By NESTOR CUARTERO
JUST A THOUGHT: Whoever is happy will make others happy, too. – Anne Frank
VHONG ALONE: Without Vice, Coco, and Vic in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, what are the chances for heir apparent Vhong Navarro to be crowned as the filmfest’s Comedy King?
Star Cinema’s resident comedy actor admits he feels a bit relieved that the comedy giants aren’t in the running this year.
At the same time, he says those names add luster and shine to MMFF, which fortunately or unfortunately is going digital for the first time.
Vhong is also grateful that Vice Ganda has been vocal about promoting his entry, “Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim.”
“BANDANANG ITIM” is the second installment to the movie franchise based on “Mang Kepweng,” a komiks novel that starred the late Chiquito when it was transported to film in the 1970s.
The character was revived via “Mang Kepweng Returns” in 2017, with Vhong playing the title role.
In the new movie, Mang Kepweng, a barrio herbolario, faces Maximus Tolonges (Joross Gamboa) in a series of struggles that brings them to enchanted kingdoms. These are peopled by giants, dwarves, mermaids, all of them familiar characters from local mythology.
Directed by Topel Lee, “Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim” is a collaboration between Cineko Productions and Star Cinema.
