CHILD AGAINST ADULT; FAIR OR FOUL?

The Academy Awards (a.k.a. The Oscars) is the oldest award ceremony for the international film industry and since 1929, more than 10 child (from birth before puberty) actors and actresses has been nominated for Best Actor/Actress in Leading Role and Best Actor/Actress in Supporting Role. The nominees were...

JACKIE COOPER

He was nominated as Best Actror in Leading Role during the 4th Academy Awards (1931) for his main role in the movie 'Skippy' at the tender age of 9. But he lost the award to Lionel Barrymore (58 years old) for the movie 'A Free Soul'. Somehow, he was the first child to break the world record as the first child to be nominated in The Oscars and the second youngest so far.  

QUVENZHANÉ WALLIS

She was nominated as Best Actress in Leading Role during the 85th Academy Awards (2013) for her role as Hushpuppy in the movie 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'. Being at the age of 9 during the time, she was the third youngest ever nominated for The Oscar but lost the award to Jennifer Lawrence (23 years old) as Tiffany Maxwell in 'Silver Linings Playbook'.    

 JUSTIN HENRY

He was nominated as Best Actor in Supporting Role during the 52nd Academy Awards (1980) for his role as Billy Kramer in the movie 'Kramer vs Kramer'. He is the second youngest ever nominated for The Oscar at the tender age of 8 and the first for the category of Best Actor in Supporting Role, but lost the award to Melvyn Douglas (79 years old) as Benjamin Rand in 'Being There'.

 HALEY JOEL OSMENT

At the age of 11, this boy was nominated for Best Actor in Supporting Role during the 72nd Academy Awards (2000) to grade his remarkable performance as Cole Sear in the movie 'The Sixth Sense'. But he lost the Award to Michael Cane (66 years old) as Dr. Wilbur Larch for the movie 'The Cider House Rules'. For the record, he was the second youngest to ever be nominated for the category.

 BRANDON DEWILDE

For his role as Joey Starrett in the movie 'Shane', he was nominated as Best Actor in Supporting role during the 26th Academy Awards (1954) at the age of 11 years old. But he lost the award to Frank Sinatra (39 years old) as Private Angelo Maggio for the movie 'From Here to Eternity'. 

 MARY BADHAM

She was 10 years old when nominated as Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 35th Academy Awards (1963) for her role as Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird). But she lost the award to Patty Duke (17 years old) who played the role as Hellen Keller in the movie 'The Miracle Worker'.

QUINN CUMMINGS

Played as Lucy McFadden in the movie 'The Goodbye Girl', she got nominated as the Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 50th Academy Awards (1978). Sadly she lost the award to Vanessa Redgrave (41 years old) who played the main role in the movie 'Julia'.

ABIGAIL BRESLIN

She was nominated for the Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 79th Academy Awards (2007) for her role as Olive Hoover in the movie 'Little Miss Sunshine'. But she lost the award to Jennifer Hudson (26 years old) who played as Effie White in the movie 'DreamGirls'.

PATTY McCORMACK

She was nominated as the Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 29th Academy Awards (1957) for her horrifying role as Rhoda Penmark in the movie 'The Bad Seed'. But instead of her, the award went to Dorothy Malone (32 years old) who played as Marylee Hadley for the movie 'Written in the Wind'.

With those children as nominees competing against adults for both category (Best in Leading Role and Best in Supporting Role), all of them lost to grown-ups. I was not so sure if they were fairly judged (as adults or as children who'd being professionally-acclaimed actors/actresses like adults), but putting them in the same category with grown-ups was surely a silent cruelty. Because among many of them (children!) being nominated in The Oscars which has been held for 86 times now against grown-ups, only these two kids won the Academy Awards to beat the adults...

TATUM O'NEAL

Out of the impossible at the age of 10, she became the first kid to ever garnered an Oscar for Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 46th Academy Awards (1974). Thanks to her role as Addie Logins in the movie 'Paper Moon'. She beat all the grown-ups; Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil (The Exorcist), Candy Clark as Debbie Dunham (American Graffiti), Madeline Kahn as Trixie Delight (Paper Moon) and Sylvia Sidney as Mrs. Pritchett (Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams). Since then, she was never nominated again in The Oscars although she's still acting professionally with her latest movie released was 'She's Funny That Way' as cameo.  

ANNA PAQUIN

At the age of 11, she was the second youngest to ever received an Oscar and the second youngest for the category of Best Actress in Supporting Role during the 66th Academy Awards (1994). Thanks to her role as Flora McGrath in the movie 'The Piano', she won the award to beat up the grown-up actresses; Holly Hunter as Tammy Hemphill (The Firm), Rosie Perez as Carla Rodrigo (Fearless), Winona Ryder as May Welland (The Age of Innocence) and Emma Thompson as Gareth Peirce (In The Name of the Father).Today, you might know her as Rogue in the 'X-Men' movie franchise but to the Academy Awards, so far, that was her only Oscar (although she did being nominated in other movie/TV awards ceremonies and won a few).  

Now, let us rephrase the Academy Awards for children against adults and how all of sudden the committees found it was unfair to see their acting talent being judged alongside the grown-ups. So during the 7th Academy Awards (1934), an award ceremony only for young actors/actresses (under the age of 18) was established. For what reason? Either for pity or for the sake of other young talents which were out on nomination for the real Oscar, the Academy Juvenile Award/Honorary Juvenile Award has awarded 12 young actors/actresses but let me mention only these kids who were still before puberty...

SHIRLEY TEMPLE

6 years old honoree in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934. She was the first to ever received the Honorary Juvenile Award and had been acting in more than 30 films since age 3 before made an exit in year 1949. She who had just passed away in February 10 this year (2014), is much remembered for her role as kid in a movie and hardly as grown up.  

MARGARET O'BRIEN

Being the honoree at the age of 8, she started acting since the age of 4. Still alive today (during this article is written) at the age of 77, that was the only award she received from the Academy Awards. But to be fair to the film industry, she's still actively acting (prior to demand).  

CLAUDE JARMAN, JR.

He's 80 years old today, and started his acting career by the age of 10 (during the fifth grade) and being honored as the Oustanding Child Actor of 1946 for his role as Jody in the movie 'The Yearling' when he was 12. He continued acting in 10 other movies before decided to work behind the scenes after the final film, 'The Great Locomotive Chase' as Jacob Parrot in 1956.

IVAN JANDL

This kid was pretty much special as he was a Czech and never got the chance to received his award as the honoree (by the age of 12) because he couldn't get the permit to fly to the United States in year 1948. For his role as Karel Malik in the movie 'The Search', beside the Oscar, he also won The Golden Globe Award for Best Juvenile Actor. He was recorded to have 2 more Czech films in his profile before land a job with radio station. At the age of 50 (1987), he died from complications of diabetes in Prague.

JON WHITELEY

His role as Harry in the movie 'The Little Kidnappers' has awarded him as the honoree of Academy Juvenile Award at the age of 10 in 1954. After acting in 5 films (1952-1957), he quit acting to further study and is now a respected art historian at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England. He wrote his Doctorate on French painter Paul Delaroche. He published a book on the Ashmolean's Stringed Instruments in 2009, and is working on a catalog of the later French paintings in the Museum. In May 2009, he was made a chevalier (knight) of the French Order of Arts and Letters.

VINCENT WINTER

Winning as the honoree at the age of 7 alongside his co-star (Jon Whiteley) from the movie 'The Little Kidnappers' in 1954, this Scottish boy had been acting in 9 more films before landed his behind the scene talent as Production Manager for hit movies like 'Superman' (II & III), 'Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom' and 'The Color Purple'. He also became Assistant Producer for a few productions before he died in Chertsey, England, as a result of a heart attack.

So there you have them kids! Any of them above 12 years that received the Academy Award, I've considered them a teenager and well considered already a grown-up to be able competing with adult. Unless my indication here is juvenile, than I might consider those up to 18 years old or maybe 21. The biggest issue right now is how transparent did the committee of the Academy Awards upon children talents in acting when compared to the adults? How did the juries decide the child actors/actresses to be more talented than the grown-ups? What are the criteria to define a children (before puberty) is a far better actor/actress as compared to their eldest (after puberty)? As acting take a major control in psychological performance of a person, how a children translate a character as compared to how an adult translate theirs? Most importantly, why there was a period of time, The Oscars had this Juvenile Award? The question remained until it is answered with logical reasons despite of all the fame beyond the legitimate art of acting based on puberty or otherwise.   

Meanwhile in Malaysia...

Recently the Anugerah Skrin ke-18 (ASK2014) awarded a 7 years old kid, Puteri Balqis the title of 'Pelakon Wanita Terbaik Drama' (Best Woman Actor in Drama) which is pretty much an issue for the local acting industry. The problem is simple, the definition of the word 'wanita' which is translated as 'woman' that referred to someone who is able to give birth (from puberty until menopause), which any less than that is considered a child. In the common fact of biology, most female (translated in Malay as perempuan/Kaum Hawa) will reach puberty by the age of 10 (or above) and by right Puteri Balqis is not even yet close to such period. Then, this very talented child is again nominated for Asian Television Award 2014 in the category of Best Actress in Leading Role (Aktres Terbaik dalam Watak Utama) which some Malay medias again quoted as 'Pelakon Wanita Terbaik'. My concern right now is how the Malay media (as ASK2014 itself is organized by Media Prima, a media tycoon), really utilize the Malay language to its proper use (or definition) and how Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (DBP) should reworks on the Malay language by redefining the word 'aktres' as pelakon perempuan (female actor) instead of pelakon wanita (woman actor) when referred to Kamus Dewan Edisi Ke-4. But most importantly, in any talent awards, it is best to open a new category specialized only for children (or else Juvenile!) and let other categories for adults competed among themselves, grown-ups! Because kids has got to be kids... among themselves.    

DONE... ^_^"    

TOP 10 PEMBERI AURA MELUKIS KOMIK

Kalau nak sebut watak-watak komik dan judul-judul komik yang menjadi minat sejak kecil memang banyak. Antaranya yang masih teringat di memori ialah majalah komik Salina, Kapten Malaysia (dari majalah Bambino), Spider-Man dan Superman. Seterusnya karya-karya komik fantasi nusantara keluaran Mediaseni yang membariskan artis-artis komik yang sememangnya ekstrim dengan idea angker. Cerita-cerita komik nusantara yang seram dan fantasi dari penerbitan inilah seingat saya memperkayakan lagi imaginasi untuk ke arah yang sama (dengan karya akan datang dalam perancangan, 'PUTERA MALAR'). Diikuti pula dengan karya-karya hebat dari Novel Grafik Bayan dan seterusnya karya-karya komik hebat oleh majalah Fantasi keluaran Creative Enterprise (rujukan: Komik Industri Malaysia). Pastu ada koleksi komik sastera berbahasa Inggeris yang saya dapatkan di perpustakaan sekolah (SMTP) yang pertama kali mendedahkan saya kepada karya 'Wuthering Heights'. Tetapi sebagai artis komik, identiti saya lebih terserlah kepada stail lukisan saya. Ramai gak yang tanya, siapakah yang paling menyerlah (Top 10) dalam memberi aura kesenian saya melukis komik? Jawapannya mereka inilah...
    

AZMAN YUSOF

Semenjak majalah FANTASI diperkenalkan oleh Creative Enterprise dan hasil lukisan beliau sering dijadikan sebagai kulit muka depan majalah tersebut, keterujaan saya melukis dan mewarna semakin menjadi-jadi. Saya sangat kagum dengan ketelitian beliau mewarna dan melukis anatomi manusia di pelbagai sudut posisi. Malah pernah ketika saya belajar di sekolah menengah (SSARSI) dalam aliran sains, sering saya mengesyorkan kepada kelab seni untuk menggunakan majalah FANTASI sebagai rujukan kerana karya-karya Azman Yusof. Sehingga ke hari ini apabila menatap kembali kepada lukisan-lukisan beliau, kebanyakannya masih boleh saya ingat kepentingannya kepada perkembangan skil melukis saya terutamanya dalam bab mewarna. 

 AIE

Beliau adalah salah seorang artis komik yang saya kagumi dari segi lakaran dan mendekatkan saya kepada majalah UJANG untuk siri BLUES UNTUK AKU. Yang menjadi perhatian saya kepada bakat beliau ialah strok lakarannya yang mudah tetapi sangat menarik! Beliau memaparkan satu teknik melukis yang bijak menggunakan ruang dan masa tanpa perlu mengulang kerja. Malah menggabungkan elemen kartun dan realistik sebagai pakej identiti beliau sememangnya patut menjadi tarikan komersil (sampaikan menjadi ikut-ikutan bakat-bakat baru).

TAN ENG HUAT

Saya mengkagumi hampir semua artis-artis komik di Gempak Starz™ kerana bakat-bakat yang ditampilkan di bawah label ini memang tidak dinafikan punya keunikan tersendiri, dan kerja seni yang teliti serta berkualiti. Tetapi sejak mula mengenali Gempak™ dan artis-artis komiknya, kerja beliau yang paling kuat tarikannya kepada naluri seni saya. Beliau ada teknik melakar dan mewarna konvensional yang kemas dan teliti tetapi bebas dari sudut persembahan. Seolah penyampaian beliau berani dalam rentak yang sangat berhati-hati, justeru tidak mustahil hari ini taraf beliau sebaris dengan artis-artis komik terkenal antarabangsa.

ALEX ROSS

Permainan warna air beliau dalam penghasilan komik memang unik! Malah cara beliau melukis postur karakter manusia sangat realisitik telah memangkinkan semangat saya untuk turut sama pandai melukis karakter manusia dengan tepat. Beliau juga antara pengaruh utama saya suka membikin komik peribadi dengan warna air ketika masih menuntut diploma di UiTM Jengka. Pernah juga saya mewarnakan karya-karya komik peribadi saya dengan dakwat cair, juga terilham dari pengamatan melihat lukisan-lukisan komik beliau.

 TRAVIS CHAREST

Saya mengenali beliau ketika sudah menerajui majalah GEMPAK™ dan terpikat dengan stail melukisnya dalam siri WildC.A.T's Vol. 2. Semenjak itu saya tidak melepaskan peluang untuk mendapatkan mana-mana komik yang melibatkan beliau sebagai artis komik. Pertama yang membuatkan saya suka dengan teknik lukisan beliau ialah teknik penciling yang kemas dan inking yang cukup teliti. Keduanya ialah cara beliau menggunakan teknik melukis garis putus-putus sebagai imbuhan kepada garis mati yang menjadikan karya seni beliau beridentiti tersendiri.

 CHRIS BACHALO

Sebelum siri komik STEAMPUNK, saya tidak begitu cenderung dengan hasil kerja beliau. Tetapi selepas SteamPunk, salut saya kepada teknik lukisan beliau mampu saya angkat sebagai sangat epik! Yang paling membuat saya teruja ialah dengan cara penciling beliau, ada ketelitian seni yang tidak memerlukan pembaris untuk mendapatkan garis lurus walaupun outline tidak sekata. Malah dengan karya STEAMPUNK beliau juga saya lebih menghargai erti ketelitian dengan minat yang tidak berbelah bagi. Namun jujur saya katakan, setakat ini hanya dengan STEAMPUNK saya kekal menjiwai seni beliau.

INOUE TAKEHIKO

Beliau saya kenal melalui VAGABOND dahulu baru saya tahu beliau juga yang melukis komik SlamDunk. Kecendurangan saya terhadap teknik melukis beliau lebih tertumpu kepada brushing, penciling dan inking. Stail beliau lain daripada yang lain berbanding semua manga-ka di Jepun, lebih kepada seni potret yang merealistikan pembangunan karakter dan latar-belakang. Kalau hendak tahu bagaimana saya mencampurkan unsur realistik dengan konsep manga, maka beliaulah orangnya yang mempengaruhi kaedah tersebut dalam pembikinan komik saya.

MA WING SHING

Bagi saya, beliau adalah Alex Ross versi Asia tetapi dengan teknik pewarnaan yang lebih teliti dan tertumpu. Punca saya mengikuti siri komik PEDANG SETIAWAN pun kerana lukisan beliau yang mantap (ketika teman-teman yang lain sibuk mengikuti perkembangan komik Tony Wong). Cara beliau melukis dan mewarna telah mengajak saya untuk menghayati setiap panel komik hinggakan seolah saya turut berada di zaman itu. Hinggakan saya begitu dekat dengan Penjejak Awan dan Penjejak Badai, dan sehingga kini ingat siapa itu Penjejak Angin.

KATSUHIRO OTOMO

Seperkara yang saya kagumi tentang beliau ialah teknik melukisnya yang mudah tetapi padat dengan ketelitian. Beliau adalah contoh kepada saya dalam membina kesabaran untuk menghasilkan seni komik yang lebih pandai bercerita dengan hanya melihat kepada lukisan selain membaca dialog. Setiap panel menggambarkan suasana yang mampu memberi seribu makna. Setiap karakter digambarkan dengan ekspresi yang mudah untuk difaham dan sebutir pasir yang dilukis pun punya sebabnya. Tetapi karya AKIRA beliau adalah masterpiece untuk saya jadikan rujukan erti sebuah kesabaran demi sebuah kejayaan yang unggul!

 *************************************

Jadi tidaklah bakat dan ilham melukis saya menjadi kalau tidak kerana mereka-mereka yang lebih berpengalaman berbanding saya di dalam industri ini, samada yang telah saya sebutkan di sini mahupun mereka yang tidak saya senaraikan. Jika gaya lakaran dan teknik melukis mereka mampu membuatkan saya teruja untuk mengamatinya, maka saya akan tatap hasil kerja itu rapat-rapat seolah sedang menyerap auranya. Semoga ada ramai lagi artis komik yang bakal membuatkan saya teruja, BERUSAHA! 

FAKHRUL ANOUR

Melampau la calonkan diri sendiri dalam Top 10 ni, kannnn... tapi itulah hakikatnya. Kalau saya tidak sukakan bakat sendiri, mustahil saya boleh sampai ke tahap seperti hari ini. Saya tidak menilai diri saya sebagai artis kanvas yang suka bereksperimentasi dengan banyak jenis warna, medium ataupun peralatan. Mencurah segala rasa tanpa ada susunan cerita mengikut panel bahkan dialog yang boleh dibaca. Walau suka memerhati karya-karya painting sedemikian, namun itu bukan bidang saya. Apatah lagi saya tidak cenderung untuk menjadi artis fine-art ataupun abstrak. Saya pelukis komik dan tumpuan saya lebih kepada sebarang jenis lukisan yang mengaplikasi kepada komik itu sendiri. Biarlah orang kata ini kerja paling susah nak kaya, tetapi sudah terbukti pun ramai juga yang boleh berhidup dengan hanya melukis komik. Yang penting kita kena berusaha, dan jangan mudah mengabaikan apa yang kita cinta. Insha-Allah... BERUSAHA! ^_^

20 JUALAN TERTINGGI FILEM TEMPATAN

Kepada ABANG LONG FADIL, MAEL LAMBUNG dan AH BENG, saya minta maaflah sebab tak dapat diselitkan dalam senarai box-office ni walaupun kutipan jualan tiketnya mencecah hingga RM4 juta namun tertewas dengan JALAN KEMBALI di tangga ke-20. Manakala dakwaan mengatakan filem-filem lawak spastik dan gangsterism sahaja yang dapat mencuri hati para penonton filem tempatan adalah tidak benar sama sekali, memandangkan dalam senarai ni boleh dikatakan semua genre ada termasuklah kreatif animasi dan superhero. Dalam menghasilkan sebuah filem yang menarik ia perlu menepati ciri-ciri karya berseni dengan melibatkan lakonan yang mantap (menjadi dan tak terasa janggal untuk ditonton!), pengarahan yang berkesan (tak terkongkong oleh lagak nak tunjuk bagus dan resmi nak duit jer!) dan produksi yang bertanggungjawab terhadap kesenian membikin filem (jangan setakat nak kaut untung atau nak dapat duit projek jer!). Pengamatan saya kepada 20 filem paling box-office Malaysia (sehingga 7hb. September 2014) ni, mendapati ia menepati ciri-ciri yang disebutkan walau apapun genre-nya.

[Rujukan: www.finas.gov.my]

1

THE JOURNEY
Tahun: 2014
RM17.17 juta

2

KL GANGSTER
Tahun: 2011
RM11.74 juta

3

OMBAK RINDU
Tahun: 2012
RM10.90 juta

4

HANTU BONCENG
Tahun: 2012
RM8.53 juta

5

 NGANGKUNG
Tahun: 2010
RM8.18 juta

6

KONGSI
Tahun: 2011
RM8.09 juta

7

KHURAFAT
Tahun: 2011
RM8.08 juta

8

HANTU KAK LIMAH BALIK RUMAH
Tahun: 2010
RM7.90 juta 

9 

ADNAN SEMPIT 
Tahun: 2010
RM7.66 juta

Malah setiap filem ni mempunyai paradigma tersendiri dalam penampilan konsep dan tema cerita walau ada diantaranya memberi kejutan negatif yang menarik (seperti filem CICAK-MAN). Manakala filem-filem komedi di dalam senarai ini tidak sekadar membuatkan kita ketawa tetapi turut menyumbang input kepada proses suntingan yang tidak canggung dengan kualiti penyampaian cerita tidak merapu (yang terakibat oleh kongkongan muslihat nak jimat kos atau dah malas nak fikir yang terbaik lagi). Seterusnya dakwaan yang mengatakan paten citarasa penonton filem di negara ni berubah-ubah mengikut tahun, musim atau populariti pun tidak boleh dijadikan ukuran memandangkan 20 filem paling berjaya ni tidak dikutip mengikut turutan tahun, kategori atau pelakon/pengarah/produksi selain kutipan jualannya.

 
10

ADNAN SEMPIT 2
Tahun: 2012
RM6.82 juta

11 

HIKAYAT MERONG MAHAWANGSA
Tahun: 2011
RM6.50 juta 

12

LAGI-LAGI SENARIO
Tahun: 2001
RM6.33 juta

13

GENG
Tahun: 2010
RM6.20 juta

14

JANGAN PANDANG BELAKANG CONGKAK
Tahun: 2010
RM6.09 juta

15

HUSIN, MON & JIN PAKAI TONCIT
Tahun: 2013
RM5.89 juta

16

JANGAN PANDANG BELAKANG
Tahun: 2007
RM5.78 juta

17

KL DRIFT 2
Tahun: 2010
RM5.67 juta

18

CICAK-MAN 
Tahun: 2006
RM5.15 juta

19

KL GANGSTER 2
Tahun: 2013
RM4.96 juta

20

JALAN KEMBALI
Tahun: 2012
RM4.98 juta

Justeru tanggapan produksi filem tempatan harus membikin filem mengikut citarasa penonton tidak boleh dijadikan alasan sama sekali. Jadi, bagaimana jika benar-benar ingin menghasilkan filem yang mampu menarik penonton ke pawagam? Berikut pendapat saya: 

1) Jangan kedekut dengan klip-klip promosi dan proses di balik tabir

2) Jangan terlalu berahsia dengan kos pembikinan serta kutipan jualan

3) Jangan bersikap angkuh dalam menyampaikan informasi perfileman

4) Jangan 'beli' wartawan-wartawan media berbayar untuk rebiu positif

5) Jangan buat skrip meleweh hingga penonton tidak terkesan oleh maksudnya

6) Jangan biarkan pelakon membawa watak tanpa mengubah personaliti diri

7) Jangan bikin filem hanya untuk sekadar bisnes, fikirkan juga seninya!

8) Jangan tugaskan pengarah baru tanpa pembantu pengarah yang berpengalaman!

9) Jangan buat produksi filem hanya untuk pusingan modal dari duit lobi!

10) Jangan lupa ini industri filem untuk tayangan di pawagam, bukan di TV!

Sekarang kos pun semakin meningkat, pelabur filem pun dah berani melabur ke produksi filem sampai berjuta-juta ringgit. Jadi kepada karyawan filem dan produksi jangan takbur sangat dapat 'untung muka' camni sebelum produk di pasaran. Gunakan sebaiknya untuk hasilkan karya filem yang bagus dan bukan setakat kualiti untuk tontonan di TV jer tapi ditayangkan kat pawagam. Hari ini kutipan jualan setakat RM2 juta dan RM1 juta tu dah mula dilihat sekadar balik modal, tak lama lagi tak dinafikan kutipan RM4 juta pun belum tentu menjanjikan keuntungan besar. 

"Anak-anak muda yang menyanyi ikut suka hati, bermain muzik ikut suka hati, berpakaian ikut suka hati akan menjadi terdedah kepada unsur-unsur yang tidak baik dan dengan sendirinya lahir angkatan yang tidak berdisplin."

- Tan Sri P. Ramlee

 Seterusnya mulai dari sekarang sikap mudah berpuas-hati dengan hasil seni sendiri walaupun tidak sebaik karya luar negara harus dikikis untuk memperkukuhkan lagi keyakinan kreativiti generasi baru kita supaya lebih berusaha. Jangan setakat nampak boleh jer! Tetapi juga mesti ada semangat untuk lebih baik dan tampil setanding dengan karya-karya antarabangsa. Itu yang kita mahukan demi Industri Kreatif Malaysia dalam memantapkan lagi seni karyawan-karyawan kita.

10 BOX-OFFICE FOREIGN MOVIES IN MALAYSIA

When we thought the world No.1 Box-Office is also Malaysia No.1 Box-Office, we assumed it wrong. This year, TRANSFORMERS latest movie franchise has surpassed the total gross ticket sold made by 'IRON MAN 3' ($13,909,003/as of 4th August 2013) last year. Even the total gross of above $13 million in Malaysia has beat up the world success of three top all-time Box-Office movies; MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS ($10,965,615/as of 5th August 2012), AVATAR ($7,706,512/as of 4th July 2010) and being the out of league, TITANIC ($2,764,733/as of final). Even movies in my #BoycottIsrael lists like 'Lucy' ($1,747,630/as of 24th August 2014) and 'The Expendables 3' ($1,424,208/as of 24th August 2014) made it above $1 million, as I believed the local consumers are wise enough not to boycott as it involved not more than a few pro-Israel players in the production team. While movies that almost or a flop in the world box-office like 'Pompeii' ($1,130,375/as of 23rd March 2014) and 'The Legend of Hercules' ($1,303,892/as of 2nd February 2014) also reached above $1 million in Malaysia.  Meanwhile an international box-office like 'Muppets Most Wanted' ($43,028/as of 11th March 2014) did not even surpass the $100,000 collection in Malaysia but gain 56.37% gross return worldwide. 

[Source: www.boxofficemojo.com]

 

1 

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Premiered: 26th June 2014
Distributor: UIP
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $13,511,790/±RM42,649,961.04

2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Premiered:  1st May 2014
Distributor: Sony
Total Gross (as of 20th July 2014): $9,394,162/±RM29,652,669.51

3  

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIERS
Premiered:  27th March 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 22nd June 2014): $8,404,017/±RM26,527,277.11

4

 X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Premiered: 22nd May 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 27th July 2014): $6,651,878/±RM20,996,650.89

5

 MALEFICENT
Premiered: 29th May 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 3rd August 2014): $6,393,211/±RM20,180,168.58

6

GODZILLA
Premiered: 15th May 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 27th July 2014): $6,077,147/±RM19,182,512.66

7

ROBOCOP
Premiered: 30th January 2014
Distributor: Sony
Total Gross (as of 23rd March 2014): $5,833,356/±RM18,412,986.45

8

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Premiered: 31st July 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $5,354,00/±RM16,899,899.38

9

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Premiered: 10th July 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $4,756,778/±RM15,014,768.32

10

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Premiered: 7th August 2014
Distributor: UIP
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $4,346,048/±RM13,718,299.19

So I may concluded that as of until now, the maximum local audiences would spend to watch movies in Malaysia could reach almost 3 million people approximately with box-office target could reach almost RM50 million. It will not be impossible for our local film makers to reach the box-office hit like the 'TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION'. But only if we could only make a movie that have the quality of acting, directing and editing as good as those who really value of making amazing art from conventional up to the detail of technology.

As compared to:

'The Journey' (一路有你) is the highest grossing local film with box-office hit of RM17,170,341.75 (reported by Finas.gov.my) so far in 2014. Nothing much I would say about the detail of technology used in this movie, but its conventional issue portrayed in its storyline and acting casually, convinced an audience like me to enjoy watching it. I have no problem with the acting methods (not award-winning but not awkward either), the directing is simple yet promising (seemed the director has no reason to limit himself in expressing his skill), and the balloon concept used as the gimmick of the story's concept is adhering enough. Watching the tradition conflict between the young generation to the old in Chinese community from the storyline has no different to my own Malay community. Just change the custom and voila... I can relate to it at every single point. If some would say this movie got wide promotional coverage (so did the 'CEO' movie yet still failed at box-office!). Let us just accept the fact that our local audience are not that stupid to define the quality of a movie, which they (that's include me) could relate by the awesome performance of acting or the hypocrisy way of directing. Nuff said!