Back in 1984, Regal Films released the first of the Shake, Rattle & Roll anthology series. The segment Manananggal not only became the most popular segment in the franchise, but also catapulted Peque Gallaga & Lore Reyes to the forefront of horror – establishing their ability to find human moments and sensuality in the grotesque. They approached the segment with an artistic logic that brought the absurd into the realms of possibility.
“They cut in half which I imagine, artistically, must be really really painful. How big do the wings need to be to carry the body of a woman?” ~Peque Gallaga
In Manananggal, Douglas (played by Herbert Bautista) is a teenager in a faraway province where a manananggal has been eating villagers. His grandmother tasks him to kill this creature by locating the lower half and preventing it from re-attaching. He must now survive the night to protect his family and stop the vicious attacks.
“They cut in half and I thought, I’d like to see the lower half. I think I’m the first in the Philippines to show the lower half with the intestines bubbling.” ~Peque Gallaga
To me, this is still the best interpretation of the manananggal ever seen on film. Sure some of the effects are rough, but it was cutting edge for the budget and time it was released. The music and soundscape have an eerie primal voice underscoring it – SUPER c-r-e-e-p-y! Peque & Lore’s artistic sensibility and their ability to connect on a human level has never quite been matched in the SRR franchise. Plus, Irma Alegre’s performance was enough to have little boys running through banana fields searching for “the lower half” – I won’t go into more detail, but if I’m ever attacked by a manananggal, please let it be Irma Alegre.
Last year Peque Gallaga rebooted his classic 1988 horror film T’yanak and said he is open to the possibility of also rebooting “Mananaggal”. I am a fan of all Filipino horror films, but I have to admit that Peque & Lore always brought a certain je ne sais quoi that really seems to be missing in today’s cinema. I know the Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise continues to be wildly popular – 15 films in – but nothing can touch the honesty and heart that the first 4 releases displayed, particularily in “Manananggal”.
What is your favourite Mananaggal on film?
Jordan Clark is a Canadian born descendant of Scottish immigrants living on the homelands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. His interest in Philippine myth and folklore began in 2004. Finding it difficult to track down resources on the topic, he founded The Aswang Project in 2006. Shortly after, he embarked on a 5 year journey, along with producing partner Cheryl Anne del Rosario, to make the 2011 feature length documentary THE ASWANG PHENOMENON – an exploration of the aswang myth and its effects on Philippine society. In 2015 he directed “The Creatures of Philippine Mythology” web-series, which features 3 folkloric beings from the Philippines – the TIKBALANG, KAPRE and BAKUNAWA. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Jordan recently oversaw the editing for the English language release of Ferdinand Blumentritt’s DICCIONARIO MITOLÓGICO DE FILIPINAS (Dictionary of Philippine Mythology) and is working on two more releases with fellow creators scheduled for release later this year. When his nose isn’t in a book, he spends time with his amazing Filipina wife of 20 years and their smart and wonderful teenaged daughter.
