“Sabihin mo sa driver ilabas ang Mercedes na charcoal grey.” We worry about the Temptation Island remake but would watch it anyway.
The original cast of Temptation Island: Bambi Arambulo, Azenith Briones, Jennifer Cortez, Deborah Sun and Dina Bonnevie.
In April I got an email from Erwin Romulo about Temptation Island. “I’m currently writing an article about ‘Temptation Island’ and also its planned remake,” he said. “While doing interviews with several people, your name kept cropping up as being responsible for its popular resurgence. Your movie review in ’97 was cited as having sparked renewed interest in the film. I hope you don’t mind answering a few questions.”
Wow, there’s my place in the cultural pantheon: popularizer of Temptation Island! What an honor. I was only too glad to answer Erwin’s questions.
1. How did you first become aware of ‘Temptation Island’?
My friends and I are theorists of camp, and Gosiengfiao is the Filipino master. I regret that I never got to meet him. Apart from Temptation Island he made Bomba Star, Nympha, Virginia P, Pura K. . .Alma Moreno is to Gosiengfiao as Marcello Mastroianni was to Federico Fellini. I say this in all seriousness.
Now that I think about it I only saw the Gosiengfiao movies years after they were released. In school I had this corny notion that cinema was Art ergo serious. What a drip. I have been reformed. In the 90s this friend of mine used to go on and on about Temptation Island so I looked for it on cable and was promptly ensnared. My friend says he’s straight, by the way. He’s married so he must be. . .(foreboding music).
2. Do you still find it entertaining after all these years? Why?
I last saw it about a year ago. It still works for me! I think it’s because the performers act like they’re in a serious drama.
* I forgot to mention the great lines. (These quotes are not accurate.)
– Rub-a-dub-dub, three bitches in a tub.
– Sorry, hindi kita nakita. Dahil siguro sa aking towering height.
– Omigod this is even worse than my trip to Tanganyika.
– Na-shipwreck ka lang, naging komunista ka na.
– Ricardo, layuan mo siya! (Magtigil ka, Jos-wah.)
– I’m a crook, a damn good crook. (You have to deliver it like Azenith Briones.)
– One thousand pay-zes.
– Tonta! Pinapakain ka ng steak! Ng baboy-damo!
And the lines that sum up the Filipino weltanschauung: Walang tubig. Walang kuryente. Walang pagkain. Magsayaw na lang tayo! (Cue 70s disco music by Giorgio Moroder. Who later did the musical score of Blade Runner. There’s a trivia question: What does Temptation Island have in common with Blade Runner. . .)
3. Is it only the novelty of the film that’s kept it popular all these years?
No, I think it cleverly exploits aspects of Pinoy culture: the class divide, colegialas and social climbers, the obsession with beauty pageants and of course, bakla culture.
4. What do you remember most about Joey Gosengfiao?
Lines from his movies. “Sabihin mo sa driver ilabas ang charcoal grey Mercedes.” As Ricci Chan pointed out, this implies that they have Benzes in other shades of grey!
5. In your opinion, how much of an impact did your article about the movie make it into the celebrated classic it is today?
I have no idea, but I’m prepared to take full and absolute credit.
6. If you’d met Direk Joey, what would you have asked him?
Mr. Gosiengfiao, are your movies dramas or comedies?
Erwin Romulo’s article appears in the current issue of Preview, with the new cast of Temptation Island on the cover.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
June 23rd, 2011 at 14:25
Ahaha! May paglalagyan yang mga quotes na yan! Meroooonnnn! Ahahaha, aliw ako sa
– Sorry, hindi kita nakita. Dahil siguro sa aking towering height.
Lalong lalo na sa
“Sabihin mo sa driver ilabas ang charcoal grey Mercedes.”
Laaavet!
June 23rd, 2011 at 14:30
You should take full and absolute credit :) I’ve been wanting to watch this movie since I read your article but I haven’t had the chance yet because I cannot find a copy. Now, I also want to see the remake.
June 23rd, 2011 at 14:32
I love “Careful. Careful now! Mahirap i-achieve ang golden tan.”
June 23rd, 2011 at 19:34
My friend and I are planning to re-watch this over the weekend. We’ve already started practicing the classic Bambi/Suzanne catfight with each other:
– Bitch!
– Double bitch!
(Followed by Joshwa laughing and saying, “Rub a dub dub, two bitches in a tub.”)
And another under-appreciated Josh-wa line: “What do you expect me to do? Resist all temptayshuns on dis ah-lund?”
June 23rd, 2011 at 20:18
Christopher Martinez changed the names of the characters to Pura K, Cristina G, etc.
June 23rd, 2011 at 22:36
And for the rest of us: The Greatest Hits of Temptation Island, now on YouTube!
http://youtu.be/p9FubhL5HbQ
In the words of Ricky Belmonte: “Hoy bakla! Manood ka!”
***
The irony of it all: Jennifer Cortez was a Bb. Pilipinas-Universe *and* had most of the killer lines… and yet, she is still nowhere to be found on this ayh-lund. Wonder why?
June 23rd, 2011 at 22:36
Christopher?
June 23rd, 2011 at 22:38
Take all of the credit Ms. Jessica. It’s from you (and a lot more more otherseseses) that I’ve heard this movie. Last two months ago I’ve downloaded a copy of the old Temptation Island from the Internet and since then, whenever I feel losing grip from this cruel world, I watch this movie, together with my younger brothers and sisters.
“Maria, huwag kang tonta, ang panty hose di panghuli ng isda.”
“Maria, pahingi ng ice tea!”
“Eh, Señorita, meron po tayong ice tea, pero walang yelo.”
To be honest, for the first time in her life, Marian Rivera will act effortlessly. Bagay sa kanya ang role niya, walang halong pagpapanggap.
I’m not expecting that the remake will be as entertaining as the original. Mas maganda lamang ang Ingles nila ngayon kesa dati. But I’m going to watch it pa rin.
Yun lang.
June 23rd, 2011 at 22:42
One word: Stariray!
I can’t even describe the sheer brilliance of that word. Ang ganda niya.
@stellalehua: “Double bitch!” is beautiful, too. I’ve been waiting years para magamit ko siya sa totoong buhay. :)
June 24th, 2011 at 00:42
Christopher or Chris Martinez.
June 24th, 2011 at 08:23
oooh! i’m gonna look that movie up!!
comment lang about the pictures of the original and new cast – the original cast just ooze sexiness. the new cast has way too much makeup on and they’re starting to look alike. too bad. made me double-check the size of their hands and wrist bones… hmm could it be that the remake now stars ladyboys? sorry folks, i’m not in manila and have no idea who these people are.
June 24th, 2011 at 13:58
Been juggling work, home and a kid’s first school stuff and that link did it for me. Read Twisted but didn’t know what I missed. I’ll be looking for a file/copy now, too.
I don’t think the remake will compare to the original; the new stars are self-aware kind of hammy. And how can phrases with ‘chaka’ ever dare match those lines? They had me at beatching on beatches an the beatch.
June 24th, 2011 at 18:21
Yeah, Ms. Zafra’s arguably responsible to the renewed popularity of Gosiengfiao films. She wrote extensively about them on her Twisted series. T.I. has been showing in Cinema One for as long as I can remember. Remember reading Susan Sontag’s “Notes on Camp” in relation to this movie. I think you mentioned this, too, in one of your many reviews.
June 24th, 2011 at 22:47
@Askaniclan: For what it’s worth, every single time that my siblings and our childhood friends complain on FB about the beach, I always reply with “What are beeches for…” and they know exactly what I’m talking about here. It also helps that most of said folks are living in either Hawaii or California, so complaining about the “beatch” (or in my sister’s case, “bietz”) is pretty much standard procedure.
The trailer for the remake shows Marian Rivera reciting the “walang tubig, walang pagkain” monologue… and it was painful. If I was Azenith Briones, I’d demand a public sabunutan with Marian for doing that to her character.
June 25th, 2011 at 08:24
“Most awaited Remake” daw. Who waited?
June 25th, 2011 at 08:51
Dug, dug, dug Erwin’s article. Loved that bit about Quark’s encounter with Direk and why the auteur wanted Jennylyn Mercado to redo a scene. And was as surprised as you were to learn ikaw pala ang salarin ng the cult of TI.
June 29th, 2011 at 08:38
This post has got me doubled over! And Jessica, your movie reviews are not only amazing. Your book reviews are even better than the books being reviewed.