Ahmad Idham
Three young men are summoned to an idyllic village by telegrams after a wealthy old man dies. They learn that they are his grandsons and stand to inherit his wealth and property.
But first, they have to spend three nights in the house without touching anything, especially not the antique congkak. Naturally, they do so and become victims of a curse that causes mayhem.
The film’s title is a mash-up between two previous horror films also directed by Ahmad Idham, Jangan Pandang Belakang (Don’t Look Back, 2007) and Congkak (2008).
All three flicks have been successes in Malaysia, and the 2007 Jangan’s take of RM6.4 million (S$2.6 million) made it the country’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Regardless, this spoof feels like a variety show skit that has been stretched to feature film length. So what you get are characters – sorry, caricatures – behaving in an exaggerated manner, making clear that the priority is simply to milk laughs.
Except that the humour was not apparent. Either that, or something was lost in translation, since a good number of the preview audience were laughing heartily at the jokes.
Perhaps one needs to have greater knowledge of the cultural context since some of the humour seemed to hinge on the Malay songs performed in the movie. The erratic subtitling did not help, disappearing for stretches for no rhyme or reason.
It all adds up to an experience you do not want to look back upon.
Three young men are summoned to an idyllic village by telegrams after a wealthy old man dies. They learn that they are his grandsons and stand to inherit his wealth and property.
But first, they have to spend three nights in the house without touching anything, especially not the antique congkak. Naturally, they do so and become victims of a curse that causes mayhem.
The film’s title is a mash-up between two previous horror films also directed by Ahmad Idham, Jangan Pandang Belakang (Don’t Look Back, 2007) and Congkak (2008).
All three flicks have been successes in Malaysia, and the 2007 Jangan’s take of RM6.4 million (S$2.6 million) made it the country’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Regardless, this spoof feels like a variety show skit that has been stretched to feature film length. So what you get are characters – sorry, caricatures – behaving in an exaggerated manner, making clear that the priority is simply to milk laughs.
Except that the humour was not apparent. Either that, or something was lost in translation, since a good number of the preview audience were laughing heartily at the jokes.
Perhaps one needs to have greater knowledge of the cultural context since some of the humour seemed to hinge on the Malay songs performed in the movie. The erratic subtitling did not help, disappearing for stretches for no rhyme or reason.
It all adds up to an experience you do not want to look back upon.
(ST)