A Documentary About the Eraserheads Reunion Show is Coming to Theaters
When it was first announced that cultural phenomenon the Eraserheads were having a one-off reunion show in December 2022, old and new fans scrambled to get tickets to make sure they would be part of history. Outside of pocket corporate shows, the last time local audiences saw the Filipino Fab Four perform live in a huge stage was during Eraserheads: The Final Set at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds all the way back in 2009, so people were understandably hungry to see them play together once again.
As expected, the Ang Huling El Bimbo reunion show was a huge success—sold-out and meaningful as any Eheads fan who was there could attest. The band has gone on to tour together as a group in multiple cities overseas after their big reunion show in Manila.
Unbeknownst to most of the fans, however, there were plenty of dealings and negotiations that went on behind-the-scenes to get the four principal players of the band back together. The band broke up in the early 2000s and the split was supposedly far from amicable, so getting all four of them back to play their immortal hits seemed more a dream than reality.
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Eraserheads Documentary: Combo on the Run
The story of how the band got over their differences to play together again for their fans is the subject of the documentary film Combo on the Run, which will be shown exclusively in theaters this coming March. A synopsis of the film provided by the producers says the film “exclusively shares the untold story of their painful breakup and the difficult but necessary challenges they had to face to get back on stage for their historic reunion in 2022, at a time when the country was grappling with political division and uncertainties.
“Eraserheads: Combo On The Run offers an insightful exploration of how a group of once-disbanded punks came together and provided reprieve to an entire nation while, perhaps unknowingly, embarking on a journey of healing themselves,” it added.
The film is produced and directed by longtime Eraserheads associate Maria Diane Ventura. “This is a comprehensive deconstruction of the band’s mythology, humanity, complex relationship and the lasting mark they left on Filipino culture—one that transcends generations and differences,” she says about the film.
According to Ventura, the project took two years and underwent over 30 reshoots and 58 versions.
“Each interview revealed new layers and complexities, which found us constantly reframing to deepen the narrative,” she says. “Documentaries are a different animal, and I have tremendous respect for documentary filmmakers. It’s such a wild and unpredictable ride because it could go a million different ways.”
Eraserheads: Combo On The Run provides an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the 2022 staging of the Huling El Bimbo reunion concert, featuring rare footage and never-before-seen interviews that reveal intimate details about the band. The film is set to premiere in theaters nationwide starting March 21, 2025.
