On DVD in Singapore: The Screen at Kamchanod

Songsak Mongkolthong's puzzling ghost film, The Screen at Kamchanod is out in DVD in Singapore, and according to MovieXclusive, it doesn't sound pretty.

Often on subtitled movies, crucial text from signs or letters -- and in the case of Kamchanod, a newspaper -- will not be translated for viewers. The subtitlers seem to only concentrate on dialogue, forgetting that movies are a visual medium as well and the viewers will want to read the words that are presented.

Here's an excerpt from the review by Gabriel Chong:

The movie is also not helped with the lackluster performances of all five lead actors of the research team. Besides trying to look scared, they are not competent enough to bring across the erosion of the characters’ sanity as they are haunted time and time again.

The final nail-in the-coffin for this Thai horror flick is its finale. As if realizing that it has already wasted enough of its audience’s time, the movie tries to insert a last minute twist that is quite unnecessary and ridiculous. To be honest, this reviewer’s experience was further marred by the terrible subtitling of the DVD by Scorpio East which failed to translate a crucial clue of the puzzle scribbled on a newspaper clipping.

I can't remember if the newspaper clipping was translated on the subtitled Thai theatrical print. Perhaps it was, or maybe it wasn't and that's why this movie is such a puzzler?

The subtitles on the Singapore DVD are hard-matted, MovieXclusive adds, an indication that probably the same print was used for the VCD release. Also, only English subtitles are available, rather than the dual Chinese/English subs that are customary on Singaporean releases. The only extra feature is a trailer for Kelvin Tong's Rule #1 that autoplays when you slip the disc in.

(Via MX Newsbites)