| Macabre (Singapore-Indonesia) |
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Produced by the Mo Brothers. Executive producers, Eric Khoo, Mike Wiluan, Charles Teo, Daniel Yun. Directed, written by the Mo Brothers (Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo stamboel). With: Julie Estelle, Shareefa Daanish, Ario Bayu, Ruly Lubis, Daniel Mananta, Mike Muliadro, Arifin Putra, Dendy Subangil, Sigi Wimala, Imelda Therinne. A feature-length version of a seg in six-parter "Face of Terror," "Macabre" is exactly that. One long night of slaughter set in a deserted country house starts leisurely but delivers in the final reels, thanks to some real shocks amid the ankle-deep blood and an eerie perf by Indonesian actress Shareefa Daanish. In their first feature, the self-styled "Mo Brothers" (not related) show a natural feel for genre rules that makes this fresh meat for gorehounds. In Bandung, a newlywed couple (Ario Bayu, Sigi Wimala) and three friends give a lift home to a distressed woman (Imelda Therinne) in the rain, and end up doped and bound when her taciturn mom, Dara (Daanish), insists they stay for dinner. Virtually plotless, and not even played for suspense, the pic is so over-the-top with its carnage that the result is almost balletic. Daanish, 27, playing much older as a doll-like, Cruella De Vil vampire, is aces as the indestructible mom, screaming "Bring me their heads!" or wielding a chainsaw, banshee-like, at gutsy heroine Ladya (Julie Estelle). Arifin Putra is creepily otherworldly as her equally indestructible son, Adam. Camera (color, HD), Roni Arnold; editor, Herman Kumala Panca; music, Zeke Khaseli, Yudhi Arfani. Reviewed at PiFan (Puchon Choice), Bucheon, South Korea, July 20, 2009. (Also in Fantasy FilmFest, Germany.) Indonesian dialogue. Running time: 96 MIN.
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