Regal Entertainment's scary movie offering "UNTOLD" was just given an advanced screening and scream party at the SM City North Edsa's THE BLOCK. It was witnessed by Regal Entertainment head honchos Keith Monteverde and Roselle Monteverde. While Jodi Sta. Maria is out of the country filming an international project, actresses Sarah Edwards and Kaori Oinuma attended the screening to say hi to lucky students, fans and media covering the event.
Jodi plays Vivian Vera, a reporter/anchor for a TV station. The film was easy to absorb at first, but it is a psycho thriller, full of jump scares and g0re. It was also very claustrophobic because much of the entities come from different directions. This is also about PTSD, mental health, and family.
Keith and Roselle Monteverde, Regal Entertainment Inc. is personally working on this film
This seems like a huge experiment for Jodi, and the film is full of things that would make you question realities. You get scared for a while then end up being in a flashback, or immerse in a supposed alter reality then see it being true. You also won't be able to invest too much on characters because one minute they're goody two shoes, the next day they're going to the underworld. Her involvement with all of them is consistent though, which again, made this story line cerebral, it makes you think and question every time what is true, what is happening now, and what's not.
The entertainment value certainly is enough for a Jodi Sta Maria film, and if you doubt her capability to scare, I've seen several people in my row screaming at times. Much of the content is psychologically heavy, and you'll feel the struggle on why the characters are doing what they are doing, even after the "afterlife". The narrative is stressful, so make sure you are ready for this horror film because by any standards, Jodi did justice with hear character. You'll also love some not so serious things that JK brings, which gives relief despite the heavy plot.
Director Derrick Cabrido may have had a field day doing this with an actress that is capable of playing complex personalities. She did phenomenal, and the script certainly has been researched well. If you are practicing witchcraft (not that I'm insinuating you are), you'll also be seeing a lot of clues why we say that. This is another layer that you should discover when you watch it on theaters on April 30.
Do you believe in fate? Do you believe in soulmates? Do you believe that somewhere out there, there is someone intended to love you? In some ways, I do.
Those questions are pretty hard to answer. However, I've had the privilege of talking to some really smart people who are trying to tell you a story. It's called "The Boy Foretold By The Stars". This is a Filipino BL film starring Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson. We also got to talk to the director of this film Direk Dolly Dulu.
This is quite interesting as it is set in an all boys Catholic school. That alone is quite crazy as a venue for an LGBT themed story (for some), but obviously it happens. One is a straight guy and the other an effeminate boy.
Adrian Lindayag plays Dominic, an honor student, achiever, straight A's and doesn't believe in fate or stars.
He told us about how he got into the film and says "I was invited by a friend who told me his friend wrote a script and told me to audition. I was taping Kadenang Ginto and I asked for permission. Good thing we filmed quite near in ABS CBN. I knew when I read the script that I was Dominic. I worked with Keann already and it was easier because of that. Yes there will be kissing scenes, people should note how good Keann is and I trusted him. I really was feeling kilig when he looks at me. I believe he's a nice person, he listens to me when I have issues, I can be myself when I am with him."
Keann Johnson plays Luke, a jock, sports man, and does everything by flipping a coin. He says "I got this role back then when I was celebrating things with fans. When I learned about it, I knew it was a different role and push my limits. It takes two to tango and I feel if it wasn't him it would feel different. I feel really kilig when he gives me things, no awkwardness whatsoever. It's 2020 and people are very understanding, if I'm going to introduce him to my parents I will be bold to do it. I feel he would always ask about his future soulmate, not just career, he's more into finding love. Honestly, the guy is very open to men or women, maybe a pansexual, I learned no one could tell you who to love, but with all your heart."
Direk Dolly Dulu says "I was waiting for the festival to start but it took too long for Cinefilipino to do screenings. I was a little down because we finished this ahead of time, even ahead of the BL wave in the country, but it just wasn't being shown. Jodi asked me about it and then CineFilipino finally decided that they would do things next year, the material was getting old but now that people are craving for it, we knew we had to do it now. This film was written in 2016 and I'm glad a lot of people trusted us, I am so thankful for that. I took it from personal experience, from a one act play of which I was trying to get over someone, I just changed names. It was formed way before the movie, I had to do it in a higschool setting. The casting was really for Dominic as it required a feminine guy doing it. It was hard to get actors who would just do it, I got a legitimate one. Getting Keann on the other hand was a no brainer because we had to get someone who looks good and was willing to do it. I had to do auditions for his role and had to make sure they jive when they are together."
To give you an even better understanding on why I'm so glad I did this interview, here's what happened during the blog conference, enjoy!
Adrian was a ball of energy, very nice and easy to talk to. He's very articulate, snaps humor into conversation and hella fun. Keann (aside from being extremely good looking) was cerebral, takes nibbles to understand questions thrown at him and gives really smart answers. Even if this was the first time I talked with them, I felt I was amongst friends, which is why I enjoyed this blog conference. I haven't felt that way in a while. I have seen the trailer, and these two are very effective, I'd mistake it is real... which is why I am so excited to watch this on theaters soon (or virtually)!
The Boy Foretold By The Stars is produced by teleserye queen Jodi Sta. Maria under Clever Minds Inc., The Dolly Collection and Brainstormers Lab.
Leo, Martin, Mona and Lisa. These are just names to you now but as soon as it airs on ABSCBN this coming Monday, you’ll love each of their characters as portrayed by Robin Padilla, Richard Yap and Jodi Sta. Maria. This is called SANA DALAWA ANG PUSO (I wish I had 2 hearts) and will be the afternoon offering right before Showtime on the kapamilya channel.
Robin plays Leo, a man who takes odd jobs for a living. Although poor, falls madly in love with rich beauty diva Lisa of the Loriano Group of Companies (played by Jodi)... who was in a supposed arranged marriage with Martin Co who later finds himself a poor barrio girl who looks exactly like Lisa but is named Mona, a chicken farmer. Will their lives intertwine? Will love be good for these four people? How are they related? You have to watch the first episode tomorrow on ABSCBN.
Jodi says “I am personally very excited to see this, this is fun, you’ll learn a lot of things, sometimes very romantic and I hope you get to watch it. The postponement had nothing to do with Robin but our creative team had to do revisions with the script and characters. We were not ready yet last August but this is good now. There will be 4 characters tomorrow and I believe they will be in love with Martin and Leo, you can’t compare then because they have different stories that should be appreciated by people.”
Richard Yap adds “We have been gone for a while but I hope people would go back to this time slot, hopefully the same people who watched us will get to see us again. My character is different now, I had to reinvent myself to be this character, I have long lines and I should have asked something like a man of few words like Robin.”
Robin says “To belong here is really but an honor for me, I am a fan of their show in the past and now I’m with them in the series. ABSCBN was a bit behind schedule and our schedules got mixed up between this and a movie we tried to make in between. They are bringing in a show about love, so it’s light and very Filipino. It was just a matter of timing I guess. My two movies were postponed (by Vidanes) and we did this instead. I asked ABSCBN to just make my character to be as close as possible with me, they agreed.”
The show also stars Christopher De Leon, Bobot Mortiz, Alma Moreno, Nikki Valdez, Bayani Agbayani, Ryan Bang, Ylona Garcia, Buboy Garrovillo, Kitkat Favia, and a whole lot more. Again it starts tomorrow January 29 after showtime!
