After Yam Laranas, the other Filipino director I am personally rooting for is Topel Lee. I saw his short film Bruce around five years ago and have been expecting great things from him ever since. Too bad no one has uploaded that flick on youtube yet. Anyway, he did have a few hits and misses since then. Dilim, at least the version I saw, wasn't perfect but his short film, Yaya, in the omnibus Shake, Rattle and Roll 8 is just brillant!
Topel's films are very moody, very textured, like many films nowadays are expected to be but what makes it fun is he is able to insert a very Filipino humor into it. Sometimes silly but very, very well done and that exactly is my kind of film. I have a feeling he will develop a cult following around the world, if not necessarily with foreigners but with Filipinos worldwide. I do hope some other people get it, too.
Ouija seems very much on the right track to be his first great full-length Topel film. He will be making another short horror film on Christmas called Christmas Tree. Sounds good already. I think Ouija will make a lot of money in the box office here in the Philippines thus assuring him of a second and maybe even a third.
We believe in Topel! Mabuhay ka!
Trailer (You Tube)
Hi,
sounds great! I tried to get in contact with Topel since weeks now but i cant find any reliable contact adress. I would like to do an interview with him for a movie magazine therefore any help is appreciated.
If you have any contact, please let me know!
Thanks in advance.
Peter
what's your e-mail addy?
Hi,
drop me a note under jtrade@gmx.net
Any help will be appreciated!
Thanks in advance
Best,
Peter
Well you have to have low expectations to start when viewing Pinoy movies. They are just not up to par on movie making as a lot of other countries.
If you want a good melo-drama with a lot of crying or a good comedy then Pinoy movies could be rated pretty good. They do have some good movies here and there, but not as much as they should. They need to develope the 'quality' of the movies that they make a great deal.
I speak of what I know, I lived there for 4 years and am married to a 'Pinoy'. So my comments are not based on just seeing a couple of them.
Yeah, that's why I keep stumping in places like this. Hoping one day that Filipino cinema will improve. Fortunately the cinematographic and sound quality of our movies are improving. The professional production policies of our tv commercials are affecting our movie side. What we still have to work on is our storytelling. Once we get that down pat, we can take on the world.