Kubot: The Aswang Chonicle

A combination of action, adventure and comedy in one movie, Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles is one of the official entry in the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival showing December 25. It also marks the comeback of GMA films, being one of the film's co-producers with Reality Entertainment and Agosto Dos.

It may be recalled that TIKTIK ended in a place of Pulupandan, where the whole massacre happened. The protagonists leave the place thinking that all is well until they were ambushed on the way to Manila. The sequel, which is Kubot, happens two years after that whole tragedy and is set in Manila. Macoy, the main character played by Dingdong Dantes, just wants peace and quiet, not realizing that the aswang clans have a brewing problem. This time, Macoy will be fighting Doms, the character interesting played by KC Montero.

First question that comes into my mind,what is Kubot?

It was explained in the event that I attended that Kubot is a clan of long-haired female aswang married to the Tiktik of Pulupandan whose abilities are more limited to morphing its hair into a tentancle-like mass, which they use to squeeze their victim's innards out like gel. The main Kubot is played by versatile actress Elizabeth Oropesa.

The cast includes Isabelle Daza, Lotlot De leon, Bogart the Explorer, Julie Ann San Jose and Abra. From the original cast,  Joey Marquez and Ramon Baustista who resurfaces as a different character. Introducing in the film in a special role is Hanna Ledesma.

In an interview with film director and co-writer Erik Matti, it was very evident that the men and women behind the film take pride in the strong story line of Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles. This plus the special effects and action sequences that were very challenging to shoot. Whereas Tiktik was shot on green screen, Kubot had a lot of scenes that were shot on location- mountaintops, quarry and Binondo.

A team of Chinese stuntmen and riggers were brought in for scenes that entailed hanging, jumping and flying to appear more exciting. Dave Yu, in-charge of special effects, adds that in Kubot, there is also such a thing as digital prosthetics as the aswangs were real actors. The look of the main Kubot is very challenging as its hair has to look real and dynamic.