‘Live Show’ becomes box office hit in provinces

It’s summer — time to go to the provinces and watch ... Live Show. The controversial movie has become an overnight sensation in provincial theaters as moviehouses extend their screening hours to accommodate hordes of people wanting to see it, an official of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said yesterday.

Lawyer Felicitas Alejandro, MTRCB legal officer, said despite a presidential directive suspending the showing of the movie, the agency is helpless in implementing the order because of lack of personnel and funds to carry out the nationwide operation.

She said upon receipt of the order the other day, MTRCB officials immediately dispatched agents to moviehouses in Metro Manila, but screenings continued in the provinces sometimes up to the wee hours.

"We do not have funds to travel to provinces and we have only 11 agents in Metro Manila. We do not have regional offices," Alejandro said.

She said the resignation of chairman Nicanor Tiongson ticked the curiosity of moviegoers to watch the Jose Javier Reyes-megged flick.

Alejandro said when their agents went to two theaters in Manila that were still showing the movie, people were already lined up outside tying to beat the deadline to no avail.

But there were also reports that the movie continued to be shown in some malls in the metropolis as the nature of the recall order was being studied.

In Cebu City, there are reports that moviehouses have to advance the screenings by one hour and extend till way past midnight just to accommodate Cebuanos curious about the freedom of expression.

Informed of the sudden influx of people to the provinces not just because school’s out, Reyes said: "This is not the kind of promotion I want."

He said with the movie’s becoming an instant hit, it is possible its box office returns will exceed such hit movies as "Labis Kitang Mahal," which starred the no-less-expressive pair of Aga Muhlach and Lea Salonga.

Reyes said the pressure exerted by the Catholic Church for the film’s recall has become a blessing in disguise, as "Live Show" has become a national issue far from the cock-and-bull story that has polarized society.

He said he has been receiving expression of support from various film festival organizers in other countries who felt insulted by the action of the Philippine government against the film which they had sponsored in several exhibitions.

Reyes said even the leftist Bayan and other cause-oriented groups have already expressed support for the scheduled mass action next week against the banning of the movie about live sex workers.

On the other hand, it’s also possible that while on the way to the province to watch "Live Show," the prospective vacationist will get to view even more risqué fare.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said yesterday he wrote a letter to Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board chairman Dante Lantin requesting an investigation on complaints that certain bus companies screen bold videos while en route to the provinces.

Perez cited in particular Tritran buses which has trips to Batangas, his home province. Passengers said they have watched sexy English films especially on night trips, he said.

"These buses show triple x-rated films. We’re asking Lantin to monitor these buses and file charges against the bus operators concerned," he said, adding indecent exhibition of movies could be filed against them. –With Delon Porcalla