Hubo, while making a bid for the viewer's attention via the bold genre, rehashes a tried and tired plot that has been used countless times before. I have no idea why a material as threadbare as this qualified to serve the filmmakers' purposes. The film miserably fails to probe into the lives of its characters, much less the motivations for their actions. Thus, in the case of Dinkee, we only get an idea of his slow descent into insanity through a scene which shows him having flashbacks of his traumatic childhood. The most overexposed yet most underdeveloped character in the film is Carmina, who after being beaten to a pulp still turns to Dinkee for sexual release. Hubo in the final analysis, merely capitalized on sex as a come on. Here it is shown in bits and pieces of nudity, simulated intercourse and coitus interuptus and the blame goes to the director and screenwriter for having exploited such a cheap device for a psychodrama. This is nothing by way of insight, observation or exploration that this film offers nothing but the hollowness of its intentions. Hubo's semiotics borders on the inane and the vulgar. Characters are utterly uninteresting, throughly boring and therefore, not deseving of a single penny's worth of compassion. There's also no worthwhile conflict that unfolds. Come to think of it, Hubo is completely bereft of dramatic potential. The performances are not even impressive although Michael de Mesa admittedly has some good moments as in that scene which shows him brooding in bed. Maria Isabel Lopez's character is mostly a caricature, calculated to lure the male moviegoers. Her performance rests on a shaky notion, and like the rest of the movie, naked and empty.
Directed By: Tata Esteban
Screenplay: Rei Nicandro
Director Of Photography: Ver Dauz
Music: Blitz Padua
Editing: Pat Ramos
Production Design: Steve Paolo
Produced By: FLT Film Productions International And Rare Breed Ltd.
Release Date: August 23, 1985
10:38 AM
Hi Jojo,
Great post, excellently written! It seems like you really hated the movie. How is it compared to Silip? (another movie that you're not very fond of)?
Regards,
RSE
3:30 PM
Thanks a lot Ron! Hubo was huge letdown since I was so impressed with Alapaap. Tata Esteban then redeemed himself in his entry to the 1986 MMFF Salamangkero also starring Michael de Mesa. You're right, I'm not really fond of Silip but Elwood Perez knew how to titillate his audience... I cannot say the same for Tata Esteban. Silip never fancied itself as an adult drama unlike Hubo.
6:41 PM
When I saw the publicity shots and stills of this film back in the mid-80's I was really shocked! You can almost see Maria Isabel Lopez and Michael de Mesa with no plasters at all on their private parts. But the movie was a big disappointment heven't seen the uncut version though.
11:47 AM
Hubo was made to shock moviegoers rather than titilate them. The uncut version offers no extra thrills so it doesn't really make much of a difference.
1:09 AM
i am one of those pipol who cant even try to glimpse this film becoz im not adult during the time it was shown..
Pero nung makaroon ng double program na sinehan, i do watch it but to my dismay, puro cut na yung film and di ko na ma apreciate..
but the first part palang nung movie.. Whew!!! pagpapawisan ka na...
3:07 PM
Most of the films shown at the Manila Film Center are submitted to the Board of Censors for commercial screening in theaters...
7:17 PM
I really like this blog. Because of this blog i was inspired to make one. Here guys, you can also check this out.
http://bravetobenude.blogspot.com/
7:01 AM
Thanks so much Dave!
4:41 AM
Just saw the Italian-dubbed uncut version. Plenty of nudity and sex scenes but it's boring and like you said empty. It's trash and it's the worst kind of trash because it tries to disguise it as art.
5:46 AM
The nudity and sex scenes were unmotivated and didn't help push the narrative forward. Tata Esteban was capable of making an otherwise good picture.. Proof of which would be his feature film debut Alapaap and Flesh Avenue...