THE LOST DARNA FIM (FROM INDONESIA!)

      

original Indonesian title DARNA AJAIG [The Amazing Darna]
also known as WONDER GIRL DARNA

director: Loliek Sudjio (as L. Sudjio)
starring Lydia Kandou · Donny Nurhadi · Dian Ariestya · Hamid Arief · Rina Hassim · Nani Widjaja

           

Darna (Lydia Kandou), blessed with superhuman abilities since birth, battles the evil Maria, a mysterious classmate (secretly, she's the daughter of Satan), capable of transforming into a deadly snake when she gets angry or jealous. Eventually, when Maria becomes fustrated after kiling her boyfriend's mother, she turns to her demon father for help. The monstrous giant Satan (see pic below, center) decides his best "help" would be to eliminate Darna.

Actually, it's not very surprising that this Indonesian "Darna" film is "lost." The bigger surprise is that it existed in the first place. Why? Darna is a Filipino superhero icon. She should not be in an Indonesian movie. Originally, Darna was created by illustrator/writer Mars Revelo [and his Regal Studios] in the '40s. She was his superhero character, owned by his studio in the Philippines. Technically, Darna was not permitted to star in a movie elsewhere in the universe. But in 1980, chaos erupted at the Filipino studio when Vilma Santos - after a decade of playing Darna - retired from the lead role. Mars Ravelo believed his "Super Girl" character had come to an end and he released a parody featuring a transvestite Darna [see DARNA...SUPPOSEDLY]. Meanwhile, in SouthEast Asia, director Lilik Sudjio and producer P. T. Cancermas decided 'Well, if Mars didn't want Darna anymore, Indonesia did.' Action starlet Lydia Kandou become the new Darna. But lawsuits and distribution problems plagued the release, so it should be no surprise that "Darna The Amazing" would soon become 'lost.'

After DARNA THE AMAZING, director L. Sudjio found notoriety with the gory, maggot-ridden QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC starring Indonesian horror queen Suzzanna. This was followed by a superhero actioner GUNDALA and an extreme thriller, KLIWON'S BLOODY REVENGE. Lydia Kandou, Indonesian model-turned-actress Lydia Kandou was 18 when she made this film. Through the years, she would excel in a variety of popular genre films, best remembered for title roles in top-grade trash JUNGLE VIRGIN FORCE and 5 DEADLY ANGELS.