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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 6:34:37 GMT 8
TEMPO
Tiyempo
by Chit Ramos
Di makapaniwala
Halos malunod si JOHN LLOYD Cruz sa papuring ibinigay sa kanya nina direk Rory Quintos at Aga Muhlach.
"He’s the next big dramatic actor of the decade!" ani direk.
"Magaling siya. Napakagaling. You’ll know what l mean ’pag napanood n’yo siya sa pelikulang ito," sinserong wika naman ni Aga.
Matagal nang tapos ang presscon pero hindi pa rin nagsi-sink sa utak ni Lloydi (JOHN LLOYD) ang mga pahayag ng mga co-stars.
"Totoo ba iyon?" paulit-ulit niyang tanong sa Tiyempo. "Noong una kasi, ilang na ilang ako sa kanila. Ayokong lumabas sa kuwarto ko dahil hindi ko alam kung paano makikisama sa isang Aga Muhlach. Sa isang Claudine Barretto. Lalo na sa isang direk Rory Quintos. Para akong probinsyanong nakalu-was sa siyudad at nahilo sa liwanag ng paligid.
"Hindi ako makakibo nang sila mismo ang unang gumawa ng paraan para mabuwag ’yung wall na akala ko’y nakapagitan sa amin. They made me comfortable in their presence. Ang bait nila, grabe. We stayed in one apartment at si Claudine, laging nagtatanong kung kumain na kami. Ipagluluto kami, ipagliligpit at ipaglalaba. Parang hindi siya totoo!
"I feel so blessed."
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 6:42:11 GMT 8
ABANTE TONITE
INSIDER
BILLY BALBASTRO
JOHN LLOYD, takot manligaw Kahit marami ang nagsasabing nagkabalikan sila ni Ciara Sotto o sila na ni Bea Alonso, sinasabi pa rin ni JOHN LLOYD Cruz na "loveless" siya dahil "busy sa trabaho" at "no time for love" siya. At 22, walong taon na sa showbiz si JOHN LLOYD. May responsibilidad siya sa sarili niya at sa pamilya. "Takot akong mamili between love at career kaya takot akong manligaw," sabi niya. Wala munang tsismis tayong nababasa tungkol sa kanya at kay Bea na kasama niya rin sa soap, Ikaw Ang Lahat sa Akin. Nahinto muna ang siyuting nila ng All About Love dahil sa promotions ng Dubai.
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 6:47:06 GMT 8
MALAYA ENTERTAINMENT
STUDIO WHISPERS
ETHEL RAMOS
SEPT. 1, 2005.
JOHN LLOYD holds his own against his idols
JOHN LLOYD Cruz said he just didn’t get sound advice from her “Dubai”
co-stars Aga Muhlach and Claudine Barreto in acting; he saw for himself how professional the two are. “They are hard-working and very professional,” said JOHN LLOYD. “I just admire them.”
But his stint in Dubai, especially during the first few days after their arrival, was a nightmare to JOHN LLOYD. He wasn’t that close to either Aga or Claudine. He was also working with their director, Rory Quintos, for the first time, unlike Aga and Claudine.
"Dahil sa lungkot," he revealed, "all I wanted to do, if I had a choice, was to go home. ‘Di ko pa nami-miss ang mga parents ko tulad ng naramdaman ko ng panahong iyon. I’d call them just to hear their voices."
In time, he became friends with Aga and Claudine and he never felt so secure. They gave him such importance and he was overwhelmed.
Stated JOHN LLOYD: "Ganoon pala ang feeling when you become friends with people na hinahangaan mo. I have to admit that I’ve always been a fan, especially of Aga, bilang artista at tao. I don’t know how he does it. Pero dalang-dala niya kung sinuman siya ngayon.
"As for Claudine, I did dream of working with her as her a leading man."
Direk Rory Quintos predicts that after "Dubai," JOHN LLOYD will be one young actor to reckon with in showbiz.
"He was just right for the role," Direk Rory said of JOHN LLOYD’s performance .
In the movie, JOHN LLOYD plays the younger brother of Aga, who works in Dubai to finance JOHN LLOYD’s studies. He joins Aga in Dubai after graduation from college. Then he meets Claudine, and the ideal relationship between the brothers is ruined.
JOHN LLOYD has legion of fans as a teleserye performer. Although he has appeared in a number of films which did well at the tills, he admits he cannot handle yet being regarded as a box-office star.
Aga and Claudine won acting nominations in several award-giving bodies and were crowned as box-office king and queen for "Kailangan Kita," also directed by Rory Quintos. JOHN LLOYD knows that one day soon, given the chance, he can also prove his worth. As it is, merely working in "Dubai" with two of his favorite performers make him feel good about himself as an actor.
Claudine said she and Raymart Santiago might set their altar date on January 19, 2006. They would have wanted to have it earlier, except that they fear that some people whom they want present at their wedding might not be able to make it because of the holidays.
"Halimbawa, my sister Guia (who is the reason why she and Raymart had to postpone their wedding, which was originally set this year) and her husband. Dahil nga bago silang kasal, natural that they are still busy starting a new life for themselves. But I told them ‘di puwedeng wala sila sa kasal ko," Claudine related.
Guia is in Canada with her husband. She is a teacher for special students. She is the reason, revealed Claudine, why she wants to study child psychology. "Ate Guia keeps telling me it’s a fulfilling profession," Claudine said.
On sister Gretchen (Barreto) with whom she and elder sister Marjorie had a falling out, Claudine declared: "Ayos na kami. And she’s definitely attending my wedding."
What role will Gretchen be playing on her most important day?
"’Di pa namin napag-usapan," she answered. "Pero, siguradong may importante siyang papel na gagampanan sa araw ng aking kasal."
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 6:54:49 GMT 8
MALAYA ENTERTAINMENT
DREAM FACTORY
MARIO E. BAUTISTA
After doing "Sana Maulit Muli" with Lea Salonga, about the plight of some Filipinos in the U.S., Aga Muhlach is now in "Dubai", for the film with the same title about Pinoys who are achievers in the Middle East, directed by Rory Quintos.
"In Dubai, Pinoys are executives and hold managerial positions, hindi sila DH or blue collar workers," he says. "I play Raffy. My goal is to eventually move to Canada with my younger brother, JOHN LLOYD Cruz. But since I have a high-paying job, nag-stay na ko sa Dubai for nine years. But although I earn a lot, I’m very open in helping other Pinoy workers there na may problem so I don’t get to save much. A conflict arises when my brother follows me to also work there and a woman comes between us."
What’s his impression of Dubai? "Ang init. We got there at the start of summer and it’s really hot. But the place is very progressive. Amazing how they developed the place when it’s in the middle of the desert. We stayed there for 17 days and we made a lot of new friends na iba-iba ang nationalities. I’ve talked to a lot of Filipinos working there at ang iba, ayaw nang umuwi kasi magulo lang daw rito. I can’t blame them, so I wish our government will really do some nice things to make our country a better place to live in nang hindi mag-alisan ang mga tao rito."
How is it working for the first time with JOHN LLOYD? "He’s very good. What’s nice is he loves his craft and there’s this desire na gumaling sa ginagawa niya. He has a passion for acting and he’s not just doing it for the money. Magaling siyang artista and he’ll go a long way."
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 7:12:33 GMT 8
TATTLE
Nel Alejandrino
People's Tonight
When Ricky and Shaira Salvador co-wrote the script of Dubai, starring Aga Muhlach, Claudine Barretto and JOHN LLOYD Cruz, they first explored the place for a week.
He was with the group when Dubai was filmed sa Dubai mismo. Kaya, sabi ni Ricky, he saw first-hand ang kaibahan ng mga OFW doon. They are a far luckier lot than the OFWs na nagtatrabaho sa mga ibang bansang kanyang napuntahan and whose stories he tackled sa kanyang mga script na pampelikula.
Most of the Filipinos daw in Dubai handle blue-collar jobs. "Talagang nakaiinggit sila," ani Ricky. "No wonder that some of them ay wala na halos balak bumalik sa Pilipinas."
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NITZ MIRALLES
People's Tonight
Kasama sa cast ng Dubai si Michael de Mesa na umaming miss na niya ang gumawa ng pelikula. Ginagampanan niya ang role ni Basil, isang gay parlor owner na matagal na sa Dubai at kaibigan ni Raffy (Aga Muhlach).
Nag-i-enjoy si Michael sa mga gay role, ang problema lang, kailangan niyang ibahin ang portrayal para hindi magkaka-pareho. Sa Star Cinema movie, subdued ang acting niya't educated at refined siyang bading.
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 7:19:34 GMT 8
SUNTOK SA BUWAN
Ni Emy Abuan-Bautista
Ang Pilipino STAR Ngayon
09/01/2005
Buhay-Pinoy Sa Dubai
Ipinaliwanag ni Direk Rory Quintos kung bakit Dubai ang pamagat ng bago niyang pelikula. "Nagsimula ito sa pangako sa mga OFWs sa Dubai na isasapelikula ang kanilang buhay dun at ipamamalas ang kagalingan ng mga Pinoy. Hindi lang domestic helpers ang nagtatrabaho dun nating kababayan kundi mga Pinoy na may matataas na katungkulan.
"Wala doon discrimination kaya malayang nakakapagtrabaho ang ating mga kababayan sa Dubai," anang director.
Maganda rin ang tinuran ni Aga Muhlach, sinabi niyang ipamamalas sa pelikulang Dubai ang buhay ng OFW na naglalarawan ng away-bati ng mga Pinoy, ang paggamit ng tabo, pag-aaway sa pag-ibig at sa pera.
Pangarap Ni JOHN LLOYD
Ang pelikulang Dubai ay katuparan ng pangarap ni JOHN LLOYD na maka-graduate na sa boy-next-door image at pagganap ngayon sa real mature role.
Naitanong din namin kay John kung sino pa ang pangarap nitong makapareha. "I would like to work with Lorna Tolentino dahil bukod sa maganda ay napakagaling niyang umarte. Nagkasama na kami sa telebisyon sa soap opera na Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay. Kahit pang May-December affair ang tema ng pelikula namin ni Ms. LT ay gusto kong makasama siya. Sa mga young actresses naman ay type ko si Angelica Panganiban dahil magaling din siya," aniya.
May communication pa rin sila ni Ciara Sotto at nanatili pa ring mabuting magkaibigan. Okey lang kung nililigawan ito (Ciara) ni Paolo Ballesteros at natutuwa siya kapag napapanood silang dalawa sa Eat Bulaga.
Zero ang kanyang lovelife ngayon dahil nakatutok ang kanyang panahon sa trabaho.
Hanga sa kanya si Aga at sinabing talagang malayo ang mararating ni John at sinabing kahit sikat na ito ay hindi pa rin marunong magyabang.
Nahirapan Sa Gay Role
Ilan na ring pelikula ang nagampanan ni Michael de Mesa sa papel ng isang bading. Pero sa Dubai ay naiiba ang pag-atake nito sa role na ginampanan.
"Mahirap dahil hindi naman ako screaming faggot dito. Subdued ang acting ko at isa akong educated, refined na beautician na naging best friend ni Aga," aniya.
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Post by mhie on Sept 1, 2005 7:30:29 GMT 8
ABS CBN INTERACTIVE
Kwento ng Pag-ibig at Pag-asa: DUBAI
Mula sa napaka successful na D'Anothers ng Star Cinema na pinagbidahan nina Vhong Navarro at toni Gonzaga, muling lumikha ng isang bagong obra ang Star Sinema mula sa direksyon ng nagbabalik pelikulang si Direktor Rory B. Quintos at malikhaing panulat nina Ricky Lee and Shaira Mella Salvador ang isang napakagandang pelikulang sasalamin sa buhay ng ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa mula sa kanilang buhay, pag-asa, pakikipagsapalaran at pag-ibig, mula sa Milan, Hongkong at napakaraming banyagang lupain dadalhin tayo ng Star Cinema sa lupain ng disyerto at langis sa lupain ng Dubai.
Pinagbibidahan nina Aga Mulach, JOHN LLOYD Cruz at ni Ms. Claudine Barreto, mula sa Kailangan Kita na kung saan nakita ng lahat ng manonood ang napakagandang talento at pag arte ng magkatambal na sina Aga at Claudine at gayon din naman si JOHN LLOYD sa mga pelikulang “My First Romance” at “Now That I Have You”, isang panibagong hamon na may kakaibang kwento at hamon sa kanilang mga talento ang kwento ng Dubai.
Mula sa kwento ng magkapatid na may kanya kanyang pangarap na gustong abutin, sina Raffy at Andrew parehong magkapatid na ginampanan nina Aga at JOHN LLOYD na kung saan pinili ni Raffy na mangibang bansa tulad ng mga OFW para matustusan ang pangangailangan ng pamilya sa naiwang bansa, tulad ni Andrew na pinangarap rin niyang maabot ang nagawa ng kapatid ngunit sa di inaakalang pagkakataon ang pagdating ng isang babaeng nagngangalang Faye na babago sa desisyon, pangarap at buhay ng magkapatid.
Isang katuparan ng pangarap para sa Star Cinema ang mailarawan at maisadula ang isang pelikulang aantig at sasalamin sa buhay ng mga Pinoy sa ibang bansa, isang pelikulang kukurot sa kanilang mga puso dahil ang pelikulang iyon ay mismong pelikula ng kanilang buhay ang buhay ng OFW sa Dubai, ang lupain ng pangarap para sa mga nangingibang bansa upang maitaguyod mula sa kahirapan ang kanilang pamilya na naiwan sa Pilipinas
Dubai; isang pelikulang dulot ay isang inspirasyon at pag-asa sa lahat ng Pilipino at salamin ng mga bagong bayani ng bansa, sa September 28 na.
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Post by mhie on Sept 2, 2005 5:56:56 GMT 8
TEMPO
Dubai’s undeveloped film trade poses challenge to ‘direk’ Rory
FILMMAKER Rory B. Quintos has fallen in love with Dubai. After spending a month in there, filming her latest movie for Star Cinema, direk Rory reveals, she would like to migrate to the city, located in the United Arab Emirates.
The movie, a romance-drama titled "Dubai," casts Aga Muhlach, Claudine Barretto, and JOHN LLOYD Cruz in the title roles. The screenplay is a Ricky Lee-Shaira Mella Salvador collaboration. It opens worldwide on Sept. 28 in Dubai; Milan, Italy; San Francisco; Vancouver, Canada; Vienna, Austria; Hawaii; Saipan; Guam; and in 100 theaters nationwide in the Philippines.
According to direk Rory, her latest obra intends to open the eyes of the movie-going public to the beauty of Dubai as a city; to OFWs as portrayed in a different light – not as domestic helpers but professionals like lawyers, teachers, engineers, among others; and to our loved ones whom we tend to take for granted as we go about our day to day existence.
Direk Rory found out that Dubai has not, to date, developed its own film industry and expressed a keen interest to be actively involved in facilitating its growth. "Fantasy ko nga ’yung may magsabi from their end, ‘O ’yan, get the group (her ‘Dubai’ team) and let’s start a film industry here.’"
And since Dubai has no film industry to speak of, the availability of film equip-ment became one of the major problems encountered by her crew in doing the movie. Most of the time, they had to rely on their resourcefulness and improvise tools and gadgets to use for the shoots.
Not only that. Direk Rory found out that Dubai is everything that the Philippines is not.
"I love my Philippines," she states, "but when you live in a country for a month and you see what life should be like, why, you’d really like to stay there. In Dubai there’s no crime. People pay taxes and you are certain they (taxes) are put to good use. Progress is all around you. Everybody’s working for the good of tomorrow. They have the vision of a ruler; there are no greedy senators and cong-ressmen who steal from the people. Government works for the good of the peo-ple. Women feel so safe. You can walk the streets at 2 a.m. and nobody will harm you. People are so honest; you can leave your bag in one place and return for it and it’ll still be there exactly where you left it."
Star Cinema tells more of "Dubai." Its title alone already speaks so much of the affinity Pinoys have with the city in the Middle East. Dubai has now become one of the new cosmopolitans for Pinoys to make their dreams come true. An urban melting pot where Filipinos go to for employment. This means "Dubai" is not only a movie Pinoys can relate to. It is Star Cinema’s fulfillment of a promise – a movie that features the lives of Pinoys in Dubai. Like many of Star Cinema’s classics, "Dubai" features wondrous locations that enhance the beauty of its stories. "Dubai" is set to become unfor-gettable with the lines of marvelous skyscrapers in Shiek Zayed and Al Ain cities, the trademark camels, and the immea-surable Sand Dunes, the mountain-like desert land that happens to be one of the most important landmarks of Dubai and the Middle East.
It wasn’t easy capturing the Sand Dunes on screen, direk Rory adds. "The Sand Dunes would start at 3 p.m. lasting until 6 p.m., te-tiyempuhan mo, and it took us three afternoons to shoot."
All told, Dubai has fulfilled the dreams of countless Filipinos, let us hope it does Rory B. Quintos’ and satisfy her adventurous spirit.
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Post by mhie on Sept 2, 2005 6:10:26 GMT 8
ABANTE TONITE
JOE BARRAMEDASEPT. 2, 2005.  Tama ‘yung kuwento ni JOHN LLOYD Cruz na noong unang mga araw niya sa Dubai, United Arab Emirates upang mag-shoot ng pelikulang Dubai ay lungkot na lungkot siya. First time niyang nakasama at nakatrabaho roon sina Aga Muhlach at Claudine Barretto, at sa ibang bansa pa. Hindi siya na-homesick pero naiilang siya sa co-stars niya. Noong araw nga naman ay hinahangaan niya ang mga artistang ito, at hindi niya sukat-akalain na makakatrabaho niya ang mga ito sa isang pelikula. Noon pa man nang malaman namin ang project na ito na pagsasamahan nila JOHN LLOYD, Aga at Claudine ay hindi kami nabahala for Lloydie. Sa galing niya sa pag-arte ay pwede siyang makipagsabayan kina Aga at Claudine. ’Yun nga ang nangyari at pulos papuri ang natanggap ni JOHN LLOYD mula sa mga kasamahan at director ng pelikulang Dubai. Dahil sa ibang bansa ang shooting ng Dubai ay tight ang budget ng Star Cinema at walang kasamang alalay si Lloydie. Gaya ni Richard Gutierrez ay marunong ding gumalaw si JOHN LLOYD nang walang alalay. Nasaksihan namin kung gaanong kaayos siya sa kanyang mga gamit nang makasama namin siya sa Amerika.
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Post by mhie on Sept 2, 2005 6:35:49 GMT 8
THE MANILA TIMES
Friday, September 02, 2005
SHOWBITS
By Danny Vibas
DUBAI loves Filipinos not as domestic helps but mostly as executives and supervisors, sales people, waiters, and at the very least as company drivers. That’s according to filmmaker Rory Quintos who just shot a movie there starring Aga Muhlach, Claudine Barretto and JOHN LLOYD Cruz. Produced by Star Cinema, the movie is simply titled Dubai.
“We were there for almost a month, and I never met any Pinoy there working as a domestic helper. I also never met one complaining about being exploited and harassed by his employer,” Quintos says. Years ago, she shot a movie in Hong Kong about Pinoy domestic helps starring Vilma Santos, Amy Austria and Gina Alajar—all playing unhappy housemaids. The movie was entitled Anak.
Dubai scriptwriters Ricky Lee and Shaira Salvador insist they interviewed hundreds of Pinoy workers there before they sat down to write their screenplay. Aga and JOHN LLOYD portray the brothers who fall for the woman portrayed by Claudine. Since they are already earning enough from their white-collar jobs, they have more than enough time for love.
It’s their first team up as a trio, though Dubai is already Aga’s and Claudine’s second pairing, the first being in Kailangan Kita about three years ago and they shot only in several areas in the Bicol region. JOHN LLOYD is younger than Claudine and Aga in age and acting experience, but both were impressed by the young man’s acting ability and professionalism. Both agree that JOHN LLOYD is the hottest actor in his batch of young stars taken in by ABS-CBN’s Star Magic.
All three actors enjoyed filming in Dubai, but Quintos seems to have been the most impressed about the place, its beauty and its peacefulness, that she now says if ever she would have to work and live abroad for good, she would choose Dubai. “And there really are Pinoys who have been living there for 20 years or more, have brought their families there–and don’t have plans to ever return to the Philippines for good,” says Quintos who is happily and profitably employed in Star Cinema and on ABS-CBN 2.
Dubai is slated to be shown in the Philippines on September 27. It will be shown in Dubai and other foreign lands where there are Filipino communities. Phoemela Baranda and Pokwang are also in the movie, though it’s only the latter who has scenes in Dubai as Phoemela’s role as Aga’s girlfriend is left in the Philippines.
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