Jake Cuenca and Ivana Alawi tackle out of the box characters in back-to-back stories in the horror film, “Sitsit.“
“Sitsit” presents two different stories in “Scorpio” and “Aswang” about people who, out of desperation to escape their misery and turn things around, take the easy way out and end up attracting evil elements that will manipulate them and could tarnish their souls completely.
“Scorpio” is directed by Ato Bautista, while “Aswang” is directed by Erin Pascual. Actor Paulo Avelino co-produced “Aswang.”
In “Scorpio,” named after the Zodiac sign, Jake and Dido Dela Paz portray Danny, a lustful aging photographer who fears living a lonely life with no one to love. To get the woman he loves and is obsessed with, he takes a mysterious potion that will turn him into a young handsome man to win her heart.
For director Ato Bautista, Jake was not only the most ideal actor to play the role. At the Zoom press con last Friday, he revealed that there was only one name they had in mind, and that was Jake.
“Nung nabasa namin nina Sir Deo [Edrinal, head of Dreamscape Productions], nag agree agad kami na si Jake ‘yung gaganap kasi bagay na bagay talaga sa kanya. Isang name lang binanggit namin,” he said.
“Kasi sa sexiness and pagkagwapo, si Jake lang talaga,” he added.
For Jake, copying the movements and ticks of Dido dela Paz, an actor whom he admires, was the biggest challenge of the movie.
“I knew what I was signing up for, I knew what the project demanded and I really trust Dreamscape. Besides, I really wanted to work with Direk Ato. It was really fun to play around,” said the actor.
“I knew it was going to be intense but the priority was to copy properly Tito Dido. I wanted to be beside him, talk to him….”
“Aswang,” on the other hand, follows a money-hungry prostitute named Joyce (Ivana) who is desperate to escape her life after being used and abused by different people. One day, she meets Nala, a stray dog who becomes her companion for life and ends up turning all her insecurities and worries into life-changing opportunities.
Although Ivana, a horror movie fan, was excited to be in the film, she was hesitant at first after knowing that she will have to take on the whole story alone. “Nakaka pressure,” she said, “I asked them, sure ba kayo? Kasi takot ako na bakit ako lang? Hindi ako sanay na sa akin lang nakakatutuk lahat. Kinausap ko talaga sila na takot ako… This is the first movie na by myself ako from start to end.”
Paulo, one of the producers, said Ivana was the only actress they want for “Aswang.” He said he found her so unlike her YouTube persona because she is quite reserved in person.
The sexy Ivana even admitted that there was one time that she felt shy as she was scantily clad and a lot of bystanders were watching the shooting.
Watch the sexy Jake Cuenca and Ivana Alawi transform into scary characters in the movie series “Sitsit,” streaming on iWant TFC on October 31.
