Halloween is over, but the stars and producers of the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival's official entry "Huwag Kang Lalabas" were in the mood to recall the weird things that happened on the set of the horror trilogy.
"Maraming kababalaghan na nangyari lalo na doon sa kumbento. Dalawang episodes ang ginawa namin sa Baguio. At the time na nag shoot kami, pandemic. So may mga nilalagnat ng 38-39. Noong ginagawa namin yung 'Kumbento' episode, si Direk Adolf (Alix Jr.) ang taas ng lagnat. Si Elizabeth Oropesa, known siya for having a third eye, so she's claiming during shoot namin, ang dami raw multo na nakikita niya. May American, may mga madre. Change of weather din siguro, so nagkakasakit tapos gumagaling naman. Pahirapan ang shooting kasi limited din ang days namin. May nararamdaman ka talagang kakaiba sa lugar," said Dennis Evangelista, line producer of the movie, during a face-to-face press conference at the Fisher Mall in Quezon last Dec. 12.
Actor James Teng said it really felt scary if you were alone in the area. "Yung setting namin, tuluyan talaga siya ng mga madre. Every corner ng building na yun, may mapi-feel ka na mahirap mag-isa lalo na kung magsi CR ka. Medyo heavy talaga ang feeling kapag mag-isa ka lang doon. So yung mood ng area, nakatulong siya sa mga eksena namin kasi ramdam mo talaga na may kakaiba sa paligid."
Asked if he ever got frightened during the shoot, Teng said: "Kapag nagsi-CR lang po. Pinapaiwan ko talaga yung driver ko sa labas sabi ko huwag siyang aalis."
Joy Sison, supervising producer, said she felt goosebumps when her friend told her she felt something unusual upon seeing the photo she shared on social media.
"Tatlo lang kami sa van. Sabi ko kay Jameson (Blake) tabi na lang kami. May sumama raw sa amin na parang babae after ng shoot. So sobrang takot na takot kami habang nagbi biyahe. Hindi talaga kami tumitingin sa likod kasi baka pagtingin namin nandun sya. Bigla kasi nag text yung spiritista matapos nya makita yung picture na post ko. Kasi yata yung multo parang nakita niya na mukhang matutulugan siya ni Jameson," said Joy.
But actress Kim Chiu said she never had any major close encounters with the ghost while making the movie. "Konti lang pero siguro ayaw nila sa akin kasi maingay ako. Di ba yung mga multo ayaw sa maingay? At saka pagpumupunta ako sa sementeryo nagsusuot ako ng diamonds. Ganun ang paniniwala ng mga Chinese."
Actor James Blanco said everything went smooth when his scenes were shot in San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
Adolf said that Obra Cinema is so blessed to have assembled three of the best actresses - Kim, Elizabeth, and Aiko Melendez - as leads of each of the three episodes in this horror flick. These episodes are "Bahay," "Kumbento," and "Hotel."
"Aiko has been part of the iconic horror films (of her original mother studio). It's great to see her back in a genre she is also great in. She has wonderful chemistry with Joaquin Domagoso, who plays her son. Their story is based on a familiar urban legend," Adolf said.
Aside from Joaquin, featured in this episode are James Blanco, Belbol Roco, Dave Bornea, Ayeesha Cervantes and Soliman Cruz.
Gothic creepiness is promised by the episode "Kumbento" which stars Beauty Gonzales in her first horror film. According to director Adolf: "You'll see a new Beauty Gonzales in 'Kumbento' because here she portrays a nun. And one of the few times that is part of a horror film." Supporting Beauty are Elizabeth, Yasser Marta, Matet de Leon, Tanya Gomez, and Marcus Madrigal.
Kim stars in the episode "Hotel." Said Adolf: "As an OFW who goes through quarantine due to the pandemic, Kim has a very relatable character. Especially among those who have experienced lockdown. Kim excels in horror. The twist in her episode is something to watch for." Also starring in the same episode are Jameson Blake, Tina Paner, Brenda Mage, Donna Carriaga, Rico Barrera, and Allan Paule.
Adolf said he is confident that the moviegoers will enjoy getting creeps and endless screaming while watching the three episodes of "Huwag Kang Lalabas."
"It's worth the ticket because they'll see three stories. And three different frightening stories. Each story can be for any member of the family. And they should be ready for the twist in every story," Adolf added.