Show business is truly the passion of actor and producer Ronnie Ricketts.
Despite the ups and downs of the movie industry, he has been the only consistent independent film producer churning out action flicks. He would always find time and resources to produce and direct a movie at least once a year!
This 2005, he was able to produce two – "Uno" with Monsour del Rosario, and "Lagot Ka Sa Kuya Ko," an official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival 2005.
For his own Rocketts Productions, Ronnie and his crew worked double time to submit the movie on schedule for the action category of the film festival.
Luckily for him, it made it to the second batch of movies included in the festival which are all slated to open today, Jan. 1, 2006.
His cast in "Lagot Ka sa Kuya Ko" includes his wife Mariz Ricketts who is also the line producer, Nadine Samonte, Angelica Jones, Dinky Doo, Carlos Morales, John Apacible, Onyok Velasco, John Medina, Gerard Pizarras, Tess Bomb and Marita Zobel.
Action-packed, "Lagot Ka Sa Kuya Ko" is about Alex, a taxi driver by day and a street fighter at night. Unknowingly, his mother (Marita Zobel) and younger sister (Nadine Samonte) with whom he had been separated for many years, had come home from the States. The mother told her daughter she wants her to study here to learn about Filipino values and culture but actually she also wanted to look for her son Alex.
Growing up in the States, his sister’s liberated ways always get her into trouble and he always come to her rescue coincidentally. Of course they did not know that they are siblings until the end.
So why does Ronnie Ricketts keep producing movies despite the odds? His philosophy in life, "You can never put a good man down!," is the answer.
Below, Ronnie tells more about his film and his future plans.
Q: How do you feel that you only made it to the second batch of filmfest entries?
A: Masarap ang pakiramdam kasi mabibigat ang kalaban sa first batch. Given a choice gusto ko sa second batch talaga para may bwelo. Tapos na lahat ng celebrations, mas lalabas na ang pamilya. Suwerte naman na nakasama ang pelikula ko.
Q: Why did you opt for an action film?
A: It’s not just action. It also has comedy at may touch ng drama din…that’s why I didn’t make it bloody. Even our posters ginawa naming wholesome unlike in my past films na napaka-serious namin. Dahil maganda si Nadine, nasa harap na harap siya para makapang-akit ng mga tao. Yung concept namin before, para kaming bulls na maglalaban ni Carlos Morales sa poster. Sinama na rin namin lahat ng cast to make it more attractive.
Q: How did this project start? Did you really intend this for the film festival?
A: When we started the movie, our target was really the festival. I submitted two entries, one for the script category. Then nahuli ako ng pag-submit ng pelikulang ito. Yung title na ito regalo sa akin ni Willie Millan. Sabi niya gawin ko raw na pelikula pang festival. He suggested that I enter it in the finished product category at baka mahabol ko at wala namang mawawala in trying.
Q: Your movie looks like an FPJ project.
A: Yes, idol natin si FPJ. Parang si Willie Milan gumawa din siya kay Tito Ronnie at yung porma ni Tito Ronnie meron din siya.
Q: What’s the concept of this film?
A: Umpisa pa lang sinabi ko na gawin naming puwedeng nangyayari sa totoong buhay, yung madaling maka-relate and adopt ang mga tao sa story. My role here is a taxi driver to which the masang Filipinos can relate to easily.
Q: You’re known to always impart lessons in your movies. What lessons will moviegoers learn from this one?
A: Meron. No. 1, si Nadine Samonte here is from abroad and she doesn’t like her Filipino roots. That’s one, yung pagiging tunay na Filipina, yung values. We emphasized that kasi alam mo naman iba ang values if you grow up in the States. Yung anti-drug campaign namin kasama pa rin sa movie. Sama-sama ang mga messages na ito because our film revolves around the youth and it’s for the youth. Yung mga kalokohan ng mga kabataan, we correct them here in the story.
Q: Why do you always have to put lessons in your films?
A: We always inject our advocacy here especially our anti-drug campaign. Kailangan because that’s the only thing I can share with the youth. We also have our anti-cancer advocacy.
Q: How did you assemble your cast?
A: I really chose Nadine Samonte, Angelica Jones was also perfect for the kikay role because she’s a very good comedian. I even told Dinky Doo that nakatapat din siya ng character na puwede siyang tulungan sa pag-comedy niya.
Q: You’ve been reported to have plans of migrating to the States.
A: It’s in the planning stage talaga. My brother is already there with Bruce yung gustong mag-artsita dito noon. Mariz’s family is also already there…you just have to consider the children. Kaya sabi ko nga sana gumanda ang takbo ng Pilipinas and yung movie industry.
Q: If you enter politics, what do you want to become?
A: I’m a hands-on person. So probably gusto kong mag- mayor. Mas sanay ako sa management than debating tulad sa Congress.
(For Ronnie Ricketts, one of the best support he has had for "Lagot Ka Sa Kuya Ko" came from Sen. Bong Revilla Jr., producer and star of "Exodus: Tales from the Enchanted Kingdom." During the film festival’s press conference in Pampanga, the Senator only had good words of encouragement for Ronnie. "Natutuwa ako and I’m flattered that Sen. Bong Revilla is happy with the movie projects I do. Sabi niya tuloy ko lang ang dapat tularan niya ako na despite the hardships of the movie industry, gumagawa pa rin ako ng movies. Pero mas saludo ako sa kanya because of the films he makes like ‘Exodus’ para siyang si Santa Claus na dinadala niya kaming lahat paitaas!")
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