Vampire season

"I’m having a baby shower this weekend and I’m excited as all my friends from in and out of showbiz promised to attend it," she says. "They’ll help me raw to get all my baby’s needs kahit malayo pa before I deliver in early April of 2009. It’s better to do it now than when my tummy has grown so big. Alam ko na ang gender ng baby ko, a boy. So alam na rin ng guests na walang magdadala ng pink, ‘no? Very happy nga ang husband kong si Orion kasi boy ang magiging panganay namin, e."

They now live in their own townhouse in Quezon City and already have a nursery for the baby. "I’ve already chosen a name for our son, Gabriel. Gusto ko sanang gawing second name ang Orion kasi unique ang name ng husband ko. Kaya lang, ayaw niya. Hindi na raw uso ngayon ang magkaroon ng junior. I want to breastfeed my baby."

So what will happen to Sabrina, her character in "La Lola"?

"I will tape it until the end of January. Kung noticeable na ang tiyan ko, dadayain na lang ang shots. Mauunang matapos ang ‘Una Ka.’ From February to April, rest na lang ako and I’ll attend Lamaze lessons para normal ang maging delivery ko."

This week in "La Lola," Angelika as Sabrina gets scared when she sees that someone smashed the windshield of her car. The culprit is the man to whom she owes money, Marco Alcaraz. Meantime, Gaston (Marvin Agustin) is determined to ruin their rival, La Primera. At a press launch, Susanna (Eula Valdes) is shocked when it’s discovered there’s a cockroach inside the liquor bottle from her company, La Primera. She gets mad as it’s obvious someone sabotaged their launch. She cries when she recalls her sad past with Aguirre (Eddie Garcia).

Gaston gets promoted as the new president of Distilleria Lobregat.

Facundo (JC De Vera) continues to look for Lola, who’s taken to the hospital due to high fever. Gary (Keempee de Leon) confronts Gaston for driving Lola away. Pato (Jay-R) sides with Gary and the gay Gary falls in love with him. The kids Melissa and Boogie are kidnapped by Gary Lim and Gene Padilla who asked for P5 million. Facundo is so worried about the kids and is willing to pay the ransom money. Gene frees the kids and the truth comes out that it’s Sabrina who masterminded the kidnapping of her own daughter Melissa, but the kids are recaptured.

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Sunshine Cruz came to the presscon of Petit Monde looking so slim you won’t think she’s already the mother of three girls.

"I belong to the first batch of their models and I’m the only one left," she says. "Wala na sina Ana Roces at Carmina Villaroel. I was only 16 when I started with them and now I’m 31. Loyal ako sa kanila as they have classic styles but very affordable."

She tried to dodge questions about her and husband Cesar Montano with whom she broke up last Christmas, but the press was persistent. "Okay na kami. At least, bago nag-Christmas uli, we’re together na. The kids are requesting nga na sa Hong Kong kami mag Pasko as they want to go to Disneyland. But it all depends on Buboy’s schedule kasi he’s busy taping ‘The Singing Bee’ that’s now seen on weekends."

What were the lessons she learned from her experience about their temporary separation?

"I realized that I really love my husband. I can’t imagine myself na magkakaroon pa ng other man in my life kundi siya lang. I now pray na sana, malampasan pa namin ang anumang pagsubok o trials na darating sa amin as husband and wife."

How does she feel when Cesar’s ex-girlfriend from Germany, Stella Penaloza, surfaced and admitted their past relationship?

"Puede ba huwag na lang ako magsalita tungkol diyan? I have changed. Ayoko nang basta nagre-react. I want our coming Christmas to be positive kaya tigilan muna ang mga kanegahan. All I can say is I appreciate ‘yung effort ni Buboy na mailagay sa ayos ang pagsasama namin and I thank him for that from the bottom of my heart. We even traveled together to the US na kaming dalawa lang."

What about the case she filed against Cesar’s sister?

"You know, I’m so nervous in attending this presscon kasi takot akong usisain tungkol diyan. Ayoko na lang pag-usapan pa ‘yan. All I can say now is that the more important thing is nagkakaintindihan kami and we won’t let ‘yung sinasabi ng ibang tao sa aming paligid to affect us. We ourselves will make or break our own relationship, wala ng iba pa, and we’ll do everything para mas tumibay ang family namin."

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Star Magic artists are featured in ABS-CBN’s afternoon soap, "Pieta," the story of a mom’s unconditional love starring Cherie Gil as Amanda and Ryan Agoncillo as the son, Rigor. Star Magic artists in the series are Jason Abalos, John James Uy, Janus del Prado, Jairus Aquino, Enrique Gil and Nina Dolino and Star Magic’s Rikka Dylim hosted a special lunch just for them. Jason plays Efren, the best friend of Ryan from childhood. He used to be a member of Rigor’s notorious gang but his dad is a cop and he is recruited into the police force making him and Ryan adversaries. After winning the Urian best actor award for "Endo," he now stars in another indie film, Cinema One’s "Motorcycle." "My dad, Noni Buencamino, dies and I’m assigned to bring his ashes to his hometown in Ilocos using his motorcycle," he says. "It becomes a journey of self discovery for me. We shot the film in Vigan and Pagudpud, directed by Jon Red, who’s also my director in ‘Eva Fonda,’ the new series I just finished taping with Cristine Reyes." Jason endorses Afficionado Perfumes and is also Jewels Apparel’s male endorser. He has finished another indie film, "Handumanan," with Chin Chin Gutierrez, directed by Seymour Sanchez and filmed in Dumaguete.

John James Uy, discovered in the "Be Bench" contest, feels lucky to play Frank in "Pieta," the rich suitor of Krista Ranillo who plays Martha.

"It’s my first regular drama and my character believes money can buy everything," he says. "I’m learning about acting from my co-stars in this show." He’s also Myx VJ for North America and this gives him the chance to travel around our country, an eye opener for him since he grew up in California.

Janus del Prado plays Boyong in "Pieta," the friend of Ryan who acts as his conscience when he’s doing something bad. Janus just celebrated his birthday on November 19 and he was also seen recently in "Lobo" and the movie "My Only U" as Vhong Navarro’s best friend. He can do both drama and comedy with equal ease and is also in Regal’s filmfest entry "Shake Rattle & Roll 10."

Nina Dolino has just finished her degree as a communications major at the Ateneo when a friend asked her to join the audition as a "tadjock" in "Wazzup Wazzup." This led to another hosting job in "Break the Bank." She also joined the singing all-female group Koolchx. "Pieta" is her first regular drama and she plays a challenging role as Jessa, the younger sister of Jason who’s desperately in love with Ryan.

"My role is very challenging as it’s the opposite of me since she’s a babaeng bakla na palengkera at jologs who’ll fight for her love for Ryan," she says.

Recently, she did a mud wrestling scene with Krista and it became controversial as they really hurt each other while fighting on cam. "The instruction of director Toto Natividad is for me to really hurt her, so sinampal at sinabunutan ko talaga siya rito. What I didn’t expect is lalaban siya, so nagkasakitan kami talaga. Bale ba, hindi lang putik ‘yung ginulungan namin kundi mabato. E, naka-mini skirt lang kami, so we ended up na sugat-sugat ang aming legs at tuhod. After that scene, hindi na kami nag-uusap. But I’m confident magkakabati rin kami kasi alangan namang magkagalit na lang kami for the rest of the show."

Would she fall for Ryan in real life?

"Ay, may boyfriend na ako. He’s a model named Peter and we’ve been together for five years now. Faithful ako sa kanya."

Nina and the cast of "Pieta" will have a nationwide tour, starting with a caravan on November 30 in Metro Town Mall, Tarlac City, and SM City, Rosales, Pangasinan. For more information, visit abscbnpieta.blogspot.com.

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It is vampire season in the US now with the hit HBO series, "True Blood," the acclaimed Swedish film about teen vampires, "Let the Right One In" and the blockbuster hit "Twilight" which is the first in a series of four popular books by Stephenie Meyer that started in 2005 and have sold 17 million copies worldwide.

"Twilight" is about a teen human girl, Bella Swann, who falls in love with Edward Cullen, one of a group of vampires who have trained themselves to drink animal blood. (They must be fond of "dinuguan.") The anticipation of diehard "Twilight" fans has reached bloodcurdling levels in the US and it’s now considered a cultural phenomenon like the "Harry Potter" series.

The difference is that "Twilight" was filmed at a comparatively lower budget of only $36 million and the two actors playing the lead roles, Kristen Stewart ("The Messengers") as Bella and Robert Pattinson (the Brit actor who played Cedric Gregory in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") as Edward, have captured the hearts of many "Twilight" fans.

In the "Romeo and Juliet" type of forbidden love story, Bella relocates from Phoenix, Arizona after her mom remarried to join her police chief dad (Billy Burke) to the dark rainy town of Forks, Washington State.

Bella is an outcast in Phoenix and she doesn’t expect that she’d fit in with her new classmates in Forks, where she joins the class in mid-term, just like Gabriella Montez in "High School Musical." And just like Gabriella, she meets her own Troy Bolton in the mysterious Edward, a smart and witty boy who’s unlike anyone she has ever met before as he’s described in the book as a "godlike creature."

To Edward, who’s been 17 years old for a hundred years, they’re soulmates. They get into an intense romance, but the closer they get to each other, the more Edward has to control himself to resist the attraction of her smell that can send him into frenzy to suck her blood. Things get complicated when new vampires arrive, James, Laurent and Victoria (Cam Gigandet, Edi Gathegi and Rachelle Lefevre) who want to suck Bella’s blood.