Local stars Izzue Islam, Alif Satar and Juliana Evans may portray ghost-hunters but they are nowhere near comfortable around the supernatural, writes Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli.
FOR thrill-seeking horror fans, supernatural clairvoyance, or the ability to see ghosts, can be a pretty cool skill to possess.
Actors Izzue Islam, Alif Satar and Juliana Evans, however, beg to differ. When asked whether they be curious to see paranormal entities, they are quick to answer “NO!” — and loudly, at that.
“If I were to have that gift, I don’t think I’d be able to even go to the toilet anymore!” Alif jokes.
About five years ago, Alif hosted the Astro Prima show Mastika Mencari Logika, where he went searching for ghosts. He didn’t enjoy it.
“We know for a fact that those things exist. It doesn’t mean we have to go looking for them.”
Juliana agrees, claiming that she won’t ever go ghost-hunting. “I don’t want to see them at all!” Juliana admits, laughing.
“If I do see something, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. God knows what will happen to me then.”
Izzue, however, reveals that initially he was curious about seeing spirits after reading the horror mystery magazine Mastika, and the horror comic Dari Alam Angker years ago.
“Still, I wasn’t that obsessed to actually go looking for such opportunities. And I am thankful that I can’t see spirits.”
GHOST-HUNTERS ON SCREEN
Ironically, Izzue, Alif and Juliana are the stars of the new local fantasy horror film Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi, where their characters can in fact see ghosts.
Izzue plays Aliff, a college student who has “saka” (a spirit inherited from one family generation to another). Upon learning this, his college mates Anna (Juliana) and Naim convince him to use it to help them search for paranormal entities, for Anna’s thesis.
Unbeknown to Aliff, the more he uses his saka, the stronger it gets and the weaker his control over it.
Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi, produced by Astro Shaw and directed by Faisal Ishak, was actually shot two years ago.
Thirty per cent of the film is computer-generated, and the total production costs RM1.5 million.
Izzue, Alif and Juliana insist that the film isn’t like most local horror films because it encompasses comedy and lots of action as well.
“It’s similar to the Hollywood’s 2010 action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs The World. On the whole, it’s very entertaining,” says Izzue, 26.
Juliana, 27, adds: “This film is fresh and different from what we have in the local film scene.
“We also have lots of moral message for viewers to take home,” adds Izzue.
Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi also stars Kaka Azraff, Man Kadir, Eunous Madeous, Hasnul Rahmat and Aleza Shadan.
NAILING THE CHARACTER
The story begins with Aliff feeling so burdened by the saka that he inherited that he had to distance himself from others. He also takes precautionary measures to ensure his saka stays hidden, and his clairvoyance stays a secret.
All is well, until Anna and Naim accidentally get to know about it and urge him to use his gift for their benefit.
The tension between Aliff and Naim and Anna, and the action scenes, were easy for Izzue to execute.
The real challenge was the scene where he had to quickly alternate between portraying Aliff and portraying Aliff who’s possessed.
“We didn’t have much time to shoot it because it was going to be dark, so I only had four takes to make it right.
“It was a real pressure, because I had to make sure my facial expressions were on point and distinctive.”
To portray a possessed Aliff, Izzue watched scenes of the Green Goblin, portrayed by Willem Dafoe in the Spider-Man movies.
“The way (Willem) portrayed the character as he looks into the mirror was incredible. I was certainly inspired.”
Izzue is satisfied with his own interpretation of a possessed man, especially since he had to do it within a short time.
“I had to contort my facial muscles so much that my face eventually felt cramped, but it was all worth the effort.”
DEDICATION
Izzue didn’t do any research on saka, but he forced himself to imagine that he could actually see ghosts.
“Even when those things aren’t there, I pretended they were. People looked at me strangely, but that’s how I got into character,” Izzue explains.
This is Izzue’s second horror film, after last year’s Sunti @ Facebook. After Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi, his interest to star in more of such films has mounted.
“I’ve given 200 per cent effort to portray Aliff, but if you asked me, there’s still lots I could have given to the character.”
On being in Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi, Izzue says he had always wanted to work with Faisal. Plus, the film itself is extraordinary and different than what he’s done before.
Its director, Faisal Ishak, says he was blown away by the former’s acting in the TV3 drama Habil Dan Qabil.
“My team and I also agreed that Izzue is the best person to play Aliff. He definitely proved his worth.”
FUNNY GUY
Naim is the loud goofball among the three friends, who provides comic relief to the film.
“One of the things I love most about the film is that it alternates seamlessly between horror, action and comedy.
“If you don’t think it’s scary, it’s because we’re aiming for something entirely different and new. It’s more of a sci-fi that discusses monsters,” says Alif.
One of his many favourite scenes is when a large number of people become possessed. “There were so many of them, and their acting was awesome! So the impact of the scene felt great,” Alif reveals.
Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi was shot at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, during the exam period. Alif recalls a time when the cast and crew were filming a scene at the library.
“We were so loud that we got shushed by the students,” says Alif.
GREAT TEAM
Still, filming Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi was fulfilling for Alif and he loved every second of it. “This is the kind of movie where acting comes naturally for the cast because the sets looked real and therefore were unbelievably frightening.
“We didn’t have to pretend much because we did feel scared,” he explains, laughing.
He commends the props department for providing a realistic setting, and the cinematographer for capturing such eerie shots.
“As a team, we felt that we had achieved what we had aimed for, and that satisfaction helped us in making the film the best it could be.”
It’s been a productive year for Alif, as he hosted the reality programme Clever Girl, and is currently co-hosting Akademi Fantasia.
He also left a great impression on Malaysian TV viewers after portraying the loving Ahnaf in the series Dia Semanis Honey, aired on Astro Ria.
“I’m nervous about what audiences will think of me once they see Naim, who’s very different from Ahnaf,” he reveals.
ACTION OVER DRAMA
Anna has a backstory to why she’s doing a thesis on ghosts. She has her own issues, and as an actress portraying her, Juliana tried giving something different.
“The role can be quite complex so I want to make sure the audience understands what she’s going through.”
As for the action sequences, they might have been a little tough but Juliana had so much fun since she craves challenging scenes.
“There is a scene where Anna beats and kicks Aliff. That was so satisfying!” she reveals, laughing.
Juliana received the offer to star in Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi even before she flew home from the US in 2014. At the time she was still studying at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“I asked first about the cast and crew, and found out that they’re a talented bunch. The story’s premise and the character I would play are unique too. I just couldn’t say ‘no’. I started filming as soon as I returned home.”
Juliana previously starred in the 2011 horror comedy Hantu Bonceng, in which she plays a ghost.
She wouldn’t necessarily say “no” to another horror movie role offer, but if possible, she would want a darker role next, or maybe a character in a survival movie.
GHOSTLY EXPERIENCE
During the making of a horror film, reports abound of cast and crew experiencing real-life supernatural occurrences.
For the Aliff Dalam 7 Dimensi team members, one particular incident seemed inexplicable as they were having a meeting at 5am. There was something hanging off their technical lamp, and it suddenly flew towards the top of the team’s tent.
The filming location, at the compounds of UKM, is remote and eerie. Alif’s own experience was when he was riding a motorcycle home after filming.
Based on his previous experience working on Mastika Mencari Logika, he sensed an ominous presence following him.
“I tried to ignore it and recited as many verses from the Quran as I could. It’s important to keep your heart and mind strong in these situations.”
Alif adds the production team also filmed some scenes at an abandoned building. “It was extremely creepy! Our fear level went off the charts.”
Julia adds: “Then we found out that we’d film some major ghost scenes there. I was like ‘Seriously?!’”
Filming overall was challengingly creepy for Juliana, even at UKM’s girls’ dormitories. She didn’t dare go anywhere on her own on set.
Insisting that she’s not faint-hearted, she says: “I know that if I am, those things will affect me easily, so I try to be strong at all times.”
Izzue, however, didn’t experience anything frightening on set, but during filming, he noticed that he talked to himself quite a bit.
“Sometimes I was jerked awake from sleep at night for no reason. Maybe my mind couldn’t shake off the horror scenes.
“Or maybe I was just too exhausted. We filmed only four days during the day, while the rest took place between dusk and early dawn.”
COMPUTERISED ELEMENTS
The CGI element proved to be a serious challenge for the cast members, as they had to use a lot of their imagination.
“In some scenes, like when we’re fighting against ghosts, we had to act out physically, so that was double the challenge,” Juliana explains.
Izzue, who did most of the action sequences in Aliff’s fights against ghosts, is thankful for the crew’s help.
There is a scene where Izzue battles against a Hantu Galah. The crew had prepared props to give him an idea of how to react to it.
“It looks and feel exactly like what you will see in the film, so my reaction is real.”
However, Juliana was sceptical at first about the CGI element, which is primary in the film.
“I was just worried about how it’s going to look like. Then I realised that the film is meant to look like a comic. It’s not so focused on how real the ghosts appear.”
GREAT CHEMISTRY
The cast is thankful for the close relationship that it forged with the production crew, which makes the whole team feel like it’s one big family.
“Everyone is talented. They played their own part, so everything worked out well for the film,” Izzue comments.
“Our camaraderie even shows in the film. We hope audiences will have fun watching it, just as much as we had fun making it,” Alif says.
Juliana agrees. “The friendship you see on screen between Aliff, Naim and Anna, is the same kind that we have off-screen.”