More shows on TV have supernatural themes<\/p>\n
By Tuti Gintini<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The number of horror and mystery shows on TV has
\ngrown frightfully recently. SCTV airs Gadis Kuntilanak (Girl
\nGhost) five times a week at 7 p.m., while Indosiar has Misteri
\nGunung Merapi (Mystery of Mount Merapi) every Sunday at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
These shows are only two examples of the increase in the
\nnumber of television programs which have taken as their theme the
\nmysterious, the occult and black magic. Beside these shows, old
\nIndonesian horror movies, including some starring former top
\nactress Suzanna, are also shown regularly on television.<\/p>\n
Looking back 11 years at the film industry in Indonesia, some
\nmight recall the horror film Pembalasan Ratu Laut Selatan (The
\nRevenge of the Queen of the South Sea), starring Yurike Prastica.
\nIn response to public criticism of the sex and sadism in the
\nmovie, the Film Censor Board withdrew the film for recensoring.<\/p>\n
Critics say sex and violence are so dominant in Indonesian
\nfilms, that often the logic and esthetics of a work are ignored.
\nThese critics say this is one reason behind the crash of the
\ncountry's film industry.<\/p>\n
To be honest, there was no more violence and sex in Pembalasan
\nRatu Laut Selatan than in the movie Ratu Laut Selatan starring
\nSuzanna, as well as dozens of other films that were produced
\nduring the golden age of Indonesian films, in the 1970s and
\n1980s. At that time, a lot of successful films contained heavy
\ndoses of sex and violence.<\/p>\n
Among those horror movies were Beranak Dalam Kubur (Giving
\nBirth in the Grave), Guna-guna Istri Muda (Young Wife's Black
\nMagic), Ratu Ilmu Hitam (Queen of Black Magic), Kemasukan Setan
\n(Possessed by the Devil), Tengkorak Hitam (Black Skull) and Mayat
\nHidup (The Living Corpse).<\/p>\n
Suzanna, in her Nyi Blorong and Nyi Roro Kidul characters, was
\nknown as the queen of the horror film in the 1970s and 1980s. All
\nof the films in which she starred as Nyi Blorong were box-office
\nsuccesses<\/p>\n
It is an interesting fact that black magic in the movies and
\non TV sells.<\/p>\n
That is exactly the case with Misteri Gunung Merapi, which
\nfeatures the character Mak Lampir, or the Witch.<\/p>\n
Indosiar's public relations officer, Gufron, said the series
\nwas much beloved by the TV audience. He said the show was in its
\nsecond series, with the first series, consisting of 52 episodes,
\nhaving aired in 1998. This Sunday, the second series will have
\nentered its 17th episode.<\/p>\n
The show is Indosiar's highest-rated program, despite
\ncompeting against Tersanjung (Praised), which is produced by
\nMulti Vision Plus. Misteri Gunung Berapi, which is produced by
\nGenta Buana Pitaloka, is an action story spiced with sex, sadism,
\nblack magic and horror.<\/p>\n
According to a source, the ad space of the show has sold out,
\nleaving many eager advertisers on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n
Considering the profitability of the show, it will be no
\nsurprise if similar TV series start popping up.<\/p>\n
One show currently in the production process is Dendam Ni
\nPelet (Ni Pelet's Revenge), directed by Nurhasdie Irawan. It is
\ncosting billions of rupiah to produce and is being shot on a
\nspecially designed and constructed set somewhere in Cikampek,
\nWest Java.<\/p>\n
It is not impossible, though, that this show will be only the
\nfirst in a long line of similar shows.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Film and TV Staff Association, Firman
\nTriyadi, said that with the airwaves being crowded with soap
\noperas, the appearance of horror shows brought a breath of fresh
\nair.<\/p>\n
\"I am not surprised to learn that TV series like Mak Lampir
\nare exactly what the public want, and to me this is an
\ninteresting phenomena which proves that our society still likes
\nstories spiced with horror and black magic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Perhaps this is a \"classic\" problem faced by those in
\nIndonesia's movie and television industries. The tastes of the
\npublic, particularly those in the middle and low-income brackets
\nin small towns and villages, remains static. The profit-oriented
\nproducers respond to these tastes. Because wide-screen films have
\ndied, television is now the media to reach the masses.<\/p>\n
What makes these newer shows different, perhaps, is the skill
\nof the film crews who produce shows with better special effects
\nand pictures.<\/p>",
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