Review: 'Annabelle' is distressingly diabolical

We have met the creepy-looking vintage doll Annabelle before in last year's excellent and very memorable horror film "The Conjuring." She was just the front act there, showing up only at the pre-opening credits sequence. This year, she gets a film all her own. We now get to know Annabelle more and learn how she became demonically possessed.

The setting of this film is in the 1960s in a California suburb. Young couple John and Mia are expecting their first child. One day, John surprises Mia, who was a vintage doll collector, with a huge antique doll with painted ivory face and wearing a white satin dress adorned by a red bow. It just so happened that same night, crazy satanic cultists attack their home and there was resulting bloodshed. Since that night, there was no more peace in John and Mia's household, especially after she gives birth to their daughter, Leah.


A big part of why "Annabelle" worked as a horror film is the effective lead performance of coincidentally-named actress Annabelle Wallis as Mia. The character's name Mia, I am guessing, is a tribute to Mia Farrow, who was the star of a horror classic of the 1960s, "Rosemary's Baby." The stroller Mia uses for Leah looked very much like Rosemary's stroller, which is seen in posters of that old film. Ms. Wallis has an elegant beauty and her acting was sympathetic without becoming cheesy.

Ward Horton did well as Mia's husband John. He is a medical student, which gives him a convenient excuse to be a skeptic and always away during the night, leaving Mia alone in the house. Veteran actress Alfre Woodard is the only familiar face in the cast, and she plays their helpful neighbor Evelyn. Her story arc though was disappointing, and may be the only really negative thing I can say about this film.

John R. Leonetti, the cinematographer of "Insidious 1 & 2" and "The Conjuring," makes a respectable directorial debut with "Annabelle." He learned very well from his previous director James Wan, who sits as producer of this film. You can see that Leonetti has the eye for the perfect views to create the most effective suspense and surprise.

I liked the throwback look of this film, with its faded color palette and meticulous production design. The architecture, interior design, fashion, hairstyles, television shows, pop music all captured the era so well. Even the look of the cute baby Leah looked vintage, like the Gerber Baby. The limitation of technology also contributed to the helplessness factor.

I liked the camera angles that give you a point of view such that you too do not know what will happen next. The suspense could be so intense with the excellent editing and splicing of scenes accompanied by a swelling crescendo of music. There was that tense sequence with the popcorn, the sewing machine and the tv. There was also that thrilling sequence with the elevator. The timing for the jump scares was effective most of the time, even if you were sort of predicting it to happen already.

This is a film which may divide audiences as to whether it could match the audacity of "Insidious" or "The Conjuring." Frankly, it does not. But as it is, I liked "Annabelle" more than I thought I would. I was expecting the worst, since I hated how the Annabelle doll looked and I can't imagine anyone wanting a doll like it in their house. However, the film managed to transcend that limitation and actually create genuine scares that worked. 7/10.


This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Not much horror in 'Devil's Due'

Samantha (Allison Miller) and Zach (Zach Gilford) get married. For their honeymoon, they went to visit the Dominican Republic. One night there, they were brought by their taxi driver to a mysterious place where they get drunk and drugged. Nevertheless, they still managed to get back home safe and sound.

Not long after, Samantha finds out she is with a child. From there, the further along the pregnancy Samantha gets, the more bizarre and more violent behavior she displays. As she nears her due date, can Zach still do anything to avert the diabolical fate that seems to await his wife and baby?

Like many current horror films, "Devil's Due" is told through camera footage. Aside from the cameras Zach and other minor characters carried around, there was also footage from security cameras. The first 30 minutes were practically just needless wedding coverage video. There would be a baby shower video somewhere in there as well.

When it got around to telling the story, the pace was also quite slow. Mundane daily events like going to the supermarket or the obstetrician were punctuated by some disgusting or violent scenes which would have been a big deal had it happened in real life. Here, they happened, but there seemed to have been no consequences that follow their occurrence.

The best moments of this film were those scenes showing Samantha's repulsive eating habits, her super-telekinetic powers, and her effect on Catholic priests. The rest of the film was unfortunately forgettable, all the way up to the predictable climax. 3/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Meet PH's most famous 'aswang'

How Lilia Cuntapay, by accident, became a favorite for horror films

MANILA -- Who doesn't remember the toothless old woman with long white hair who was in almost every local horror film during the 1990s?

Described by award-winning director Peque Gallaga as that of a real "aswang," no one cared to know her name though until 2011, when the award-winning mockumentary "Six Degrees of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay" gave a name to the unforgettable face.

Broadcast journalist Anthony Taberna met with Lilia Cuntapay for "Tapatan ni Tunying" on Thursday.

Cuntapay recalled that she got her big acting break in 1991 on the very first "Shake, Rattle and Roll" film, where she worked as a talent coordinator.

"Mayroon pong eksena doon that you have to eat the food -- mga atay, sariwang atay, 'yung mga balunbalunan, lamang loob. Sa tingin ko hindi nila nagustuhan 'yung acting nung character na 'yun," she said.

"Eh ako naman po, 'yan lang hindi mo na kayang kainin eh. Aswang ka nga eh. So kinuha ko po 'yung plate na puno ng food. Hindi ko naman po alam na maglalaway po ako ng dugo-dugo. Hindi ko rin alam na nakatutok na po 'yung camera sa akin. Tapos narinig ko, sabi, 'Okay pala 'yung matandang 'yun eh," she continued.

Director Gallaga said he couldn't believe how Cuntapay resembled the aswang of his imagination.

"Basta alam ko nandoon siya. Hindi ko alam kung sino siya. And then when we were editing, I said, 'Take a look at this woman. Ito 'yung talagang, look at her face, para siyang aswang talaga," he said.

Cuntapay went on to feature in over 70 horror films and shows, including other "Shake, Rattle and Roll" movies, "Okatokat" and "Wansapanataym."

Cuntapay admitted that she was often the object of ridicule because of her roles.

"Mayroon mag-asawa na nakasulabong namin, sabi nung husband ng buntis, 'ikaw, pagnakunan 'yung asawa ko, papatayin kita.' Sabi ko, 'Ako, tao ako. Hindi naman ako aswang kahit pangit man ako pero wag mo akong iinsultuhin ng ganyan," Cuntapay told Taberna.

"Tiniis ko lahat 'yun. Kasi come to think na kung halimbawa, natakot nga sila, ibig sabihin 'yung acting ko is effective," she said.





Cuntapay, 78, said her only regret in life was not having any children or a family of her own.

"Yun nga lang po ang kinalulungkot ko, wala na po akong paghahandogan," she said.

Her greatest fear

Cunatapay also shared that her greatest fear is either dying in pain or in hunger.

"Yung ako ay maghirap na maghirap bago ako bawian ng panginoon Diyos ng buhay, na ako'y mamatay sa gutom," she said.

When asked on whether she wanted to be remembered as the toothless old woman with long white hair, Cuntapay quipped: "Gusto kong maiwanan sa kanila kung talagang niyong pumasok sa larangan ng horror, eh manalamin kayo kung kaya niyong manakot."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'The Conjuring' is intensely malevolent

This movie is set in 1971, when Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters move into a rundown country house in an isolated area in Rhode Island. Almost immediately, strange events begin to happen to them.

The ghostly manifestations started benignly, with creaky opening doors to unexplained bruising. But as days passed, the attacks become increasingly violent and physical.

Carolyn desperately seeks the help of noted supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. What they discovered in the Perron home is a dark spirit more hateful than anything they have encountered before. They need to work against time in order to prevent deadly events that happened to the previous occupants of this cursed house. In this extraordinary case, the Warrens had to resort to the most extreme measures they know in order to save the tormented family

Unlike other films boasting about being based on a true story, this one actually convinces you that the horrific events shown in it happened in real life. A lot of this was due to the very authentic production design bringing us back to the early 1970s. The musical choices were atmospherically apt and unsettling.

There was also the topnotch acting from the cast, which is unusual for a horror movie. The expertise and compassion of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played the Warrens, were very realistic. The chemistry between them was palpably sincere.

Ron Livingston, Lili Palmer and the five young actresses who play the Perron daughters all played naturally well as the victimized family. I would not be surprised if Farmiga and Palmer pick up acting nominations for their performances.

Director James Wan (who had also brought us "Saw" and "Insidious" before) throws every horror gimmick and cliche at us here, but somehow still makes everything felt remarkably fresh and original. There was some welcome humor to lighten some of the intense dread and tension that builds up within the film. The deliberately slow pace felt interminably long in some eerie scenes which will make you squirm in your seats There are scenes which can make you jump. The editing of the film was very effective in this regard.

As good as this film was, there were some minor things that did not feel right. The creepy poster and even the pre-credits scene will make you expect something, but the rest of the movie was totally about something else.

There was a subplot about Ed and Lorraine's daughter which was very well-executed with some of the film's scariest scenes, but this ultimately led nowhere, except maybe a possible sequel, which is something I would look forward to.

Overall, watching this film will really immerse you into the intense malevolence that terrorized the Perron family. Many creepy images you see will stick with you for a long time. All the hype was accurate this time. This IS one of the best horror films in recent years. 8/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Angel Aquino stars in horror movie

MANILA, Philippines – Actress and television host Angel Aquino is currently working on a horror film titled ”Amorosa,” where she plays the title role.

Aquino, who is starring in a horror film for the first time, said they have yet to finish shooting for ”Amorosa,” which is slated for release late next month.

Here, she plays the role of a mother of two sons (Enrique Gil of ”Princess and I” and Martin del Rosario of ”Precious Hearts Romances: Pintada”).

They are haunted by a ghost, portrayed by Empress Schuck of ”Rosalka” fame.

”It’s like indie-mainstream,” Aquino said of her newest project, adding that she already feels the pressure of playing the title role.

”It will be in a contemporary setting, unlike ’Corazon’ (another horror film, which starred Erich Gonzales) which is like a period film,” she told members of the media on Tuesday.

Aquino refused to give further details about ”Amorosa” to avoid spoiling the movie.

The actress is currently part of Cinemalaya entry ”Santa Niña,” which stars Coco Martin of ABS-CBN’s top-rating series ”Walang Hanggan.”

article source: abs-cbnnews.com

'The Road' Hits Int'l Highway Of Film Distribution, Set For Commercial Screenings In North America

MANILA, Philippines — OFFENDED BY HORTICULTURIST: At a roundtable interview recently, a young, hunky actor was asked what role he was playing in the new movie that was the subject of that afternoon’s interview.

The actor, who’s being built up by his studio as someone with a sexy image, said his role was that of a caretaker of plants, something like a farmer. Clearly, it was a role written to allow half-nude scenes that have been part and parcel of the boy’s career.

“Then, you’re playing a horticulturist,” a veteran columnist replied.

“Ang bastos mo naman,” the actor snapped back, seemingly offended by the spitfire columnist’s remark.

Those of us in the roundtable looked at each other, perplexed by the actor’s reaction. He probably thought horticulturist was a bad word, insulting to his sexy image.

It was a good thing he wasn’t on Twitter when he said that.

• • •

THE ROAD TO THE WORLD: Breaking new ground in the international scene is the Yam Laranas movie, “The Road,” which recently closed a distribution deal with the Los Angeles-based Freestyle Releasing company.

The horror film is believed to be the first all-Filipino film to be released in commercial theaters – as distinguished from art houses – across North America and Canada for an entire week in May.

While Laranas is not at liberty to disclose how much the distribution deal is worth, he pointed out during an interview Feb. 22 that the theatrical release of a Filipino film in that part of the world is a landmark of sorts.

Scheduled for release starting on the week of May 11, “The Road,” featuring an all-star cast led by Marvin Agustin, Rhian Ramos and TJ Trinidad, will be shown in at least 50 theaters. It will be preceded by a red-carpet gala premiere at the Mann Chinese Theater in Los Angeles on May 9.

Annette Gozon-Abrogar, head of GMA Films which produced the motion picture, cleared the release is not merely a special, off-shore screening of a locally produced film.

“This is, in fact, a full-fledged distribution deal. There’s a big difference between the two,” she said.

Aside from the widespread theatrical release, the deal also includes the video release of the film in various platforms.

• • •

ORIGINAL VERSION: Laranas said “The Road” will be shown in its entirety in the original version in which it was seen in the Philippines.

The film will not be translated into English but will be subtitled. The groundbreaking director said Freestyle’s Mark Borde wanted to preserve the exotic quality of the film described by international film critics as “creepy to the extreme” (KillerFilm.com). Borde said he picked the film for international release as he found something “new” in it.

Another film site, Bloody Disgusting, said the film was “a beautifully shot supernatural tale with incredible effects and great scares.”

“The Road” is the story of a 12-year-old case of a missing person, recently reopened when three teenagers went missing while traversing an abandoned road.

More wonderful opportunities are opening up for “The Road.” It has been listed in the official competition category of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFF) scheduled on April 5 to 7. BIFF is one of the biggest genre festivals in Europe. Created in 1983 as a venue for horror, thriller and science-fiction films, it takes place every year in March in Brussels.

The international films “Saw” and “The Ring” are among some of its previous winners.

Laranas adds that “The Road” is also in competition at the 8th Fantaspoa-Int’l Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre, Brazil from May 4 to 20.

article source: mb.com.ph

Radcliffe leaves Potter behind with horror film

LOS ANGELES - For more than a decade, Daniel Radcliffe was known the world over as the owlish waif in the massively successful "Harry Potter" films -- based on the equally popular book series by JK Rowling.

Now, the young actor is turning a page.

A child prodigy no more, the 22-year old Radcliffe now is stepping out in grown-up film roles. His first post-Potter film, which opens this week, is the neo-Gothic horror movie "The Woman in Black."

Radcliffe told AFP that he fell in love with the script, which he read for the first time just a few hours after shooting the last frames of his final "Harry Potter" film.

"It was such a brilliantly written script," he said.

"Normally, if you get a script which has a lot of stage directions, it can be quite hard to read, but I just flew through it -- it was so frightening. You could tell it was going to be scary," he said.

"That was for me the principal reason to do it," said Radcliffe. "It was a really compelling story."

"The Woman in Black" -- a co-production between Canada, Britain and Sweden, directed by British filmmaker James Watkins -- debuts Friday throughout North America and opens in Europe beginning next week.

A supernatural thriller set in the 1920s, the movie is about a young widowed lawyer sent to an eerie estate to settle the affairs of a recently deceased dowager.

He begins to investigate the mysterious drowning years earlier of the elderly woman's young son, and uncovers the startling mystery of numerous unexplained deaths of young people in the neighboring village.

Radcliffe said he was drawn to the project not just by the script, but also by the message that underlies the grim storyline.

"It's about how death and grief affect people in different ways," he said. "It's a horror film, but driven by characters."

The role is a huge departure from his persona as boy wizard in the eight-film, billion-dollar "Potter" franchise, but it allows him to make a clean break and avoid the peril that faces all successful actors -- becoming typecast as their last character.

"I think I have to accept that for some people I'm always going to be Harry Potter, some people will never want to see me in other ways," he told AFP.

"But you know, some people already see me as just an actor, and so I just have to keep trying to make people see me as a true actor and not as a character."

He feels surprisingly little grief about laying the boy wizard role to rest, and is determined to mix it up as much as he can -- trying as many different types of roles on for size as he can.

Last year, for instance, Radcliffe tried his hand at musical comedy, appearing in the hit Broadway production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

A few years ago, in an earlier turn on New York's "Great White Way," Radcliffe stunned his fans by disrobing on stage in the starring role of the psycho-drama "Equus."

Soon he'll begin work on "Kill Your Darlings," a true-life murder story in which he co-stars as poet Allen Ginsberg.

He acknowledged that relinquishing Harry Potter, the role of a lifetime, will be neither quick nor easy.

"I think I'm going to be breaking away for probably the next years. I think it will take a little time for people, to say, 'Oh, he has now established himself in a career outside Potter,'" he said.

"That's what I want to do, and that sort of takes time. It's not going to happen with just one play or just one film, unfortunately," he continued.

"It's going to be a combination of two or three years' hard work. If I succeed in that, I have confidence that I will."

Not that Radcliffe is complaining. Thanks to his decade as Harry Potter, Radcliffe has garnered worldwide fame and fabulous riches, and is estimated to be worth about $80 million.

"I have many more opportunities than most actors do, to play great parts, because of the status that Harry Potter has given me," he acknowledged.

"I think generally speaking, I just have to be grateful for the opportunities it's given me," Radcliffe said. — Agence France Presse

source:gmanetwork.com

'Segunda Mano:' Of cursed ghostly items, coincidences, and 'watery' spirits

MANILA, Philippines — As proven in earlier hits such as “Ouija,” “Feng Shui,” and “Sukob,” Pinoy horror movies usually work when they bank on stories close to the audience’s hearts – such as old practices and beliefs gone unearthly wrong, and local urban legends.

And so the Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Segunda Mano,” attempts at tackling the common Filipino practice of acquiring secondhand items, along with filial piety and romance. Note that this is drama and romantic-comedy movie director Joyce Bernal’s first foray into horror filmmaking.

Simply put, this latest Kris Aquino-starrer follows the story of Mabel, who is faced with paranormal phenomena after acquiring a secondhand designer bag from her secondhand bag dealer and bargain-loving best friend Anna (Bangs Garcia). Mabel has a boyfriend named Ivan (Dingdong Dantes), a widower and single dad, who turns out to be hiding more than what Mabel would want to know.

Ironically, Aquino seemed a better actress in the non-horror aspects of the film. Touted as the “horror queen,” she carries her trademark “scared” look from her older works “Feng Shui,” “Sukob” and “Dalaw.” Her character was more often than not unnecessarily jumpy even from the simplest things, depicting almost the same expression save of course for the more “horrific” scenes which had been coupled with strangled cries.

On the other hand, Dantes was surprisingly effective in portraying the role of the uptight and quietly deranged lover, delivering the right expressions as called for by the scenes. His back story was clearly explained through the flash backs interspersed in the film. Come to think of it, his was the only one justified properly enough for the audience to understand without resorting to assumptions.

As for the supporting cast, Garcia surprisingly stood out as the caring yet blunt and kikay best friend. Though she was a bit irritating on her first few scenes, she becomes likeable as the story progressed mainly because of hilariously hysterical moments brought about by fear. Gamboa was sometimes passive, but for the most part she was good in her dramatic scenes. Sofia Millares, the child actress who played Ivan’s daughter Angel, was funny and amusing due to her “maldita” act.

Jhong Hilario’s character was not given the platform it ought to have gotten. It was obvious that he has feelings for Mabel, but this wasn’t played out as much as it should have been, only showing hints of his motives toward the girl. It’s a shame because Hilario, supposedly a key character in the discovery of the actual turnout of events, looked like he did the best he could with the material given to him.

However, not much can be said about Angelica Panganiban as Ivan’s wife Mariella, only because she got less screen time – no, her “watery” and ugly ghost appearances definitely do not count – than what was supposedly needed.

“Segunda Mano” is generally passable, but horror fans might be in for a disappointment. Story-wise, it left too many questions unanswered and loopholes on major details that were only easily dismissed as supernatural occurrences. It also employed a good number of horror flick clichés like heavy rain showers signaling something sinister and otherworldly is about to happen, cats suddenly getting out of bins and under tables, and howling dogs at night. If one would also observe closely, Mariella’s first appearance as a ghost during the first few minutes of the movie, specifically that moment when she shouted, was already a dead giveaway on her husband’s involvement to her death. Intentional or just an editing booboo? Either way, it’s not a good thing. There’s a bit of the problem with the continuity, too.

Then there was the one too many unnecessary shockers. It would’ve been better if the cuts were made here and not on the parts that presumably could’ve shed more light on Mabel’s and Mariella’s back stories. Judging from the trailers, it appears that cuts were made on these more essential parts. For a horror flick, it would have been better if the story was developed gradually instead of having it all suddenly revealed in the end. Case in point, Gamboa’s last line which seemed like a lazy, last-minute production decision as an attempt to explain things. It’s like it was put there to replace a chunk of scenes portraying just that. For a two-hour flick, things still seemed a little rushed.

The movie finished in an open-ended fashion, perhaps signaling the coming of a sequel. But really, what more can be said and developed into another full-length flick?

Thankfully, the product placements are more subtle in this film.

“Segunda Mano” is currently being screened nationwide as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival. Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board, it also has cameo appearances by singer Rico Blanco, Chicosci frontman Miggy Chavez and the Philippines’ most popular horror film extra, Lilia Cuntapay.

source: mb.com.ph