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