Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay (2013)

Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay is a 2013 Filipino/pinoy horror and suspense movie starring Kathryn Bernardo as Leni, Daniel Padilla as Cedric, Shaina Magdayao and Paulo Avelino. This movie is one of the official entries for the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival. Star Cinema and Regal Films co-produced this horror movie. This film was directed by Frasco Mortiz, and it will be available on cinemas on Christmas Day.

The concept of the movie is based on a Filipino/pinoy superstitious belief that one should never go home directly after visiting a wake since it has the risks of bringing evil spirits to one's home. To avoid this, one should first shake off (in Filipino, pagpag) or refresh outside or anywhere to take away any curse that may be trailed by the soul of the dead. 

After being grounded at home, Cedric escaped from their house with his car and go on a trip with his friends. Unfortunately, he almost bump Leni along the way and decided to stop on the funeral where Leni and his uncles are servicing. Each of them unknowingly breaks the superstitious belief such as not to take out the food from funeral, not to look in a mirror near the dead and many more. After the car was towed, each of them went home without doing the "pagpag" or refreshing first to other places before going home after the funeral. Beyond Cedric and his friends’ knowledge, they brought home a cruel and vengeful spirit.

The ghost haunted them one by one and some of their friends and relatives die one by one in an unwanted way. The ghost of the dead killed them. It was Roman (Paolo Avelino), the dead man in the funeral that they recently went on. The story revealed that before the Roman died, he and her wife Lucy (Shaina Magdayao) called the evil spirit to revive their dead son because of the fire that was caused by the village people since they were already tagged as killers due to the people they have killed just to revive their son.

Unknowingly, the son of Roman and Lucy whom they thought was dead is alive and brought to the church by Lucy's sister Eva (Matet de Leon). He was adopted by Leni without also her knowledge of who are the kid's parents.

Because of the successive deaths, Cedric was forced to team up with Leni in the hope of containing and abating the wrath of the vengeful spirit of Roman and eventually vanquishing it in the process. But as they struggle to succeed, more mishaps occur and they run out of options in saving their family and friends.

Cedric fought Roman after he was revived through the taken lives of the nine victims including his wife and his second child. Cedric ended Roman’s life through a sword from an old monument.

Yanggaw (2008)

 Yanggaw (Affliction) is a 2008 pinoy horror movie that is set in local Ilonggo community that is about a young girl who was infected by the condition of becoming an Aswang or the “human blood thirsty creature” at night. At first Amor (Aleera Montalla) is just a normal girl living with her family with her parents (Tetchie Agbayani, Ronnie Lazaro), brothers, sister-in-law and a baby.

One day, Amor got home very sick and her parents cannot identify what made her sick of what sickness it is. She always chills at night and she even doesn’t understand the feeling. They consulted a local healer but he cannot determine the real cause and he just says that the girl was poisoned. From then on, Amor is still suffering the sickness mostly at night, again they consulted a doctor but he also says that the girl needs to have laboratory tests because her stomach is infected and prescribed antibiotics for Amor. Her parents are still wondering what have caused her sickness.

One night they found out that Amor is gone, later in the morning her father searched throughout the forest and finds Amor lying bloody in the bushes with a dead goat near her. To avoid neighbors’ criticism, they hide Amor inside the house but again in the next night there are two men killed in the forest and this time Amor again came home early in the morning with blood in her mouth. This time the family had been alerted to hide Amor and tie here up to as she also requested from her father Junior.

Many days passed but she only gets sicker like never before craving for human blood. They again consulted the local healer but he says that Amor in infected with the Aswang condition and they can't stop her because she will only crave for human blood as days go by. The family even quarreled because of this happenings and Junior explained it to them that as a father he can't let her daughter suffer like that so on the next night she freed Amor and asks that it's okay to quench her thirst but not with her family members.

After that incident, the next night there were few men killed by the group of Dulpo (Joel Torre) because they suspected that these men were responsible for the killings in the village. Amor had her chance and killed many as she can in their village that's why his father is very worried when he can hear gun shots nearby. Junior is acting desperately but her family members decided to get away from him but later returned home realizing that it's their responsibility to stay together for Amor.

The next night, they hear gun shots again so Amor's father and brother followed Dulpo's group that spotted screams in the forest, it was Amor chasing the two kids to kill them but was saved by the group of Dulpo as they also searched who was chasing the kids. Dulpo saw Amor but was not able to shoot her instead chasing her into the woods. Amor hid in the woods but Dulpo spotted her. He was about to shoot Amor but Junio rescued Amor and killed Dulpo. They take Amor back to the house and ask her to stay in her room but later Amor's gone and her youngest brother told Junior that Amor take the baby of her elder brother.

Later Junior found out that Amor ate her nephew; they fought and ended Amor begging her father to kill her because she can't handle it anymore. Junior shows mercy to her daughter but no other way to save also themselves from her but to kill her. Junior killed his daughter with his wedge and ended them in sorrow.

Movie Feedback

The movie indeed has a unique setting and also explained unusual legends of Aswang. The movie also has similarity with Corazon: An Unang Aswang. The creation of becoming an Aswang is either due to unknown infections or personal emotions that can made someone crave for blood. All in this entire movie has its story and no time to get bored watching.

Mag-ingat Ka Sa Kulam (2008)

Mag-ingat Ka Sa Kulam is a 2008 pinoy horror movie that talks about Mira and Maria (Judy Ann Santos) that are twins. Mira woke up from a car accident and forgets everything about her. She cannot even recognize people that she met after the accident. Her husband Paul (Dennis Trillo) helps her overcome this condition. Her daughter Sophie also surprised with the new Mira who is not angry anymore unlike before that she always scold Sophie. Now she surprisingly cared about Sophie and little by little fixing things up with her.

After the accident Mira also see strange things like some white lady with long hair. She keeps seeing her in any way and wondered if who she was and what she want with her. Mira is also wondering about the doll that keeps appearing to her even if he gave another doll to Sophie and later again Sophie hated her because she want to take away the ugly doll (voodoo doll) whom Sophie liked the most. Later she found out that she had a twin sister whom he hide from Paul and her name is Maria which was confined in a mental hospital and later died. It’s Maria that appears to her as the white lady. Sophie also had her eye operation successful but as she opened her eyes she also saw the ghost of Maria inside the room and even Paul started to see her later on. 

As the situation gets tougher, Dave (TJ Trinidad) also appeared to her and saying things that seems undone before Mira got an accident. As Mira investigated her past she remembers that when she and Maria were still kids they were taught by their mother to learn witchcraft and at that time she was not interested but Maria learned it when her mother died and Mira leave her in their province. That's why Maria was admitted to the mental hospital because she was acting crazy and insane. The next day Dave confronted Mira saying the Mira supposed to go away with him and as Mira refused they witnessed Dave killed himself with his gun.

Before Mira's accident happened Paul didn't know that Mira cheated on him with Dave and have an agreement to leave Paul as soon as they can have their chance but at that time while Mira in on her way, Maria is also casting a spell to exchange their soul that Maria in the body of Mira and vice versa. During the accident, Maria successfully transferred herself to Mira's body and that's the time that the real Mira in the body of Maria was killed by her insane roommates in the hospital. So the Mira that was with Paul after the accident is indeed Maria, so to stop Maria from hurting them Paul found out that the ugly doll that was made by Mira is the best weapon to defeat Maria and it ended Maria trapped in a circle of ashes as the Mira instructed in her video that stopped and killed Maria.

Movie Feedback

The movie sends scare with its unique story. It is a story about family betrayal and revenge. The drama also captures the viewers of this movie since this is also common to some families experiencing this.