Director(s) – Wrye Martin (The Human Preservation Project, Butterfinger the 13th) and Barry Poltermann (Last Call, The Life of Reilly)
Starring – Norman Moses (Sonora Road UTD: Life and Death of Zach Aiko), Tina Ona Paukstelis (5 Dark Souls, October Moon), and John Kishline (Spirit Lake, Chicago P.D.)
Release Date – 1994
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4/5
I don’t understand the hate that 90s horror gets. Sure, this was when some of the smaller production companies turned to CGI and other visual effects as a cheaper alternative to practical effects but not all films did that. There is some serious horror titles to come out of the 90s along with some seriously underrated genre titles that never really gained traction during the VHS era.
A few months back I received the press release for the release of 1994’s Aswang from my friends over at Mondo Macabro. I had never heard of this one before but an early 90s American horror movie about Filipino folklore really had me interested. Not too long after this I received a copy of the release for review and decided to save it for my October horror binge. I’m glad I did because this movie fucking ruled. I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one along!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young woman who finds out she’s pregnant and does the rational thing by leaving the baby’s daddy. However, she soon finds herself at the center of a proposition she can’t miss. A rich, older man offers to take care of her and her unborn if she agrees to marry him. She reluctantly agrees and soon learns that his family are aswangs who feast on unborn children. **Spoiler Alert**
Aswang doesn’t really dive deep into the Filipino folklore but it gives us a fun spin on the vampire legend that is truly unique to that region. I really enjoyed this one and quickly looked into the filmmakers’ other projects to see if they were just as entertaining.
The acting in this one is a bit stiff. Most of the cast had some acting experience prior to their role here but a good chuck of the dialogue is very flat and the characters don’t have a lot of depth. The cast look as if they are very comfortable with each other and in front of the camera but they don’t do that great of a job getting into character or bringing their characters to life.
The story for this one is not that complex or compelling but it does a fine job incorporating the aswang into American horror. This new spin on vampires is a lot of fun and I really dig it. While the setting of the story is not something I would deem as original, it’s still fun seeing a different spin on the classic vampire mythos. With that being said, some of the scenes are a bit slow moving and when you mix that with the one dimensional acting you have some serious pacing issues.
Finally, this one is not gory but it has some great practical effects and some nice blood. The gag for the aswang looks fantastic and I love the make-up effects for it. If the film featured some memorable kills then it would have been top tier. Overall, Aswang is a film that is stuck in the 90s and it’s a damn shame. It’s a fantastic film that breaks the traditions of American horror. I highly recommend snagging this release from Mondo Macabro.
Special Features:
Region Free
New 4K restoration of the original 16mm negative
Audio commentary by co-directors Wrye Martin and Barry Poltermann, moderated by Pete Tombs
Audio commentary by Executive producer David Dahlman and actors Norman Moses and Tina Ona Paukstelis
Documentary: “Different Than Hollywood: Making of Aswang”
Trailer 1 – Fundraising
Trailer 2 – Theatrical
Trailer 3 – Prism VHS
Lost Scene narration (6 mins)
Audition Tape – Norman Moses (3 mins)
Audition Tape – John Garekis (3 mins)5.1 sound mix
LIMITED EDITION FEATURES
Reversible sleeve; full color booklet with new writing on the film by Chris Hallock; 1200 numbered copies in a red case
