WE’RE TOLD that Vivamax movies, noted for their explicit sex scenes, have been told to tone down its strong sexual content.
This move will be a game changer as Vivamax subscribers have come to expect the most salacious scenes in their releases, even in their TV series like the erotic trilogy, “L”, that hit number one in the Viva charts.
The films of Director Roman Perez Jr. “Taya”, “Siklo” and “Hugas” all became number one in the streaming channel because of their unabashed nudity and bedscenes.
But the bar was set high by Mac Alejandre’s very audacious “Silip sa Apoy” with its stars Angeli Khang, Sid Lucero and Paolo Gumabao doing nude love scenes that leave very little to the imagination.
Angeli is really quite brazen and she even has a scene where she is shown ironing clothes without a stitch on, while Paolo is shown caressing his own organ while peeping on Angeli and Sid as they pound each other in bed.
Angeli is not only willing and able but she can also emote convincingly, like in her other hit, “Mahjong Nights” by Lawrence Fajardo.
After Angeli’s “Silip”, the next movies are no longer as daring. In “The Wife”, the love scenes of Diego Loyzaga with both Louise de los Reyes and Cara Gonzales, look tame.
Someone who watched it even called us up later to reprimand us: “I thought you wrote Diego has nude love scenes in the film, wala naman, a.”
In all fairness to writer-director Denise O’Hara, the basic story of “The Wife” is quite intriguing.
It’s about a wife and her husband’s mistress who start as enemies but later become the best of friends when they both have no choice but to become mutual caregivers of the dying husband.
If this were done during the time of the love triangle dramas in the 70s, this would be an ideal vehicle for the formidable triumvirate of Lolita Rodriguez, Eddie Rodriguez and Marlene Dauden.
But now, as made by Vivamax, there is absolutely no dramatic chemistry between Louise, Diego and Cara. The sex scenes were obviously just obligated since this is a Vivamax release, but it does look so tepid compared to their other past films.
Other recent releases that viewers met with not so much enthusiasm are “Eva” by Jeffrey Hidalgo, “Palitan” and “Sisid” by Brillante Mendoza, “Reroute” by Lawrence Fajardo, “Kinsenas Katapusan” by GB Sampedro.
“Eva” is full of nudity but strangely, the sex scenes don’t really come out as sensuously erotic.
We think it’s because it has weak male leads who one writer says “parehong walang gaanong appeal, lalo na yung isang jologs ang dating.” So it’s important to have good male partners to be paired with their willing nymphets.
“Palitan” is about has lesbian love scenes and “Sisid” has male homosexual love scenes but what they lack are involving storylines that will make root for the lesd characters, specially “Sisid” where the love story between the two male leads were poorly developed.
“Reroute” shows Sid Lucero and Cindy Miranda having steamy love scenes but the story itself turns out to be a violent tale of revenge and John Arcilla suddenly dominates the movie. So who cares if Heneral Luna rapes both Sid and Cindy?
“Kinsenas Katapusan” is about virtual sex between a young woman (Ayanna Misola) and a much older man (Joko Diaz.) Ayanna is the most inept among the new nymphets of Viva. She cannot even deliver her lines convincingly.
And Joko obviously feels so tentative with his role. Unlike Jay Manalo who still goes all out in his love scenes with younger women, Joko is not that eager and would rather keep his shirt on. And it’s understandable because he has quite a bulging paunch.
The ending involving a murder, and the killer gets away with it, is also not at all satisfying.
We hope Vivamax would develop more attractive leading men. It’s good viewers have accepted Sean de Guzman and Vince Rillon even if they’re both petite.
Vivamax needs tall, appealing and more well built actors like the Gumabao brothers who are willing to match the brazenness of their sexy leading ladies.
