While sheep lined up to catch (statement of the year: “I soooo wanna watch that Puteri Gunung Ledang thing-lah! (note to advertising agencies: See how outlandish original publicity tap into the sub consciousness of the masses)”) the much awaited multi-million Malaysian Mega Movie, I scurried past San Francisco down to the Singapore’s Bread Talk to pick up their turkey-ham-n-cheese – lifted up to the fourth floor spirited by excited suspense and ‘idontknowwhattothink’ staccato-ing my mind numb – to watch VISITS – Hungry Ghost Anthology – in short: Four Shorts Four Directors One Fabulous local indie Flick (..sigh.. Finally!).
I was excited. Creamed more than I did when the latest movie installation of Harry Potter premiered nationwide. Horror movies excite me the way the black and white Christopher Lee’s Dracula spooked me into hiding under my sheets every night forever. When the western world horror-movied, their spritely spirited souls don’t look the way they work in the imagination of anyone Asian. Our ghost is a lot scarier – and the fact that I know six of my friends who sees dead people – packed with careful sound editing – makes Korean horror movies such a huge box office hit worldwide. After Suhaimi Baba’s ‘PONTIANAK – Harum Sundal Malam’ – Malaysian local cinema look like it got bitten by only two things: Suspense-thrillers and Erra & her husband. I welcome VISITS – with open legs: I like the beginning and the end –
Local indie flick is coming out of its closet. Word of the day: “subtle” – How my pride flag soar with the wind in my heart every time my eye catch something which could be almost naked in other’s mind’s eye. A mardi gras poster, for example. In my mind and in my heart, I feel the lost souls would only affect those who affected them before death. But I guess if you prompt them awake from (Short #3) never, you’ll have to pay the price somehow. I love Short #4. All of it.
Short #4 is like a slice of The Truman Show sans dialogue. Actually, the only conversation you’ll ever hear is between two elderly ladies burning incense in the corridor; and the Man in the Moon is really the security guard (SG) who was one of the Hamlets in the recent Latter-day Ophelia at the theatre behind Café-Café. The camera will help you tune into:
Line 01 – Bathroom, Line02 – Living Room, Line03 – Kitchen, Line04 – Bedroom.
Makes you wonder who this woman is. A single straight woman? A kept woman? A Black Widow? Femme Fatale? Serial Killer? Huh?! And why is the SG controlling the cameras? What perverted pleasures is he excitedly expecting? Or is he just infatuated –
I love Short #4. There are bits and pieces of story-styled in flashbacks manners of Memento and Irreversible in Short #1 (I tink) – which I like. It made me question the ‘suicide pact’. I love how the screen flashes red and sepia as the camera snakes its way from one girl just behind the other both lying in a big pool of blood. I like that the dead one is the hot chick. Heheh. Brimming with double X undertones. The couple next to me actually got up and left – but I’m sure they left because they were expecting M. Nasir and Tiara Jacquelina.
Innocent school girls infatuation is a real feeling I’ve have had countless a time. The excitement of waking up tomorrow knowing you’re going to see her in school. You two talk of being princesses high up, castle in the sky delighted of him you met with once upon a dream. And it will be him who will be the end of your girly togetherness – in Short #1 – even death naught wilt divide. Tis true! Read Neil Gaiman’s Death series – ‘Time of your Life’!
Like I said, I love the First and the Last – except for the part when semi-transparent arial fonts appeared in a positively toned ‘exclusion clause’ on the accurate definition of the responsibilities of a security guard. This is one movie I’d persuade everyone to watch. I felt the same way after watching ‘Bukak Api’. So go watch this VISITS. Because if you don’t you’ll miss the experience of riding up the Malaysian cinema waves and into the future.
Now we’ve got the free lifestyle magazines to thank so much for aggressively marketing/ featuring/ show-casing/ interviewing independent movie directors. It’s that unrelenting drive that has tapped into my sub consciousness to follow the new kind of masses and culture in local indie flicks and its suddenly-known avant-garde directors. It’s the next cool career isn’t it? Aspiring Spielbergs, Wong Kar Wais and Ang Lees. Fantasy flick fever not recovered from the Oscar/04. Watch out Peter Jackson! Here comes Saw Teong Hin! That reminds me: I’ve got to watch that Gunung Ledang thing laa… Who wants a date with the nice, chic, charming and absolutely beautiful moi? Vlad? Can’t promise no irritating viewers. Hmmm – lets just wait for the next ERW…
picture sourced from VISITS – Hungry Ghost Anthology
I got up, straightened my dress, pulled on my jacket – with the last two shot glasses in both hands and walked purposefully towards the bar. The intoxicated buzz has lightened my head. I move carefully to the motion of the machine not willing a single drop of vodka go to waste. “Salut!” I hiccupped and grinned at the bartender. The clink of the shot glasses seem to chime louder than audibly, along with what he said to me earlier. He grinned back at me and then served me with another virgin mary. One for tomorrow’s headache, he smiled. “Tomorrow…” I echoed him, leaned over the bar and graced him a grateful kiss on his cheeks then left for my cab-car where I could sleep my melancholy away, because in time, I know – the sun will return to me.
