Viva bets on sexy stars to lure people back to cinemas

From streaming to the big screen.

In what was described by Viva Entertainment as a bid to lure people back to the cinemas, the production company has decided—for the first time—to give a Vivamax sexy flick a theatrical release.

“Unang Tikim” stars two of Vivamax’s most popular talents, Angeli Khang and Robb Guinto, who couldn’t help but feel excited and nervous all at once.

“When I learned that this is going to be Vivamax’s first cinema release, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I will see myself on the big screen! I can go to the cinema and see myself laugh, cry … all the small actions and nuances. I feel very blessed that Robb, one of my closest friends, and I were chosen for this project,” Angeli said of the movie, which opens on July 17.

“We’re grateful for this opportunity. It feels heartening. But there are also nerves, because Viva is expecting us to help bring people back to the cinemas,” Robb said.

Angeli, who’s used to her films being consumed through the said streaming platform on television or personal devices, felt that there was less room for error while they were shooting the movie with director Roman Perez Jr.

“Konting mali mo lang, kita na agad sa screen. So, I told our director to make sure that he was honest with me. I wanted him to tell me if I wasn’t giving the character justice … if it’s Angeli he sees onscreen. I wouldn’t mind if it took us additional takes or days. Or if we had to stay up at night,” Angeli said. “I wanted to showcase my talent the best I could.”

Perhaps their mainstream exposure on the GMA 7 primetime series “Black Rider” will be of help? They’re keeping their fingers crossed.

“We’re manifesting and claiming it … that this movie will do well.” Robb said. “We don’t dwell on the negative because it can easily affect our energy. We try to be positive in whatever we do.”

Love prevails

“Unang Tikim” follows Becca (Robb), a lesbian artist, and Yuna (Angeli), a bisexual office worker. The couple shares a lot of firsts—“first touch, kiss and sexual experience.” They fall madly in love with each other. But Becca’s family intervenes and forces her to migrate to the United States.

While Becca’s far away, Yuna, who can’t stand being in a long-distance relationship, is relentlessly pursued by her persistent boss in her workplace. Jealousy inevitably gets the best of the two women’s relationship, forcing them to part ways. But years later, they cross paths anew. They now have different partners. They have moved on. Or so they think.

“Loving is never wrong, regardless of gender and I hope people see that,” Angeli said. “Regardless of distance, unconditional love prevails.”

“For me, as long as you’re not hurting anyone, just do whatever makes you happy. Love wins,” said Robb, who sought advice from her lesbian friends on how to portray her character more convincingly.

Having already starred in numerous sexy films in the past, people assume, Angeli and Robb said, that they can now bare their skin and do intimate scenes at the drop of a hat. But the opposite is true, much to their surprise.

“We still get nervous. We work with different people, so we’re not always sure how our coactors will handle our scenes. If it’s their first time, they can feel uncomfortable on the set. So, you have to take things slowly and explain to them the dos and don’ts for a given scene,” Robb said.

For Angeli, doing sexy scenes has only gotten trickier the more movies she does. Because now, it’s no longer just about peeling off her clothes.

“The first few times, you just do it mindlessly—show some skin and get into a rhythm. But the more you do it, the more you get conscious about other things, like building a connection with your costar; how you look at them, how you hug them,” she said. “I have to make it appear like I really care for the person in front of the camera even if you’re just friends away from it.”

Art to it

In fact, the first kissing scene Angeli and Robb did end up being awkward. “We just looked at each other and laughed out loud. It felt awkward at first because we’re good friends in real life. We all started feeling more natural and convincing as shooting wore on.

“I think Direk got scared in a good way. He was like, ‘Magkakatuluyan ba kayong dalawa?” Angeli said.

“But all the intimate scenes were needed. They weren’t done just for the sake of it,” Robb added.

Angeli is well aware that the public already has preconceived notions about Vivamax, which has become practically synonymous with adult content. “Ready na for Vivamax!” celebrities themselves would tease each other at press events when the conversation swings toward doing ‘daring” roles.

But through “Unang Tikim,” Angeli hopes to change the prevailing attitude toward Vivamax projects. “There are lots of bashers. They would say, ‘Maghuhubad lang naman ‘yan.’ They compare the scenes to porn but I hope this movie can be a way to show that there’s also art to it,” Angeli said.

“I hope they also see the hard work, the talent and the color we bring to the script,” she added.