Livin high and takin it easy

I got this link off Nick’s Facebook page, posted by B Canapi (of Psychocow Productions), now working for Smashbox Productions. Thanks B!

Here is an excerpt I found most relevant of course:

With Cinco, Star Cinema’s latest foray into the relatively lucrative genre, we can again observe if the film is going to sink or swim. The good news is, there are signs pointing to the latter. For starters, moviegoers can look forward to this for different reasons. Fans can be happy with the army of stars involved in this spectacle. Supporters of the local movie industry can get excited about the new generation of directors tasked to helm the project. Followers of the genre can have their imagination piqued by the film’s use of five episodes instead of the trilogy that seems to be the norm.

That’s right: five episodes, one movie in its regular running time. Will the storylines suffer? Or will it hasten the pace leaving no time for things to be “dragging” –the common word used by regular movie fans like us when a certain movie tends to bore us…

MUKHA. Director Nick Olanka‘s “Mukha” also stands out in the quintuplet as the episode that presents a mean character being given the fright of her life. You can either feel sympathy for the character or you can enjoy her get what she deserves. Mariel Rodriguez is a ruthless, screaming advertising boss who fires the janitor for, of all things, a bad photocopy job. This factor will latter be explained by the frightening use of the copying machine and freaky photocopies of the janitor’s face in the part where Mariel’s character gets herself screaming and running scared out of her wits. The episode superbly mixes a good story, defined characters, a new scare device, and an interesting twist to give the viewers the feeling that the story, despite the limited time, has been told efficiently and completely.

Cinco has its highlights and its lowlights, and generally, it just stays in the middle–not the best that came from Star Cinema. The different points of view used per episode is evident, and it is a good thing especially for a collection of stories with varied situations and different tones. Story-wise, the claimed intertwining of the five stories is not strongly supported, as this particular element (revealed in the 5th episode) can be taken away and the movie will still work.

For those who will watch the movie just for bonding with friends or to have a good time, you will be happy to know that you will have your needs met after the movie. But for horror fanatics who could have been given by the movie’s promo plugs that is it a serious horror masterpiece revolving around a very serious subject of death and its repercussions, do not expect much.

Like many horror movies in the country’s filmography, Cinco conforms by being as family-oriented as possible, using religion as resolution, and having the need to always have a “moral of the story.” Fright and fear are two different things. And Cinco offers the former.

Good job Nicki! Always, proud of you.

To read the full review, click here.

Well, for a spoiler, the order of the episodes is as follows:

• Braso, directed by Frasco Mortiz and starring Sam Concepcion, AJ Perez & Robi Domingo
• Paa, directed by Enrico Santos and starring Jodi Sta. Maria
• Mata, directed by Ato Bautista and starring Rayver Cruz & Maja Salvador
• Mukha, directed by Nick Olanka and starring Marielle Rodriguez
• Puso, directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and starring Zanjoe Marudo & Pokwang

Puso comes last as it weaves together all of the five episodes.

And I found this video on Youtube posted by My C.H.O.S.. Actually, I found it on Facebook, on Abet’s wall. Thanks Abet.

Nick texted to ask if I wanted to go to the premiere night, and I said, “Oh wow. Okay. Thanks.” Later on, he texted to tell me that my supposed seat at the balcony had to be given to John Prats. Actually, he called twice but I did not get to answer the calls as I was busy nebulizing Lia who has bronchitis. He told me I would sit with our other friends in the reserved seating for Direk Nick Olanka at the orchestra. I thought that was fine as long as I had friends to sit with. I didn’t wanna be all alone.

Random thoughts: More

by Nel Alejandrino
Sunday, 11 July 2010 17:07

Kilala ang pangalan ni Direk Nick Olanka bilang writer who is one of the ‘brains’ behind the success of the award-winning indie movie Adela.

Ganunpaman, natuklasan ang promise niya bilang director nang magdirek siya ng episode about forbidden love sa top-rater na drama anthology Maalala Mo Kaya.

The episode about forbidden love starred Kim Chiu and Carlo Aquino.

In Cinco, he directs the episode Mukha na sa iisang silid lang naganap. Naka-focus din lang sa iisang tao na ginagampanan ni Mariel Rodriguez. Mariel’s co-stars are Nanding Josef at Ketchup Eusebio, among others.

Direk Cathy Garcia, the only one with more-than-enough credentials (box-office director is just one of them) na featured sa Cinco, described Direk Nick as a cool director. Hindi raw kasi ito sumisigaw o kaya’y nara-rattle.

And Direk Cathy should know. Being, wika nga, the most veteran director in the group of five (directors), Star Cinema, likewise, assigned her to (oversee) the first-time megmen.

From Direk Cathy, she suggests na panoorin ang Cinco from beginning to end, dahil dito matutuklasan kung anong unifying element mayroon ang kabuuan ng movie.

To read the full article, click here. Thanks Babit for the link.

Sources:

• PH Stars
• Kapamilya News Ngayon
• YouTube

Star Cinema's Cinco Poster

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The shoot was initially set for 7pm Saturday so I decided I would just catch the last set I needed to document for Lab Fest for Sunday 3pm. The call time was moved from 7pm Saturday to 4am Sunday, to 6am Sunday, and then finally to 10am Sunday. I thought the shoot would not last that long. I thought I’d make it to the 3pm show. I thought wrong.

Nevertheless, we made the most out of situation by having fun together while waiting for takes. We also took lots of photos of ourselves. Here are some of the photos we took at the set of Cinco‘s Mukha on my third shoot day for it.

Thanks to Dan Geromo of The Wonder Boarders for taking the photos that I am in.

We were there since 10 am, and we haven’t done anything all afternoon. Kat, Kalai, Abet, Dan and I were hanging out by the window of the 11th floor of ABS-CBN’s ELJ Building where a view of EDSA, Quezon Ave all the way to North Avenue could be seen. It was five in the afternoon and the sun was setting. It was a very good and very dramatic light. Thanks Dan for a new Facebook profile pic. LOL

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I am contemplating as to whether I will watch this movie or not. It is coming out next month. If it were just another horror film, I would automatically, without batting an eyelash, firmly say NO. I don’t watch horror films, plain and simple.

This horror film is different though. First and foremost, it is my dear friend Nick Olanka‘s first mainstream film (hoorah! hoorah! hoorah! yippeeee! yippeee!!! rain dance! sun dance! sun dance festival! hahaha), after his successful short film Lunes ng Hapis, his Cinemalaya film Huling Araw ng Linggo, and his running-total-of 4 directed Maalala Mo Kaya episodes. (Nicki, ipopromote ba kita nang bongga? Like isulat ko pa ba lahat ng directorial activities mo, More

I’ve been watching these videos ever since I saw them on my Facebook news feed, posted by Nick in his attempt to distract people from the fact that Boy Abunda plugged him on SNN. Hahaha. Also, this song always makes me think of my friend Lizzie.

Lizzie, Tin and Angku at Angku's bridal shower, October 2006

She sang it on videoke on that night we had a get-together in Discovery Suites.

OBLADI OBLADA

Despite warnings of Typhoon Santi arriving about ten to twelve in the evening, we pushed on with our plans for the night. Still car-less more than a month post-Typhoon Ondoy, we had to walk, take trikes, take cabs (in my pretty little green wedges!) to get around the city.

After having [anniversary] dinner at Cyma, a Greek restaurant, in Eastwood Mall, we went to 9 Mile Bar in Kalayaan Avenue amidst the pouring rain. We got there past ten and almost missed Hany outside in the street.

Janice with the microphone was calling on everyone for their “talent” hahahahaha! So that’s how Ryan and I’s night at the party started, with little bits of performances from our friends.

Dax with some "audition piece" for some musical

Abet does his own version of "Vengeance is not ours.. it's God's"

For the sake of fun, here is an excerpt of the famous declamation piece.

Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread.
Spare me your mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so ragged.
Why are you staring at me? With my eyes I cannot see but I know that you are all staring at me.
Why are you whispering to one another? Why?
Do you know my mother? Do you know my father?
Did you know me five years ago?
Yes, five years of bitterness have passed.
I can still remember the vast happiness mother and I shared with each other.
We were very happy indeed.
Suddenly, five loud knocks were heard on the door and a deep silence ensued. Did the cruel Nippons discover our peaceful home?
Mother ran to Father’s side pleading. “Please, Luis, hide in the cellar, there in the cellar where they cannot find you,”
I pulled my father’s arm but he did not move.
It seemed as though his feet were glued to the floor.

The door went “bang” and before us five ugly beasts came barging in.
“Are you Captain Luis Santos?” roared the ugliest of them all.
“Yes,” said my father. “You are under arrest,” said one of the beasts.
They pulled father roughly away from us.
Father was not given a chance to bid us goodbye.

Loved Abet’s version. Simply hilarious. Hahahaha!

Birthday girl does some poetry reading

Birthday girl with her wonderfully cool parents

Beerday Boy

Of course, the party would not be complete without a performance from our favorite local band. Hahaha. Flush and the Toilets kung saan aspiring groupies kami. Hahaha!

Janice enjoying the music of Flush and the Toilets

Roma on bass and Amrei on vocals

Party people in the house! (Dance dance dance to my ten guitars?) Jk

Eshei and Dax havin fun much. All thumbs up!

The fifth band member

Jeff Mejia arrives and of course he has to give a little performance too. How sorely we have missed him. I still have “Manila, manila.. I keep coming back to Manila” ringing in my head even after all these years. Ahhh, the days of being Sounds Manager.

And of course a performance from Isko himself

Lady Gaga improv performance is not to be missed of course

Birthday girls. Seat mates. Ten Questions.

Hosts like in the old times.. or the all times

Nick's turn on the "Hot Seat" for his Twenty-something questions

The girls and boys of Batch 00-A with Jeff 99-B

Free jam with Sarah

And of course, I just have to have this photo here. Hehehe.

Angku with the powder blue fairy wings

What a wonderfully fun party that was. Thank you Nick, Jma and everyone for such a good time. Cheers everyone!

View all the photos in this slideshow.