The 'beerkada' behind Ang Beerhouse

Curtain-raisers:

• Joyce Jimenez gave birth to Jorya Ely Reintegrado Egbalic, her and husband Paul Ely Egbalic’s first child, at past 1 p.m. last Friday, Oct. 16, at the Sharp Mary Birch in San Diego, California. The baby, delivered the normal way, weighed 5.135 lbs. and measured 18.25 inches long, with a full head of hair. Joyce was in labor for 21 hours. She was rushed to the hospital at 4 o’clock the previous day.

• Condolence to Rayver Cruz whose father, Rudy Ilustre, died at 6:30 yesterday morning. Rayver’s mom is Melody Cruz, sister of Ricky Belmonte, who was the lone female member of the Cruz family band 747. Another member was Danny Cruz, the late father of Sunshine Cruz. Rico was the father of former sexy actor Gino Ilustre with his first wife Leticia Ojera.

• Due to the destruction wrought by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the officers of Turismo Pilipina Charities, Inc. (TPCI) have decided to postpone next year’s search. Instead, they have undertaken a series of relief missions in areas affected by the typhoons. The TPCI officers headed by beauty-queens Precious Lara Quigaman (president), Denille Lou Valmonte (vice president), Hon. DV Savellano of Ilocos Sur and reigning Turismo queens Sherylee Sustiguer and Emmerie Dale Cunanan have already started distribution of relief goods among 2,500 families at the Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Industrial Valley, Marikina; and in Laguna, Ilocos Sur and other Northern Luzon provinces. 

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A beer-drinking barkada is behind Ang Beerhouse, maiden venture of Joel Torre’s Pabrika Pictures & Pelikula, which premiered last Sunday, Oct. 18, at the ongoing Cinemanila International Film Festival being held at the Market, Market in Taguig City. (Regular run starts today at 5:30 p.m. also at Market, Market; Oct. 28 at Robinsons Galleria’s Indie Cine; and possibly Gateway Cinema at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.)

“Yes, we are all beer-drinkers that’s why we have negotiated with San Miguel Beer to sponsor our premiere night,” said Joel who met over lunch with movie writers at the Scout Esguerra (Quezon City) outlet of Bacolod Inasal which he and his wife Cristy own and manage. (The cozy chicken house has another branch on Gilmore Avenue, Quezon City, which is SRO most nights.)

With Joel (who also stars in the movie) were three of the Ang Beerhouse cast — Ryan Eigenmann, Jeffrey Quizon and Ronnie Lazaro who, you guessed it, was having his fill of San Miguel Beer — together with the movie’s scriptwriter/director Jon Red (brother of Cannes short-film award-winner Raymond Red).

“This is not just another story set in a beerhouse,” explained direk Jon, “so we put the word ‘Ang’ in the title.”

Produced on a “meager” P3-M budget (more than the average maximum P1-M for an indie film), Ang Beerhouse is a black comedy set in a carnivalesque bar filled with colorful characters, one of them a bar girl (played by Gwen Garci) with whom Ryan, as a barbeque-stand owner, gets involved, risking the ire of the bar girl’s pimp (Jeffrey).

“The planning took us more than a year,” added Jon who directed the ABS-CBN teledrama Eva Fonda (starring Cristine Reyes). “We were waiting for the right time, which happens to be the Cinemanila International Film Festival.”

It’s Ryan’s first time to play a bida after playing kontrabida in both TV shows and movies.

“It’s welcome change,” admitted Ryan, eldest of ex-couple Gina Alajar and Michael de Mesa’s three sons. “There’s no difference between playing a bida and a kontrabida; they are both role-playing. Whether bida or kontrabida, I try to do my best.”

Asked why he has decided to venture into movie-production (with Ronnie Lazaro, a Peque Gallaga creation like Joel, and Joel Ortillo as associate producers), Joel (a favorite of indie producers, with Sabungero among his starrers) said, “Since I was young, showbiz has been my life and my world. I’ve been looking for a subject matter that is marketable. Several films have been done about beerhouses, such as (Celso Ad. Castillo’s) Burlesk Queen (with Vilma Santos) and (Lino Brocka’s) Mananayaw (with Chanda Romero). This time, we want to go deeper into the ‘culture’ of beerhouses and dissect the colorful characters in them. Also, we want to contribute what little we can to the industry which has long been threatened by pirates. If we can provide jobs to some industry people, why not? Sana lang huwag kaming maunahan ng mga pirates sa regular showing.”

The beerkada plans to enter Ang Beerhouse in film festivals abroad.

Said Joel, keeping his fingers crossed, “We are not here to enrich ourselves but we hope that this movie will make money. Ang Beerhouse is the product of the collective effort of friends. Sana nga kumita so that we can go on producing.”

Let’s drink beer to that!

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