Aswang

The Unearthing is a film I'd had been wanting to see for a long time and now wish I hadn't bothered. The movie succeeds at being disgusting and nothing else. It does offer a bit of a different spin on the vampire lore. The film's villains are based in the Philipino legend of the Aswang (don't laugh). The Aswang is demon or vampire that feeds upon unborn fetuses. Unfortunately it is never utilized in a way that is new or interesting. It's just a boring mess. And it's drawn out to a point where I wanted to start fast-forwarding to the conclusion we all knew was coming. The acting is appalling, the direction slack, and there is so much padding here that the movie could have been a 30 minute short. Trust me and avoid this one.

You could call this movie like "Rosamary's Baby", only done way worse. Not saying that "Aswang" is an horrible movie though, on the contrary actually. It's being saved by the fact that it's taking an original approach to a well known genre, without ever becoming a great movie as well though.

The movie is being a big of a mixed bag. On the one hand it's being a quite original and also atmospheric movie but on the other, it isn't a really well told one. It's a movie that takes a more slow approach but in its slower moments it doesn't manage to build up any tension. The movie is really lacking in some good interesting mystery and some well done horror. It doesn't make this the most interesting movie to watch.

With a more experienced director at the helm this movie would already had been a better one. A more experienced director would had know how to handle this story more properly and make it a more interesting and effective movie. Instead now the storytelling is too often lacking in its pace and approach.

Still it remains a somewhat refreshing movie to watch, due to its original take on the genre and also because it often isn't holding back on its gore. I therefore still consider this movie to be a watchable one and even a recommendable one as well, especially when you also consider that this was an extremely low-budget production.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Damn! I've been fooled again! I still don't learn from previous lessons not to trust comments on DVD covers.

I don't know WHAT I was thinking when buying this DVD. Whoever wrote those comments and synopsis should be shot. It says here this movie was a sensation when it hit Sundance in 1994? What kind of sensation? Puking?

Let me quote some of what's written on the back cover:

"After a brief theatrical release, nervous video chains refused to carry the film and the shocker [BWAAAHAHAHAHA] all but disappeared."

When it disappeared, why did they bring it back? IT DISAPPEARED FOR A REASON, GODDAMMIT!!!!

I WANTED TO GET RID OF THIS MOVIE, BUT NOONE WANTS IT. I gave it to a friend for his birthday, and he posted it back to me a week later. that goes to show how bad it is. I hope more people would buy this film because I won't be the only one stoopid enough to see it.

Hey, i didn't even spoil it for you.

I saw this film on DVD thanks to Mondo Macabro, the front of the cover declared the film to be a gore fest as did the blurb at the back, and even though it did have some bloody moments, it was no more gory than say , the Evil Dead or Friday the 13th , the story tells of a pregnant girl who has hit hard times and doesnt particularly want the child , she is given a very generous offer by a wealthy couple to stay with them in luxury and then hand the baby over and get generously paid , the dream becomes a nightmare as she realises that the family are Aswang , a breed of Filipino vampire with a taste for babies in or out of the womb, they eat the babies with their huge snake like tongues, the story plods along at a slow pace and you know thats the case when you start thinking what shopping you have to get tomorrow, a one off watch type movie

First off, if you are not a fan of Low Budget Horror Movies, go no further. You will not enjoy this movie. It appears to have been shot on 16mm film. Either that, or the stock they used was VERY old, because even in the new DVD transfer, there's a fair amount of grain.

HOWEVER, the plot is at least original (and you can't say that about ANYTHING out of Hollywood in the last few years) and the acting earnest.

That said, gore hounds will be disappointed, as this the new DVD appears to be a cut down "R" version that expunges some of the more graphic scenes. (I know they exist, at least one is shown in the trailer).

All told, this is an enjoyable Independent movie.