Premiere night on July 23! Showing Nationwide on August 10!
It's not everyday that a movie that represents the voice of a generation comes out.. and it's even rarer when you're asked to be a part of it. The movie "Rakenrol" came into my life in 2008, whilst I was working in the Post Production house "Larger Than Life", which is now known as "PostManila".
RakenRol's Director, Quark Henares, (the guy I bumped into at Chuck's Deli) is one of those genuinely nice guys, and you wouldn't think of him as a director when you first meet him. In fact, the first time I met him, I was handling an event for the.. umm.. "Gentlemen's Club" known as "Air Force One", and he was among the VIP's invited by Direk Erik Matti (My boss) to a special show featuring Aubrey Miles. I was the one assigned to make sure they get in with no problem, and show them to their tables. He didn't really say much, except he had a huge smile on his face. He had just come fresh from directing Maui Taylor in the blockbuster skin flick, "Gamitan", so I thought seeing Aubrey Miles dance gyrate on stage in revealing outfits wouldn't faze him. I was honestly expecting someone along the lines of everyones' perception of the young controversial director, "Rafa Santos".
Instead, while he was on his way out, he recognized me as the guy who helped get him in, went over to furiously shake my hand and said to me like a school boy who got a glimpse of his crush's bra strap for the first time, "Thank you! This was the best day of my life!".
And just like that, I knew we'd get along just fine, because he's like a big kid.. Like me, he's got a strong interest in comic books and movies. Although I've got to admit, I don't really have the same fervor he has for music. But that's ok, because to be honest, few do.
It is evident that his passion for music and movies is what fueled his fire to make sure the story of "Rakenrol" gets told. After three years of post production going on and off, and despite the movie being screened to much acclaim already abroad, Direk Quark now has the Philippine play date he's been so anxiously striving for.. And I couldn't be happier for him and everyone involved in the making of the film. All the blood sweat and tears will finally pay off for them. Though the company I work for is a co-producing the film, I refuse to claim a part of making the movie, because I don't want to disrespect my co-workers that has stayed up countless nights just making sure the movie gets finished (The most I did was fix their editing schedules during the early part of post production).
I'll be honest.. I'm not too big on Filipino films. I think the last Filipino movie I watched was "Exodus", and that was only because our company produced it. But I've seen "Rakenrol" in its entirety, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really can't wait for everyone else to see it when it begins its nationwide theatrical run on August 10, 2011, with a premiere night on July 23!
At long last, after 5 years in the making, director Quark Henares’s RAKENROL is finally coming out. The much-anticipated movie is Henares and co-writer Diego Castillo’s (guitarist of Sandwich and music video director) ode to the Philippine rock music scene, which both consider their home. In the film, Irene (Glaiza de Castro, Grazilda, Amaya) and Odie (Jason Abalos, Endo, Mara Clara) are outsiders who become best friends because of their common love for Rock n’ Roll. Odie eventually falls in love with Irene, and helps fulfill her dreams of forming a band. They eventually recruit an ex-punk-turned-barista named Mo (Ketchup Eusebio, Guns and Roses, My Amnesia Girl) and the school bully Junfour (Alwyn Uytingco, Imortal, Ang Tanging Ina movies), eventually deciding to call their band "HAPIPAKS". In the process, Irene is wooed by her “all-time supercrush”, the famous rockstar Jacci Rocha (Diether Ocampo), and the one thing that brought her and Odie together might end up destroying them. The supporting characters add color and humor to the cast, with Ramon Bautista as the music video director Flame Tigerblüden, Ricardo Cepeda as a samurai marketing guru, Jun Sabayton as Mo’s artist roommate, Hiyasmin Neri as Junfour’s pregnant girlfriend, and Matet de Leon as... Matet de Leon.
RAKENROL is Henares’s fifth film, the director having done everything from internationally-acclaimed cult films (Keka) to big-budget Metro Manila Filmfest movies (Super Noypi). This, however, is his most personal film, and he’s glad to collaborate with one of his closest friends on the project. “Diego and I have probably done everything music-wise together,” the young fimmaker says, “we’ve hosted radio shows, co-directed videos, we’ve written articles about music. We were even in a band together once!” Castillo reveals that the film is very autobiographical. “We’re both from and into the local music industry and I guess a lot of our mutual friends started off in the scene and we both thought it would be a good idea to chronicle the things that we’ve seen over the years,” he says.
RAKENROL will come out in theaters on August 10, but even now it’s had its fair share of international critical acclaim. The film has already screened in Italy (Udine Far East Film Festival), Los Angeles (Asia Pacific Film Festival) and San Francisco, and has been invited to international film festivals in Hawaii, Göteborg, San Diego and New York. In LA it won the Audience Choice award, and the top Asian film site Film Business Asia called the film "A lightly comic charmer that's sustained by its likeable leads and easygoing, big-hearted style." (Derek Elley)
RAKENROL will be making its premiere as the closing film of Cinemalaya, on July 23, 2011 at 9pm. There will also be a concert at Harbour Square at the CCP Complex, featuring Itchyworms, Ciudad, Taken by Cars, Pedicab, Techy Romantics, Halik ni Gringo and Arigato Hato. Tickets are available through Ticketnet, just call 911-5555 for inquiries.
No comments:
Post a Comment