Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James's. His mother was Pilar Guzman Sinco, a schoolteacher and the sister of University of the Philippines President Vicente G. Sinco who signed the United Nations Charter in 1945 on behalf of the Philippines. His brother was Jose V. Romero Jr., former Philippine Ambassador to Italy. He studied at Silliman University.
Career
Romero was named National Artist of the Philippines in 2003, and his body of work delved into the history and politics of his country. His 1976 film Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo Ngayon?, set at the turn of the 20th century during the revolution against the Spaniards and, later, the American colonizers, follows a naive peasant through his leap of faith to become a member of an imagined community. Aguila situated a family's story against the backdrop of Filipino history, while Kamakalawa explored the folklore of prehistoric Philippines. Banta ng Kahapon, his "small" political film, was set against the turmoil of the late 1960s, tracing the connection of the underworld to the corrupt halls of politics. His 13-part series Noli Me Tangere brought Philippine national hero José Rizal's novel to a new generation of viewers. Romero co-produced one of the earliest Filipino horror films, the 1959 Terror Is a Man, which was directed by his friend and fellow director Gerardo de Leon, with whom he would later co-direct other films. Romero directed some critically acclaimed war films in the early 1960s, such as Lost Battalion, The Raiders of Leyte Gulf and The Walls of Hell. Along with Filipino-language films, he made English-language films that became cult classics, like Black Mama, White Mama, Beast of the Yellow Night, The Woman Hunt, Beyond Atlantis and The Twilight People and worked with American actors like John Ashley and Pam Grier. Romero's films, the National Artist citation stated, "are delivered in an utterly simple style – minimalist, but never empty, always calculated, precise and functional, but never predictable." Quentin Tarantino drew on Twilight People as an inspiration for his "grindhouse" homages. Romero is especially known to horror film fans for his three "Blood Island" films from the late 1960s - Brides of Blood, Mad Doctor of Blood Island and Beast of Blood, which he directed, co-produced by "Hemisphere Pictures". Romero later called his American-financed "cult" films – including the "Blood Island" series – "the worst things I ever did". When the kung fu craze started in the 1970s, Romero turned his back on the international market for Filipino films which he had virtually created. After 1976, he made smaller, more personal "art" films in Filipino.
Personal life
Romero was married to Carolina Gonzalez, a great-granddaughter of Don Francisco Gonzalez y Reinado, owner of the legendary 39,000-hectare Hacienda Esperanza that included the municipalities of Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Rosales and San Quintin, extending through the rest of Pangasinan and the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Romero was also for a time the partner of actress Mila del Sol. He had three children: film director and MTRCB board member Joey Romero, Ancel Romero and Leo Romero.
Death
He died on May 28, 2013. He had been suffering from prostate cancer when he developed a blood clot in his brain
Filmography
Ang Maestra
Anong ganda mo
So long America
Isumpa mo giliw
Mameng, iniibig kita
Si, si, señorito
La Paloma
Ang Kamay ng Diyos
Kaaway ng bayan
Hele hele bago quiere
Hindi kita malimot
Selosa
Apoy sa langit
Abogada
Always kay ganda mo
Sa piling mo
Sipag ay yaman
Milagro ng birhen ng mga rosas
Camelia
Batalyon trece
Kasintahan sa pangarap
Sabas, ang barbaro/ Sabas the Barbarian based on a comic book character
