MANILA, Philippines - There’s a new Dingdong Dantes in Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles — he’s an a-hole, a trait that earns him the ire of the aswangs; nasty, aggressive, relentless, and terrifying aswangs.
Opening this week, Tiktik, directed by Erik Matti and co-produced by Dingdong’s production outfit, AgostoDos, is poised to change the way we look at homegrown horror films, especially in terms of visual effects. The film took two years to make; the majority of the time was spent in post-production, and the result is a breathtaking take on local folklore, familial ties, and bad-assery.
Supreme spoke with Dingdong and discovered a self-confessed geek (among Dingdong’s treasured geek pieces in his office are a bust of a maskless Darth Vader, a scale model of 300’s King Leonidas and Heath Ledger’s Joker). We also asked him about his production outfit, watching horror films with his girlfriend Marian Rivera, fatherhood, and being an angsty gothic actor in his younger years.
What are your plans for AgostoDos?
Basically talaga, the aim is to produce films na talagang gusto kong gawin (films that) I believe are yung mga tipong game changer. Primarily, gusto ko munang ma-satisfy yung sarili kong passion sa filmmaking.
Now that you have AgostoDos, are you planning to venture more into directing?
Sana. Hindi ko naman minamadali yung part na yon kasi I believe if you have more experience as an actor, you will definitely become a more conscious director.
You’ve worked with some of our great directors. What have you learned from them?
Iba-iba sila. They have different styles and sa bawat isang direktor na nakakatrabaho ko, meron akong napupulot, meron akong masasabi na natutunan ko at maa-adapt sa sarili ko. Kay Direk Erik Matti, siguro sa kanya is the discipline of going through the process for a long but sure time. He really wants to take his time because he believes that in order for a project to be successful, it has to be perfect from within, no pressures, no nothing, and you have to like what you’re doing.
You’ve also done a lot of horror films. You started with a Shake Rattle and Roll short. Have you always been this interested in horror films?
Oo nga ano. Siguro it also says something about my personality. Before, medyo parang gothic ang outlook ko. There was this chapter in my life where everything was just black and it also goes to show kung ano yung mga ina-idolize ko like The Dark Knight. I love collecting toys. But that was before. Siguro in a way medyo na-imbibe ko yun, that very gothic imagination. Whenever I encounter one or I’m involved in one, talagang kinikilig ako. Sinasabi ko nga rin na parang Halloween is my second Christmas.
Erik Matti mentioned that they wanted Tiktik to look like Pinoy komiks. Tell us about the Filipino artists that you worked with.
We worked with so many talented Filipino artists not only in the industry of drawing which was evident in the (film’s) comic book but also in the CGI dahil sobrang galing nila to make the backgrounds look realistic. They reimagined the monsters and made them look very Filipino. You will have a new interpretation (of aswangs) and this is what we can showcase worldwide.
Do you and (your girlfriend) Marian Rivera like to watch horror films?
Siya hindi, hindi nya kaya. Ako sobrang favorite ko. Yung all-time favorites ko, The Eye and Feng Shui.
Do you have an aswang or ghost story growing up?
Unfortunately wala. Pero para sa akin stories alone make my imagination go crazy. When you say “tiktik,” sila yung aswang na pumupunta sa bubong, humahaba yung dila, gustong kunin yung nasa womb. Yun lang yung basic na pag-picture mo doon. Pero ang hindi nila alam, may bago nang itsura yung mga aswang na makikita nila dito sa pelikula.
Your character in Tiktik is preparing to be a father. Ikaw ba, what are your thoughts about fatherhood?
It’s different if you say fatherhood lang or fatherhood that involves someone else. Siguro if the question is am I responsible enough to be a father, I think yes, a long time ago. But siyempre kasama nun are more things like having a partner, marriage. Kung sa readiness, more than ready naman, but it’s really just a matter of time.
In local showbiz, what do you think separates the boys from the men?
I think it’s their dedication to the craft. Regardless of how young you are, the amount of passion and if passion is always there, kahit gaano ka kabago, it will always be marked in the industry kasi it leaves a certain degree of respect. If the love is there, everyone will see it.
In the span of two years of making Tiktik, what has changed with you as an actor and a producer?
It made me appreciate my job more. I realized, after going through the process, how difficult it is to produce, to create something like this just for the love of what we do. Mas ma-appreciate mo more yung producers mo in the past, yung co-actors mo, yung crew. Mas na-heighten lahat ang senses ko kasi mas minahal ko yung trabaho ko and mas mamahalin ko na sya after this.