Director Brillante Mendoza not keen on commercial screening of "Kinatay"

Actress and former beauty queen Isabel Lopez found out just how demanding Director Brillante Mendoza could be during the shooting of one particular scene in the film “Kinatay.”

Isabel recounted her painful experience during an open forum after the special screening last week of the film, which won for Mendoza the Best Director award at the last Cannes film festival.

In the scene, shot inside a van, Isabel is being beaten up by a policeman. Narrated the actress, the burly actor playing the cop accidentally hit her in the head. The camera however kept rolling, and Isabel just absorbed the hurt. The scene then called for the cop to hold down Isabel’s head with his foot. Unfortunately, his foot pressed on the spot in the head that was sore. Isabel couldn’t take it anymore. “I shouted ‘cut! Cut!’ Direk got so mad. ‘Nobody says cut in my film!’ he said. ‘But it’s my body that’s getting hurt!’ I replied.”

Mendoza also reiterated at the forum at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts headquarters that he is still not keen in having “Kinatay” screened commercially, despite the R-18 rating, without cuts, it got from the Movie and Television Ratings and Classification Board. The director prefers special screenings like the ones held at the NCCA and the University of the Philippines.

A friend who watched “Kinatay” at the NCCA observed that some of the audience left midway in the movie. He also felt that the applause after the screening was more polite than enthusiastic.

On the other hand, Director Mario O’Hara praised Mendoza after the screening. And another film critic-friend of mine said he liked the movie.

I myself think that Director Mendoza should take his film on a commercial run. Filipino moviegoers should be given a chance to watch the only Philippine-made movie that won at Cannes.

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Kris Aquino tugged at the hearts of many with her emotional farewell to her mom, former president Cory Aquino, last Wednesday. One particular passage from Kris’ message stood out: “I’m sorry, Mom. I lied to you when I told that we would be okay. I did this because we wanted you to be free from all your pain and you wouldn’t worry about us. But Mom, it would take a lifetime for us to be okay because we will forever miss you.”

Now that was touching.

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Maja Salvador has begun paying installments on a new house. It has four rooms and two maids’ quarters. It was Maja’s mom who picked out the house. It wasn’t their original choice but when the actress’ mother saw it, she decided to take it.

Maja, however, is mum on how much the house costs.

Also noticeable were baubles Maja was wearing at the presscon of “May Bukas Pa.” “They’re not fully paid yet,” she admitted. Maja has to earn the extra income to pay for all those big expenses, now that her solo drama for TV “Moonriver” has been shelved.

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Madonna has scrapped her concert in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the second canceled gig for the pop star in two months.

Her tour manager denied media reports that poor ticket sales forced the cancellation of the concert, scheduled for August 20. He instead cited “unforeseen logistical difficulties.”

Madonna was also forced to scrap a concert in Marseille, France, last month after two workers were killed when the stage being built collapsed.

Ticket sales for Madonna’s remaining 12 concerts on her European tour are not doing too well, according to reports. Only the concert in Gothenburg, Sweden, is sold out.

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Jay Leno’s new prime-time show which opens in September will be somewhat different from “The Tonight Show,” which he hosted for 17 years. It will have more comedy and fewer celebrities promoting their movies. The main feature would be celebs whizzing around a racetrack in high-speed electric cars.

“There will be something for everyone. Hopefully it will play across the board,” the lantern-jawed Leno promised. “It won’t be a talk show and it won’t be a variety show with wigs and hats on.”