Vulcan (1997): A Strange New World

Dave checks out a rare family friendly flick from Filipino master Cirio Santiago.

“Just this week I counted up all the films that I did with him and there are forty-five! Roger has a catalogue of over four hundred films. My work represents 10% of it!” [1]

A remarkable stat, straight from the mouth of Filipino filmmaking legend Cirio H. Santiago.

Santiago started working with Roger Corman on Jack Hill’s women-in-prison classic, The Big Doll House (1971), before taking the directorial reins for mercenary masterpiece Savage! (1973). He was still churning out low-budget wonders for the The King of the Bs in the last year of his life, up until he was taken ill on the set of Water Wars (2014) after only a few days in 2008, which led to Jim Wynorski being flown out to the Philippines to replace him.

Despite the diversity and range of Santiago’s work for Corman – especially in respect to the censor baiting nature of it – VULCAN remains a curiosity, what with it being the sole live-action family picture that the Tagalog filmmaker made – one, no less, that leaves you wishing that he made more.

Pedring (Tom Taus) is a put upon kid who instantly sparks pangs of sympathy. Living with his mother, Seling (Amy Austria), and his abusive stepfather, Ted (a fearsome Nick Nicholson), the eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo puts them danger – although for Pedring, it serves as the unexpected birth of an unusual friendship. Exposed by the natural disaster, the boy discovers a centuries-old egg about to hatch that spawns an affable pterodactyl that he christens Vulcan. Such is the extraordinary nature of this Jurassic buddy that the bird becomes an immediate prize for a money-hungry crook, Greg Mitchum (Vernon Wells), who’s deep in debt to the nefarious Vince Baxter (Robert Vaughn). Naturally, the feelings of a luckless young tyke won’t be spared in order to bag the hoodlums their bounty – but the presence of wily reporter Charlie ‘CJ’ Jacobs (Diana Barton), gives Pedring hope that they can guide Vulcan to safety, and evade the threat of capture.

As with many DTV family flicks, ‘family-orientated’ must be treated with a degree of discretion. For the most part, Vulcan fits that billing with wide-eyed wonder. However, an opening sequence where a live boar is shot in the head with an arrow warrants caution, as does the beating that Pedring receives off ‘fungus face’ Ted.

Nevertheless, on the whole Santiago’s film is a sheer delight, capturing the exuberance, enthusiasm and sense of adventure that all great children’s movies do, and demonstrating a dexterity that will engage kids and grown-ups alike. Much of that success has to be attributed to the creature design, with sixteen puppeteers on-hand to ensure a pleasing combination of stop-motion and puppetry for the titular Vulcan, with Jim Faustino leading the team and Roderick Banares showing real skill with his Harryhausen-esque élan.

Now a disc jockey in Hollywood performing under the name ‘DJ Tommy T’, Taus enjoyed brief career in front of the camera which included a role in William Mesa’s fun monster movie, DNA (1996). Vulcan has him play the starry-eyed lead with a sweet naivety, and Austria and Barton are ideal supports. The narrative wobbles a little with the inclusion of Vaughn, which seems an afterthought to boost the film’s American appeal – although Wells is admirable as the man who connects both strands of the plot.

Philippines/USA ● 1997 ● Family ● 82mins

Tom Taus, Amy Austria, Vernon Wells, Diana Barton, Robert Vaughn ● Dir. Cirio H. Santiago ● Wri. Joe Mari Avellana, Cirio H. Santiago