Ramon Bautista versus The Devil: Adventures in horror moviemaking
MANILA, Philippines - I am directing my first full-length feature, and it’s an exorcism movie. Why horror, you say? Let’s just say horror movies and I are like jigsaw puzzle pieces that snap into each other easily.
At times, I feel like I was born in a Stephen King movie. I get that snug-under-my-blanket-while-it’s-raining feeling whenever I watch a good horror movie. In my formative years, whenever I hated school, a Laserdisc of a Stephen King movie would be my escape hatch from all that school-induced claustrophobia. Horror movies were my best friends.
Also, I realized that they don’t make horror movies nowadays like William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. Nowadays, it’s all metal music, M. Night Shyamalan cameos, and the coprophilia that is Eli Roth. I wanted to change all of that.
How did this project start? Out of frustration, really. After watching Taxi Driver in college, I made a pinky-swear to myself under the blue glow of the DVD player, that before I croak I would make my own movie. Whatever it took.
Since then, I have been rejected three times by Cinemalaya; twice in Cinemabuhay; had three horror movie drafts gathering fungi in The Cabinet of Dr. Mother Lily; had a horror anthology pitch for ABS-CBN that got canned; and helmed an Eraserheads-themed rom-com under Sony that never saw the light of day. I could’ve just cried to myself and cursed my dead-end career as a filmmaker. But no, I hate soap operas. I am a man born of film noir — callous from all the heartbreak the world had to offer, tough-as-toenails, and jologs-resourceful as jologs-resourceful can be.
One day, with my cinematographer and co-producer Dan Gil, I pooled some resources together and shot a film. All in the span of three days. All on a whim.
I wrote the first draft in two days, using my dwindling bank account and Dan’s light and sound equipment. Add to that, Ramon Bautista. Yes, that Ramon Bautista.
Holy unorthodox casting, Batman! Trust me, Ramon Bautista is a vast Rolodex of talents. He understood my vision and we had fun shooting. The guy can act.
The movie? It’s called San Lazaro. It’s a horror-comedy, a road picture and an exorcism shocker. It’s Shake, Rattle & Roll for the denizens of Cubao X. Pulp Fiction meets The Exorcist. You get to see Ramon Bautista shirtless in two scenes. You get to see a singing exorcist. You get to see blood. Orocans of blood. Young sexy women awash in blood.
The plot? Here goes: “Limuel and Sigfried, two childhood friends, journey to the remote town of San Lazaro to ask an infamous faith healer for help in saving the life of Limuel’s brother possessed by an anthill spirit.”
We shot in Pampanga, in the plantation of my cousin. We did the car shots and the forest scenes there. The third day was shot with no permits at all in Antipolo. With a skeleton crew of friends, a DSLR camera, and an ATM card, we shot to our heart’s content. It felt liberating.
So far, I’ve edited 60 minutes of the movie. I still lack 50 minutes worth of flashbacks, action sequences and appearances by A-list talent. Jazz Nicolas (of The Itchyworms!) is doing the score, which is a fusion of Bernard Herrmann and Ilustrado-era music. We are also currently looking for completion funds and actors who are willing to do it for Japanese food and kisses-on-the-cheek from me.
A few weeks ago, while we were doing dialogue overdubs in the studio, Ramon Bautista told me, “Thank you for trusting me with this movie, pare.” I got teary-eyed and said, “No, thank you, Master. Ikaw ang dahilan.”
Ramon then says, “Medyo pang-gay movie ‘yung moment na ‘yun ah.”
Call an exorcist, I think we’ve just got an idea for my next film!
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Wincy Aquino Ong, besides being the director, unfortunately is also the co-star of Ramon Bautista in the upcoming indie horror movie San Lazaro. If you are an actor, actress or producer out there who wants to help out in finishing the film, by all means, send him all the love at wincy.a.ong@gmail.com.
