Known for his unorthodox brand of film-making, “The Road” director Yam Laranas promises to treat moviegoers to a fresh new approach to horror.

Q: How long did it take you and GMA Films to produce this film?

LARANAS: “I began writing the story of “The Road” in 2005. It was completed just August last year. After that, we got the approval of GMA Films sometime in January this year and we immediately began pre-production. The actual shooting started in July.”

Q: What things did you consider in writing the film?

LARANAS: “Nung sinusulat namin ang pelikula, ang sinabi namin‘enough of the Asian horror.’ Not that there’s something wrong with the genre but because marami na kasing nakapanood ng mga pelikulang ganun. For me, with respect to the audience, kailangan magpakita naman tayo ng bago. Yung iba naman.”

Q: We have seen several good horror movies both foreign and local in the past, what sets “The Road” apart from these films?

LARANAS: “Nakakatuwa nga kasi meron kaming listahan ng mga eksenang hindi na dapat isama sa pelikula kasi gasgas na: yung mga tipong hinihila sa ilalim ng kama, yung may tatapik sa likod mo tapos paglingon mo kaibigan mo lang pala, etc. Sabi ko, ‘pag walang kinalaman sa istorya, wag na nating ilagay.’ Kasi yung audience –lalo na yung mga mahihilig sa horror – alam na nila lahat ‘yan e. Hindi mo sila mabobola. At feeling ko nakakahiya sa audience kung ang ipapakita mo sa kanila ay ang mga bagay na napanood na nila.”

Q: So, why ‘The Road’?

LARANAS: “I chose the title ‘The Road’ because it could mean a lot of things. Pwedeng papunta ka pa lang, pwede ring pabalik na. Sa kwentong ito, hindi alam ng mga characters sa pelikula kung pabalik na sila o papunta pa lang. And that adds to the mystery. Sa kwento ng pelikula, na-trap sila sa road for thirty years pero hindi nila alam kung ano ang nangyayari at kung bakit.”

Q: What were your bases in casting actors for the film?

LARANAS: “The first thing I asked for was a list of good actors, tapos base sa listahan na ‘yun namili ako. At dahil yung movie ay nangangailangan ng serious acting, pinili ko yung sa tingin ko ay mayroon talagang commitment. Lahat ng artista ko sa pelikula ay may commitment. Hindi lang sa project kundi sa mga character din nila.”

Q: This is the tweens’ first horror movie and their first film with you as the director, so how was it working with them?

LARANAS: “I think yung mga fans ng tweens lalong bibilib sa kanila kasi makikita nila na hindi lang sila marunong sumayaw o kumanta. Mas maa-appreciate nila ang acting ng mga tweens dahil napaka-convincing talaga.”

Q: We are used to seeing Alden Richards portray a role of a “boy-next-door” cutie, but in this film he portrays the character of an abductor and rapist. How hard a task was it to transform a good-looking heartthrob into an evil antagonist? (laughs)

LARANAS: “Si Alden has one of the most difficult roles sa pelikula kasi halos wala siyang speaking lines; halos dalawang sentences lang. Kaya kung ikaw ang artista, paano mo ilalabas ang emosyon mo kung wala kang sasabihin? Ang mga manonood ay, at one point,kikiligin kay Alden and at another matatakot sila and yet ginawa niya ito through pure acting; without the help of so much words. Hindi lang siya magaling, talagang committed pa siya sa role niya.”

Q: Rhian Ramos is one versatile talent. We’ve seen her do drama and comedy, and she’s a good host too, what more can we expect from her in ‘The Road’?

LARANAS: “Rhian will show everyone how great an actress she is in this film. She is very serious in portraying her character. So serious that pag merong moments na pinapaiyak siya, ang hirap niyang mapatigil. Rhian has proven that she is a very good actress and I think she’s going to stay long in this business. I have told her that several times in the past, akala niya nagbibiro lang ako o pinupuri ko lang siya para mas ganahan siyang umarte, but it’s really true.”

Q: Where is this ‘road’?

LARANAS: “Most of our sequences were shot in Teresa, Rizal. Ang ganda ganda ng location; very cinematic and it’s actually the first time that it was used as a location for a film.”

Q: Did you have goose bumps while shooting the film?

LARANAS: “Hindi naman. But at one point, some of crew members refuse to use the restroom on the upper floor of the house where we shot several sequences in. Pati yung mismong road ay nakakatakot din talaga.Kahit nga yung artista, pagkatapos nilang mag-shoot nagmamadali silang umalis. Pati nga yung crew nagtatakutan kasi madilim talaga. Kami lang kasi yung nandun e. ‘Pag pinatay mo yung ilaw, ang dilim dilim niya talaga dahil malayo siya sa mga kabahayan e. Yun pa lang nakakatakot na, and I think yun kaagad ang maeexperience ng audience.”

Q: Your last feature film, Sigaw, reaped international acclaim and was even released abroad. Do you think “The Road” will replicate or even surpass its success?

LARANAS: “I really hope so. May mga [film] festival na humihingi na ng copies. Nakakatuwa dahil trailer pa lang ng pelikula maugong na sa internet. May mga foreign buyer na rin na interested in releasing the movie in North America and Europe. Nagpapadala na kami ng screeners, kinakausap ko na yung mga festival organizer. Actually, ‘The Road’ is currently being evaluated by a big company in the States and hopefully, magustuhan nila at i-release nila.”

Q: What should moviegoers expect from this film?

LARANAS: “Maraming surprises na makikita ang audience sa mga cast ng pelikula. Yung tipong sasabihin nila na ‘Oh my God, ang galing pala nilang umarte.’ Pag nakita mo yung artistang hinahangaan mo TV at pag nakita mo siya sa pelikulang ‘The Road’,mapapansin mong meron silang ibang level sa pag-arte na hindi pa natin napapanood sa mga teleserye o movies na nagawa nila. At ako bilang direktor at bilang kasama nila sa trabaho ay natutuwa kasi nabigyan nila ng buhay yung script at yung kwento.”

Q: Why should horror fans watch “The Road”?

LARANAS: “The Road is a ghost story, that’s why it’s very real. Yung mga nakapanood na ng mga preview screenings namin isa lang ang sinasabi nila: ‘ayokong panoorin ‘tong mag-isa. We guarantee the audience that the ‘scare’ of the road is something new. Sana magustuhan nila, at sana panoorin nila.”

Q: After “The Road,” what kind of film would you want to do?

LARANAS: “Hindi ko pa alam kung anong klaseng movie ang gagawin ko, pero any story that’s compelling — may it be comedy, love story or thriller — walang problema sa akin.”

Dubbed as the scariest movie of the year, “The Road” opens in theaters nationwide beginning November 30 (Wednesday).

Watch the full trailer here:

Interview with ‘The Road’ Director Yam Laranas originally appeared on Starmometer on November 29, 2011.

TJ Trinidad as Luis – a provincial cop tasked to investigate the case of three teenagers, two of which died in a desolate road, one is still missing.

Gerald Madrid as Allan – Luis’ assistant police investigator who helps him bring resolution to a recent case they are investigating about a missing teenager.

John Regala as Edwin – Chief of Police who somehow does not approve of the way Luis conducts his police business.

Jaclyn Jose as Susan – mother of two missing daughter a decade ago who presently asks Luis for his help.

THE 1ST STORY

Barbie Forteza as Ella – a sweet 15-year old teenager who sneaks out one night with her best friend to learn how to drive, never expecting for their joyride to turn ghastly as they end up trapped in a desolate road

Lexi Fernandez as Janine – Ella’s best friend who pressures her to sneak with her mother’s car so they can both learn how to drive. Her relationships with both her best friend and boyfriend are tested as horrifying things unfold before her eyes.

Derrick Monasterio as Brian – Janine’s gregarious boyfriend who has a love and hate relationships with both Janine and Ella. It was his idea to sneak out using Janine’s family’s car, bragging he will teach the two girls how to drive, never knowing the horrors that await them.

Lloyd Samartino as Angelo – Ella’s father whom she calls for help amidst the haunting on the road where the teenagers were trapped.

THE 2ND STORY

Rhian Ramos as Lara – a kind and loving sister who is abducted one day in the same road. Lara never saw her abductor and torturer and she plans to escape her being in captive before she becomes a casualty.

Louise Delos Reyes as Joy – Lara’s younger sister, a very impressionable girl who idolizes Lara very much. Abducted and imprisoned in another cell as with Lara, she hopes to escape and reunite with her family.

Alden Richards as Abet – a 17-year old teenager with a mysterious past.

THE 3RD STORY

Renz Valerio as Abet – a homeschooled 10-year old boy who is not allowed by his mother to get out of the house all his life. When his father tells him one day that her mother left them, he was surprised to see the woman still in the house, watching his every move, haunting him till the very end.

Carmina Villaroel as Carmela – an imposing woman, a domineering wife and mother who isolates her son from the rest of the world. She becomes such a strong figure in her own household that Abet has to deal with her psychological state.

Marvin Agustin as Alberto – a pastor, Abet’s doting father and a submissive husband emotionally and verbally battered by his wife. When his son claims the woman never left them, Alberto is forced to examine whether his son is being haunted or is just imagining things.

Ynna Asistio as Martha – a 16-year old neighbor who tries to befriend the boy Abet much to the disapproval of Carmela.

Showing on November 30, 2011, “The Road” has been rated R-13 by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

The Road – Character Descriptions originally appeared on Starmometer on November 21, 2011.

“The Road” stars TJ Trinidad, Ynna Asistio, Barbie Forteza, Louise Delos Reyes, Lexie Fernandez, Alden Richards, Derek Monasterio, Marvin Agustin, Carmina Villaroel, and Rhian Ramos. This tri-part movie about three decades of mysterious deaths on a road is helmed by “Sigaw” and “The Echo” director Yam Laranas for GMA Films.

Watch the teaser trailer here:

‘The Road’ by Yam Laranas – Teaser Trailer originally appeared on Starmometer on August 31, 2011.

Aside from “Tween Academy: Class of 2012,” Barbie Forteza has another movie showing later this year. It’s a horror movie from the director of “Sigaw” and “The Echo,” Yam Laranas.

Barbie will be joined by her fellow Tween stars Lexi Fernandez, Derrick Monasterio, Alden Richards, and Louise delos Reyes in the movie. Also starring are Rhian Ramos, TJ Trinidad, Wendell Ramos, Renz Valerio and Carmina Villaroel.

“The Road” will be released by GMA Films in theaters nationwide this September.

Watch a teaser clip from the movie here:

Barbie Forteza – ‘The Road’ Photo and Teaser Clip originally appeared on Starmometer on August 14, 2011.

Patient X is an upcoming horror movie from GMA Films and Viva Entertainment starring Richard Gutierrez and Cristine Reyes.

Yam Laranas is the director of the celebrated pinoy horror film “Sigaw” and it’s Hollywood remake “The Echo,” which is also showing in Philippine theaters very soon.

VIDEO LINK: Patient X – Trailer

Images courtesy of Yam Laranas

Patient X – Official Poster, Movie Stills and Trailer originally appeared on Starmometer on September 22, 2009.

Asia’s Titanic, a documentary about the MV Doña Paz tragedy, is set to premiere at 8:00 p.m. tonight, August 25, on the National Geographic Channel.

The documentary is produced by Andrew Roque and helmed by the director of Sigaw and The Echo, Yam Laranas.

It is said that the documentary took three years in the making.

Synopsis of the documentary: December 20, 1987, just five days before Christmas, passenger ship MV Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker, MT Vector, off Mindoro Island in the Philippines. It is said that almost 5,000 passengers died in the tragedy and called the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.

Through dramatic first hand accounts from survivors and rescuers, transcripts from the Philippine congressional inquiry into the tragedy, archival footage and photos and a re-enactment of the collision, “Asia’s Titanic” would dissect how the Doña Paz tragedy unfolded.

Yam Laranas Helms ‘Asia’s Titanic’ on National Geographic Channel originally appeared on Starmometer on August 25, 2009.

Two teaser posters of the highly-anticipated Yam Laranas horror movie – Patient X – were revealed.

Patient X is an upcoming horror movie from GMA Films and Viva Entertainment starring Richard Gutierrez and Heart Evangelista.

Yam Laranas is the director of the celebrated pinoy horror film “Sigaw” and it’s Hollwood remake “The Echo.” The Echo will finally hit Philippine theaters very soon.

Images courtesy of Yam Laranas.

Patient X – Teaser Posters originally appeared on Starmometer on August 24, 2009.

Here’s the very first review for The Echo written by Todd Brown of Twicthfilm.net:

Long time Twitch readers may well remember us talking about Filipino horror film Sigaw a couple years back. Written and directed by Yam Laranas it came late enough in the run of Asian horror films – and in some ways played to the standard conventions of the genre enough – that many overlooked it but Sigaw was such a well crafted little gem of a film that introduced some subtle changes to the genre that I truly believe it is one of the last truly important films to come out of that initial Asian horror boom.

And so I have been tracking with great interest the development of the English language version of the film. Titled The Echo it again puts Laranas at the controls shooting a script adapted from his own by the writing duo of Eric Bernt and Shintaro Shimosawa. The result feels more like a riff on the themes that drove the original film than a straight up remake and it is arguably the most art house oriented picture to come out of Roy Lee’s very commercially minded – in a good way – Vertigo Entertainment.

Jesse Bradford (Flags Of Our Fathers) stars as Bobby, a young man freshly released from prison after serving several years for killing a man who was trying to rape Bobby’s girlfriend (Amelia Warner). Bobby is looking to build a fresh life but where to begin? His old friends have either moved away or won’t return his calls, his girl has moved along with her life without him, he has no job, the only home available to him the shabby apartment left vacant when Bobby’s mother died alone and terrified of unseen voices while Bobby was in prison. Despite being constantly surrounded by the noise and bustle of New York City Bobby is isolated and alone.

But Bobby perseveres. His parole officer finds an employer will to take a risk on him, he slowly begins to reconnect with his girl, and he slowly begins to clear the signs of his mother’s descent into madness from the apartment. What could have happened to her? Why didn’t anyone help? And did the blame lie partially on Bobby himself for leaving her unsupported while in prison?

As the signs of his mother’s paranoia become more clear – a closet with interior deadbolts stocked with tin cans and an accumulation of garbage that makes it clear she locked herself into the confined space for days at a time – Bobby’s guilt begins to grow and become more forceful until his memories and shame begin to take physical shape. He sees her in the mess left behind and begins to be plagued by strange noises coming from the walls and floor of his apartment. But those noises are nothing compared to the sounds of violence coming regularly from the apartment next door, sounds of a young wife and her little girl being beaten by the husband. It’s a horrific situation but one that Bobby feels powerless to do anything about: after all, he’s a freshly paroled convict and the man is a cop.

For fans of the original the point of similarity is obvious: young man in new apartment has to cope with domestic violence next door. And anyone who has ever been in this situation – which I have – can tell you how truly debilitating and horrifying it is before you add the additional supernatural layer that the film(s) bring in. The changes are also quite obvious. In the original film the young man was simply striking out on his own, moving into his first apartment in a bid for independence. Bobby’s criminal history, the death of his mother, and the collapse of his relationship with his girlfriend are all new devices for this version and all add layers of depth that make Bobby a more difficult and rewarding character. That strength does come with a cost in the early going as Bobby is so isolated that a healthy percentage of the film is Bobby on his own with minimal dialogue but Bradford is up to the challenge. Some of the other characters could have used a little bit more work but this is Bobby’s film all the way through and Bradford delivers.

On the technical end both films are far more about building mood and tone than piling on shock after shock and again, Laranas applies his considerable technical skills to that end. The man is a hugely accomplished cinematographer, reluctant to use digital tricks of any sort, and while he has an outside director of photography on The Echo – as opposed to Sigaw, which he shot himself – his fingerprints are all over the visuals and shooting style. Helping greatly in building the tone of the piece is the stellar sound design work that makes it clear throughout that while Bobby may be isolated he can never, ever be truly alone when living in the big city.

The Echo is a moody piece of work, a slow burner rather than a big shocker, and one that will likely prove a little bit difficult to market as a result. Just like its predecessor was not one of the big dogs in the original Asian horror boom this one arrives late enough in the remake game that some of the images have become a little overly familiar but also just like the original it shows that there is still some life in these bones and still stories worth telling.

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Courtesy of Yam Laranas’ blog.

‘The Echo’ Receives 1st Rave Review from Cannes originally appeared on Starmometer on May 25, 2008.