Title: Shake, Rattle & Roll XIV
Director: Chito Roño

Producer: Regal Films

Distribution: Regal Films

Date of premiere: December 25, 2012

[NOTE: This review was first published at PEP.ph]

Shake, Rattle & Roll is now an annual fixture in the Metro Manila Film Festival.

Since 2005, every edition of the film festival has had the horror anthology. It is a welcome diversion, both for audiences and filmmakers: SRR gives moviegoers an option away from the usual drama, comedy, and fantasy fare that are always present in MMFF, and the short format gives directors a chance to experiment.

This year, Chito Roño was chosen to direct all three segments in Shake, Rattle & Roll 14. For the first time in SRR history, only one director helmed the three horror stories. Perhaps Chito Roño was the right choice for this feat. Aside from having several awards under his belt, he can be lauded for breaking several genre taboos in the 2012 box-office hit The Healing.

In SRR 14, Direk Chito brings three stories to life.

The first segment is "Pamana," written by Ricky Lee.

It tells the story of four cousins who receive news of an inheritance from their deceased uncle, a famous horror writer for comic books. Amidst the group's bickering, the comics writer's creations come to life to test them.

"Pamana" stars Herbert Bautista, Janice de Belen, Arlene Muhlach, Eri Neeman, Dennis Padilla, Empress, Ivan Dorschner, Dimples Romana, Fabio Ide, and Snooky Serna.

The second segment is "Lost Command," written by Rody Vera.

It is about a battalion of soldiers exploring an unknown forest for a secret operation.

"Lost Command" stars Dennis Trillo, Paulo Avelino, Martin Escudero, JC Tiuseco, Alex Castro, AJ Dee, Ronnie Lazaro, Rommel Padilla, Makisig Morales, and Ella Cruz.

The last segment is "Unwanted," written by Roy Iglesias.

It tells the story of the couple Hank and Kate, who get trapped in a mall after it collapses due to mysterious causes. Along the way, they meet several other survivors who help them solve the mystery.

"Unwanted" stars Vhong Navarro, Lovie Poe, Eula Caballero, Albie Casiño, Carlo Aquino, Eric Tai, and Jairus Aquino.

Of the three, "Pamana" is the most solid.

It is brilliantly-executed, and written with references to Filipino horror culture and history, such as the horror comics and the classic horror films. The ensemble cast is also excellent, with Herbert Bautista, Arlene Muhlach, and Janice de Belen leading the fray.

"Lost Command" is just average.

The story may be unoriginal (horror fans may recall the 2004 South Korean horror film R-Point), but the sharp production values and the strong performances from its predominantly all-male cast raise its quality.

Leading the troop is the always-reliable Dennis Trillo, showing enough toughness in a fear-filled situation and depicting perfectly how a soldier should be.

"Unwanted" is the weakest of the three. The grandness of the whole production—there are spaceships and large catastrophes—does not fit the short format.

Lead stars Vhong Navarro and Lovi Poe also confuse with their widely contrasting performances. Vhong infuses his Hank with a comedic vibe, while Lovi creates Kate with a far too serious demeanor.

The even less palatable part of this episode can be found in the ragtag band of supporting characters, none of whom is established well, so that in the end the viewer feels like they only exist to be eaten up by the monsters. A few of them need acting classes, too.

All in all, Shake, Rattle & Roll 14 is a mixed bag. But moviegers should still see it for "Pamana," which is worth the price of the entire ticket.

RATING: 2.5 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Only one segment is worth seeing.

Title: The Strangers

Director: Lawrence Fajardo

Producer: Quantum Films and MJM Productions

Distribution: Star Cinema

Date of premiere: December 25, 2012

[NOTE: This review was first published at PEP.ph]

Lawrence Fajardo's The Strangers works because of its twist. The film has countless moments that do not make sense, at least until the twist comes along.

This twist is introduced halfway into the film, rebooting what the viewer knows about the characters so far.

Among film genres, horror is considered the hardest to do. It is difficult to terrify audiences. Fear comes from the unfamiliar and the unexpected, and so any director working on a horror flick must always reinvent the wheel.

The twist is one such way. It is, in fact, one of the most utilized techniques to freshen up a horror film. Made popular (but not invented) by director M. Night Shyamalan in the late '90s through the film The Sixth Sense, it is now one of the most-overused elements in modern horror.

Sometimes the twist works (The Others, Oldboy), and sometimes it doesn't (Guni-Guni, Amorosa: The Revenge). The twist in The Strangers is really quite clever.

It makes a lot of sense, and explains away the eerie events and little clues that come before.

Its significance in the film, however, is so large that revealing it will take away any enjoyment viewers will have. It is the big spoiler, and this review should be spoiler-free.

Instead, let us divide the movie like this: pre-twist, post-twist.

Post-twist is infinitely better than pre-twist. All hell breaks loose in the second half, and this is where all the action is.

The pre-twist, sadly, cannot match the post-twist's exuberant scale. In the first half, everything feels like a prelude, a setup of greater things to come.

The Strangers tells the story of a family driving through a province rumored to be rampant with aswang. When the van breaks down in the middle of the road, they have to find ways to escape before the night comes.

The story chugs along crudely because the characters are highly unlikable. Twin siblings Max (Enrique Gil) and Patricia (Julia Montes) do nothing but bicker and fight. Their father Roy (Johnny Revilla) has a hot temper. The mother, Evelyn (Cherry Pie Picache), seems to be neglectful of her children, letting them walk away even though danger is already present.

It is annoying to see these characters make the irrational choices that traditional dumb horror-movie characters make, as if they were seeking their own demise.

Thankfully, there's also Paloma (Janice de Belen), the yaya or caretaker of both Max and Patricia. Janice's Paloma is the movie's comic relief. Her character exists to lighten the film's dark setting.

Janice hits all the right notes here, and her short flirting scene with the driver (Nico Antonio) is downright hilarious.

2012 for Janice de Belen is a good movie year. Before this MMFF entry, she already starred in four movies: as a tough-willed woman in Jose Javier Reyes's Mga Mumunting Lihim, a suffering single mother in The Healing, a brave monster-fighting mom in Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, and a murderous psychopath in Pridyider. She aced each one.

Actress of the year.

But Janice is not in The Strangers' top billing. Top credits are given instead to four of ABS-CBN’s most popular young stars: Enrique Gil, Julia Montes, JM de Guzman, and Enchong Dee.

Of the four, Enrique and Julia have the most complicated characters. They do acquit themselves in the movie's second half, but the two cannot quite show the complexity of their characters before the twist comes in. In some scenes, Julia just looks bored.

JM de Guzman plays a barrio villager who befriends Patricia. He does fairly well, although you'd wish he had more exposure.

Enchong Dee is the best of the four. He plays a mysterious character who's supposed to hunt monsters. He may not be the focus of the movie, but he gives a convincing performance nonetheless. It is interesting to note Enchong’s transformation in this movie: he sports a beard and looks like a taong grasa living in a muddy forest.

Much of the plot of The Strangers is wrapped in secrecy. Everything hinges on a twist that's quite clever, but ultimately limits the movie from pursuing a better way to tell its story.

Director Fajardo could have chosen to nix the twist in favor of focusing on one plot point, preferably that of Enchong Dee's character. Maybe this needs a sequel?

RATING: 2.5 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Relied too much on the twist, so the storytelling suffered.

Title: Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles

Director: Erik Matti

Producer: Reality Entertainment, Agosto Dos Pictures, GMA Films and Post Manila

Distribution: Reality Entertainment, Agosto Dos Pictures, and GMA Films

Date of premiere: October 17, 2012

[NOTE: This review has spoilers.]

I wanted to like Erik Matti's Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, but several flaws keep me back from thinking it is excellent.

Sure, the graphics are very remarkable. Good graphics, however, do not automatically mean "great movie." Just see the Transformers or the Panday movies to see what I mean.

Tiktik is promising when it starts. Arrogant city boy Makoy (Dingdong Dantes) arrives in a sleepy town to woo back his pregnant girlfriend Sonia (Lovi Poe) from her strict mother Fely (Janice de Belen), who insists that he leave her daughter alone.

Fortunately, Nestor (Jory Marquez), Sonia's father, sides with Makoy. Encouraged, Makoy helps Nestor and his cousin Bart (Ramon Bautista) prepare a feast for Sonia's upcoming birthday. With Bart's suggestion, Makoy and Nestor go to a strange community to buy a pig for roasting. 

But Makoy's cockiness and lowballing enrages several of the pig-sellers, who turn into aswangs at night. That night, the strange monsters attack Sonia's house, and Makoy steps up to protect her and their baby.

Lush visuals compliment the story. The scenes have a rundown weathered look, which highlights the story and setting even more.

Have we seen this kind of eye-popping visuals before in Philippine cinema? Probably not. This year's most good looking movie (until Tiktik came along, that is), doesn't even come close. Hint: the "good-looking movie" is also about an aswang.

But again, good visuals do not automatically mean "great movie." While Tiktik is wonderful to look at, it still needs help with its storytelling.

Several issues pervade the movie: weak characters and several scenes that go against logic.

The weakest character of all is Ramon Bautista's Bart. Throughout the film, it is hinted that his dead father is part of the aswang clan. We never get the full gist of this, however, and we are left to wonder how that should fit into the overall arc.

Bart's character is also shown to be angry and jealous that Makoy has nabbed Sonia, whom he also likes. But there's no payback to this piece of narrative, and it is left unfulfilled until he dies.

There are also scenes that are illogical. The men leave the pregnant Sonia on the second floor all the time, even after two aswangs got into the second floor earlier in the story. They escape by climbing down the back terrace, without any aswang noticing. 

What the film lacks in solid storytelling, it makes up with a few moments of wit, that are truly memorable. Some of my favorites: a child actor decides to shoot Boy Bawang bits at aswangs, Ringo (Mike Gayoso) saying "tiktik, tiktik" to insult the protagonists, and Makoy using a large wooden fork to make intestine spaghetti.

With that said, several actors should be given praise. Main cast members Dingdong Dantes, Lovi Poe, Janice de Belen and Joey Marquez create a believable ensemble.

But the best actors were the actors who played the aswangs, particularly LJ Reyes, Cris Pastor and Mike Gayoso. Roi Vinson, the head aswang, can be the creepiest local horror character of the year, except that he morphs into a laughable bat-like creature towards the end.

Should you see this? I say yes, but make sure not to have high expectations. 

RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5

SUMMARY: It's not a perfect movie, but it's enjoyable and the visuals are appealing to look at.

Title: Pridyider

Director: Rico Maria Ilarde

Producer: Regal Films

Distribution: Regal Films

Date of premiere: September 19, 2012

I find Pridyider strangely appealing despite its inconsistencies. It's a horror film that's largely inconsistent in its story, but when it wants to scare, it does so with a punch.

Pridyider tells the story of Tina (Andi Eigenmann), a balikbayan from the US who comes home to an empty house left to her by her parents who abandoned her as a kid. In the house is a haunted refrigerator lusting for human flesh and blood.

This movie is the re-imagining of one of the segments in the first Shake, Rattle & Roll in 1984. But that short film has a completely different story, so a direct comparison with it seems unnecessary.

The first Pridyider is on YouTube, so you may see it if you want to. Video of the whole film is below.

Only two things are carried over from the first Pridyider: the evil appliance, and Janice de Belen. There are obvious differences.

The first refrigerator is in it for the lust. It is diabolically attracted to a young girl named Virgie, played by Janice herself. The bulky cool box likes Virgie so much that it makes moaning sounds when the girl is near. He nearly eats her towards the end.

The second refrigerator is possessed by an evil spirit; it just wants to eat.

In the first film, Janice is the good girl. In the new movie, she is the murderous house wife who contacts the devil so she can keep her philandering husband.

Janice is one of the highlights of the film. She's so good, even an old photo of her will give you chills.

Andi Eigenmann also does greatly. Her characterization is strong as a young woman who is brave enough to face the spooks, so you root for her. It is also fun to see her wielding a knife as a weapon whenever she can. She's really her mother's daughter.

JM de Guzman as James brings the eye-candy to the horror picture, but you'll wish he does more than to stand around and wait to save the girl in trouble.

Other characters hit-and-miss. Ronnie Lazaro does okay, but Venus Raj and Bekimon are unwelcome. The two act goofy throughout the movie, and they distract from the dark tone.

A few inconsistencies mar the picture from narrative greatness. The story started strongly, however, particularly due to the choice to reveal the refrigerator's secret so early into the movie. This made the next events unexpected.

One inconsistency is how Venus Raj and Bekimon stick around the area even after they witness the refrigerator's evil firsthand. Another is how when a nearly-crazy woman knocks on the car window, James rolls the window down, without thinking that the woman may attack Tina.

Also, if your newly-bought refrigerator breaks, would you just junk it easily, without calling for warranty service? And did anyone else think to unplug the evil refrigerator to rob it of electricity?

All these inconsistencies distract from a fairly-polished horror movie.

Still, if you want to be scared, Pridyider is your movie. There are a lot of great scares in there that you may want to experience.

RATING: 3 stars out of 5

SUMMARY: Still scary despite the inconsistencies and plotholes.

Added just now: Am I the only person who recognized the cab driver as the same one in The Animals? I thought Andi Eigenmann's character will get raped...

Title: Amorosa: The Revenge
Director: Topel Lee

Producer: Skylight Films

Distribution: Star Cinema

Date of premiere: August 29, 2012

The first minutes of Amorosa: The Revenge are fascinating. The spate of jump cuts and rough editing make the film feel like a dream, or a memory carefully recalled to confront the present.

Sadly, director Topel Lee cannot sustain this style, and so his latest horror film takes a turn to narrative hell.

Angel Aquino plays Amorosa, mother of two sons, Rommel (Enrique Gil) and Amiel (Martin del Rosario). Several tragedies force them to live in an inn haunted by a vengeful ghost. But the ghost is not the biggest concern Amorosa has to face.

The main issue with Amorosa is that there are too many things going on. It is also too bad that several conveniences are introduced just to move each of them along.

Aside from the lead character's story, the ghost's story is also told in flashbacks. Her name is Sandra (Empress), and she was raped years ago in the same inn, when it was still an abandoned property.

There's also the story of a group of three drug addicts-turned-rapists, an over-eager policeman who harbors a secret, and an old gardener who may be magical.

Much narrative logic is sacrificed just to bring these stories together. For instance, the workers of the inn suddenly decide to go on a vacation towards the film's climax, just when a killer is coming along.

The film is also hampered by the worst of horror movie conventions: stupid characters who actively seek danger. In one scene, Angel Aquino opens the door to find a dead policeman out in the porch. When the killer haunting her turns up behind her, she runs up the stairs, completely forgetting that she is still holding the door open.

What saves the film is the strong performance from Angel Aquino. Enrique Gil's acting can also be as solid, until he goes into hysterics. Martin del Rosario is okay, while Empress feels miscast.

If you're a fan of any of the cast, then you may like this film. Other viewers should look elsewhere.

RATING: 2 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Amorosa is not boring, and some scenes are scary. Narrative logic is what's lacking here.

Title: Guni-Guni

Director: Tara Illenberger

Producer: Regal Films

Distribution: Regal Films

Date of premiere: August 22, 2012

Guni-Guni is only scary because you'd think it would never end. You should avoid this movie.

Guni-Guni tells the story of several people living in a boarding house. Each has their story. 

Jaime Fabregas is Tatay Nanding, a senile old man who keeps burying raw meat under the plants in front of the house, supposedly as food for his dead loved one. 

Gina Alajar is Mrs. Arevalo, a lonely middle-aged woman who lives alone, and refuses to talk to anyone. She waits for her son to come back for her.

Julia Clarete is Vangie, the yaya of an autistic kid. She pines for Eddie, played by Neil Ryan Sese, who doesn't return her affection.

Empress is Joanna, a medical student who can communicate with paranormal entities. 

But the story is focused on Lovi Poe's Mylene, Joanna's best friend and fellow medical student. She's skeptical on all things supernatural, and has many secrets. But are these secrets tied to what is happening to the house, and all its occupants?

(Another boarder is Benjamin Alves's Paolo, Mylene's boyfriend, who moves in the house near the film's ending.)

[SPOILER TAG: From here on out, I will write about the secrets. Beware of spoilers.]

The main problem with this movie is how Joanna's secrets are rolled out. Her main secret is that she was born with a twin connected to her body. Her mother and the doctors then decided to save only one of the siamese twins, so one of them was killed.

From the onset, the viewers are already given clues to this secret. The movie even starts with Mylene in class listening to a lesson about siamese twins.

If this information was so obvious, why does the movie need to take a long long time before officially revealing it? Telling the secret piece by piece just makes the movie sluggish. 

The same thing happens with the stories of the other characters. An early seance session with Joanna at the lead is ill-timed, as it reveals all the mysteries the plot holds.

The final shock moment is badly established as well. Mylene is shown to take home body parts from the hospital where she interns, keeping all of them in her closet. The film tries to build this up as a shock, but it's all too familiar that it just fizzles. (Still wondering what it is? Try googling the film May. For the lazy: trailer below.)

The storytelling is frustrating as well. After two boarders die violently, why won't the remaining house members move out? If they have sleepless nights due to persistent nightmares, surely they have thought that the house is the problem?

There's also nothing to see in the horror department. The scares are few and far between, and when they come, they are either shoddily executed, or predictable.

You might also be annoyed at the cast's performances. I like Lovi Poe, but I felt like her subdued acting does not work in this movie. Her slow and sexy way of speaking adds to the bored feeling I got from watching this film.

Benjamin Alves is forgettable, and his character only works once he's shirtless. Empress is under-utilized as the chief psychic. 

Once again: avoid this movie at all costs. If you want to see a Filipino movie, be notified that Jose Javier Reyes's Mga Mumunting Lihim is showing alongside Guni-Guni. You might want to take a look at that.

RATING: 1 star out of 5
SUMMARY: Tedious, boring and predictable. It takes ages to reveal the plot twists that are visible from a mile away.

Title: The Healing

Director: Chito Roño

Producer: Star Cinema

Distribution: Star Cinema

Date of premiere: July 25, 2012

Fresh from finishing watching all the movies in Cinemalaya 2012 last Saturday, I rushed over to TriNoma Mall to view the R18 showing of Star Cinema's The Healing. It was my fourth film for the day but I had no complaints, since I am a big horror movie fan.

And The Healing did not disappoint. It feels fresh and unique, since it may be the first Filipino horror movie that takes its cues from gore-fest slashers like Saw, Hostel, and Vacancy. Unlike previous horror movies, which only flirt with the possibilities of blood, and if ever, will not show them onscreen, The Healing is more than over-the-top in execution. [I wrote a shining review about it for PEP.]

The film also breaks taboos in Philippine cinema. What are these taboos? Killing children in a violent manner is one of them, and this movie has one of that.

What I like most about this film is that it seemed to give nods to several obscure pop culture niches. For me, it was a treasure trove of references, kinda like the excellent Cabin in the Woods.

Here's a list of the references I saw in The Healing:

[SPOILERS BELOW.]

1. The scene where the kid mowed down groups of monks using a ninja weapon was fun, and akin to Lolita-inspired anime.

2. When the kid jumped off from the roof and got impaled on a pole, then slid slowly down, it reminded me of Omen. This scene was cut from the R-18 version.

3. When the policeman snapped and shot everyone moving along a corridor, it reminded me of video game shooters, like Counter Strike.

4. When Ynes Veneracion brandished a large knife to behead Allan Paule, it reminded of Rena in Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni.

Rena Ryuugu

5. The scene where an old man held someone hostage in a boxing gym reminded me of the real-life bus hostage in Quirino Grandstand, which resulted to the death of several Chinese citizens. Why? Because a TV crew was stupidly broadcasting the events live.

6. When the camera feed broke for a few seconds in the scene where Kim Chiu and Martin del Rosario were hiding in a remote house, it reminded me of the recent Shyamalan-penned Devil.

The surprise video footage from Devil.

7. Lastly, Mercedes Cabral was a hilarious Sailor Moon knock-off.

By the way, if you were wondering what scenes were cut to make the movie R-13, you should read the MTRCB certificates posted near the cinemas. I read it, and here are the scenes that were cut.

a. Allan Paule's actual beheading not shown.

b. Again, when the kid was stabbed by a pole, the slide down was cut.

c. The corridor-shooting scene was shortened.

RATING: 4 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Essential viewing for horror movie fans. Watch the R-18 version, if you can.

Title: The Witness

Director: Muhammad Yusuf

Producer: GMA Films, Skylar Pictures

Distribution: GMA Films (in the Philippines)

Date of premiere: March 21, 2012

The Witness is an admirable effort.

The new movie from GMA Films (co-produced by Skylar Pictures of Indonesia) does many things right that it succeeds as a horror film.

Unfortunately, what could be off-putting for mainstream Filipino moviegoers is that The Witness does not follow typical Pinoy horror movie conventions. The Witness is not similar to recent box-office hits like Dalaw and Segunda Mano, films that senselessly pound viewers with scare-after-scare to establish their horror cred.

The Witness is more masterful. In the press preview that PEP attended last Monday, March 19, the most common gripe about the movie is that the pacing is too slow. But in this reviewer's opinion, this slowness helps the movie more than it deters it.

In fact, the very best of Asian horror cinema are known for their slow pacing. Examples of these are great films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure, Takashi Miike's Audition, and Park ki-hyung's Acacia. (A Western film that could also be an example is the recent The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe.)

The slow pacing is essential to create each of these films' heavy moods and eerie atmospheres. The pace also gives the endings more weight, because they stand out from the rest of movies' muted tones.

This is what director Muhammad Yusuf achieves for The Witness. The plot moves at a glacial phase, but the jaw-dropping reveal at the ending more than makes up for it.

So with the slow pacing, is the movie boring? Far from it. At the center of the movie is Filipina actress Gwen Zamora, who gives such a strong performance that makes the movie compelling, minute by minute. Gwen plays Angel, a hotel manager who survives the massacre of her family. Distraught by the tragedy, she needs to face her own ghosts to find her family's killer.

Helping Gwen are Indonesian actors Nigel Ryder, Kimberly Ryder, and Marcelino Lefrandt. A special mention must also be given to actor Agung Saga, who plays Ais. His performance is outstanding.

What makes this film lose points are minor plotholes that are not important to the reveal, so they are not a major annoyance.

Should you see The Witness? Yes, you must. But don't expect a typical Pinoy horror movie, because this one is better.

RATING: 3.5 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Really slow pacing but competent horror film. Not for everyone.

(Also published in PEP.ph)