On Memory Lane: Friday Nights and Saturday Morning Cartoons

Gone were the days when kids are hurrying up to go home during Fridays and wake up very early during Saturdays just to watch ABS-CBN Cartoons. Gone were the Friday night and Saturday morning Cartoons. In the late 80's up to the early 90's, all cartoons are in English but yet, kids were very fond of watching them. Do you still remember the cute Ewoks from the Star Wars world, the cool gang of Ghostbusters, the agile Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the marvelous powers of the Uncanny X-Men during Friday Nights? What about the pesky Mr. Bogus, the strong Conan the Adventurer, the strange Garbage Pail Kids and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes during Saturday Mornings? Cartoons also dominate the weekdays mornings and afternoon then with He-Man and She-Ra, Beverly Hills Teens among others.

Please join me in reminiscing these English cartoons that I have grew up with. Enjoy watching the intro of some of them.

Gigger Boys Sam, Robi and AJ on Cinco

Gigger Boys Sam Concepcion, Robi Domingo, and AJ Perez get their biggest break yet as the lead stars of Braso, the first of five episodes in Star Cinema’s upcoming horror flick Cinco. Playing fraternity pledges, the three had to strip down to their underwear as part of their roles. Robi explained, “Nung cam test nagulat talaga kami na ganun pala ang concept ni Direk (Frasco Mortiz). Pero nagtiwala kami sa kanya, and maganda naman ‘yung kinalabasan. But when you see the film hindi niyo na mapapansin na ganun ang suot namin. Nung nagda-dub nga kami, mas na focus kami sa story. May tuwa tsaka fear factor talaga.”

AJ added that stripping down for the role was vital in the film to show audiences the real ordeal that frat neophytes undergo for their initiations. “‘Yun talaga kasi ang vision ni Direk for the movie. Gusto niyang ipakita na mahirap talaga maging member ng isang fraternity. Huhubaran ka, pagsusuotin ka ng bra at panty, pupunta ka sa morgue. We just did what our roles required.” For AJ, their lack of costume is not the highlight of the film which for him is the lesson about friendship and being a real man. “It shows the value of camaraderie. You will see the three neophytes sticking together to survive.”

Sam said that another challenge for the three of them was to deliver an impressive performance worthy as the opening story of Cinco. “Since kami ‘yung unang episode nasa amin ‘yung pressure na galingan para maging interested na agad ‘yung audience, so they will stay. So mas malakas ang panggulat dito sa episode namin.”

The Braso episode was shot entirely in an old morgue in an abandoned hospital in Quezon City. During the filming, the cast and the production staff had a very spooky experience. Sam shared, “Nung last shooting day namin, may nakita na nakunan ng camera sa isang eksena, parang dalawang white lady. Nagtaka si Direk na bakit parang may dumaan, e wala namang tao.”

Cinco also stars Mariel Rodriguez, Pokwang, Zanjoe Marudo, Jodi Sta. Maria, Rayver Cruz, and Maja Salvador. The film opens nationwide on July 14.