shake rattle and laugh your head off

Every year, I try to catch one (or more) of the films in the annual (and mandatory) Metro Manila Film Festival. My pick is usually the quirkiest, the fun-nest (not necessarily the funniest) or arguably the best of the lot. If an Enteng Kabisote is around, I usually go for that--not because I'm a big fan of Vic Sotto but because he makes one movie a year and he usually prepares for it well.

This year, Enteng Kabisote was around but I chose to watch Shake Rattle and Roll IX instead.

It is so bad that it makes the phrase "guilty pleasure" seem so inadequate. It is the typical Regal movie where a smorgasbord of people in the film industry (Lovi Poe, for instance) and a smattering of actors (Gina Alajar, for instance) are put together. There is very little characterization and what little there is is silly. Writing is bad, effects are worse. There is very little regard for audience intelligence and it shows in the lack of intelligence in the plot and script.

It is a waste considering that the trilogy this year put together three up and coming indie filmmakers. Oh well, it just goes to show you that you cannot squeeze quality out of a lemon and when Lily Monteverde goes into filmfest mode, you will get lemons.

Don't get me wrong though, I totally enjoyed myself, laughing over almost every scene; it was only afterwards that I remembered that the movie was supposed to be a horror flick and not a comedy. I hope those seated around and in front of me didn't mind me laughing too much.