'Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme' REVIEW: A dark, blood-soaked, and delicious comeback
'Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme' REVIEW: A dark, blood-soaked, and delicious comeback
A weapon-wielding Iza Calzado, a scene-stealing Esnyr, and a blood-soaked Jane de Leon are some of the features you need to watch out for in the latest Shake, Rattle & Roll installment. After a nine-year hiatus, the horror franchise is now making its comeback, delivering a stacked ensemble, intensified scares, and heightened entertainment.
The film was originally slated to premiere at MMFF 2023 but wasn't accepted, marking it the second SRR entry since the sixth installment back in 1997 not to be included in the lineup. This led to an early release, offering fans a delightful bloody treat just in time for the holidays.
While it is known for its hit-and-miss nature, it's still undeniable that this anthology series has become a staple in our local cinema. Directors Richard Somes and Jerrold Tarog return to helm the first two segments, while newcomer Joey de Guzman directs the final segment.
“GLITCH”
Glitch dir. Richard Somes
The anthology commences with a segment reminiscent of old SRR, focusing on a predictably familiar theme: a family coming together to confront evil while navigating their strained relationships.
Iza Calzado returns to the series after her role as a yaya/aswang in the 8th installment back in 2006. In ‘Glitch’, she portrays a frustrated and busy mother tending to her two spoiled children. Trouble ensues when her young daughter summons a demon after watching a lost video featuring it.
At the outset, this segment, helmed by Richard Somes, hinted at a techno-horror theme related to lost media, notably explained by Kim Atienza in a cameo role. If Somes had solely explored this angle, the segment might have been more effective and unsettling, akin to the eerie Gary the Goat children show that was shown in the film. However, it revealed itself to be yet another Christmas supernatural horror story. There’s an inconsistency in its tone, and the pacing lacks clear direction, attempting to blend an underwhelming family drama and eventually introducing action-horror elements towards the end, resulting in a somewhat cheesy culmination.
Two major technical flaws in this segment are its camerawork and editing, which is plagued by excessively aggressive fast cuts that render the climactic action incoherent and challenging to follow. Despite these drawbacks, Iza Calzado's committed performance manages to shine through, providing moments of enjoyment despite its flaws.
Just a quick and fair warning though, especially for the animal lovers out there: A dog dies in this segment, and its gruesome carcass is briefly shown.
“MUKBANG”
Mukbang dir. Jerrold Tarog
An SRR film wouldn't be complete without a comedy-horror in its line-up, and Jerrold Tarog's latest entry is one of the better ones in the series due to how it fully embraces its humor.
‘Mukbang’ cleverly satirizes online influencers’ lifestyles and social media culture in a bloody and campy fashion. Featuring a talented ensemble cast, including young veterans, promising newcomers, and content creators-turned-actors who each received equal shining moments on screen, the story revolves around a group of social media influencers gathering in a mansion to boost their online following, unaware of the sinister events unfolding within.
Whatever commentary this attempts to make about how we present our inauthentic selves in the age of social media is clearly overshadowed by its outlandish humor, which is sprinkled like seasoning throughout the runtime: a couple's constant bickering amid a monster chase, an influencer halting his fear to promote a product in front of his camera, and monsters stumbling comically like cartoon characters, just to name a few. It's a delightful mix of campiness and darkness.
However, despite a chilling climax, the segment disappoints with an unnecessary epilogue, spelling out what had already been hinted at. Nevertheless, it’s still worth the price of admission.
“RAGE”
Rage dir. Joey de Guzman
This segment stands out as possibly the most violent in SRR history yet. 'Rage' follows Jane de Leon’s character and her friends as they confront rapid zombies after a meteor strike. While its setup isn't groundbreaking and is filled with familiar tropes, it's remarkably well-directed and genuinely thrilling.
The story plunges us immediately into a world of zombie terror. However, this sudden immersion leaves little time to establish a strong connection with the characters. They remain two-dimensional throughout its runtime since the segment leans heavily toward delivering some bloodbath violence and thrills rather than focusing on their development. Although there's a brief emotional moment where one character breaks down after witnessing all the violence and chaos he witnessed and is then comforted by another character, these instances are just sparse. A more substantial exploration of these moments could have greatly enhanced this segment.
Despite this, there are some impressive highlights, including a chainsaw-wielding zombie and some disturbing imagery complemented by striking cinematography. The depicted violence isn't overly realistic but maintains a consistently intense and aggressive tone. While not the strongest in terms of writing, it certainly delivers in terms of entertainment.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Regal’s attempt to revive this local series for the digital age is, indeed, not without its flaws, but it is a welcome decision with this sixteenth installment being one of their decent efforts yet. If they plan to create more, we'll all be eagerly anticipating them.
