Author Topic: List of DVD movies shot in the Philippines (Read 8438 times)

ßartmaniac · « **on:** Dec 09, 2001 at 11:03 PM »

I'm not so sure if this thread belongs here but it seems that the DVD titles below can be considered "Pinoy" too since our country was the chosen location to serve as the backdrop/landscape for these films.

Please note that the below's description on these films are not mine but taken from (unless indicated otherwise) the website of the Erap created Philippine International Film & Television Office (PIFTO) - a special body mandated in facilitating the promotion and marketing of the Philippines as location site for the production of international films and televisions programs. That's good news!

On with the list...

1.
Missing in Action - A Chuck Norris starrer shot in the localities of Cavite, Pagsanjan and Luneta as Vietnam 1960's by the Cannon tandem of Menahem Golan and Yoran Globus.

2.
The Year of Living Dangerously - The streets of Manila as Jakarta, Indonesia during its turbulent 60's with Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver under the direction of the renowned Peter Weir of the "Truman Show" and "Fearless".

3.
Platoon - Cited as 1986's most powerful film. This was shot in its entirety in the jungles of Pagsanjan and Cavite, directed by the critically acclaimed director, Oliver Stone.

4.
Born on the Fourth of July - Take two for Oliver Stone. Embracing the country and its people as his lucky charms, this reputable director comes back with a high-powered cast: Tom Cruise and Willem Dafoe. The battlefield of Vietnam was replicated in the quaint town of Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Mexico was also duplicated in the historic town of Vigan.

5.
Thirteen Days - The Philippines as Cuba - not through the wonders of computer technology but through the versatility of the country's cinematographic landscape and its people. Filmed in Clark and in the jungles of Pagsanjan; this was with Roger Donaldson of "Volcano" at the director's helm.

6.
Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola spent five years in the jungles of the Philippines, filming this much acclaimed film on the horrors of the Vietnam War as based upon Joseph Conrads novel "Heart of Darkness".
(text source: dvdworldonline.com)

The movie was filmed in the Philippines from March 1976 to May 1977 in Baler and Pagsanjan. The country was chosen because the terrain was similar to Vietnam and the Philippine military was willing to rent its equipment for the movie.
(text source: Apocalypse Now tribute page)

7.
Brokedown Palace - (the script required a) hideous Thai prison ruefully described by its inmates as the "Brokedown Palace." The story’s provocative nature made it impossible for the filmmakers to shoot on location in Thailand. After extensive scouting throughout southeast Asia, the production decided to shoot in the Philippine Islands.
(text source: thaistudents.com)

8.
An Officer and a Gentleman - The plot revolves around Zachary Mayo (Richard Gere), son of a Navy sailor who grew up in the Philippines with his father after his mother died (we find out why later in the film). The scenes of Zack in the Philippines at the beginning of the film are yellow-tinged, but this is intentional.
(text source: michaeldvd.com.au)

9.
Hamburger Hill - It was the bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War. 10 days of uphill carnage that took 70% casualties. The death toll was so high that the survivors named the hill "Hamburger Hill." Shot in the Philippines, "Hamburger Hill" looks and feels authentic.
(text source: lightviews.com)

10.
Knock Off - Oli Laperal Jr., Manager for RSVP Film Studios in the Philippines, where the second unit work for Knock Off was completed says that people look to the Philippines when needing a location that can depict the Caribbean, Vietnam, or a tropical look. The Philippines is rich in rice fields, jungles and tropical beaches. According to Laperal, the late 1980s marked the "Vietnam Spaghetti Era," with movies like Platoon, Good Morning Vietnam, and Born on the 4th of July, being filmed there, but those days are over. Laperal anticipates the Philippines as becoming a backdrop for films that need to depict the Caribbean and South America. "I see a definite getting away from the Vietnam genre.
(text source: cineweb.com)

11.
Too Late the Hero - Filmed on location in the Philippines, Suicide Run is the alternate title of the British war thriller Too Late the Hero. Cliff Robertson stars as an opportunistic, mildly cowardly US navy lieutenant who is reluctantly recruited for a suicide mission.
(text source: blockbuster.com)

12.
Kiss the Sky - Plot Summary: Two professionals, Jeff and Marty, take a business trip to the Philippines. Their deep dissatisfaction with their lives leads them to forsake their friends and families for a return to the alcohol and drug-induced wanderings of their youth.
(text source: imdb.com)

12.
Man on the Moon - Plot Summary: Jim Carrey plays Andy Kaufman--egocentric comedian, who tells his Hollywood agent George Shapiro (Danny DeVito): "I want to be the biggest star in the world." The writers successfully present Kaufman as "The King of Negative Energy." He loves hoaxes and put-ons. As a result, when the comedian tells his family and close friends that he is dying of lung cancer, they are not sure if he is serious. Later, near death, he flies to the Philippines (filming location: Baguio City) to be treated by a famous healer, only to discover that this so-called miracle worker is nothing more than a showman like himself.
(text source: spiritualityhealth.com)

Please feel free to add to the list if you are aware of any other DVD movies shot in the country.

lazy_maze · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 10, 2001 at 10:08 AM »

Quote

Please feel free to add to the list if you are aware of any other DVD movies shot in the country.

Where's Apocalypse Now?

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 10, 2001 at 04:53 PM »

Quote

Where's Apocalypse Now?

Thanks for mentioning this film, lazy_maze. I'll update the list later

MigraineBoy · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 10, 2001 at 07:11 PM »

I think you can add Brokedown Palace to the list.

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 10, 2001 at 08:29 PM »

Quote

I think you can add Brokedown Palace to the list.

Isn't this the film which featured the infamous Claire Danes who even made a nasty remark about Manila? Last I heard was that the City Council declared her as persona non grata.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up, BasketCase. I'll update the list today.

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 10, 2001 at 11:02 PM »

Here's what I've found about the Claire Danes fiasco. Though I think the article below didn't redeem her in anyway from what she did, it still "tried" to explain her side. Worse, you might get more irked reading the article

read on...

= = = = =
an excerpt from the article "Perfectly Claire"
by Michael Krugman (Flaunt - August, 1999)
source: www.clairedanes.com

Which in a roundabout way brings us to Danes' most recent picture, Brokedown Palace. The film (directed by Jonathan Kaplan) stars Danes and Kate Beckinsale as tourist girls who wind up in a Thai prison for unwittingly smuggling heroin. The production was restricted from filming in Bangkok, so Manila was chosen as the tropical alternative. From all accounts, the set was an absolute nightmare, with cast and crew enduring ridiculous humidity, outbreaks of dengue fever, and unhinged inmates in the dilapidated mental hospital used for filming. After production was finished, Danes made some honest but negative comments about the experience in Premiere and Vogue, thus setting off the proverbial firestorm of controversy.

"It's so craping hard to talk about," Danes says after a long, thoughtful pause. "It was just bad, bad, bad news, literally and figuratively. It's so painful even to touch on. [Long pause] I mean, I'm never at a loss for words. I really cared about the character and I really liked the story I've kind of forgotten about the things that attracted me to the story because it's become something else. It's become political, it's become about the process of making a movie, things that are ultimately not that interesting, but they've clouded my memory"

The Manila city council was incensed by Danes' declaration that their city was "disgusting," and "smelled of cockroaches." Lest we forget, the Philippines is a country where wives can be purchased over the Internet and religious fanatics crucify themselves for the tourists every Good Friday. Nevertheless, the actress was officially decreed to be persona non grata, banning her past and future films from Manila's movie screens.

"I didn't say anything that bad," she asserts. "It was wrong for me to say certain things, and I apologized. I was in no place to talk about that film and that experience in a rational way. I was lashing out and it was wrong. It was a silly move on my part and I'll never do that again."

The incident has left a very bad taste in Danes' mouth about the interview process and journalists in general. She dared to express herself and it came back to bite her on the ass.

"The writer had done another article about me and she was very kind, so I thought, 'She likes me, she's going to be supportive and cool and I can loosen up and sound interesting.' I was so dumb. So dumb. Again, I apologize to everybody that was offended, I was wrong, but Jesus, enough already..."

"It could've been a great movie," she says regretfully, "and that's what's so upsetting. It was very rich and there was a lot that I wanted to say with it. It was about growing up, that moment where you say, 'Oh wow, I really have to be responsible for myself' So it's so tragic. It's heartbreaking. That's really what I was wrestling with and experiencing and what I wanted to comment on."

= = = = =

That's all, folks.

benny · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 14, 2001 at 02:16 PM »

Not sure about this one since some information has to be translated from German:

Söldner des Todes aka Horror Safari

Junix Nocian is also in the cast.

benny · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 14, 2001 at 02:29 PM »

Goodbye America

Edit: Oh sorry, I didn't see this was already posted in the other thread - DVDs that have connections with the Phils.

Anyway, are you including in the list movies shot here only partially? like Man on the Moon. Just asking...

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 14, 2001 at 03:21 PM »

Quote

Anyway, are you including in the list movies shot here only partially? like Man on the Moon. Just asking...

benny, was the faith healer scene from the "Man on the Moon" actually shot here in the country? I remember watching that scene and had the feeling it was done elsewhere. I also run some searches regarding its filming but never found anything about it being shot on location here in the Philippines.

If indeed "Man on the Moon" was partially shot here (as the case for "An Officer and a Gentleman"), I'll be happy in adding it on the list

If not, I think it would be more appropriate in the "List of DVDs that have connections with the Phils..

About "Horror in Safari" (with Junix Inocian), basing on the info provided in imbd.com, I'm inclined to think this was shot in Italy. This gave me an idea for a new thread

"full-blooded Pinoy actors in US/foreign DVDs". Check it out

benny · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 15, 2001 at 01:31 PM »

About Horror Safari - the english translation of Amazon De's page says something about "Philippinen jungles." Can't verify though if they used actual "Philippinen" locations or made somewhere look like our jungles. Besides there are not many jungles to go about here.

It might be better not to include it until we have some verification though.

Filming locations for Man on the Moon include Baguio according to imdb. I'll have to watch the dvd again.

Also, the Filming Locations Browser at imdb would greatly help us in this thread.

Great work on your threads! They are shaping along very nicely.

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 15, 2001 at 11:09 PM »

Thanks for the link references, benny. Strange, it never felt like the Philippines while I was watching it. I really thought it was shot somewhere else just made to look like 'Pinas :-[I will add "Man on the Moon" on the next update

juan · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 11:14 AM »

can yopu include my researchs:
Eatern Condors-Philippines as Vietnam
Gray's anatomy-directed by Steven sodenbergh
Suspect
Twilight zone(2 episodes shot here>i saw the A quality of Mercy by dean stockwell at Studio 23]
Nice ba?

barrid · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 05:48 PM »

Didn't find Blood Surf from the list. It got world-class beautiful beach and surf.

Thanks Komikero!

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 05:56 PM »

Quote

can yopu include my researchs:
Eatern Condors-Philippines as Vietnam
Gray's anatomy-directed by Steven sodenbergh
Suspect
Twilight zone(2 episodes shot here>i saw the A quality of Mercy by dean stockwell at Studio 23]
Nice ba?

Thanks for the title suggestions, juan! It's been a while since I last updated this list.

I'll do it soon.

FYI: the titles you mentioned have been in dvdaf.foreign.filipino - on location: the Philippines[/b] list previously. Just haven't got the time incorporating titles I've added there to this list.

Keep the title suggestions coming!

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 06:27 PM »

Quote

Didn't find Blood Surf from the list. It got world-class beautiful beach and surf.

Thanks Komikero!

I think 'Blood Surf' will be listed more appropriately in full-blooded Pinoy actors on US/foreign DVDs list. What do you think, barrid?

barrid · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 08:28 PM »

Quote

I think 'Blood Surf' will be listed more appropriately in full-blooded Pinoy actors on US/foreign DVDs list. What do you think, barrid?

Close call there Bartmaniac. I just can't help looking at a scenic spot that I never knew existed in PI.It just blew me away! The Korean I met on my way here told me, Philippine beaches are more beautiful than where I'm staying. Now, I believe him.

But, it's your call.

ßartmaniac · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 30, 2002 at 09:55 PM »

barrid, I've already added your suggestion to "full-blooded Pinoy actors on US/foreign DVDs" list. But may kulang pang info since I don't know the name of the character played by Maureen Larrazabal.

barrid · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 17, 2002 at 11:35 PM »

I'm in the middle of B-movie called Firing Line who starred Shannon Tweed. Dick Israel is in there. And yet to see some other pinoy in the said movie.

NY152 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 18, 2002 at 02:28 AM »

Let's not forget Joyce Jimenez in Harold Robbins' Body Parts and Tawny Kitaen in The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak.

Though that last one isn't on DVD yet... but it should be!

xage · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 19, 2002 at 02:43 AM »

Hi, Try Checking out HKFLIX.com and search for Philippines. maybe you could add out Chinese FIlms shot on Philippines

marj · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2003 at 08:31 AM »

The "American Ninja" movies (I think there were four sequels) starring Michael Dudikoff.

jerix · « **Reply #21 on:** Jun 12, 2003 at 10:02 AM »

NAKED WEAPON --

nasa Spain daw pero sa background me dumaang passenger jeep.

Atticus · « **Reply #22 on:** Jun 12, 2003 at 06:30 PM »

How about the "Ali" movie starring Will Smith? I think they shot a scene in the Araneta Coliseum.

dibidi · « **Reply #23 on:** Jun 17, 2003 at 11:00 AM »

Quote from: jerix on Jun 12, 2003 at 10:02 AM

NAKED WEAPON -- nasa Spain daw pero sa background me dumaang passenger jeep.

true watch that movie... first scenes nasa Manila Hotel sila. they just replaced the signs... pati makikita mo ung mga orange cones na ginagamit ng MMDA sa kalsada.. some scenes parang sa intramuros. yung sa training island naman parang sa batangas.

dibidi · « **Reply #24 on:** Jun 17, 2003 at 11:02 AM »

Quote from: marj on May 13, 2003 at 08:31 AM

The "American Ninja" movies (I think there were four sequels) starring Michael Dudikoff.

yup, shot here in the Philippines..

dibidi · « **Reply #25 on:** Jun 17, 2003 at 11:08 AM »

Many war movies of the 40's or 50's had been shot here on location..

Bataan - one of the best war movies
Back to Bataan - starring John Wayne

acyl_halide · « **Reply #26 on:** Jun 18, 2003 at 10:03 AM »

Quote from: Atticus on Jun 12, 2003 at 06:30 PM

How about the "Ali" movie starring Will Smith? I think they shot a scene in the Araneta Coliseum.

Its not possible because Ali covered only his life before that historic bout at the Araneta.

anya618 · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 30, 2008 at 11:43 PM »

operation condor starring yuen biao sa banaue rice terraces ata nashoot

yamota · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 05, 2008 at 11:06 PM »

I remember one called "Mission: Manila" starring Larry Wilcox of "CHiPs" fame as a Vietnam veteran who comes to the Philippines to look for his MIA brother or something like that.

John E. · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 19, 2009 at 01:10 AM »

how about stone cold's "the condemned" tagalog kasi salita nung ibang TV crew nila.

Author Topic: List of DVD movies shot in the Philippines (Read 8438 times)

NY152