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SINGAPORE: What do you get when you mix horror with comedy? The answer is 'Hor-medy' (horror comedy), a term coined by Singapore filmmaker Jack Neo.
While sticking to his use of Singlish as seen in earlier movies ("Just Follow Law", "Money No Enough") Neo has departed from the norm with "Where Got Ghost" to look at the departed.
This is not a fear fest as Neo's interpretation of "scared silly" combines horror and comedy that's presented in three short stories - "Roadside Got Ghost", "Forest Got Ghost" and "House Got Ghost".
Neo's new offering during the Chinese "Hungry Ghost" month may come as a surprise to many as most of the director's films tend to border on the socio-political heartland spectrum.
"I've wanted to direct a horror movie for a long time. However, if I was to direct one, I do not have the ability to compare with a lot of directors in this genre hence I have to find another approach to direct this movie," said Neo during the recent "Where Got Ghost" press conference.
At the same time, Neo was mindful of the many who have become used to his candid look at heartlanders.
"If movie goers were to watch my pure horror movie, they are likely to be disappointed as many of my fans are used to my style already."
The filmmaker, who has more than a dozen movies under his belt, decided that even though horror and comedy are very different genres, the final product can be a success given the right approach.
"There are bound to be some funny moments in the horror scenes and it is about catching these moments that will make the difference," he said.
Neo is also hopeful that 'Hor-medy' will be a made-in-Singapore genre that can find its name beyond Singapore shores as he has plans to bring the movie to other regions in the Asia-Pacific.
Unlike most Asian horror movies that rely heavily on gore and the shock factor, "Where Got Ghost" allows the movie to move away from this tried and tested formula with the short stories that are based on events that most Singaporeans are familiar with.
Getai singer Wang Lei, who has a role in the second story "Forest Got Ghost" summed it up, "We have seen Japanese ghost, Korean ghost, Taiwan ghost but we have never seen a Singapore ghost.
"For the first time, (the) audience will be able to see a Singapore ghost in the cinema."
You'll also get to see familiar faces from the 'Neo family' such as actors Mark Lee, Henry Thia and Ah Nan.
As it was the first time acting in a horror movie for these Singapore actors, the team were mindful of burning incense paper, offering fruits and being respectful to the 'brothers' from the nether world before any filming.
But for actor-host-comedian Mark Lee, he revealed that it's the living that seems to scare him even more.
"I did not encounter any 'problems' recently and I'm not afraid because I never met a ghost before," the funny man replied with a straight face, adding that he is in fact more afraid of the National Day Parade (NDP).
"In the NDP rehearsal, I do feel a bit scared as different ministers and audience will watch us," said Lee who was selected to host the 2009 National Day Parade.
"I have to look out for the ministers, whether are they responding to my jokes."
But we all love a good ghost story - so were there any that the crew could recount?
"The crew were going through the clip when we discovered one of the cast members was standing at a 45-degree incline position without any assistance" director Jack Neo described to MediaCorp's Xin.sg.
"It's almost impossible. After clarifying with her, she insisted that she was standing upright throughout the shoot."
Regular getai stagers Ah Nan and Wang Lei, who act as reservist army buddies in the second story "Forest Got Ghost", also had their share of encounters.
"There was this time when our equipment kept breaking down for unknown reasons. We changed the batteries, and did a check before filming starts and everything was in working condition. But the moment when we start recording, the equipment become faulty again," said Wang.
"It happened a few times and things became normal again only after we burned some incense paper," Ah Nan added.
Incense paper seemed quite a constant on the set as Ah Nan recalled another incident.
"We were standing in a circle and exchanging lines. Suddenly, a coconut dropped right in the middle of the group. Director Neo immediately told us to go burn more incense paper," said Ah Nan.
Based on the various encounters in making the movie, it could have easily been re-named "Here Got Ghost" or maybe, it was just a case of ghosts no enough.
Get your fill of local hor-medy and the unexplained when "Where Got Ghost" opens in cinemas on 13 August. - CNA
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