It's that time of year again. A holiday season enjoyed by, let's admit it, everybody from all the religions in the country.

Those who have completed their religious obligations during the fasting month want to again enjoy the worldly entertainment they have skipped for a month, while those who don't fast simply seek out public places to escape the mundane household chores, as domestic helpers go to their hometown to celebrate the holiday.

An easy escape that a combination of these groups flock to is likely to be the cinema, the most immediately accessible, and at some level affordable, form of entertainment. Needless to say, however, we have been constantly reminded of the power of the slapstick films starring legendary comedy group Warkop DKI (Dono - Kasino - Indro), released during the Lebaran holidays in the 1980s and early 1990s, that would boost the local cinematic industry of those years.

For most audiences, the result could not be more obvious: the feeling that the celebration of Lebaran is incomplete without Warkop DKI's films. As the group's films diminished, with our local film industry's long slumber in the 1990s, the reawakening of Indonesian cinema earlier this decade has, so far, not been able to figure out a similar formula to create such a strong association.

As some readers may recall, despite local film attendance starting to boom again in 2000, for many years there had not been any significant local film making waves over the Lebaran holidays, until Kuntilanak (which goes by the English title The Chanting) was released in 2006.

Jumping on the bandwagon, producers and exhibitors considered horror went down well over this particular holiday. This assumption translated into not only one but three horror sequels (Kuntilanak 2, Pocong 3, Jelangkung 3) released back-to-back the year after, all of which were quickly eclipsed by the surprise comedy hit Get Married.

Thinking that comedy was the key, last year we saw a trio of comedies (Cinlok, Suami-Suami Takut Istri The Movie - a film adaptation of the popular TV series - and Barbi3) performing modestly, if not below average. They were up against two competitors: the forgettable teen-drama Chika, and a literary adaptation that went on to become the biggest box-office Indonesian hit to date: Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Warriors).

While the success of Laskar had been widely anticipated, given the phenomenal success of the source book, garnering an audience of 4 million is another matter. Apparently, the audience's need to find an alternative offering of an opposite style or genre from the rest of the batch has remained strong over the past two years.

As the film's sequel, Sang Pemimpi (The Dreamer), will not be released until December, the coveted drama film spot was left vacant this year, and was quickly snapped up by another literature adaptation: the sequel of Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (shortened as KCB 2 and impossible to translate, yet the film sticks to the English translation of the original, When Love is Extolled).

Having survived indifferent to negative word-of-mouth reviews for its first installment, at least compared to the slightly better reception of the previous biggest religious-romance Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), KCB 2 returns with a relatively more low-key promotional approach: no laughable "100% Original in Egypt" stamp, referring to the first series' shooting location in Egypt, nor the sensational promises that the film would be screened in several countries, as to date that screening has not materialized. The only ridicule, perhaps, are the words Kembali Mengguncang (Return to Shock You) on the poster, and, in brackets, festival commendations usually reserved for awards or prizes.

However, being the only religious-themed drama released with such perfect timing during the holiday period will simply make the film follow its predecessor and win the top box-office crown. We can already imagine the film, made by TV-series hit-maker SinemArt and promoted at the end of all their shows, and with religious leaders at every possible level recommending the film be watched, for the likely reason of matching the religious look of the film with the religious atmosphere of the film. Notice how we deliberately leave out the word *content' for both.

Thus, expect long queues at the box office, but don't leave the multiplex yet, for there are at least three more films to come.

There is Preman in Love, a physical comedy in the vein of Warkop DKI's films starring: Tora Sudiro and Vincent Rompies, who many are starting to suggest are the successors of the trio. Minus either Ari Untung or Indra Birowo, usually placed as the third wheel, both Tora and Vincent play similar roles of down-on-their-luck guys trying to chase fate, or fortune, that we have seen far too many times before (Benci Disko, Tri Mas Getir, Namaku Dick, Crazy Krazy Krezy to name a few).

Unfortunately, Preman has to deal with the sole sequel this year: Get Married 2.

Scoring both commercial and critical success is something many can only dream of, yet the original Get Married managed to achieve that. However, if an old adage of "don't change the winning team" applies, then we do see a major shift in some crucial parts: Cassandra Massardi (writer and director of Oh, Baby!) replaces the first film's scriptwriter Musfar Yasin, and Nino Fernandez, with his stiff acting, bumps Richard Kevin, the one with a less wooden performance, as the leading man. At least, the film still has some insurance from the returning team of Hanung Brahmantyo as director, together with leading lady Nirina Zubir, who has been largely absent from her role as box-office queen, and sidekicks Ringgo Agus Rahman, Aming and Desta.

If the trio of live-action films above is not enough, then consider the rare treat of seeing an animated film in our own language. Meraih Mimpi (Getting the Dream) gives color to the line-up of Lebaran films this year, in particular because the genre has been completely absent for years. Perhaps learning from the Hollywood trick of having an all-star voice cast, the film boasts the voices of popular names that stretch from non-actors (singer Gita Gutawa, Patton of the reality show "Idola Cilik") to more established thespians (Cut Mini, Surya Saputra, Ria Irawan).

Having been screened as the closing film of the Kids' Film Festival (Kidsffest) a few months back, the film is certainly hoping not to lose steam amid the current, if not strong waves, of its live-action competitors.

While it is unlikely these films will pass the high standard set by Laskar Pelangi last year, the closest perhaps being KCB 2 which may match the first film's success, it is still worth noting how hungry audiences still are for local flavor to match the local atmosphere of our own Lebaran holiday, and to find films on which to spend their Lebaran bonuses.

Things may change next Lebaran, already less than a year away in our solar calendar system, as the new film bill comes into effect, much to the horror of everybody. Who knows what may happen then, because for audiences, the rule is simple: to fill cinemas, give a strong local flick to match the jovial mood of the holiday and the film will linger longer.

All of the films have been released nationwide. Check cinema listings for English subtitle availability.

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