According to my note, about 20 or 41% of Indonesian films released in 2007 are a horror. The trend was then continuing in 2008 where about 18% (of 77 movies) horror produced. this is a good decrease. But regarding history, since the 1940s, the horror genre prevails in Indonesia. The market has never been really saturated.
Indonesian industry of film (and television, actually) so far still considers this genre as a super talisman for the selling. The talisman has recently been worth, indeed. Moreover, there was a bonus to the dearest filmmaker: making the horrors is always cheaper than, say, the dramas. one among reasons, this genre did not require any big star. Just put the newbie on and amazingly the tickets sold out yet.
Moreover, the Department of Culture and Tourism in INDOFILM had opened the booth for selling Indonesian movies at international film festivals like Cannes every year since 2007. some of those movies are a horror. Surprisingly, it sold well, including to some distributors in Europe. How come the horror attracts the “left brain” people, I don’t know.
However, in Indonesia, horror movies are never dying because moviegoers here so enjoyed them. we might like to be scared off. Nothing is wrong thereupon. A spectator watched action movie for be astonished and felt like a gasp, watched comedy for getting a huge laugh. And watched horror, what else, for being scared!
But excessive things have it own side effect, don’t they? While other people had never a problem with walking everywhere s/he likes and works overtime until midnight, we, the Indonesian? Taking one footstep away, we will anxious. starting to feel how if therein corner a “thing” could suddenly show up. numerous supernatural beings that Indonesian citizens must afraid of!
Yes, those supernatural beings do exist, if you ask me. do not believe it? Come to Indonesia and invite it to the natives. Each region and culture has its own supernatural being. Just, I’m wondering why some
are willing to waste their time for something not alleged to be human business like that.
Take a glance closer here, the lottery fortune teller is still in demand, we also still believe tarot, oracle service via Short Message Service, etc. Even some of the youngster who represented modern logic generation depends on astrology for living their life. If not, why they keep it up expecting horoscope rubric in youth and cosmopolitan media?
