The Boy God

(Roco, ang batang bato)

Trash Palace

DVD-R

The Boy God is a strange and wonderful film directed by J. Erastheo Navoa of the Philipines. Dating from 1983 it combines typical Eighties fantasy film excess with a bizarreness which only bad world cinema can provide.

It is a fantasy adventure based on an “avatar” or god who incarnates into physical form to become a chubby young boy who possesses superhuman powers. He must undertake a mystical quest to the distant land of the dead to free his parents who are undertaking some sort of penance for undisclosed sins. (Perhaps there sin was allowing their son to star in this film!)

The journey is a traditional fantasy quest which involves bizarre and unusual creatures, some of which are helpful, others which the child hero must fight and overcome. He enlists a tribe of “little people” to battle a Cyclops and then must fight a dangerous two headed monster but at least he has the aid of a female superhero to win this battle. There are numerous other battles he must fight including defending a village against vampire like creatures, werewolves and an evil scientist. The climax of the tale involves a totally over the top martial arts and gun battle against an evil scientist and his henchmen. This is a rare and unusual title and Trash Palace once again has found a very reasonable copy which includes the original trailer.

This is one of these so-bad-they-are-good films which has the lowest possible special effects budget, delusions of grandeur, quirky acting and a script which is indecipherable. The dubbing is hilarious and the film has a truly eccentric charm. The Boy God is a marvellous example of Filipino cult fantasy cinema and is well worth the price of admission. You will laugh in disbelief from beginning to end.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.1 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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