MANILA, Philippines — More audiences are expected to head to the cinemas as the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) extends by one week after recording P1 billion at the box office.
We’ve rewatched Derek Ramsay’s acting comeback, the MMFF horror entry Kampon, and it’s not hard to see how much the actor, a two-time Best Actor winner in previous MMFFs for All of You and English Only, Please, is missed on the big screen.
Derek emerged from his four-year hiatus to star in the horror thriller with Beauty Gonzalez. He plays the ex-police officer Clark, who is forced to retire following a strange operation that led to the gruesome deaths of his colleagues. He transitions to a security business, with the home he built with his wife Eileen (Beauty) set up like a fortress as each and every corner is equipped with a CCTV.
Despite the high-tech security, an orphan girl (Erin Espiritu) manages to sneak in all the way to their doorstep. She claims to be the daughter of Clark who had previously been medically diagnosed as the infertile one between the childless couple.
While Eileen starts to see the young girl’s arrival as an answered prayer, Clark’s police instincts kick in as he tries to ferret out the truth about the mysterious child. Along the way, some of his own deepest and darkest secrets unravel.
Kampon is produced by lawyer-turned-producer Joji Alonso’s Quantum Films, written by Dodo Dayao and directed by King Palisoc.
The STAR had to ask Derek why he opted for the horror route for his big-screen return instead of a romance-drama.
“It’s not that I’m avoiding it (romance or drama). But this is something more refreshing. I already received the script a while back and I’ve been wanting to do something different. Even during shooting, I talked to direk, and he told me, ‘Derek, ito ang mga bagay sayo na mga movies, mga suspense, thriller,’ and I’ve always told him na, that’s what I really wanted to do,” he said.
“Doing another rom-com or heavy drama is probably what people would expect me to do when I come back on the big screen. I wanted to be different. I wanted to show my versatility as an actor. And I wanted to challenge myself.
“I was content already (not active in showbiz). But then, this was something new. Well, I’ve done horror before… I’ve done (Richard Somes’) Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang. When I was starting my career, I had a small role with Maricel Sorano in Chito Rono’s T2. But this one really is very, very different from all the roles I’ve done. It was very refreshing and challenging for me, and I really felt that I was acting.”
When Derek filmed Kampon, he realized how he sorely missed acting. “I thought I wouldn’t miss acting. But I did. But maybe if I did another drama, I would think, nah it’s still the same. I was offered a few projects… Actually, ang dami (laughs). But nothing really got my blood pumping. It was just like OK, I don’t think I would be happy doing this, it won’t be rewarding. But when Atty. Joji came back with the script which I read again, sabi ko, sige na, I’m willing to come out of my shell and do this.
“(Again) I always love a challenge, even the other things I do in life, I always want a challenge. Kita mo, I married Ellen (laughs)! I like a challenge!”
Nevertheless, having not acted for several years, Derek admitted that the first day on set was a shocker. He was feeling rusty, questioning himself if he still had it in him — that passion for the craft.
“That was the shocker. Parang nagkasakit yata ako (laughs). It took a toll on my system,” he recalled.
“The first day, it was really like, magkakalagnat ako. Sa kaba, like do I still have it? I was shaking in my pants, I was very, very nervous. But for me, if I’m nervous, that’s a very good sign for me. That means you care… And it was my first time working with direk. Of course, I wanted to give a good impression, I wanted to perform. And working with Beauty, it was everything and very nerve-wracking”
Interestingly, he said it was working alongside Erin, child actor of Kampon, that helped him get through the jitters.
“Siya talaga yung binabantayan ko kasi I’ve learned so much from child stars, their acting is so natural. So, every chance, inaaral ko talaga yung bata para bumalik yung acting ko. Para di ako mapahiya,” he shared.
One of the scenes that viewers should watch out for, and this is also one of the toughest to shoot for direk King is Derek’s scene with Beauty towards the latter part of the movie.
Direk King explained, “We spent a fair amount of time in the movie to establish their dynamic as a couple, as husband and wife, and that’s really when you will see their chemistry.
“But when the horror things start happening, dun mo makikita yung tension nila mag-asawa. And it reaches a boiling point na pagdating sa climax, parang dun talaga nagpasiklaban si Derek and Beauty in terms of acting. Because in terms of direction for their performance, magkaiba eh.
“Si Derek, sobrang takot na for the both of them, samantalang si Beauty sobrang kalmado. That was the direction I gave them. So imagine their tension. Because, at that point, the evil that entered their house is starting to infiltrate Beauty’s persona. So, it was a very interesting scene, leading to the climax.”
While he has ruled out television work, Derek has definitely been inspired to star in more films after Kampon and has hinted at the possibility of working anew with direk King.
“I’ll be honest with you. Before doing this film, I was already happy where I was… I guess the word is ‘content’ with what I have done in the industry and it’s time to move on to the next chapter in my life and try to find out what it is…But after I’ve done this film, nabuhay talaga dugo ko,” he further told The STAR in response to a question during a virtual chat.
“So yes, I think you will definitely see me on the big screen doing new things. Direk King thinks I’m bagay sa action and suspense and yun talaga ang gusto ko buhayin. I really wanna play that badass guy than a lover boy, you know (laughs). So yeah, I honestly think that this will not be the last time direk and I will be working together.”
Meanwhile, Derek has been spending the holidays abroad as seen on his and wife Ellen Adarna’s Instagram feeds.
Family life was what kept Derek preoccupied during his leave from showbiz.
“(It is) really setting the proper foundation for our family and preparing to have a baby. Spending as much time with my wife and son Elias and my son Austin. My son Austin is now off to a university in the UK so basically family things,” he said. “Funny enough, endorsement-wise, I got more endorsements in the years that I kinda stepped away from showbiz. So that was truly a blessing. Also, I had my interest in building homes so I’ve started doing construction, I have my own construction firm. But really, the majority of it was spending time with the family.”