Like watching episodes of The Twilight Zone, there are lots of different flavors packaged within “Phobia 2”. So that there is certainly something for everyone’s tastes and vulnerabilities to enjoy. Each bite-sized tale is a surprise and leaves you with a sick feeling in your gut when it’s over. Extends the four shorts in "4bia" (2008) with five fresh phobic ideas, "Phobia 2" is once again enjoyed a massive success when it was released at Asian cinemas last year. Had a record first-day opening of 15 million baht, this sequel absolutely shattered Thailand's box-office records once again. Now, the film is available in home cinema packages for your collection. YesAsia got it and they offered a nice Hong Kong version DVD with friendly English subtitle. So you should grab it and just enjoy this one of the best horrors of 2009 that will deliver the good scares right into your home.
By sequence, the stories are "Novice", "Ward", "Backpackers", “Salvage” and "In The End". Each runs about almost half an hour and you will find that they go straight to the point, without much hesitation and the unnecessary chitchat in between.
Novice – For fourteen year old Pey, the idea of ‘karma’ is completely irrelevant. Pey has committed a crime so his mom decides that he must get ordained to become a Buddhist novice to escape. Under the guise of a monk, Pey remains unnoticed as a criminal. However, something deep down inside is bothering him. Will Pey’s Karma catch up with him? As he searches for the answer, the grip of fear tightens as he realizes that ‘Karma’ has no friend or foe when deciding a man’s fate or fortune.
This is the segment by “Body #19” director Paween Purijitpunya and it stars young “Gao” Jirayu Laoonmanee as a novice monk who's on a scary solo pilgrimage. Combined the urban legend, Buddhist teachings and old school horror, “Novice” also has this great use of special effects especially in the last scene. “4bia” returnee director Purijitpanya already known for his visualization and CG characters, and the result here is effective also conceivably could be his best work yet.
Starring singer “Dan” Worawech Danuwong, this is a segment by another newcomer to the franchise, Visute Poolvoralaks, a veteran producer who's making his directorial debut. This shortest of all the short segments goes pretty standard and lack of details. But while the story may seem pedestrian with an outcome that you can expect, it still provides some shocking moments.
Backpackers – Upon graduation, a young Japanese couple decides to travel around Thailand by backpacking. After failed attempts to hitchhike from Samui Island to Bangkok, the boyfriend waves a 1,000 Baht note in hopes to entice passing cars to pick them up. Finally, a truck driver pulls over and picks them. What is hiding inside that big trailer? Is there something deeper and darker that lurks behind the kind smiling face of the truck driver who lets them hop in? The answers to these questions will cause an adrenaline rush like no other.
Stars Charlie Trairat in what is possibly his darkest turn ever in a story involving "a road trip gone bad, human trafficking, and murder", this segment is also a pretty dark turn for the director -- Songyos Sugmakanan, who's new to the Phobia franchise. But he's done horror before, directing Charlie in "Dorm".
Directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom, half of the Shutter/Alone pair, it stars singer-actress Nicole Theriault (One Night Husband) in a story about a mysterious used car. Sometimes in Thai culture there is a stigma about buying second-hand cars or old houses, because of the spirits that might be involved.
In the End – Ter, Puak, Shin and Aey are the movie crew of an upcoming horror movie. They are shooting their last scene. On the last night, Puak is trying to be cool and tells one of the cast members that, “the show must go on”. So when that actress actually dies during filming, she makes sure to come back from the dead to finish her role. The four movie crews must shoot the movie that has a real ghost playing the role of a ghost in the end!
Stars Marsha Wattanapanich (Alone) who playing a caricature of herself, as a diva singer-actress on a film set where strange things start to happen. The segment is directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, the other half of the Shutter/Alone duo. Again benefits tremendously from Banjong Pisanthanakun’s clever blend of humor and suspense like his previous “In the Middle” short in “4bia,” the plot of this last segment will make you laughing from start to finish. But there is also enough spooky haunting going on to give you the chills and thrills you would expect from this growing master of horror.
PURCHASE THE DVD AT YESASIA
FIND OUT MORE...
By sequence, the stories are "Novice", "Ward", "Backpackers", “Salvage” and "In The End". Each runs about almost half an hour and you will find that they go straight to the point, without much hesitation and the unnecessary chitchat in between.
Novice – For fourteen year old Pey, the idea of ‘karma’ is completely irrelevant. Pey has committed a crime so his mom decides that he must get ordained to become a Buddhist novice to escape. Under the guise of a monk, Pey remains unnoticed as a criminal. However, something deep down inside is bothering him. Will Pey’s Karma catch up with him? As he searches for the answer, the grip of fear tightens as he realizes that ‘Karma’ has no friend or foe when deciding a man’s fate or fortune.
This is the segment by “Body #19” director Paween Purijitpunya and it stars young “Gao” Jirayu Laoonmanee as a novice monk who's on a scary solo pilgrimage. Combined the urban legend, Buddhist teachings and old school horror, “Novice” also has this great use of special effects especially in the last scene. “4bia” returnee director Purijitpanya already known for his visualization and CG characters, and the result here is effective also conceivably could be his best work yet.
Starring singer “Dan” Worawech Danuwong, this is a segment by another newcomer to the franchise, Visute Poolvoralaks, a veteran producer who's making his directorial debut. This shortest of all the short segments goes pretty standard and lack of details. But while the story may seem pedestrian with an outcome that you can expect, it still provides some shocking moments.
Backpackers – Upon graduation, a young Japanese couple decides to travel around Thailand by backpacking. After failed attempts to hitchhike from Samui Island to Bangkok, the boyfriend waves a 1,000 Baht note in hopes to entice passing cars to pick them up. Finally, a truck driver pulls over and picks them. What is hiding inside that big trailer? Is there something deeper and darker that lurks behind the kind smiling face of the truck driver who lets them hop in? The answers to these questions will cause an adrenaline rush like no other.
Stars Charlie Trairat in what is possibly his darkest turn ever in a story involving "a road trip gone bad, human trafficking, and murder", this segment is also a pretty dark turn for the director -- Songyos Sugmakanan, who's new to the Phobia franchise. But he's done horror before, directing Charlie in "Dorm".
Directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom, half of the Shutter/Alone pair, it stars singer-actress Nicole Theriault (One Night Husband) in a story about a mysterious used car. Sometimes in Thai culture there is a stigma about buying second-hand cars or old houses, because of the spirits that might be involved.
In the End – Ter, Puak, Shin and Aey are the movie crew of an upcoming horror movie. They are shooting their last scene. On the last night, Puak is trying to be cool and tells one of the cast members that, “the show must go on”. So when that actress actually dies during filming, she makes sure to come back from the dead to finish her role. The four movie crews must shoot the movie that has a real ghost playing the role of a ghost in the end!
Stars Marsha Wattanapanich (Alone) who playing a caricature of herself, as a diva singer-actress on a film set where strange things start to happen. The segment is directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, the other half of the Shutter/Alone duo. Again benefits tremendously from Banjong Pisanthanakun’s clever blend of humor and suspense like his previous “In the Middle” short in “4bia,” the plot of this last segment will make you laughing from start to finish. But there is also enough spooky haunting going on to give you the chills and thrills you would expect from this growing master of horror.
PURCHASE THE DVD AT YESASIA
