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Singapore's first full-length English film

Medium Rare, Singapore's first full-length English film, released in local cinemas in late 1991. Loosely based on the bizarre Adrian Lim ritual murders of the early 1980s, Medium Rare was filmed and produced in Singapore. A first-time film-making effort for its executive producer, Errol Pang, it awakened Singapore's sleepy local film scene which went without any local film for almost two decades. Medium Rare received mixed reviews from movie critics. Costing S$2 million to make, the film grossed only S$130,000 in box office earnings.

Background
Local film-making industry went into hibernation mode since the movie company Cathay-Keris folded up in 1973. The unwinding of the company however affected mostly Malay cinema goers as Cathay-Keris' offerings were largely Malay movies which were of little interest to Singapore's predominantly Chinese population. Ventures into local films at that time were risky as the Taiwan and Hong Kong-made Chinese movies were popular and would surely give local-made films a solid run for their money.

The Economic Development Board of Singapore stepped in to try to revive the almost non-existent local film industry. As early as 1987, they sent observers to Taiwan and Hong Kong to learn about perks to boost interest and investment in film-making such as tax breaks and relaxed censorship. They donated S$530,000 to set up the Movie Industry Development Fund, and led the way by sponsoring local movie-making and promoting Singapore as an attractive production base for foreign film companies.

Description
In November 1990, Errol Pang, executive producer of Derrol Stepenny Productions, announced his project to finance and produce Singapore's first full length English movie. To be called Medium Rare, the film would be loosely based on the true-life story of Adrian Lim, his wife and his mistress who were executed on 25 November 1988 for their ritualistic slayings of two children. The movie was planned for shooting in time for entry to the coming Cannes Film Festival.

The movie got off to a shaky start as the production was beset with personnel, financial and sponsorship problems, delaying the shooting for about a month. The original director and scriptwriter, both foreigners, backed out as the fees they demanded could not be met. The leading roles were originally slated for local actors but due to other filming commitment and high fees, the roles were given to American actors. Two sponsorship deals worth S$50,000 were retracted, adding to the difficulty. Finally, the shooting began on 10 April 1991.

Shot in Singapore, the film used a variety of settings such as a Peranakan house in Tong Watt Road, a Mount Pleasant Drive house, Giok Hong Tian Temple at Havelock Road, East Coast Park and Pan Pacific Hotel. Shooting was carried out for five weeks and completed on 14 May 1991. A press conference on 16 May 1991 introduced the film, actors and other details to the public.

Singapore's lack of film-making facilities caused the post-production processes to be outsourced to Australia. After getting a PG (Parental Guidance) rating and on 23 September 1991 and signing TV and video rights in Singapore and Malaysia with Cathay Organisation, the movie opened to mixed reviews by patrons who watched its preview screening in late November 1991. Some liked it for its original plot, local scenery and authentic-sounding English by local actors. The less upbeat found the movie too slow-paced, going beyond 100 minutes of screen time, lacked the expected suspense and gore, pulled down by poor script and editing. The disappointing grossing at the box-office, about S$130,000, reflected the lukewarm reception to the movie.

Medium Rare made headlines for being the first attempt at local movie-making in English. Though hardly a runaway success, it represented a bold move to break into the film-making industry which is dominated by Hollywood plots and casts. A long shot from becoming as popular as their Hollywood counterparts, local movies that emerged at this infant stage of local film-making were nevertheless helmed by movie-makers driven by personal challenge and ambition to put Singapore on the film-making map. They still took the plunge despite budget constraints, a small market, undeveloped infrastructure, insufficient experienced talent and strict censorship laws.

Movie Credits
Title: Medium Rare.
Executive Producer: Errol Pang.
Director: Arthur Smith.
Producer: Graham Moore.
Scriptwriters: Margaret Chan and Rani Moorthy.
Actors: Dore Kraus, Margaret Chan, Jamie Marshall, Brenda Bakke and Rani Moorthy.
Sponsors: Pan Pacific Hotel, Kodak, Polaroid and Cosmoprof.
Cost of production : $2 million
Released in cinemas: December 1991.



Authors
Nureza Ahmad & Nor-Afidah A Rahman



References 
Singapore's bid for the big time. (1989, May 18). Asiaweek, 68-69.

Adrian Lim story to be basis of $1.7 m film. (1990, November 14). The Straits Times, p. 30.

EDB is not directly involved in making of Medium Rare. (1991, April 30). The Straits Times, p. 22.

Goh, J. (1991, April 13). Singapore's first English feature film hits snags. The Straits Times, p. 22.

Goh, J. (1991, May 17). Filming of S'pore's first full-length movie completed. The Straits Times, p. 28.

Goh, J. (1991, October 5). Coming soon: Medium Rare. The Straits Times, p. 21.

Goh, J. (1991 November 25). Medium Rare - high on local colour, low on suspense. The Straits Times, p. 24.

Oorjitham, S. (1997, April 11). The envelopes, please: Singapore's film festival will test the island's fledgling movie industry. Asiaweek. Retrieved September 1, 2004, from www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/0411/feat3.html

Reel life in Singapore: It's renaissance time for the island's film industry. (1995, June 16). Asiaweek. Retrieved September 13, 2004, from www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/95/0616/cinema.html

Singapore Film Commission. (2003). Singapore films & statistics. Retrieved September 1, 2004, from www.sfc.org.sg/statistics/statistic_list.shtm

The information in this article is valid as at 2004 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Arts>>Performing Arts
Motion picture industry--Singapore
Motion picture film
Singapore--History--1990-
Arts>>Film
Business, finance and industry>>Industry>>Leisure and entertainment



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