Valentine Birthdays of Your Favorite Celebs

Valentine’s Day is right around. What does it feels to have your birthday fall in Valentine’s Day? For some, it’s almost as bad as having your birthday on Christmas or New Year, but for some it is as romantic as cupid went down to the earth and became human.

To some people who celebrates their birthday during Valentine’s, it could be more wonderful and special for it’s as if you are the living fruit of your parent’s passionate love. February is the official month of love for many people. They reserve this month for a romantic getaway with their special loved ones. Moreover, this is a special intimate moment for loving partners to renew their vows to each other. Did you know that it is estimated that 15% of the women in the United States who receive flowers for Valentine’s Day send them to themselves. There are no figures that tell how many of these women are married, single or in a relationship. That is how important Feb. 14 to them.

This Love month, let us celebrate the famous celebrities celebrating this birth on the day cupid torch his arrow on earth. Let’s greet our favorite celebrity a romantic and lovely birthday.

Let’s start with international pop/rock star Rob Thomas. 

 He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist. He has also earned three Grammy awards for co-writing and singing on the Carlos Santana triple-platinum hit “Smooth", on the album Supernatural in 1999. Today, Rob and his wife Marisol Maldonado have established the Sidewalk Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization created to help needy people in and around America’s big cities by partnering with various charities to assist people who get lost in the system, those who cannot afford medical care and animals that have been abandoned or abused. 

In the local show business, the biggest name who celebrates her birthday on Feb 14 is the Queen of All Media – Kris Aquino.

 This year she will be running almost her 40’s, but looks as young as anybody young celebrities. Kris never fails to surprise everyone with her frank and mark able personality.  Today, Kris has many project line ups including a cameo appearance in GMA7’s My Beloved featuring Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.

Second to the list is 90’s pop singer Donna Cruz Yrastorza-Larrazabal. 

Staying beautiful and young at 35 is not a problem for this very sweet Filipino celebrity. She began her recording career at age 13. She released her first self-titled album containing the hits "Kapag Tumibok Ang Puso", "Rain" and "Boy (I Love You)," in which she won Best New Artist in the 1992 Awit Awards. Prior to signing a recording contract with Viva Records, she joined the singing contest Bulilit Bagong Kampeon where she emerged as the grand champion in 1988. She also became the grand prix champion along with Timothy Villegas of Ryan Cayabyab’s 14K in the Mermaid International Children's Song Festival in Hiroshima, Japan. She was also a grand finalist in the Little Miss Philippines on Eat Bulaga. Donna married an ophthalmologist Yong Larrazabal in 1998. They have two children, namely Belle and Cian. Despite being a busy mom, she successfully finished a computer degree from Cebu Doctors College in 2003. Aside from being a full time mom and wife to her family, she still takes minor roles and show business stint. She was recently seen in GMA7’s Daldalita.

Former love team and ex-real life sweethearts John Prats and Heart Evangelista is also celebrating their birthdays on Valentine’s Day. Heart was born on 1985, a year earlier than John’s. Now, both are happy with their own personal careers and heartstrings. 

John has a blooming career in ABSCBN hosting ASAP2012, Banana Split and now defunct noontime show Happy, Yipee, Yehey. John is having a romantic relationship with former beauty queen Bianca Manalo. Hence, Heart Evangelista has an astonishing career with GMA7 and a very envious lovelife with Brazilian model Daniel Matsunaga. Heart has a current primetime series Legacy and she still manage do philanthropically work with her foundation Heart Can that aims to help children with respiratory diseases and she is also the spokesperson for Philippine Animal Welfare Society or PAWS.

So this valentines, let’s not just greet them Happy Valentines but a very romantic and cheerful birthday too. Happy Birthday !

Heart Evangelista Breaks her Silence Against Marian Rivera

Heart Evangelista breaks her silence regarding the feud between her and Marian Rivera. Almost weeks ago, Marian Rivera lambasted the mom of Heart Evangelista during the press conference of their movie ‘Temptation Island’. Marian went emotional during the forum while she talks about what happened between her and Heart. Heart wasn’t able to attend the said conference because she was with her boyfriend Daniel Matsunaga in Brazil.

But Heart opened up her side after such a long time that she kept her silence. She confirms that there were details of stories tackled in the ‘Temptation Island’ presscon that are not true. She said that throughout the shooting of ‘Temptation Island’, she and Marian are in good terms. She confirms that the friction between her and her co-star happened on the last 2 days of their shoot in Ilocos. Heart said that Marian was last person to know that Dingdong Dantes (Marian’s present boyfriend) and her will collaborate in one project. She mentioned that Marian misunderstood one of her interviews discussing her excitement to work with Marian’s boyfriend.

Heart Evangelista verified that Marian went to her room and threatened her. Heart mentioned that Marian warns her that she will be killed by the latter’s fans.  She honestly confessed that she was traumatized on what happened. She confirms that there were no confrontation happened between her mother and Marian Rivera on the airport - against to the allegations that Marian said during her emotional presscon.  Heart clarifies that she has death threats coming from Marian Rivera’s fans. Here is the full video of Heart Evangelista’s conference. 

video courtesy : YOUTUBE - http://www.youtube.com/user/peparazzo ; http://www.youtube.com/user/DCRJPhilippines

Film Review - Temptation Island 2011

Upon writing this post, I am tempted to smash the writer and the director of the film ‘Temptation Island’ 2011. But I paused and think and gaze at the big picture. I walked out of the theater – simply entertained.

The 2011 film ‘Temptation Island’ is a remake of 1980’s film of Joey Gosiengfiao. This starred Dina Bonnevie, Azenith Briones, and Bambi Arambulo. Of the three new actresses introduced in this film by Regal Films, only Dina Bonnevie became successful in show business. During this year, Philippine must have been under a sky of very conservative and conventional audiences. I was not even born when this was showed. Audiences during this age get easily attached and persuade by the so called ‘slap stick’ type of comedy. The story and the characters are perfectly made in this era.

On the other hand, the 2011 Temptation Island, doesn’t appeal on my taste – as an audience born and living the new millennium. As an audience I look for a comedy film that is not just funny but something generous enough to give the audience a hard time to laugh. Chris Martinez, also known for his ‘Here Comes the Bride’ did not get enough formula for this film. They may have loyal to the original material that they didn’t scratch and repaint the old material for today’s generation of audiences.

On the lighter note, the portrayal of characters is superb. Summing up all beautiful women of this generation in one film, plus three hunks is more than enough appealing on the visual context. I’d like to take not of the hues used for the gowns and other materials are visually excellent. I see potential in Solenn Heusaff and Mikael Cruz as next big thing in local entertainment industry, if they will be given great deal of projects. Solenn equally competes with tenured in show business, but her acting was natural and effortlessly good. Marian Rivera proved that she is really outstanding in comedy rather than drama. Heart Evangelista is undeniably beautiful and elegant. I could say that she is the next Gretchen Barretto of this age. Lovi Poe shines in this film. She had proved to the world that she is not just an easy chick to get along with, but an intelligent actress. Ruffa Mae Quinto shines her star less in this film. I haven’t felt the Ruffa Mae humor all throughout. Aljur Abrenica and Tom Rodriguez shares equal extinct-ness of sexiness and hotness. Finally, I will give John Lapuz a great round of applause for being the star that shines brightest in this film. John’s acting is really superb and consistent.

The remake of the ‘Temptation Island’ is still a success. But we need to learn to innovate for the audience and for the quality of films we produced.