Edgar Loves Vilma

Relesed: September 27, 1970

The Plot: - Daughter of a nightclub singer, Vilma met Edgar whose father, like Vilma's mother is also a single parents. Both parents fell in love at the same time as Vilma and Edgar became lovers. Some twists of events happened, like the sudden breaking up of their parents due to Edgar's grandmother's disapproval of her son's relationship to a night club singer, which is a societal taboo for the upper class during those days, and the kidnapping of Vilma. But all we're ironed out and settled just in time for the final musical production number, showing the whole gang dancing and singing to Vilma's hit song, "Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Love You!"

The Reviews: - "Edgar Loves Vilma" (1970) started with suitor Oscar (Jess Lapid jr.) calling Vilma about a party they're attending, he's trying to make sure Vilma will be his dance partner. The following scene, Edgar is also talking over the phone, and his girlfriend was also trying to assure herself that Edgar will be her dance partner. A premonitions? The two attended the party, both did their usual singing number and both ended up in the dance floor living their partners. As Vi and Bot became lovers so is their parents, both single and lonely. Vilma's mother who is a nightclub singer (Perla Bautista) falls for Edgar's father. Edgar's grandmother who lives with them discovered his son new affair and visited Vilma's mother. She insulted her, being a "nightclub singer" and asked her to live his engaged son. Vilma's mother followed her request and at the same time, she had an argument with Vilma, resulting with daughter leaving the house. Missing for two days, Edgar help to find Vilma while his father ironed out his relationship with Vilma's mother, who is now sick. Edgar found Vilma, and their parents reconcile. We thought this is the end but Vilma's suitor Oscar kidnapped her. Thankfully, Edgar rescued her after the usual fight scenes. The film ended in the typical musical production number. Vilma singing her recorded hit song, "Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Love You." Rico Bello Omagap's story and screenplay was poor and so is Leonardo L. Garcia's direction. There are so many unnecessary scenes particularly Edgar Moriz several singing in his house garden while being watch by his two young siblings. Another one was Ben David's character despite the attempt to add some comedy. At times Perla Bautista was convincing but some scenes can be edited shorter. After watching Edgar Loves Vilma, not surprisingly you will not feel the love. - RV

Masarap Masakit Ang Umibig

Released: October 21, 1977

Plot Description: A wealthy couple's sacrificing adopted son, Alonso (Christopher de Leon) and wayward biological son, Alvaro (Mat Ranillo III) vie for the love of the same woman, Estella (Vilma Santos).

Film Reviews: "...Walang ipinagkaiba ang pelikula sa ibang mga sineng tinalakay ang mga suliranin ng pag-ibig at pamilya. Makikitang pinagtuunan ng pansin ni direktor Elwood Perez ang disenyo ng pelikula ngunit hindi naging epektibo ang paggamit nito upang maiusad ang kuwento. Kahit sa pagganap ng mga pangunahing tauhan, animo sila'y nasa entablado. Nanlilisik ang mga mata, walang katapusang pagsisigawan, pagtutulakan at pagbubugbugan. Sa pelikulang ito, unang ipinamalas ang senswalidad ni Vilma Santos. Maraming eksenang sekswal ang aktres at maaari talaga siyang makipagsabayan sa mga tulad nina Alma Moreno at Trixia Gomez. Karamihan ng mga sitwasyong ibinigay sa kanyang karakter ay hindi kapani-paniwala. Nariyang gawin siyang modelo, sa ilang piling tagpo ipinakita din ang pagiging estudyante ni Estella ngunit hindi naman tinahak ang mga ito sa kabuuan ng pelikula. Hindi rin maikakaila ang husay ni Christopher de Leon bilang aktor ngunit sa pelikulang ito ay nasayang lamang ang kanyang pagganap. Hindi nabigyan ng tamang direksyon ang aktor kung kaya't lumabas na sabog ang kanyang karakterisasyon. Si Mat Ranillo III naman ay tila hindi na natutong umarte. Kadalasa'y pinaghuhubad siya ng direktor sa mga eksena upang mabigyang pansin. Masyadong mahaba ang pelikula dahil na rin siguro sa panghihinayang ni direk Elwood na masayang ang magagandang eksenang kanyang nakunan ngunit hindi naman nakaapekto ang mga ito sa takbo ng istorya. Kadalasa'y nakababad lamang ang kamera at nakatanghod sa susunod na gagawin ng mga artista. Hindi ito nakatulong upang mapabilis ang takbo ng pelikula, nakakainip panoorin ang ganitong mga eksena. Ang Masarap, Masakit Ang Umibig ay basurang nababalot sa kinang ng makintab na sinematograpiya, disenyo at musika na nagbabalatkayong masining na pelikula." Jojo Devera, Sari-saring Sineng Pinoy (READ MORE)

"...Her metamorphosis began in late 1976 when she agreed to be kissed by Rudy Fernandez in Makahiya at Talahib. It was a “feeler” of sort and when the public clacked its tongue in obvious approval, Vilma shelved her lollipops-and-roses image and proved that she, too, could be a woman – a wise move indeed because at that time her career was on a downswing and her movies were not making money. Then she did Mga Rosas sa Putikan for her own VS Films where she played a country girl forced into prostitution in the big city. The movie did fairly well at the tills. Good sign. And came her romance with Romeo Vasquez, boosting both their stocks at the box office (thier two starrers, Nag-aapoy na Damdamin and Pulot-Gata where Vilma did her own wet style, were big moneymakers). The tandem, although it did help Vilma, actually helped Vasquez more in re-establishing himself at the box office (without Vilma, his movies with other leading ladies hardly create any ripple). In Susan Kelly, Edad 20, Vilma played a notorious-woman role that required her to wear skimpy bikini briefs in some scenes, following it up with two giant sizzlers (Dalawang Pugad, Isang Ibon and Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig) that catapulted her as the newest Bold Queen. Then came Burlesk Queen..." - Ricardo F. Lo, Expressweek Magazine January 19, 1978 (READ MORE)

"...Elwood Perez and Vilma Santos colloborated in seven films (Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos 1988, Lipad Darna Lipad 1973, Magkaribal 1979, Masarap Masakit ang Umibig 1977, Nakawin Natin ang Bawat Sandali 1978, Pakawalan Mo Ako 1981, Pinay American Style 1979). The first one was the trilogy that he co-directed with two other director, Borlaza and Gosiengfiao (these three are the most underrated and under appreciated directors in the Philippines), the remake of Mars Ravelo comic super hero, Darna in Lipad Darna Lipad. The film was a record-breaking hit Box-office Film. They follow this up with a more mature projects as Vilma started to switched her image from sweet to a mature versatile actress, pairing her with Christopher DeLeon in five films starting with Masarap Masakit Ang Umibig in 1977. The Perez-Santos-DeLeon team produced seven blockbuster hits that gave Vilma two FAMAS best actress awards that secured her elevation to FAMAS highest honour, the FAMAS Hall of Fame award. She won in 1979 for Pakawalan Mo Ako and 1988 for Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos..." - RV (READ MORE)

Broken Marriage

Released: September 2, 1983

The Plot: Demanding careers and two children have left Ellen (Vilma Santos) and Rene (Christopher De Leon) with a rocky marriage. A trial separation follows, and soon enough, the consideration of divorce -- a serious taboo in Filipino culture in 1983. Orestes Ojeda co-stars as a new flame who lights up Ellen's life. Prolific director Ishmael Bernal directs a heart-tugging script that he co-wrote with Bing Caballero and Jose Carreon. - Netflix

The Reviews:  Broken Marriage comes as a second wave to the noisy ripple created by Vilma Santos’s award-winning performance in Relasyon. The Regal people have banged their bongos so much harder this time that viewers will expect that Ms. Santos’ cards for this year’s awards derby will be more than secure. The hint is that Broken Marriage is a Vilma Santos movie. Lest the moviegoer expect too much from this year’s quadruple winning best actress, he should be forewarned that the movie is about, well, a broken marriage. After more than 10 years of marriage, two young persons find each other repugnant. Ellen is a television floor director who hops from one set to the other shooting sitcoms and soaps. Her husband, Rene, complements her rapid lifestyle in investigative reporting. The movie commences with Ellen coming home in the morning from overtime with a crew party on the side. Rene greets her with an ugly nag. The house turns topsy-turvy as they proceed to hurl invectives against each other.

The exchange is extremely exhilarating; and just as the viewer breathes a sigh of relief, another quarrel starts and ensues as if it were the final assault.  Eventually, they decide to separate at the cost of their boy’s understanding nod and their little girl’s distaste. Rene moves to a house populated with such absurd characters as an artist who carves sexy sculptures, a friendly bit-part actor, and a gay art director who cuddles the upstart. Ellen, meanwhile, has to see to it that the children are not left out in their school activities - even standing as an athletic parent during one of her boy’s scouting engagements. She also has to check the advances of her bodyache-complaining producer, to whom she later gives in anyway. Gradually, the two people realize the great loss that comes with division. Ellen, with the two children, is forced to move to her mother’s place after her house is burglarized, thus realizing the difficulty of an unmanned house. Rene substitutes a whore in the absence of his wife’s caresses. It is when Rene gets beaten up by a city mayor’s goons for nearly publishing a detrimental article and is constrained to recuperate in his mother-in-law’s house that the couple starts patching up the seams of the rent relationship. The ending is of course happy: reconciliation, what else?

Comparisons dawn inexorably: how does Broken Marriage fare as a follow-up to the bravura of Relasyon? This is tough inquiry. If intentions were to be the starting point, then the new movie is a better achievement. Relasyon, judging from its title, was supposed to be about a man and other woman relationship; but the feminist tendencies of our cinema had pinned the movie to a fateful drift: the travails of the modern mistress. Broken Marriage never swerves from its goal; from start to finish it is a portrait of two persons and the bond which they discover smothering and smoldering. But the ordinary moviegoer does not assess by artist’s intentions - he does not even care about the artist (I mean here the one behind the work. On one hand, the film in front of him is the present; and on the other hand, it is the past. Broken Marriage is made to appear to him as a sequel to Relasyon. The process of integrating the past and the present is a challenge for him. For him are opened two avenues: to start with past and proceed with present; or start with present and proceed with past. If he chose the former, the condemnation for Broken Marriage would clang like a wild cymbal. If he chose the latter, the outcome is a laudatory comment).

Nonetheless, one has to prove that the new movie can stand on its own feet. What Relasyon sadly lacked (albeit not too sadly) was humor. Broken Marriage has tons of it - the caustic swaps, the funny characterizations, the clever plottings - so that the audience’s conditioned response for a supposedly serious movie shifts irrevocably to playful irreverence. Vintage Ishmael Bernal. It is a masterly stroke - the proverbial Bernal sleight-of-hand at work, this time with more gusto and style. If the Inquisition were still around, he would be branded and burned seven times as a heretic for turning a marriage gone sour into an off-beat frolic suddenly turned sweet - at least, to the viewer’s mirth-hungry belly. But none may claim that Bernal’s treatment loses its mark of delineating the disadvantages of separation. The humor chisels the message so that it comes to us shining and double-edged, while doing its duty of alleviating an otherwise gloomy impression which accompanies every disillusioning subject matter.

Not only does it come through humorously but also simply. Nowhere is the strain which anyone expects from grave subjects present here. It is as if the dreary topic had been borne on the Lord’s shoulders so that the yoke - and audiences love to be martyrs of maudlin tears - becomes, this rare time, light and easy. The scene where Rene visits his family and finds Ellen and the children agitated by the swift burglary of the house, and the producer wrily comments “Mahirap talaga ang walang lalaki sa bahay”(It’s difficult to have no man in the house) is casual but very biting so that the urgency of the hero returning to his gamily throbs mercilessly like a set clock. In the same way, Bernal shows Ellen’s retrospective mood minus the conventional flashback: her younger sister is engaged to be married, and Ellen watches the two lovebirds running like children, with a bright but painful smile, even with jealousy, knowing that after the ceremonies, the two will lose the innocence which tradition stifles. This is a repetition of the technique Bernal used in Relasyon - the mistress attending the wedding of her cousin - with just the same effect, namely, sympathy. The screenplay plunges right into the boiling point, the issues hurled to the foreground like machine-gun fire, the familiar scenes of hatred and division treated like aimless confetti so that the audience neither breathes nor is excused. It jolts us at the outset and after the terrible whipping, when the squabbles lessen and finally ebb into peace, we realize that these two handsome people must have had only one tragic flaw: they did not keep mum for a while.

Manolo Abaya’s cinematography dances with the jetstyle rhythm of the two protagonists. From the clever blocking of the morningjumble scenes to the hurried bustle of the television studio, Abaya’s camera sweeps avidly and flawlessly. In his hands, the incessant quarrels of Rene and Ellen seem like a vengeful lovemaking. The long shots, conventions of a Bernal, are more developed here. Above all, Abaya’s camera has humor and pathos. The production design never digresses from its limited scope but manages to make poetry out of cluttered rooms and artificial television set-ups. The claustrophobia one feels at the outset of the movie with the couple’s disorderly room easily renders the hopelessness of the two people’s situation. The music filters the emotions of the characters with a detached but effective air. Jesus Navarro’s splendid editing is a breathless canvass of cosmopolitan animation. The supporting actors are remarkable. Spanky Manikan as a loony reporter getting loonier everyday must not be denied mention; so with the actors who play the sculptor and the gay art director. Lito Pimentel as the gay’s idol is a relaxed performer with a talent for effortlessness.

Christopher de Leon endows the character of Rene with the right sense of machismo and basic weakness. When Rene is compelled to act maturely, De Leon unflinchingly turns him even more childish with useless tantrums; and when Rene finally learns his lesson, De Leon adds a boyish smile as if the lesson were amusing. We watch De Leon, elated and entertained: he is never so old as to appear too distant nor is he too young as to seem undocile. Broken Marriage is a gift to this actor. He is not propelled here to be more manly; since his character is made to contribute to a lot of oversights, De Leon’s doesn’t have to put a mask of strength: he just has to be himself and act with ease. Vilma Santos is not about to be a letdown, not this time when the most important female roles are coming her way. A new intelligence she infuses in the character Ellen. Like De Leon, she turns Ellen into a woman-child, but the stress is less on her part as she has done similar roles before. Her beautiful face is flush receptive: the quiet moments of just observing the people around her are moments of perfect acting. Her body moves with an agility that is both funny and dramatic. Her two monologues - the first with her friends in the cafe when she informs them that she is bored, and the second with Rene when she tells him that they are not children anymore - are her best scenes: the camera lingers upon her countenance and she enunciates in return with ironic ease. She should watch out for next year’s awards race - there is simply no stopping her at the moment. - Joselito Zulueta, Sine Manila - 1983 (READ MORE)

Mahigit sampung taong nagsasama bilang mag-asawa sina Ellen (Vilma Santos), floor director sa isang programang pantelebisyon at Rene (Christopher de Leon), isang investigative reporter. Sa simula pa lamang ng Broken Marriage (Regal Films, 1983) mapapansing pag-uwi pa lamang ni Ellen mula sa trabaho, pakikipagtalo agad ang isinasalubong ni Rene dito. Ipinakita ng pelikula ang tumitinding alitan sa pagitan ng mag-asawa hanggang sa mapagdesisyunan nilang pansamantalang maghiwalay. Pilit na ipinaintindi ng mga ito ang di pagkakaunawaan sa kanilang dalawang anak. Nanirahan si Rene sa isang bahay na pinamumugaran ng isang grupo ng mga absurd characters na matatagpuan sa pelikula. May iskultor, isang bit player at ang kinakasama nitong baklang art director. Di naglaon, napilitang makisama ni Ellen at ng mga anak sa poder ng kanyang ina sa dahilang pinagnakawan ang kanilang bahay dala ng kawalan ng lalaking magtataguyod dito. Nang mapag-alamang ilalathala ni Rene ang isang artikulong maglalantad sa katiwalian ng isang opisyal ng lokal na pamahalaan ay agad itongipinagulpi upang mapigilan ang pag-publisa ng artikulo. Pansamantalang tumigil si Rene kasama ng asawa't anak sa bahay ng kanyang biyenan upang magpagaling at dito naayos ng dalawa ang kanilang pagsasama. Ang pagtatapos? Muling nabuo ang kanilang pamilya.

Paano malalampasan ng Broken Marriage ang Relasyon? Kung pagbabasehan ang intensiyon ng direktor, higit itong nakaaangat sa Relasyon. Mula simula hanggang sa pagtatapos nito, hindi lumihis ang Broken Marriage sa mensaheng nais nitong ipahatid. Mahusay ang pagsasalarawan ni Ishmael Bernal sa domestikong suliranin ng mag-asawa bagama't sumasang-ayon sa patriyarkal na gahum habang pinagbibigyan nito ang di inaasahang pagkamulat ng lalaking protagonista ay nagpakita ding ganap sa semiotikong detalye ng kompleksidad ng resolusyon sa pansariling loob. Ang sensitibong paglikha ni Vilma Santos kay Ellen ay isang marubdob at personal na layon kung ihahambing sa kanyang pagsasakarakter ng papel ni Marilou bilang kerida sa Relasyon. Hinamon ni Ellen ang kumbensiyonal na depinisyon ng pagiging asawa at pagkaina sa paghahanap ng mga alternatibo sa gitna ng makainang pagpapalaki sa mga anak. Ginawan niya si Ellen ng sariling silid kung saan nakahanap ito ng solitaryong kanlungan nang hindi pinuputol ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa asawa. Iniugnay ni Ellen ang ang kanyang pribadong hapdi sa spectrum ng kanyang relasyon. Samantala, nakatutok ang tunggalian sa Broken Marriage hindi lamang kay Vilma Santos kundi kay Christopher de Leon. Nasa asawang lalaki ang bulto ng suliranin kaya sa kanya umiikot ang kuwento, ang relasyon ni Rene kay Ellen at ang relasyon ni Rene sa kanyang mga anak. Ang maalam na pagpasok ni de Leon sa katauhan ni Rene ang lumiligalig sa mga kontradiksiyong talamak sa sistemang patriarkal. Kaakibat ng Broken Marriage ang manipestasyon ni Bernal sa pagbibigay ng representasyon sa reyalidad at partikular na pagsasaayos ng iba't-ibang elementong kaagapay sa masining na pagbuo ng pelikula. - Jojo DeVera, Sari-saring Sineng Pinoy (READ MORE)

"...Sa 1983, ang mga mapagpipilian lamang ay Broken Marriage...On a lower randk would be...Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan ang Nakaraan...Ang Broken Marriage ni Ishmael Bernal ay isang masusing pagsusuri sa lumabnaw na pagtitinginan ng isang young married couple; ang problema ng mag-asawa sa kani-kanilang trabaho, ang mga suliranin ng isang working mother, ang iba't ibang uri ng relationship between spouses and friends, at ang unti-unti'y muling pagkakalapit ng naghiwalay na mag-asawa. Maraming nagrereklamo sa happy ending ng pelikula na para bang masama ang loob nila't lumigayang muli ang mag-asawa. Pero sa amin, talagang napaghandaan ang masayang eksena sa beach ng buong pamilya dahil sa simula pa lamang ay inuungot na ng mga anak ang pagpunta roon. So, sa wakas, nakapunta rin sila sa beach and it's a fitting end indeed......Now that we have discussed this year's better films and the directors who made them, tunghayan natin ang listahan ng best screen performances...Susunod sa aming listahan ay sina Christopher de Leon, ang batambatang amang may problema sa kanyang pamilya sa Broken Marriage...Then there's Vilma Santos as the working mother who does a tough balancing act in her dedication to her career and to her family in Broken Marriage... " - Movie Flash Magazine, January 5, 1984 (READ MORE)

"...Though in the last cited awards, Karnal did not make it as best films, it nevertheless gave Broken Marriage a tough fight for the honor, in fact winning more nominations than Berna's films. It evetually won prizes for performances, cinematography, music and editing...A product of film schools, Marilou earned her M.A. in Film and Television from Loyola Marrymount College in Los Angeles and received a diploma in film from the London Film School. In May, she will be flying to Moscow to attend the Philippine Film Week, where Karnal, Broken Marriage and Soltero will be exhibited. Then it will be Prague and Vienna for both Karnal and Broken Marriage. Her earlier work, Brutal has also been invited to Tokyo's Pia Film Festival, which is sponsored by critics and journalist to showcase the works of young directors from 10 countries. International may have come her way, but at the moment, Marilou is earnestly preoccupied with starting her latest project, Baby Tsina, which will star two-time Urian best actress Vilma Santos, and written by Marilou's signature scenarist Ricky Lee. In a few days, the camera are set to start grinding for the director's new film..." - Justino Dormiendo, Movie Flash Magazine, April 26, 1984 (READ MORE)

"...On a final note, it’s rather unfair that when it comes to actors, Brocka always gets the authority to be called the actor’s director. Not to discredit Brocka of course but Bernal always exceeds Brocka in terms of directing comedies. And humor is only as hard as drama can get; and oftentimes even harder. Ilagan, Andolong, Ranillo, and Locsin may not be the best to portray their roles but their characters don’t need the best—they need believability more, and their youth exudes that, more than their acting chops. They grip on their dialogues so much that watching them is such a delight. There’s this anecdote told by Vilma Santos when she won her grandslam for Relasyon that she walked into Bernal’s shoot a little unmotivated and still high after her big win. She couldn’t get her acting right. And then Bernal said to her, “O, bakit parang lutang ka diyan? Porke’t naka-grand slam ka, feeling mo, magaling ka na?” That’s one-big-“OH”. And to think that Ate Vi was already a big star that time, and getting bigger and bigger thanks to her roles, it does not only give an impression of “katarayan” on Bernal’s part, but more of brilliance..." - Richard Bolisay (READ MORE)

Dama De Noche

Released: October 3, 1972

The Plot: Vilma Santos played a dual role, of twin sisters, Rosana the demented, lunatic tried to torment the sane, Armida.

The Review: "...This being Vilma Santos’ 50th year in show business (she started as a child star in 1963 with the dramatic tearjerker, “Trudis Liit”), her loyal fans are perfervidly recalling the highlights of her “golden” acting career...The year 1972 turned out to be a most productive season for Vilma, who started to do different and better movies that required her to go beyond teen-fave cuteness. In “Inspiration,” she was partnered with Jay Ilagan, and they came up with memorably endearing portrayals. In “Takbo, Vilma, Dali,” she was dynamic instead of soporifically sweet. In “Ang Konduktora,” she revealed her penchant for comedy. And, in “Dama de Noche,” where she played a psychologically troubled young woman, she won her first big acting award. This was a major milestone and triumph for the young actress, because heretofore most of the acting honors in film competitions went to Nora...What’s up next for everybody’s Ate Vi? Higher political office, quite logically and obviously. But, we hope against hope that, every couple of years or so, she will continue to gift us with another memorable screen portrayal, to further enhance her already exceptional filmography. She’s simply too good a thespian to surrender completely to politics..." - Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03 August 2012 (READ MORE)

"...Dama de Noche is showing in three theaters– Remar, Delta and Sampaguita. It is, Vilma was quoted as saying, her dream role fulfilled. The very professional Vilma has come out with the resolution than henceforth she will demand to see the script and also see that the script is demanding— or she’ll say nix. Well, Dama de Noche is exactly just that: demanding. In it she delineates the twin-sister roles of sweet Armida and deranged Rosanna. Vilma sobs and screams, giggles, and crazy-dances, claws and clowns, sobs again and screams some more. But she does more than all these things. She acts. In the Filipino movieworld where crying is synonymous with acting, that certainly is being ahead of one’s kind. Vilma as Armida is drab and dry, almost a movie prop. It is in the portrayal of Rosanna that Vilma would tear one’s heart away. The many close-ups so effectively used throughout the movie show the unglamorous Vilma: her frowns, her lip-twitching, her uninhibited and stifled sobs. But Vilma is less successful with the shifty look that is the distinctive trait of the deranged. She compensates for this in the ‘betrayal’ scene when Rosanna suspects that Leo, Armida and the psychiatrist (Fred Montilla) all conspired to imprison her in the hospital.

Another outstanding feat is the subdued scene where Rosanna learns that Leo has gone to the Lerma villa to meet Armida. The vivacious Rosanna is just as winsomely pathetic. Watching her is just like seeing a bosom friend trying to pretend she’s happy when both of you know she’s not only in this case, Rosanna is truly happy. Her non-knowledge of her plight is what is particularly heart-curling. Dama de Noche is Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Production’s entry in the QC filmfest which started on Oct.15. It is a very simple story, almost run-of-the-mill, but Nestor Torre, Jr. who wrote the screenplay saved it with his meaningful and amusing lines. However, the movie is occasionally dragging with the Filipino moviemania for spoonfed sequences. Will the memorable Rosanna win for Vilma the most coveted award tonight? Or will Nora the Superstar make it? The die is cast and tonight is the NIGHT. New Frontier Cinema in Cubao was never before so loaded that the fire exits had to be opened to let in air. It was so badly jampacked, one swore it couldn’t be worse. But it was, a ‘stand-mate’ (there were no seats) quipped, ‘Noong first day, mas grabe.’ And so through a snail-pacing 20-yard pila and after exactly one hour, one got inside the theater, at last!..." - The Times Journal (READ MORE)

"...A very young Vilma Santos plays twins—a goody-two shoes and a manic meanie. They fall for the same guy—if I’m not mistaken, a slim Edgar Mortiz. The good twin sings pretty songs, looks morose most of the time, and is often helpless; the bad twin is active, take-charge, and flashes her eyes at the camera a lot. In the end she burns the house down; unfortunately she traps herself in it. Good Vi and Bot escape, and watch the house go down in flames while holding on to each other beside a dama de noche shrub (or at least I assume it’s one). And yes, there is a theme song that goes, “Daaaama de noche… daaaaaaaaamaaaaa de nocheeeeee..." - Joel McVie (READ MORE)

"...We wrote quite a number of scripts for Vilma, including the screenplay for "Dama de Noche," which turned out to be the first film that gave her an acting award. "This was a big deal for Vi because she was very frustrated at the time due to the fact that she was always losing to Nora in acting derbies in the '70s. Thus, when she won her Famas trophy, she felt vindicated. It was when "Dama de Noche" was being shot that we had an instructive experience with Vilma. She played a mentally disturbed girl in the story, and there was one scene in which she was supposed to dance her way through a forest. Somebody had interpreted this to mean that the dance would be choreographed number, so a ballet-like dance costume had been made for Vilma! When we got to the movie set that day, Vilma showed us her dance costume, and we were shocked. We explained that the "dance" was supposed to be spontaneous, thus unchoreographed and uncostumed! After our explanation, Vilma returned the costume to the production people, and simply "danced" the scene at her mentally challenged character would, spontaneously. This experience told us that, despite her young age then, Vilma was determined to do her job well, and once she understood how a scene should be done she would insist on doing it the right way, no matter if she ruffled the feelings of some people in the production..." - Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 6, 2003 (READ MORE)

"...Sa Amerika at iba pang bansa, palasak ang mga organized schools of acting na doon ay p'wedeng mag-enrol ang isang nag-aambisyong mag-artista at nang ma-refine niya o lalong mapagbuti ng anumang likas niyang kakayahan sa pag-arte. Isa sa mga pinakatanyag nilang acting techniques ay iyong tinatawag na Method Acting. Ang taguriang The Method ay pinaiklu mula orihinal na Stanislovsky Method, sinulan noong 1909 bg Rusong aktor-direktor na si Konstantin Stanislavsky. Si Stanislavsky ay mula sa Moscow Art Theatre at ang kanyang pamosong pamamaraan sa pag-arte ay pinakilala naman sa Estados Unidos ng kanyang mga disipulo. Ang Method Acting ay isang well-rounded system of training na binibigyang-pansin hindi lamang ang pag-arte kundi pati na ang wastong pagtindig, paglakad, at paggamit ng boses. Ang pinakabantog na paaralan ng Method Acting ay ang Actor's Studio ni Lee Strasberg sa Nuweba York...Ang pinakatanyag niyang estudyante ay sina Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, Patricia Neal at ang yumaong James Dean...Sa pelikulang Pilipinoay maaaring hatiin ang mga uri ng pag-arte sa dalawang pangkat. Ang una'y kinabibilangan nina Lolita Rodriguez at Nora Aunor. Ang pangalawa'y binubuo nina Charito Solis at Vilma Santos. Ang istilo ng acting nina Lolita ay banayad, mahinahon, pigil. Ang nadarama'y mababasa sa mga mata at sa bahagyang kiling ng ulo o sa kilos ng katawan. Kung ihahambing dito ang klase ng arte nina Charito, ay iyon namang matatawag na obvious, halos natatawag ng pansin. Kung nagagalit ay talagang hysterical na, nangininig ang mga labi, nandidilat ang mga mataat nagtutumili sa pagsasalita (ang buong katawa'y nangangatal). Natatandaan marahil ninyo si Charito doon sa eksena sa "Araw-Araw, Gabi-Gabi" (nanalo siya rito ng best actress sa Manila Filmfest) na muli silang nagkasama-sama ng kanyang mga napahiwalay na kapatid. Napaluhod pa siya at napahagulgol sa matinding tuwa. (Pero tila nagbago na si Ms. Solis sa ganitong estilo mula nang mahawakan siya ni Brocka "Larawan"). ...Natatandaan din siguro ninyo si Vilma Santos sa "Dama De Noche" (nanalo siya rito ng best actress sa Famas), doon sa eksenang dinala siya sa pagamutan ng mga baliw at nang matuklasan niya ito'y nagsisigaw siya, nanlalaki pati mga butas ng ilong at halos lumuwa ang mata sa galit. Sa malas naman ay ito ang higit na naiibigang istilo sa pagarte ng ating publiko. Kung bigay-tudo at eksaherado ay mas maganda para sa kanila. Di ba't maging sa buntalan ay mas nagugustuhan nila yung matatagal na eksena ng bakbakang walang patlang ang palitan ng mga suntok at sipa?..." - Mario E. Bautista, Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, 11 February 1980 (READ MORE)