SUPERWARDROBE



Is it me or am I seeing double? I've seen most of Ate Guy's films many times thanks to the advent of video and DVD, I can't help but notice that she have worn the same outfit in some of her movies. Most notably would be the black top Ate Guy wore in Ikaw Ay Akin (1978) in the scene where she was clothes shopping with Rex (Christopher de Leon) at Rustan's. Four years later she would wear it again in T-Bird At Ako (1982) where Atty. Sylvia Salazar bared her inner self to ardent suitor and rival Jake (Tommy Abuel).

In Panakip Butas (1977), Ate Guy was wearing this printed number while pouring her heart out to Andre (Sandy Garcia). The same top shows up two years later when the Superstar wore it again in the unforgettable reveleation scene in Lino Brocka's Ina Ka Ng Anak Mo (1979), where she uttered the famous line Hayup... hayup! Like the aforementioned scenes her wardrobe is just as memorable.

Nora Aunor ICON (The Superstar's Official Website)



Philippine Superstar Nora Aunor's Official Website was launched yesterday at the Mowelfund Plaza where Noranians from around the country gathered to celebrate Ate Guy's 39th Anniversay in showbiz. Filled with interesting articles and reviews of the Superstar's incomparable body of work from her films, music to television and stage performances. Regarded as The Greatest Filipino Performer Of All Time, the website offers insights to her unsurpassed genius. It's the artist at work. Witness the greatest gift to Philippine Cinema... Nora Aunor Superstar!

S Magazine's Greatest Filipino Actresses of All Time

Superstar Nora Aunor has topped S Magazine's 100-people poll of the greatest actresses in Philippine cinema. She garnered 85 votes, three more than number two placer and arch-rival Vilma Santos. Among those surveyed were film critics Butch Francisco, Mario Baustista, Gino Dormiendo and Mario Hernando, award-winning actors Dawn Zulueta, Cesar Montano and Glydel Mercado and film directors Jose Javier Reyes, Brillante Mendoza, Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil and Sigfried Barros-Sanchez.

La Aunor was cited for her compelling perfomances in Himala, Atsay, Ina Ka Ng Anak Mo, Bona, Ikaw Ay Akin, Bulaklak Sa City Jail, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bilangin Ang Mga Bituin Sa Langit, Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo, Fe, Esperanza, Caridad, Banaue, Condemned, Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina?, Bakit May Kahapon Pa?, Ang Totoong Buhay Ni Pacita M., Bakit Bughaw Ang Langit?, The Flor Contemplacion Story, and Naglalayag.

Ten years ago, Nora also topped a greatest Filipino actress survey of the Manila Times' Lifestyle Section.

Here's the ranking of the top 15 Greatest Filipino Actresses Ever:

1. Nora Aunor - 85 votes
2. Vilma Santos - 82 votes
3. Lolita Rodriguez - 57 votes
4. Charito Solis - 52 votes
5. Hilda Koronel - 50 votes
6. Gloria Romero - 45 votes
7. Nida Blanca - 40 votes
8. Jaclyn Jose - 40 votes
9. Gina Alajar - 40 votes
10. Sharon Cuneta - 37 votes
11. Maricel Soriano - 32 votes
12. Lorna Tolentino - 30 votes
13. Amy Austria - 25 votes
14. Rita Gomez - 23 votes
15. Cherry Pie Picache - 20 votes

TUNGKOL SA PAGSUSULAT NG HIMALA
Ni Ricky Lee

Sinulat ko ang first draft ng Himala noong 1976 para kay Mike de Leon. Dumalo kami sa mga ispiritista. nag-interbyu ako ng mga taong pinagpapakitaan o sinasaniban ng mga kababalaghan. Pero ang pinaka-pinagmulan ng Himala ay ang nangyari sa Cabra Island noong 1967 kay Belinda, isang dalagitang pinagpakitaan umano ng Birhen. Naging komersyal ang buhay sa isla.

Paiba-iba pa noon ang title -Sta. Maria ni Elsa, Aparisyon, Mga Himala. Hindi natuloy ang project kay Mike. Dalawang taong iniaalok namin ito ni Bibsy Carballo (line producer) sa kung kani-kaninong producer. Walang natuloy. Si Nora Aunor na noon pa man ang balak para sa Elsa. At si Ishmael Bernal ang magdidirek.

Nang ilunsad ang ECP film story contest ay isinali ko ang Himala. Suwerte namang napili ito. Isang buwan ang ibinigay sa akin para tapusin ang bagong draft ng screenplay. May panahon noon na hiniram ko ang beach resort ni Armida Sigulon-Reyna sa Batangas at doon ako nagsulat.

Himala ang screenplay na pinakakonti ang naging konsesyon ko. Sa akin nagsimula ang materyal nito at hindi sa producer. Kung sa isang ordinaryong producer ito. naibigay, maaaring pinilit kaming bigyan ng ka-love team si Nora, at gawing masaya ang ending. Baka utusan pa kaming gawing totoo ang himala.

Kami ang pumili kay Nora Aunor. Pumayag ang ECP na bukod kay Nora, lahat ay baguhan sa pelikula para maging mas totoong tao ang labas, at mas matipid.

Ang naging pinakakonsesyon lang siguro ay ang pangyayaring ang sinulat ko ay isang Cupang na parang impiyerno sa init. Tigang ang lupa at walang tumutubong halaman, kaya handa silang maniwala sa unang patak ng anumang himala. Ang una kong eksena noon ay bus na papasok sa Cupang, sakay si Oriy, ang filmmaker, na para bang bumababa sila sa impiyerno.

Di pumuwede ang ganito dahil gusto ng ECP na ihabol sa Metro Manila Film Festival ang pelikula. Binawasan ko ang init sa script.

Maraming iba pang naging pagbabago mula una nanggang huling rebisyon. Siguro'y para lalong mapaganda at luminaw, o kaya'y dahil di puwede sa produksyon. Anu't anuman, walang mga pagbabagong sumaliwa sa tama, at lahat ito'y ginawa ng Direktor matapos akong konsultahin.

May character na tinanggal: si Espe. Bakia pero tough, namumuno sa pangkat ng mga batang magnanakaw sa mga turista. Isa sa mga batang ito noong una si Nestoy, na noo'y kapatid pa ni Elsa.

Meron ding isang dalaga sa Cupang na gustong mag-artista, at nagpuntang Maynila. Dito tumira si Elsa noong mawala na ang himala, at pumunta siya sa Maynila. Dinalaw niya lahat ng mga lugar na may sinasaniban ng Birhen, kinausap niya ang ibang mga kagaya niya. Lahat nang ito ay tinanggal ko.

Dumalaw ako ilang ulit sa location sa llokos, at marami kaming naging discussions ni Bernal. Karamihan sa mga ito ay nakatulong sa mga rebisyon ko. Nagkaroon ng maraming bersyon ang ending, at ilang araw bago mag-shooting saka ko naibigay ang final draft ng eksena.

Sa isang bersyon ng ending ay hindi namatay si Elsa. Nawala lang ang pagsamba ng mga tao sa kanya at naging ordinaryo siyang tao. Makalipas ang maraming maraming taon ay binalikan siya ni Orly at nakitang matanda na siya, nag-iigib ng tubig sa balon, nakalimutan na ng iahat. Sa isa namang bersyon ay nagkaroon ng espekulasyon na muling nabuhay si Elsa. At sa Simula at wakas ng pelikula ay naghinintay ang mga deboto sa kanyang pagbabaiik.

Kung susulatin ko uli ang Himala ngayon siguro'y lalagyan ko na ito ng konting ngiti, at konting paniniwala, kung hindi man sa mga bagay na hindi natin nakikita, ay sa ibang tao. Pero nagpapasalamat pa rin akong nagawa ito sa labas ng mga establisadong production company. Na nagawa ito, para na rin sa akin, ay isang munting himala.

NORA AUNOR Film Actress

Best Of The Philippines

By: Justino M. Dormiendo

The story of Nora Aunor is unparalled in the history of Philippine show business. From the wisp of a girl who once peddled water by the railroad tracks in the Bicol town of Iriga, she has become the country's enduring superstar, a multi-awarded film actress, truly a living legend.

Aunor began her showbiz career in 1967 as a champion in the grand finals of the nationwide Tawag ng Tanghalan singing contest. At 14, she waxed a number of records, which became runaway bestsellers. Dubbed as the Girl with the Golden Voice, she changed the course of Philippine pop music by outselling local and foreign singers at that time.

Then, the movies inevitably beckoned. Dr. Jose Perez of Sampaguita Pictures offered the singing sensation guest roles in his films. By 1969, she became a lead star in Young Love, which was followed by pictures in her home studio as well as LEA Productions, with perennial screen partner, Tirso Cruz III. She was later offered to star in Tower Productions? D' Musical Teenage Idols, a box-office hit, like many of her later movies.

Nick Joaquin wrote in his book on Aunor. She has broken the color line in the Philippine movies, where the rule used to be that heroines must be fair skin and chiseled of profile. Though neither fair nor statuesque, she has bloomed into a beauty all the more fascinating because it's not standard. Seen close up, her complexion shows find gold tints, her features reveal a delicacy of outline, and her large liquid eyes are lovely.

After her stint at Tower, which saw her as the object of a legal tussle between her producers, Aunor decided to become a freelancer. She put up her own outfit, NV Productions, (named after Nora Villamayor, her real name). After the release of Banaue, in 1975, a different Aunor would finally emerge. She hired master filmmaker Gerardo de Leon in the historical costume film which is an attempt to recreate the origin of the mountain tribes that built the world-famous Banaue rice terraces. It is while making the film that she met and married Christopher de Leon, himself an accomplished actor.

In 1976, Aunor produced and starred in yet another film, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos. As the small town school-teacher torn between her love for a guerilla leader fiancèônd a Japanese officer, she ably proved that she was an actress of exceptional talent. There, for her finely delineated portrayal of the tragic maiden, Aunor won both the critics' Gawad Urian and the industry's FAMAS Best Actress awards that same yeat.

Aunor continued to grow as an actress in her later films such as Atsay (1978), where she won yet another award in the Metro Manila Film Festival. Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979), where she pitted her talents with veteran actress Lolita Rodriguez, Bona (1980), where she won her second critics? best actress plum, Himala (1982), where she almost bagged the Berlin filmfests' Best Actress prize, losing by a point to the eventual winner. Other memorable Aunor performances are Bulaklak sa City Jail (1984), 'Merika (1984), and Condemned (1984).

While Aunor's present movie career has not yet been as bright, she continues to be active on television with Superstar, the longest running variety show on Philippine television. And even if her film company is no longer active, she continues to manage it, hoping to revive it soon with a line-up of pictures. Today, Aunor, now separated from husband de Leon, continues to be the doting mother to her real-life son, Ian Kristoffer, and adopted children Lotlot de Leon, Matet, both of whom have appeared in films, and Kiko.

Aunor's presence may no longer be as dominant as before, but with the release of her forthcoming films, she hopes to bounce back in circulation and thus prove to all and sundry that she is without doubt the undisputed Queen of Philippine movies.