Hammy's Pick: My Unforgettable Horror Movies

Halloween is fast approaching and Kabayan Noli de Castro no longer has the Magandang Gabi Bayan Halloween special episodes to scare the shit out of us. What better to do than to list the movies that scared the shit out of me and left a great impression after watching them.

Here's my pick of unforgettable horror movies:

SHAKE, RATTLE AND HORROR

This is considered the longest Filipino horror movie series with 12 installments currently. Later installment of the series released on 2005 and the succeeding films relied heavily on special effects instead of prosthetics. These later sets of the series do not have the scare factor the first set had. It seems that the new episodes shown are lame and cannot even scare a little girl anymore.

I only have three episodes from the earlier movies that are remarkable to me. Here they are:

Pridyider Episode from Shake Rattle and Roll (1984)

This episode features a 16-year old Janice de Belen as part of the family who just moved into a new home with a mysterious refrigerator left by the previous occupants. It turns out that the refrigerator is a haunted one since it was used to store chopped body parts by the previous occupant. One remarkable scene was when Janice's character cools herself in front of the ref.

Aswang from Shake Rattle and Roll 2 (1990)

This story is about a girl (Manilyn Reynes) brought to a far province by her best friend to spend vacation. Turns out that the village was having a feast and she was the main course that will be offered as a virgin sacrifice. This episode set of stereotyping mentality to people who came to Manila to study. It has somehow elevated the "promdi" status at campus to a different level. There was even a rumor that this episode was based on a real story.

Nanay from Shake Rattle and Roll 3 (1991)

Who will not forget the Undin from the lake? I admit she was destructive and dangerous with that avocado shake coming from her mouth and melt anything that comes into contact with it. You can't blame her for that since they did break her eggs. She was just a mother getting her revenge.

HALIMAW (1986) aka HALIMAW SA BANGA

This film which stars Lotlot de Leon made me afraid of big jars when I was kid. After the Banga consumed enough bodies, it decided to get out of and spread more terror (if too much face powder is horrible, the halimaw sa bang must be doing it great with her face). The smoke and lights effect for the final scene was somehow frightening during that time. Good lighting effects are still one factor for a good horror movie today.

REGAL SHOCKER: THE MOVIE (1990) - APARADOR EPISODE

Regal Shocker was a weekly horror TV series aired in GMA-7 in the early 90's. It was pitted against IBC 13's Pinoy Thriller. Regal Films decided to make a movie out of it like SSR with 3 episodes in one movie. Aparador episode tells the story of girl (Ruffa Gutierrez) who rented a new apartment. At night she dreams of a girl who was trapped in the closet. It is then revealed that a little girl (a young Judy Ann Santos) was suffocated and died inside the closet when her brother trapped her as a prank. Now her ghost wants vengeance and set an eye to Ruffa's character. Aparador gave me the creeps when I sleep in my room because it has a wooden closet. I always make sure it’s always closed before I turn off the lights.

FENG SHUI (2004)

This is the only Kris Aquino movie that I enjoyed watching. The story centers on Joy (Aquino) that she found. The bagua brought good luck to her but for every windfall that comes there's a corresponding death to a person close to her. I can't forget how Aling Viring surprised Joy from behind the casket and also Lotus Feet become a household name.

CHILD'S PLAY (1998)

Who will never forget Chuckie? Who would have taught that a doll as cute as him can be sinister and dangerous? This film was so successful it spawned 4 sequels with the last 2 (Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky) becoming more of a horror-comedy film. The movie also greatly influenced local horror shows in using dolls as possessed inanimate object. There was Chaka doll, from a horror TV series from GMA and Chelsea from "Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara" as serialized by ABS-CBN.

THE RING (1998)

The movie that started the Asian horror movies entry to the international movie scene. The film was even adapted to a US version in 2002. The movie was a big hit not only in Japan but all over Asia although it was just shown a year later if I am not mistaken. I can never forget Sadako and her deathly stare. The Ring is another one of the movies that I cannot watch alone even if I have watched it already.

THE EXORCIST (2000 Release)

The spider walk in the stairs, floating in bed, sudden appearance of demonic face in the wall and the ever famous 360 degree rotation of the head. All of these scenes can only be trademark of The Exorcist. Originally released in 1973, it was then theatrically re-released on 2000 with some added footages that was never shown on the original run. I still have some goose bumps when I watch this movie today.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005)

Although this movie utilized common horror elements, the trial scene which was the major part of the show made it boring. The only impact the movie made to me is to make sure that I am not awake alone during 3 o'clock in the morning. It introduced to me the idea of 3 in the morning as the hour of the devil - a mockery of 3 o'clock in the afternoon which signifies the death of Christ.

There are other horror movies that I have watched but they do not give me the goose bump or the scare factor to put them on the list. But in case there will be a horror movie in the future that will become remarkable to me, I will make sure to write a review for it.

How about you? What's your favorite horror movie? Hit the comments section.