Zombadings!?

"Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings" received high praise in a review in Friday's New York Times ("Weekend Arts"), October 25.  The review is on the page with a bunch of other movie reviews, the page that I usually scan quickly and go on, but a completely new and outlandish (also very clever) word caught my attention: "Zombadings."  It is part of the title of the new "Filipino horror comedy." Trust a Filipino, in this case writer-director Jade Castro, to invent a term that is fun and catchy and linguistically ingenious.  Filipinos are great at bi-lingual puns.  According to the reviewer (Jeannette Catsoulis) the film lives up to its intriguing title.  It is funny, ghoulish, and (horrors) meaningful all together.  There's a sex change curse, a serial killer, and lots of satire.  The movie pokes fun at the zombie genre, but much more importantly at homophobia.  Apparently viewers will be treated to repetitions of just about every stupid anti-gay-and-lesbian slur, which is in itself laughable, dumb(ading) laughable.     

My compliments to the reviewer and the NYT for taking proper notice of Filipino movies.  Filipinos have long had a love affair with Hollywood.  Judging from "Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings," they evidently have graduated from admiring and imitating to creating something new and their own.  The reviewer concludes with a mild warning that this film may not be for everyone, but she adds that its "exuberance and warmth of spirit are irresistible."  Netflix maybe?

Final thought.  Filipinos are notably welcoming to the gay and lesbian community, something I have noticed in the past in their art and literature.  Another reason to pay them closer attention.