| UK exploitation label Mondo Macabro has put out a high quality transfer (from a rare negative of the film) and includes the infamously badly-dubbed version of the film and the proper Tagalog dialogue track complete with the haunting score which is noteworthy for beautifully re-contextualizing several of the sex scenes within the film, giving them a sort of horror (rather than titillating vibe). A note on the disc makes a convincing case to avoid the dubbed version due to poorly translated dialogue and crappy stock score elements. It is noteworthy that this was the version that the rest of the world was more or less familiar with under the suggestive title “Daughters of Eve” on the US VHS release and occasionally seen distributed on ratty bootleg VHS with Greek subtitles. If nothing else, this is a telling case for seeing international cinema in the original form, not some chopped up hack-job from a make-a-buck-quick entrepreneur who decides what his customers thinks they want. Mondo Macabro does a bang-up job here on the restore, even if they couldn’t resist the urge to put the misleading label “Asian Erotica – Raw and Untamed” on the front cover.
The bonus 2nd platter is rounded out with an essay of Filipino Bold Cinema and lengthy (meaning substantial) interviews with director Elwood Perez, star Maria Isabel Lopez and art director Afredo Santos, all of whom not only speak candidly, but also in speak fluent English. While not as insane as the reel shown at Fantasia this year in front of Zibahkhana, the 7 minute preview/collage of other Macabro titles is always worth a look for the batshit insanity on display in their particular cinematic niche, one that Silip surprisingly transcends. |
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