Penduko was first portrayed on the big screen by the late Efren Reyes in a Premiere movie, then by Ramon Zamora in the remake and by Janno Gibbs in two more remakes.
Before the year ends, Vhong Navarro will be cast in the title role as (Mars Ravelo’s) Lastikman in another ABS-CBN teleserye. Lastikman was first played in a movie by the late Von Serna (father of Snooky), then by Vic Sotto and by Mark Bautista in the remakes.
• Who "killed" Lito Balquiedra? The family and friends of the retired VP for DZMM Radio didn’t know that Lito has "died" until they read it in a broadsheet (definitely not The STAR). When Lito was invited to the recent 20th-anniversary celebration of DZMM at the Araneta Coliseum, he good-humoredly said, "I can’t attend because the (name of broadsheet, definitely not The STAR) has just ‘killed’ me." The story didn’t end there. When ABS-CBN requested for an erratum, the writer said no. Was he "guilty" of "killing" Lito Balquiedra?
• The total gross of Star Cinema’s Sukob (still showing in Metro Manila) is way past the P163-million mark, already making it one of the company’s Top Three All-Time Moneymakers. Congratulations to everybody involved in the movie, especially director Chito Roño and lead stars Kris Aquino and Claudine Barretto.
• Could it be true that a semi-retired actor (very popular in kiddie movies in the ’70s) maltreats his gardener(?) who wants to but can’t sue the actor because his relative is also employed by the actor? When the actor is on "temperamental mode," he reportedly beats up the poor gardener(?), the last beating leaving the poor guy black and blue. Oh my, what a bad "habit!"
It didn’t take long for time to prove my prediction right.
In barely five years, Jeffrey has consistently proven his mettle as a director, following up Sana Pagibig Na (where the late Nida Blanca scored a brilliant performance) with even better films: Pila-Balde, Tuhog, Bridal Shower, Minsan Pa, Bikini Open and Kubrador, starring Gina Pareño as the jueteng bet collector, which has been reaping oh’s and ah’s not only here but in film festivals abroad, winning the film critics’ award at the Moscow International Film Festival last June and, recently, the awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress, plus the film critics’ award (again!), at an international film festival in India.
Showing in the commercial circuit starting on Aug. 16 (it’s a must-see; don’t miss it!), Kubrador had firmed up direk Jeffrey’s reputation as "the new Lino Brocka" because of his incisive style of story-telling especially when the story is set in the slums (Brocka’s favorite "territory" explored with a sensitive, sympathetic touch in movies like Insiang, etc.).
Asked how he felt about the honor, the self-effacing and ever-humble direk Jeffrey said, "It’s flattering!"
In fact, it was Brocka’s landmark 1975 classic drama Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag that convinced Jeffrey to be a director.
"I saw it at the (demolished) Maxim Theater on Recto Avenue," recalled direk Jeffrey. "I was then a high school student at San Beda College. It was such a powerful movie. I thought, ‘If a film could move people this way, then I’d like to be a director and move people the way Lino Brocka did.’ The finale scene showing Bembol Roco in a muted scream of anguish at a dead-end, being stoned by bystanders, is forever etched in my mind."
It’s a pity that direk Jeffrey didn’t have a chance to meet Brocka who died in a car crash in 1990. Even then, Brocka has become an integral part of direk Jeffrey’s life through his movies – Insiang, Bona, Kapit sa Patalim, Cherry Blossoms, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, etc. – which he watched with childlike adulation.
Because he’s a movie fan (who adored the directors more than the stars), direk Jeffrey also honed his directorial skills by watching films by other directors, to wit:
• Celso Ad. Castillo – "Very visual. His Burlesk Queen (with Vilma Santos) is exceptional."
• Eddie Romero – "He has a casual style of story-telling (Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?, etc.), not heavy-handed."
• Mike de Leon – "Visceral ang style niya (Kisapmata, etc.)."
• Ishmael Bernal – "I love his wit and sense of humor (Pagdating sa Dulo, Relasyon, etc.)."
• Gerry de Leon – "Very poetic; he was ahead of his time (Sanda Wong, Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo, The Moises Padilla Story, etc.)."
Among foreign directors, he admires Francois Truffaut, Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman because they taught him "other styles of story-telling."
Kubrador, produced by lawyer Joji Alonso’s MLR Films, is not (yet) direk Jeffrey’s best; he has higher heights to conquer, more challenges to face and more stories to tell.
Although, a confessed avid fan of Susan Roces, direk Jeffrey tapped Gina Pareño as female lead in Kubrador because, he said, "Gina is a natural actress, may sense of timing. I believe that a good comedienne, which Gina is, is also a good drama actress. May pagka-naughty. Among her contemporaries, siya ang may spunk."
He has worked with Gina in the TV show Pira-Pirasong Pangarap and in the film Bridal Shower (Gina played Francine Prieto’s mom).
"She’s my one and only choice for the Kubrador role," said direk Jeffrey, adding in jest, "sila ni Gong Li ang pinagpilian ko."
After Moscow and India, Kubrador (rated A by the Cinema Evaluation Board) will be shown (and, in some, compete) in filmfests in the following country before the year is over: Toronto, Vancouver, Mumbai (also in India), Pusan (Korea), Hawaii, Brazil, Greece, Belgium (Brussels) and Rome.