Author Topic: Mike de Leon (Read 66098 times)

keating · « **Reply #210 on:** May 11, 2006 at 04:55 PM »

I saw some snipettes on the making of ITIM during Teddy Co's movie poster auction. Very rare glimpse of Mike de Leon calling the shots inside and outside of that creepy house.

When did you see it, eman? And yeah ITIM boasts of unforgettable visual images, those eyes of Susan Valdez always comes alive.

eman59 · « **Reply #211 on:** May 11, 2006 at 04:59 PM »

Quote from: keating on May 11, 2006 at 04:55 PM

When did you see it, eman? And yeah ITIM boasts of unforgettable visual images, those eyes of Susan Valdez always comes alive.

They showed it on TV as part of the marketing campaign. Don't remember if it was also tacked at the end of the Betamax, but I saw it on TV.

keating · « **Reply #212 on:** May 11, 2006 at 05:04 PM »

I want to see the longer version of that making, maybe if they release ITIM on dvd. When I compare it to Brocka's GUMISING KA, MARUJA since both are gothic horror, Tommy Abuel, Mario Montenegro & Charo Santos were not eaten alive by that house. Their performances float around!

Noel was right, the ancestral mansion was the real star of GUMISING KA, MARUJA.

keating · « **Reply #213 on:** May 11, 2006 at 05:10 PM »

For me when Mario O'Hara came out on his room and saw the ghosts sitting on the living room. Also the ending when the camera zooms in and out of the ancestral house. When I talked to Mel Chionglo the production designer, he said they just found out that house with no furnitures inside. Also there were real ghost stories narrated by some crew when they shot the film.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #214 on:** May 12, 2006 at 03:59 AM »

Quote from: eman59 on May 11, 2006 at 04:50 PM

I remember watching a "Making of" feature of Itim that shows the care that went into making this movie. Would make a great supplement to a DVD if one ever comes out.

That's the plan, if he can actually get it together and put it out on DVD.

keating · « **Reply #215 on:** Jun 18, 2006 at 08:43 PM »

Why would Mike de Leon cast Aga Muhlach as Jose Rizal for that aborted project that Marilou did if Muhlach was slightly dumb and not keen on grasping directions, Noel?

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #216 on:** Jun 18, 2006 at 11:15 PM »

Because Mike didn't cast Aga. He was foisted on Mike by GMA productions, and is one of the reasons why Mike didn't want to do the film

I saw the trailer Mike did for the film, incidentally. It looks ominous, beautiful. Then you see Aga's face, and all credibility goes flying out the window.

Which, incidentally, is my reaction when I see Cesar Montano as Rizal.

keating · « **Reply #217 on:** Jun 19, 2006 at 04:37 PM »

Mike should proceed and do that aborted Rizal project. I think the screenplay of that film was available a few years back.

How's Mike when he gets angry, Noel? They were in location in Bataan when the film was packed up!

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #218 on:** Jun 20, 2006 at 06:56 AM »

He never wanted to do that project. Apparently he hates multimillionpeso budgets and elaborate productions.

Have you seen Bayaning Third World? Why would he want to improve on that?

keating · « **Reply #219 on:** Jun 20, 2006 at 08:19 AM »

Yeah, I've seen BAYANING THIRD WORLD on its first day, its the best Rizal movie put on celluloid. I'm looking for a copy also of RIZAL SA DAPITAN.

I'm waiting for the commercial release in dvd of BAYANING THIRD WORLD.

commentary · « **Reply #220 on:** Jun 21, 2006 at 02:48 PM »

Quote from: keating on Jun 20, 2006 at 08:19 AM

Yeah, I've seen BAYANING THIRD WORLD on its first day, its the best Rizal movie put on celluloid. I'm looking for a copy also of RIZAL SA DAPITAN.

Rizal Sa Dapitan, for which our friend Noel has a credit on the script, is available on DVD. Now the quality of the transfer, however, I can not vouch for (I haven't picked up a copy yet myself).

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #221 on:** Jun 21, 2006 at 03:57 PM »

Quote from: keating on Jun 20, 2006 at 08:19 AM

Yeah, I've seen BAYANING THIRD WORLD on its first day, its the best Rizal movie put on celluloid.

I prefer O'Hara's Sisa. And beyond that, Gerry de Leon's El Filibusterismo.

keating · « **Reply #222 on:** Jun 21, 2006 at 06:05 PM »

Quote from: commentary on Jun 21, 2006 at 02:48 PM

Rizal Sa Dapitan, for which our friend Noel has a credit on the script, is available on DVD. Now the quality of the transfer, however, I can not vouch for (I haven't picked up a copy yet myself).

Thanks for the info, commentary. I think the movie was shot on a modest budget just like Bayaning Third World. I didn't know that Noel has a credit on the script of RIZAL SA DAPITAN.

RMN · « **Reply #223 on:** Oct 17, 2006 at 12:23 PM »

The.man.hates.curtains.

keating · « **Reply #224 on:** Oct 20, 2006 at 04:02 PM »

What's next for the most reclusive filmmaker of all-time?

A blast marathon tomorrow of Mike de Leon films:

ITIM
KISAPMATA
KAKABAKABA KA BA
KUNG MANGARAP KA'T MAGISING

too bad those titles are not available on dvd......

riverfan · « **Reply #225 on:** Nov 13, 2006 at 10:38 AM »

I recently bought Nasaan Si Francis DVD, and was browsing through its featured trailers, and lo & behold, as part of its cinefilipino catalog, unitel has a trailer for KISAPMATA, together with other films such as SAKAY and ANG AKING PAGKAGISING MULA SA KAMULATAN.

Hope they wont let us wait that long.

riverfan · « **Reply #226 on:** Nov 13, 2006 at 11:01 AM »

screen caps from the trailer of Mike De Leon's KISAPMATA featured in the NASAAN SI FRANCIS DVD.

telonistas · « **Reply #227 on:** Nov 19, 2006 at 02:26 PM »

i did the title frame of 'handog ng pilipino sa mundo'. it was the early days of digital technology. i used an 8-bit sony computer called VIDEOTIZER SMC-70G. It has a palette of 15 colors and a resolution of 320x480. pixels galore! it was the same computer i used for the opening and closing billboard of 'bilanggo sa dilim'. first full length video shot using 1-inch video. story is based on john fowles' "the collector". i also used video effects function of the SMC-70G for the joel torre's character dream sequences of the movie. i am also one of the film's assistant editors.

those were the days...the good old analog days!

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #228 on:** Nov 19, 2006 at 02:59 PM »

Those of Kisapmata stills look amazing.

Interesting stuff, telonista. Did Mike do 'Handog?' I don't quite remember. And didn't he cut a scene out of Bilanggo?

keating · « **Reply #229 on:** Nov 19, 2006 at 08:43 PM »

Pete Lacaba wrote the lyrics for the song HANDOG NG PILIPINO SA MUNDO, and yes, Mike de Leon directed the MTV.

The soundtrack which was a part of Sister Stella L musical score was floating around after Edsa I, too bad I didn't bought it.

telonistas · « **Reply #230 on:** Nov 19, 2006 at 11:43 PM »

"handog..." i think was written and composed by jim paredes. yes mike directed the mtv. after the mtv he went on to do the batas militar docu project for PTV4. another ill-fated project. jon red a.k.a juan pula resurrected the project many years ago for the 25th or was it the 30th martial law anniv? mike alcazaren who is now negotiating with the aquinos for the ninoy bio-pic was part of the original mike de leon batas militar team along with lee meily, ian victoriano(raymond red's co-writer for bayani and sakay) and others. fortunate to see a teaser/trailer of mike alcazaren's ninoy bio-pic. shot using 16mm b/w stock. boy yniguez was dp. great teaser! looks promising! hair stood after seeing silohoutte of ninoy (he used bambam aquino as stand-in for this teaser) in the balcony of his HK hotel suite, hours before his flight to manila.

actually for bilanggo, mike"offline" edited the whole movie using hi-fi betamax, HF1000 with video and audio insert capabilities. SMPTE timecode was not yet a standard during that time. everything was CTL code. after his "off-line" betamax edit he gave us a copy on tape and instructed us to copy his edit using the 1-inch source tapes down to the last frame.

the movie was premiered in sony wave video theater at cubao fiesta carnival. sony wave theater projected its movies using the humongous three-gun sony video projector(low res,low lumens pa) onto a 200" screen from a u-matic tape source. but for the bilanggo screening, we had to bring in the cabinet size 1-inch recorder/player deck for better resolution. funny thing was the color was unstable coming from the 1-inch deck. i had to wear a headset with microphone at the backend of the theater and give color/contrast adjustment instructions to the technician behind the screen while the movie was being shown.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #231 on:** Nov 20, 2006 at 09:53 AM »

You mean Mike was supposed to do Batas Militar, right? Because far as I know, he didn't.

Interesting stuff on Mike's editing method. But did he cut a scene in particular out of Bilanggo? I'm thinking of the Joel Torre character as a child, being dressed up as a girl...

This is going to sound downright heretical, but I thought the Magkaisa video was more, well, moving. Because it was first, and the song was more openly emotional and sentimental and all, and if I remember right, Handog was sung by all kinds of OPM celebrities, a kind of take off on the Feed the World video.

keating · « **Reply #232 on:** Nov 20, 2006 at 07:47 PM »

My mistake guys, it was Jim Paredes who wrote the lyrics for HANDOG NG PILIPINO SA MUNDO. Telonistas was right.

MAGKAISA was written by Homer Flores & Tito Sotto. HANDOG was probably Mike's stand that he can do MTV with historical value.

RMN · « **Reply #233 on:** Dec 18, 2006 at 09:05 PM »

with the help of a very good friend who did all the computer work, was able to "produce" a sountrack compilation from Mike de Leon's films. it's not perfect and may not even be complete, but it's good enough. having my fill now of the rock opera in kakabakabakaba?. hehe

mike with pete lacaba et al did the docu signus, about Edsa 1. and just recently, the man completed a short 15 minute docu that's just waiting to be screened. (he's been quite busy these days)

you got to hear raymond red's personal experiences working the master. wild!

JdelaCruz · « **Reply #234 on:** Dec 20, 2006 at 11:18 AM »

^ You mean you have Joey's Song from "Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising"? Wow! Hearing that song reminds me of a cloudy Baguio day, or a really dark and rainy Manila afternoon even. Although it's been ages since I heard it last. Lucky you.

RMN · « **Reply #235 on:** Dec 25, 2006 at 09:11 PM »

You want a copy?

wedge · « **Reply #236 on:** Dec 28, 2006 at 04:29 AM »

Saw Itim again for the um...4th time, I think, (the last was three or 4 years ago, when I was still in Manila), and still is the best.

But, Kisapmata put the shivers in me (after a two-film Mike de Leon marathon). There is something inexplicably frightening in Kisapmata that will leave you bothered in the end. It could be Vic Silayan's character, or it could be the whole setup of the plot, or it could be the situations presented.

It's obvious that it earned a spot on my All-Time Favorite Movies. Now, can somebody tell me where I can a copy of Nick Joaquin's The House on Zapote Street?

marj · « **Reply #237 on:** Dec 28, 2006 at 09:25 AM »

Quote from: wedge on Dec 28, 2006 at 04:29 AM

Now, can somebody tell me where I can a copy of Nick Joaquin's The House on Zapote Street?

As far as I know, it's part of the Nick Joaquin's anthology REPORTAGE ON CRIME published by National Book Store. It originally appeared in the PHILIPPINES FREE PRESS magazine.

wedge · « **Reply #238 on:** Dec 28, 2006 at 10:36 AM »

Yup, I read that it was a part of that anthology. The problem is the freaking book is nowhere to be found. I also read that the film Jaguar was also based on one of the stories in the book.

keating · « **Reply #239 on:** Dec 28, 2006 at 06:24 PM »

The book is OOP already for so many years.

Saw it on Alemar's shelves when I was still in grade school.