DIRECTOR JOHN AD CASTILLO IN THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILM ABOUT DRUG COURIERS

By GEORGE VAIL KABRISTANTE

From his blog Manila Showbiz and Lifestyle also farmed out in different versions to Remate Online, Pssst, www.pmpcstarnews. com.ph, Pilipino Mirror, CMT (Columnists Monitoring Team) Update

I have always maintained that not only the son would rise to higher expectations more than his father, but also in the case of Director John Ad Castillo as the brother of the famous film  director of his time Director Celso Ad Castillo ( the living legend in the league of both dear departed National Artists for Film Directors Ishmael Bernal and Lino Broca).

Director John Ad Castillo on the set

         

Director John Ad Castillo who literally drinks, sleeps and eats movies worked for decades with the older Celso Ad touted as the Messiah of Phil. Cinema. In fact, we have worked together as well in some movies before in my capacity as production designer and scenarist with Celso Kid like “Pikoy Goes To Malaysia,” a Lito Lapid starrer “Pedro Tunasan,” “Ang Daigdig Ay Isang Butil Na Luha,” etc.

         

I saw it coming for  John Ad Castillo that he would be out on his own as film director himself. His latest caper “Drug Mule” will soon be out and its trailer is now on You Tube produced by Ed Millana, the maverick young producer of Millawave Production.

         

Director John Ad’s staff include Carlo Labalan,Director of Photography; Willan Rivera,Cinematographer; Willan Rivera, Rusel Rivera, Editor/ Colorist/ Sound Designer; Jun Pikoy Garcia Production Coordinator; Evan Nioda Millana, Production Designer; Erib Mandia,  Production Assistant; and Studio 053068 Digital Production, Photography.

We all know that a drug mule or a drug courier is someone who smuggles something with them  across a national border. In some cases, the goods are hidden in the bag or vehicle of an innocent person.

        

 Another method is referred to as body packing in which the mule swallows latex balloons like condoms, latex gloves, or  special pellets to be recovered later from the mule’s feces. Some packs are inserted directly into the anus or vagina which is highly vulnerable to  body cavity searches.

           

We expect to see all these gruesome scenes in John Ad Castillo’s “Drug Mule” which will be shown in some theaters of Metro Manila soon.

         

This is an expose of the lives of the country’s desperate OFW’s who resort to   smuggling drugs as mules. For the record, over 690 Filipines are currently sitting in jails around the world on drug offenses,  227 in China alone. 85 are currently facing death row from drug-related crimes, more of them are women.

        

Records show that the illegal drug trade in the country has evolved into a lucrative industry valued at over $8.4bn.

Before “Drug Mule,” Director John Ad Castillo co-directed with a top Malaysian director named Z. Lokman in two Malaysian co-production ventures, namely “Untamed Virgins” and “Seksing Masahista” with Mocha Uson of the famous Mocha Girls in the female lead opposite  hunk actor  Zyruz Imperial who was  picked out by  Director John Ad Castillo himself from a grueling  audition process.  

        

 

 

Director John Ad Castillo’s “Seksing Masahista” proved to be Zyruz Imperial’s launching vehicle for his budding career in the movies. In fact Zyruz also appears in an important cameo role in “Drug Mule” as an undercover agent. As singer and actor, Zyruz Imperial has quite a hefty portfolio of indie films to his credit  having been cast for the second time  as  male lead in “Pakawala” (the first one in “Seksing Masahista) produced by aVancouver-based Pinoy expat directed 

 by  Daryl Cruz, the controversial first assistant director of Director Tikoy Aguiluz’ “Asiong Salonga.” 

Moreover, Zyruz has done important character and support roles in Richard Somes’s “Supremo,” Paul Sta. Ana’s & Cinemalaya's “Oros,” Joven Tan’s “Ben Tumbling,” Tony Reyes’s “Enteng Ng Ina Mo," Mario O’Hara’s & Cinemalaya’s “Paglilitis Ni Andres Bonifacio,” Jigz Recto’s take on the heinous Maguindanao massacre “The Road To Ampatuan” and “Tagsibol,” John Ad Castillo’s “Drug Mule,” including some films in-progress like “ Kuratong Baleleng, The Ongkoy Parojinog Story” with Robin Padilla in the lead by Spongky Villarin, and “ Brown Kamasutra” also by John Ad Castillo.