Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (Jade Castro, 2011)

Here, Beki Beki! Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington Film Review

by Jerrick J. David and Gil Mariano M. Razon

Coming out of the controversies within the issues of mainstream versus independent exhibition, Origin8’s Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (Jade Castro, 2011) garners acclaim from its intriguing previews and peer reviews. The film may have raced on its internal quality — its narrative and concept, design, theme, cinematic cues — rather than queuing in alongside the mainstream practice of racing for star quality. The film garners acclaim in various circles, most of which are simulated over blogs and social networking and online peer exchanges. 

Zombadings 1 admittedly tackles issues of gender and sexuality towards a newer perspective. It seems reflective and, at the same time, speculative of “curing” homophobia out of a (strictly) heterosexual populace. It plays and mixes on the supposedly understood local genres: horror, romance, tongue-in-cheek humor, and most importantly, family drama—for it legitimizes the forwarding of a revisionist, yet utopic, family (accountably social) resolution.

The film opens with an ordinary day in Lucban, Quezon. Young Remington (Martin Escudero), like a walking gaydar, bursts his alarm with deliberate homophobic remarks to gay cross-dressers, effeminates, and (suspected) closeted ones, yelling, “Bakla! Bakla!” (Gay! Gay!) Heavily offended by such degradingly-toned remarks, Pops (Roderick Paulate) curses the boy: “…’Pag laki mo, magiging bakla ka!” (When you come of age, you shall become gay!)

When Remington reaches his 21st birthday, he begins to experience successive nightmares about a gay deity who gradually “converts” him to becoming a homosexual--speaking in Baklese (gay lingo) and turning him effeminate. His transformation brings forth further problems. His sexual identity now stands in conflict with Hannah (Lauren Young), the girl he sets his heart out to and corollarily, his attraction towards his best friend, Jigs (Kerbie Zamora), begins to become sexual (if not romantic). In addition, this transformation further escalates the narrative conflict because the town is haunted by a series of murder targeting gays in the community with the use of a killing gaydar machine.

Remington, facing the gradual (and horrifying, as it appears) changes, feels threatened. He confronts Pops and demands reversal of the curse. The killer’s identity is soon revealed. It happens to be someone within Remington’s not-so-distant degree circle. It is Suarez (Daniel Fernando), Ed's (John Regala, Remington's father) kumpare (closest friend), who harbors extreme hatred towards homosexuals.

Upon revelation of his identity, Suarez murders Pops. Pops’ apprentice then summons the bodies of the gay victims to avenge their deaths. They become Zombadings (gay zombies) who roam the town in search of this homophobic murderer and killing those who have wronged them along the way, as well.

Zombadings out for revenge

Zombadings 1 is advertised as pro-gays. It seeks to empower gays by giving them a movie which they can own, where their pains and struggles are focused on. Just like the heterosexual protagonist/hero in action flicks, they claim justice upon those who have wronged them on their own and not be accountable for it. Aside from that, it literally places the heterosexual lead into the homosexual’s shoes, making him feel what is like to be gay and experience the same ridicule and condescension it gets from the heteronormative society.

Unfortunately, as big as its pro-gays claim, the film can also be seen as anti-gays. It seems to understand homosexuality in its popular iconic (and mostly stereotypic) levels only. Once killed using the gaydar machine, the gays transform into a Diana Ross lookalike prompting the investigators to label the case “Diana Rose”. It utterly forwards a claim that the killing of homosexuals is synonymous to forcing them “out of the closet” or stripping them off of all their pretentions. On the other hand, Remington’s transformation is visually interpreted as a transformation from “manliness” to “effeminacy”. It purports an image of “gayness” and positions the discourse of (homo)sexuality to a mere superficial, popular, stereotype resource. It leans towards the effeminate ones rather than the representing the general population of gays.

With that said, if such machine truly existed, could gays be really determined with the use of it? The film seems to do so only on a superficial level. It seems to have focused itself on gays who are effeminates and cross-dressers when, in reality, one can be as straight looking and acting as any heterosexual man and be gay. There are others, too, who may act and look effeminate, but is heterosexual. In this aspect, as what Jessica Zafra (August 24, 2011) suggests in her article, gaydars are unreliable. One should never label people as gay based on the way they act or look. Such labeling seems to become problematic not only to gay community who are boxed inside stereotypical behaviors, but to heterosexual people, as well, whose ideas about being gay are challenged.

In the Philippines, according to J. Neil Garcia’s book, Philippine Gay Culture: Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM (2008), the term “bakla” alone is problematic because it doesn’t cater to all homosexuals in the country. Not every gay person is comfortable enough to use such term since it carries stigma along with it. In his article (2004), Garcia defines “bakla” as the effeminate, cross-dressing gays who are sexually attracted to straight (macho) men. On the contrary, straight men who have sexual relationships with them are not considered bakla. By such definition alone, the film’s gaydar could be in for a lot of confusion if standards are not defined clearly. (For more on Garcia’s theories, refer to his book. For a related post of mine, read this.)

Further gay stereotypes are catered throughout the film. For instance, the town mayor expresses her alarmed stance on the killings. “Limang parlor na ang nagsara (Five parlors have already closed down)," she says. "Bukod sa mababait ang mga kababayan nating third sex, they only bring beauty, joy, and laughter wherever they go. (Aside from being kind, gays bring beauty, joy, and laughter wherever they go.)” Ed, on the other hand, equates gays with beauty pageants bringing laughter to those who watch them. The film seems to agree on the stereotypical homosexual views of the heterosexuals. They have been delegated them to bringing “joy, beauty, and laughter” to the community, negating whatever human qualities they have. In the end the film has stayed in line with such arguments by making Zombadings the designers of the town’s Zombreros, making their existence conditional as if to say, "Okay lang maging bakla basta may pakinabangan (It's all right to be gay so long as they make contributions to the society)." How many times have we heard of such statements from people who seem to tolerate gays so long as they met their conditions? Has such conditions been given to heterosexuals?

Zombadings 1 is portrayed as pro-gays. With such bias in mind, impartiality could already be questioned. It seems obvious that one's side will be highlighted more than the other. It positions the heterosexual male characters as rude and politically incorrect. They are the villains and whatever they say is wrong, nonsensical, and insignificant. (Evidently shown by the scene where Suarez’s statements against gays is drowned by the band behind him. Wrong or not, shouldn’t they be heard, too? How could there be an understanding between two groups if one shuts the other out?) The narrative poses a picture of tug-of-war, demoting the conflict to mere two-sides: a heads-on match between the heterosexual and the homosexual.

The film seems to have no clear heterosexual male models. Ed (the father) is a bum who attends to their carinderia while his wife (Janice de Belen) works as a police officer/investigator. Suarez and Serg (Leandro Baldemor) are homophobes. If not seen drinking during mid-day, they kill the gays at night. Even Remington and his friends are not to be relied upon except during drinking sessions. These men (John, Daniel, and Leandro) who were the epitome of machismo in their previous movies are made to look pathetic and incompetent.

 Janice de Belen (left) as a policewoman; Odette Khan (right) as the mayor

However, given such situation, the film could never be described as anti-patriarchy or anti-men. For starters, its women such as the town mayor and the policewomen are made to look like men, donning barong, acting butch, and looking tough. By its conclusion it’s still a (straight) man who reverses the curse by becoming gay, saving the town from further mayhem. (Ed saves his son Remington from the curse.) According to the malicious spirit who was the curse's source, only a (straight) man could sacrifice himself for the well-being of another individual. It seems to suggest that women and gays only play second to them.

The filmmakers may argue that they only have worked behind the confines of the comedy genre. Most of the times, comedy tends to veer towards stereotypes in order to get its humor across. However, a good comedy doesn’t need to rely on the limitations of the genre. It can do away with typical characterizations and yet still be funny and sensitive to its audience at the same time. While the film is admittedly hilarious and affecting, according to Nick Tiongson, a film scholar and critic, we should be wary of this kind of films for it masks its ideologies behind the laughter, making us unaware of what ideologies it truly teaches.

Moreover, in this day where people seem to be interested in everyone’s sexuality, one shouldn’t be forced to come out just to satisfy everyone’s curiosity. For in the end, it is the outed person alone who will bear the consequences of his actions such in the case of the film where outing someone means death of/for him.



References:
Cruz, Oggs. “Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (2011).” Lessons from the School of Inattention. N.p. 31 08 2011. Web. 21, March 2012.
Garcia, J. Neil C. "Male Homosexuality in the Philippines: a short history." I I A S N E W S L E T T E R2004th ser. 35 (2004): 13. Print.
Garcia, J. Neil C. Philippine Gay Culture: From Binabae to Bakla, Silahis to MSM. University of the Philippines Press, 2008.
Zafra, Jessica. "It’s happened. Indie movie Zombadings beats Star Cinema. (Updated with stairway)."Jessica Rules the Universe. N.p., 03 09 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.
Zafra, Jessica. "Notes on the Bakla Undead, Part 1."InterAksyon News5. N.p., 16 08 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.
Zafra, Jessica. "Notes on the Bakla Undead, Part 2-Gaydars are unreliable."InterAksyon News5. N.p., 24 08 2011. Web. 21 March 2012.