Shake, Rattle and Roll 13: Tamawo

Verdict: Proceed with Caution

Pinoy Rebyu Score: 2.78  (16 ratings)

Genre: Horror

Director: Richard Somes

Writer: Aloy Adlawan

Cast: Zanjoe Marudo, Maricar Reyes, Bugoy Cariño, Celia Rodriguez, Ervic Vijandre

Synopsis:  Tamawo tells the story of Bigbo (Bugoy Carino) who’s just moved out to the provinces with his blind mother (Maricar Reyes) and his abusive stepfather (Zanjoe Marudo). They soon encounter a group of monsters that are after something that’s been stolen from them. (From Click the City)

SRR Trailer: 

Reviews:

3.0          Oggs Cruz (Twitch)

“Irresistibly pretty at times, with sequences that are intelligently shot and directed, the episode shows a master craftsman at work.” (Read full review)

3.0          Philbert Dy (Click the City)

“It’s a terrible script, but strong filmmaking creates the illusion of dramatic escalation and suspense. Great production design combines with smart location shooting to at least give the segment a sense of scale.” (Read full review)

3.0          Ria Limjap (Spot.ph)

“Richard Somes certainly knows a thing or two about creature design because the tamawo, with their strange light eyes and dishevelled white hair (hurrah for the proper use of wigs) look scary enough—especially for the kids, who will surely identify with the courageous young hero in this family-oriented episode.” (Read full review)

3.0          Dodo Dayao (Lagarista)

“Richard Somes is really the one with the most vivid auteurist imprint, if only because it’s more immediate and apparent by dint of being largely visual. His Tamawo is anorexic, falters in the telling, and takes its time to finish, but there’s an energy unique to him at work here, a feral, pulpy vigor.” (Read full review)

3.0          Mario Bautista (Showbiz Portal)

“Bugoy is charming and lovable. He’s also a good actor and we won’t be surprised if he’d win the filmfest best child actor award for his performance here.” (Read full review)

3.0          Allan Diones (Abante Tonite)

“Okey naman si Maricar, pero mas nangibabaw ang natural na akting ni Zanjoe bilang mabagsik at barumbadong mister.” (Read full review; Warning: Contains spoilers)

3.0          Ihcahieh

“It is good that the producers tapped our culture’s rich mythology relating to supernatural creatures. However, there is something about them that prevents the story from being creepy.” (Read full review)

2.5          Carl Papa (Whatever, Carl)

“The production design of this segment/film is top notch.  The locations are pretty.  The acting, though good, went overboard at times.” (Read full review)

2.0          Jessica Zafra (InterAksyon)

“The point about the destruction of the environment would be more persuasive if the Tamawo had some kind of culture we could see. It looks like they live in a hole in the ground and spend all their time teasing their hair.” (Read full review)

Comments:

4.0          Redundante Mendoza (Cinephiles)

“Sa tatlo eto ang pinakapasok ang lahat ng elemento. Editing lang sa last act, medyo konting hagod pa. Sing-song lang si Maricar pero gusto ko nang mahusayan sa kanya.”

3.0          Manuel Pangaruy (Taga-ilog Special)

“Fan ako n’ung mga horror films na nagiging internal (wala sa mga monster o ‘yung mga expected na manakot) ang terror. May pakonti-konting tili from the audience. Oks din ‘yung CGI n’ya. Na-turn off lang ako sa pagbabad d’un sa melodrama. At some point, parang co-directed by Rory Quintos.”

3.0           Kayo Jolongbayan (Cinephiles)

“The first and second act are boring but the third act is quite exciting and scary. It became too melodramatic towards the end, though. Acting’s very good.”

2.0           Nico Quejano (Cinephiles)

“This was the weakest of the three. Feels like I have seen the story before and the creature as well. Parang cross breed ng Undin at Halimaw sa Banga. (story din ng undin) and Zanjoe’s acting didn’t help it either. Maricar has the potential to become a great actress, but not there yet.”

1.0            Json Javier (Cinephiles)

“Poorly-executed short that shifted from horror story to domestic violence drama to all-out tearjerker. Zanjoe Marudo and Maricar Reyes give the worst performances of their careers. It’s just one big, boring mess.”

Anatomiya ng Korupsiyon

Verdict: Value for Money

Pinoy Rebyu Score: 3.25 (12 ratings)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Writer/Director: Dennis Marasigan

Cast: Maricar Reyes, Sid Lucero, Jojit Lorenzo, Ricky Davao, Peewee O’Hara, Kalila Aguilos, Che Ramos, Chrome Cosio, Jelson Bay, Eugene Domingo, Racquel Villavicencio

Synopsis: Anatomiya ng Korupsiyon is a black comedy that tells the story of a group of government workers: their happy-go-lucky circumstance, failed responsibilities, and reckless work ethic. It delves into the world of a government agency where non-stop discussion of intrigues and personal frailties is the order of the day. The story focuses on a young lawyer caught in a corrupt system of a typical government office. Her integrity is put to the test when she tries to change the system.

Trailer: 

Reviews:

5.0         Macky Macarayan (Film blogger, Death of Traditional Cinema)

“I liked the film because of its honesty, and the tone of presentation where you can enjoy the film pretty much as a popcorn flick, but you are being wakened up to learn an urgent truth.” (Read full review)

4.5          Ian Urrutia (Film blogger, Pinoy Cinema Tumblr)

“Writer-director Dennis Marasigan builds a claustrophobic yet stagey piece that perfectly resonates with the horrors of office bureaucracy, while still making the audience feel entertained with the wickedly funny and brazenly satirical jabs of the original material.” (Read full review)

4.0          Nel Costales (Film blogger, Sine Patrol)

“A fine blend of Dennis Marasigan’s reliable deft direction and Bing Lao’s creative inputs, Anatomiya ng Korupsiyon is an almost solid Cinema One Originals entry. I adored it so much right up to Cely Martinez’s victory walk. But when she steps into the elevator and darkness engulfs her, the film goes down a few notches for me.” (Read full review)

3.0         Carl Papa (Whatever, Carl)

“The beginning of the movie was quite over the place and circus-y.  It seems to be done on purpose, but the beginning bugs me a bit, it felt a little too boggled.  When it settled down, it was stunning.” (Read full review)

2.5          Philbert Dy (Resident critic, Click the City)

“The staging of the movie as a whole feels a little clumsy, with the blocking occasionally getting in the way of the camerawork. There are a few moments of inspiration, but it just doesn’t work as a whole.”  (Read full review)

2.5          Noli Manaig (Film blogger, Closely Watched Frames)

“As much as a perverse part of me wants that carcass of corruption dragged out into the open and pilloried before my eyes, Marasigan softpedals it. The subject he singles out — corruption in a Marcos-era government office — is handled all but daintily.” (Read full review)

2.5          Jansen Musico (Film blogger, Pelikula Tumblr)

“Marasigan’s storytelling feels fatigued. In his attempt to translate the play onto film, the material loses a lot of its edge. The laughs are not sustained. The canned sound effects are jarring. The tiny subplots are all over the place and hardly ever gel into the main narrative. And though the film tries to separate itself from its theater counterpart, some scenes, specifically the car conversation, look as though they’re plucked from the stage.” (Read full review)

Capsules:

4.0          Nico Quejano (Member, Cinephiles)

“Too close for comfort. Magaling pala talaga si Maricar Reyes. At uma-acting na pala si Atty. Pichay. Loved the ending of the movie; hated that ‘inserted video’ ending. Would have given it a 3, pero +1 for all those theater people cameos.”

3.0          Skilty Labastilla (Member, Young Critics Circle – Film Desk)

“Would have been far more biting (thus, more effective) if adapted to the present time. Because Marasigan opted to retain the original Marcos-era setting, viewers might blame that period more than they would the endemic culture of corruption itself, which has always been there regardless of who’s sitting in Malacañang.

The first half is a little stagey (which is almost expected, with all the theater actors in the cast) but the middle and last parts were rescued by Maricar Reyes’ sensitive portrayal, making the audience sympathize with her me-against-the-world predicament.”

3.0          Eduardo Dayao (Film blogger, Piling Piling Pelikula)

“Maricar Reyes is almost a revelation. Love that penultimate scene of hers on the phone with her mom in the darkened office. Also sorta like the epilogue. Reminded me ever so slightly of the creepy ending of Safe. A bit heavy-handed in parts (even that epilogue) but good enough.”

3.0          Epoy Deyto (Film blogger, Kawts Kamote)

“Ang galing ng ensemble, pinakanatuwa ako dun sa performance ng supporting actors/actresses kesa dun sa leads.”

2.0          Fidel Antonio Medel (Film blogger, Pixelated Popcorn)

“I really don’t get the love for Maricar Reyes. She was better in her Star Cinema romcoms. In this movie, she’s too stiff. Or maybe it is the entire film that is stiff.”