Looking forward to 'Lucky 13'

By Phillip Cu-Unjieng (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 25, 2010 - 12:00am

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The MMFF and the Christmas holidays wouldn’t be complete without a new Shake, Rattle & Roll coming from Regal Entertainment, and novice mainstream director Jerrold Tarog can thank his lucky stars that 2010 is no different, and we have SRR 12 as one of this year’s entries. For along with Zoren Legaspi and Topel Lee, Tarog was tapped as one of the directors for the three stories that make up SRR 12, and while all the stories have their merits and shine, it is Tarog’s Punerarya that really held me spellbound, and admiring how he adapted his proven indie film storytelling prowess to the horror genre.

 

After films like Confessional had me spellbound with [Tarog's] masterful storytelling, I had high expectations for this initial foray into mainstream filmmaking and am happy to report that he hasn’t disappointed. Sure, the real nature of the family who runs a funeral parlor and shuns daylight is as subtle as a Pacquiao haymaker, but we don’t really care because we are being entertained! Sid Lucero’s character hires Carla Abellana to be tutor to his two children who have an aversion to sunlight, and live with him in the family business. Scenes like that of the dogs eating raw meat are visceral and illuminating, wonderfully blending disgust and horror. And it’s the consistency of tone that sets this one apart, with Tarog in firm control of his ensemble cast, such that we even remember the supporting characters. And even the conclusion of the story is pitch perfect, proving that there’s still a lot of life in this franchise film — I am looking forward to next year’s Lucky 13!

 

(source)