THE next soaps of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson will be a test case for each of them as they’re no longer paired with each other. Kim is in “Binondo Girl” paired with Matteo Guidicelli, Xian Lim and Jolo Revilla. While Gerald plays the title role in “Budoy,” a slow witted boy in a family of doctors where he’s paired with Jessy Mendiola. If both shows would still rate high even if they’re no  longer a love team, then that means the Kimerald fans who threaten to boycott the show are miniscule in number and have no clout at all. Well, to begin with, they already proved this when Gerald’s movie with Sarah Geronimo became a blockbuster despite their threats.

As for Kim, she’s confident viewers will like “Binondo Girl” that shows the lives of Chinoys in the Philippines. In the story, her grandpa is expecting a boy when she was born so when she turned out to be a girl, she was made to pretend that she’s a boy called Yuan. “I’m amused when I see myself in the mirror in a man’s getup, complete with a moustache. Ang pogi ko pala!” she laughs. “But it’s no joke playing a man on screen kasi kailangan lakihan ko ang boses at talian ang dibdib ko to make it look flat chested. Masikip so noong una parang hindi ako makahinga, until nasanay na rin ako at maging macho talaga ang projection ko. I want to thank my senior co-stars na sina Ai Ai de las Alas, Cherry Pie Picache and Ms. Gina Pareño kasi ang laki ng contribution nila para maging convincing ang performance ko.”

If she were a man in real life, her type of girl would be Angel Aquino, Iza Calzado and Marian Rivera. “I’m really amazed at their stunning beauty,” she adds.

Off cam, she was linked to Sam Milby. “Naku, nagulat ako du’n. Ni hindi nga siya nanliligaw. Nagsimula ‘yan sa show ni Kris Aquino. Kasi, ginaya ko ‘yung bedroom niya, tapos kami na agad. Nakakahiya.”

So she has gotten over Gerald? “Oo naman. Move on na tayo. Matagal na ‘yun.”

GERALD REACTS TO KIM’S STATEMENT

WHAT can Gerald Anderson say about Kim’s declaration that she has gotten over him? “I’m happy that she has gotten over me as I’ve also gotten over her,” he says at the renewal of his contract with Dermablend Guava Tea Tree Natural Cleansing Soap along with Sam Milby. “We’ve remained the best of friends and I pray for the success of her new show, ‘Binondo Girl’.” What about Kimerald fans who keep on saying they resent their having new partners? “Wala naman silang choice but to accept it kasi it’s ABS-CBN who assigns kung sino na makakapareha namin. They should just be happy that Kim and I are both growing in our careers.”

Ms. Dina Stalder, owner of Dermablend products, says they’re very satisfied with Gerald as their endorser. “Tumaas talaga ang sales namin since we got him two years ago.”

The athletic Gerald says he’s really been using Dermablend cleansing soap since then especially after his workouts. “Their antibacterial and antiseptic properties are just perfect for people on the go like me as it gives total protection.”

TAGALOG MOVIE FEST IN SEPTEMBER

IF no one would give way, three local films are scheduled to open simultaneously on September 7. First is the Cinemalaya hit, “Ligo na U, Lapit na Me,”  that gave Edgar Allan Guzman the best actor award in the New Breed category, released by Regal Films. Then there is Director Quark Henares’ master opus that is five years in the making, “Rakenrol,” starring Jason Abalos and Glaiza de Castro. Last is the indie film about a female runner, “Thelma,” starring Maja Salvador. Looks like many local films will be shown in September as Star Cinema is also releasing their comedy “Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi” with Eugene Domingo and Wendell Ramos, as well as Regal’s sex-drama about wife-swapping, “My Neighbor’s Wife” starring Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana, Jake Cuenca and Lovi Poe, directed by Jun Lana.

JORDAN BACK, ‘RAPES’ GLAIZA

SEXY actor Jordan Herrera is elated that GMA7 got him to play the pivotal role of Datu Saghid in “Amaya.”  Jordan’s muscled physique is really full of tattoos so he feels right at home in the show where the actors’ bodies are really adorned with tattoos. “Matagal na akong di napapanood sa primetime so I’m really happy to be part of a hit show like ‘Amaya’,” he says. “Ako ‘yung datung may gusto kay Glaiza de Castro as Binayaan. Liligawan ko siya nang todo at padadalhan ng mga regalo pero ibabalik niya sa’kin at babastedin ako. Dahil dito, kikidnapin ko siya at gagahasain.”

In another shocking twist in the story, Gina Alajar as Lamitan manipulates Gardo Versoza as Rajah Mangubat, putting a love potion in his drink so he’d fall in love with her eldest daughter, Rochelle Pangilinan as Marikit, who then becomes Mangubat’s fourth wife.

COWBOYS AND ALIENS:  ENGAGING  ODD MIX

THE premise seems ridiculous as how would cowboys and aliens meet, but since this is based on a comic book (by Scott Mitchell of Platinum Comics), where anything and everything is possible, the movie “Cowboys and Aliens” does succeed in suspending our disbelief and entertains us with the combined elements of a Western and science-fiction.

It starts with Daniel Craig waking up in the desert with a wound on his side and wearing a mysterious bracelet. Just like Jason Bourne, he doesn’t remember anything. Some bad guys threaten him but he quickly demolishes them all to show how good a fighter he is.

He goes to a nearby mining town where he helps send to jail a young bully, Percy (Paul Dano), who’s terrorizing the people. It’s revealed that he’s actually a wanted criminal named Jake Lonergan. He tries to fight off the sheriff who wants to arrest him but a woman, Ella (Olivia Wilde), hits him on the head and he ends up in jail with Percy. Ella seems to know Jake from way back and wants him to help him regain his memory.

Just as he and Percy are about to be transported by the town’s sheriff (Keith Carradine), Percy’s dad, the shady Col. Woodrow Dollarhyde (Harrison Ford), comes along with his henchmen to get his son back. While they’re arguing, the aliens’ aircraft zoom along and start abducting people. Some Indians join the fray and a potion they give Jake helps him remember that he was also abducted by the aliens along with his ill-fated wife (Abigail Spencer) and the gold coins he stole from some bandits. They then all troop to the alien base in the desert hills for a slambang battle scene.

This diverting spectacle is produced by veterans Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and the five credited writers are the ones who also penned “Transformers” and “Star Trek” prequel. Director Jon Favreau (“Ironman”) shows respect for the root genres and mixes their elements quite well in this summer popcorn flick, even spicing it up with some humor. The new James Bond is cast with Indiana Jones, who looks so old and grizzled here you have to think hard to remind yourself that he was also once the dashing Han Solo. He actually starts as a corrupt villain and turns into one of the heroes when the aliens appear.

As the cowboy, Daniel Craig goes through the movie with a dead serious mien, never smiling, just like the way he portrays 007 since “Quantum of Solace.” And the movie does end with him walking into the sunset, just like in old westerns. The CGI special effects are topnotched and the extraterrestrials really look scary, with the action-filled climax conceived like a video game. The film is shot amidst a beautiful desert landscape, making it so engaging to look at.