“Seru” (2011) – Malay Ghost/ Horror

Time for a review of yet another of the “Shaky Cam” horror films that this wee Catgirl can’t seem to escape from lately. This time out, I’m taking a look at Malaysia’s contribution to the genre, 2011’s “Seru”. About time we got one of these from this part of the world…. the basic “low budget” premise seems perfectly suited for them.

Our synopsis… sounding somewhat familiar by now… goes like this: “Seru” follows a production team in the midst of shooting when many strange things start to take place, affecting the crew members until eventually someone is murdered. When assistant director Sari gets hysterical and makeup artist Julia collapses, things start to get haywire. Not long after, Julia disappears into the forest and the rest head out to find her. As the crew members get taken out one at a time by a vengeful entity, the reason behind the whole event is uncovered.”

Hmmmm? Can’t be tooooo darn many more of these lurking out there now can there? Anyway…. the Trailer for this one actually looks pretty darn creepy, so who knows? Maybe it’ll be the Malaysians who knock this wee Catgirl’s socks off with some real scares and prove that a movie doesn’t have to be a big expensive “Blockbuster” to do the job a good horror film is supposed to do.

So… get yourselves ready Gentle Visitors, as we travel into the jungles of the Malay peninsula to see if the Hantu have what it takes to scare us silly…

“Hantu Bonceng” (2011) – Malay Ghost/ Comedy

Time to dive head first into that big pile of Malay DVD’s that are collecting here at my apartment with a look at another recent Ghost/ Comedy, 2011’s “Hantu Bonceng”. Lately Malaysia has been very good to this lil’ Catgirl, delivering a number of simple, but solid little films that I’ve really enjoyed with a mix of supernatural hi-jinx, romance, and even a few laughs sprinkled in with the ghosts and ghouls, so I was hoping for more of the same this time out.

The synopsis reads like this: “Hantu Bonceng” revolves around Amran (Zizan Raja Lawak) a delivery boy who often races in illegal drag races. It all started when Amran wins a race and is given a girl as his prize for winning the race. The girl rode with Amran to the port but Amran’s bike was hit by the lorry after a turn in the junction. The girl died on the spot while Amran was brought to the hospital. The incident forces Amran to change as the ghost of the dead lady keeps haunting him every night. Amran feels the tension and asks his best friend Kunyit (Taiyuddin Bakar) for help.”

So… all of the usual elements are present and that bodes well, but as always… I have to watch it to find out if it really measures up. Think maybe you might want to search out your own copy? Hmmmmm? Better let this wacky Catgirl go first and tell you whether this one shines or just plain stinks…..

“Rasuk” 2011 – Malaysian Ghost/ Horror

This time out, a look a one from the big ol’ pile of Malay horror films that have been showing up in my mailbox the last month or so. “Rasuk”… which if my researches is correct, translates to “Possessed” or something along those lines. (Psst!! Any of my Gentle Visitors with a better grasp of Bahasa Malaysia can chime in anytime if I’ve messed that up and I’ll fix it… Hehehe!!)

Our synopsis for it reads: “Arman (Iqram Dinzly) and Melati (Fouziah Ghous) move to an old Malay bungalow that has been built during the Japanese occupation era. They want to escape from the hustle and bustle of city noise and live a peaceful life. However, everything changes when Melati accidentally digs beneath a stone located near their home.

After the incident Melati is in a weak condition and faint easily. Various strange events also happen after that. Zaiton (Fauziah Nawi), Melati’s mother-in-law who comes to visit them, dies suddenly without explanation. Soon Melati gets possessed and harassed by evil spirits in the absence of Arman. As a result her body suffers from bruises.

Pak Mail (Sidek Hussain), who works as a gardener at their home finally reveals the mysterious incident affecting Melati is related to a Japanese soldier who had been captured and killed here during the war. The family then decides to move out and call a shaman to ward off the evil spirits from the house.”

Hehehe… if you’ve looked at the poster for this one, you can easily see why your Favorite Catgirl moved this one right to the top of the “To Watch” pile. Will it be as creepy, scary, and good as this nasty cover? Guess I’ll find out… and you can do the same by just going ahead and readin’ my full Review….

C’mon… don’t be shy… by all means, “Read On”! 😉

“Tolong! Awek Aku Pontianak!” (2011) – Malay Horror/ Comedy/ Romance

This time out, a look at another sweet, romantic comedy… with vampires… in Malaysia. Hehehe… just the kind of sweet, nutty horror/ comedy mash up that always makes your Favorite Catgirl Princess giggle and smile. I’m just a sucker for these things…. and this time it’s James Lee’s new Malay film,  “Tolong! Awek Aku Pontianak!” aka “Help! My Girlfriend is a Vampire!”.

Our synopsis goes: “Tolong! Awek Aku Pontianak” follows the naive yet kind Bob (Zahiril Adzim) who moves to a new apartment in a run-down building after having his heart crushed by his longtime girlfriend Ina’s decision to break up with him. He and his friend settle in to their new home and then he meets and falls in love with a peculiar woman neighbor named Maya (Sazzy Falak). Maya, who lives alone with her sister (Liyana Jasmay), harbors a dread secret and many of the others around her are beginning to suspect, that despite her pretty face, modest and shy behavior, she just might just be a vampire….”

I know… I promised to get around to reviewing “13 Assassins” by now, but this cute lil’ movie came along, and charmed me with it’s Trailer, so how could I not give it a look? With it’s resemblance to the Philippine film “Ang Darling Kong Aswang”, which your Favorite Catgirl watched a while ago, I confess I was itching to see the Malay take on the forbidden romance between Mortal and Monster. Ahhh romance…. Isn’t it always sooo much better with a few creepy moments thrown in to spice things up? Let’s waste no more time…. “Read On”!!

"Damping Malam" (2010) – Malay Ghost/ Horror

Time for us to drop by Malaysia in search of ghostly horror goodness, courtesy of the recent pile of Malay DVD’s to reach your Favorite Catgirl’s mailbox. This time out it’s a peek at 2010’s horror thriller “Damping Malam”….

Synopsis? How about this?: “Damping Malam” is about a couple – Wadi (Ahmad Idham) and Ku Khalira (Amy Mastura) who have been married for 14 years and are blessed with a beautiful daughter – Nuraiza (Erynne Erynna). They are a liberal, modern family and Nuraiza is a bright student at school. The parents place more importance to worldly matters, so she isn’t brought up with much religious emphasis, despite also being raised by her mysterious aunt, Umi Siah (Azizah Mahzan). One day, Nuraiza leaves home to further her studies at boarding school and soon finds herself powerless to protect against dark powers due to her lack of proper religious teaching.”

Hmmmm? Sounds pretty good overall…. The poster certainly looks promising… and the Trailer makes it look like it’s just the sort of film I like. But I’ve been fooled before….

Still… with the bargain prices for Malay DVD’s, I can hardly go wrong giving this one a chance, and that’s always enough to tempt Neko into snatching up a copy for her very own. The fact that there were several other new ones to grab was just the icing on the cake.

So… Are you ready for some Islamic ghost action, Malay style? Then by all means, Gentle Visitor, “Read On” and let Neko tell you all about it!.

"Susuk" (2008) – Malay Black Magic/ Horror

I know it’s been a while… but yes…. I’m still very much alive, Gentle Visitors, and so  I guess it’s time to put my sadness behind me and just move forward…  and that means it’s also time for another “Nekolishous” review for you all to help shake out the last of my lingering blues.

This time…. it’s all about a movie I’ve been trying hard to find for quite some time. You see…. every once in a while, your Favorite Catgirl manages to snag a long searched for treasure… A film that somehow resists my every effort to track down despite my sometimes obsessive (and some might say crazy) efforts to make it my own. Occasionally it’s simply finding the DVD itself… (maybe forcing me to settle for a VCD or even a brittle old VHS tape just to see it at last) and other times it’s the subtitles which vex and elude me (And we all know how cranky THAT can make me, Hehehehe!!), but then there are those rare and inexplicable times the entire film seems to just drop right off the edge of the planet itself never seeming to come to light despite my best efforts to unearth it. When I finally find one of these, it’s always a thing to celebrate, and, as luck would have it, this time out my ceaseless efforts have brought me a copy of the 2006 Malay horror film “Susuk”. At last!! Just about when I’d about given up hope of ever encountering it….

Synopsis? Well here it goes: “Beauty & Fame has a price. Soraya is a young trainee nurse who is starting to feel dissatisfied by her mediocre and unremarkable life. A chance introduction to the world of glamour piques her earlier ambition to be a star. She does not succeed at first. But then she is told the forbidden practice of Susuk can help. She has to make a choice then whether to remain the way she is or cross the line into forbidden sins to realize her dreams.”

Naturally… as soon as it arrived in my mailbox, I just had to give it a watch and share my impressions with all you here at the ol’ Litterbox, o’ Gentle Visitors. As always, such a find carries with it certain expectations…. and this time is no different. But will I luck out and score a true gem, or be disappointed by a film that just doesn’t reach for those lofty levels of horror goodness?

Only one real way to find out… and that’s right, time to give it a look, so what are you waitin’ for? It’s time to “Read On!”

“Santau” aka “Devil Whispers” (2009) – Malay Horror

Ooooh! This time out, it’s off to exotic Malaysia for your Favorite Catgirl and a tale of envy, evil, and the wicked curse of Black Sorcery that is “Santau”.

It’s been a while since I got anything from Malaysia…. most of my horror goodies from that part of the world come out of Indonesia, but every now and again the Malays surprise me with something homegrown in the way of creepy movies.

“Chermin” remains one of my favorites, and “Congkak” wasn’t too bad at all, so will “Santau” deliver the scares for me as well? The Trailer certainly looked promising…. enough that when I finally sniffed out a copy of this one and it’s “oh so nice” English subtitles, it wasn’t too hard to twist my lil’ arm into ordering it up for my very own.

Our synopsis for it reads like this: “Halim (Esma Daniel) and Nina (Putri Mardiana) live together with their daughter Tuti (Farisha Fatin) in a modern Malay village. Halim is successful in his career and leads a harmonious life with his family. Their neighbor is also a married couple; Usin (Riezman Khuzaimi) and Ana (Lis Dawati), while the other neighbor’s home is empty and waiting for new tenants to move in.

After a new neighbor moves in, Halim’s family begin to experience strange and horror incidents inside their home. Tuti starts to witness various mysterious events while Nina often experiences strange incidents that have never happened before. The strangest part is it all happens when Halim is away and he only comes home late at night.

Nina begins to gradually change from a good and hardworking wife to a lazy and bad-tempered wife. Each day there are things that happen that can wreck the family relationships. As a successful person, Halim does not believe of paranormal stories when Tuti complains about it.

One day Nina begins experiencing abdominal pain and Halim brings her to clinic for medical checkup. The doctor confirms gastric existence inside Nina’s stomach. However Tuti suspects his mother has been possessed by spirits.

One night, Halim returns home after Tuti informs him that Nina has been possessed and keep screaming at home. Halim finally brings Nina to see a shaman. The shaman confirms Nina has been possessed due to jealousy of Halim’s successful career and having a happy family.

Halim feels surprised by this revelation. How can Halim handle his family problem? Who is actually the mastermind behind this problem?”

Well….. it most certainly sounds like we might just have been down this story plot a few times before. A bad thing? Hmmmmm? The jury is still out on that one, and surely the only way to know for certain is to “Read On” o’ Gentle Visitor and find out!

“Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak” (2009) – Malay Ghost/ Horror/ Comedy

November has arrived…. so winter and all the nasty snow that comes with it can’t be too far away. Along with my usual preparations for the season, I’m still getting my regular shipments of DVD’s from far away parts unknown…. and you all know what that means…. Lots of warm evenings huddled on the couch and time for yet another review!! Yay!!

Our synopsis goes like this: “This comedy/horror movie tells a story of three youths from Kuala Lumpur; Punai, (Mazlan Pet Pet) a petty thief, Asmat (Cat Farish), a car jockey, and Johan (Sam Shaheizy), a salesman.

They each received a letter from the late Pak Sudir (Piee), inviting them to his house. Upon their arrival, they meet up with Pak Sudir’s assistant, Mustika (Lisa Surihani), and they discovered that Pak Sudir was actually their grandfather who happens to be very rich.

The three of them stands a chance to inherit all of his belongings and wealth but under strict circumstances; they would have to stay at his house for three days consecutively without touching anything, especially an old Congkak. On the first night itself, strange and hilarious occurrences begin to happen.”

I catch a lot of Indonesian films, as visitors here at the ol’ Litterbox might have noticed, but Malay ones are a bit harder for me to come across… Don’t know exactly why…. they just are. Maybe somebody will explain the whole situation to me, but I get the impression that they just watch a lot of the same Indonesian produced films in Malaysia that I manage to find as well…..

So…… Is this one gonna be any good? Is it gonna stink really badly….? I’m not at all certain….. and I’m getting a weird vibe from the cover art… but it does come with those nifty English subs I love for a ridiculously tiny price, so I guess there’s really only one way for me to actually find out…. and that’s for me to give it a watch and for you all to “Read On”.

“Possessed” (2006) – Malaysian/HK Ghost/ Horror

Another day, and another movie for you, dear readers. Today we take a look at the Malay/ HK co-production “Possessed”, the second film by Malay director Bjarne Wong. By most accounts, Bjarne Wong is not a terribly skilled director, and what I read of this didn’t make it sound that good, but….. the most unusual element of it was the staring roll by Korean transsexual pop star and model Harisu. I must confess that it was more a curiosity about Harisu whom I had heard of but never seen that got me interested in seeing this than anything else I had read. When the Singapore disc popped up, I just had to give it a try.

The synopsis for it reads: “China-born sisters Amber (Chia) and Lisu (Harisu) come to Malaysia seeking greater opportunities in their modeling and singing careers, respectively. But things go wrong when Amber falls into a coma and Lisu goes missing.

Amber is sent back to China for treatment. When she wakes up five months later, she has no recollection of her past, not even boyfriend Dino (Alan Yun). Dino decides to bring Amber back to Malaysia, hoping it will help jog her memory.

Back in Malaysia, Amber starts having nightmares. When she stumbles upon a photograph and video of Lisu and her, she decides to search for her missing sister. During her search, she meets William (Steve Yap), who claims to be Lisu’s ex-flame. Soon strange things begin to happen. Amber begins having visions of Lisu’s spirit and her nightmares become more frequent and violent.”

So….. is it a good lil’ long haired ghost movie? Or did it really need the notoriety of Harisu to sell it? Let’s find out, shall we……

“Congkak” (2007) – Malaysian Ghost/ Horror

We have for you today a review of “Congkak”, an honest to goodness Malaysian horror film… Neko hasn’t seen one of these since “Chermin”, and that was waaaay last year. The Malaysians don’t seem to release very many of these, seeming content to watch the avalanche of Indonesian horror that gets imported there. At least Neko doesn’t find too many of them…..(and I look really, really hard!)

The synopsis for it reads:“Kazman is a dedicated husband who, despite his wife Sufiah’s protests, decided to buy a bungalow for their family near a lake as a family getaway. Anxious in the new house, Sufiah feels as if someone is watching her. Her daughter Lisa, who would always go downstairs at night to play congkak with someone whom she could only see, compounds her uneasiness. Sufiah throws the congkak in the lake, but is awakened the next night by the sound of the congkak being played again and upon investigation, she sees an old lady playing it. When her daughter disappears, the oldest resident in that area, Pak Man, comes to the family’s rescue and helps in locating the missing family members.”

Haunted house… check. Weird goings on and cute kids in danger… check. Evil spirit possessed game… check. Loving wife ignored by her idiot husband until it’s too late… check. Sounds like it’s all here. But does it all work? Let’s find out…….