MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Gothic Productions International, a Philippine company funded by U.S. independent resources, premiered its most recent film, “Darkest Night,” in greater Manila at the Teatrino Theater on November 15, 2011. This private screening is expected to be followed up by theatrical play in the Philippines and U.S. by mid 2012. Talks are currently underway with distributors in the both countries for the rights.
This international film has almost all Filipino actors, as well as American DJ Perry, an edgy leading man from the U.S., of “The 8th Plague,” “G.P.S.” and many other popular U.S. horror films. Perry plays the leading actor role. He has starred in several American horror/thrillers, as well as westerns and dramatic period pieces. Co-starring in “Darkest Night” is Anne Gauthier, a newcomer to film and French Filipina. The film also features Issa Litton, Nic Campos, Jill Palencia, Marife Necesito, Zeny Sevilla, Kevin Vitug and Jonas Gruet, as well as Justin Chan from Malaysia.
The respected Manila film critic, Mell Navarro, said, “I was thrilled and excited by this film.”
Another equally noteworthy critic, Ron Rafer, also of Manila, said, “Finally, we had a taste of “Darkest Night” … [A] very scary movie! Congratulations to all the cast, the producer, Mr. Russ Williams, and the director, Noel Tan. [I hope for] more movies to come!”
Several local celebrities attended the premiere, including Filipina super-models Anne Curtis and Solenn Heussaff. Rikki Kwek, a former ABS-CBN field reporter attended with her husband and Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s wife, Precy Ejercito.
This international film is already creating a splash in the Asian and U.S. media with Perry being among the first American stars to film in the Philippines with a local film company. In media talks, he credited Asian filmmakers for revitalizing the horror genre and influencing a stagnant U.S. horror scene that limps along on remakes and sequels stripped of originality.
At best, most of the “original” U.S. horror films remade from Asian films almost always lose their magic in translation, according to Perry.
“Darkest Night” unfolds in a “found video and documentary” style. Its story plops American Perry right in the middle to allow western audiences to experience a “holiday” trip away from home. Eastern audiences will identify with the many vivid Asian characters, as well as the local and family setting. Perry’s character in the film, Ken Tyler, is introduced to the traditional Filipino family of his fiancé, Susan Reyes, played by Ms. Gauthier, during a Christmas Day family reunion. What follows is a dark, horrific trip not to be missed, as demonic forces come into play. “Darkest Night” combines western demons with eastern spiritual traditions to come up with an original recipe for suspense and terror.
The film came about as a collaboration between Gothic Productions International in the Philippines and Collective Development, Inc., in the U.S. owned by Perry and business partner Jeff Kennedy. The goal was simple – to create a hybrid horror film that would appeal to both eastern and western markets while not losing the edge that makes Asian horror unique. This international film is already creating a splash in the Asian media with Perry being among the first American stars to film in the Philippines with a local film company.
Gothic Productions International is managed by American writer/producer Russ Williams, a long-time resident of Malaysia, and director Noel Tan best known for his early documentary work with Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. “Darkest Night” includes various Asian talents from the stage and screen. Founded in 2010 by a group of dedicated film-makers from Asia and the U.S., Gothic Productions International chose as its primary mission to produce and encourage quality, international Gothic and horror films in an Asian setting or with Asian ties. Its goal is to make excellent films in these genres and to promote Asian filmmakers who wish to make new, cutting-edge Gothic-dramatic, horror and related films. The company’s primary goal is to create productions with intense drama, compelling stories and real, believable characters.
Proudly, Gothic Productions International reaffirms its slate of films planned for 2011, including “Shadow of Death” (written by Williams) another offering in the horror genre, about a young man who returns to his island home in the Philippines after a long absence, to reclaim his birthright and his son. However, a centuries-long family feud and horrific, ages-old creatures from another world stand in his way. Another film planned is “PanDEMONium” (written by Perry), a sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young prince out to avenge his father’s death and conquer another kingdom. His quest leads him to opposition from a monster created by the blackest of black magic.
The “Darkest Night” film’s website may be accessed at: https://www.darkestnightmovie.com
Synopsis:
The film is presented as a part-documentary by a TV announcer, Danny Valencia, from “found videotape” he discovered at the site of a 2003 tragedy in the Philippine Sagada Mountains. There are a few interview scenes at the beginning, but most of the film is the main story.
On December 25, 2003, an upscale Filipino family gathers at a remote place in the mountains, some distance from any town, for a Christmas Day reunion dinner. Their holiday is disrupted by a series of bizarre, supernatural, and deadly events. The group is cut off from civilization and plunged into darkness by forces that defy natural laws and shut down all modern technology. One by one, the family members die or disappear in weird and horrific ways. The few who are left, including the main character Susan, struggle for survival and against family conflicts, to find out what is happening to them and how to survive.
Finally they discover to their own shock, who their true tormentor is, as well as how and why these terrible things are happening. Is it too late to keep the rest of them from dying? Is the fate that awaits them even worse than death or hell? Does a mystical book they find hold the key to controlling the dark forces that threaten to unleash ghosts and demons of an evil past? And finally, can they trust each other, or even themselves to contain the fears that threaten to destroy them? Suspense and mystery keep you unsettled and guessing till the very end, when the fate and outcome of all is finally revealed.
This is a psychological horror film with intense Gothic family drama, suspense, action, and terror. It contains a minimum of gore, violence, and graphic special effects. There are no cliché or oft-used thrill gimmicks. The viewer is led step by step into a dark world of sinister and fantastical events, where the familiar meets the magical, and your most cherished loved one could be your mortal enemy. On the surface, it’s an entertaining and truly scary thriller. However, for those who want to probe deeper, the story has multiple layers of characterization and thematic depth, including commentary on modern “advanced” society and technology, as well as its impact on our closest family ties.
The film could fare equally well at the local cineplex and the art-house theater circuit.
