The haves & have-nots

In keeping with its tradition of introducing unpredictable and unlikely tandems on the big screen, Star Cinema pairs new comedy superstars Bayani Agbayani and Vhong Navarro for the first time in a catchy comedy treat of mixed identities in Otso-Otso Pamela-Mela Wan!

Departing from the usual formula of slapstick comedy and loopy storylines, Otso-Otso Pamela-Mela Wan is a story where identities lost and found are confronted by things unlikely and unpredictable. It’s a story where one tries to look for a purpose and finds it in another man’s shoes. Soon they find their real selves lost in the wrong worlds they live in. And that’s where the confusion begins.

The movie isn’t just a by-product of Bayani Agbayani’s phenomenally catchy song Otso-Otso. (It’s so catchy that even my three-year old nephew Jake can gyrate to the song in wild abandon!) It is also filled with all sorts of hilarious scenes.

Production designer Roy Red even juxtaposes the world of the privileged and the masa. That whether you are rich or poor, what’s important is that you are real people who want to make a difference in our lives.

Also in the cast of Otso-Otso Pamela-Mela Wan are Michelle Bayle, Cherry Lou, Angeline Aguilar, Denise Joaquin, Pinky Marquez, Karl Marquez, Robin da Roza, the Roco Twins, the Jaboom Twins, Gina Pareño, Dexter Doria and Tessie Tomas. The movie will be shown in theaters nationwide starting today.

Wazzup Wazzup

If you can’t get enough of Vhong Navarro, tune in to Studio 23 from Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 8 p.m. and have a daily dose of news–with a humorous twist–from Vhong in Wazzup Wazzup. Co-hosting the show are model/TV host Toni Gonzaga, and Sunsilk Boy Drew Arellano as the show’s third anchor.

Wazzup Wazzup is an alternative way to get all the day’s most important news and events from a witty and attractive team of stars. It showcases the latest trends, gossip, jokes, weather reports, how-to-tips and all other cool features for today’s hip young audience.

Berks teen stars Karel Marquez and Sarah Christophers also have their own Wazzup Wazzup segments. Karel takes on the traffic situation with Karel Marquez of the Philippine Highways (KMPH) while Sarah Christophers brings on the day’s sports headlines in Sports Babe.

The Passion Of Carmen

Europe’s most erotic film and Spain’s most expensive movie (pegged at $11.7M) Carmen is now in the Philippines.

Carmen is a story of a beautiful woman born to seduce men–and a man ready to sacrifice everything for a woman.

During a trip to Spain, French writer Prosper Merimee (Jay Benedict) becomes witness to a story of love, passion and jealousy–that of Carmen (Paz Vega) and Jose (Leonardo Sbaraglia).

A survivor of a difficult time, Carmen’s passionate and impulsive character drove men crazy–including Jose. A military man, Jose has become a victim of his own obsession as he murders all of Carmen’s lovers. After shooting Carmen’s most recent lover, he takes her to a faraway place to start a new life with her. But Carmen wants love and freedom. Now a slave to passion, Jose ends up losing everything.

Spanish director Vicente Aranda’s sumptuous adaptation of the classic romance captures the universal story of unlimited passion, boundless sex and ultimate tragedy. Paz Vega’s earthly sultriness in Carmen is impressive and her current success in Spain, which mirrors Penelope Cruz’s pre-Hollywood films, suggests that she has the right appeal to attract international interest. Carmen is also led by a great supporting cast–Antonio Dechent, Joan Crosas and Maria Botta.

A theatrical hit in Spain gaining at least one million admissions in four weeks, Carmen boasts of a great production that can connect with a world audience.

Released in the Philippines by Megavision, you can still catch Carmen in theaters nationwide.