Last Wednesday, Me and ALANGUILAN and BUDGET TAN met up at ITALIANNI’s to do a reading for the movie. It’s for the scene where ED (BUDGET) brings a t-shirt and other things to an Erik (ALANGUILAN) in hiding. It was one of three heavy dialogue laden scenes in the flick and quite frankly Im a bit apprehensive about how the two will handle it. As much as ALANGUILAN hates to do readings, I find them very important.I had no intention of sitting around the set, which happens to be a very cramped, hot and musty place and then wait for them to “ discover “ their respective character traits!

I want to shoot fast and hard once we arrive. I want to hit the ground, running so to speak.And that would be virtually impossible if they just memorized their lines on their own. THERE MUST BE AN INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO!

Readings set the stage for the actors to find their voice and experiment with the role. It’s the best way to see if the dialogue is doable or just plain too unwieldy. It is also the time to set the verbal cadence and to hone in the emotional content of each line.

I do not see scripts as untouchable cannons that should be revered and worshipped right down to the last coma! Scripts are at best, a working draft that should be modified and changed even to the last minute if it will make the movie, BETTER! I find it funny whenever I read a scriptwriter complaining bitterly about how their scripts got mangled by so-so producer or director. TOUGH LUCK !that’s the way the EGG BREAKS! They seem to forget that the script is not the be all end all. ITS JUST THAT! A SCRIPT! I don’t see a painter doing a thumbnail sketch and having it framed. Unless it’s MICHELANGELO BOUNARROTI! Now if they don’t want their babies, circumcised and chopped up into so many pieces then they better write a novel instead but then again there’s the editor and her delete button. I myself have been thru development hell and saw a very good script rendered into something not even worth wiping your pet’s butt with.In the end the true power lies within the one who wields CREATIVE CONTROL!


Despite the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, the barely audible and squeaky voice of ALANGUILAN and the muttering monotones of the STAN LEE of THE PHILIPPINES rose above the din and I got a few ideas on how to pace the scene and the way it should be shot. Occasionally I’d draw a frame here and there on my copy of the script and annotate a line when an inspiration hits me. Loved the way Mr. Tan’s mouth popped wide open when I told him that I plan to do the scene in one ENTIRE TAKE! Of course I didn’t tell him that its just one of the ten ways I would shoot the scene. I want him to memorize his lines and not depend on multiple cuts to save his performance. We may be shooting the cheapest film in the archipelago but that’s no excuse to slack around! And Budgett isn’t working for free! We’re going to wine and dine him so…there!

After several readings we got to talking about our mutual love for the comic medium.Im seriously considering printing SEXMEN 2 & 3. the books have been written and drawn and inked. All that remains is to publish them. Alanguilan read SEXMEN 2 and told me to do it since he hasn’t read anything like that in his life. Well he could just be buttering me up a bit cause he knows I KNOW which angles flatter him less. But Vinnie From Comic quest also told me that there were still some costumers who are looking for the title so….

The Star of the movie was ogling MR. Tan’s new cellphone. I got to hand it to the guy. If he isn’t staring at Gay people’s chemically enhanced nipples, he’s drooling over state of the art gadgets. Wasn’t that impressed with the phone. So what if your phone can take pictures? Only means you got your camera stolen too when your phone gets swiped, right?

Then from comics the topic shifted to the JENNY CONUNDRUM. (I love that word. I first heard it from the BATMAN TV SERIES, STARRING ADAM WEST and would always try to squeeze it in when ever possible.) We went thru the usual list of potential women we knew. And always end up with nothing. One of the waitresses looked nice. But Alanguilan stopped me from asking her. Maybe he was afraid she’d spit on his chicken.

SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH A PROBLEM CALLED JENNY? If worse comes to worse I’d just do her as a hand puppet! Saves me the trouble of feeding her!

The talk went back to comics and manga influenced artists. I totally zoned out as someone went on a rampage about how the indigenous style of drawing is fast disappearing in the face of the second Japanese invasion. Quickly wondered if I should maybe shoot his coming wedding. With any luck his manga drawing opponents might drop by and …well I might get some interesting footages.


WASTED is taking so long to shoot that I have already begun splinter projects to break down the entropy effect that is slowly creeping in. One of these is KUPAL. A series of short films about urban life. And the other one is SICK SUPERHERO STORIES. The title says it all. Yep, I will relax during the WASTED shooting breaks, by shooting another thing. Already have an idea for the first story. Did the board a few days ago.Will shoot for a day or two and then edit it in three and presto! Now the only thing left is rounding up the usual suspects and conning them to star in it, for free of course!