A decade after the implementation of the VHSCC policy ? no violence, horror, sex and counter-culture elements on TV and in cinemas ? horror movies are making a comeback to the big screen. FARIDUL ANWAR FARINORDIN writes.
GHOSTS are haunting the local film industry and film-makers are laughing all the way to the bank. Yes, ?hantus? are more popular than they have ever been in the last three decades.
If these restless souls have had to minimise their on-screen presence in the past, this year will see them making an even bolder appearance in all their gory glory.
Indeed, their presence in movies today is no longer confined to dream sequences or flashbacks, as it was in the past, due to tight censorship.
Director Shuhaimi Baba was the first to fully benefit from this development with her movie Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2, released late last year, which saw the angry spirit of a woman seeking revenge in physical conditions we never thought possible before.
With scenes that previously would have ended up on the cutting room floor now approved for viewing, film-makers are reclaiming their creative freedom, as reflected in this year?s line-up of netherworld movies.
According to Finas (National Film Development Corporation) assistant director of research N. Balaraman, four films that fall into the suspense/horror category have been submitted for release this year.
They include Gong, produced by Grand Brilliance Sdn Bhd (GBSB), Chermin (Starry Eye Productions Sdn Bhd), Zombi Kampung Pisang (Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd) and Puaka Tebing Biru (Tayangan Unggul).
There are also a few movie projects in this genre that are underway, including Susuk (GBSB), Jari Hantu (Pesona Pictures) and The Red Kebaya (L?Agenda Productions). Finas, however, doesn?t have the exact number of films that are in pre-production.
What is certain is that more suspenseful and gripping tales from the other side are now regarded as lucrative film projects.
What prompted Malaysian ghosts to make a comeback was perhaps the immense success of Japanese and Korean horrors, with films such as Ju-On, The Tale of Two Sisters, The Phone and The Wig.
(Incidentally, Thai horror movie Long Khong, debuted at the local box-office chart at No. 1 in January.)
Then comes the more significant turning point in the industry: The National Censorship Board, dubbed our ?moral guardian? and known for its ?scissors-happy? tendencies, seems to have loosened its tight grip on these creatures of the night.
Since the review of the Film Act (1971) and the implementation of the VHSCC policy a decade ago (under which violence, horror, sex and counter-culture elements were banned on TV and cinema), filmmakers found their creative freedom being curbed.
Among others, the policy ruled out elements of the supernatural, ghosts, black magic or witchcraft as they were deemed sacrilegious. The implementation of this guideline was seen by industry players as merciless.
But at a film launch event in April last year, National Censorship Board chairman Datuk Shaari Mohd Nor expressed his commitment to work closely with local filmmakers to bring suspense flicks back to the cinema.
?From now on, we will open our doors and provide consultations, including script-vetting, to help directors and producers achieve their cinematic visions in the suspense/horror genre. We will be more flexible in implementing the guidelines to benefit the industry,? he said.
Signs that the Censorship Board was shedding its draconian past began to show a year earlier, when it allowed Shuhaimi?s Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam to be released ? albeit with a few cuts. The movie was the country?s first horror flick in more than 30 years.
At that time, Shuhaimi was still cautioned against showing too much blood and portraying the undead rising from the grave, among others. She also had to re-write the script no less than five times as a result of her regular consultations with the Censorship Board.
But with the release of the film?s sequel (PHSM2), she could breathe a sigh of relief. One thing?s for sure, the ?pontianak?s? bumpy ride from the grave to the silver screen seems to be well and truly over.
Hot on the heels of Pontianak is the chilling story of Puaka Tebing Biru, directed by Osman Ali. Produced by Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd. It tells the story of family ties, betrayal, inheritance and deception. Ghostly apparitions come in the form of a long-haired woman and a child.
According to Osman, the script for Puaka was submitted to Censorship Board prior to shooting last year. ?It seemed that there are a lot of things that we can do now, based on the achievements made by PHSM2. However, there is still a guideline we have to follow.
?What?s certain is that film-makers can now work around the guideline without compromising on the story. We need to be smart about it; the way we present our story is more important than what we put in it.?
Despite this understanding, Osman said he has made alternative shots for some of the scenes. ?In case the original version is cut, we can replace it with a ?safer? back-up shot. I can?t afford to re-shoot them. To me, that?s one of the challenges of making a movie in this genre.?
Tayangan Unggul is also releasing a horror/comedy feature, Zombi Kg. Pisang, written and directed by Mamat Khalid.
?It is the grey area in the film guideline that has allowed me to bring Malaysian zombies to the silver screen. A sensitive filmmaker knows how to work within these boundaries and still come up with a good movie. I don?t see everything in black and white,? said Mamat.
Adding that this development would only challenge filmmakers to be ?more creative?, Mamat explained that Zombi would not include ?sensitive? scenes that would be frowned upon by the Censorship Board.
?Just wait and see,? was all he would offer, though.
Currently undergoing dubbing, the movie revolves around ordinary kampung folks who are gripped by panic, fear and confusion following a series of mysterious illness that turn people into zombie-like creatures.
Movie lovers will get a chance to see Amir Muhammad?s first supernatural/horror commercial release with Susuk, co-directed by Iranian-born documentary film-maker Naeim Ghalili and produced by GBSB.
A chilling story about traditional beauty paraphernalia with mystical powers, the RM1 million production is currently being filmed around the country. It stars Ida Nerina as an ageing celebrity who plans to make a comeback.
?There?s no hantu as such in Susuk. Evil here comes in the form of what people do,? said Amir, who is also the screenwriter. He added that the script has been re-written seven times to make the story tighter.
For the uninitiated, wearing susuk involves inserting charmed precious items (such as gold and diamond) under the person?s skin to enhance his or her looks. However, Amir stressed that viewers will not be able to see how it is done. ?We only give an idea and focus on its mystery and sensuality.?
GBSB is also banking on Gong, the RM1.8 million suspense/thriller set entirely in Jogjakarta, Indonesia. However, according to GBSB senior manager (film distribution & international programming sales) Fadzil Manap, its release date has been pushed to the first quarter of next year.
?The script for Gong was first drafted in 2004, back when there were still a lot of uncertainties with regards to guidelines in making a horror movie. We were told not to present counter-culture elements (ideologies, views and images that may be ?detrimental? to our culture), so we set the film in Indonesia instead.?
He said Gong is a ?trial-and-error project? for GBSB. The film, he said, contains horror elements that don?t originate from our culture. ?This way, we play it safe. From this experience, we are now more aware of our perimeters in making a suspense/horror movie.?
Gong is about a group of students who participates in a student exchange programme with an Indonesian college. After experiencing a series of paranormal activities in their house, they embark on a journey to solve the mystery.
With Chermin, its director Zarina Abdullah hopes to revive the suspense/thriller/horror genre. A graduate of the New York Film Academy, Chermin is her directorial debut.
?I have an understanding of the guideline for horror movies, based on what PHSM has gone through. So when our script was approved for the Finas film loan, I already had an idea how I was going to make the film. To me, it involves self-censorship.?
Chermin is about a woman who is a victim of a powerful curse which sends her spirit to live inside a mirror. Kept by a family who tries to hide its hideous past, the mirror returns to haunt the family seven generations later, no thanks to a family member.
So here?s to the pontianak, toyol, jerangkung, polong and zombies out there. Welcome back!
Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/ ... index_html
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