Juday cries 12 hours for T’yanak

Would you believe that, for a scene in T’yanak (one of the four films in the Sineng Pambansa Horror Plus Film Festival, Oct. 29 to Nov. 4), directors Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes made Judy Ann Santos cry for 12 hours? How did they do it? Did Peque play a sad music to put Juday in the right mood like when he made Cherie Gil listen to a classical song for a scene in Sonata?

“Actually,” said Peque, “Juday didn’t need it. The shoot took 12 hours but Juday’s crying was off and on, not naman continuous.”

“What we played was not really a sad song, just a romantic tune played on the piano,” explained Lore. “She remembered the music that affected her, reminding us that it was the one played in an earlier shoot, the second cut. Nag-sink in ‘yung music sa kanya, which she felt was tamang-tama for her love affair with her baby.”

“It’s easy for Juday to cry,” added Peque. “She said that sometimes, even before the camera starts rolling, tumutulo na ang luha niya so she has to re-do her make-up. She’s sobrang vulnerable. Iniisip pa lang niya ‘yung premise naiiyak na siya, so what she does is ‘blank out’ her mind and wait for the ‘take.’”

We’ve seen that baby two decades and a half ago (in 1988) in the Regal movie (also directed by Peque and Lore) similarly titled (but with an “i” instead of an apostrophe between the “T” and the “y”), with Janice de Belen as the mother (Janice is appearing as guest in the new, “rebooted” version), the role now played by Juday.

No, Peque and Lore didn’t use the old doll (which has melted) but a new one which is just as scary (scream as much as you want when you watch the movie).

It’s a good thing that Juday is not (yet) infanticipating as some people suspected when she was wrongly reported to have been hospitalized, otherwise she might take a fancy (maglihi) on her screen baby and, horrors, well, you know…

Juday confirmed, though, that she and husband Ryan Agoncillo have been trying hard to have another baby since their son Lucho has just turned four years old.

“We are not into family planning,” said Juday, touching the head of the monster baby in front of her during the presscon. “We are into ‘free flow,’ sige lang nang sige para makabuo, hehehehe!”

The couple already has a daughter (Yohan, a few years older than Lucho), so if and when, would they prefer another girl or another boy?

“Kahit ano,” quipped Juday, laughing again, “basta huwag t’yanak,” adding, “at sana twins.”

Unlike other parents who would “scare” their kids into behaving by mentioning pulis or aswang, Juday said that t’yanak would do wonders.

“When Lucho doesn’t want to brush his teeth,” related Juday, “I would tell him, ‘Sige, maging parang sa t’yanak ang ngipin mo,’ and he would quickly brush his teeth. I would tell him the same thing to make him eat vegetables and go to bed early.”

Juday has turned down two movies due to conflict of schedules, but she’s glad that T’yanak beautifully fitted in.

“My first time to do a horror movie,” said Juday, “and with two brilliant directors pa!”

Revealed Peque, “Every time she went before the camera, Juday surprised me.”

T’yanak also stars, among others, Tom Rodriguez, Sid Lucero and Solenn Heussaff.

“Game si Solenn,” said Juday. “When direk would tell her to roll in the mud, nagpapagulong-gulong siya. Very professional, ganoon din si Tom.”

Peque also complimented Tom.

“I thought Tom had an accent,” because he grew up in the US. “But,” observed Peque, “mahusay siya mag-Tagalog. He would report to the set eager to work even if he lacked sleep from continuous work on other projects.”

Added Lore, “Tom is like Dennis (Trillo), hindi matsika, tahimik lang sa isang tabi. He reported to the set on time, making no excuses. Sid is just as easy to work with, very intense, just like his (late) father, Mark (Gil). When he talks, Mark Gil na Mark Gil ang dating.”

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