`Kafir', unintentionally hilarious movie

Joko E.H. Anwar, Contributor, Jakarta

Back in the 80s, this country produced countless horror movies which would do the grandfather of bad movies, Edward D. Wood, Jr., proud.

Incompetently made, they usually tell a story of dead people coming back to life to avenge parties causing their unnatural death.

Such movies succeeded in attract many audiences since -- while the special effects and ludicrous plots often created unintentional hilarity, the amateurish direction and camerawork somehow created a creepy atmosphere.

A simple search on the Internet would show these movies also have an international following of bad movie aficionados. In fact, some of these films, like the Sundel Bolong (known overseas as The Ghost with the Hole) series even landed on their most- wanted list.

Watching the latest release of locally made horror flick, Kafir (Unbeliever), the joy of watching such campy horror movies in the 80s would certainly come back to the audience's mind.

Compared to recently released local horror movie, Titik Hitam (The Black Spot), Kafir is certainly far more entertaining.

While Titik Hitam is strongly influenced by western hits (The Sixth Sense, to be exact), Kafir shows the original Indonesian horror -- complete with a shaman delivering a maniacal laugh and releasing thunderbolts from his palms.

And while Titik Hitam feels pretentious, Kafir is sincerely made with tongue firmly in cheek.

The movie opens amusingly with a funeral scene where locals refuse to have a dead local shaman buried in their public cemetery.

Through flashbacks, the movie reveals the story of the shaman, played by Sujiwo Tejo, who is obsessed about becoming a holy man after he went to a mountain and met a mysterious immortal man.

After he goes back home to his small, traditional village, he abandons his wife and son and spends his days meditating on a nearby hill.

Accused of causing several unnatural deaths in his home village, he is known as a healer everywhere else (don't ask me why).

The film is full of outrageous scenes, like the one when a woman drags her husband's corpse back to his graveyard with the help of her son after the dead man was mysteriously found in their living room. Another scene shows people collecting sweat from the shaman's body using plastic cups or even by licking them, which they believe can heal many diseases.

Oh, there are also scenes involving magic eggs which can find their way into some villager's homes, enter their mouths and cause their stomachs to explode.

All these add to the fun of watching an original Indonesian horror flick.

Sujiwo Tejo seems to be having fun in a perfect role that allows him to let his inner demons out.

The singer/songwriter/journalist previously appeared in Slamet Rahardjo's pretentious Telegram which failed to impress critics and audiences alike.

In corny Kafir, however, Sujiwo seems to fit perfectly. He widens his eyes, mumbles in unintelligible Javanese words, even makes devilish shriek.

Comedian/make-up artist Subarkah also gives an amusing performance as the shaman's sidekick. He stands out as the villain which also delivers the movie's comic relief.

Well-known local actress Meriam Bellina, however, is underutilized as the shaman's wife. Too bad, since the winner of local film festival in the 80's possesses both dramatic and comedic ability.

Shot on digital video (like most of the locally produced movies today) then transferred to celluloid, the movie shows improvement from local horror flicks of the 80s.

There are less zoom-ins and zoom-outs and the special effects are better (though still very corny). Unfortunately, it lessens the campiness.

The biggest complaint may come from its poor story. The movie's flashbacks are clumsily structured and bog down the otherwise very enjoyable, brainless ride.

The newly-reborn local film industry has produced many bad movies (most of them hide behind the tag "art-house film") but none have been this entertaining.

Those who think movies should be meaningful and intellectually enriching better stay away from this weird movie which will force you to check your brain at the door.

However, those who love a so-bad-it's-good kind of movie should certainly go for this.

Even its advertisement which says "watch this phenomenal movie" already screams "campy"! Oh la la. Bad movie lovers, rejoice!

Kafir; Horror ** (out of ****); Starring Merriam Bellina, Sujiwo Tejo, Subarkah; Directed by Mardali Syarief; A StarVision Production.