Multi-awarded veteran director Peque Gallaga and his long-time close friend and collaborator Lore Reyes, a veteran director as well, were considered two of the pioneers of folklore and horror films in the country. Their tandem was very successful in remaking commercial mainstream genres.
Peque Gallaga has founded many film workshops in Negros to support aspiring filmmakers and help regional cinema flourish. He has also received several prestigious awards both as an actor and filmmaker. He came into prominence after winning the Best Production Design for Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? (1976) directed by Eddie Romero. He would later establish his reputation in the film industry after scooping the Best Director award for his award-winning film Ora, Plata, Mata, in 1982 and the release of his controversial film Scorpio Nights (1985), which played a key role in defining Filipino erotic film genres. In 2009, he was awarded The Natatanging Gawad for Lifetime Achievement for Filmmaking from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino for shaping the local film industry in the country. Gallaga died on May 7, 2020 in his beloved hometown, Bacolod City, due to complications from preexisting medical conditions. He was 76.
Lore Reyes on the other hand is also a man of talent. A product of the University of The Philippines, he has extensive experience in teaching, acting, line producing, production budgeting, and scheduling for film and theater. He is also one of the founding members of the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc. In 1996, Reyes, along with his directing partner Gallaga, won the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards for the film Magic Temple at the Metro Manila Film Festival. He and Gallaga were also nominated in Best Direction at the 2014 Gawad Urian Award for the film Sonata. Lore Reyes was also a Carlos Palanca Winner for Screenplay in Filipino.
Gallaga and Reyes were very known as masters of crafting horror films. In fact, many know the two for their work in the “Shake, Rattle and Roll” films, the country’s longest-running horror movie franchise.
In welcoming the month of November, we pay tribute to the two of the most esteemed directors of the country who were not just successful in creating blockbuster horror films but also successful in fostering and shaping the horror genre in the Philippines.
Here are some of the must-watch Gallaga-Reyes horror films that built them their esteemed reputation in the world of cinema.
Tiyanak (1988)
A woman begins to suspect that an abandoned baby she took in may be a demon in disguise.
The film features Janice de Belen, Lotlot de Leon, Mary Walter and Ramon Christopher. You can stream Tiyanak on Amazon.
Hiwaga sa Balete Drive (1988)
A two-part movie: the first tells the story of a couple who encounters a lady ghost that haunts a house in Balete Drive; the second involves a young boy who witnesses a crime through his “third eye.
Shake Rattle & Roll II (1990)
Comprising three short episodes, the film opens with newlywed couples in Baguio who wind up with a cursed wedding ring. The second episode is set in the eerie halls of a hospital where doctors practice witchcraft and voodoo. The last episode is about a student who visits a town fiesta in a remote province. Little did she know, the people in the town perform a mysterious ritual at night.
Produced by Regal Films, this second installment of the Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise is an official entry of the 1990 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Shake Rattle & Roll III (1991)
It focuses on three main stories: a young couple who hire a mysterious nanny, a young woman who discovers her sister has been brought back from the dead, and a student who brings home an egg from the beach with an alien monster inside.
The film was co-directed by Lore Reyes and an official entry in 1991 Metro Manila Film Festival. It is available for streaming on iWant Premium.
Shake, Rattle & Roll IV (1992)
The fourth installment of Shake, Rattle & Roll tells three creepy stories:
GURO. Mr. Zerrudo is the newest teacher at Jodie’s school. Unfortunately, Jodie discovered that her heartthrob professor transforms into a hideous monster. Jodie must find a way to undo the transformations before the school becomes the monster’s prey.
KAPITBAHAY. One by one, the children who play at a neighborhood park are abducted by a Witawit, monstrous-looking creature who lives in the park’s trees. Little Nikkie and yaya Tising try to get to the bottom of the mystery and rescue the abducted children.
MADRE. A homeless family and their neighbors in the city of Manila are plagued by attacks from a Manananggal. A little boy named Teks suspects a nun working at a free clinic, to be that flying creature but no one believes him. Will he be able to prove his suspicions before he becomes the creature’s next victim?
Aswang (1992)
It tells the story of an aswang, the traditional shape-shifting creature of local legend. Here, the vampire makes appearances as a giant snake, a young woman (Alma Moreno), and a withered old hag (Lilia Cuntapay).
The film was written by Jerry Lopez Sineneng and considered to be one of Gallaga’s best horror films.
Sa Piling ng Aswang (1995)
A Manila professional determined to unearth the mysterious disappearance of her younger brother. Plagued by guilt over neglecting and ignoring the needs of her brother, she takes a bitter and scary journey to the island of Panay where her brother was last seen. On her way to the dreaded town of Panitan, Maricel runs into a group of students who are on a research project to disprove the existence of witches in that town.
Halik ng Vampira (1997)
A female vampire wants to be set free of her curse. The vampire film starred Anjanette Abayari, Raymond Bagatsing, Patrick Guzman, and Beth Tamayo.
T’yanak (2014)
T’yanak is the story of Julie’s adopted baby who transforms into a monster and terrorizes their quiet town of Putting Bato with a series of brutal murders, including the wife of a townsman who gets wrongly imprisoned for T’yanak’s crime.
Overall, Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes have co-directed 21 films, which most of them fall under the genre of horror/mystery. Their most recent films together are “Sonata” (2013) and “T’yanak” (2014).
You can watch and support some local films on MOOV, Cinema Centenario’s video on-demand online channel.
