GHOSTS and creepy monsters won’t drag these local film producers from changing their views about Puteri Umno’s call to ban the production of horror, mystical and superstitious movies, claiming such films can weaken the faith of Muslims in the country.
The call was contained in one of the motions that was passed without debate at the movement’s general assembly at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Local film producers Malay Mail spoke to are united in their stand that the nation’s movie audiences are mature enough to know how to differentiate fact from fiction.
Producer David Teo of Metrowealth Movies Production Sdn Bhd lambasted Puteri Umno for its “close-minded views” and said the view of several individuals should not be taken as the view of all cinema-goers in the country.
“This is obviously the view of someone who is not educated enough. They are the ones who are unable to see an issue as a whole and will blame movies for causing their family problems. If this is going to be the case, the film-making industry should stop producing movies and cinemas should stop showing movies so we can entertain the views of the close-minded few,” was Teo’s stinging comment.
Metrowealth was instrumental in bringing three of Malaysia’s top selling horror titles, Jangan Pandang Belakang, Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak and Congkak to the silver screen.
“In fact, why not take the next step by banning all forms of audio-visual entertainment since the Internet can give users access to horror material?”
Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd executive producer Gayatri Su-Lian Pillai, whose 2007 movie Zombi Kampung Pisang raked in RM2.371 million, said movies are tools of entertainment and do not always need to have an educational slant to them.
“Besides, I am sure that the adult audiences here are mature enough to watch horror movies just for the sake of entertainment and not to construe what was seen to be something that is real. Of course, you can’t say the same for a five-year-old viewer but that is why we have the rating system,” she said.
KRU Group of Companies’ chief executive officer Norman Abdul Halim said most horror movies revolved around the storyline of good triumphing over evil and included verses from the Quran and the hadith at the end of the movie as a lesson to viewers, which contradicted Puteri Umno’s claim that horror movies do not carry any positive message.
“Before this, there were calls to restrict genres on subcultures in Malaysia like bohsia and Mat Rempit. We must stop trying to put any kind of control on the creative industry because that will stop us from being productive. We’re already restrained as it is from screening topics which are considered taboo to society. We become afraid to explore certain themes because we worry that our movies will be banned and that stops us from being creative,” he said.
Norman also said topics for movies are often based on what is seen and heard in society.
“This is just a gimmick for Puteri Umno to gain popularity and it should stop blaming anything negative that happens to society on the movies. It’s all about upbringing. Don’t undermine the intelligence of society,” Norman said.
Puteri Umno urged the government to empower the Islamic Development Department to take action against such productions, which it said did not carry any positive message but may instead destroy the viewers’ faith.
It said film producers should concentrate on producing films of different genres that could serve as lessons, rather than make horror and superstitious ones that might not deliver the intended message.
