out on a date (laughs). I will ask Meryl her tips on longevity and how she maintains the respect of her audience to this day. I want to know how a janitor makes ends meet. And since may ‘dugo’ ako na teacher kaya I don’t get tired of explaining things, I want to salute the teacher. We all were shaped by our teachers.
“Even if Ralph is 10 years younger than me, our age gap has a positive effect on us. His youthful energy rubs off on me. I pass on my ‘old school’ values to him.
“After 40 years of being together, we have learned how to forgive each other when we fight. We just focus on our blessings to remind us that it’s a waste of time and energy to dwell on misunderstandings. Where your partner excels, you must support him/her. It’s not a competition, it’s teamwork.”
After Ate Vi turned a year fiercer last month, what better way to welcome a new year in her charmed life than by having three books to be published as a fitting tribute to the Star for all Seasons. The good news was announced by Professor Augusto Aguila at the talk-back session of the Vilma Santos Film Retrospective held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
The first book Vilma Santos: Icon, Cinema, Culture, Society is an in-depth analysis of the works of Ate Vi. It features 90 articles by authors with master’s and doctorate degrees. The second is a glossy coffee-table book written by Aguila and Lito Zulueta. The third book catalogs all of Vilma’s films from the start of her career when she was a nine-year-old kid in 1963.
“It’s surreal to hear about this project of UST Publishing House. I am so grateful,” Ate Vi beamed. “They are experts so I know they are not doing it just for the sake of releasing books. I have complete faith in them. I’m sure the three books will be worth-reading.”
Even if you are not a hardcore Vilmanian, as a true-blooded Pinoy, it’s a must to know our national treasure, Vilma Santos, like a book.
My friend from way back, Pops Fernandez, ticked off another item on her bucket list. She launched her own make-up line, Pick Cosmetics, in partnership with VIVA Beauty. For starters, they came up with three kinds of lippies — Posh, Playful and Popular — in time for the holiday season (available on Lazada, Shoppee and TikTok).
“I’m all for self-love. We are all beautiful in our own way,” said Pops. “When women need a little pick-me-up on their down days, they should try Pick lippies. Gotta look good even when you feel bad.”
As a certified “Kikay Girl” and fashionista, Pops guarantees that you can bloom amid the gloom with Pick cosmetics.
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