"Takut: Faces Of Fear" (2009) – Indonesian Horror

Well, no more slacking off for your Favorite Catgirl Movie Reviewer… I’m back at it once again, and this time out it’s off to Indonesia for the new DVD release of the first film by Brian Yuzna’s Komodo Films project, “Takut: Faces of Fear“.

Synopsis? It goes something like this: “7 directors, 6 stories, 1 emotion – FEAR!

“Show Unit“: A man investigates an intruder in his house only to become the victim of a deadly game of extortion and murder.

“Titisan Naya” aka “Incarnation of Naya“: During her family’s traditional sacred-kris cleansing-ritual a skeptical teenager discovers that her ancestors are not just an old memory.

“Peeper“: A Peeping Tom finds his comeuppance in the backstage of a Wayang Orang dance theater. An exploration of the other meaning of ‘love blinds’ by Ray Nayoan.

“The List“: Boy meets girl. Boy dumps girl. It’s magic, with a twist. A scorned woman engages a “dukun” to use black magic to satisfy her appetites for revenge.

“The Rescue”: The Rescue is a fast-paced chase through an apocalyptic Jakarta inhabited with cannibalistic “sub-humans”. A patrol of mobile brigadier Gegana Special Forces must lead civilian survivors to safety before they are all infected.

“Dara“: One woman, three men. Let the feast begin… Dara is a story about haute cuisine and the lengths to which a beautiful chef will go to in order to satisfy her customers.”

Seems anthology horror is all the rage in Asia these days with plenty of examples from Thailand, HK, Malaysia, and Indonesia to choose from. So why grab this particular film? Well, Brian Yuzna certainly holds a special place in Neko’s heart for his earlier Lovecraft inspired horror efforts “Reanimator” and it’s sequels as well as “From Beyond” so it’s a given that this one could be a slice above the usual Indonesian effort. Add to that the inclusion of the Mo Brothers short “Dara” which I’d been on the lookout for and there was no way I could pass this up.

So what the heck are you waitin’ for? It’s time to “Read On”, o’ Gentle Visitors!

"Rumah Dara" aka "Macabre" (2010) -Indonesian Cannibal Horror

Yeah, yeah….. I just know this girl’s gonna have bad dreams for a few nights…. but even so, I still couldn’t resist the siren call of the latest Indonesian horror goodie to reach my mailbox, “Rumah Dara” or as it’s known practically everywhere else, “Macabre”. Well…. Except for Singapore where your Favorite Catgirl finally managed to snag myself a copy… There it’s simply called, “Darah”. Confused yet? Don’t worry… it gets easier.

Our synopsis for it goes like this: “Adjie (Ario Bayu) and Astrid (Sigi Wimala) will leave for Australia the very next day but before that Adjie wants to meet with his rebel sister, Ladya (Julie Estelle). Their meeting does not run smoothly in the beginning as Ladya keeps blaming Adjie for his past mistakes. After persuasion from Astrid, Ladya agrees to send Adjie off in the airport.

The next day on the way to the airport their journey are interrupted when a beautiful woman called Maya (Imelda Therinne) approached them for help as she has just been robbed and she needed their help to bring her home.

After reaching at her home they are introduced by an elegant and mysterious woman called Dara (Shareefa Daanish). And the sincere and good intentions of Dara is only the beginning of a disastrous outcome. Who is Dara actually? And…. will they be able to escape from this “House of Blood” alive?”

This one promised to be a bit more extreme than the usual Indonesian horror effort, and given that I was a little hesitant at first….. You all know what a timid and tender heart lurks inside this lil’ horror movie lovin’ Catgirl, but I told myself: “Awww…  C’mon…..It’s Indonesian for goodness sake…. How truly nasty could it really be?”

Ummmm… errrr…. well… pretty darn bloody, nasty and downright mean in a true “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” meets “The Hills Have Eyes” sorta way as it turns out….. So, do ya wanna know if it’s your cup of tea as well? Then all you gotta do is “Read On!!” and find out…..

"Air Terjun Pengantin" (2009) – Indonesian Horror

Well… this time out, your Favorite Catgirl’s back in more familiar territory, with the new DVD for the Indonesian Horror film “Air Terjun Pengantin”. Looks to me at first glance to be sorta “Friday the 13th” meets “Cannibal Apocalypse”…. with a dash of the ol’ Indonesian ghost story goodness thrown in for extra added flavor. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now, and finally got my chance to grab a copy…. I’d have watched it long before now, but you all know what a busy, busy lady I’ve been these days…. Thank goodness some free time opened up and let me get to it! Mmmmm!! Crazy cannibals…. Carolyn is just gonna soooo freak out when I set up this one for Movie Nite!! Hehehehe!!

Our synopsis goes like this here: “Tiara (Tamara Bleszynski) wants to get over with her traumatic past and is planning to visit Bride’s Waterfall to release her tension. She invites few of her cousins to join her in this trip. Her boyfriend, Lilo (Kieran Sidhu) and the rest seven people are joining this trip.

Upon arrival the group falls in love with its pristine beach and Tiara is delighted and looking forward to have a good time there. However, their joy does not last very long as few strange incidents occurred in the island. Finally, Lilo reveals that the inhabitants of the island have been massacred by a mysterious person.

Then a mysterious masked man starts to terrorize the island. One by one the trip members are killed with their blood being consumed. What is the motive of the murder? Will Tiara escape for safety from the masked man?”

Oh yeah…. sounds like a slasher film alright… but Neko’s hoping that they went a new direction here and at least tried to put their own mark on the genre…. It’s certainly been a good long time since I saw an original take on that old “teens gone wild, teens get dead” story idea. Will they succeed? Or will this one just remind me of the smell of over-ripe bananas gone waaaay bad?

Let’s all find out! Yep… It’s time to “Read On!!”

“Darah Perawan Bulan Madu” (2009) – Indonesian Ghost/ Horror

A new week, another day off, and another review!! This time out a quick look at one of the horde of Indonesian horror films currently teetering precariously on top of my “To watch” pile next to the DVD player. I swear…. at the rate new stuff arrives at the apartment, I’ll be buried before long.

Our quick synopsis goes like this: “A young gentleman called Putra (played by Restu Sinaga) marries Amira (played by Indah Kalalo) and would like to give the best honeymoon experience for his wife in his privately owned island. However, strange ghostly incidents are haunting them as a newly wed couple.

From an exotic bedroom to a swimming pool filled with excitement to their romantic bathroom and in every corner of the island, a female ghost dressed in a wedding gown is seeking blood debt from the couple.

A dark secret is waiting to be revealed, changing their romantic night into a scary encounter with the ghost. Who is the ghost and why is she terrorizing them?”

Yep…. this sounds pretty much like your standard Indonesian horror effort. It’s been a while since one really wowed me…. is this one gonna be one of those amazing hidden gems your Favorite Cargirl occasionally encounters? Maybe yes…. maybe no. Am I still gonna watch the goofy thing? Yeah….

Guess you’ll just have to stick with me and see how this one stacks up. (C’mon!!…. it’s not like you don’t wanna!! Neko knows you all too well. Hehehehe!!)

So surrender to your secret needs and “Read On”!!

“Paku Kuntilanak” aka “Nail Demon” (2009) – Indonesian Horror

OMG!! She’s BAAAACCK!! Dewi Perssik… Indonesian singer and wannabee actress is coming at us again in her latest Indonesian Horror/ comedy attempt, “Paku Kuntilanak”. Yes… I know, Dewi seems determined to become a movie star even if it kills us…. and worse, this one is a sequel to the utter waste of celluloid, “Setan Budeg”….

Synopsis? Yeah… we got one, and it goes somethin’ like this: “Three corpse hunters Sukun (Edi Brokoli), Obeng (Rizky Mocil) and Odjie (Hardi Fadhilah) have been assigned to search for a kuntilanak that has been reincarnated following the removal of a nail on its head by their superior, Pak Joko (Kiwil).

Pak Joko has been pressurized by his mother to get married in his increasingly old age. He tries to woo his secretary Mona (Chinthyara Alona) but got rejected by her. One day a beautiful lady called Kunti (Dewi Perssik) appears and she is actually the corpse that the hunters have been searching for.

Pak Joko falls in love with her beauty and decides to marry her. The hunters and his secretary try to convince Pak Joko that Kunti is a reincarnated kuntilanak that is seeking revenge against people who have hurted her in the past. Will Pak Joko succeeds in marrying Kunti?”

Sigh…. Dewi Perssik… and that goofy bunch of comedians from “Setan Budeg”… am I really ready to sit through this? Even if it does have a version of the kuntilanak in it? Grrrr!! Alright…alright!! I’ll do it… but only because I like trashy movies sooo darn much!! (Please.. gentle visitors, pray for me!!)

Luckily… the rest of you can simply “Read On” and get the jist of this one without risking the actual viewing of what I’m almost certain will redefine terrible movie entertainment.

“Pintu Terlarang” aka “The Forbidden Door” (2009) – Indonesian Horror/ Suspense

More creepy goodness from Indonesia, this time out your Favorite Catgirl has for you “Pintu Terlarang” aka “The Forbidden Door” by Indonesian director Joko Anwar who also did the quirky neo film-noir/ horror/ hard boiled detective mash up “Kala” aka “Dead Time” back in 2007. Having seen that one, I was struck by it’s oddness and great sense of imagery….. and I can tell you he’s back in fine form with this one as well.

Our synopsis goes: “The life of a successful sculptor (played by Fachri Albar) is turned upside down when he begins receiving mysterious messages from somebody who’s asking for his help.

When he stumbles upon an illegal TV broadcast which offers snuff, he finds out that the person who’s trying to reach him is a 7 year-old boy who has been kept and abused by a vicious couple. As he digs more, he discovers that his wife (played by Marsha Timothy) just might be connected to the whole mystery. Soon he has to decide whether or not to abandon his search and leave the boy to die or to lose everything and everyone he knows.”

This one is definitely strange…. and that’s something coming from this movie lovin’ girl…. Given my tastes in movies, I’ve certainly seen some strange films over the years, but very few that take the idea of such deliberate quirkiness and make it their own.

So what’s the story on this one? Well… by now you know it’s time to “Read On”… so let’s get to it!!

“The Real Pocong” (2009) – Indonesian Ghost/ Horror

Another day closer to Halloween, and we’ve got another creepy Indonesian ghost story for you, “The Real Pocong”. Yep… our favorite “ghost in a sack” is back…. and this time it’s gonna steal away a cute lil’ girl forever!! OMG!!

Our synopsis reads: “Ivan (Ashraf Siclair) and Rini (Nubila Syakieb) have a beautiful child, Laura. After so much time without a house of thier own, finally Ivan has bought a small bungalow out in the forest. But from the first time they step foot in the house, Laura is afraid and feels there is something wrong with the place. Rini presumes than Laura just doesn’t like the lonely house and doesn’t want to live there. Ivan feels Laura just needs some time to adapt to living there. Then a mysterious cat is been found by Laura. With the arrival of this cat, Laura feels more comfortable and forgets her initial fears. One day while sleeping, Laura always hears a song never sang by her mother, Rini. Laura sings this song to Rini for next morning. Rini starts to believe there is something strange happening with Laura. Rini becomes very afraid and becomes upset with Ivan who has hidden the house’s tragic past. He doesn’t believe in bad luck or ghosts, and dismisses her fears as foolish. Laura gets lost on afternoon under wierd circumstances. Rini believes the loss of Laura was caused by supernatural; forces, but Ivan beleives Laura has been kidnapped. Ivan goes to report to police. After Ivan goes, Rini calls in a Paranormal to help find Laura. However the Paranormal is too weak to battle against the evil spirit that haunts the house…. What can be done to save Laura from, “The Real Pocong”?”

Yep…. creepy ghosts just seem to haunt Indonesia everywhere. And…. from this lil’ Catgirl’s perspective, that’s a good, good, thing!! It means oodles and oodles of ghost stories for lil’ ol’ me to enjoy, and plenty of opportunities to tell you all about them… so by all means, Gentle Visitors, it’s time to “Read On” !

“Kuntilanak Kamar Mayat” (2009) – Indonesian Ghost/ Horror

Another day… and another creepy Halloween goodie for you all! This time, from Indonesia, another of those scary ghost stories this lil’ Catgirl just can’t get enough of, “Kuntilanak Kamar Mayat”.

Our quick synopsis reads: “Andini is a young female college student. Lately, she has been having very vivid dreams about her sister, Miranda, who works as a hospital nurse. Soon the dreams begin to grow into frightening apparitions. In fear that something terrible may have happened to her, several of Andini’s college friends join together to help to search for news of Miranda. After talking with a woman named Vivian, who lives in Miranda’s residence and works with her in the hospital, she finds out a surprising truth about her sister. The reason Miranda left home with little warning, is because she is pregnant.

After talking with Vivian, Andini went to see another of Miranda’s coworkers, Dr. Indra. He has also been plagued by disturbing visions after having last seen his coworker Miranda. The visions include the appearance of an apparition in the hospital morgue that he thought was a Kuntilanak. He now believes that the kuntilanak is not only real, but is stalking him.

Can the friends discover what has happened to Miranda before it is too late for her and maybe for them too!”

Sounds good! Haunted morgue…. scary pregnant women ghosts getting revenge….. It’s been a while since we got to see what the nasty ol’ Kuntilanak was up too, so what are we all waiting for? Let’s all  “Read On”!!

“Mati Suri” (2009) – Indonesian Ghost/ Horror

Well… while wading through the avalanche of DVD’s in my recent “To Watch” pile, this Indonesian one finally caught my eye again. The cover is certainly striking with it’s neat “skull illusion” thingee…. So naturally it moved right up to the top of the pile…. (and they say that what sells a movie more than anything else is a decent bit of poster art.. I guess they’re right….)

Our synopsis goes like this: “In the days leading up to her wedding, Abel (played by Nadine Chandrawinata) is visited at her home by a pregnant woman, Lisa, who claims she’s carrying the child of her fiance, Wisnu (Yama Carlos). Shocked by this revelation, Abel feels utterly betrayed and decides to kill herself. She fails in her suicide attempt and falls into a coma for a time.

Now troubled and depressed, she is comforted by her best friend, Charlie (played by Keith Foo), who asks her to take some time off at a rundown mansion he owns well away from Jakarta and her problems. Strange events begin to occur as it seems the house is haunted by apparitions of the dead. Something from Abel’s brief brush with death seems to be following her and the only way she can escape it is if she dies once again.”

Hmmmm? Well that sounds all pretty standard for an Indonesian ghost film. But Neko lives in hope for that creepy lil’ gem that will rival my favorite Indonesian horror film, “Kuntilanak”, and with that film’s director Rizal Mantovani on board for this one as well, maybe this one is finally gonna be the one!! Let’s all “Read On” and find out… shall we?

“Hantu Jamu Gendong” (2009) – Indonesian Ghost/ Horror

An absolutely whacking biiiiig ol’  package arrived this week from Indonesia….. my long awaited chunk of DVD’s from that part of the world, having spent some time kicking about somewhere in the Pacific and nearly presumed lost. It seems that the “Mystical Fairies of Cheesy Movies” love me this month and they made it here safe and sound. (Luckily I also happened to be equipped with a plate of yummy cookies that day to reward the Mailman for schlepping them all the way up to my apartment as the box was waaaay too big to fit my mailbox…. Yay!!)

The synopsis we have reads like follows: “Directed by Koya Pagayo (“Hantu Ambulance”, “Lewat Tengah Malam”), the movie revolves around a beautiful, sexy ghost known as Hantu Jamu Gendong who betrays her friends. Kafka never believed in ghost, but somehow he always gets the chance to see the ghost with her medicine basket wandering the streets thinking that she’s human. Later on, Kafka and his two friends, Meisya and Andien feel something amiss when she always appears to be around them.”

Hmmmm… not bad, given that I had to get my translations direct from the Indonesian…. but hey, look at the poster!! Freaky skull headed ghosts in flowered robes always get this lil’ Catgirl’s attention. Unfortunately, with Indonesian or Malay films that doesn’t actually give you any guarantee that the movie will be anything like that….

Still…. the movie was inexpensive and I’m such a crazy lil’ doofus for these, so let’s all “Read On” and find out if it’s a good one or a real stinker, shall we?