Director Topel Lee feels glad about his latest movie Sundo despite the delay in its
showing. Sundo, originally scheduled to be shown last October,
will be the first horror movie offering in 2009. It is scheduled to open in cinemas nationwide on March 18, with a premiere scheduled at SM Megamall on March 17.
"Happy rin ako kasi maganda ang timing," said the horror movie director. "Kasi, last year ang target namin, Halloween, e, talagang hindi namin kinaya. So, perfect timing itong December. May dinagdag kaming scene for Iza [Calzado], so 'yong role niya dito parang si Drew Barrymore sa Scream, siya 'yong first victim ng sundo. Swerte daw kasi siya kaya dinala siya sa [Sundo], swerte daw kasi siya sa Ouija."
The delay has also become a blessing in disguise for the group who created Sundo because they were able to add a good quality of sound effects on the movie.
Direk Topel even related, "Happy naman kasi [sinubukan] namin sa mga taong hindi pa nakakapanood, natatakot naman sila, especially ngayon na dinagdagan na namin ng sound. Very thankful lang ako na pinabigyan nila ako. Sana nga 5.1 'yong sound. Minsan kasi 'yon ang nagdadala kahit hindi nakakatakot ang scene."
After helming several horror-suspense projects—including an episode in each of the last three installments of Shake, Rattle, and Roll, and the full-length film Ouija—Direk Topel admitted that he finds it hard to differentiate new projects from the ones that he did in the past.
A DIFFERENT HORROR MOVIE. When asked how different Sundo is from his previous horror flicks, Direk Topel told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), "Honestly, nahihirapan na rin ako kasi napilitan akong panoorin lahat ng mga horror na nakakatakot. Kasi, what I do is watch lahat ng mga horror movies. As much as possible, iniiwasan ko makopya ang nagawa nila. E, lahat nagawa na nila so wala akong ibang mapuntahan. 'Yon na nga, sana hindi naman horror next time."
The director then differentiates Sundo from his previous movie Ouija and the Hollywood film Final Destination, which has a similar story line because of the concept of Death chasing after its victims.
"Sundo is actually very different from Ouija. Sa Ouija kasi it's more of mga ghost, dito ‘Death' ang [pumapatay] dito. This is also the first time na lalaki ang bida sa isang horror," said Direk Topel.
He continued, "Malayo naman [sa Final Destination]. Hindi
naman sobrang pareho, but hindi lang namin maiwasan na 'yong Death naman talaga
'yong sumusundo. Hindi naman namin
talaga maiwasan na ibahin totally. Dito
lang, ang idea is, 'yong mga sundo mo, for example mga kamag-anak mo, may role
sila. Unlike sa Final Destination, Death lang 'yon.
Dito, ang nanakot sa amin mainly 'yong mga ghost."
Despite the
commercial success that he has achieved from directing horror flicks, Direk Topel wants to
helm different movie genres in the future. However, he's still waiting for the right
timing because, according to Direk Topel, most of the projects being pitched to
him are still horror-suspense films.
"Gusto ko na sanang kumalas sa horror, next year siguro," said the director. For now, he hopes that moviegoers will be scared by the story and special effects of Sundo in the same way they had goose bumps in Ouija, which starred Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal, Iza Calzado, and Rhian Ramos.
SYNOPSIS. Sundo is about the old legend saying that departed mortals come to pick up their family or friends who are in the brink of death.
In this movie, a retired military operative named Romano (played by Robin Padilla) goes into seclusion. He then discovers that he has the uncanny ability of seeing ghost around people who will soon encounter sudden or disastrous death. He will try to discover the mystery of his premonitions to save the people who are with him on his way back to Manila.
Joining Robin in Sundo are Sunshine Dizon, Katrina Halili, Rhian Ramos, Mark Bautista, Hero Angeles, and Glydel Mercado.
Trailer courtesy of GMA Films