Blush's 4th Annual Countdown of Philippine Movies 2013

I ask again, "How many Pinoy films did you watch in 2013?"

If you're one of the thousands who queued at the recent Metro Manila Film Festival to watch Vic Sotto and Kris Aquino's "My Little Bossings" and got rightfully irritated by the production's singular exercise of greed and abusive authority by parading and shamelessly endorsing some 20 products, you were justified. You paid good money not to be spoonfed with commercials. You accordingly complained about the trash that percolated around the cinematic season. You huffed and puffed, and deplored the bad state of Philippine Cinema. But this is all wrongful cliche. The fact is, 2013 had a bumper crop year of cinematic gems, and they were even accessible to the movie-going public. Majority of them were screened, not in the stuffy halls of CCP or the university theater, but in malls and cineplexes. This was one of the best years in Philippine Cinema!

So if your movie experience last year only consisted of Sotto, Aquino, Vice Ganda and any Wenn Deramas flick, please stop whining. You deserve them!

STEADY INCREASE

On our 4th annual rundown of movies, we've noticed a steady increase in the yearly film output since we started this in 2010. These are rough estimates, but essentially reflect trends that shall dictate how we will watch our favorite films in the next few years.

2010 had 73 films. 2011 had 105. 2012 notably jumped to 142. And 2013's number is 157. At no other time has this industry been flourishing by leaps and bounds. What's more impressive is the positive swing towards quality. While a good number of Pink Flicks and B-movies still found their way in commercial screenings, they were relegated to a very limited number of cinemas. Galleria has (almost) completely gotten rid of the exploitation flicks.

Film Year 2013 was essentially defined by a series of film festivals that congested the last two quarters of the year. Trailblazing Cinemalaya fielded an embarrassment of riches that it was easier to pick which films were inferior than which were the best. Carlo Obispo's "Purok 7", Eduardo Roy's "Quick Change", Jeffrey Jeturian's "Ekstra", Hannah Espia's "Transit", Jason Paul Laxamana's "Babagwa", and Jerrold Tarog's "Sana Dati" bowled us over, though we hated Gil Portes' "Liars" - and got annoyed by Barbara Miguel's character and portrayal in "Nuwebe".

Cinema One had an impressively strong line-up: the intricate narrative design of Jet Leyco's "Bukas na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na" had us glued right where we sat. Whammy Alcazaren's "Islands", a visual dissertation on isolation and/or solitude, and delicately framed by the seemingly mislaid epilogue, was a joy to behold. Arnel Madroquio's highly experimental "Riddles of my Homecoming" should set a benchmark for experimental cinema mainly because it was a delight to watch. Many titles in this genre would alienate audience; not this one. Miko Livelo's "Blue Bustamante" and Alfonso Torre III's "Kabisera" were likewise highly engaging. Watching Cinema One movies has never been this fun!

Cinefilipino was born this year. Angel Aquino was a beguiling presence in Sigrid Andrea Bernardo's "Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita", a compelling story of a pubescent girl who falls in love with the returning town maiden. Mes de Guzman's "Ang Kwento ni Mabuti" was a tenderly told morality tale that showcased the quiet thespic power of Nora Aunor. Randolph Longjas' "Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin" is a bellyaching social commentary about the Filipino psyche and cultural proclivities set in the household of an interracial couple who wants to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's also one of the funniest films of the decade.

Miguel Alcazaren's "Puti" was on its way to becoming a masterpiece when the story went awry as it drew towards the concluding third part. Too bad because Ian Veneracion and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, the year's breakthrough actress, were fantastic in them. The bizarre twist of the plot was discombobulating, ultimately leaving a bitter taste in the cinematic mouth. Akihiro Blanco, one of the industry's best finds, makes an auspicious movie debut in Ato Bautista's "Mga Ala-Ala ng Tag-ulan" which was probably better realized on print/script, but not on the silver screen. We hated (and this is a strong word) Ron Bryant's "Bingoleras". Twas told that Mac Alejandre and Inquirer reporter Bayani San Diego, two of the festival judges, allegedly pushed hard to get this in the final line-up. But since when has San Diego become an authority on good scripts and great film making? Constant coverage of the indie film scene does not make him a great judge of good scripts, does it? Ditto with Alejandre who has never made a film worth a ticket admission. "Lastikman", "Ang Panday" and "Just One Summer", anyone?

Quezon City Film Festival bankrolled 3 films that were screened for a ridiculously limited three-day run. When the festival held its closing ceremonies, one of its films was yet to premiere later that night. Regardless, Alvin Yapan's "Gaydar" was an enjoyable frolic into the life of a perky girl (Pauleen Luna, a revelation) who always falls in love with a gay man.

MMFF's New Wave Festival had an uneven line up that erroneously picked Joven Tan's vexatious "Ang Maestra". Dramatic caterwauling made me want to regurgitate many times over. Since when has Joven Tan been considered a "new wave" personality? Hasn't he directed girlie flicks like "Kiskisan", "Biglang Liko", "Naked Nights", "Eskandalosa" and "Sex Files" in the early 90's? It's been more than 20 years since he started directing professionally - yet Tan still qualifies as "New Wave"? Digging deeper, his production people includes assistant director Cleo Paglinawan responsible for a flurry of Pink Films like "Indie Boys", "S.R.O.", "Bikini King", "Bugaw" and the awe-inspiring "Itlog na Pula"; then there's Darry dela Cruz as Tan's production assistant (and even part of the cast). Dela Cruz is the brilliant auteur behind "Malasado" and "Daklot"! New wave, right? Let's not forget that Tan recently bastardized the horror genre with "Morgue", a Mark Herras movie shown a week before MMFF New Wave started its run. Sometimes you wonder if the New Wave organizing committee knew what they were doing. Sigh. Good thing they had Gino Santos and Aloy Adlawan's delicately and alluringly told "Island Dreams". Armando Lao's "Dukit" is a cerebral telling of a struggling woodcarver's journey to success. Seamless storytelling and exquisite attention to detail predicate Alvin Yapan's "Mga Anino ng Kahapon", a tale about a woman's descent into paranoid schizophrenia, with superlative ensemble performance from Agot Isidro, TJ Trinidad, Carlo Cruz, et.al.

The main MMFF line-up yielded Joyce Bernal's edge-of-your-seat "10,000 Hours" - a tightly woven yarn loosely based on Senator Panfilo Lacson's escape from incarceration. The festival also spawned a gem in Chito Rono's "Boy Golden" with a cinematic texture reminiscent of Marilou Diaz-Abaya's "Baby Tsina"; it had humor, crisp lines and resplendent cinematography. A daring KC Concepcion emerged from this action biopic.

Sineng Pambansa's All-Masters Edition was supposed to highlight the consummate prowess of veteran directors, but with Gil Portes' mediocre handling of "Ang Tag-Araw ni Twinkle" and Elwood Perez's confounding and utterly confusing visual borborygmus in "Otso", the festival only proved that some masters are better "put out to pasture". Exceptions to this: Jose Javier Reyes' "Ano Ang Kulay ng Mga Nakalimutang Pangarap", Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes' "Sonata" and Chito Rono's "Badil", all superior films that deserve commercial screening outside the festival circuit. Celso Ad. Castillo's "Bahay ng Lagim" (shown a few years ago) was guest entry. Surprisingly, this version was different from the original we saw. Scenes with Karel Marquez, who wasn't in the earlier film, were inserted in the original, creating an even more befuddling story. Guest film maker T.M. Malones stretched his futuristic yarn in "Salvi Ang Pagpadayon". Though not a well-realized sequel of his successful short film, it was nevertheless interesting.

MAINSTREAM

Mainstream Cinema wasn't bad either. Star Cinema ventured into co-productions and came up with one of the film outfit's best line-up in years. Erik Matti's "On the Job" and Veronica Velasco's "Tuhog" were on the plate. Even Dado Lumibao's "Must Be Love" and Joyce Bernal's "Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo" were nothing to scoff at. While Star Cinema released almost a dozen titles in 2013 (and several distributions like Jericho Rosales' "Alagwa"), GMA Films had a paltry 2 films: Jade Castro's disappointing "My Lady Boss" and Cesar Apolinario's awkward "Dance of the Steelbars". Is this broadcast outfit really in dire financial standing? We wonder.

Star Cinema's output is a far cry from the heydays of Regal Films who, in 1990, for example, released more than 41 films, with a variety of genre - actioners like Lito Lapid's "Kahit Singko Di Ko Babayaran ang Buhay Mo", drama like Maryo J. delos Reyes' "My Other Woman", to Rene Requiestas comedies ("Starzan 3", "Pido Dida 2", "Ganda Babae, Ganda Lalaki"). Viva Films had about 20 films in 1990; this year, their output is 6, which includes the year's box-office champion, Cathy Garcia-Molina's "It Takes a Man and a Woman", a co-production with Star Cinema. The film making business has radically changed in the last 20 years.

Pink Films seem to have dwindled, but not by much because one title (or two) is released every week. G.A. Villafuerte leads this prosaic and unremarable pack with 13 titles in this list (we haven't seen "Idlip" and "Romansa"). Fifteen is, by no means, a small number, but how can anyone derive pride in a body of work that boasts of nothing but shoddy production values, one-day shooting schedules, redundant scenography, amateur actors who can't seem to read scripts let alone internalize characters, and stories that are all interchangeable? Most scenes even move in sheer darkness you suspect there wasn't any budget for lights. Consider Villafuerte's "Kaniig" (Bedmates) which was entirely shot in a love motel (Nice Hotel). The story revolves around a bevy of sexually ambiguous denizens who live, work, dine, fight, reconcile, shag - and even party in the same darn setting! How's that for cost cutting?

2013 LIST

The list below is a hefty compendium of Filipino movies that were mostly available in commercial cinemas last year. Included in this list are international features that might as well be Pinoy productions: Sean Ellis' pessimistic tripe, "Metro Manila", Anthony Chen's heart warming Singaporean drama, "Ilo Ilo" and the disturbing Dutch production "Lilet Never Happened" (by director Jacco Groen). The latter is a disconcerting, if a tad contrived look at child prostitution set in Manila. The film showcases newbie Sandy Talag as the brave and shrewd Lilet. It is possible that I may have missed a few titles, but compiling them wasn't a walk in the park. This took me a good 2 1/2 days. On overview, it has been a spectacular year for Philippine Cinema.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Films of 2013:

Adolf Alix Jr.’s Porno

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Alamat ni China Doll

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Death March

Aimee Lourdes Apostol-Escasa's Asin

Alfonso Torre III’s Kabisera

Alvin Yapan’s Debosyon

Alvin Yapan’s Gaydar

Alvin Yapan’s Mga Anino ng Kahapon

Andoy Ranay’s When the Love is Gone

Andy Andico’s Transmigrate: The Troubled One

Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo

Archie del Mundo’s Ang Misis ni Meyor

Armando Lao’s Dukit

Arnel Madroquio’s Riddles of My Homecoming (Mga Tigmo sa Akong Pagpauli)

Arturo San Agustin’s Talamak

Ato Bautista’s Mga Ala-ala ng Tag-ulan

Ato Bautista’s Palitan

Benji Garcia’s Philippino Story

Benny Andaya’s Service Boys

Bona Fajardo's Iliw

Brillante Mendoza’s Sapi

Carlo Obispo’s Purok 7

Cathy Garcia-Molina's Four Sisters and a Wedding

Cathy Garcia-Molina's It Takes a Man and A Woman

Celso Ad. Castillo’s Bahay ng Lagim

Ces M. Evangelista’s Amor y Muerte  (Love and Death)

Cesar Apolinario and Mamie Manicad’s Dance of the Steelbars

Chito Rono’s Badil

Chito Rono’s Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill – The Arturo Porcuna Story

Chris Martinez’s Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel

Chris Martinez’s Status: It’s Complicated

Christopher Castillo’s The Diplomat Hotel

Dado Lumibao's Must Be Love

Darry dela Cruz’s Longganisa For Sale

Darry dela Cruz's Male Box

Darry dela Cruz's Pakawala

Dominic Lim's Kapitan Basura

Don Bautista’s Gapang

Don Cuaresma’s Call Center Girl

Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon

Eduardo Roy’s Quick Change

Edz Espiritu's Bangkero

Eliza Cornejo’s Kaleidoscope World

Ellen Marfil's Boses

Elwood Perez’s Otso

Emmanuel de la Cruz’s Slumber Party

Emmanuel Palo’s David F.

Emmanuel Palo's A Moment in Time

Erik Matti's On the Job

Francis “Jun” Posadas’ Pukaw

Francis Villacorta’s Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir

Frasco Mortiz’s Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay

G.A. Villafuerte’s Bagong Paligo

G.A. Villafuerte’s Boy Kabayo

G.A. Villafuerte’s Brutal

G.A. Villafuerte’s Dilig

G.A. Villafuerte’s Hayok (Hanggang Saan Ka Papasok?)

G.A. Villafuerte’s Init

G.A. Villafuerte’s Katas (Gusto Mo Ba ng Prutas?)

G.A. Villafuerte’s Sayaw

G.A. Villafuerte’s Tsikboy

G.A. Villafuerte’s Webcam

G.A. Villafuerte's Boitoi: Pera ang Dahilan ng Pusong Sinugatan

G.A. Villafuerte's Kaniig (Bedmates)

G.A. Villafuerte's Sabik Nananabik

Gil M. Portes’ Ang Tag-araw ni Twinkle

Gil M. Portes’ Liars

Gil Portes' Bayang Magiliw (Funky Town)

Gino Santos and Aloy Adlawan’s Island Dreams

Hannah Espia’s Transit

Ian del Carmen's Bad Romance

Ian Lorenos' Alagwa

Ian Lorenos’ Saturday Night Chills

Jacco Groen’s Lilet Never Happened

Jade Castro’s Juana C. The Movie

Jade Castro’s My Lady Boss

Janice Perez’s The Muses

Jason Paul Laxamana’s Babagwa (The Spider’s Lair)

Jeffrey Jeturian’s Ekstra

Jerrold Tarog’s Sana Dati

Jet Leyco’s Bukas Na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na

Jigz F. Recto’s Bastusin

Jigz F. Recto’s Boy Onse

Jigz F. Recto’s Tag Sibol

Jigz F. Recto's Boy Onse

Joel Lamangan’s Lihis

Joel Lamangan's Menor de Edad

Joel Lamangan's The Bride and the Lover

John Torres’ Lukas Nino

Jordan Elbert Ferrer’s Hello, World

Jose Javier Reyes’ Ano Ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?

Joseph Israel Laban’s Nuwebe

Joven Tan’s Ang Maestra

Joven Tan’s Morgue

Jowee Morel's Leona Calderon

Joyce Bernal’s 10,000 Hours

Joyce Bernal's Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo

Jun Pereira’s Bangungot

Keith Deligero’s Iskalawags

Keith Sicat’s Woman of the Ruins

Kristian Cordero’s Angustia

Lao G. Mira’s Kapit sa Patalim

Leo Abaya’s Instant Mommy

Lino Brocka's Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (remastered)

Mae Czarina Cruz’s She’s the One

Marlon Rivera’s My Little Bossing

Marlon Rivera's Ang Huling Henya

Martin Masadao's Anak Ti Pating

Martin Rey Aviles' Coming Soon

Maryo J. de los Reyes’ Bamboo Flower

Mel Chionglo’s Lauriana

Mes de Guzman’s Ang Kwento ni Mabuti

Mes de Guzman’s Sitio

Miguel Alcazaren’s Puti

Mikhail Red’s Rekorder

Miko Livelo’s Blue Bustamante

Moises Anthony Cruz's Limang Dipang Tao

Neal Buboy Tan's I Luv U, Pare Ko

Onat Diaz's Kung Fu Divas

Paul Singh Cudail’s Lantad

Paul Singh Cudail’s Romansa

Paul Singh Cudails Direktor’s Cut

Paul Singh Cudail's Diskarte (aka "Himas")

Paul Singh Cudail's Scorpion Lovers

Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes’ Sonata

Peque Gallaga's Oro, Plata, Mata (remastered)

Peque Gallaga's Seduction

Ralston Jover’s Bendor

Randolph Longjas’ Ang Turkey Man ay Pabo Rin

Randy Santiago’s Raketeros

Rica Arevalo’s The Privileged Migrants

Robbie Taroza's Pagari

Romy Suzara’s Tinik

Ron Bryant’s Bingoleras

Ronald M. Rafer's Gabriel: Ito Ang Kuwento Ko...

Ronn-Rick's The Fighting Chefs

Sandy Es Mariano's Jumbo Jericho

Sari and Kiri Dalena’s The Guerilla is a Poet

Sean Ellis' Metro Manila

Siege Ledesma’s Shift

Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita

T. M. Malones’ Salvi: Ang Pagpadayon

Timmy Horn’s Ang Pagbabalat ng Ahas

Toni Te’s Bodegero

Toni Te’s Ganid

Toni Te’s Laman

Toni Te’s Wanted Houseboy

Toto Natividad’s Saka Saka

Veronica Velasco's Tuhog

Vincent Sandoval's Aparisyon

Wenn Deramas' Bromance

Wenn Deramas’ Bekikang

Wenn Deramas’ Boy Girl Bakla Tomboy

Wenn Deramas’ Momzillas

Whammy Alcazaren’s Islands

Wilden Anonuevo's Halik ng Nympha

Will Fredo's In Nominee Matris (In the Name of the Mother)

Up Next:

2013's Best, Worst and Breakthrough Performances