Metro Manila Film Festival

CHITO Roño at work on the thriller trilogy

(We are running this guide to help moviegoers plan their holiday cinema tour. The 38th MMFF runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 8, 2013.)

Shake, Rattle & Roll 14:

The Invasion

Directed by Chito Roño; stars Janice de Belen, Herbert Bautista, Dennis Trillo, Paulo Avelino, Lovi Poe, Vhong Navarro, Arlene Muhlach, Chokoleit, Rommel Padilla

Three stories tackle diverse horrifying tales as told by Roño, who has directed several hit thrillers. One episode revolves around a lost command—confronting “the true horrors of militarization and vigilante squads,” says writer Rody Vera. The second episode pays tribute to the classic “monster” flicks from the 1950s, scriptwriter Ricky Lee notes. The third episode, according to scriptwriter Roy Iglesias, deals with “end-of-the-world” hysteria. Roño explains that he asked Regal for the best storytellers in the local scene. “It’s about the conflict between old and new,” the acclaimed filmmaker clarifies. Roño concedes that tackling the fest franchise was a mighty challenge.