August 2014 ~ Pinoy Showbiz Photos

Love of money' sets Maria Isabel Lopez apart from daughter Mara

"She's doing her films for the sake of art, for the love of acting. I was doing my films for the love of money. So iba ang motivation niya sa motivation ko. She takes her craft seriously, ako I take money seriously,” Maria Isabel Lopez said, describing the many things separating her fom her daughter, Mara, who’s been making the rounds of the independent cinema scene the past two years.

Beating the veterans

The model-actress turns a little more self-deprecating in describing Mara as an actress.

"Mas mabilis ang progress niya kesa sa’kin. Kasi siya first movie pa lang niya (“Palitan,” 2012) Best Actress agad beating veterans like Gina Alajar and Erich Gonzales. Ako it took me a decade to earn my first acting award," she said at the recent pocket interview of "Ang Lihim ni Annasandra," GMA's upcoming afternoon drama.

Maria Isabel is proud to see the effects her being a good mother has on her 23-year-old daughter.

"Syempre happy ako kasi I planted that e. Kumbaga tinanim ko 'yun tapos she worked hard for it naman. Makikita mo naman first launching film niya e may award agad. Tapos she’s doing more serious films now, [and] she’s working with great directors.”

Not just a celebrity daughter

Maria Isabel is even prouder her daughter made it to the industry without using her famous name.

"Lahat ng movies niya, diskarte niya 'yun. Lahat ng pelikula niya dumaan siya sa butas ng karayom.”

Mara agreed, saying the competition is tough and talent rules over genes.

"Sa industry ngayon, hindi na ganun e. Hindi porke’t anak ka ni Maria Isabel Lopez kung wala ka naman talent, bakit naman ako kukunin? For the past few years na gumagawa ako ng indie films, 'yung pagkapanalo ko ng Best Actress sa Cinema One Originals noon, walang kinalaman ‘yun sa talent ni mommy. Talent ko ‘yun."

Not competing with mom

In an earlier interview with Yahoo Philippines, the Communication graduate from De La Salle University said competing with her mother is not in her vocabulary.

"There’s no competition between me and my mom. Kasi first of all, mom ko siya so ang layo ng age gap. And as an actress, siya more mother roles na siya ngayon, ako naman younger roles. In terms of showbiz career, wala kaming competition.”

Mara further related that they are each other’s critic and best friend.

While Mara shrugged off “competition” with her mom, there’s no denying the older Lopez influenced her in entering the industry.

"Lumaki ako na sinasama ako ng nanay ko na rumampa sa iba’t ibang film festival, sa Cannes, Berlin. Pelikula niya lahat. And then naisip ko habang ginagawa ko ‘yun, sana balang araw ma-recognize ako for my acting, not just in the Philippines, but in the world. And ‘pag dumating ang time na ‘yun, sabi ni mommy siya naman ang sasama sa’kin.”

Mara is not new to showbiz. She started acting when she was 11 in ABS-CBN’s “Ang TV.” She was in Star Magic’s stable of talents until she transferred to another manager (her mom co-manages her).

Taking the indie route

Mother and daughter have been quite visible in indie film projects lately. Both starred in separate Cinemalaya projects this year: Maria Isabel in JE Tiglao’s “Ligaw na Paru-paro” (Short Film category) and Mara in Ida Anita del Mundo’s “K’Na the Dreamweaver” (New Breed).

Maria Isabel, however, upstaged her daughter in terms of “shock value” because of her controversial character in “Ligaw na Paru-paro.” The Binibining Pilipinas-Universe ’82 title holder bravely pulled off a love scene with another woman in “Ligaw."

"Hindi na ako baguhan sa eksenang 'yan dahil meron akong ginawa nung dalaga pa ko, ‘yung “Heartache City (directed by Danny Zialcita),’ may shower scene ako with another actress,” the outspoken Maria Isabel said. "Ganun talaga 'yung mga women of the world. Kumbaga, kahit anong character ang gawin mo, kaya mong bigyan ng justice.”

Mara, meanwhile, admits she still has a long way to go. But she’s determined to last in a rather unpredictable field.

"Hopefully 20 years from now, I’m still in this industry. Mahirap kasi minsan may trabaho, minsan wala. But if you love what you do, it’s not work. I’m so in love with it and I can see that it’s something I want to do for my whole life."

By Luigene Yanoria | Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom

Rocco Nacino Gets New Leading Lady, Ex-Bb. Pilipinas Pat Fernandez, In Director Jun Urbano's New Version Of 'Ibong Adarna'

DIREK JUN URBANO is better known as Mr. Shooli in “Mongolian Barbecue” but, as a director, he has helmed thousands of TV commercials and several movies like “Isang Platitong Mani”, “Juan Tamad & Mr. Shooli” and “My Guardian Debil”. The eldest of seven children of National Artist for film Manuel Conde, he’s also an actor and was last seen in “Be Careful with My Heart” as Steven Go and in a recent “MMK” episode.

He has now just finished “Ibong Adarna, A Pinoy Adventure”, a modern retelling of the folk tale attributed to Huseng Batute which has been filmed four times before. His own dad had two versions. First was in 1939 starring Fred Cortez and Mila del Sol, then in 1950 with Nida Blanca and Nestor de Villa. Dolphy also had his own version in 1972 with Rosanna Ortiz. Direk Jun claims his version is the best simply because the special effects they utilized in the film are state of the art. “You will see this in the bird,” he adds. “Before, the effects are so crude but now, the bird and its movements are really beautiful.”

He updated the story and instead of in some European country called Berbania with a king and a queen, it’s now set locally with a sultan (Joel Torre) and sultana (Angel Aquino, who is so beautifully photographed in the movie). The sultan has a scheming brother (Leo Martinez) who connives with a witch (Lilia Cuntapay) in putting a spell on Joel so he becomes sick. Only the singing of the Ibong Adarna will heal him, as the old story goes.

This time, instead of having three sons, the sultan has only one son, Sigasig (Rocco Nacino), who is tasked to get the bird. The villains are Leo and his bumbling sidekick, Benjie Paras, who provide much comic relief. The bird is played by 2008 Bb. Pilipinas International Patricia Fernandez, who is a communications graduate from UP (cum laude) and branched out into TV as a newscaster in “Unang Hirit”. She is now with Solar News doing “Daybreak”. This is her first movie and she was recommended to Direk Jun by designer Rene Salud. She photographs so well and looks every inch the diwata who is cursed to become the Ibong Adarna.

“Ibong Adarna” was entered in the Metro filmfest but it was passed over for “Pedro Calungsod”, that also starred Rocco Nacino, which is too bad since we believe it could have done better at the box office than “Pedro”. “Ibong Adarna” is great family entertainment that shows Rocco embarking on a journey where he encounters fantastic elements like the nuno sa punso, a man-eating giant and hostile tribesmen. It also imparts good values about protecting the environment and the love for family. Don’t miss it when it opens in theatres on October 1.

By Mario Bautista: Showbiz Portal

Liam Neeson Plays a Notorious Outlaw in “A Million Ways to Die in the West”

Undisputed blockbuster action hero Liam Neeson stars as notorious outlaw Clinch Leatherwood in Universal Pictures' new comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (opening exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide on Sept 3.)

In the film, after sheep farmer Albert (Seth MacFarlane) backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband (Liam Neeson), a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.

Producer Scott Stuber recalls how Neeson's casting came about: "For our ultimate foil, we sat around like little kids saying, 'I hope we can get someone like Liam Neeson. Wouldn't that be amazing?'" Turns out that they didn't have to dream. "I've been lucky enough to have worked with him before, and he was a fan of Seth's, so it was a terrific get."

Actor-writer-director Seth MacFarlane knew that Clinch was pivotal to “A Million Ways to Die in the West” because the character had to be believable. He explains that Neeson was the man for the job: "Clinch is a character that has to seem like he is in a drama for everything to work. He is a bad guy who has to be dealt with: a real situation. That's an anchor that you have to have in a comedy like this. You have to believe that the bad guy's a legitimate threat, and Liam did that masterfully."

Prior to meeting with Neeson, MacFarlane had an idea of what kind of accent he wanted Clinch to possess. The Irish-born actor had similar thoughts. MacFarlane says: "I love Liam's speaking voice, so when he came in I thought, 'God, I hope he doesn't do a Western accent.' He just has such a resonant, powerful speaking voice. The guy can read the phone book, and you sit up and take a listen."

Recalling his rationale for playing Clinch as a Northern Irishman, Neeson offers: "A few years ago, my kids came home from school and said, 'Dad, you're on Family Guy!' So I watch, and Seth lampooned me as Liam Neeson doing a Western, strangely enough, and what my accent would be like. So, when we agreed to do this, I said, 'I'll only do it, Seth, if I can play it in my Northern Irish accent...as homage to Family Guy.' So he agreed."

Neeson discusses how he brought his background to the story: "Clinch is a classic baddie in the Western tradition; he's a gunslinger. I'm from the north of Ireland originally, and I've made him very pure and broad Northern Irish. I imagine his real name was probably Trevor McBraid, but he changed his name to Clinch Leatherwood when he came to the Wild West."

The performer found working with MacFarlane to be an enjoyable experience, commending: "Seth's quite a remarkable Renaissance young man. He's always up and breezy, and open to suggestions and ideas. If he doesn't like them, he'll say so, and if he does then he'll incorporate them. He's very acute at giving you a note. If a beat isn't working in a scene, he'll change a line or suggest something for you to try."

“A Million Ways to Die in the West” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

By JED || Full Story @ Showbiznest