While easing the boredom of a Saturday with JC, checking friendster and some blog entries, YM-ing Ed and two “7-11 big gulps” to drown ourselves with, I came across Kiko‘s blog. We were stunned by an embedded video he featured. It’s the international release for what used to be a “Richard Guttierez – Angel Locsin – Iza Calsado” horror film – Sigaw.
If you are one of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos “sick of Philippine politics,” and “getting tired of being Filipino,” here is something to shout about.
Director Yam Laranas’s film Sigaw [internationally released as The Echo] has been drawing raves in Hollywood after producer Roy Lee watched the movie and confessed: “I found myself jumping at certain scenes and I have seen many other horror movies where that never happens.”
You’ll appreciate that quote more if you know who Roy Lee is. He’s the hot Hollywood producer who brought Japanese horror movies The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water to Hollywood and turned them into critically acclaimed, international box office hits. Right now, Roy Lee is executive producing The Departed starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Matt Damon, and directed by Martin Scorcese.
How Roy Lee discovered Yam and Sigaw is fast becoming the stuff of legend in filmmaking circles. It is absolute proof of the power of good word of mouth. Roy heard about Sigaw from someone who watched it and loved it and knew other people who saw Sigaw and were raving about it as well.
Without a single centavo spent on Marketing and PR, Sigaw outlived the hype and hysteria of the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival where it quietly cultivated a cult-like following.
If you have been able to watch the original version, you would see the twist they made for the new version. This time The story of Sigaw revolves around a young ex-con who moves into an old apartment building, only to learn his neighbor is an abusive police officer who savagely beats his wife and daughter. When the ex-con tries to intervene, he becomes trapped in a curse.
Yam – the Filipino filmmaker got his wish with a screening of the movie at the Hall Theatre on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. He will be on hand to present his 90-minute thriller, which stars Jesse Bradford as Bobby, Iza Calzado [who reprises her role], Amelia Warner, Kevin Durand, Louise Linton, Carlos Leon and Pruitt Taylor Vince.
This is something we can all be proud of isn’t it?
[*damn! i can’t post the video trailer… ill post it another time]
my so-called LIFE 