The antagonistic ghost of Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara (Frighten Barbara to Death) refuses to go in peace. In this 1995 remake of the 1974 cult classic Patayin Mo Sa Sindak Si Barbara, the title character returns to her ancestral home to pay her respects and find closure. Yet Barbara’s late sister Ruth isn’t so happy to see her after all these years apart — in fact, she wants her dead.
Going back to the Philippines doesn’t come easy for Barbara (Lorna Tolentino) after being away for almost a decade. Her move to America was intended to be a permanent one, yet Barbara’s motivation for leaving in the first place is also the reason why she goes back. The movie opens with Barbara watching a degraded videotape from Ruth (Dawn Zulueta) over and over again until her trance-like viewing is interrupted. This almost Lynchian moment contrasts the disturbing plea seen on the tape — Ruth desperately begs Barbara for help — with the idyllic suburban setting outside Barbara’s window.
Frighten Barbara to Death wastes no time pulling out the standard bells and whistles of any classic haunted-house movie. A thunderstorm is in the works, house lights infrequently flicker, and an eerie wind carries home the restless spirit’s groans. It’s only when Barbara tries to help her brother-in-law Nick (Tonton Gutierrez) and her niece Karen (Antoinette Taus) after the funeral does she realize there are more than personal demons haunting this family. Also in accordance with other similar movies, the domestic staff are already aware of the strange goings-on; the spooked housekeeper (Amy Austria) fills Barbara in on Ruth’s behavior as well as her visits to a medium (Anita Linda).
As much as Frighten Barbara to Death is a horror movie, it’s also a gothic love story interwoven with the machinations of teleseryes. Flashbacks reveal Nick was once Barbara’s boyfriend before she temporarily ended things to appease her sister, who threatened to hurt herself if she couldn’t be with Nick. Unfortunately, Barbara’s hasty solution didn’t go as planned; Nick married Ruth, then habitually cheated as a coping mechanism for losing the love of his life. This sordid love triangle finally reaches its peak when Barbara and Nick reunite, though not in the way Ruth’s spirit suspects.
Ruth sets her sinister plan in motion as soon as Barbara is in the picture again. And if she gets her way, Ruth’s entire family will be joining her in the afterlife. This buildup to the fiery finale is measuredly eerie and sprinkled with gaudy but effective thrills. Hair yanked by invisible forces, a child influenced by a haunted dollhouse, and a possessed golf putter are only some of the highlights in Ruth’s reign of terror. And of course, there’s the iconic living doll that’s gotten a demonic facelift since the ‘74 movie. This update of Frighten Barbara to Death is loaded with more visual tricks and treats than the original.
In spite of all the creepy theatrics, séances and demons, the scariest thing about Frighten Barbara to Death is Ruth. Not because she’s a ghost hellbent on revenge, but because of who she was before dying, and how magnified her worst traits are now that she’s an all-powerful spirit. No matter how valid her suspicions about Nick’s fidelity were, Ruth’s outbursts, violence and suicide all suggest a larger problem. There’s likely an undiagnosed mental health condition going on here that the movie never directly addresses. Of course, like many other horrors of yesteryear, the story leaves that up to the audience to decide rather than spelling it out so plainly.
Until the truth is no longer deniable, Barbara refuses to think Ruth could be this vindictive. Especially when she spent a good chunk of her life accommodating Ruth’s every demand and whim. It’s only when Ruth uses her daughter to do her dirty work again does Barbara see her sister for who she’s always been — a selfish person who doesn’t know how to love. The penultimate confrontation between sisters holds a mirror to a family who wantonly takes without giving, and take advantage of others’ sense of obligation.
The conclusion of the ‘74 movie chiefly takes place inside the cramped confines of a shadowy house, whereas the remake opens the space for the sisters’ climactic showdown. Now trapped in a nearly literal pit of hell on a small island, Barbara almost succumbs to her sibling’s untiring bid to take them both down now that she can’t simply destroy her mortal enemy. Frighten Barbara to Death might look like it’s taking the path of least resistance and denying the heroine her catharsis, but when considering what ails Barbara, witnessing someone else’s sacrifice on her behalf is a cogent way of ending everything.
Frighten Barbara to Death is a story with limitless potential as far as reinvention goes. So there’s no surprise when learning the core concept is practically reimagined every couple of years. Each iteration of this unique family feud has something to offer, yet the ‘90s update is revered for its foolhardy execution and successful blowup of the original’s best parts.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
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