Ha Prang, 2009
There is a good trailer on You Tube
Novice (Paween Purijitpanya)
This short film begins with events on a road. It is only towards the end that they deftly fall into place.
Adolescent Pey oozes teenage rebellion and pimples as his mother whom he seems to hate leaves him with Buddhist monks.
The tropical forest into which we follow him reeks of reptilian anticipation and we writhe in sultry suspense as we watch the Thai Hungry Ghost rituals setting the stage for a truly gruesome offering.
This film is about Karma-as we throw so do we reap and we often sow our destinies when our acts boomerang on us. Only, it’s a mercy that most of the time our acts do not rebound on us with such ghoulish thud.
Sip at the awesome dignity of Buddhist ambience while cringing at the stomach crunching sound effects and don’t bite off half your finger when you reach for the popcorn.
Ward (Visute Poolvoralaks )
Another adolescent but this time one who is full of beans, Arthit crashes into our consciousness when an accident makes us follow him into a hospital where we get a taste of his irreverent retorts. Is he accidentally warded with an old man on a life support system, sandwiched between him and a broken empty bed? As we speed through an eventful night with the bated breath almost choked out of our windpipes, where this story is going weighs heavily on us until we crash into the twisted ending. A bruising tale of after life where one may not live to tell tales.
Backpackers (Songyos Sugmakanan)
A young Japanese couple travelling around Thailand face frustration as they try to hitch a ride on a lonely stretch of road. The boy waves money when the girl’s attempts to charm a lift fail. A truck grinds to a halt and the rugged driver takes them in. He is not alone and his companion is a gentle looking contrast to his stereotypical rapist look. The tension builds as we race fatefully into the dust-what is that noise from behind? What can be there, packed in the back? The moral of the tale is: do not judge a human being by their face but what if they are not human?
Salvagea (Parkpoom Wongpoom)
Nuch makes a living selling rehabilitated cars. But second hand cars have pasts which may not be as posh as they now look. Playing hide and seek after hours in the stillness of the used car lot, one can bump into the most unwelcome trespasser but things that go bump in the night can extract a tragic karmic toll as we slam into the climax. With the first film hitting the highest gore fest note, this one gently lifts your raw and bleeding heart out of you and gnaws at your exposed and aching entrails with almost tender torture.
In The End (Banjong Pisanthanakun)
A movie crew shooting the last scene of a horror film finds that the actress playing the ghost is herself almost ready to give up the ghost. But the show must go on and playing dead is no big deal when you are it. This final scream story has the audience in nervous titters as nothing meets expectations and around every corner lies the most unlikely ending until the curtains close on you with a bang.
Make sure you see this one in a good hall or at least buy a good print with sensible subtitles. For female audiences, it is best watched with a handy hunk broad shouldered enough to muffle shrieks and, as for the males, they might have to think twice if they are not the right height to cower down enough into the seat when terror glares into one’s eyes. Buy at least four large helpings of popcorn and sodas as you might otherwise end up chewing off more than you can bite.