T H E P H I L I P P I N E S T A R SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011 G-1 Lifestyle Editor: Millet Martinez-MananquilEmail: feedback@supreme.ph

SUPREME Editor & Creative Director:

Tim YapEditor at Large:Pepe Diokno

Assistant to the Editor: David Milan

4th of 4

Contributing Editors: Daryl ChangPing MedinaJ Vincent Sarabia Ong Gino de la Paz

BEST OF THE WEEK:

Horsemaning in Jersey with Georgie and Ernie!

Fad Update of the Week: HorsemaningMost likely, the 26 million + strong Filipino users may

have tried planking already, as influenced by the rest of the Facebook nation. People have been taking pictures of other

people or of t h e m s e l v e s lying, usually face down, on any surface you can think of. This week, an updated/r e m o d e l e d version of the fad is emerg-ing, and it’s more interest-ing than plain old planking. Called horse-maning, the rules of this new trend are simple: plank,

but hide your head, then hold someone else’s to make it ap-pear it’s yours. Get it? Now take your best shot and tweet it to @PhilStarSUPREME!

Basher of the Week: Georgina WilsonWe’re not sure exactly where Paris Hilton lost her two iPhones, but we’re certain Georgina

Wilson didn’t take them. The pretty model was obviously irked by the idea of Paris Hilton paying a courtesy call to P-Noy. Georgina tweeted that it was “so shameful that he doesn’t have better things to do,” referring to P-Noy’s meeting with the international star. Paris’ fans

reacted angrily towards Wil-son, some calling her “bitter” and a “hater.” Wilson later clarified she didn’t mean to offend anyone and that “I want my generation to be critical of the government, of social issues. And if they don’t give celebrities or people the platform to voice their opin-ions, then what is Twitter for?” Well-played, George!

Situation of the Week: Abercrombie & Fitch v. Jersey Shore

This week, after 50 Cent’s taste got questioned when he signed DJ Pauly D for a three-album deal to his label,

news about American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch expressing its hesi-tation to have its brand associated with Jersey Shore spread like wild-fire. The company stated that it is willing to offer a “substantial payment” so that Mike “The Situ-ation” Sorrentino and other members of the cast will stop wearing the brand. A reply from MTV producers is yet to reach the A&F shore-line, but several jokes

have been made about the situation. The best one? “The Fitchuation” shirt!

Couple of the Week: Ernie and BertFinally addressing the question that some movie actors

have been avoiding, Ernie and Bert, the most famous duo on Sesame Street, have set the record straight. Because of pressure from gay rights advo-cates petitioning for the two to get married on TV, Sesame Street Workshop, the show’s producer posted on their Facebook page, “Bert and Ernie are best friends…they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.” Now we find out after 42 years on air that muppets are asexual, which means Big Bird doesn’t have a bird, and that Aloysius Snuffleupagus doesn’t have a…

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The Philippine Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011G-2

Photos by NIKO VILLEGAS of Edge of Light for Phottix.ph

Produced by DAVID MILANGrooming by AMANDA PADILLA

Shot on location at Elite Manila StudiosAll clothes from Nike’s latest collection

Accessories by SM Department StoreSpecial thanks to MAE DE CHUPA

By TIM YAP

It’s about you (taking) the shot when nobody wants to take it.” No, these words were not uttered in a bar or club on a ran-

dom Friday night. This is an actual conversation in the Ravena household I had with Kiefer Ravena, the 17-year-old Ateneo

freshman who is causing quite a stir, not just on the hardcourt, but also all over Twitter and Facebook for his basketball prowess.

The Philippines is right smack in the center of a post-Paris Hilton Apocalyptic curve, a Philippine Dragon Boat controversy, and an upswing in the UAAP games with Ateneo taking full glory with eight straight wins, yet Kiefer aka "The Blue Mamba" has still managed to set everyone abuzz. A new college basket-ball superstar is born.

He arrived quite early at the PhilStar Supreme shoot, so we had to rush things because he had school to attend at 11:30 a.m. Totally unaffected by success, the boy wonder has been doing the one thing he’s loved all his life, giving him a quiet sense of confidence. Again, let me reiterate that he is all of 17, about 6 feet tall, and on the lanky side. But his talent, and how he has captured the hearts of UAAP fans, is something that is the stuff of legend.

As soon as he geared up in Nike’s latest collection of hoodies and shirts, I learned that at 4 years old, he stopped playing with dinosaurs and turned to basketball. He enrolled at the Milo Best Center camp and hasn’t looked back since. At 7 years old he was in the La Salle varsity team, and at 12 he transferred to Ateneo. When he was 13, he made history by becoming the youngest player to be chosen for the junior team, the Ateneo Blue Eaglets. During a

The OneKiefer Ravena was born

to be a champion.

championship game, he made history yet again at that same age by scoring an unprecedented 22 points. As if that weren’t enough, when he turned 15, he broke his own record and scored 33 points. I am channeling my inner Quinito Henson here.

However, Kiefer is modest about his own accomplishments and says, “I really owe it to my teammates. They’re all extremely talented players and we really play well as a team.”

MVP IN HIS EARLY YEARS“When he was in grade six, MVP

(yes, that’s Manny V. Pangilinan to us) talked to my husband, Bong about our little boy,” says Kiefer’s mom Mozzy, who joined us at the shoot. The discus-sion was about MVP’s keen interest in Keifer’s talents and his desire for him to transfer from La Salle to Ateneo.

Mozzy is bubbly and very outspo-ken about her son, proud of the fact that their household had been able to maintain a sense of normalcy. “I make sure to give them errands, ask them to clean the house and make sure they are responsible family members,” she says. Mom Mozzy (she didn’t know her name was slang for “balls,” meaning strength) shares stories about Kiefer as a child.

“As a toddler, he didn’t doodle. He drew courts and set plays, and played coach with his dad. He tagged along to his dad’s coaching seminars. His mind works in a different way, I guess, shaped by his childhood. It just really came naturally,” says the proud mother of three athletes in the family, including

Kiefer’s younger brother Thirdy, a Blue Eaglet who is taller than him, and sister Dani, a grade school vol-leyball player. “It’s all a game. It is very normal for us,” she states.

On-cam, he is a natural. Like any athlete, he is at ease with his body, unafraid of the camera. In fact, he is quite photogenic. Right now his priorities are his studies and sports, naturally. We ask him if has any plans of entering show business, as most athletes who attain super-stardom usually do. He shrugs it off and just gives me a shy smile.

While conversing with Kiefer, I noticed his tendency to punctuate his sentences with “po” and “opo,” not because he sees me as an elder, but because of his upbringing as a respectful young Pinoy, as opposed to some artistas who are merely trained to speak that way. I foresee endorsements lined up at the door. The changing of the guards for new heroes, in sports or otherwise, can be quite fast.

In Ateneo, he feels pretty normal. None of the celebrity treatment you’d expect reserved for young superstars like him. On Twitter, one of his classmates jokingly tweeted after a game, “Now no professor will ever give you failing marks!” I guess that is why he shines even brighter. It is his skill and his at-titude towards life and sport that make him stand out.

Ateneo University team man-ager Paolo Trillo put it best when

he said, “It’s a given that Kiefer is athletic and has ex-ceptional skills, but what sets him apart is his basketball IQ and hard work. He is a very mature player for his age, that is why he has what it takes to control a game.”

We can only watch in astonishment.* * *

Follow me for of the new and the now at twitter.com/iamtimyap.

Sky High: The Blue Eagle rookie begins his ascent towards athletic greatness.

Chris Who?:

Kiefer is the most

talked about player

since the legendary Chris Tiu.

Kiefer indeed has the whole world talking, becoming a global Twitter trend almost overnight.

G-3 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011 The Philippine Star

At only 17 years old, he has already exhibited a high level of time man-agement, enabling him to handle numerous tasks at ease. But what

kind of teenager could possibly possess one of the world’s most important skills so early, you might ask. That would be the one and only Kiefer Isaac Ravena.

You might have heard about his legend-ary exploits on the basketball court: the multiple championships, buzzer-beating baskets, momentum-changing defensive stops and timely assists. The kid’s got it all. He plays the game like a wily veteran, ma-ture beyond his years. But what makes this even more remarkable is that his maturity goes far beyond the hardcourt.

It was exactly four o’clock in the afternoon when the Ateneo’s prized rookie made his way inside the Moro Lorenzo Sports Com-plex. He arrived 30 minutes early for practice, which usually begins with a weight room session followed by three hours on the basket-ball court with their multi-titled coach, Nor-man Black. Kiefer sat down on a bench and yawned. The BS Communications Technol-ogy Management student had just finished attending five classes that Wednesday.

“(I’ve been) in school since 7:30 a.m.,” he said, still managing a smile.

Before he made his much-awaited deci-sion to attend Ateneo De Manila University for college, Kiefer understood the situation he was getting himself into. Armed with the discipline to be able to withstand the heavy demands of being a student-athlete in one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Kiefer was confident that he could face the challenge head on. After all, he was taught well by his parents.

Kiefer was born in Manila on October 27, 1993. He was the firstborn child of two former athletes, Bong and Mozzy Ravena. Bong had a successful basketball career in the PBA while Mozzy once played volleyball for the University of Santo Tomas. Despite hav-ing parents who were both accomplished in the field of sports, Kiefer says that they gave him the freedom to choose his own path in life. However, it came as no surprise that he still ended up playing basketball. Even his younger brother, Thirdy (14) plays the game

feat only UST and La Salle have been able to achieve in the past 73 years of the league’s existence. The young phenom’s eyes lit up at the mention of this historic fact.

“There’s no problem in rewriting history. We’re hungry. We want it,” he said with conviction.

Practice was about to begin. Kiefer opened his gym bag to pull out his new Nikes. He already had a long day, but it wasn’t over yet. Knowing Kiefer, he successfully managed

to make it through to the end. Like all the goals he has ac-complished throughout his life, it’s only a matter of time.

* * *Anton Roxas is one of the youngest sports anchors in

the Philippines, covering basketball, boxing, volleyball and billiards for ABS-CBN Sports. It is his passion to share the stories of our beloved Filipino athletes who strive every single day to live their dreams and bring honor to our country.

Young PhenomBy ANTON ROXAS and is part of the Ateneo Blue Eaglets as a

sophomore in high school, while his sister, Dani (11) is into volleyball at St. Paul College, Pasig. It seems inevitable that the Ravena siblings will eventually follow in the footsteps of their proud parents.

At only four years of age, Kiefer began his love story with the game by attending bas-ketball camps before playing competitively at the age of eight for La Salle Green Hills. However, all that changed upon being offered a scholarship to play for the Ateneo. Real-izing that this was a rare opportunity, Kiefer immediately accepted the transfer before the sixth grade, giving him the opportunity to graduate from grade school as a student of the Loyola Heights campus.

In high school, Kiefer made a lot of noise throughout his four years as an Ateneo Blue Eaglet as he led the Jamike Jarin-mentored squad to three UAAP Juniors titles. Along the way, the young basketball prodigy also willingly offered his talents to the RP Youth National Team. It was during this time that Filipino hoop fans began identifying him as the future of Philippine basketball.

Now 6 feet tall and a member of the three-time reigning UAAP champion Ateneo Blue Eagles, Kiefer still never fails to recognize his parents as the ones respon-sible for shaping his character.

“Without their guidance, I wouldn’t be here. Kung saan man yung narating ko ngayon tsaka yung gusto kong marating, hindi ko magaga-wa yun kung wala sila,” he swore.

With all these blessings, one might be misled to think that the rest of Kiefer’s life is already set, that basketball is his ticket to fame and fortune. But Kiefer himself will be the first to say that his number one priority is to finish his education.

“Basketball is not permanent. There will come a time when I will have to take off my shoes and step away from the basketball court.”

He envisions himself as a future busi-ness owner and like his idol, Kobe Bryant, who never shies away from a golden op-portunity, might even start a business as a student, if given the chance. And with his dedication to success, work ethic and humility, it’s hard to imagine Kiefer failing.

This UAAP season, Kiefer and the Blue Eagles have their sights set on capturing a historic fourth-straight championship, a

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago from a univer-sity student

doing his thesis on the topic, “In-die versus Main-stream.”

“I feel that main-stream has won,” he said, pointing to how actors and producers from big

The walls are coming down

studios have joined Cinemalaya, the annual independent film festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The student wanted to build a “cul-tural hub” — a facility for the exclusive use of independent artists — no main-streamers allowed.

lack perspective because “their primary focus is to earn.”

I said that isn’t always true. Anyone who’s seen a soft-porn “indie film” will tell you, crap isn’t limited to the confines of mainstream. And besides, the studios have produced some respectable movies lately — RPG: Metanoia and Temptation Island come to mind.

THE BIGGER PICTURE The truth is “independent” is just an economic

term. All it means is that a film is made outside a major studio — a major studio, being a company with ties to TV, print, and other mediums. (For example, when GMA Films has a project, they get unlimited ad-time on Channel 7. Indie films don’t have that luxury.)

But set that difference aside and you see a bigger picture: That we’re just one Filipino film industry, and it makes no sense for us to divide ourselves based on petty definitions.

In fact, there are more things that unite film-makers than divide them.

All of us, whether indie or mainstream, want to better our craft. We all want our work to reach audiences. We all depend on this industry for our bread and butter. Whenever Filipino movies suffer, we suffer. Whenever Filipino movies do well, we do, too.

CINEMALAYA If one were to build a cultural hub, I told the

student, let it be for all Filipino movies. It’s time we cheer each other on rather than tear ourselves apart.

Which brings us back to Cinemalaya.

Cinemalaya has changed. It no longer occupies the fringes of public consciousness. Last July, its seventh edition saw record-breaking viewership — with 31 films, over 50,000 tickets sold, and packed screenings at both CCP and Greenbelt 3.

This couldn’t have been achieved were it not for an exciting mix of independent talent and main-stream sensibilities. Big-name stars like Eugene Domingo drew audiences in, and once there, they were treated with a vast array of choices — from laugh-out-loud comedies to musicals to serious political dramas.

The result: It wasn’t just students and film buffs at Cinemalaya, but also thousands of ordinary Fili-pinos going out of their way, resisting the tempta-tion to buy tickets to Harry Potter, and instead see films that spoke to them.

CREATIVE COOPERATION Out of Cinemalaya, we’re finally seeing a new

era of creative exchange and cooperation. For the first time in years, independent films

are being picked up by mainstream studios. Star Cinema is distributing Cinemalaya Best Picture winner Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank, directed by Mar-lon Rivera. It grossed P20M on its first weekend. Regal Films acquired the fun romance flick Ligo Na U, Lapit Na Me, directed by Erick Salud. It opens on Sept. 7.

Meanwhile, Origin8Media — which brought us Kimmy Dora — will take Jade Castro’s Zombad-ings 1: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington to theaters on Aug. 31. And Reality Entertainment promises a treat with Quark Henares’ Rakenrol, which hits cinemas on Sept. 21.

Mainstream studios are also taking more chanc-

es on brilliant independent directors. Two of the many names to watch for are Chris Martinez and Jerrold Tarrog. Chris is the brains behind the indie hit 100, and box office wins Kimmy Dora, Here Comes The Bride, and Temptation Island. Jerrold started out with the edgy Cinema One project, Confessional, and then wowed audiences with last year’s Shake, Rattle & Roll episode Puneraria. He is now shooting Aswang with Regal Films.

A BETTER PHILIPPINES This can only be a good thing. The

Philippines needs its film industry — not just for entertainment, but to build our economy.

In the United States, Hollywood is

The battle between indie

and mainstream is ending.

Everybody wins. I told him it’s a noble idea, but we

don’t have to be so feudal. WHAT IS ‘INDIE?’

In the first place, I said, he’ll have difficulty defining what “independent” is. See, it has nothing to do with art or technology.

For instance, “independent” doesn’t just refer to slow-paced, gay-themed, or socially relevant films. The last few years have seen a rise in indie comedies, action flicks, love stories, horror thrill-ers, and even period dramas.

“Independent” doesn’t just mean digital, either, because even Hollywood has made the switch. Parts of Black Swan and 127 Hours were shot on Canon DSLRs. Upcoming films like The Hobbit and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had RED cameras — the same brand used by Star Cinema and some Cinemalaya productions.

So, how would one delineate be-tween indie and mainstream, I asked.

Quality, he answered. He said that independent films offer “something different,” while mainstream films

among the few industries that are still thriving. Closer to home, our neighbor Thailand owes 12 percent of their entire Gross Domestic Product to film and related industries. Twelve percent.

Lastly, there’s South Korea. Since 1966, their government has enforced strict laws that require theaters to play Korean movies. They protect their film industry, let it grow — and let it grow so much that it has even reached our shores. Today, Filipinos consume Korean movies, TV shows, and music. What we don’t realize is that this also increases demand for Korean fashion, food, tourism — and even markets Korean electronics and automobiles.

These figures translate to millions of jobs created, families being fed, and children going to school.

Imagine, if we just continue on this path we’re on — one day, it will be Kore-ans, Americans, and Thais buying tickets to our movies, consuming our products, and coming to the Philippines to visit our movie sets. Picture the possibilities.

Director Jose Javier Reyes, who made such varied movies as Live Show and Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo, wrote a blog entry last month saying, “There is an entire generation of new, brave and brilliant filmmakers just waiting in the wings to bring Filipino cinema to new heights.”

Indeed, the walls are coming down. * * *

Join me at http://facebook.com/Pepe-Diokno

To begin with, no, they did not use real feces for that now iconic last scene in the newest blockbuster film, Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank.

They in fact, for health reasons, made something like a septic tank soup: just water, oil, tomato skins and kangkong, add Eugene Domingo to taste. Absolutely no human excrement.

Knowing it might be my only chance to find out whether all that crap in the septic tank was real or not, I ask director Marlon Rivera that all-important question. In response, he quotes one of the movie’s most memorable lines: “‘Alam ni’yo bang madumi ang tae?’”

That infamous line, delivered in per-fect deadpan by the movie’s brilliant lead actress, is well on its way to becoming legendary in local pop culture, our gen-eration’s answer to “You’re nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!”

Right now, the film is taking the local film industry by storm, with it’s nation-wide screenings at major cinemas sold out every day, even in malls like Power Plant, which rarely shows local movies. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the film is a commercial success. After all, it is top-billed by the Eugene Domingo and heartthrobs Kean Cipriano and JM de Guzman. “They must have seen something in our film that would appeal to the larger audience,” Direk Marlon muses.

Before it got made in the mainstream though, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank won over the less-forgiving indie film crowd, comprised mostly of hipster students and educated artsy folk who are used to seeing gritty, neo-realist dramas and have the tendency to be just a tad pre-tentious.

During its run at Cinemalaya, movie-goers whispered their personal criticisms. Some said that the movie was just a funny film, and while it would clearly win Au-dience Choice, something more poetic or more serious deserved to take home the coveted Balangay. A poor student who didn’t know better even went so far as to exclaim her disgust at how the movie is evidence that “indie is suddenly turning sooo mainstream!”

It’s funny how preoccupied people get with labels, when the filmmak-ers themselves hardly care. “I believe

The Philippine StarG-4 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011

Through the septic tank, and what we found there

between the mainstream and indie film labels is a totally unexplored area of films that do not fall into those labels — Ang Babae sa Septic Tank is a good example.” says the award-winning director, who nevertheless feels “happier than I can ever express” at the knowledge that his first full-length feature is selling out tickets at cinemas that hardly even show

mately ventures into that “unexplored area of films” that might even turn out to be a bright future for local cinema. Amazingly, for all the new doors the film is opening for our local movie industry, the filmmakers actually had a simpler intention at heart when they were making the movie. Direk Marlon shares, “Chris [Martinez, the writer] and I just wanted to make a film we like and believe in…the only thing we knew is that the script is fresh and funny — the combination should hit either way, di ba?”

Indeed. In fact, the combination hit so hard we can’t wait for the next Martinez/Rivera film, which will most likely con-tinue closing up the indie/mainstream divide: “If I work with studios, I want to keep the daring spirit of indie films. On the other hand, I’m hoping to bring in more polish to my next indie films. I want to have access to more equipment.”

In the same way that Eugene Domingo boldly went where no man — not even her stunt double — had gone before, into that pungent pit of (fake) excrement, so Ang Babae sa Septic Tank unexpectedly plunged into a new brand of cinema, less disgusting and certainly more appealing

than a septic tank, but equally overlooked and unexplored... until now.

* * *If you haven’t seen it yet, Ang Babae Sa

Septic Tank is on an extended run in theaters this week until early next week. Check your local cinemas for schedules.

local films because their English speaking pa-trons are too sosyal.

That is precisely why the film will go down in history — it gives both the elitists and the masses something solid to chew on, reconciles the wry intelligence and boldness of indie films with the charm and charisma of the mainstream, and ulti-

By AMANDA LAGO

Lights, Camera, director in action!

Reel & Real: The fictional filmmakers take direction Mila mourns: Musical in the making

Supreme Picks

G-5SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011 The Philippine Star

To say that Rakenrol, Quark Hena-res’ latest film (his fifth), is a labor of love may be a bit of an understatement. It’s a project that

can trace its roots back to five years ago when it was just a twinkle in the mind’s eye of its screenwriters, Henares and Diego Castillo, better known as guitarist of pop rock band Sandwich.

Inspired by the scene and music that they grew up with and loved fiercely, the close friends crafted the tale of in-die rock hopefuls Hapipaks, a motley assembly brought together by circum-stance, but who take a stab at being a band out of friendship and the shared love of music. The core of the group is best friend duo Odie (Jason Abalos) and Irene (Glaiza De Castro), who rope in the remaining members Mo (Ketchup Eusebio) and Junfour (Alwyn Uyt-ingco). While the film tackles the story of the band, it also delves into the indi-

By RAMON DE VEYRA

Quark Henares and company

sing a love song to the scene that

formed themvidual personal situations or crises of the members, and how they help each other survive (or not). In this, the film can sprawl a bit sometimes, as there are different threads to keep track of, that intersect with other threads and characters. Beyond the band itself there are also tertiary characters who orbit the group, including, but not limited to their manager, played by Matet De Leon; Jacci Rocha, an egomaniacal rock star played by Di-ether Ocampo; Flame Tigerbluden, premiere avant-garde videographer of the country (Ramon Bautista); and Jun Sabayton, art star, who steals every scene he’s in and damn near runs away with the film entirely.

Production on the film was lon-ger than most, due to the difficulty of handling the schedules of so many actors tied to networks. It got sketchier when the profiles of said stars started to rise and they were given more shows to juggle. This explains why the film credits three different cin-

travails and triumphs, the giddy highs and gloomy lows. Set in actual locations, the film now serves as a kind of time capsule to an era now past: several estab-lishments in the film are no longer with us, at least, not in forms we recognize. Even NU107 and Burn magazine, seen/discussed in the film, are gone.

That said, you don’t have to be firmly ensconced in the OPM rock scene to appre-ciate the film; the strongest throughline, be-sides Jason’s affection for Irene, is actually comedy. If you’re familiar with Henares or Castillo, either through the former ’s previ-ous films or the duo’s radio shows, you’ll

be comfortable with the quirky sense of humor, from dissec-tions of urban slang to parodies of overly serious “artistes.” It’s this accessibility through humor that makes it ripe for audiences hungry for something other than broad, lowest common denomi-nator hijinks that are decades old but still being traipsed on local television shows like they're cut-ting edge.

The film has already played in two countries before its own: it had its world premiere at the 13th Udine Far East Festival in Italy in May, and was part of the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, where it bagged the Audience Award for Fiction Favorite. A community-organized screening was held in San Francisco at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, after which it had the honor of being the closing film at this year’s Cin-emalaya Philippine Independent

Diether Ocampo steals scenes as Jacci Rocha, master of rocking out with his, uh… biceps out.

Glaiza De Castro dis-plays her uncanny ability

to be super-cute even when snarling in righ-

teous rock rage.

Alwyn Uytingco, Ketchup Eusebio, Glaiza De Castro, and Jason Abalos are indie rock hopefuls Hapipaks in Rakenrol.

Theatrical poster by EverywhereWeShoot! X Inksurge.

Film Festival, where it was warmly re-ceived. Recently it was shown as part of the Asian American International Film Festival in New York, and will finally enjoy a theatrical run in metropolitan malls next month. If you want to see what the band scene was like just a few years ago (though it feels much longer), check it out. This is what we were like then.

* * *Fans who were hoping to catch Rakenrol

during its regular theater run will have to be patient a little longer since the playdate has been moved from Sept. 7 to Sept. 21.

Who knew that a tiny team of writers would be able to pull off one of the kookiest zombie outbreaks in inde-

pendent cinema? The comedic trio of Jade Castro, Raymond Lee, and Michiko Yamamoto are at it again as they unleash all hell with their rib-tickling serving of animated corpses in drag in Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington.

The film is about Remington, a boy cursed to be gay for the rest of his life after he makes fun of a grieving homo-sexual at a cemetery. Add a sci-fi twist, a coming-of-age love story, and a serial killer on the loose and you have a recipe for pure camp that would make its audi-ences shriek, “Awaaard!”

Fans of the horror-comedy genre could start making cross-references to flicks such as Shaun of the Dead and Drag Me to Hell, but Zombadings' beginnings are, ac-cording to Raymond, much more rooted in reality than the fantastic. “It was trig-gered by an actual incident that happened while I was walking in Lucban. This young boy called me ‘bakla’ in a mocking tone. It led me to think of a funny ‘what if?’ scenario. What if I cursed the boy?”

Raymond, Jade, Michiko, and the rest of their eight-piece production team, Origin8 Media, put their heads together as they went to and from Lucban to make the film. “We wanted to shoot in Lucban since the story was inspired there,” says Jade. “The production took almost two years. It was supposed to take one, but since this is our first film under Origin8, we wanted to perfect it.”

In true indie fashion, they did every-thing from writing the script to produc-tion and even distribution and promo-tion. Their team is currently holding a series of advanced screenings that have been generating positive responses as evi-denced by the rip-roaring laughter at the

Planning a zombie outbreakBy JANSEN MUSICO

CCP Main Hall during its premiere last July 23. Although some backlash has been generated online, Jade is optimistic. “If the film has an advocacy, it’s promoting love and understanding towards others. I’m hoping that people are open-minded enough. People can pick up whatever from the movie, but I want them to enjoy it and be entertained by it.”

Jade confesses to being a big fan of the film’s lead, Roderick Paulate. “He’s a very in-tune actor. He’s very courageous and not afraid to get physical. He’s also very warm. That’s why I think he works well in gay roles.” Joining Roderick are Eugene Domingo, Janice de Belen, and a surprisingly hilarious Martin Escudero, who plays the titular character.

With the success of Ang Babae sa Septic Tank and word of nationwide releases of

filmmakers because we don’t always have to conform to a set of rules or perceived notions of what will sell. These films aren’t typically products of mainstream cinema. It’s a lesson for all. It shows that you don’t have to stick to formula and you’ll always find your audience,” says Jade.

After a well-received debut as one of the closing films in Cinemalaya 2011, Zombad-ings is set to invade screens nationwide on Aug. 31.

* * *Catch the advanced screening of Zom-

badings, sponsored by Keratin Complex, on August 30, at 7:30 p.m., Cinema 9, in SM Megamall!

Roderick Paulate transforms into a Zombading.

Attack! Zombadings strike a pose.

Kerbie, Roderick, and Martin take a break in between takes.

Kerbie Zamora (left) and Martin Escudero (right) rehearse a scene with director Jade Castro.

other entries from this year’s Cinemalaya film festival, it seems that it's perfect timing for Zombadings to go in for the wave. “The success of Ang Babae sa Septic Tank is very encouraging to us

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ematographers.It captures the world of

the band scene admirably; the sense of community, the

‘Rakenrol’ is a time machine

The Philippine StarG-6 SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2011

On m y b e d s i d e t a b l e , j o s t l i n g

with a red skull paperweight and a vintage alarm clock, is a tower of books. It’s quite an eclec-tic stack — mostly nonfiction, from the Duke of Windsor’s memoirs to Simon

You are how you read

Schama’s Rough Crossings — and I try to plow through a few pages on nights when Arena Homme Plus and The Fader aren’t satisfying enough.

Like their cousins that occupy an-other corner of my humble apartment, these glossy hardbacks are my pride and joy, accumulated over time from sources near and far. It began, at first, as a case of studied dishevelment, a ruse to lead visitors into thinking that I was more worldly, well-rounded and well-

Pottermost: In October, the seven Harry Potter novels will be available as ebooks from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore website, which is set to make the British author even richer.

From REUTERS

Slow publishing: In a world filled with ebooks, print titles by specialist houses such as Taschen and Assouline will stand out even more.

From GETTY IMAGESread than I really was. But as my library grew, each colorful spine began to symbolize a particular moment in my life. I tend to re-member the where, when and how of practically every item I own, and that includes my books. I can’t imagine not being surrounded by these hardcover beauties, which makes the concept of ebooks some-what intriguing.

A ‘KINDLE SUMMER’In February, the Association

of American Publishers reported that digital books overtook pa-perbacks in terms of sales for the first time ever. Amazon has reached the same milestone: The online retailer announced that since April, customers “are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books,” accord-ing to CEO Jeff Bezos. That’s 105 ebooks for every 100 paperbacks sold. Whether it’s the number

of bibliophiles buying titles for the northern summer or the in-flux of tablet and ebook readers in recent years, the figures are pretty impressive. And where the Americans go, the rest of the world usually follows.

Still, I’m not sure whether I should embrace the new format. The reasons may be tired, but that doesn’t make them any less true. As a purist, I want to be able to sniff a book, feel its hand-cut acid-free pages and personalize it with bookplates. I would also like to be free to jump back and forth across chapters and reread passages as necessary, a task that becomes somewhat tedious with devices such as the Kindle. And what about book signings? I don’t know about you, but I’d think twice about letting a stranger autograph my iPad.

Then again, ebooks are doing

so well because once they’re stored in your gadget, the convenience and portability can’t be beat. Now a bookworm can take a Nook stocked with a thousand titles to a beach holiday instead of cramming a suitcase with tatty paperbacks or something to read just in case. Then there’s the instant gratification. After a few clicks of the mouse, an ebook can be yours to enjoy.

NOT A LUDDITEI stopped buying CDs and DVDs six years ago

and I have absolutely no qualms about down-loading music, movies and TV shows — I would download a car if I could — but I’m on the fence about doing the same for books. While I’m not a Luddite, I write and edit for a living; there’s a part of me — the romantic side that dwells in a treehouse, quotes Bukowski and wears a Native American headdress — that isn’t too wild about hastening the demise of an entire industry.

That said, I also know that things have a way of working themselves out. There’s the

Read and go: Amazon announced that since April, their customers have been “choosing Kindle books more often than print books.” From REUTERS

option for writers to digitally self-publish their work, cut publishers out of the loop and take all the credit, not to mention the profit. Of course, this would only work for authors that are already brands. JK Rowl-ing, for example, is set to sell Harry Potter ebooks exclusively through her Pot termore websi te , a move that should pad the savvy British author ’s bank account with signifi-cant sums. Struggling wordsmiths, on the other hand, will probably be rewarded with enough for a couple Stellas and a falafel.

SPECIALIST CULTUREThe growing popularity of ebooks is

but the latest sign that the future is cheap and electronic. Though the format will most likely be another option for reading — not the only avenue — alongside tradi-tional print books, it has already opened the Pandora’s Box called piracy. As our culture becomes more digital, authors, publishers and bookstore owners must become less disposable.

Among those I see surviving in this changing environment are specialist publishers such as London’s Folio So-ciety, which sells exquisitely illustrated and handcrafted books to members; and Brooklyn’s Melville House, whose Nev-ersink Library resurrects dormant titles by obscure authors and reissues them with striking cover art — the opposite of cheap romance or vampire novels. Assouline and Taschen, purveyors of premium art and architecture books, should also find their rightful place in this new order.

With the way things are going, there’s a huge chance that printed books, doomed to go the way of vi-nyl, may become totally obsolete a generation from now. As I imagine this scenario, I couldn’t help but think about the hardcover books I’ve painstakingly curated. They may be endangered, but that makes them all the more precious and covetable.

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