Na-feel niyo na ba yun? Na habang nanunuod ka ng isang horror movie, everything seems to be normal, tapos biglang may lalabas sa screen na makakapag-patalon sa puso mo. I hate that feeling, pero hinahanap-hanap ko sya. Maybe that's why I love horror movies. Most of the time, I would go to the movies with my family, and we'll watch the latest horror movie... I still remember one time, we would be watching a suspense movie. Before we entered the cinema, I prepared myself that I will be watching a suspense movie. I internalized that feeling of fear so that it would be more effective. Then suddenly, when we opened that big door into the theater, a woman comes out. I jumped in surprise! (actually, I even shouted... but in a lighter voice. ahhh~). She was actually the theater lady (the one who gets the tickets from us). She laughed!!! I ended up having my eyes half-open while watching so I won't get surprised when something scary appears. But what makes these horror movies effectively horrifying? Well, of course, the villain. May it be a ghost, a demon or a blood-thirsty serial killer, the way he/she/it conducts himself, the way he act and especially the way he looks makes the whole movie either scary or boring. But aside from that fact, I think that what makes these flicks effective are the settings or places the story happens.
My TOP 8 Most Effective Settings for Horror movies/stories in the Philippines
8. Cemetery
A place where the deceased are buried. Of course people would think it as a scary place and quickly associate it with paranormal phenomenon. It is a well-known notion that ghosts and apparitions are quite numerous in this burial ground. What makes this effective as a horror setting is the ambiance. Syempre ba naman, kung may mga krus sa paligid mo at mga nitso, nakakatakot talaga. Samahan mo pa ng fog...
Para sa akin, mas effective yung typical na sementeryo sa mga baryo at probinsya. Either yung mga sementeryo kung saan hindi pantay-pantay yung laki ng mga nitso at makipot ang daanan, or yung nakatusok lang yung krus sa lupa tapos tabi-tabi sila. Mas nakakatakot yun kasi ang hirap tumakbo kapag masikip yung daanan. I don't think it would be that scary if something happens in a high-end cemetery, one with beautifully aligned tombstones in bermuda grass. Masyadong sosyal at malinis para isipan nang nakakatakot.
Pero hinuli ko sya sa ranking kasi gasgas na gasgas na sya. I've watched A LOT of Pinoy movies na ginawa sa sementeryo. At dahil nga over the years, this place has been used for horror movies, feeling ko nakondisyon na ang tao na kapag nakakakita na ng mga krus sa lupa at mga lapida, merong magaganap na nakakatakot. Yes, the ambiance is scary, but it becomes too predictable. Malamang may zombie dyan. Yung tipong lalabas yung kamay nung patay sa lupa tapos isa-isa silang babangon at hahabulin yung bida. Old school horror movie, but it's still quite effective, so I placed it on my list. It's classic. Just make sure walang squatters dun sa cemetery, nakakawala ng ambiance pag bigla na lang may sumigaw, "Sweetheart! Kumain ka na?" o kaya "Nay, pakamot ng likod!!!"
7. School
Narinig niyo na ba yung ganitong kwento: "alam niyo ba yung school natin, nung wala pang nakatayo dito at puro damuhan pa, binabagsakan daw ng na-salvage... tapos ginawa syang sementeryo. Pagkatapos ng ilang taon, tinayuan sya ng ospital. Pero dahil nga maraming nagpaparamdam, giniba na lang yung ospital, at ngayon, tinayuan sya ng paaralan."
Basic na siguro yung tsismis na yan. Parang lahat ata ng lumang school sa Pilipinas, either dating sementeryo o kaya dating ospital. Kaya daw may nagpaparamdam. I can still remember, andami ding horror stories sa school namin dati. May mga multo daw, kesyo nanay na hinahanap yung anak, o kaya naman may batang babae na sumisilip sa bintana ng classroom. May time pa nga na may nakakita daw na doppleganger ng principal namin na naglalakad sa pasilyo at may hawak na kutsilyo. The scary stories themselves, passed on from students to students, makes this place a good setting for horror. Wild kasi ang imagination ng mga bata, kaya ang sarap pag-trip-an using these stories.
As what I've said, what makes this setting effective is because the students are susceptible. Bata pa kasi, madaling matakot. But they also have this curiosity, na kapag may nagsabing may nakakatakot sa ganitong lugar, sama-sama pa silang pupunta dun. Sama-sama rin naman silang sisigaw sa takot pag may nakita man sila. Nakakatakot din kasi yung idea na pumapasok ka everyday sa school, tapos malalaman mong hindi lang studyante ang nasa class room niyo. Nakakatakot din kasi yung corridors, lalo na sa areas na madilim.
Usually, ang nagpaparamdam daw sa ganitong setting ay mga namatay na estudyante na gusto pang mag-aral, o kung Catholic school, paring pugot ang ulo. In other scenarios, may monster na makikipaghabulan sa'yo throughout the school. But the bottomline, teachers and students ang victims. Duhh..
What makes this less effective is the students themselves. Masyado kasing busy sa school para magisip ng kababalaghan. Yung mga nagkakalat ng nakakatakot na kwento, sila yung mga walang magawa sa buhay dahil panay bagsak ang grades. Tsk tsk tsk...
6. Apartment/Dormitory
Imagine this: You're away from your family because you have to study in a far place. You're alone in the dormitory when you feel something cold in the air. Someone whispers into your ear, but no one is there with you...
Ok, hindi masyadong nakakatakot ang guided imagery ko, but I'm sure you would agree how scary dormitories are. Lalo na yung mga lumang apartment. Mas nakakatakot pa kapag mag-isa ka lang sa kwarto, or worse, someone not seen is sitting right beside you while you read this blog. Marami na rin akong naririnig na kwento about apartments. For example, may parang nag-pi-ping pong sa upper floor kapag gabi kahit wala naman, o kaya may nagpapakitang babaeng nakaputi sa kubeta. I can't really expound more on this subject kasi hindi ko pa na-try tumira sa apartment or dormitory. At ayaw ko. The ambiance is too scary for me. Madilim, tahimik... a perfect scene for horror stories. And the fact na you're away from your family, wala kang shoulder to cry on or whatsoever.
One effectively scary thing about apartments is that you don't know what happened in each room before you occupy it. Paano kung may nagpakamatay pala dun, for example, yung kama pala na hinihigaan mo kapag gabi, ginawa palang tungtungan nung nagbigting occupant before you. O kaya naman may krimen na nangyari dun where in yung student ay sinaksak nang paulit-ulit nang isang magnanakaw, at ngayon, ang kaluluwa niya na sabik na bumalik sa eskwela ay nakikisabay sa pag-review mo sa exam.
Don't be scared, just focus on your studies. At least you don't have to travel to and from school.
5. Hospitals
As a would-be nurse, I don't really advocate horror movies that uses hospitals as settings. Because, for one thing, dun din ako magta-trabaho in the future. Hospitals has been one of the favorite settings for ghost stories since time immemorial. Syempre ba naman, araw-araw may namamatay sa isang ospital. And take note, they come in various ages and backgrounds. But the scariest part of it is the ghost's assumed appearance. Ewan ko lang ah, pero dahil nga ospital yun, at puro may sakit yung mga namamatay, I think the ghosts would not appear as beautiful as they used to be. Siguro may sunog sa mukha, o kaya putol ang mga paa, and things like that. Hindi pa naman ako nakakakita ng multo sa PGH, and I don't dream of seeing one.
A hospital, especially something as big and as poor as PGH, has so many features that make it a very effective spot for horror stories. The color of the walls of a hospital tends to be monochromatic, most of the time white. This makes an ambiance of dullness and somehow it renders your senses to be more sensitive. In my opinion, you can easily see something move in the corner of your eye when everything around you is plain white, rather than when there's a palette of color everywhere. Another thing is the atmosphere of sadness and despair. Some of the patients in a hospital are nearing death and so the negative atmosphere around attracts spirits and whatever. Nakakatakot din kapag tig-i-isa ng kuwarto. Baka pag-gising mo na lang, may nakatayo na dun sa paanan ng kama mo... o kaya may naghahabol ng mana na magiinject na air bubble sa swero mo. hihihi
Sa tingin ko, ang lugar na pinakamadalas pangyarihan ng nakakatakot sa isang ospital ay ang morge at ang elevator. Given na siguro na nakakatakot ang morge, kasi dito muna tumatambay yung mga namatay sa mga ward. Ang alam ko, dito rin ginagawa yung autopsy, kaya madalas may mga kwento-kwento na habang nag-a-autopsy daw yung isang doktor, bigla na lang gumalaw yung bangkay, o kaya yung kwento wherein nalaglag yung ballpen nung doktor, tapos nung pinulot nya, pagtingin nya sa harap nya, nakatayo na yung ino-autopsy nya. At ang pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat, yung elevator ng ospital. Buti na lang may elevator boy o girl na pumipindot dun sa floors, e pano kung mag-isa ka lang? Mabuti nga kung mag-isa ka lang, e paano kung may nakisabay sa'yo na naka-puti, tapos nakita mo, may "tag" sya sa kamay. You know what happens next...
4. Old abandoned buildings
Nung pumunta kami ng Baguio, hindi namin pinalampas ang pagkakataon at pumunta kami sa Diplomat hotel. True to the stories, creepy nga yung lugar. Walang tao, tahimik... Umaga nung pumunta kami, so we don't really expect something scary to happen. Kaka-ulan lang din nung mga panahong iyon kaya maraming puddles of water sa first floor. Pag-akyat sa second floor, ganun din, walang tao, tahimik and the walls doesn't have paint. Pero sa mga kwarto, may mga vandalisms. The Diplomat hotel, sitting on top of Dominican hill, used to be a rest house and seminary back in 1911. Nung World war II daw, maraming pinugutang madre at pari dito kaya siguro maraming nagpapakitang multo na walang ulo sa hotel kapag gabi. Although the ruins is off-limits at night, people living nearby are often disturbed by banging of doors and windows, clattering of dishes and screaming, agonizing voices. The Diplomat hotel is open to visitors from 8am to 6pm, but the caretaker does not let people beyond the time because surely, they would see what they are looking for.
Old abandoned buildings are perfect for ghost stories. Dahil walang ilaw, madilim at malamig kapag gabi, simple shadows would really creep you out. At dahil sobrang tahimik sa isang lumang gusali, madali mong maririnig ang mga kalampog mula sa malayo. The long, unrecalled history of a place is an additional factor, because you never know what happened in that building. Maganda rin syang gamitin sa isang thriller/suspense flick. Usually, maghahabulan dun sa isang lumang building yung killer at biktima nya. Magtatago yung biktima sa sulok at tatakpan ang kanyang bibig upang pigilan ang pag-iyak at pagsigaw. Typical na siguro ang scene na ganito. Effective kasi. Nakaka-thrill tuwing may ganung eksena.
Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan ay kung bakit laging may pumupunta sa ganitong lugar. Maybe they're looking for fun. Well, actually, nage-gets ko naman kasi yun din yung dahilan namin kung bakit kami namasyal sa Diplomat... The THRILL of seeing a real ghost. It's just scary and fascinating at the same time how much stories and accounts have been witnessed by the cold, stone walls of Diplomat hotel
3. Restrooms
Have you ever heard about the story of bloody mary? Wherein you have to face a mirror in the middle of the night and say "bloody mary" three times, then you will see the person you will love, or the face of the devil... or how about the story of a guy who went to take a bath in a public shower, then he felt something tapping his forehead. Then when he asked the guard about what happened in the cubicle, the guard said that someone hanged himself in that same cubicle, and the thing that tapped his forehead is the ghost's feet! Isa pang kwento ay yung babaeng estudyante na nagbanyo sa school nila ng gabi. Habang nakatingin sya sa salamin, may lumitaw na demonyo at tinitigan sya ng masama. Nagdasal ang bata ng "Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you..." at biglang sumigaw ang demonyo, "HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS...". Scary. But what's similar between them? Yes, they all happened in the restroom.
Napakarami na sigurong kwento at horror movies na nangyari sa restroom. Laging may ganung scene wherein gumagamit ka ng restroom at nakikipag-commune with nature, at bigla na lang may duguang kamay na dudungaw mula sa kabilang cubicle. O kaya naman ang mas madalas na kwento kung saan habang naghuhugas ka ng kamay, at pagtingin mo sa salamin, may babaeng nakatayo sa likod mo at nakatitig ng masama sa'yo. Epic na siguro yung mga ganitong kwento. May napanuod ako sa T.V. before na kinuwento ng isang singer/comedienne na habang umiihi sya sa c.r., may kumakanta sa kabilang stall... at sinabayan niya pa! Nang pagkalabas niya, nalaman niyang, wala palang ibang tao sa banyo.
So what makes this essential place an effective setting for scary story? Based on my stories above, the main feature of a restroom that makes it scary is the MIRROR! Ang sabi nila, ang salamin daw ang parang portal ng spirit realm to our world. Kaya maraming nagpapakita sa mga salamin. E sa mga public c.r., ang lalaki ng salamin! Isa pang feature ng banyo ay yung hiwa-hiwalay na cubicle. Dahil nga separated ang cubicles at may pinto pa, we don't really know who's using the cubicle next to you. Isa pa sigurong dahilan ay dahil hindi naman tambayan ang banyo. Bihira lang pumunta ang mga tao dito. Maliban na lang sa mga malls, kung saan napakaraming gumagamit, doon, hindi na nakakatakot. Pero kung ang kubetang pupuntahan mo ay yung pipitsugin at maduduming palikuran sa tabi ng mga sinehan sa Recto, either makakita ka ng multo o kaya naman mga taong nagmimilagro.
2. Forested province
Perhaps the most used setting for old Filipino horror movies. Ang mga gubat sa probinsya. Philippine horror does not only showcase ghosts, but moreover, the ones more popular are monsters and elementals such as aswang, manananggal, tikbalang, kapre, engkanto etc. And always, these creatures of the dark live in the forest or some shanty in the middle of the woods. The usual story goes like this: may magkakaibigan na naka-van at mamamasyal sa isang malayong probinsya. Pero mawawala sila sa daan at kung kelan gabi na, tsaka masisiraan ang makina. Madalas, mapapadpad sila sa isang lumang bahay na wala man lang kapitbahay at kalapit lang ang gubat. At dito magsisimula ang gabi ng lagim.
I've placed this second on my list because it represents the majority of classic Filipino horror movies. Mahilig kasi tayong mga Pinoy sa mga nilalang tulad ng engkanto, kaya madalas sa probinsya nangyayari ang mga kababalaghan, and more often than not, sa isang madilim at masukal na gubat. Dito rin nagbunga ang mga pamahiin ng mga matatanda sa probinsya tulad ng pagbaligtad ng damit mo kapag nawawala ka sa daan etc. And what makes these stories in the province frightening is that these creatures can actually harm you! Feeling ko naman kasi ang ghosts, tatakutin ka lang. But in the stories depicted by our ancestors regarding the aswangs and mangkukulam, they can actually hurt or even eat you.
Madalas din sa mga kwento, these creatures of the dark appear as beautiful ladies, but behind that fair skin is a monstrous appearance. O kaya naman pag umaga, nagpapanggap silang magagandang dalaga na nagtitinda ng longanisa. Ngunit sa gabi, nagpapahid sila ng langis sa katawan at napuputol sa kalahati ang kanilang baywang. Ang napansin ko lang sa mga Pinoy horror movies na nangyayari sa gubat, may isang mamamatay sa mga bida. At dahil nga akala nila, nawala lang yung kaibigan nila, mag-hihiwa-hiwalay sila at iisa-isahin silang patayin ng monster. Usually din, may isang myembro ng barkada na babaeng iyakin at laging nagyayaya na umuwi na, habang may isang guy na ubod ng tapang na ayaw umalis hanggang hindi nila nahahanap ang kasama nila. I wonder how this kind of movie will work out if these two characters exchange places. Yung lalake yung iyak ng iyak, tapos yung babae yung bida na magtatapang-tapangan.
What makes this setting very effective is the mere fact that you're outside the coverage of civilization. Walang tutulong sa'yo kung sakaling may mangyari. And you are lost in the first place. Malamang sa malamang, mawawala ka sa loob ng gubat habang nakikipagtaguan sa mga engkanto na syempre, mahahanap ka rin. The trees also give an additional spooky effect because you will have a difficulty in running around, and you don't know where the killer will be coming from.
But don't worry. Horror movies such as this always ends up having the monster dead with one boy and one girl as survivors. Maganda na lang kung malalaman sa huli na buhay pa pala yung engkanto.
1. Your own house
And the top on my list... your own house! This very fact makes this place the most effective setting for horror stories. In my opinion, a horror movie or story becomes effective when it makes its audience scared for several days just by remembering the story. Kaya para sa akin, nakakatakot pag ang setting ng horror movie ay simpleng bahay lang, kasi parang nakikita mo yung sarili mo sa kwento everytime you move about in your house. Lahat na ata ng parte ng bahay, pwedeng gawing setting ng horror story.
Nakakatakot kapag sinabi ng kapitbahay niyo na may naririnig silang nagsasaya sa dis oras ng gabi sa bahay niyo kahit wala kayo sa bahay... o kaya naman may mga nakikitang anino na nakatayo sa sala nyo. The restroom is no exception. Naaalala ko, nung nagkwento sa akin yung kaklase ko nung elementary na habang nasa banyo daw sya, may nakita syang duguang kamay sa maliit na bintana nung kubeta nila. Hanggang ngayon, kinikilabutan pa rin ako tuwing naaalala ko yun at nasa banyo ako. There were times na ayaw ko tumingin sa salamin ng c.r. namin everytime maghihilamos ako kasi natatakot ako na baka may babae sa likod ko pagharap ko sa salamin.
I hate it when the scene of a horror movie happens in the bedroom. Yun na nga lang yung place where you can rest, tapos may nakakatakot pa na mangyayari. The most epic example ay yung pagkagising mo, may nakatayo sa paanan ng kama mo, or worse, katabi mo mismo, face to face pa kayo. Mabuti kung nakahiga sya, e paano kung nakalutang siya sa ere at kaharap mo habang nakahiga ka sa kama? Lagi ko ring hinihigpitan ang kapit sa kumot ko sa takot na anytime, may humila ng kumot from the foot of the bed. Nung bata din ako, lagi kong binabaluktot ang binti ko, kasi baka pag inunat ko sya, may biglang humila sa paa ko at kaladkarin ako.Kadalasan, yung mga nakakatakot na pelikula about houses ay umiikot sa isang sumpa. Usually, the ancestral house that they inherited holds a deep secret, perhaps of a curse, or a murder. O kaya naman may specific na bagay or furniture sa bahay na may kababalaghan like a bed or a cabinet.
There was one time, habang nagrereview ako sa sala, it was about 2:30 in the morning. Bigla na lang nagbukas yung radio sa kusina in full volume! It really scared the crap out of me. What scared me most is when I tried to turn it off, and it won't. I have to unplug it just for it to stop.The idea that you are not safe, even in your own house, makes this the most effective setting for horror stories. The human mind is creative, and it can incorporate frightening stories in any part of the house: beds, garden, restrooms, stairs, television, christmas tree, ba gua, and even refrigerators! The possibilities are endless, and so is the horror...
Photo sources: various blogs and internet sources
I'm reading this post in the middle of the night. ..tinatakpan ko tuloy yung screen ng laptop ko para hindi ko makita yung pictures. I hate you Henri. Haha. Joke. :))
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