17th August, 2013.
If you’ve been paying attention, recently, you’ll have noticed I’ve started putting the date at the start of a post about movies.
Mostly because I’ve been known to start posts about films fairly late. And want to give you an idea of when I started writing the blessed thing: even if I don’t actually finish the thing until a day or two, later.
It’s my way of telling you I want to get my head down.
But not without mentioning I’ve seen a film I’ve liked.
Yes, a film.
Yes, in this case, a Thai film.
And yes.
In this case, the 2004, Thai film, ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ.
Or Shutter, to give it its English name.
~≈Î≈~
18th August, 2013.
Phew … ! A night’s sleep does help, now and again, doesn’t it … ?
Now, I was telling you about the film I caught, last night: the Thai horror, Shutter.
Can I make a confession, here … ?
I’d originally been looking at renting the 2008 US remake of Shutter, as it had been showing up, with a certain amount of regularity, in the Recommended for You section of iTunes. And was something I’d seen available in Brentwood Library.
I mulled that over, on the way back home from the High Street. And looked it up on both iTunes, and Wikipedia, IMDb, et al.
Neither site had much good to say for the US version. And frankly, the (then) two reviews of it on iTunes seemed to be talking about a different movie.
One with Will Ferrell for a start.
But the Wikipedia entry mentioned that the 2008 US film was a remake of a 2004 Thai original.
One that, although it’s reviews weren’t necessarily stunning, were a lot better than it’s US namesake.
I took a punt: at £2.49, the Thai original of Shutter seemed a better bet.
I think I was right, there …
~≈Î≈~
2004’s Shutter, sees Ananda Everingham and Natthaweeranuch Thongmee as Tun and Jane: a newly married photographer and his wife, who, after something of a night on the town, head home.
And — intentionally or otherwise — hitting a pedestrian: and not stopping to help.
It’s only a few days later that Tun notices the strange defects that start appearing on his photographs. On the photos: AND on the original negatives.
It’s only when Jane brings him a magazine article about Spirit Photography that the couple realise that something inexplicable is going on.
Not just to random photos, either: just the ones taken by them. Almost as something — or someone* — is trying desperately to both attract their attention: and tell Tun, specifically, that it’s … unhappy …
Very unhappy …
And very much so, at Tun …
~≈Î≈~
Now …
Did I like this film … ?
Yes, I did.
OK, it’s possibly not a stunner of a film.
But it is a competent — and nicely executed — ghost story, that had me jumper at several point: and kept my attention all evening.
What’s more, it’s another — like Small Town Murder Songs — with a very good soundtrack.
And good sound quality, I should add: I’ve only a cheap and cheerful sound-system attached to my TV, but the (minimalist) audio-track and Psychoesque for Shutter was a treat for sore ears!
On the whole … ?
I don’t know how the US version of Shutter will strike your fancy.
But can happily say the Thai original was a nicely enjoyable, and value for money, piece of work.
Shutter
★★★☆
* This cliché was brought to you by Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar: other sites, and clichés, may exist.
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