KATRINA Halili is back after the character she plays was killed in “Munting Heredera” four months before it ended. This time, she’s playing another villain role in “My Beloved” as kontrabida to Marian Rivera, but she also plays the lead in “Spooky Valentine Presents Masahista.”

“Yes, active na po uli ako,” she tells us. “’Spooky Valentine’ will be shown tonight after ‘Manny’s Many Prizes’. I play a ghost sa isang massage parlor owned by Antonio Aquitania who has amnesia. Each time I appear to him na minamasahe ko siya, I want to convey a message to him pero hindi niya ma-gets. Later on, it will be revealed na nagkaroon pala kami ng affair ng brother niyang si Paulo Contis and little by little, he’d learn the truth about what happened to me. Ako na ang sexiest ghost masseuse dito.”

Atty. Felipe Gozon said that while she didn’t have a show, she built a resort in her native Palawan. “Ginagawa pa lang. Kapag natapos, I will invite you all. While waiting for my new show, nag-aral ako ng baking and cooking.”

What can she say now that someone’s about to make a comeback? “Sino?” Si H. She pretends not to understand. Si Hayden Kho. “Ay, wala na akong pakialam sa kanya. Bahala siya sa buhay niya. Basta ako, I’m back to work. I’m happy.”

She seems to be braver now. “Dapat lang naman. Sa dami ng pinagdaanan ko, dapat lang akong tumapang. When our colleague Tyron Perez passed, I went to his wake at kinausap ko nga siya, sabi ko, nanghihinayang ako sa kanya. Kung may malaki siyang problema, dapat kinausap niya na lang ako at marami akong maise-share sa kanya. Di ba, sa dami ng hirap na pinagdaanan ko, never ko naisip gawin yung ginawa niya. At ngayon, I can say na masaya na ko sa buhay ko.”

Is it true she and Kris Lawrence are now happy together? “Yes, masaya kami.”

ERVIC DIVULGES FRENCHESKA'S TRUE LOVELIFE

ERVIC Vijandre is one fortunate guy. He plays TJ Trinidad’s best friend in “Kokak” and the show will end in March yet. But even before this ends, he already started taping for GMA’s new afternoon soap, “The Good Daughter,” that starts airing on Monday.

“Second choice lang ako sa ‘Good Daughter,’ ” he says. “The role was originally meant for Daniel Matsunaga, but he’s going home to visit his parents in Brazil kaya hindi siya puwede,” he says. “Since we have the same manager, Jonas Gaffud of Mercator Agency, ako'ng ipinalit. Suwerte ko nga, di ba?”

What’s his role in “Good Daughter”? “I play Mario Escobar, the secret lover of Kylie Padilla’s stepmother, si Alicia Meyer. Niloloko namin ang husband niya, si Raymond Bagatsing na dad ni Kylie.”

Wasn’t he linked to Frencheska Farr in “Kokak”? “Pinagtutuksuhan lang kami. Pero hindi puwede as she has a non-showbiz boyfriend na lagi siyang binabantayan sa taping kahit inaabot na ng umaga.”

'MAGICAL' COMEBACK

DIRECTOR Dominic Zapata has worked individually with Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes. “First time ko to work with them together in ‘My Beloved’ and here’s where I saw for the first time na may kakaibang chemistry pala talaga sila,” he says. “It’s magical.”

He felt bad when Rhian Ramos left the show for personal reasons. “We have taped about 150 sequences with her. Lahat 'yun, tinapon. Sayang talaga, lumaki pati ang budget. I love Rhian as I’m her first director in ‘Captain Barbell’ and in ‘Zorro,’  but we have to respect her decision. But when Marian came, what a blessing! Iba rin ang take niya sa character ni Sharina at mai-in love ka sa kanya.”

He admits the show is inspired by “Meet Joe Black” with Dingdong Dantes playing a character similar to Brad Pitt. “Tagasundo siya ng mga mamamatay. Marami silang sundo. We tape the sundo headquarters in a special set built in Makati, with Jestoni Alarcon as the head of the sundo council. They’re not really angels here. Basta they’re assigned to fetch dying people lang, they never get to heaven and they don’t have wings kundi parang electric currents flowing from their backs.

They also have no feelings at all, but si Dingdong, nang susunduin niya si Marian, hinalikan siya nito at nagkaroon siya ng feelings. He’s sent back to earth as a mortal at na-in love sila ni Marian sa isa’t isa. I’m thankful GMA is willing to spend para maiba talaga ang show. In a crucial scene, we bought an entire bus at yun nga yung hinulog sa flyover sa corner ng Buendia and Roxas Blvd. The whole scene, pati yung pag-setup at paglilinis namin after the shoot, cost GMA P2.3 million.”

WORTH READING MAG

CONGRATS to Susan Calo Medina for coming up with a first issue of her Travel Time, The Magazine for 2012 that’s truly worth reading. On the cover is Wushu World Champion Mark Robert Rosales carrying a dragon head from the Ling Nam Athletic Federation.

This issue features articles from prominent Tsinoys such as Teresita Ang-See, Meah Ang-See and Doreen Yu. It also carries articles from former DoH Secretary Jaime Galvez-Tan and Director Floy Quintos. Doreen Yu takes readers around the streets of Binondo to share favorite places from her childhood. In Suroy Suroy Sugbo, Maridol Ranoa Bismark tours 22 towns in three days and watches the whole of Cebu come alive during the Suroy Suroy Sugbo festivities. In Here, There and Everywhere (Dossier), Teresita Ang-See shares the journey of Tsinoys in the Philippines. Former DoH Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan ticks off the most effective Chinese treatments. The mag is available at only P125 in Powerbooks, Fully Booked, Wilcon Builder’s Depot, National Bookstore and other major bookstores. For subscriptions, you may call Louise Lim at 09175696554.

CHRONICLE: WHEN POWER LANDS IN THE WRONG HANDS

‘CHRONICLE’ is a fresh take on the superhero flick so different from mainstream ones like “Superman” or “Spiderman.” It’s more akin to “Kick-Ass,” about a geeky boy who wants to be a superhero. This time, the three guys who acquire superhero powers after they go inside a hole in the ground are ordinary high school students in Seattle.

The film is told documentary style with the most dorky among them, Andrew (Dane DeHaan), as the videographer who records everything. His mom is dying, his dad is a drunkard who beats him up and he also gets mauled by bullies in school. You’d think he’s the main character but there’s a twist in the story that will surprise you. His only friend is Matt (Alex Russell), his cousin who tells him to be more sociable. Matt has another friend, Steve (Michael B. Jordan), a popular jock who’s an achiever in and out of the classroom.

As a result of their life-changing encounter inside the hole, they acquire telekinetic powers like what Sissy Spacek had as “Carrie” in 1976. Andrew quickly becomes the most adept in harnessing his powers. They start using their skills by having fun while playing tricks on unsuspecting people. Soon, they learn how to fly. After Andrew causes an accident on a driver who’s following them, Matt sets up rules to make sure they don’t harm people. But Andrew’s sad and dark experiences cause him to think otherwise. He likens himself to a lion who’s the king of the jungle. Unfortunately for him, he has no Uncle Ben who’d tell him that “with great power comes great responsibilities”. In his case, power does corrupt.

The movie is the debut of Director Josh Trank. His docu style of presenting the narrative is not new since it’s been used before, mainly in horror flicks like “Blair Witch Project” and the “Paranormal Activity” series. This is the first time it’s used in a superhero flick like this and although it looks more like an artifice at the start, it helps get us directly into the action and fosters a sense of intimacy with the characters. It does have its limitations, which is why they have introduced a female character who’s also fascinated with the camera and, in the breathtaking spectacular climax, other video cameras are used as a source of forwarding the narrative.

The cast is composed of unknowns, neophytes mostly seen on TV, giving the proceedings an air of reality. The film is also somewhat of a coming-of-age story, with the teens dealing with their psychic powers instead of raging hormones. It poses the question: what if superpowers fall into the wrong hands, like a guy with plenty of emotional hang-ups in the case of Andrew. Made with a small budget of only $15 million, the movie became a sleeper hit as number one in the U.S. box office charts last weekend so we won’t be surprised if it  would have a sequel.