Feedback and follow-ups

Our recent column on gender-bending films (new “Ocean’s 11” with an all-female stellar cast) has elicited a number of speculative reactions and “updates”: A Filipino-American reader shares the follow-up report that “Ghostbusters” will also be getting the same “switcheroo,” with Melissa McCarthy and other female stars replacing Bill Murray and his all-male gang.

Another respondent wonders: “What would happen if the trend went the other way, with iconic female starrers like “Thelma and Louise” being done as male stories?”

Our view is that the “reverse trend” won’t really catch on, because gender-blind casting is all about giving actresses a boost and balancing the lopsided star-casting picture.

Other reactions: Aga Muhlach’s fans are happy to know that their favorite actor is bent on making a comeback next year. They advise him to make his comeback in a challenging drama, to “remind” everyone what an exceptional actor he has become.

We recall, though, that Aga intimated to us when we talked briefly to him last month that he favored “relatively light” materials for his return bid. That makes sense, too, so why don’t we leave the choice to him?

Another reader hopes that Aga’s wife, Charlene Gonzales will make her own comeback move, even if only on TV, where she can do really well as a talk-show host. Our own follow-up input: Charlene and Aga could also consider cohosting a talk show or magazine program together, since there’s something about their marital union that feels uniquely “copacetic” and enlightened.

Senior stars

On our article on Boots Anson-Roa, fans of other senior stars boost their own faves’ “long-running” popularity. They point out that Pilar Pilapil is feistily shaking things up on “Pasion de Amor,” and Coney Reyes made “Nathaniel” viewable. Other seniors currently playing important roles on TV drama series include Susan Roces on “Ang Probinsyano,” Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco and Eddie Garcia on “Little Nanay,” which has just started telecasting, and Divina Valencia on “Beautiful Strangers.”

Reacting to our piece on new talents who shoot themselves in the foot by not bothering to learn how to speak Tagalog well, a reader points out that Sam Milby and Martin Nievera have managed to enjoy long-running careers despite their relative inability to speak the national language.

We agree, but they’re among the few exceptions who prove the rule. Most newbies and tyros would do much better if they took a full year off to really learn how to talk like a native. Ditto for new actors with strong regional or “dialect” accents—they should also clean up their verbal act—unless they want to end up as comedians!

Speaking of comedians, some respondents want to know what’s happened to the new comics discovered on ABS-CBN’s comedy tilt some months ago, like top winner Ryan Rems Sarita.

Well, he’s come out with a book of jokes and his characteristically “comedically dark” observations about life in the urban “underbelly” that he used to inhabit.

And he’s supposed to be getting a new show, “Funny Café,” which will feature some of the “The Funny One” tilt’s other finalists. Incidentally, some of them are seen occasionally on the network’s other shows, most often on “It’s Showtime.”