Perci’s SRR XV episode: Flight of fancy or flight of horror?

Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts. Turn off your electronic devices and set your celfones on “silent” or “flight” mode.

With that reminder, the plane taxis for the takeoff with a flight attendant’s gentle reminder: Sit back and enjoy your flight.

But that’s not really what happens in Flight 666, the episode directed by Perci Intalan in Shake, Rattle & Roll XV, Regal Films’ trilogy entry in the 2014 Metro Filmfest. Flight of fancy or flight of horror? Get on board and find out for yourselves when the movie opens on Dec. 25.

Shake, Rattle & Roll (SRR) XV stars with Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde (from left): Erich Gonzales, Carla Abellana and Lovi Poe

“Flight 666 is the idea of Roselle (Monteverde, Regal Matriarch Mother Lily’s daughter),” said Perci who quit his job as head of TV5’s entertainment division to concentrate on writing, directing and producing movies with his partner Jun Lana. “She wanted to do a story set inside a plane, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ The episode is inspired by Ghost on Flight 401, an old movie which I saw when I was small. I did further research on movies with ‘claustrophobic’ stories  (Twilight Zone, Snakes on a Plane, Airport and the Denzel Washington starrer Flight) and that’s how Flight 666 took shape. I added the element of Speed from the Keanu Reeves movie.”

It must be the longest 40-minute flight with Lovi Poe, Matteo Guidicelli, John “Sweet” Lapuz and Kuya Kim Atienza playing the passengers in distress, with Kiray Celis, Kahlil Ramos and Yael Yuzon. (The two other episodes are Ahas with Erich Gonzales and Dennis Trillo, directed by Dondon Santos; and Ulam with Carla Abellana and JC de Vera, by Jerrold Tarog.)

Luckily, in real life the worst Perci has experienced 37,000 feet up in the sky was turbulence.

“What’s ironic is that several weeks ago on a flight back from New York City (NYC) where Jun and I spent our first (wedding, also in NYC) anniversary,” related Perci, “a passenger suffered a heart attack. I saw how the flight attendant revived the man. Mabuti na lang at tama pala ‘yung ginawa namin sa Flight 666.”

Perci used an old, decommissioned plane as set for the shoot that took eight calendar days. The use of 666 in the title is mere coincidental to the belief that those numbers represent the devil. Name of the airline is fictional.

Will Flight 666 arouse fear of flying among moviegoers?

“I hope not,” said Perci, knocking on wood. “I assure them that it’s a fun flight.”

Ready for the take-off?

Lav Diaz: When it rains…

Fasten your seatbelts, turn off your electronic devices and set your celfones on “silent” or “flight” mode.

Diaz’s Norte submitted for consideration in Golden Globes

After it was submitted for consideration in the Best Foreign-Language Film category of next year’s Oscars, Lav Diaz’s Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan has made it to the list of the 53 films approved for consideration for the 2015 Golden Globe Awards Foreign Language Film category, as officially announced the other day by Serge Rakhlin, Foreign Film Committee of Hollywood Foreign Press Association. (Norte is also competing in the 30th Independent Spirit Awards which is said to be a forerunner to the Oscars.)

Only six other submissions from Asia were approved: The Continent (China), Coming Home (China), Dearest (China), Fandry (India), Liar’s Dice (India) and Uzumasa Limelight (Japan).

“That’s great for Philippine Cinema. I am just amazed by Norte’s streak. Wow. Buhay na buhay siya. It keeps pushing things, kung saan-saan, very transcendental. This is cinema’s magic!,” Diaz was quoted as saying.

— Celso de Guzman Caparas

Fond recollection about the ‘hot’ Christmas carol

Here are two rejoinders to Funfare’s story about Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit:

• From lawyer Estrella V. Martinez of Tierra Verde 2, Tandang Sora, Quezon City:          

The undersigned has another unadulterated true story behind Ang Pasko ay Sumapit and other Filipino songs.

 During my elementary days at San Nicolas Elementary School in Cebu City, 1950-1955, we did some Christmas caroling in the neighborhood, joyfully singing Kasadya ning Taknaa. At that point in time, it was of judicial notice in Cebu that Vicente Rubi composed this song and it is unpardonable for a true-blooded Cebuano not to know the lyrics and melody of this song. Historically, the heirs of Mr. Vicente Rubi filed an infringement of property rights case in the 1980s against Mr. Levi Celerio, may his soul rest in peace, for the original authorship of Kasadya.

The songwriter of Matud Nila, Ben Zubiri (a.k.a. Iyo Carpo, as he was fondly called by the Cebuanos), was said to have been inspired to write the beautiful lyrics and melody of this song after being jilted by a woman of the influential family in Cebu. Dili ako angay nga magmangad sa imong gugma kay wala akoy bahandi nga kanino igasa, gugmang putli mao day pasalig, etc. (In English, I am not worthy of your love because I do not have any wealth as a gift for you but only a pure love I can only promise.).  

Since our ancestral house was located on Calamba St., corner Tres de Abril St. where the sabungan (cockpit) was located, I witnessed Iyo Carpo slumped in his car because of a heart attack due to his betting in the cockfight which gave him huge winnings.

Pio “Piux” Cabahar, the original composer of Rosas Pandan, was also a neighbor on Calamba St., and the neighbor also of Manny Cabase, the original composer of Matag Buklad sa Bulak, a popular Cebuano song. Manny Cabase is the father of Amapola (Cabase, a popular singer in Cebu in the ’60s at the Magellan Hotel and who is now based in the US) who can play all kinds of musical instruments, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Amapola was a childhood friend on Calamba St. where we used to roam around to gather kalachuchi flowers for the Flores de Mayo.

Amapola is the first degree cousin of the popular Zabala sisters in the ’60s singing the repertoire of the Mc Guirre and Lennon sisters in all popular hotels in Cebu City.

With my close association with the above-mentioned musicians and singers, I was proclaimed the greatest folk singer in Cebu in the ’60s because I only sang to my old folks but now that they are resting in peace, I can no longer sing. That is the reason I became a lawyer and a CPA.

— ATTY. ESTRELLA V. MARTINEZ, CPA

Retired BIR Regional Director

• From Jose G. Victorioso (no address given):

Thank you so much for your column which corrected the belief that the tandem of Messrs. Levi Celerio and Josefino Cenizal were the authors of Kasadya, a favorite Christmas carol in the Visayas and Mindanao.

I am sure the family of the late Vicente Rubi and his wife Brigida Aseniero would not only be relieved and happy but thankful, too, that someone stood for them to correct this canard that has been going on for a long time. 

Maupay nga aga and may God bless you always.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)