JOHN LLOYD CRUZ
SA DARATING na Miyerkoles (October 16) na iaanunsiyo ang apat pang kalahok in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival to complete the traditional Magic 8.
Nauna nang isinapubliko ang first four entries, one of which ay ang pelikulang “(K)ampon” nina Kris Aquino at Gabby Concepcion but was disqualified from the race due to technical reasons.
Bale ang pumalit sa binakanteng slot is the film “Sunod” na horror din ang tema.
Of the first four, pasok ang mga respective entries nina Vic Sotto at Vice Ganda pero umaasang makakasama rin ang pelikula ni Coco Martin as tradition would have it. Expect a raging box-office pukpukan with the three of them, or shall we say merely between Coco and Vice dahil hindi naman consistent high-grossing ang kay Bossing (may rhyme, may reason pa).
Of the remaining four, marami ang humuhula almost with certainty na pasok ang pelikulang “Cullion,” but not because of its merits kundi sa sobrang ingay na nililikha nito with the returning John Lloyd Cruz in the film.
Sa trailer na ipinapanood sa press, JLC’s exposure isn’t until towards the end. Pero ang totoo pala, cameo appearance lang ‘yon.
This explains why John Lloyd isn’t happy with the way the film is being hyped as though it were his movie per se. Katwiran niya, it’s nothing but a ploy to mislead the public para isipin nitong he’s back in full swing at long last.
Hindi masisisi ni John Lloyd ang kung sinumang may pakana na gamiting bentahe sa pelikula ang kanyang exposure albeit cameo.
Whether humbly or otherwise, nag-rub off na sa kanya ang mga katagang pinauso noon ng singer from Mindoro na si Ana Dizon. After all, John Lloyd Cruz is John Lloyd Cruz, mahusay na aktor na nawala nga lang dahil mas pinaboran ang pag-ibig kesa sa career.
About three years of self-imposed hibernation is much too long para ma-miss si John Lloyd whose fans want him back on the big screen.
Kami man ang producer ng “Cullion”, we’d sell the film as that regardless kung cameo man ang appearance niya. This is a producer’s call, tutal ay pumayag naman si JLC that his is a minor role but for which he got paid.
The least the producer could have done was to notify JLC na gagawing big deal ang simpleng trailer with him in the last frame. Bumawi na lang ang producer in putting his name with a special participation in the film.
Nangyari na ‘yan minsan also in an MMFF entry many years ago kung saan ang tema’y kalikasan.
Roderick Paulate’s “Engkanto” had his friend Vilma Santos do a cameo role as Mother Nature. It wasn’t a misleading ploy, hindi nga lang umayon ang kalikasan sa sakunang sinapit nito sa takilya.
It’s just both bad and sad na ang shoo-in for the Best Festival award ay hindi mapupunta kay John Lloyd because of his cameo role (that is, kung papalaring makasama sa four other entries ang Cullion).