(We are running this guide to help moviegoers plan their holiday cinema tour. The 39th Metro Manila Film Festival runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 8, 2014.)
Pagpag, Siyam na Buhay
Directed by Frasco Mortiz; stars Kathyrn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Paulo Avelino, Shaina Magdayao, Matet de Leon, Dominic Roque, Miles Ocampo, Clarence Delgado, CJ Navato, Michelle Vito, Janus del Prado and Marvin Yap
“Pagpag” is based on the Filipino superstitious belief that a person should not go straight home from a wake, lest restless souls follow and haunt him. According to Mortiz, the protagonists commit “violations” at the wake that will cost them their lives. He adds that the selling point of the film, the only horror-thriller entry this year, is its “right balance of thrill, drama and comedy.” Marinel R. Cruz