Gabby Concepcion assures that viewers will get a scary experience when they watch Regal Entertainment's pre-Halloween movie White House.
In a media junket prepared for him recently by the movie outfit, the actor appreciated the effectiveness of the horror effects of this movie but he admitted that he wasn't impressed until he saw three parts of White House.
"Dito ko naramdaman sa pelikulang ito, noong nagda-dubbing kami, noong huling beses kong napanood ito... Nakita ko 'yong taping, nakita ko 'yong shooting, pero walang dating. Pero dito ko naramdaman, noong napanood ko na, na tumayo pa rin ang balahibo ko. Natakot pa rin ako. Maski 'yong mga technician, natakot pa rin sa loob ng [editing room]. Kapag nilalagay na 'yong sound effects, lumalabas daw sila ng kwarto," Gabby revealed.
The actor said he really intended to see a few parts of the movie before he faced the entertainment media.
"Hindi ako makakapagsalita hangga't di ko panonoorin," he said. "Nang mapanood ko hanggang part three, okay na. Nararamdaman ko hanggang sa leeg ko, tumatayo ang balahibo ko, very effective."
COMEBACK MOVIE WITH REGAL. The Kapamilya actor never thought he could do a movie again with Regal after being away from the industry for more than a decade. He was grateful that Mother Lily Monteverde still gave him a chance despite their small rift years ago.
Gabby was one of the first so-called Regal babies. Most of the movies he did before he left the country in 1995 were produced by Regal Entertainment. And the latest suspense flick he could remember doing with Regal was Huwag Kang Hahalik sa Diablo (1989).
"I thought I will never work with Regal again," Gabby recalled without elaborating about his previous misunderstanding with the Regal matriarch.
"Siyempre, nagkaroon kami ng konting conflict ni Mother Lily noon so, akala ko na nga mangyayari ito. Okay na kami ni Mother ngayon kaya nakagawa ako ng pelikula. Buti naman at pinagkatiwalaan niya ako. Naging close ulit kami ni Mother kasi siya ang unang-unang dumating sa [wake] ng dad ko."
Gabby said that he did not hesitate to accept the project because he liked the story when it was presented to him.
"Actually, okay siya, hindi naman ako tumutol," he recalled. "Tiningnan ko ang script, simple lang ang script. Sa tingin ko, ang magpapaganda niyan lalo is how the director will bring out the fear in us."
This project also gave the former matinee idol the chance to work with a new generation of actors.
"Naka-experience ko kung paano makatrabaho ang mga kabataan ngayon. Gaya nga ng sinabi ko, ako ang pinakabata sa grupo kaya okay lang 'yon. Lahat naman sila mababait, walang maere, walang pa-star ang dating," observed Gabby.
He also thinks that their director, Topel Lee, did a good job in making this horror flick. This film and TV director helmed previous horror movies like Ouija (2007), Sundo (2009), and an episode for three sequels of the longest movie series Shake, Rattle, and Roll.
"Ang galing nga ni Topel Lee. Magaling siya, e, very imaginative," he said.
