Halloween is over. And it seems many Pinoys agree: host and “eventologist” Tim Yap served the best celebrity Halloween costume this spooky season.
Yap delighted Pinoys when he transformed him as Lilia Cuntapay, the Queen of Philippine horror movies, at the Shake, Rattle And Ball event held at the Natural Museum of Anthropology on October 30.
He said the costume is a tribute to Cuntapay, who Yap describes as “a teacher, a mother and an actress known for her countless roles in Philippines cinema” as various mythological and supernatural characters.
Yap further shared: “Was able to work with her many, many years ago when I was active on print. She was always portrayed in a scary way so I decided to shoot her in a prom special, wearing pretty designer dresses. One designer didn’t quite appreciate me putting her in his threads, but oh well.”
“Every now and then, she would message me to ask if we had any project we could work on. Well, after many years, Nana Lilia, I hope you’re seeing this from heaven seeing that your work is remembered and appreciated.”
Cuntapay was perhaps best known for playing a menacing yaya in the 1991 horror film “Shake, Rattle & Roll III” with Kris Aquino. Since then, she was often tapped to play horror and supernatural characters in movies and television shows.
In 2011, she starred in the film “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay,” for which she won the Best Actress award at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival.
She passed away in 2016.
Yap’s costume allowed Pinoys to reminisce about the horror films from the 1990s, with many remembering how Cuntapay scared them in her movies.
“She used to scare the sh** out of me in her movies! and that is the hallmark of a great character actor!” one Instagram user said.
“Galing, favorite ko din to pag horror movie, nakakatakot pag andyan si Ms. Lilia,” a Facebook user wrote.
Others can’t believe how well Yap managed to capture the look of the essence of Cuntapay in his costume.
“You are the Heidi Klum of the Philippines, Tim. Hands down winner of best in Halloween costume year in year out,” another Facebook user said.