Undin, Halimaw sa Banga + More Monsters From Our Childhood That Still Haunt Us Today
Anyone else have a hard time going to the toilet thanks to Undin?
(SPOT.ph) Gabi na naman ng lagim. You know what that means, it's time to cuddle with the monsters of our past. No, we don't mean childhood traumas (in a way, yes), we're talking the monsters and creatures from movies that had us sleeping back in our parents' bed. In this list, we round up the horrible things that made our childhood what it is. Okay, so it's 90% Shake, Rattle & Roll creatures, but who's complaining, really? Go on, take a stroll through the scariest memory lane ever. Also, shoutout to Regal Films for putting them up on YouTube!
Also read: Let's Compare: The Creatures of Trese and the OGs of Filipino Folklore
From Undin to Lotus Feet: The most memorable old-school horror characters from Filipino pop culture
Undin
Nothing like a mother's love. Even if said mother has acidic saliva and murderous tendencies. It is this Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes classic, part of the 1991 Shake Rattle & Roll, that introduced us to the monster that made it hard for all of us to use the toilet back when we were kids. Heck, even today, really. The short story is aptly called "Nanay" and stars Manilyn Reyes.
Murderous Pridyider
Ishmael Bernal gave us this horror masterpiece, starring a possessed and murderous ref, only a few years after Himala. And really, we think it's at par. We know this killer kitchen device probably stayed longer in your subconscious than Elsa did. There was even a whole movie remake of it in 2012 starring Andi Eigenmann.
Anak ni Janice
Ah yes, why call it tiyanak when you can call it "Anak ni Janice"? The 1988 classic Tiyanak, directed by Gallaga, starred Janice de Belen as a woman whose maternal cravings drive her to unwittingly adopt a monster—also unwittingly starting a term that, thankfully, will likely never die. JSYK, her name in the movie is Julie.
Halimaw sa Banga
Before we got scared of toilets, we got scared of those huge random vases that our parents liked to keep around the house. And thats all thanks to this 1986 classic directed by Cristopher de Leon (yes, really) that featured an evil spirit living in one.
Ang Madre/Manananggal
No lie. Nuns are pretty scary, especially if you went to a school run by one. In this one, we see Aiko Melendez portray an angelic looking nun with one hell of a secret—she's a manananggal. This 1992 Shake, Rattle & Roll film by Peque Gallaga even goes deeper and includes thoughts on who the real bad guys are.
Impaktita
Jean Garcia as a bat demon was like one of the more unexpected images from our childhood. In this 1989 film, we see the horror genre dive into the twists and turns of a telenovela plot—think underdog leading lady that also happens to be an impaktita. Sure, it wasn't exactly as scary as others, but hey, it was a fun twist to the usual over-the-top drama movies we had.
Lotus Feet
Though a little more recent than the rest, we couldn't leave out Lotus Feet, the sinister spirit haunting the bagua in the 2004 Feng Shui. This movie cemented Kris Aquino in popular culture as the Scream Queen, and it's all thanks to this little-footed creature that still has us steering clear of all mirrors with eight sides.
Special Mention: Lilia Cuntapay
No, not an actual character, but the one who brought them to life. Lilia Cuntapay is known as the Queen of Philippine Horror Movies for a reason: hers was the face (and straggly hair) embodying every white lady, creepy old lady, and more from the 90s onwards, pretty much until she passed in 2016. She arguably got her start when she starred as a nanny to Kris Aquino's character in Shake, Rattle & Roll 3, the same film anthology Undin popped up in. From there, she had us pretty much hooked.