Aswang (ah'-swahng), n, - In Philipino legend, a vampire like creature who feeds on the life essence of unborn foetuses. Usually
depicted as having a long, serpentine tongue.
What an odd legend those Philipino people came up with. I gotta start this review off by saying that, if only for its inherently unique
and unusual nature, "Aswang" is worth repeat viewings. Other than that, I'm not sure quite what to make of this thing. It's somewhat
scary (in a weird sort of way), somewhat gory (in a slimy kind of way), somewhat perverse (in a "going down on women in late-term
pregnancy" sort of way), somewhat funny (in a mostly...I think...intentional sort of way), and generally somewhat interesting (in a
"jeez, that's one hell of a car wreck" sort of way). I can't say that it's a "great" movie, but it sure has its moments. Obviously, I'm not
normally this tongue-tied when it comes to reviewing any given film...
The synopsis...
A reasonably attractive young pregnant woman named Katrina (played by Tina Ona Paukstelis) and her boyfriend sit in his car outside an adoption
agency. They briefly discuss whether or not Katrina should give her boyfriend any say in putting their baby up for adoption. To say that
he is half-assed in his attempts to convince her otherwise would be an understatement, though he does mention having "brought the money" with him,
implying of course that they would do better to drive down the street to the friendly neighborhood abortion clinic instead. Katrina won't have any of that talk...
she leaves the car in a huff, and when next we see her, she is sitting in an office next to a friendly looking (yet still creepy) couple. It seems that this couple is
quite interested in adopting Katrina's baby. Their situation and agreements are being arbitrated by a "lawyer", who explains to Katrina that the "contract" she is
about to sign clearly states that upon the birth of the baby, she will forfeit any and all "maternal rights" to the child. Hesitantly, Katrina signs the agreement, much to
the satisfaction of the creepy couple. "Six months later", as a title card informs us, we flash to a shot of Katrina being driven in a flashy convertible by Peter Null (played by Norman Moses), the "husband"
from the first scene. In this scene, we are given the understanding that the contract Katrina signed evidently covered far more ground than simply carrying the baby to term and then handing it over to "Mr. and Mrs. Null".
No, it seems that (inexplicably), the agreement had quite a few additional provisos (which clearly exist to propel the otherwise hole-filled plot). Those provisos, as far as I can tell, are as follows:
1. Katrina must carry the baby to term.
2. Upon the birth of the child, Katrina gives up all maternal rights to the child.
3. Katrina must, in the interim of her pregnancy, pretend to be Peter's wife Claire. This is, according to Peter, so that the aging and sickly Null Family Matriarch (his mother Olive, played by Flora Coker) thinks that
they will have a new heir, and therefore Mamma Null will leave the entire estate (apparently consisting of a big house in rural Wisconsin and an apple orchard) to Peter and the "real" Claire (played by Jamie Jacobs Anderson), who we saw in the
opening "lawyer" sequence, and who is, we assume, unable to bear a child of her own.
4. Katrina must act in a manner as if to say "I'm a fundamentally retarded rube with no basic conception of the rules of horror films" (although, quite frankly, Katrina doesn't need any help in this department).
So, all the convoluted pieces are in place in one of the most contrived and obvious plots in horror film history. Don't let that last statement get you down, though...everything proceeds in a highly original and bizarre way, even though it's
completely stupid. We learn, after some initial weirdness, of the existence of (and the Null family preoccupation with) the titular Aswang (and don't pronounce it "Ass-Wang"). It seems that the Null family, for a time, lived in the Phillipines, where in addition
to their odd interests, they also acquired the servitude of a creepy little woman named "Cupid" (played by Mildred Nierras), who is now Mamma Null's full-time maid and caretaker.
Well, strand things start happening, and soon, Katrina finds that her life, as well as that of her baby, may be in grave danger. Much elongated-tongue madness ensues. Will our spunky (yet retarded) heroine get out in one piece?
Will Peter and Claire get that baby after all? Will Cupid ever stop offering people her special homemade apple cider? Will Katrina's boyfriend make an appearance after dissapearing after the first scene? You'll just have to find out yourself.
Nyah.
I really can't say anything else about the plot, as it will ruin for the 2% of the people who didn't figure it out from Googling the title of the movie. Suffice it say that this is one weird, unsettling little film.
It borrows from "The Evil Dead", "Rosemary's Baby", "Alien", and Gene Simmons of Kiss. This review, I am finding, is next to impossible to write...this movie is just beyond description. Why don't we just say that it's a fun little indy
shock-fest that'll leave you feeling more than a bit dirty, but it will give you a couple of chuckles along the way.
After all of that, I will recommend this film to those of you with, shall we say, tolerant natures. I say "tolerant" because the themes and images in "Aswang"
are just offensive enough to turn off even jaded horror film viewers, and honestly, the plot is so contrived that only the more gullible viewers will be enthralled by it
in any way. Directors Martin and Poltermann have done a fairly admirable job of slapping this thing together, and obviously, there are people out there
who will (and do) absolutely love this film. To them, it is above reproach. Not for me...and I am probably the most "tolerant" viewer that I know. It's still a fun little
movie, so I recommend that you see it. You'll either like it a little for what it is, love it completely and unreservedly for what it strives to be, or hate it for both of those reasons.
This DVD release, by the way, is pretty well put together for a film of this calibre. The main "special feature" is a documentary about the long, hard road to get "Aswang"
made. This behind-the-scenes feature is actually far more entertaining than the movie it's about, as it truly documents the process of making an independent
horror film from preconception to release (and beyond). If you only buy this DVD for that reason, it's really all the reason you need. Good stuff.
All told, "Aswang" isn't a "bad" film, it's just very, very mediocre (and not because it's a low budget movie, either). The main attraction is the exemplary documentary feature included
on the disc.
Awww...what the hell do I know? A lot of you will probably really love this movie. Recommended with reservations.
Aswang is aka "The Unearthed" and "Aswang: The Unearthed"
Aswang (ah'-swahng), n, - In Philipino legend, a vampire like creature who feeds on the life essence of unborn foetuses. Usually
depicted as having a long, serpentine tongue.
