==THE PHILIPPINES==

While it is true that the state of Filipino cinema has evolved through the years, there still are, and probably will always be, bad movies. These movies are so formulaic and banal that they are not even worth the film they were printed on. Generally, bad Filipino movies fall under these categories:
1. --- Cycle of Retribution. This type has become the standard for virtually all Filipino action films. The premise is this: the rich and powerful antagonist commits a wrong against the protagonist (i.e. he annihilates the hero's entire family) and consequently, the hero is driven to seek vengeance. This theme has been so overused that it becomes no big surprise when the lone hero enters headquarters of the bad guy and nonchalantly kills everybody inside. There is no intellectual stimulation here, and the director often adds a generous helping of sex to keep the males in the audience interested.
2. --- Trash comedy. The secret to successful comedy is to use comedy in a subtle manner. This maxim needs to be taught to the directors of comedy films. This type of film uses so much gratuitous and predictable vulgarity that the "film for all ages" is suddenly given an R rating. One of the worst examples of this is the Leo Martinez film "Ang Batangenyong Kabitenyo." There is a scene where Leo Martinez has his back to the audience, and his pants are undone. His girl classmates flock around him and ask for a piece of what he's got. I found the movie offensive, obnoxious, and downright awful. There are other things in this world which people can laugh about, but this trash is certainly not one of them.
3. --- In a Word, Sex. A plot if not really necessary for this type of film. The audience could watch the film without sound and still get their money's worth. Put simply, this film is about a voluptuous rose which almost every male in the film desires to pollinate. Also, it could be about a drop-dead handsome hunk who seems to be totally irresistible to several eager and willing females. There is no depth in this type of garbage, and there is no artistic message which the director wishes to impart. Logically speaking, since sex sells, put more sex in a film to make it a surefire blockbuster. Also, the more controversial this type of film is, the better its chances of being a hit. The word "decency" becomes totally inapplicable to this type of trash.
In all these categories, ", "love, sex, and violence" become the producer's creed. To Hades with social responsibility--the bottom line is how much money the film makes, and all other considerations are set aside. But, speaking as a humble watcher of films and solid couch potato, I think that this should not be the case.
Used properly, sex should translate into a beautiful expression of love between two people, and violence should become a powerful medium of expressing intense emotion. Films should not be made on the foundation of these two things--rather, sex and violence should be the means towards the end, and not the end itself. A truly good director should have a message he or she wishes to impart, and through the storyline of the movie this message must be successfully imparted to the audience. An action film should not be about start-to-finish-blood-and-gore. It should stir feelings of excitement and breathless wonderment from the audience, and it should show the dynamic way through which the protagonist overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds. A comedy film does not need to be so lacking in refinement that it becomes offensive to people. I believe that the Filipino audience is intelligent enough to laugh at the profoundly simple things in life. A film about sex should not capitalize on it. Instead, it should use sex as an instrument to express intense love and pent up emotion.
In all these cases, the films should have a message with social relevancy, and it should not be a retelling of things already known. But, truthfully speaking, I can see why so many people in the film industry are reluctant to walk the road not taken. It is difficult to hope that the state of Filipino cinema will improve when Filipinos flock to watch "Andrew Ford Medina" and completely avoid a critically acclaimed film like "Sakay." This poses an extraordinary challenge to Filipino filmmakers today. Not only do they have to make a film which the average Filipino will be willing to spend his money on, they must also make a movie which has something important to say. If a director can make a film with vulgarity, nudity, and violence, and yet manage to move the audience to tears, then the task of the director has been accomplished.