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Ang Mahiwagang Daigdig ni Elias Paniki
The Enchanting World of Elias the Bat
Philippines 1989
produced by Mel Pozon, Carlo J. Caparas (executive), Donna Villa (executive) for Golden Lion Films
directed by Carlo J. Caparas
starring Ramon Revilla, Maria Isabel Lopez, Ryan Redillas, Ruel Vernal, Bomber Moran, Tina Godinez, Brylle Mondejar, Vicky Suba, Danny Riel, Augusto Victa, Rocco Montalban, Joseph de Cordova, Ros Olgado, Naty Santiago, Marilyn Igno, Ernie David, Danny Labra, Susano Erang, Marix Luna, Adrianne Barredo, Gary 'Boy' Garcia, Amay Bisaya
written by Carlo J.Caparas, music by Demet Velasquez
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Elias Paniki (Ramon Revilla) always was a God-fearing citizen, he was
good to everybody, loved his family who loved him back, and was best
friends with the local priest ... and then his family got killed by
monsters, upon which he broke with the church, went into exile to train
himself in mystical arts, and most important of all he donned a headband
with a magic bat amulet attached to it. Eventually, Elias is called back
to his hometown when it is overrun by vampires and the priest, his
erstwhile best friend, is killed. Back home, Elias doesn't only fight
vampires but also monsters and mystical pygmies, and even his now undead
family attacks him. But Elias also finds love in Lucinda (Maria Isabel
Lopez), a local girl who eventually catches a bad case of possession
though. Ultimately, Elias is pitted against a demon overlord supposedly
behind everything, and when he destroys him, which kills all the monsters
and heals Lucinda of her possession, that should be it, right? Unfortunately,
that's not it because Lucinda's ex has become jealous that it was Elias
and not him who saved her, and now he has her abducted by Satanists, led
by Satan himself, and Elias has more than a few problems defeating those.
Finally, with his dying breath, Satan then makes Elias' bat-amulet come to
life, and the man-bat resulting from this almost kills Elias - but only
almost, in the end, Elias is triumphant, and the man-bat has become his
amulet again. A silly little film filled up with a few too many
horror clichées all brought to the screen on the cheap and cheesy - and
somehow this is a good thing. Sure, the film as a whole may be called a
bad movie, but it's of the so bad it's good-variety: It's way too
blunt to be taken at all seriously, full of hilariously campy details (the
bat amulet on Elias' headband alone is a hoot), its plot and narrative
structure are less than thought through and and it invariably favours spectacle
over logic. This all results in a highly enjoyable exotic brew. Sure, the
film is enjoyable for all the wrong reasons, but enjoayble still.
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