Martin resurfaces late at night

Starting on Friday, March 1, your and my weekend nights will feel like déjà vu nights when Martin Nievera, “Mr. Big Mouth” himself, resurfaces on ABS-CBN (after the late newscast Bandila). It’s a good reason for insomniacs to rejoice, they who used to be entertained by Martin with his previous late-night shows Martin After Dark (MAD, from 1988 to 1997) and Martin Late @ Nite (from 1998 to 2002).

His new (actually revived and reinvented) show, titled Martin Late @ Night, is pitted right smack with Tim Yap’s show on GMA (actually and Monday-thru-Friday bedtime sizzler). Who do you think will beat whom in the ratings game, “ang dating kampeon” or “the challenger?” I have a choice but I won’t tell you who.

If Martin is touted as the Filipino counterpart of David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leon put together, who is Tim Yap a “clone” of?

How Ryzza made MMDA Chief Francis do the cha-cha

“Only a little could order chairman Francis (Tolentino of the Metro Manila Development Authority) to rise,” host Boots Anson-Roa announced in good humor, “and make him dance.”

The “commander” was none other than Ryzza Mae Dizon, the newest Child Wonder, who was one of the star guests at the MMDA appreciation dinner for the winners of the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Monday night at the ballroom of the H2O Hotel (back of the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park).

I’m not sure if Chairman Francis swang his hips as Rhizza “commanded” everybody, now on their feet, to do the Cha-Cha which she does every day on Eat, Bulaga! But it was fun while it lasted even if most of the guests were reluctant to do “it” (although Best Supporting Actress awardee Wilma Doesn’t [for Sisterakas, top-grosser] gamely moved to the beat; she won for her “non-acting”).

Rhizza represented Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote at Si Ako (starring Bong Revilla, Vic Sotto and Judy Ann Santos), one of the eight entries of the 39th MMFF which grossed P767M and beat last year’s record. The other entries were El Presidente, Thy Womb, The Strangers, Sosy Problems, One More Try and Shake, Rattle & Roll 14.

Major winners were given cash prizes, including Dingdong Dantes (Best Actor for One More Try which also won Best Picture) and Dante Mendoza (Best Director for Thy Womb). Missed were Cesar Montano and Nora Aunor (in the US for her much-delayed throat “surgery”), Best Supporting Actor (for El Presidente) and Best Actress (for Thy Womb), respectively.

The dinner coincided with the People Power Revolt (Feb. 25), prompting Chairman Francis to comment, “Both the MMFF and the EDSA Revolution were possible through a collective effort towards one goal” and how the MMFF strives for the continued prosper of Philippine Cinema.

What’s up?

Here’s an official statement from SkyCable:

SkyCable has completed its scheduled system repair last Feb. 15, to fix the signal issue on Channels 12 (GMA), 13 (Shop TV), 21 (SKY Preview Channel) and 163 (ABN), experienced by some DigiBox subscribers in Metro Manila. Subscribers were requested to keep their Digibox plugged and on stand-by overnight, for automatic reinstatement of the affected four channels. For subscribers who may have left their Digiboxes unplugged, and still have signal issues with the four channels, we request that they call our SKY Customer Hotline 381-0000 for immediate resolution. Again, we apologize to our subscribers for the inconvenience that they experienced.

(E-mail reactions at entphilstar@yahoo.com. You may also send your questions to askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)