Why Joey Reyes decided to return to directing sexy films

Known for his rom-com movies, director Joey Reyes is back to doing sexy films again.

Reyes feels it’s about time he dipped his artistic fingers anew into directing films replete with sexy scenes.

“I always wanted to do something na very tense, very sexual, bordering on perversion, showing that what you see in people is not necessarily what you get because each and everyone of us, may secret side tayo na paminsan-minsan mo lamang makita kapag itinulak mo ‘yung tao para ipakita kung ano ‘yun (we have secrets which you only see once in a while when you push that person to show what they are),” the director said during the online conference for “Secrets,” last Friday, June 3.

Directing the film was something he enjoyed immensely.

“Enjoy ako. Sawang-sawa na ako sa romcom. Sawang-sawa na ako sa pagiging pleasant. At tandaan mo, ako ang may sulat ng ‘Live Show.’ Matagal-tagal na rin ‘yun,” he said. “Live Show” was a controversial film which tackled live-sex performers.

(I enjoyed it. I am fed up with rom-com. I am fed up with being pleasant. And  remember, I wrote “Live Show.” It’s been a while already.)

Initially, Reyes initially had misgivings about megging “Secrets,” saying “it’s not like every producer will do a film like this.”

He admits that his directorial career took a backseat because of the pandemic, which changed the landscape of doing films.

“Nanggaling tayo sa pandemya na two years na, literally, natigang tayong lahat sa paggawa ng pelikula,” he said. (We came from a pandemic which is two years now, literally, we all dried up without doing films.)

He feels that with a different geography in entertainment, it is very difficult to encourage people to go back to the cinemas to watch Filipino movies.

“Dudumugin nila ang ‘Doctor Strange,’ dudumugin nila ang ‘Mission: Impossible,’ pero anong klaseng pelikulang Pilipino ang pupuntahan nila sa sinehan?” he said. (They will flock to see “Doctor Strange,” “Mission Impossible,” but what kind of Filipino film will make them flock to cinemas?)

Admittedly, Reyes believes that the future of maintream entertainment is in streaming.

“Secrets” stars Janelle Tee, Benz Sangalang, Denise Esteban and Felix Roco. It will start streaming tomorrow, June 10, on Vivamax.  /ra

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