The macho dancers, three decades after

Lino Brocka’s 1988 classic Macho Dancer, comes back to life with a sequel, Anak ng Macho Dancer, more than three decades after it shook Philippine cinema. This year’s version directed by Joel Lamangan pursues a storyline where prostitution becomes a haven for struggling individuals during a pandemic.

Lino Brocka’s 1988 classic Macho Dancer comes back to life with a sequel Anak ng Macho Dancer more than three decades after it shook Philippine cinema. This year’s version directed by Joel Lamangan pursues a  storyline where prostitution becomes a haven for struggling individuals during a pandemic.

A new crop of matinee idols Sean De Guzman, Ricky Gumera, Charles Nathan, Miko Pasamonte and Mhack Morales star in the film produced by Joed Serrano and written by Henry Quitain.

Original cast of the 1988 film Alan Paule and Jaclyn Jose and veteran sexy stars Rosanna Roces and Jay Manalo join the crew as supporting roles.

The story is centered on Ino (De Guzman), a child of two former prostitutes (played by Paule and Roces) who had to do the same work due to poverty brought about by Covid-19.
The suspense starts when Ino meets a closeted gay businessman (Manalo) who notoriously killed macho dancers he chanced upon before.

During TribuneNOW’s Wazzup, the main cast revealed that the film will have several steamy “all the way” scenes. However, the plot also delves into topics of poverty and mental health of macho dancers who are often discriminated.

Pasamonte, oldest among the five, noted that being a prostitute should not be degraded because there are different reasons why one takes that job —- most of which are related to survival.
Meanwhile, Morales resonates with the character he played because he worked in a bar as a variety show dancer and a bartender to support his own studies.

“You get 80 pesos for every 500-peso purchase of “men drinks” and tips can make a huge difference in income,” he recalled in Filipino.

He narrated that some of his fellow variety show dancers were getting table invitations once in a while.

Almost all of them are new to acting, but according to Gumera, it was Direk Lamangan’s straightforward approach that made them improve in the craft.

It was also the director’s reputation that made them say yes to the project despite the revealing roles. Further, it also amazed them that Anak ng Macho Dancer production did a thorough research by personally interviewing real-life macho dancers who grapple in the current pandemic.

De Guzman who plays the lead role, entices the viewers that the film is an eye-opener on the battles every macho dancer faces.

The tentative show date for Anak ng Macho Dancer  is on 30 January. It will be shown in a physical theater in Sta. Lucia mall once it gets an approval from Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to release an uncut version of the movie.