TOPEL LEE is one indie director who made a successful transition to mainstream films and TV. A Mowelfund film scholar, his first full length film was the ABS Cinema One horror entry, “Dilim”, in 2005 starring Rica Peralejo. The next year, Mother Lily gave him the break to direct in films with the “Yaya” episode of “Shake Rattle and Roll 8” starring Iza Calzado as a babysitter from hell. In 2007, he got the chance to direct his first full length horror flick, “Ouija”, starring Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal and Iza Calzado for GMA Films, then he went back to Regal for the rom-com, “My Kuya’s Wedding” with Ryan Agoncillo. “Ouija” paved the way for GMA-7 to get him as a TV soap director in “La Vendetta”, followed by “My Only Love” and “Kamandag”. He also megged another episode in “Shake Rattle & Roll 9”, “Engkanto”. Other TV shows he directed since then are “Gagambino”, “Obra”, “Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat sa Akin”, “Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit” and “Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang”. He’s now directing “Ilumina”. Other films he directed that aren’t very successful are “Wapakman” with Manny Pacquiao and “Sundo” with Robin Padilla.
He now returns to Regal to direct Mother Lily’s latest horror offering, “White House”, and judging from the scary trailer, looks like he has managed to come up with a really frightening flick. The film is based on a famous white mansion on Leonard Wood Road in Baguio City built in the 1920s and owned by one of the oldest clans there, the Laperal Family. According to legend, many members of the family were brutally murdered inside the house during World War II. Since then, no one has dared to live or stay in that house and stories about evil spirits inhabiting it persist up to this day. It’s said that when night falls, various sounds can be heard coming from the mysterious house: screams, cries for help, beautiful music, laughter from unseen guests. Several tourists tried to stay there but no one was able to last for long. This is the location chosen by Mother Lily and daughter Roselle Monteverde-Teo to be the setting of their new horror film, “White House”.
“Viewers love being scared and this is one film we assure them wil give them a good scare,” says Mother Lily. “Ako mismo, napapatili when we were watching the rushes without the special effects. I told Direk Topel to make sure that the special effects are seamless para maging very effective in terrifying viewers. Kahit matapang ka, tiyak matatakot ka sa ‘White House’.”
He now returns to Regal to direct Mother Lily’s latest horror offering, “White House”, and judging from the scary trailer, looks like he has managed to come up with a really frightening flick. The film is based on a famous white mansion on Leonard Wood Road in Baguio City built in the 1920s and owned by one of the oldest clans there, the Laperal Family. According to legend, many members of the family were brutally murdered inside the house during World War II. Since then, no one has dared to live or stay in that house and stories about evil spirits inhabiting it persist up to this day. It’s said that when night falls, various sounds can be heard coming from the mysterious house: screams, cries for help, beautiful music, laughter from unseen guests. Several tourists tried to stay there but no one was able to last for long. This is the location chosen by Mother Lily and daughter Roselle Monteverde-Teo to be the setting of their new horror film, “White House”.
“Viewers love being scared and this is one film we assure them wil give them a good scare,” says Mother Lily. “Ako mismo, napapatili when we were watching the rushes without the special effects. I told Direk Topel to make sure that the special effects are seamless para maging very effective in terrifying viewers. Kahit matapang ka, tiyak matatakot ka sa ‘White House’.”
