Cinema One Originals 2017 Movie Review: Kip Oebanda's "Nay"

Ms. Sylvia Sanchez is "Nay"

After his critically-acclaimed youth oriented film Bar Boys which debuted at the first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, director Kip Oebanda is back. This time, he takes on a classic Filipino folklore and gives it a new, millennial spin. Tagged as a gore film, this horror drama mixes shocks with political messages and underlying themes. “Nay”, written and directed by Kip Oebanda, stars a pretty interesting cast, led by Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake and Ms. Sylvia Sanchez, together with Harvey Bautista and Carla Humphries and is one of the official entries to the Cinema One Originals 2017.

Martin's (Enchong Dee) sheltered life is turned around when he gets terminally ill. To save his life, his beloved yaya, Nay Luisa (Sylvia Sanchez) turns him into something truly horrifying. He must choose between dying or becoming a monster that preys on the poor and the weak in city where dehumanization has become the norm.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film is perfect for the theme of this year’s Cinema One Originals film festival: Walang Takot (fearless).The film’s story is not just about the plight of Martin’s character after being turned into an aswang. It also tackles very important and relevant issues today, particularly on extra-judicial killings. Though technically a horror film, Nay hides a lot of political and social overtones underneath it’s bloody and violent skin. It offers a very timely commentary on our society’s morality nowadays, particularly how we are slowly being desensitized to violence around us. At one point of the film, Nay Luisa asks Martin who is he to judge who should die and who should live. This pretty much mirrors how the people responsible for those extra-judicial killings are deciding whether it’s better if one man should just die instead of giving him a chance to change.

The film’s boasts a very powerful cast. Enchong Dee was really good in portraying the young yuppie Martin. He was able to convey a lot of emotions for his character, particularly during the time he was suffering from his illness. Jameson Blake has improved a lot since his past stint in 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten and Nabubulok. He has grown into the craft he is passionate about. I think he should get more challenging roles because for sure, he’s going to nail them. I was impressed with Carla Humhries and Harvey Baustista in this movie. And of course, who can forget Ms. Sylvia Sanchez’ tour de force performance as the title role Nay. She surprised us with her bravura take on her character. She was magnetic and captivating. She quickly shifts from being funny to scary. It was a performance that deserves recognition, perhaps a Best Actress award.

And yes, the film succeeds in it’s promises of gore. Nay is definitely one of the bloodiest Pinoy horror films I’ve seen, with it’s shocking and brutal visuals. It doesn’t care about jump scares an instead, it’s focused on shocking the audience with it’s unapologetic blood shedding. Though it’s not as gory as other foreign gore films I’ve seen, it has enough to satisfy my cravings as a gorehound. The pacing of the film was slow, but it was okay. It wasn’t really boring because of the witty script, combining shocks and humor. So far, this is one of the best Aswang movies I’ve seen in local cinema. Also, some of the scenes of the film reminds me of the Spanish horror film REC . And that ending has some Hannibal feels in it.

Watching Nay was a great way to start my Cinema One Originals experience this year. It’s shocking, brutal and bloody. But it’s also funny and entertaining, plus it’s timely commentary on our society’s issues today is very relevant. A millennial Aswang film? What more can you ask for?

Rating: ✰✰✰✰1/2  of 5

"Nay" (2017) directed by Kip Oebanda, Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake and Ms. Sylvia Sanchez

An official entry to the 2017 Cinema One Originals Film Festival

FEATURE: Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake star in Kip Oebanda's NAY

Director Kip Oebanda with stars Enchong Dee & Jameson Blake
Source: @KipOebanda

"After Bar Boys, what are you going to do next?" Director Kip Oebanda asks himself in one of his social media posts.

After his critically acclaimed youth-oriented comedy drama Bar Boys (2017) which was part of the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino and starred Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda, Rocco Nacino and Kean Cipriano, what's really next for Director Kip Oebanda? The answer to that question is Nay. An official entry to the 2017 Cinema One Originals, Nay features some of the country's well known actors led by Enchong Dee, Sylvia Sanchez and Jameson Blake. In Nay, Director Kip goes for the supernatural as he makes a film about a rich, sheltered youth who gets to be transformed into an aswang by his yaya, Nay Luisa.

Director Kip Oebanda with star Sylvia Sanchez. Source: @KipOebanda

The project was described by actor Jameson Blake as a gore film, a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, usually through the use of special effects, display a fascination with the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation. This subgenre, though not really popular here in the country, is a staple in American and Japanese cinema as evident in films like George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Eli Roth's Hostel and James Wan's Saw franchise.

This would be the second time that Enchong Dee and Jameson Blake joined the said film festival. Enchong played the lead role in Paano Ko Sasabihin, an official entry to the 2009 Cinema One Originals. Jameson, on the other hand was part of 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten from last year's festival. This is also not the first time that Kip Oebanda became part of the festival. He has previously worked on the call-center romance film Shift by Siege Ledesma in 2013 where he was nominated for Best Editing (Cinema One Currents). Here in Nay, director/ writer Kip Oebanda take on the classic aswang mythology and gives it a fresh, modern look.

Jameson Blake prepares as his head gets casted for the film's FX prosthesis.
Source: @KipOebanda

I was able to visit one of the locations (a bar in Tomas Morato) where they were shooting some scenes for the movie. Based on my observations, Director Kip has a keen eye for detail as he instructs his two lead actors in polishing a bar scene. Both Enchong and Jameson are on their A game despite the tiring shoot. Jameson is focused on perfecting his acting while Enchong looks like he's just having fun playing an aswang. This is not the first time that Enchong starred in a genre flick as he previously played an aswang hunter in the 2012 horror pic The Strangers and as a possessive and murderous zombie lover in the 2016 horror-comedy I Love You To Death. Jameson, on the other hand is currently shooting another horror film entitled Haunted Forest under Regal Films.

Enchong Dee prepares for a scene.

Nay, according to Cinema One, is one of the seven films which were able to "deliver fresh stories with poignant, hilarious and extraordinary accounts that will touch the lives of more diverse audiences." The finalists were picked by the selection committee led by Ronald Arguelles (festival director), Philbert Dy, Rico Gonzales, Oggs Cruz, Jinky Laurel, Kathleen Pador, Richard Bolisay, Sherad Anthony Sanchez, and Jade Castro. All seven finalists received a grant of P3 million to produce their movie and compete in the festival to be held this November 2017, making it the biggest edition of the festival to date. It is no doubt that Nay is one of the most anticipated entries of the festival this year.

The film's official teaser poster.

With "Bar Boys" and "Nay" director Kip Oebanda

With "Nay" star Jameson Blake

With "Nay" star Enchong Dee

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Triptiko" (2017) movie review

Triptiko, a black comedy thriller anthology.

Minsan ang buhay, medyo weird (Sometimes, life is weird) says the tagline of Miguel Franco Michelena's anthology Triptiko (2017). According to writer and director Michelena, the film is a Filipino pop culture version of triptych, which is a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical pieces intended to be appreciated together.” In this movie, he assembles three separate stories with different genres to form a one of a kind anthology. Being a fan of anthology movies, I was definitely excited to see this one. The first story of the film follows a young man (Albie Casino) who thinks he just got "lucky" suddenly experiences one unfortunate circumstance after another. Next is a male model (Joseph Marco) on the rise is plagued by a mysterious ailment that turns his career upside down. And a love-struck folk singer (Kean Cipriano) discovers that the object of his affection (Kylie Padilla) is not who he thinks she is. The film is produced by Michelena Brothers Production in association with Barrio's Pictures and features an ensemble cast, led by Albie Casiño, Jerald Napoles, Joseph Marco, Art Acuña, Kylie Padilla, Kean Cipriano, Max Eigenmann, Jay Gonzaga and Pinky Amador. It has been Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board and is an official entry to the 2017 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

Screenshots from the trailer

The first segment entitled "Suwerte" stars Albie Casino as Jake, a young man who thought that he just got lucky with a girl he had a one-night stand with. But after witnessing a murder happening right before his eyes, he becomes the target of the murderer. The story attempts to redefine our perspective of luck. For me, this segment maybe the most bad-ass story among the three. More akin to a chase movie, it mixes shock and thrills while we follow the plight of Jake as he falls into one bad luck to another. To his credit, Albie Casino did a pretty decent job as the main character. He was believable as a young man in peril and was able to portray the role convincingly. Jerald Napoles was really fun to watch and did a great job in his role.

In "Hinog", the second segment of the film, we are introduced to Jason (played by Joseph Marco). He's an up-and-rising product endorser and ramp male model. But the problem is that his body is being plagued by boils that eventually affects his career. Determined to be cured of his ailment, he ends up consulting a shaman to help him find out the true nature of his sickness. This segment seems like an attempt of the body horror genre (horror fiction in which the horror is principally derived from the graphic degeneration or destruction of the physical body. Such works may deal with decay, disease, parasitism, mutation or mutilation) in the tradition of  David Cronenberg and Brian Yuzna. And to be honest, this was my most favorite segment in this anthology.

Joseph Marco was really good in his portrayal of the sick Jason. One can really see and feel his character's desperation through his acting. Art Acuña was also fun to watch as the trippy shaman from whom Jason asks for help regarding his ailment. Aside from these characters, what made me enjoy this segment even more was the unrelenting portrayal of the ailment, from the unapologetic close-up shots of the infection that will make you puke. These gross-out moments came in fast and unexpected and really caught me off-guard. To be honest, this is the first time I felt like I was about to throw up while watching a movie. I was biting my hand the whole time while watching Jason and the shamando their own extraction. This is the probably the most disgusting and repelling story I've seen in a local film, yet I enjoyed it so much that I am so attracted to it. Plus, the ironic ending was the perfect way to conclude the segment, though I kinda felt bad for one of the characters. To me, this segment was the most memorable one.

The third and final segment was a bit different from the first two segments. This story, entitled "Musikerong John" is about John (played by Kean Cipriano) a folk song musician as he relives the memories of his last relationship. The girl, named Ann (played by Kylie Padilla) was the girl of his dreams. The one that he thought he would be spending his whole life with. But then, one day, she starts acting weirdly. Little did he know that she was already turning into something he'd never imagined. I loved all the songs that Kean Cipriano performed in this segment (they were written by Ralph Lorenzo Tan under the pseudonym "I"). He also did a good job in his portrayal of the heartbroken musician. He shares great chemistry with his co-star, Kylie Padilla who also surprised me with her outstanding performance. Of all the three stories, this segment probably has better storytelling and editing. The story shifts from the present back to the past smoothly. The pacing started to slow down in this segment for us to focus on the tension brought by these changes to the relationship of the two characters.

As a whole, Triptiko works because each segment offers a unique emotional experience to the viewers as we jump from one story to another. It's like our very own local version of 
 George A. Romero and Stephen King's Creepshow (1982). Each of the stories, weird and trippy. I actually loved how they open each segment with a quote that is related to the story. The film boasts a well-written screenplay, mixed with some great acting and direction. Though there were a lot of moments that were a too darkly lit which was a bit hard to watch. The film looked good during it's outdoor scenes, but a lot of the indoor moments were very dim and I had a hard time adjusting my eyes to see the character's expressions. Despite that, I enjoyed this movie a lot more than what I have expected. It maybe too extreme for some of the average moviegoers and a lot of people might be repelled by it's content but it's actually a great movie once you get past that.


I am so glad that I took the time to see this film despite my conflicting work schedule. It was definitely worth the time. Definitely bonkers at every point, Miguel Franco Michelena's Triptiko is an out of this world movie experience. It's a psychedelic mind trip: it's mad, freaky, and totally messed up. I've never seen quite anything like it in local cinema for the past years. For me, this movie is already running as one of the best Filipino films of the year.

Triptiko promises something weird, then gives you something more.


Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Triptiko (2017)
Directed Miguel Franco Michelena,
starring Albie Casino, Joseph Marco, Kean Cipriano and Kylie Padilla

***

The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" is a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters will exclusively screen Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and will run from August 16-22, 2017.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B" (2017) movie review

Ryza Cenon and Martin Del Rosario stars in "Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B"

Horror meets romance in director Prime Cruz' Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B. The film, which stars Ryza Cenon as the titular monster and Martin Del Rosario as her love interest, was one of the seven full length film entry in last year's QCinema International Film Festival. I've been dying (no pun intended) to watch this film during last year's QCinema International Film Festival but due to my strict schedules and the scarcity of the film's screenings, I wasn't able to catch it. Since then, I've been hoping to get a glimpse of the so-called Manananggal in Unit 23B, patiently waiting for a special screening of the film. Fortunately for me, AMSU23B has been selected to be one of the twelve entries in the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Thank God for PPP!

Screenshots from the trailer

Dubbed as a dark romance or rom-gore, an amalgam of romance and gore, AMSU23B follows Jewel (played by Ryza Cenon), a mysterious woman who lives alone in the city. She has a secret which has led her to settle into a lonely existence. That is, until she meets Nico (Martin Del Rosario), a broken-hearted, down-and-out guy who also feels unlovable like she does. Jewel is torn between wanting to love him and wanting to save him from herself. Will he accept her if he knew the truth about her? Can she ever find love, or is she destined to be alone forever? Though that synopsis may sound like your usual young adult gothic romance in the vein of the Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson starrer Twilight (2008), you might get surprised because AMSU23B is not your Rated PG fantasy chick flick. AMSU23B is a much more adult fanfare akin to Scarlett Johansson's alien-themed scifi flick Under the Skin (2013). It amps up the blood and gore factor and makes your Pinoy folklore monster irresistible as hell, hence the R-16 rating. The film creates a unique take on the famous monster, making it sexy and sultry. Whenever she gets aroused, she starts to crave human flesh.

AMSU23B starts out with the usual boy-meets-girl tale, as Nico and his mother (Vangie Labalan) move into an apartment complex where the pretty but quiet Jewel resides (Fun fact: I'm not sure if this is just a coincidence, but most of Prime Cruz' work follows a boy and a girl meeting in an apartment complex: from his romcom Sleepless and his horror web series The Complex) He immediately catches her attention, and soon she is slowly drawn to him. They start hanging-out together, from a late-night chat over some beef mami to some balut-session at the complex' rooftop. Then, there's the trademark laundry scene which shares similarities to a scene in Prime Cruz' Can We Still Be Friends). Along the way, we get glimpses of men getting murdered by something (or someone, since it's obvious that it's the titular manananggal). The pacing of the film maybe a bit slow for those who are so used to watching the endless parade of local romcoms that are churned out by big movie companies all throughout the year. But that is what makes the film's romance work. I've seen director Prime Cruz' Sleepless last year and his Star Cinema produced Can We Still Be Friends earlier this 2017 and I've noticed that this has been his technique in squeezing out the chemistry between his leads. He builds up the romance between the characters slowly but surely. The story takes it's time in building up the connection between it's star-crossed lovers and it's what makes us fall deep into their story.

Though the film is dubbed as a rom-gore, to be honest, there isn't a lot of stomach-churning moments in the film that will repel normal viwers (though I'm not sure if the normal category fits me as I've been desensitized by years of watching horror movies so gore isn't really new to me). There's lots of blood, yes. Yet not enough gore or violence. But then again, AMSU23B's main focus is about a manananggal falling in love for the very first time, so I guess it's better that they had a bit of restrain when it comes to the gory aspects of the film. Now, speaking of the titular manananggal, we don't actually get to see Jewel in full form until the third and final act of the film. Though in the first hour, we see her kill a character, Director Prime Cruz tricks his audiences to imagine how she would look like through inventive shots and shadows, obscuring her actual appearance. But do not fret because once the film hits it's final act, the long wait is definitely worth it. Jewel's final transformation is epic and mindblowing. It's actually one of the most memorable moments of the film and is one of the most beautifully choreographed sequence in a local film in recent memory (next to the opening sequence of Jerrold Tarog's Bliss). In addition to that, the film also boasts some great and alluring visuals with it's obsession with green and red colors. Then, there's that delightful soundtrack that seals the whole package.

Vangie Labanan is a scene-stealer with her funny and cute portrayal of Nico's mom. Martin Del Rosario plays Nico with lots of angst and hugot. His portrayal of his character is simple yet heartfelt, to the point that it's relatable. There's something in him that is just way too adorable and innocent at the same time that makes his character a perfect contrast to Jewel. Ryza Cennon is so fun to watch as the titular manananggal falling in love for the very first time. I think she's the perfect actress for the part because she looks so gorgeous on screen and she can act well. Her character is the most crucial aspect of the film and the hardest one to pull off because the character switches from being coy and timid at first, to a seductive man-eating monster, but Ryza aced it with flying colors. She definitely owned this movie with her amazing and intense performance which is the biggest key in making the titular monster effective. She gets some plus points for that wild, sexy and daring masturbation scene which was a subject of controversy last year.



A must-watch in this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Prime Cruz' Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B is a sexy, exotic indie gem that will leave a bite in your memory with it's unique take on the classic star-crossed lover story. It's romantic. It's tantalizing. It's bloody good.


Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B (2017)
Directed by Prime Cruz,
Starring Ryza Cenon and Martin Del Rosario

***

***

The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" is a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters will exclusively screen Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and will run from August 16-22, 2017.