Horror movies have always been a passion of mine, especially Malay horror movies. I grew up listening to Malay folklore stories about the Pontianak, Toyol, Orang Bunian, Hantu Tanah etc. The way the stories were told used to create goosebumps appear, keeps me up at night and still does. This is perhaps the reason why I am gravitated towards watching Malay horror movies. I'd love to recreate the fear I experienced when hearing those ghosts stories as a child. However, watching Contemporary Malay horror movies, I've realised that the element of fear has been gradually decreasing.
Contemporary Malay horror movies have been earning well and increasing popularity amongst popular culture. We are currently at a time where contemporary Malay horror film industry has a wide range of representations of Malay folklore easily accessible.
After watching a number of horror films, I find that contemporary Malay horror films have been decontextualising traditional Malay folklore and it has been decreasing the original horror factor of the folklore. Traditional Malay folklore describes the entities in a way that scares you because of the oral tradition that has been told through the years, through stories by our ancestors.
Therefore, this blog is working towards enhancing Malay horror movie goers experience when watching a movie or in other words increasing the level of fear and dread in them by introducing them to real-life situations, oral history, fun facts, written and visual evidences that is connected to the entities in question. Stay tuned for new posts that might just keep you up at night.
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