From playing “Lods” in the top-grossing Filipino film, “Rewind,” Regal Entertainment now casts the year’s busiest actor, Pepe Herrera, in the horror-comedy “Bantay Bahay,” showing in theaters starting today, May 1.
Directed by the award-winning writer-director Jose Javier Reyes, “Bantay Bata” features Pepe as the unwitting Caleb, who agrees to be the caretaker of an old mansion owned by his girlfriend’s lola.
“Hindi niya alam na ‘yung bahay na ‘yun pala ay isinumpa dahil mayroong doon na mga elemento na nakatira sa bahay at nakakulong doon,” shared Direk Joey at the movie’s press con at Regal Valencia last Monday. “Dahil wala siyang alam tungkol sa kapaligiran o tungkol sa kasaysayan ng bahay, napakawalan nga ‘yung elemento kaya ngayon, siya ang ikinulong dun sa bahay na ‘yon. Hindi na siya makakalabas … so ‘yun ang kanyang challenge, to be able to get out of that house because he became a prisoner of the elemental who was now ruling over the post.”
Reyes said he wrote “Bantay Bahay” specifically with actor Pepe in mind. “I’m a fan,” he confessed. “Nagagalingan ako sa kanya. Sa teatro pa lang, fan na ako ni Pepe Herrera.”
Pepe is also profuse with praise for his director, saying that even if he is in the film all of the time, the shoot was easy and went smoothly, all thanks to the genius of Direk Joey.
Adding to the supernatural atmosphere is the location of the film. “Bantay Bahay” was shot in a mansion with tunnels underneath in Sariaya, Quezon, said to be a host for spirits.
Regal Films producer Roselle Monteverde said finding it was serendipitous as she knows the owner of the grand place.
“May mga secret places at mga tunnels and then na-preserve nila ang lahat ng furnishing sa house. So what you will see in ‘Bantay Bahay,’ those are naalagaan na gamit ng mga ancestors nila. Yung mga gamit, everything else, like mga furnitures there, original owners lahat ‘yun,” she related.
Are there ghosts in the place? “Meron sa kwento nila and that’s really common sa old houses,” Roselle replied.
Pepe added that the caretaker related that the mansion’s swimming pool is unnaturally deep because a bomb exploded in it. So does Pepe believe in elementals?
“Of course, I can believe in those unseen creatures na hindi lang tayo nakatira dito,” he replied. “I’ve experienced it as early as five years old and I felt them so many times…. It’s backed by science. I think ang tawag dito metaphysical.”
