Salamamgkero (1986) User Reviews

A delightfully bizarre and imaginative Filipino fantasy/horror/adventure treat

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 22 September 2007]

Good-hearted circus magician Jamir (affable Michael De Mesa) accidentally causes his daughter to disappear. Jamir has to venture into a dangerous alternate universe to rescue his wife, daughter and oafish chubby kid assistant from the vile clutches of evil, ugly, powerful witch Mikula (essayed with deliciously hammy relish by Armida Siguion-Reyna) and her grotesque army of freakish animal people minions. Director Tata Esteban, working from a wildly colorful and creative script by Grace Hill Serrano, maintains a brisk pace from start to finish and does an expert job of creating a creepy, surreal and unpredictable anything-can-happen outré atmosphere. Joe Tutanes' crisp cinematography offers a wondrous wealth of strikingly odd images. Ray Ramos' wonky score neatly mixes both cool-rippin' rock and spooky ooga-booga scareshow music. Better still, there's a dazzling array of funky creatures featured throughout which include a lethal sword-wielding samurai dude, a tribe of savage dwarfs, a tubby dog-eared thing with a TV screen in his stomach, and a hideous humanoid swamp monster. The special effects are pretty crude, but do the trick just the same. A total wacky blast.