Philippines Attracts Filmmakers : Movies: Despite political uncertainty and natural disasters, the country is becoming a budget Hollywood.
MANILA — The Philippines is becoming a budget Hollywood, attracting foreign filmmakers despite deteriorating security and more than its share of natural disasters.
James Glickenhaus, producer of “McBain,†said varied locations, a professional local work crew and an English-speaking population also make filming here easier.
“All in all, it was an extremely attractive place for us to shoot,†Glickenhaus said. “I would recommend it to other filmmakers. It’s a great place to shoot.â€
“McBain,†which was filmed here through December, is the latest in a series of foreign movies shot in the Philippines. Others include “Apocalypse Now,†“Platoon,†“Born on the Fourth of July,†“The Year of Living Dangerously†and Chuck Norris’ “Delta Force†series.
“McBain†stars Christopher Walken, who won an Academy Award for “The Deer Hunter,†and Venezuelan actress Maria Conchita Alonzo, whose credits include “Moscow on the Hudson†with Robin Williams and “Running Man†with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Glickenhaus, who is also the film’s director and writer, downplayed apprehensions about the security situation in the country, which is battling a 21-year Communist rebellion and faces the continuing threat from military extremists who have launched seven armed uprisings in 4 1/2 years.
“The perception of what the political situation here is really a lot worst than I think the reality of it is,†Glickenhaus said. “If you read the papers in New York, you’d think it is unsafe and you’re going to be shot and you’re going to be blown up.
“Obviously, when you’re here, I don’t think, I don’t feel that I’m going to be shot or blown up.â€
His crew started filming here in October at about the same time as a mutiny led by a renegade Army colonel erupted in the southern Philippines, 500 miles south of Manila. The rebellion fizzled out in three days.
A series of at least 40 bombing attacks by rightist and leftist extremists have occurred in the Manila area since August.
In November, Typhoon Mike swept the central Philippines, killing about 470 people.
Walken said foreign members of the film were unaffected by these incidents since they took place in areas far away from where they were filming.
“I’ve been to many places, and it’s been quite normal, uneventful here, except for the typhoon,†Walken said.
The high cost of production in the United States, especially for independent American film producers working on a tight budget, makes shooting in the Philippines attractive. Glickenhaus said “McBain,†if shot in the United States, would have cost at least double its $17-million budget.
He said the film spent about $200,000 for a scene in which thousands of extras were storming the Colombian presidential palace. That scene would have cost $2 million if it had been shot in Hollywood, he added.
Most of the film’s $17 million was expected to be spent here, to the benefit of the local economy.
Tom Gray, the film’s publicist, said the widespread use of English--one of the two official languages--gives the Philippines an advantage over other Southeast Asian countries.
“People still like making movies here,†Glickenhaus said. “That’s a good thing.â€
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
