Why Diether Ocampo, Kris Aquino bonded on the set of "Dalaw"

CEBU, Philippines - Diether Ocampo revealed that it took him 14 years of waiting to finally work with Horror Queen Kris Aquino. The two ABS-CBN talents used to be neighbors back in 1999 and were churchmates for quite a time. The TV host also interviewed Diether a lot during his “Gimik” days in the late ‘90s. So they have known each other for the longest time, but it was only this year that they finally got to work together even if they belong to the same network.

He plays Anton, husband to Kris’ character Stella in “Dalaw”, one of three Star Cinema entries to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Directed by Dondon Santos, this horror film’s synopsis says that after Stella’s husband died, she remarries in the person of Anton to give her son Paolo (Maliksi Morales) a semblance of a whole and peaceful family life. But after the wedding, Stella is haunted by a ghost that puts in danger her life and the people around her. All clues point to her dead ex-husband as the one haunting her. Along the way, secrets start to unravel, confusing Stella even more as to who is really haunting her and why.

Apart from its obvious heart-thumping plot, Kris shared that “Dalaw” is also about family.

“It’s your quest for having a family and acceptance of what a family is all about. Nung nagkasakit ang nanay ng character ni Anton, tulong-tulong kami sa pamilya, sasaluhin ninyo, you make a lot of sacrifices along the way. Stella tried her best na alagaan ang biyenan niya. Siya naman, he tried to stand up as the second father of my son. Together, we tried to build a family,” she said. Kris is co-producing the suspense thriller, a first for her, along with her co-manager, and ABS-CBN business unit head Deo Endrinal.

“Malaki ang respeto ko sa kanya. Hindi na naman natin matatawaran ang husay niya, hindi lang sa hosting, pati na rin sa pag-arte. I guess dahil na rin sa mga pinagdaanan niya, kaya maraming pinaghuhugutan,” said Diether on how Kris was as a co-actor.

If the co-stars had common ground to reflect on during shooting breaks, it was their shared experience of previously coming from failed marriages. Diether’s ex-wife Kristine Hermosa is set to marry Oyo Boy Sotto early next year, while Kris is fast-tracking her annulment from star cager James Yap.

Kris related that she will never forget what Diet told her about marriage as being a “meeting of the minds and a shared vision.” When she asked him what he’s looking for in his next partner, the actor replied that he wanted someone who could understand him when there’s too much work, share his vision of helping more people, and be adventurous enough to see the world with him. To which she shot back: “Ang hirap naman ng mga gusto mo. Gusto ko lang manood ng sine once a week at kumain sa labas!”

But going back to “Dalaw”, Kris promised that this one is scarier than her previous horror films, “Feng Shui” in 2004 and “Sukob” in 2006, because of the advanced effects.

“Yung gulat factor is a lot stronger. The people from Star Cinema were saying na apart from the first two minutes, yung next 15 minutes akala mo drama. Sabi nila, set-up lang pala yun because after that, the remaining one hour and 10 minutes is really edge-of-your-seat. Sunod-sunod na, as in, ilan pa ba ang mamamatay? Or ano pa ba ang pagdadaanan niya?” the actress said.

They also made sure to match the scare factor with the story’s depth. “In ‘Feng Shui’, it was just the journey of the character Joy. In ‘Sukob’, it was about two sisters and how a father’s indiscretion was paid for inadvertently by his daughters. Ito naman, it’s a story of Stella and Anton. I think lahat tayo can identify because lahat naman nagmahal na, nabigo, at umasang magmamahal muli. But in the process of loving again, there’s a lesson na dapat pala talaga all the cards are laid out on the table. Because Diether’s character, maraming tinago sa akin that caused me so much,” added Kris.

If Kris is putting in extra effort to promote the film, that’s because she heavily invested financially on the project. When the proposal was first presented to her, the budget was P10 million less than what it ended up being because added costs came up as they were shooting. So apart from sacrificing her talent fee, she and Endrinal shelled out extra money.

“I think it’s a learning experience for me because it made me appreciate so much more what it takes to produce. Dati kasi napaka-strict na if 2 am na, cut-off time ko na, so bye, finished or not finished, uwi na ako. Dito, there was no such thing. Talagang tapusin natin ito, we’re in this together,” she said. “When you have so much more at stake, not just your name, but also your capital, talagang ibibigay mo lahat. Everything that the director wanted me to do, and more than that.”

Kris doesn’t believe that viewers might turn away from their horror offering as it doesn’t jibe with the mood of the Christmas season, unlike the box-office franchise movies of Bong Revilla, Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas. She pointed out that the MMFF is a chance to make films for commercial viability combined with artistry. So if she had to gamble her hard-earned money for her big-screen comeback, might as well go with the genre where she has a proven track record.

It’s not only a genre she’s good at; it’s also one that she loves. The gorier the scenes, the better for her. Some of her favorite horror flicks are “Final Destination”, “Piranha 3D”, “Child’s Play”, “Urban Legend,” and “Saw”. From watching all of these scare-fests, it’s no wonder Kris has perfected that scream that her dubbing supervisor has praised as having that unique timbre, a scream that other actresses could not sustain the way she does. Kris was proud to declare it’s the same unmistakable scream that has raked in P350 million and counting for Star Cinema from her last two movies. She only hopes that with “Dalaw”, Star Cinema, herself and her co-producer will once again go laughing all the way to the bank.

“Dalaw” also stars Gina Pareño, Karylle, Alessandra de Rossi, Ina Feleo, Susan Africa and Empress Schuck. It will open Dec. 25 on theaters nationwide. (FREEMAN)