14 Nov – The Malaysian horror film "Penanggal", based on the haunting legends of the 'Hantu Penanggal', is set to be shown in cinemas this December. The 'Penanggal' may either be a beautiful old or young woman who obtained her beauty through the active use of black magic. It is said in the legend that the woman has broken a pact to not eat meat for 40 days, and having broken the pact she has been forever cursed to become a bloodsucking demon. After detaching her head and flying around in the night looking for blood, the 'Penanggal' will come home and immerse her entrails in the vat of vinegar in order to shrink them for easy entry back into her body. In this movie's version of the scary urban legend, it includes actors like Fasha Sandha, Ummi Nazeera, Azri Iskandar, Josiah Hogan and Zul Ariffin and it is directed by actor/director Ellie Suriaty Omar.
And while there has been a speculation that director Ellie Suriaty Omar is a bit scrict behind the camera, actor Zul Ariffin begs to differ. "A lot of people say that when working with her, Ellie might get too strict with you but in my experience, not at all! She's very sweet and the way she approached me and the other actors is with respect. She guided us throughout the whole process," beamed the actor. Set in the 1930s, Murni (Ummi Nazeera) unknowingly inherits ghostly powers from Mak Ajeng, which terrifies the village folk in Kampung Jawa, forcing her to flee. Abused by the villagers for her unwanted powers, Murni is saved by Syed Yusof (Azri Iskandar). "Penanggal" will be available to watch in theatres on 10 December 2013.