Saturday, July 24, 2010

Shame on You, Sarah Geronimo! - The Blatant Peddling of Products in an Already Very Commercial Film!



You sometimes forget that there's actually a story behind Wenn Deramas' "Hating Kapatid" because of all the blatant peddling of products within the movie! Trust Viva Films and its bosses to shamelessly thrust these commercial products down our throats just to earn the extra million for their teetering film production outfit! Kaya, kinapalan na nila ang mukha by using the medium of film as an avenue to sell products!

We, on the other hand, shell out our hard earned money (and allowance) to escape the reality of product placements happening in commercial television (go watch ABS-CBN's "Showtime" and you would almost forget that you're watching the show after a hefty 15-minute long commercial gap). But Viva Films and the likes of Sharon Cuneta, KC Concepcion and even their corresponding directors really all come from the same shameless root of brazen, impudent population. They have this mentality that such is an acceptable practice! Not to me!

Remember how hard sell Sharon Cuneta was, shoving down her McDonald's Chicken in "Crying Ladies"? One generation later, KC Concepcion does the same with Garnier and Palmolive for her "When I Met You". Like mother, like daughter, right? So when Viva Films finds a gold mine in Sarah Geronimo (they even toyed with the idea of remaking "Dear Heart" with Sarah Geronimo on screen until the Megastar vehemently spoke of her displeasure), who better to carry the torch of their peddling practices than the coyly angelic Ms. Geronimo, right?


PRODUCTS GALORE

Here are the products that this sad excuse of a movie shoved down the paying audience's throats, complete with endorsement one-liners: Cebuana Lhuillier, Globe Tattoo, Belo Essentials, Charmee (line: "araw araw ko 'tong ginagamit"), Video City and Xtreme Magic Sing (highlighted by a song-and-dance number - a hilariously choreographed piece where Sarah was tossed on air like a beached whale from one shelf to the next); Jollibee Chicken Barbecue (line: "ang sarap talaga nito"), Selecta Fortified Milk (line: "Ako ba'y bine-baby mo pa rin"), Magnolia Tuti Fruity, Unica clothing line, and a lot more. She must have forgotten her shampoo and that constipation pill she's endorsing in the next few days?

It is a tad insulting that the less talented Geronimo is given this avenue to peddle this much products in lieu of her (in)capacity to transform into Judy Anne Santos' younger sister Cecil. The obviously pregnant Santos comes up with a curiously winning performance as the enduring older sister Rica who took care of Cecil for more than 20 years when their parents (Tonton Gutierrez and Cherry Pie Picache) decided to work in Libya!

The film making skills in this work is another point of discussion. Much of the editing and dubbing are sloppy, you would hear the lines come out 3 seconds later than the movement of the mouth! Moreover, a scene would suddenly shift to a different color grading with over saturated colors and unfocused camera work. This plods through out the film! Would they excuse these gaffes from their use of a digital medium? Probably. And it is obvious how careless they are with its technical aspects. Yup, "pirated copy" quality from a mainstream movie!

And if you haven't noticed, how many times do you "introduce" an actor. Vice Ganda is once again introduced here so it would seem that Mr. Ganda is eternally introduced in every single movie that he appears in. Wasn't he in the political drama, "Noy"? Wasn't he in Vilma Santos' "In My Life" eons ago? Or do the people behind this movie live in Neptune or in the fringes of the constellation? Such carelessness reflects the mind frame of these nincompoops!

On the plus side, Judy Anne Santos shows how the years of experience have taught her! Despite an excessively prissy older sister act, she comes up with a sympathetic characterization that's absolutely endearing! As for JC de Vera, ohmygosh! I forget myself when he is on screen. He smolders with charm and machismo. De Vera is the improved and updated, kayumanggi version of dour and banal Richard Gutierrez! Luis Manzano on the other hand is a pleasant surprise. Though I am not fond of Mr. Manzano, he coasted through his scenes with comic charm and easy chemistry with the tweetums queen of commerce Ms. Geronimo!

Looking back, I didn't care much when Sarah supported Manny Villar during the last presidential campaign. After all, it's easy to forgo personal principles when money is involved. Then they label it "freedom of choice". But, for pete's sake, one commercial endorsement after the next in a film - not a television show - that we paid to watch?

Avarice is such an inordinate pursuit of wealth. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that greed is "a sin against God, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things." I'm just reminding the prayerful soul in Ms. Geronimo, lest she chokes on her Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. In Dante's purgatory, such greedy people were bound and laid face down on the ground til eternity. And here's a movie they shamelessly peppered with commercials!

Kapal naman ng mukha. Shame on you, Sarah Geronimo!




The peddler and the young superstar.


Gorgeous JC and affable Judy Anne.


More movies please.




UPDATE:

"Breaking Box Office Records? How Can That Be? It's Gathering Flies in Davao City!"

My friend Iyaya called me from Davao City. She and her office mates were sent by her company to close a deal (she works in a multinational company based in Makati). I have been telling her the graphic peddling of commercial products in "Hating Kapatid" and I have in fact been egging her on to watch. She rang to tell me that she went to see the 4:40 PM screening of "Hating Kapatid" July 30, 2010 Friday (SM Davao Cinema 2)! She reports: "It's mura here, a ticket costs P90! It was so relaxing because I hated crowds and there were just the 2 of us there, and another guy at the back.Three people for one whole theater! Mike refused to watch it coz he's heard how bad it is so went to watch "Salt" instead which started an hour earlier!"

Straight from the horse's mouth! Breaking box office records? Baka breaking EGGS! Bwahaha! This news is really easy to verify as the details are very specific - and SM, through Mr. Ric Camaligan (SM Cinema's C.O.O.), usually issues statistics of movies shown in their cinemas nationwide!

3 people on a Friday? Breaking box office record? Let's call it KARMA!





13 comments:

Anonymous said...

peddler ka dyan, blame the director and the sponsors not sarah. ok ?

Cathy Pena said...

If I were to blame the director and the sponsors, what is Sarah Geronimo then? A robot? A brainless puppet?

Jeez! Idiots Anonymous with the brain of paramecium!

Anonymous said...

I have no issue on Sarah, her movie, the director and sponsors. This is the reality of showbizness and we have to accept it. The terms 'Kapal ng Mukha mo' and 'shame on you' are not appropriate words to use by an educated critic.

Cathy Pena said...

Unless you were dreaming while reading this piece, it is obvious that there IS an issue here – on Sarah, the movie, the director AND the sponsors! You forgot the producers!

Cinema is meant to entertain, educate, open up ideas, tell stories, transport people to a different world or another life – and “watch commercials”? Hah! In your world, maybe! Not in mine! If this were a board exam quiz, you would have flunked! LOL

People are not supposed to abuse these principles by making it an avenue to peddle consumer products, just because they can. If you actually watched “Hating Kapatid”, this has the most garish “go-buy-these-stuff” posturings in the history of Cinema. THIS should not be condoned. THIS is not and SHOULD NOT be reality. In fact, the only ones who consider it reality are those who live off commercials. NOT the millions of Pinoys who break their backs just to earn P150-180 for their “pang-sine”. What this movie does is spit on these consumers by arrogantly incorporating stuff in movies that should NOT be there!

Now if you have the brain of a weasel and the backbone of a hydra, I am sure you would just pass it off and say, “ay, ang dami naming commercials” then move on and charge everything to bad experience. I will move on once I have said my piece. Not before then.

You ENJOYED Sarah’s movie because of your accepted reality? It’s your money. You can do cartwheels and somersaults for all I care. I DID NOT! And it’s MY money that bought MY cinema ticket. It is my inherent right then to say what I think – down to the last uncouth thought! I deem it wrong and abusive and kapalmukha! And I am gonna huff and puff for such travesty because such is the right of the consumer to complain about what’s unacceptable! And if you are in the business of ads and commercials, you SHOULD know the rights of the consumers more than anybody! Such idea exists, actually, FYI.

And THIS is not a critic’s corner! Whoever told you that it is, must be in la-la land! I write about the things that I watch and hear! Do not read too much in these words. Take it at face value. When I say kapalmukha, I mean kapalmukha. No preconceived notion that I follow the steps of Roger Ebert.

Harsh words? Some people don’t actually turn down the noise of a party gone wild unless you beat down their doors! THIS is beating their doors! Not quite calling the cops yet! THIS is telling them that blatant product placement is NOT reality, and SHOULD NOT be reality.

What’s appropriate for my blog is MY prerogative. If this becomes my miseducation, so be it! This is “my freedom of choice” much like Sarah’s and Viva Films'. And for their shamelessness, is there really a better phrase than “Shame on you”?

Finally, I have an issue with anonymous messages. You can never validate the ideas or opinion of anyone who can’t even make up even a fictitious name! I would usually ask them to get some balls and conjure a fantastical persona for the deed, but then that would be therapy for them. That would be doing them a favor!

As for the rapid Sarah fans who's too myopic to see that peddling products within movies isn't healthy for someone who plans to stay in the movie world for a long time, I eat curses for breakfast. Bring it on! Just make sure you invest at least a semblance of brains when you do so.

Anonymous said...

ang kapal din ng mukha mo!!!!!! kung ayaw mo sa movie y naisipan m p manood??????

Cathy Pena said...

Hahaha!!! Some comments are just too hilariously DUMB - wait, this is more appropriate" "BOBO" - to to pass up publication! Ohmygod! You would think there's even a semblance of brain activity or is someone ina walking comatose condition! Hahahaha!

Honey, IF I KNEW the movie was riddled with commercials, would I go? I watch a movie because I DO NOT KNOW what the movie will be like!

Now go climb a tree and fetch a brain! Talagang makapal ang mukha ko kasi binayaran ko ang isang BASURANG binudburan ng sandamakmak na kagara-garapal na commercials ng mga hindot at walang hiyang Sarah Geronimo, Viva Films and everyone behind this piece of shite!

Shame on you for being such a MORON! You actually make for a good afternoon laugh! What a good piece of dumbass entertainment you are! Bwahaha! Thanks for this afternoon hilarity, hon! Ay - in-english ko! Bwahahaha!

Anonymous said...

huwag na nating pansinin itong si Ma-Cathy (itchy). Nagpapa-pansin lang ito. walang magawa sa buhay ito, siguro tambay lang ito. Huwag kayong bababa sa level niya. For sure, sasagot siya dito dahil nga masyadong papansin. super KSP.

Cathy Pena said...

Honey, if you even reach "down" my educational level, you would:

1. Summon enough brains to write a decent reply than one that puts palengkeras from the icky talipapa to shame!

2. Conjure a pair of BALLS to actually NOT hide behind anonymity who, we all know, is a mark of a "dog whose tail is curled down his ass".

And you, particularly, are obviously too smitten with my brilliance you HAD to write to me because you KNOW EXACTLY how RIGHT I AM! That Sarah Geronimo is a shameless peddler whose political will and principle can be bought! NABIBILI, naintindihan mo? Bwahahahaha!

Ay sorry, walang tagalog version dito ha. I shall pray that you understand! Wawa naman you! LOL

Wait lang, I'll call my maid to turn down my aircon! "Inday Sarah...!"

Anonymous said...

Hello, Cathy Galore. I saw you in the movie 'Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'. Your attitude and probably your face are similar to Kitty Galore.

Cathy Pena said...

Fortunately for me, honey, I was born from a mother who was once a campus beauty queen and a dad who will put the vapid Eddie Gutierrez to shame. So do the math! LOL

My parents do not look like a labandera and a kargador sa talipapa like some people I know (wink wink) thus necessitating some daughters to peddle mr. clean bareta, a pawnshop, panty liner and other grocery items.

Moreover, I am not some breadwinner whose parents freeload off my "dugo, pawis at boses" because they're too "inutil" to do anything.

Finally, I did not have the constitution to watch Kitty Galore coz as far as I know, it was a movie fit for idiots - and adults with an I.Q. of a 3 year old.

And you're still buzzed with the "Shame on You's"? As though Sarah and company didn't deserve them? What a moron you are! Get over it! That's sooooo yesterday! Ho-hum!

Anonymous said...

Look at you two idiots, arguing over something so stupid to begin with and with a person you don't even know. Who gives a fuck if the movie is littered with shit? Who gives a fuck if this idiot things sarah is fucked up? Who gives a fuck about what I'm writing? hahah..i don't. fucking idiots.

Cathy Pena said...

Now I’ve heard and encountered weird stuff in the net, but I have never encountered anyone who’s more moronic than a person who comments about something he admits he doesn’t give a fuck about! Get a life! And get a name for that matter, you idiot!

Cathy Pena said...

And I've always suspected there was something wrong with the water supply of Guam, afflicting the brain activity of its citizenry, like the Anonymous dickhead above.