ROCCO Nacino will advance taping some episodes of GMA7's “The Good Daughter” with Kylie Padilla since he will be gone for 20 days in March and April to shoot “Lam-ang” on location in Vigan and Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. “May break naman in between,” he says. “After 10 days, I’ll be allowed to return to Manila then balik uli ako sa Ilocos to finish the shoot. I’m excited as I’ve never been to Ilocos.”

What’s he doing to prepare for the role? “First, I did research on Lam-ang to find out more about him. He’s an Ilocano epic folk hero. Our director, Ana Agabin, wants me to be more buff so I’m now working out to add more muscles kasi nakabahag lang ako all throughout the movie. I’m also taking arnis lessons for the fight scenes.”

He was just the 5th placer in Starstruck V, but he has overtaken the careers of his batchmates, including winners Sarah Lahbati and Steven Silva, since he plays no less than the title role in “Lam-ang.” He’s also nominated either as best actor or best new movie actor for his portrayal of a closeted gay dancer in last year’s “Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa.” “I’m sure magkakaroon din ng sarili nilang break ang mga kasabay ko,” he says.

ALLEN IS 'AKTOR NG DEKADA'

DENNIS Evangelista is the line producer of “Lam-ang” for Saridandan Films Inc. of Ilocos Sur Vice Gov. DV Savellano. He stresses that it’s different from the “Lam-ang” project of Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos who’ll first do a graphic novel of the material before their own animated version. “Our version is live action from start to finish,”  he adds.

Dennis is also the line producer of such award-winning films as “Dukot” about desaparecidos, “Sigwa” about the First Quarter Storm, “Deadline” about wanton media killings, “Patikul” about the efforts of Mindanao coffee farmers for literacy and the latest is “Migrante (The Filipino Diaspora)” about OFWs starring Jodi Sta. Maria that just finished shooting on location in Israel. All of them are helmed by Joel Lamangan.

Dennis tells us that “Dukot” lead actor Allen Dizon, who won best actor in the 8th Gawad Tanglaw award (from academicians) for his role as an ill-fated activist has just been notified that at the 10th Gawad Tanglaw Awards, he’ll be honored anew as an Aktor ng Dekada, one of the actors honored in the award-giving body’s first decade. “Patikul,” which also stars Allan, also wins as their student’s choice best picture, with Joel Lamangan winning their presidential jury award for excellence in film. Awarding will be held on March 15.

Meantime, “Deadline”, which had SRO screenings in Europe and the Middle East, will be shown exclusively at SM Clark on February 21-22, sponsored by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Pampanga chapter.

WELCOME ADDITION

ANA Agabin is a welcome addition to our short list of female directors. Daughter of the UP College of Law Dean Pacifico Agabin, she graduated from UP in 1998 majoring in European languages.

She was into theatre acting and after college, she joined a production outfit that produces a women’s show for ANC and makes AVP’s and docus. In 2009, she joined Cinemalaya and directed her first full length film, “24 K,”  about the search for missing treasure starring Julio Diaz and Alchris Galura. It won best cinematography and was also nominated for the Golden Orchid Award at the Hawaii International Filmfest.

“Na-trauma ako after that,” she says. “Grabe experience ko sa dami ng problema starting with Julio, who later apologized, at dahil sa budget constraints and time pressure. I rested for a while. I’m Ilocana so I know about the epic of Lam-ang. Before superheroes like Superman, Batman and even Panday, may Lam-ang na ang Ilocos passed on through centuries by oral tradition. I thought it’d be good material for a movie. I met Vice Gov. DV Savellano through a friend and I mentioned the project to him. Gustung-gusto niya so, heto, gagawin ng pelikula.”

How did she choose Rocco for the title role? “Nagpa-audition kami. Many actors came but I won’t mention their names anymore. Sa lahat sa kanila, si Rocco ang sobrang galing. Nagawa niya lahat ng pinagawa ko at swak na swak talaga siya as Lam-ang. We’re now looking for his leading lady na kailangan, brown din like him. Playing his foil is Art Acuna while Alchris Galura will be his best friend who’s be with him in all his adventures.”

CHERISHED MEMORIES FOR DAVID

DAVID Archuleta says he’ll treasure the memories of his pleasant stay in Manila taping “Nandito Ako,” the TV5 miniserye that starts tonight pairing him with Jasmine Curtis Smith and Eula Caballero. “It’s unforgettable as I learned so much about acting since I’m really more of a singer than an actor,” he says. “Everyone is nice and warm, from my co-stars who are both great actresses to Director Mac Alejandre. Everyone is giving me food on the set.”

He plays Josh Bradley, an international singer doing a concert in Manila who’s looking for his Pinay mom, Giselle Tongi. He meets a fan, Eula as Holly, and romance brews between them, but then Holly’s tomboyish best friend, Jasmine as Anya, proves to be more attractive to Josh, making it a love triangle. “Nandito Ako” premieres tonight after “Wiltime Bigtime.”

After it comes “Valiente” and after “Valiente” comes exciting Hollywood movies dubbed in Tagalog to be shown in Super Sine Prime. Scheduled starting tonight are “Blade 2” on Monday, “I Am Legend” on Tuesday, “300” on Wednesday, “Blade Trinity” on Thursday, and “Die Hard 4” on Friday.

To cap off TV5’s primetime offering is a rundown of the day’s hottest news with Paolo Bediones and Cherry Mercado in “Pilipinas News”, also premiering tonight.

START OF A 'KISS'

A NEW Taiwanese drama series, “It Started with a Kiss,” starring model, actor-singer Joe Ching and singer-actress Ariel Lin, will start this afternoon on GMA7’s Afternoon Prime block. Based on the Japanese animated (mangga) TV series “Itazura na Kiss,” it’s the story of two teens whose intelligence levels are so far apart.  Joe as Joseph is the smartest one in class but anti-social, while Ariel as Arianne is his exact opposite: not so bright but very sociable. Arianne falls in love with him at first sight.  But he’s turned off by her being the most stupid girl in class.  She then tries her best to meet his standards, hoping it would capture his attention.  It turns out that Joseph and Arianne’s dads are high school friends.  Joseph’s parents favor Ariane and even coach her in her studies so she could win Joseph’s heart. Find out how Joseph and Arianne’s love story unfolds in It Started with a Kiss after Broken Vow this afternoon.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

“THE Woman in Black” is the second longest running play in London that started in 1987, based on a novel by Susan Hill published in 1983. The play has only two performers, the one playing the lead role, Arthur, and the other one doing all the other roles. Of course, they have to make changes for the film version so it won’t appear as just a filmed play. They also created a more complex story for Arthur. The play ends with him marrying his girl. Here, he is a young widower with a son.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, Arthur is a young lawyer sent by his boss to a distant village settle the estate of the late Alice Drablow, the Eel Marsh House. The villagers are hostile and want him to leave right away. One look at the cavernous mansion and you’ll know it’s haunted. He sees the woman in black, who wants to kill all the children in the village, and tries to find out what her secret is.

The best thing about the movie is the production design, with the beautiful Victorian period setting, especially the superbly photographed island where the house is located, connected to the mainland by a flimsy road that vanishes when the tide comes in. There are also beautiful shots of the marsh, the moors and the foggy valleys to foster the right eerie mood.

We came prepared to like the movie that we’re hoping would be the right vehicle for Radcliffe to dissociate himself from being Harry Potter. But it rambles on and on with nothing much happening and Radcliffe is not at all credible as a grieving widower and doting dad.  After a while, Director James Baxter resorts to the usual tricks of creating boo moments meant to jolt the audience through amplified sound, like when muddy water suddenly blasts out of the faucet and a black bird suddenly flies into a room. Then we see apparitions moving around, the woman in black standing ominously in the distance or floating around or screaming. It becomes repetitive and everything becomes cumbersome viewing. If you love a good more cerebral scary story, this tedious exercise is definitely not for you.