Kisapmata (1981)

psychological horror film directed by Mike de Leon

Vic Silayan and Charo Santos portray the role of father and daughter in 'Kisapmata'

Classic Filipino cinema has become a recently found interest of mine, and ‘Kisapmata’ directed by Mike De Leon, sits at the top of my list of favorites. Never before have I immediately noticed the close attention to detail made behind the scenes for a movie. I went into this film not having heard of it before and with barely any knowledge of what to expect, yet I could already say, just a quarter into the film, that its intent as a psychological horror had already been succeeded from the very beginning.

A family dinner between the Carandangs and Manalansans

PHILIPPINE HORROR

Aside from romantic comedies, Filipinos have mastered a way of making a contribution to national cinema, which is through the Horror genre. Kisapmata was able to portray the thing that is scarier than ghosts, zombies, and vampires. And that is…people.

Not a single scene overstayed its welcome throughout the course of the film, and the intent behind such details quickly captured my attention and taste. Psychological movies are made to make you think and itch inside your brain for answers, and that is exactly what ‘Kisapmata’ or internationally known as ‘In Just The Wink of an Eye’ did. In most cases, we watch a thriller at the edge of our seats, painfully waiting for the end when all questions are finally answered. And that is one of the things that Mike De Leon did not follow–and maybe for the better and what made the 1981 film so good.

The script is admirable not completely for its dialogue, but for its non-verbal performances. ‘Kisapmata’ never allowed the audience to see what was exactly happening between Milagros Carandang and her father every night and what sins she was continuously repenting for every morning in front of Mother Mary. Instead, we were given suspenseful noir shots full of hints, where we as an audience were left with nothing to do but form and imagine an answer to our own questions.

Vic Silayan as Sgt. Diosdado in 'Kisapmata'

VIC SILAYAN

Solis and Silayan’s dynamic, playing as father and daughter in the film, is another aspect that made the experience so chilling. It would be wrong to say that Sgt. Diosdado or “Tang” would have been as successful of an antagonist as it became without the accompaniment of Vic Silayan’s performance. The heart-racing tension between Tang and the women around him made me grit my teeth out of the thoughts that wavered my mind of what could have been happening behind closed doors.

Milagros Carandang writing her dislike towards her father in a diary

HORRORS OF REALITY

What made me consider this movie as not just another Horror story is the true events that were used as inspiration. ‘Kisapmata’ was inspired by an incident that occurred on a January afternoon in 1961 at 1074 Zapote St., when former detective Pablo Cabading murdered his daughter and son-in-law.

On the year of its release in 1981, the film won a total of (8) eight Metro Manila Film Festival awards, and despite not causing a boom at the box office, was later critically acclaimed and presented at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. Although the film garnered more than enough attention and praise during its time over four decades ago, I think the present Filipino and international society would enjoy a look into the suspense-filled Horror classic.

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Off-Guard Moments With Vi - So sweet, so cute, malambing but somewhere mayroon din siyang kapilyahan. When we say pilya, we mean she's smart, hindi agad pahhuhuli laging may panagot, hindi mata-trap. At ang husay sa biruan. Ala-razor-sharp with ba. Parang ganoon. Kaya nga siguro lalong lovable si Vi. Tulad noong isang hapon nang puro biruan na lang ang nangyari sa amin sa LVN nang hinihintay naming mag-take ang latest starrer niya. Dumating siyang naka-Tshirt na may design na pang-basketball. "Tumaba ako eh, five pounds. Kaya nagpe-preno ngayon ako sa pagkain," una niyang bati. May baon siyang kutsinta, hamburger sandwich, puto. Ipinamigay niya sa mga kasamang alalay, kaunti lang ang kinain niya. "Ang hirap mag-slow down sa food." Napag-usapan ang basketball. "Wow iyung cover ng isang magasin. Idolo ko, si Atoy Co. Sapak talaga. Alam mo, kung naging lalaki lang ako, nag-try out siguro ako as a basketball star." May nag-abot sa kanya ng lotion. "Uy, pabango iyan ni Edgar, ah! Ganyan ang kanyang ginagamit," may isang kaibigang nag-coment. Sabay-tango ni Vi. Approved agad siya, with a hint of smile sa kanyang lips. Lalo siyang parang makopa.

"Bakit nýo alam. The same nga, alam mo naman kami ni Bot. The same taste, kasi..." she stopped, tinukso siya ng nakapaligid. But before the audience could add jesting remarks, si Vi na ang nagtapos, "Kasi...love-team kami!" Haaay, reaction ng iba. "Belat, akala nila kung ano na," she childishly remarked sabay upo sa silya, nakasalampak. Hardly the ladylike you see sa tv. Niyaya siya ng make-up artist. Kailangang maglagay na siya ng foundation. Naroon sila sa isang table. "May pimple ka ngayon," pansin ng make-up artist. "Oo nga, bakit ganoon?" she wondered too. "In love always kasi," may nanukso na naman. "Oo na nga!" natawang sagot ni Vi. Biglang entra ni Jay Ilagan, leading man niya sa sinu-shoot na pelikula. "Tita Vi, hindi mo kasama si Tito Bot?" Ngumiti lang si Vi, Sus, ito pala ang bagong pet names nina Vi & Bot. Mayroong tita at tito. Naging pamangkin pa nila si Jay! Ang labo! "Tita Vi, nakita ko si Tito Bot kahapon. Tsk. Bakit naman siya ganoon? Tsk... Pero hindi ko sasabihin sa iyo, what yo don't know won't hurt," at ibinitin ni Jay and Vi held her laughter.

"Oo, sige, pagkaisahan nýo ako. Saan mo naman nakita? Siguro ang kasunod, may kasama siyang ka-date!" "Bakit mo naman nalaman? Nakaakbay, ganito," at ini-arte ni Jay. The teasing session ended sa tawanan, hinampas ni Vi si Jay. "Naku, ayaw ko ng uling sumakay sa bapor o sa bangka. Talagang nagkaphobia na ako. Hinding-hindi na," biglang change ng topic ni Vi. Flashback sa muntik nilang pagkalunod nina Edgar. "Sabi nila, signus ko raw ang tubig, dahil hayan, may puro ako sa may noo. Totoo kaya iyon? But anyway, mabuti na iyong nag-iingat." "Tita Vi, bakit may sumpong ka yata kagabi," tanong ng isang crew. "Hindi naman, kaya lang nakapuna ako. Niloloko ako eh. Imagine, sa tuwi kong itatanong kung ilang eksena na lang, ang parating sagot, tatlo na lang. Sus, hindi na nabawasan. Kaya nagkunwari naman akong naiinis. May lakad pa naman kami kagabi," she said with a smile - with whom - tiyak si Bobot. "Siyempre nga," she confirmed our guess. "Next shooting naman, Malapit nang matapos ang aking costume. Imagine, magiging Darna rin pala ako, e, noon, paborito ko iyon sa komiks," she further said. Nagsimula na ang shooting. But in between takes, naroroon pa rin si Vilma, may panahon sa biruan, may time for rehearsal ng kanyang lines. Ang kalimitan, take one lang ay very good na. - Baby K. Jimenez, Bulaklak Magazine, 05 February 1973, reposted by Pelikula Atbp (READ MORE) https://pelikulaatbp.blogspot.ca/2017/07/off-guard-moments-with-vi-by-baby-k.html

Huwag ninyo akong alalahanin, Kuya. Mag-aasawa rin ako, makikita ninyo. Sino ba namang gustong maging soltero habambuhay? Malimit din akong maghanap ng lambing at init. Kaya lang, kailangan mahulog ang loob ko nang lubusan.   

Huwag ninyong alalahanin ang kalusugan ko. Kayang-kaya ko ang katawan ko. Marahil eh, hahaba pa ang buhay ko. Wala naman akong maraming bisyo eh. 

Binabalikan ko ang mga kaibigan ko. Tinutuloy ko lahat ng hilig ko. Pinupuno ko't pinatitingkad ang mga araw. Walang tigil ang daloy sa akin ng buhay.  

Napakahirap nang umibig sa panahon natin. Noong unang araw, pagparisin mo lang ang isang binata at isang dalaga, pag-aaralan nila kung ano ang ikaliligaya ng isa't isa. Ngayon, lahat nagmamadali. Wala nang panahon sa isa't isa. Mahirap mo nang makilala ang soulmate mo.

Ngunit kung sakaling dumating siya balang-araw, kahit meydo huli na, matutuwa siya sa akin. Madidiskubre niyang punong-puno ako ng maliligayang araw. Hindi ko sinayang ang aking buhay. Maraming kaming biyayang mapagsasaluhan. Alam ko, nararamdaman ko.

Pinapakamusta pala kayo ng lahat ng kakilala natin. Lagi ko kayong ipinagdarasal. Gawin mo akong ninong ng panganay ninyo ha.