SYNOPSIS:
Tom Penlert had always dream of being an epic film director.
But after a lifetime of trying, that seemed to be all just
a dream. Tom has always had a very good reputation as a director
of short films and he even earned himself a number of awards.
However he has never managed to break into the big league
of the film industry. That is until he got together with his
best friends, Tik, Doo, Peaw, Nek and Lookmee and came up
with a reality ghost hunting show. It is an instant hit. The
concept is simple: to investigate and determine the truth
behind many of the scariest ghost stories around the country.
Armed with only a camera and their wits, they venture out
into the spooky world of spirits to find their destiny. The
only flaw in their perfect plan is..they are all petrified
of anything supernatural!
MOVIE
REVIEW
We
do not know of many reviewers who enjoy sitting through horror
movies. Not because they are cowards, there is often nothing
positive to write about these days. And to make things worse,
Asian horror pictures are flooding the market, and there is
only one reason why – the money it brings in at the
box office.
For some
strange reason, horror movies attract the crowd, and are bound
to bring home decent amounts of box office earnings. At first
glance, this Thai production may be like the tons of Thai
horror flicks out there. After sitting through its entire
100 minutes (yes, this reviewer actually takes the effort
to be objective and gives every film a chance), we are proud
to say that it actually has something refreshingly different
to offer.
The story
tells of a man who dreams of being a filmmaker who produces
quality movies. But the realistic world tells him that the
film industry is a business: horror movies sell well. Before
long, our protagonist is leading a motley crew around the
country exploring haunted villages and buildings, and starring
in a variety show which proves to be a hit with the crowd.
Beat this,
the movie even boasts of an agreeable twist at the end.
What makes
this movie work is its take on the Thai horror genre. It laughs
at its own exports by generating cheap laughs which are aplenty
(unintentional of course) in a typical Thai scare-fest. Low
production values, cheap makeup and cheesy special effects
which are littered throughout this Adirek Wattaleela-directed
movie are meant to poke fun at the state of things in the
local film industry, and it certainly milked some laughs out
of us too.
Also,
Phetthai Wongkamlao (you’d remember him for his hilarious
roles in Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong) plays the protagonist
with great comedic effect. His team which comprises of a production
assistant, a popular singer and a variety host, also complement
each other with appropriate chemistry.
At
the end of the day, what brings this movie a notch the others
is its fusion of comedy and horror, and how it actually entertains
us instead of treating us like viewers who pay good money
to scream and huddle in fear at every cheap scare on screen.
MOVIE RATING:
Review
by John Li
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