Canon Decampment

Original Digital Edition (2023)
Cover design by Paolo Miguel G. Tiausas
“Bomba” © 2019 by Mina Saha
[Click on pic to enlarge]

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The manuscript began as a project with Summit Media. The process is elaborated in the introductory article, “Canon Fire!” and revaluated in the closing article, “Forward March.” I wish to extend thanks to the editor of the now-defunct YES Magazine, Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon, as well as her inhouse staff, for undertaking a film-viewing and deliberation process that was both extensive and intensive. The book title indicates my readiness to let go of canon exercises after this point. I will still be celebrating outstanding work as it comes along, but the practice of determining whether it belongs on an all-time-best list will just have to be taken up by other interested parties—of which I’m sure history will never run out of eager and willing participants. With all this book’s flaws and limitations, I nevertheless hope that any succeeding canonizer (a word that will always embarrass me for all my past associations with it) will take note of the time- and labor-intensive process that went into this current exercise, and either attempt to measure up to it or outdo it, or else admit failure.

11011The volume also happens to coincide with my retirement as tenured professor, in a place where I happen to be the equivalent of a sui-generis canonical entry. It is not a condition that I gloat about, because to me it reflects an entire national culture’s (specifically the Philippines’s) failure in training its regular faculty to become competent scholar-researchers. Nevertheless I’d opt to acknowledge, if I may, all the students I ever taught, in three countries or two continents over close to four (discontinuous) decades, regardless of how they decided to perceive me afterward; I’m at the stage where my stature, not to mention my ego, stands distant and resilient against whatever sticks and stones anyone might feel justified in aiming at me. (Regarding an alarming recent uptick in cheating, though generally not among my students in Korea—that would be one of a few headaches I’ll be relieved to pass on to future generations of teachers.) Always treasurable are the several names who look me up, sometimes years or decades later, just to see how I’ve done since they took my classes. I only hope that I’d managed to seem higher-evolved than I did in the past, although of course several things (starting with the concern for teaching and careful preparation in mentoring) deserve to remain the same. But if I were to pick out just one name to represent the best of the rest, it would be Corina Bedonia Millado, over whom I’ve been exultant for the past few decades and who’ll deserve more accolades than I could bestow.

11011Canon Decampment is an e-book uploaded in fulfillment of final publication obligations at Inha University. The author acknowledges assistance provided by the Inha University Faculty Research Grant as well as by Summit Media. “Canon Fire!” was drafted in 2015 and posted 2022 at Amauteurish, while “Forward March” was published in 2017 as “Muzzled Bombardments: The Philippine Film Canon and Its Discontents” at Plaridel: A Philippine Journal of Communication, Media, and Society. Films that were not included in the original list are, in chronological order: Gregorio Fernandez’s Higit sa Lahat (1955) and Luksang Tagumpay (1956); Gerardo de Leon’s Women in Cages (1971); Jun Raquiza’s Krimen: Kayo ang Humatol (1974); Ishmael Bernal’s Lumapit … Lumayo ang Umaga (1975); Celso Ad Castillo’s Daluyong at Habagat (1976), Paradise Inn (1985), and Ang Daigdig Ay Isang Butil na Luha (1986); Lino Brocka’s Stardoom (1971), Bona (1980), and Cain at Abel (1982); Mario O’Hara’s Condemned (1984) and Pangarap ng Puso (2000); Maryo J. de los Reyes’s Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday (1984); Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s May Nagmamahal sa Iyo (1996); Arnel Mardoquio’s Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim (2012); Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes’s Sonata (2013); Paolo Villaluna’s Pauwi Na (2016); Khavn’s Ang Napakaigsing Buhay ng Alipato (2016); Irene Villamor’s Meet Me in St. Gallen (2018) and On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets (2020); and Joselito Altarejos’s Jino to Mari (2019).

11011All these titles, except for the two earliest, were films that I urged for inclusion but were rejected, sometimes even after a few rescreenings, or that were unavailable at the time. In the case of the Gregorio Fernandez films, I’d initially counted them as overrated because of the major industry prizes that they won, but realized later that they were indispensable to the director’s pursuit of transformation of standard material via a careful working over of its constitutive elements. As film critic Bienvenido Lumbera once remarked, regarding the accumulation of citations for annual film evaluations: in an endeavor where the possibility of error can never be eradicated, it will always be best to err on the side of liberality.

A note on translation: Non-English entry titles are provided with both direct translation and their official version, when these diverge from each other. Any subsequent mention of the title in the same section will therefore be untranslated, while other non-English film titles will be similarly translated only when they are first mentioned. Whenever possible, I have tried to coordinate translations and credits with whatever appears in the far-from-perfect Internet Movie Database, with existing copies serving as final authority; in the case of GDL’s Women in Cages, I managed to identify several performers who were unlisted in the film credits, and included them in the canonical entry.

National Library of the Philippines CIP Data

David, Joel.
11011Canon Decampment / Joel David. — Original Digital Edition. — Quezon City : Amauteurish Publishing, [2023], © 2023.
11011146+x pages ; 15×23 cm

11011ISBN 978-621-96191-8-9 (pdf)

110111. Motion pictures — Criticism and interpretation — Philippines. 2. Motion pictures — Philippines. 3. Film criticism. I. Title.

791.4375111111011PN1995.67.P51111110112023111111011P320230298

US Copyright Office Certificate of Registration:
TXu 2-402-907
“Canon Fire!” and mini-reviews
separately registered as TXu 2-054-744

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Contents
© 2023 by Amauteurish Publishing
All Rights Reserved

Part 1. Canon Fire!

Part 2. Canon Munitions: From the Beginning to 2020
Note: This list is ordered chronologically according to premiere or initial release date, each of these 121 entries followed by the inclusive years of the directors’ selected films as well as by the total number of selected titles. Credits and synopses were prepared by the author and/or staff members of YES Magazine. For an alphabetical arrangement of directors, including each entry’s film(s) and year(s) of release, click here. Not all commentaries and synopses are complete as of this time. The links in this section will best be read in desktop mode.

Eduardo de Castro (1937: 1 title)
Carlos Vander Tolosa (1939: 1 title)
Gerardo de Leon & Abe Yutaka (1944: 1 title)
Gerardo de Leon (1951-71: 8 titles)
Susana C. de Guzman (1949: 1 title)
Gregorio Fernandez (1950-58: 6 titles)
Manuel Conde (1950: 1 title)
Mar S. Torres (1954: 1 title)
Lamberto V. Avellana (1956-65: 3 titles)
Tony Cayado (1957: 1 title)
Armando Garces (1957: 1 title)

Ramon A. Estella (1957-65: 4 titles)
Teodorico C. Santos (1957: 1 title)
Conrado Conde (1958: 1 title)
Manuel Silos (1959: 1 title)
Pablo Santiago (1961-82: 3 titles)
George Montgomery (1962: 1 title)
Irving Lerner (1963: 1 title)
Cesar Gallardo (1964: 1 title)
Efren Reyes (1965: 1 title)
Eddie Romero (1966-77: 4 titles)
Leroy Salvador (1968-85: 2 titles)

Lino Brocka (1970-90: 14 titles)
Celso Ad. Castillo (1971-86: 6 titles)
Ishmael Bernal (1971-85: 15 titles)
Jun Raquiza (1974: 1 title)
Joey Gosiengfiao (1974-80: 2 titles)
Mike De Leon (1976-99: 7 titles)
Mario O’Hara (1976-2003: 6 titles)
Kidlat Tahimik (1977: 1 title)
Bobby A. Suarez (1978-88: 2 titles)
Laurice Guillen (1980-93: 6 titles)
Marilou Diaz-Abaya (1980-97: 6 titles)

Fernando Poe Jr. (1980-2000: 6 titles)
Fernando Poe Jr. & Willy Milan (1995: 1 title)
Fernando Poe Jr. & Augusto Salvador (1997: 1 title)
Mel Chionglo (1981-2016: 10 titles)
Romy V. Suzara (1981: 1 title)
Peque Gallaga (1982-85: 3 titles)
Peque Gallaga & Lore Reyes (1988-2013: 3 titles)
Maryo J. de los Reyes (1982-2003: 7 titles)
Danny L. Zialcita (1982-83: 2 titles)
Gil Portes (1983-84: 3 titles)
Tata Esteban (1984: 1 title)

Chito S. Roño (1984-2018: 9 titles)
Elwood Perez (1985-2013: 4 titles)
Emmanuel H. Borlaza (1985: 1 title)
Tikoy Aguiluz (1985-2000: 3 titles)
William Pascual (1986: 1 title)
Abbo Q. dela Cruz (1987: 1 title)
Eddie Garcia (1987: 1 title)
Artemio Marquez (1987-88: 2 titles)
Pepe Marcos (1987: 1 title)
Carlos Siguion-Reyna (1991-98: 4 titles)
Toto Natividad (1992-2017: 7 titles)

J. Erastheo Navoa (1992: 1 title)
Junn P. Cabreira (1993: 1 title)
Augusto Salvador (1993: 1 title)
Alan Chui Chung-San & Yuen Bun (1995: 1 title)
Francis Posadas (1997-99: 2 titles)
Joey del Rosario (1998: 1 title)
Jeffrey Jeturian (1999-2006: 6 titles)
Ike Jarlego Jr. (1999: 1 title)
Jon Red (1999: 1 title)
Olivia M. Lamasan (2000-04: 2 titles)
Joel Lamangan (2001-13: 2 titles)

Jose Javier Reyes (2001-03: 2 titles)
Lav Diaz (2002-13: 3 titles)
Wenn V. Deramas (2003: 1 title)
Mark Meily (2003: 1 title)
Joyce Bernal (2004-09: 2 titles)
Khavn (2005-17: 5 titles)
Auraeus Solito (2005: 1 title)
Emmanuel Dela Cruz (2005: 1 title)
Brillante Mendoza (2007-16: 5 titles)
Cathy Garcia-Sampana (2007: 1 title)
Adolfo Alix Jr. (2007-17: 5 titles)

Joselito Altarejos (2008-9: 3 titles)
Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil (2008-16: 2 titles)
Francis Xavier Pasion (2008: 1 title)
Tara Illenberger (2008-17: 2 titles)
Richard V. Somes (2008: 1 title)
Soxy Topacio (2009: 1 title)
Raya Martin (2009: 1 title)
Vic Acedillo Jr. (2009: 1 title)
Armando Lao (2009: 1 title)
Chris Martinez (2010: 1 title)
John Sayles (2010: 1 title)

Sheron R. Dayoc (2010: 1 title)
Remton Siega Zuasola (2010: 1 title)
Lawrence Fajardo (2011-15: 3 titles)
Marlon N. Rivera (2011: 1 title)
Jade Castro (2011-19: 2 titles)
Brandon Relucio & Ivan Zaldarriaga (2011: 1 title)
Dominic Zapata (2012: 1 title)
Marie Jamora (2012: 1 title)
Arnel Mardoquio (2012: 1 title)
Erik Matti (2013: 1 title)
Hannah Espia (2013: 1 title)

Keith Deligero (2013-18: 3 titles)
Giancarlo Abrahan (2014-19: 2 titles)
Perci M. Intalan (2014: 1 title)
Antoinette Jadaone (2014: 1 title)
Zig Madamba Dulay (2015: 1 title)
Ralston Jover (2015-19: 5 titles)
King Palisoc (2015: 1 title)
Jerrold Tarog (2015: 1 title)
Matthew Abaya (2016: 1 title)
Paolo Villaluna (2016: 1 title)
Louie Ignacio (2016: 1 title)

Jun Lana (2016: 1 title)
Mikhail Red (2016: 1 title)
Arnel Barbarona (2017: 1 title)
Treb Monteras II (2017: 1 title)
Irene Villamor (2018-20: 3 titles)
Jason Paul Laxamana (2018: 1 title)
Roman Perez Jr. (2018: 1 title)
Dan Villegas (2018: 1 title)
Kim Bong-han (2020: 1 title)
Dodo Dayao (2020: 1 title)
Dolly Dulu (2020: 1 title)

Part 3. Forward March

Appendix. An Empirical Exercise

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