Storm of Thai horror

Three horror films are out or are upcoming in Thai cinemas:

• The Necromancer - an occult thriller about feuding wizards.
• Rahtree Returns - a sequel to the comedy horror, Buppha Rahtree.
• The Eye 10 - Another in the Eye series by the Pang Bros, looking at 10 different ways people can see ghosts.

The Necromancer is out now. I wasn't too intrigued by the previews, so I haven't seen it. The Bangkok Post's Kong Rithdee has seen it, however, and he writes that it is "nothing more than blood-soaked bedlam, a schlock horro tableau that picthes two warlocks against each other in a senseless battle cheered on by other warlocks." Chatchai Plenpanich stars as an escaped convict with a tatoo that renders him invulernable to knives, bullets, missles, etc. Puttichai Amatyakul is a cop who hopes to remove the tattoo. Here's more about Necromancer at The Nation.

Next up is Rahtree Returns, Yuthlert Sippapak's sequel his Buppha Rahtree or Rahtree: Flower of the Night. Apartment 609 is still haunted by the ghost of a spurned young woman (Chermarn "Ploy" Boonyasak). And this causes problems for a bumbling gang of bank robbers whose loot has somehow found its way to that room. Yuthert, who did Sai Lor Fah (Pattaya Maniac) and Killer Tattoo is up to his usual tricks of putting a cast of comedians, including Somchai Saktikul (who apparently as agreed to star in every single Thai comedy film made in 2004 and 2005), Supakon Srisawat, Phan Rojanarungsri and Bunpoj Weerarat, through their paces, combining elements from the action, horror and crime genres with slapstick. Thai hearthrob Kris Srepoomseth returns as the college boy Ake. For seducing Ratree, he had both his legs amputated. He’s in for more disfigurement in this episode. Pitchanart "May" Sakhakorn (Butterfly in Grey, Sai Lor Fah) also stars.

The Eye 10, directed by Danny and Oxide Pang, is a pan-Asian venture, set in Hong Kong and Thailand. The emphasis is more on comedy than scary shivers and centers on four Hong Kong teenagers on a visit to Thailand. While staying at a friend’s house, they learn the basics of ghost watching through a book called "The 10 Encounters". Then one of them disappears and the others start seeing spooks everywhere. Stars Isabella Leong, Chen Polin, Ray MacDonald, Bongkote Kongmalai and Chen Po Lin.

(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)