The Nineties Scream Queen Is Back !

Janice de Belen earned the title Scream Queen in the nineties for portrayal  several times in Shake Rattle and Roll films, and of course headlining the blockbuster Tiyanak, which gave birth to the popular phrase “anak ni Janice,” referring to her monster baby in the Peque Gallaga movie.

A generation of audiences have seen Janice grow up on national television, playing many roles. First as a child struggling to keep her parents together no matter the odds in the soap Flordeluna, and then years later, as a woman who would get her heart broken a few times in movies and in real life. Through it all, the public has always had an affinity with the actress, taking her side especially when she’s running from monsters and ghouls and whatnot. Today, after more than three decades in the limelight, audiences continue to be enamored by her—her honesty, her smarts, and her acting chops.

This October, audiences will once more hear her scream and battle the supernatural in the much-anticipated Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, as she plays the mother of Lovi Poe. 

“I am Lovi’s hysterical and judgmental mother!” she says. She forgot to say very protective, which she is in this movie about a group of aswangs that threaten the life of her pregnant daughter. 

“At first, hindi pa ako na-excite, maybe because I read the script on my iPad, and it felt different,” Janice says when asked about the film. 

“Then I got the hard copy and suddenly I was in. I have done a lot of horror and monster films in the past and it was a great idea to start doing them again.”

“I think it’s safe to say that I’m having a sort of second wind,” says Janice, who has just won Best Actress at the last Cinemalaya Film Festival, together with her three co-stars in Mga Mumunting Lihim. At 43, she is probably at her busiest: she hosts the Saturday talk show Showbiz Inside Report, is currently working on a primetime soap slated to premiere in October, and is one of the stars of the recent horror studio offering The Healing—together with no less than Vilma Santos. It might just as well be her second wind, or, she says, 

“Maybe the renewed passion for my craft just emanates from within.”

There was a time, she confesses, when she was content in just playing mom to her five kids. She was still married then, of course, to the actor John Estrada. But after their separation, she knew she needed to work again to support her children. She came back to television, but this time as a TV host. It was only in 2009 that she would go back to acting via the fantaserye Darna. When she moved to ABS-CBN in 2011, first appearing in the successful primetime drama Budoy as the adoptive mother of a special child played by Gerald Anderson, her star would continue to rise again.

After a couple of indie projects that included the 2011 hit Zombadings 1: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington, Janice will again be seen in the genre she continues to shine in: the suspense-horror-adventure. In Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, she is once more part of a colorful ensemble of actors, but this time working in a completely made-up set inside a green screen studio.

​Janice enjoyed working in a studio where an entire fictional town was built. “Controlled environment is the best condition to work in!” And she also enjoyed working with the director Erik Matti for the first time in a film. He has directed her before, but in TV commercials. “It was fun! Directors and actors really need to have a rapport for the work to turn out well. I think we did have that. He gave me the freehand to explore and play with my character, and it’s always nice to hear him say ‘Beautiful!’ or ‘Very good!’ after each take.”

​Despite her busy schedule, she still finds time to be a mom, of course, to her real life kids. She says nothing much has changed in her role as mother, even if her kids are all relatively grownups. “I don’t think much has changed. Nabawasan lang ng isa kasi married na si Luigi [her son by Aga Muhlach],” she says, before adding: “Ah, wait—I’m less hysterical now.” 

​She knew she was quite an OA mom before, much like the character she plays in Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, but for good reason. “I think all moms have that hysterical and judgmental streak—iba-iba lang ang pag-execute. We only want the best for our kids.” 

​Career and her children are easily Janice’s top priorities these days. Romance has taken a backseat. 

“I haven’t been lucky in that aspect of my life, so huwag na muna. Let it come when I am truly ready. Now is not the time.” 

Filipino-Thai Romantic Movie "Suddenly It's Magic"

"Suddenly It's Magic" is an upcoming Filipino-Thai romantic film 

starring Mario Maurer and Erich Gonzales. 

The story depicts of two crossed lovers Marcus Hanson (Mario Maurer) a Thai superstar and Joey Hermosa (Erich Gonzales), a Filipina baker. When Marcus decided to fly to Philippines to escape from his career, he meets Joey eventhough their worlds collide the two later fall in love with each other. Their relationship were tested by conflicts from their worlds.

Joey Hermosa (Erich Gonzales) and Marcus Hanson (Mario Maurer) only have two things in common. One: they live to make fairy-tale romances happen — Joey through her exquisite wedding cakes; Marcus through the numerous romantic comedies he stars in. Two: their own love stories do not have the fairy-tale happy endings — she was just recently dumped at the altar; he just discovered that his on-screen partner and real-life girlfriend had fallen in love with another man.

These two broken-hearted people will find love again when they least expect it. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a sweet ever after. Desperate to escape the media frenzy and the intrusive questions of the public about his love life and career, Marcus impulsively decides to go on vacation in the Philippines where he meets Joey who is determined to move forward with her life. Marcus finds himself drawn to Joey’s passion for baking, and rediscovers his love for acting. In love once again, he invites her to join him in Thailand. Joey refuses at first, but she eventually follows him to Bangkok and allows herself to fall in love again. But their love encounters opposition from Marcus’ fans who are desperate to see him reunite with his ex-girlfriend, and from his overprotective mother. Moreover, Joey’s responsibilities back home cause a strain in their relationship. Despite their love for each other, Joey and Marcus begin to question if their dreams are worth sacrificing for holiday romance suddenly turned serious.

Can Marcus and Joey’s fairytale romance survive life’s realities?

"Suddenly It's Magic" is directed by Rory Quintos. The film is produced by Star Cinema and will be released on October 31, 2012 in the Philippines. And it will be aired in Thailand later. 

Visit:
http://www.starcinema.com.ph
http://FB.com/StarCinema
http://Twitter.com/StarCinema

SUDDENLY IT'S MAGIC music video by Angeline Quinto & Erik Santos

I always thought I would be strong 

If I made it through the pain

Well, I'm in and out of love

And it all hurts just the same, oh yeah

Love can really change your life

There's something magic in my world tonight

I feel so free, 

It's like a fantasy

Havin' you next to me

Suddenly it's magic

One look, one touch

Once just don't say enough

When you fall in love

Suddenly, suddenly it's magic

I'm not afraid of letting go

I've got to find what's right for me

I'm not afraid to stand alone

If that's the way it has to be

After all that I've been through

There's magic when I'm near with you

We can dream our dreams forever

When I'm here with you

Baby, heaven's a heartbeat away

Now that we're together 

Love will last forever

There's magic in my life

With you, you!

For Dingdong Dantes, acting means waiting for the next challenge and anticipating new adventures

There is not a hint of the braces-wearing, stocky male newcomer of the GMA-7 youth series TGIS back in 1997 in the Dingdong Dantes that reaped accolades for last December’s film fest horror tale Segunda Mano.       

Even earlier than his award-winning performance as a crazed lover in Segunda Mano, Dingdong had already made viewers pause and reconsider his potential as a leading man and reliable performer. This was, of course, when the then-27-year-old heartthrob lost the baby fats, achieved a toned physique and shed his boy-next-door image via the local version of the Mexican soap Marimar.

In the span of less than a year, Dingdong soared to a new level of popularity and acclaim, ranking high in every top showbiz transformation list of 2007. “Reinvention has always been part of the plan,” the actor shares. “It was and will always be my priority to excite myself with projects that are timely, socially relevant, and of great quality. Once these opportunities are given to me, I embrace them with passion and enthusiasm.”

Those two virtues – passion and enthusiasm – were what were lacking when Dingdong was still plying the teen idol route. “In the beginning, it was all just fun. I did not take things seriously then. I guess it came with maturity that I woke up one day and told myself that it is about time to contribute something (to the industry).”

And grow up Dingdong surely did. Life, with its highs and lows, thrills and woes, helped mold him into the more sensible man and sensitive actor that he has become. “New learnings, new experiences can be used to help one grow as a person. And the same experiences can also be used to make you grow as an actor. It can happen simultaneously,” says Dingdong.

That level of maturity can be easily discerned from the actor’s most recent screen undertakings – as the man searching for his long-lost love in TV’s Stairway to Heaven, the elegantly comical leading man opposite Regine Velasquez in I Heart You, Pare, and the man torn between two women in the melodrama One True Love.

With maturity comes a sense of adventure, a desire to take risks, to tread on unfamiliar ground. The drive to take on challenges of a different nature was what prompted Dingdong Dantes to produce under his own Agostodos Pictures – along with Reality Entertainment, Mothership, PostManila and GMA Films – and star in the Erik Matti-helmed horror thriller Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles. Based from the trailer alone, the movie promises honest to goodness scares coupled with irreverent Pinoy humor and special effects that are nothing less than spectacular.  

The film's producers bankrolled this ambitious project, a full CG venture shot entirely on green screen, with a set built wholly on a studio with such feverish excitement.Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles finds Dingdong playing a happy-go-lucky guy who, while fetching his girlfriend (played by Lovi Poe), heavy with their firstborn, in the province, finds himself besieged by an aswang attack on him and those who are dear to him. The man with an aimless existence would learn to test his sense of responsibility.

In a case of art imitating life, that was exactly what Dingdong Dantes, the actor, learned at the time when he decided that acting was where his heart belonged. He learned to take responsibility and treat acting not as a source of amusement but a career, a sort of calling. It is the one passion that continues to whet his appetite for exploring and experimenting. “The most important thing that fame has taught me,” reveals the showbiz A-lister, “is the power of influence, of touching lives, of affecting people. Ngayon, iba na ang tingin ko sa pag-arte. Hindi siya laro kundi mabigat na tungkulin. I invest so much in a role, physically, emotionally. You have to inhabit your character. You have to be the role. You have to live it.” 

And that is exactly what Dingdong did in tackling the part of an aimless man who finds his true purpose in life but not without going through a battle to save his life and those of his loved ones. Being the King of Reinvention who is always open to the idea of change, Dingdong tirelessly went out of his way to study his role and give it his own stamp. He likes the feel of a fresh challenge and with Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, he is given that opportunity both as star and producer to create something different that Dingdong Dantes fanatics and believers should watch out for.   

"Ina , Kapatid, Anak" - 2012 Much Awaited TV Series This October

“Ina Kapatid Anak” is a compelling story about family, love, power, rivalry and acceptance. It features a powerhouse cast composed of four of the hottest young stars of their generation Kim, Xian, Enchong, and Maja; highly-acclaimed seasoned actors Janice de Belen, Cherry Pie Picache and Ariel Rivera; and well respected veteran stars Ronaldo Valdez, Pilar Pilapil and Eddie Guiterrez. It is directed by Don Cuaresma and Jojo Saguin.

Ina Kapatid Anak will be on Primetime Bida this October. This teleserye will give the viewers another perspective on term Ina, (mother), Kapatid (siblings) and Anak (child) with the help of all the characters played by the power cast and create a different kind of story that will surely touch the heart of every viewer of Primetime Bida.

Primetime princesses Kim Chiu and Maja Salvador are both excited to share with the TV viewers their newest top caliber family drama series, where their rivalry sparks up in “Ina Kapatid Anak.”

“Everything is here–it’s a story about family, friendship and sisterhood,” said Kim, who will portray the role of the poor but optimistic young girl named Celine. “In our teleserye, the audience will learn how to value their families and how to achieve their dreams.”

Maja, on the other hand, will play the character of the rich and glamorous woman, Margaux. “All her things are glittering, but eventually the viewers will discover what’s really inside her mind and heart,” she related.

Contrary to their solid friendship off-cam, Kim and Maja’s fiercer roles in “Ina Kapatid Anak” will unravel an onscreen rivalry that everyone will surely be talking about.

Maja hinted that viewers should watch out if she will be a wicked bida-kontrabida in the story. “What’s interesting about Kim and I’s characters is that both Celine and Margaux are born fighters and they do not allow their families to be maltreated by anyone,” she shared.

Kim added that her role is totally new for her. “I’ve never done a character like Celine who’s so loud and talkative,” said Kim. “If in ‘My Binondo Girl’ I portrayed as a sweet at relatively well-off girl; here in ‘Ina Kapatid Anak,’ I am super poor.”

Aside from the highly anticipated confrontation scenes between Kim and Maja, TV viewers are even more excited with the two’s love interests in the story. In “Ina Kapatid Anak” Kim will be paired again with Xian Lim, while Maja will team up for the first time with Enchong Dee.

When asked if their fans can expect for some daring or love scenes from the two love teams, Kim simply answered, “So far, we’re just taping scenes where me and Xian’s characters are still teenagers. But I think later on, we’ll have something like that. Let’s just wait and see.”

This new teleserye will also celebrates the reunion of Kim and Maja after their first project together in First Day High aside from being mainstays of ASAP 2012, and also Kim to Xian after My Binondo Girl and with Enchong in My Girl and My Only Hope.

Watch out for the grand premiere of “Ina Kapatid Anak” this October on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida.

For more updates on Ina Kapatid Anak, log on to :

www.ABS-CBN.com

www.facebook.com/InaKapatidAnak.TV

and follow @_InaKapatidAnak on Twitter

Jeric was eliminated from the X Factor Philippines

Judge-mentor Martin Nievera saw one of his wards go home from "The X Factor Philippines" after Jeric Medina was eliminated from the popular TV talent search on Sunday night.

KZ Tandingan first took a safe seat, followed by Gabriel Maturan  and Allen Sta. Maria completed the top three finalists. Jeric and Daddy’s Home we’re left as the bottom two. The result was based on the audience votes after the mentor-judges voted 2-2 with Pilita Corales and Martin Nievera in favor of Jeric. Charice and Gary Valenciano were in favor of the only group in the final five, Daddy’s Home.

For their survival songs, Jeric chose Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" while Daddy's Home did Phil Collins' "Against All Odds."

Jeric  was eliminated from the X Factor Philippines.

Here are the Final Four !

Watch the X-Factor Philippines , airs after Maalaala Mo Kaya every Saturday for Performance Night and Results Night every Sunday after Sarah G. Live only on ABS-CBN.

The grand finals of "The X Factor Philippines" will be held on October 6 and 7.

"After Manila, Pasig River Rehabilitation Goes to QC " - Gina Lopez

ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez
at Estero de San Miguel

Following the significant changes on the surroundings and the lifestyle of residents along the esteros revived by the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP), the campaign for the rehabilitation of Pasig River is set for an aggressive push to spur local government units in cleaning their own esteros.

ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez with
the River Warriors

This year, KBPIP is focused on the waterways in Quezon City which empties most of its trash to the San Juan River. San Juan River, meanwhile, contributes over 40% of the filth that flows into the Pasig River.

“If we clean San Juan River, we’ll clean half of Pasig River. If we have to clean San Juan River, we have to clean Quezon City,” said Gina Lopez, the managing director of ABS-CBN Foundation that operates KBPIP.

Estero de Paco (Quirino to Pedro Gil) -
Current taken 20 Sep 2012

KBPIP patterns much of its rehabilitation efforts after the rehabilitated and beautified Estero de Paco in Manila. It has since undergone a major makeover since the start of its rehabilitation in 2009 – what used to be an immense garbage patch occupied by informal settlers is now a park bordered by plants and illuminated by streetlights.

The rehabilitation process of the estuary began by relocating thousands of families living along the waterways, building linear parks, training of River Warriors or community volunteers who clean and guard the esteros against polluters, and installing active island reactors to bring life back into the estero waters.

Using Estero de Paco as a template, Lopez said she wants every estuary in the metro to be developed as a commercial hub where residents can earn a living and improve their lives. Lopez even takes pride in the construction of a supermarket and a three-story hotel near Estero de Paco that she said wouldn’t have been possible had the estero not been cleaned.

“The conjecture here is that when you clean the esteros, the economy will boom up,” said Lopez.

Estero de Paco (Trece de Agosto to Apacible) - Current taken 20 Sep 2012

Lopez also emphasized the benefits of the Estero de Paco clean-up on the lifestyle of residents in the area. For one thing, the estero’s vicinity didn’t suffer from flooding during the onslaught of rains brought by the monsoon winds last August because water could flow easily without trash jamming the stream.

Since the estero was cleaned, substantial changes have been noted in the area. Based on the barangay blotter, a 40% reduction in crime incidence was recorded in seven out of 16 barangays near the estero. According to the City of Manila, the value of land near Estero de Paco has also gone up and might benefit the land owner of up to P2 million in 20 years.

More notably, a survey sponsored by KBPIP with 7,000 households living within 200 meters from Estero de Paco revealed that 100% are getting more exercise, 97% have greater sense of community pride, 97% are satisfied with their lives, 89% feel less sick, and 89% feel safer in their community. Eighty five percent of them also claimed they have lower medical expenses due to their cleaner and healthier environment.

“Cleaning the esteros reaches far beyond the economic effect. It goes into the very way they feel about themselves, the way they feel about each other. This is the way to go. We clean the estero and we have a much happier and fulfilled life,” Lopez stressed.

The long-term crusade for cleaner waterways in Metro Manila will go full blast in the upcoming “09.30.2012 Run, Ride & Roll for the Pasig River” to be held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on Sunday (Sept 30). Over 80,000 participants are expected to show up and take part in the advocacy event that will fund the rehabilitation of esteros in Quezon City.

“The Quezon City experience is really important because it sets the template for other cities. Unless local government units take on the cleaning of the esteros, it’s not going to happen,” said Lopez.

KBPIP has a track record of organizing three successful runs, namely the 2009 Philippine International Marathon: A Run for the Pasig River with an estimated 23,000 participants, the historic 10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River that broke the Guinness World Record for the “most participants in a racing event” with 116,087 runners, and last year’s 11.20.2011 Run for the Pasig River was the largest foot race joined by 86,547 runners.

The 10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River won a Bronze Anvil and an Award of Excellence at the 45th Anvil Awards given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, while the Estero de Paco clean-up earned an Award of Merit from the 2010 Philippine Quill Awards given by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.

Registration for the 09.30.2012 Run for the Pasig River is ongoing at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, R.O.X, Chris Sports Festival Mall and Chris Sports Glorietta. Registration is until Saturday (Sept 29). Aside from the registration, there will also be merchandise available in the SM booths, in which part of the proceeds will also go to the river rehabilitation.

For updates on this advocacy run - 

visit www.runforthepasigriver.com 

like www.facebook.com/runforthepasigriver 

follow @run4pasigriver on Twitter

Photos by : Faizza Tangol, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.

"Suddenly It's Magic" tells the story of a Marcus Hanson (Maurer), a superstar in his native Thailand, who finds love in the Philippines, where he meets baker Joey Hermosa (Gonzales). Directed by Rory Quintos.

The movie was shot both in the Philippines and in Thailand.

Also part of the cast are Joross Gamboa, Joy Viado, Guji Lorenzana, Ces Quesada, Dinkee Doo, John Lee and Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul.

We had this conversation with Mario Maurer thru Skype! 

This is Skype conference of the newest Filipino-Thai romantic movie main cast Erich Gonzales and Thai star Mario Maure with the bloggers, held at the Abs-Cbn 14th Fl Dining

Suddenly It's Magic will be air starting this October in Abs-Cbn Channel 2.

'Suddenly It's Magic' Skype BlogCon with Mario Maurer , Erich Gonzales and Bloggers