A year after it became the toast of the Cinema One Originals film festival, Emmanuel “Emman” Dela Cruz’s celebrated gay comedy, “Slumber Party”, will finally hit theaters this Wednesday.
It is only the second Cinema One Originals entry in that 2012 batch to have a wide commercial run after Ato Bautista’s “Palitan”. Billed as a film about “love, life, friendship, secrets, frat boys, beauty queens, fantasies, bonds…and world peace,” it follows three gay friends who throw a slumber party on the eve of the 2010 Miss Universe pageant when it is crashed by a fraternity neophyte as part of his initiation rites.
Although it did not win a single award in the Cinema One Currents
category where it was bracketed, “Slumber Party” was easily the film
festival’s sleeper hit. It also went on to garner several nominations at
this year’s Golden Screen and Star Awards for Movies, including acting nods for its three lead stars Archie Alemania, RK Bagatsing and Markki Stroem.
One thing that sets “Slumber Party” apart from other gay comedies is
that all the gay characters in the film are played by straight actors,
including a delightful cameo from former child superstar Niño Muhlach.
During the recent press conference to promote the film’s theatrical release, director Emman told InterAksyon and other media that although they’re aware that there are many talented actors out there who also happen to be openly gay, they were just looking for the right actors for the characters he created with screenwriters Troy Espiritu and Philippe Salvador Palmos.
“Casting straight actors in gay roles was not intentional. In fact, I casted blind,” he told InterAksyon. “We were open to casting anyone. Yung mga unang nagpunta sa audition, mga cross dressers, gays from the theater. And then marami ring male actors na pumunta sa auditions, who were going for the roles. I was not much concerned whether the actor was gay or straight. What was more important to me was that the actor fits the role, and that the three leads that we will choose will have the right chemistry”.
Direk Emman revealed that even sought-after leading man Gerald Anderson was very much interested in being cast in the film.
“In fact, we met with him. This was right after the success of ‘Budoy’ and there was that desire in Gerald to do something edgy, different and unexpected of him. Pero pinigilan siya ng management because they wanted to package him as an action star,” the filmmaker added.
Janus Del Prado was actually the first choice for the role of Jhana but the young character actor pointed to fellow actor Archie Alemania for the role. “Sabi ni Janus, mas masa at mas balahura ang magiging interpretation ni Archie sa role. And Janus was right,” Direk Emman recalled.
Known for his comic antics when he was a regular co-host of the noontime show “MTB” some years back, Archie has lately been a staple of Lav Diaz’s films. As a result of his experience with “Slumber Party”, the actor said he discovered some new-found respect for gay people.
“Natutunan ko sa paggawa ng pelikulang ito na masayahing tao ang mga
gay. Ang mga bakla, may parehong problema as straight people. May family
problems. May problema sa pag-ibig, may problema sa pagkakaibigan. I
see them as strong people kasi mas malaking discrimination ang nakukuha
nila kaysa sa mga straight na katulad ko. Ang respeto ko sa kanila mas
malaki kasi nao-overcome nila yung struggles in life,” Archie pointed
out.
Casting Markki Stroem for the more sophisticated Elle was easier for the director and supervising producer Jade Castro.
“Unang tingin pa lang kay Markki, ‘alta’ na ang dating niya. Gan’on ang vision namin for the role of Elle. Yung sosyal na may pagkamatapobre. When Markki auditioned, kuha niya kaagad ang gay nuances.
Napanganga kami ni Jade kasi Markki jumped into the character without any prompting,” the director further recalled.
Transforming himself into Elle was not as easy as it looks, according to Markki. “Kinailangan kong mag-research, mag-immerse sa fashion world, sa buhay ng mga fashion designers at stylists. I talked to fashion designer Joey Samson. I talked to stylist Sidney Yap. Ang character ni Elle kasi is more on the posh side,” the actor noted.
For the director, the trickiest role to cast was Phi, whom Direk Emman described as “very nuanced and very good-natured”. “Phi is the one that brings together a Jhana and an Elle. Kasi in normal circumstances, hindi magiging mag-friends ang isang Jhana at isang Elle.” They decided to go with newcomer RK Bagatsing in his very first film.
“Hindi naman ako nahirapan kasi hindi ko inisip na I was playing a gay role. Ang inisip ko, girl ako dito. Meron kaming gay friend na family friend na nakatira sa New York. Nagtanung-tanong ako sa kanya to get pointers. Pinabasa ko rin sa kanya ang script. Natuwa siya for me na I got the project,” RK recalled.
Like Archie and Markki, RK said he now has admires gay people even more after playing Phi in “Slumber Party”.
“Yung mga gays, tao din sila. Lagi silang masaya. Hindi sila nawawalan ng jokes. Masarap kasama. Pero lonely rin sila because they are always looking for the right partner. Siguro the loneliness also explains kung bakit ang dami nilang kaibigan”
.
In summing up his film, Direk Emman hopes that “Slumber Party” is able to show a different side of gays not always portrayed in media. “It’s a chance not to laugh at gay characters but to laugh with them, to enter their world with lesser judgment and preconceptions,” he noted.
Produced by Emman dela Cruz, HUBO Productions, Cinema One, Christian Diamzon Pictures and distributed by Origin8 Media, “Slumber Party” also stars Sef Cadayona, Niño Muhlach, Maey Bautista, Betong Sumaya and Venus Raj.
The film opens November 27 at SM cinemas in North EDSA, Megamall, Mall of Asia, Marikina, Fairview, Manila and Sta. Mesa as well as Robinsons Galleria, Metro East and Gaisano Davao.
For more CHIKA Patrol updates FOLLOW or LIKE CHIKA PATROL on Facebook and Twitter andADVERTISE with us email at ilovekakulay@gmail.com
It is only the second Cinema One Originals entry in that 2012 batch to have a wide commercial run after Ato Bautista’s “Palitan”. Billed as a film about “love, life, friendship, secrets, frat boys, beauty queens, fantasies, bonds…and world peace,” it follows three gay friends who throw a slumber party on the eve of the 2010 Miss Universe pageant when it is crashed by a fraternity neophyte as part of his initiation rites.
One thing that sets “Slumber Party” apart from other gay comedies is
that all the gay characters in the film are played by straight actors,
including a delightful cameo from former child superstar Niño Muhlach.During the recent press conference to promote the film’s theatrical release, director Emman told InterAksyon and other media that although they’re aware that there are many talented actors out there who also happen to be openly gay, they were just looking for the right actors for the characters he created with screenwriters Troy Espiritu and Philippe Salvador Palmos.
“Casting straight actors in gay roles was not intentional. In fact, I casted blind,” he told InterAksyon. “We were open to casting anyone. Yung mga unang nagpunta sa audition, mga cross dressers, gays from the theater. And then marami ring male actors na pumunta sa auditions, who were going for the roles. I was not much concerned whether the actor was gay or straight. What was more important to me was that the actor fits the role, and that the three leads that we will choose will have the right chemistry”.
Direk Emman revealed that even sought-after leading man Gerald Anderson was very much interested in being cast in the film.
“In fact, we met with him. This was right after the success of ‘Budoy’ and there was that desire in Gerald to do something edgy, different and unexpected of him. Pero pinigilan siya ng management because they wanted to package him as an action star,” the filmmaker added.
Janus Del Prado was actually the first choice for the role of Jhana but the young character actor pointed to fellow actor Archie Alemania for the role. “Sabi ni Janus, mas masa at mas balahura ang magiging interpretation ni Archie sa role. And Janus was right,” Direk Emman recalled.
Known for his comic antics when he was a regular co-host of the noontime show “MTB” some years back, Archie has lately been a staple of Lav Diaz’s films. As a result of his experience with “Slumber Party”, the actor said he discovered some new-found respect for gay people.
Casting Markki Stroem for the more sophisticated Elle was easier for the director and supervising producer Jade Castro.
“Unang tingin pa lang kay Markki, ‘alta’ na ang dating niya. Gan’on ang vision namin for the role of Elle. Yung sosyal na may pagkamatapobre. When Markki auditioned, kuha niya kaagad ang gay nuances.
Napanganga kami ni Jade kasi Markki jumped into the character without any prompting,” the director further recalled.
Transforming himself into Elle was not as easy as it looks, according to Markki. “Kinailangan kong mag-research, mag-immerse sa fashion world, sa buhay ng mga fashion designers at stylists. I talked to fashion designer Joey Samson. I talked to stylist Sidney Yap. Ang character ni Elle kasi is more on the posh side,” the actor noted.
For the director, the trickiest role to cast was Phi, whom Direk Emman described as “very nuanced and very good-natured”. “Phi is the one that brings together a Jhana and an Elle. Kasi in normal circumstances, hindi magiging mag-friends ang isang Jhana at isang Elle.” They decided to go with newcomer RK Bagatsing in his very first film.
“Hindi naman ako nahirapan kasi hindi ko inisip na I was playing a gay role. Ang inisip ko, girl ako dito. Meron kaming gay friend na family friend na nakatira sa New York. Nagtanung-tanong ako sa kanya to get pointers. Pinabasa ko rin sa kanya ang script. Natuwa siya for me na I got the project,” RK recalled.
Like Archie and Markki, RK said he now has admires gay people even more after playing Phi in “Slumber Party”.
“Yung mga gays, tao din sila. Lagi silang masaya. Hindi sila nawawalan ng jokes. Masarap kasama. Pero lonely rin sila because they are always looking for the right partner. Siguro the loneliness also explains kung bakit ang dami nilang kaibigan”
.
In summing up his film, Direk Emman hopes that “Slumber Party” is able to show a different side of gays not always portrayed in media. “It’s a chance not to laugh at gay characters but to laugh with them, to enter their world with lesser judgment and preconceptions,” he noted.
Produced by Emman dela Cruz, HUBO Productions, Cinema One, Christian Diamzon Pictures and distributed by Origin8 Media, “Slumber Party” also stars Sef Cadayona, Niño Muhlach, Maey Bautista, Betong Sumaya and Venus Raj.
The film opens November 27 at SM cinemas in North EDSA, Megamall, Mall of Asia, Marikina, Fairview, Manila and Sta. Mesa as well as Robinsons Galleria, Metro East and Gaisano Davao.
For more CHIKA Patrol updates FOLLOW or LIKE CHIKA PATROL on Facebook and Twitter andADVERTISE with us email at ilovekakulay@gmail.com
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