This is to comment o Mr. Shahredza Minhat's writing in the Gampang Solo entry.
First of all, I can't agree more with what Redza has to say. I share the same view on cheap movies, for the sake of this entry - Hantu Bonceng. However, I do have a deep concern for the writer writing such a "loud" entry as so, since he is in the industry (yes, we can call it that.. hehe). The industry is so small here in Malaysia. Maybe 'small' is such a small word for to describe how small the industry is - maybe 'minute' is a more suitable adjective. It is so small that you flip the channel on TV, you'd see the same faces. So, him being so critical, albeit true and accurate, may jeapordize his own steppings in the industry. Just being concern here.
1.) on 'sampah'.
Is Hantu Bonceng entirely a 'sampah'? Meh.. I've seen worse. Flat 3A for to name one. However, between 1 to Pusat Pungutan Sampah, I can't really rate Hantu Bonceng there. I can give a plus on effort, at least. Some movies are funny or enjoyable only when you watch it in the cinemas, but when you watch it at home, the magic gone! Same goes with Hantu Bonceng, I guess. My friends who watched it on the big screen complimented it. I watched it at home, find it hard to laugh with it. From time to time, I found myself laughing AT it rather. It is a cheap joke, for entertainment sake, I give them that. They do have managed to tickle people. Their objective achieved, but nothing more.
2) formula.
As I've mentioned before in Twitter. I don't get it why the movie is called as Hantu Bonceng. The Hantu only appears only in the 1st half of the movie, and all that while, she never bonceng on any bike, at all. Even as human, she only bonceng for like less then 1 minute! Shouldn't Hantu Bonceng be an appiration that takes the backseat of a motorbike that scares others who witness it, or making the motorbike becomes suddenly heavy?
Ghost story+Rempit movie formulated in Hantu Bonceng is a total failure. I wanna compare it with Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk till Dawn (1/2 kidnapping movie + 1/2 vampire movie), but that would be an insult.
3) now how does one become responsible?
Too late for that.. Hehe. Yet "quality" is a word simple enough to say, very hard to produce. And I think it is not wrong to say that what Redza has took the words out of my mouth when he wrote that. Hehe.
And please try too hard to make a local meme - "Apa celup?", "Toq (nasalized)", etc. The catchphrase won't make the movie popular, it is the other way around, rather. People love "meme ah", "kita bakor", etc. because the actors successfully played the roles and the characters work!
4) terlalu banyak 'kebetulan'.
Plot - most Malaysian movies have problems in this area. Most of the bad ones do. I don't want to comment on their SFX - that cost money. I don't want to comment on their line of casts - we don't have enough to choose from, really. But PLOT? Really? It is free and the most basic thing one filmmaker has got to take care of. The subplots in Hantu Bonceng have no purpose, other than just to stretch the movie so it would be long enough to be a movie. They don't play any function as any literary device - no foreshadowing, no metaphor, no symbolism - the subplots are stand-alone. Remove any of the subplot, the movie would still make sense.
I don't know whether this is intended or a wardrobe malfunction, remember when Zizan and his partner in crime tried to infiltrate the morgue and they were greeted by the ghost, holding a prosthetic leg and a femur conntected to a tibia? The mystery part here is that, why was she wearing an orange t-hirt?
One 'kebetulan' is when the girlfriend's attempt to confront Zizan at his own home. After knocking the door so many times and loudly, to add to that, to her convenience, she has the opportunity to witness the Nasi Kangkang ritual. Voila! And on the same day, she didn't go to work because she had an "EL" because she had an "MC"? (Two different types of leave) And to the filmmaker's convenience, Zizan don't know about this eventhough they stay in the same house and obviously, he has to give her a ride for work, everyday.
(p/s: May I add that it is still wrong for unwed men and women to stay under one roof even the ration is not 1:1... A threesome is a no-no too, you know.)
5) let's go back to junk food.
I agree with Redza, again. Filmmakers would make 'junk' movies, because the consumers are not too picky. And the consumers are not choosey because, let's face it, there is nothing to choose from after all. It is a Catch 22 Situation all over again. Malaysians are served with movies that they deserve, but not the movies they need. (source: Dark Knight line. Hehe)
If filmmakers are saying that 'junk' movies we have now represent the level of mentality Malaysian movie goers, then I'd say that that is a false judgement. If it is true that our taste is only in 'junk' movies, then 'nutiricious' movies (Award Winning Hollywood movies, etc.) would not be able to make in his country - people would not go and watch them, and they would not be able to make returns. And as we all know, this is not the case entirely.
6) small fry
Redza dude, don't be a fry - not healthy. Be a carrot stick instead - a healthier snack. Hehe.
I applause your effort to voice what is wrong in the industry, but the path is a long way... Just be careful, please. We don't want to see people who believe in seeing Malaysia producing world recognized movies to be denied from continuing serving in the industry - anything could happen. Having said that, there are many who are here to back you up - I for one. :)
7) jangan pandang belakang
I'd say, up till now, I'm not a fan of any local comedy movie yet (year 2000 and onwards). Huh. I guess I'm a worse case than Redza then. Hehe.
OK.. I've been writing too long that I don't think people would have the time to read. Haha. I better end it now before I can write a proper thesis on this and become a certified movie critic. And that would be bad for Malaysian movie industry I think. I am not in the industry. My words are from a person who is on the other side of the camera and on the other side of the silver screen. I may not represent the whole, but I do believe I represent some.
I beg to be corrected.
WALlahu'alam
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