Watching Alone, Alone … Popcorn Flew Onto My Face

Believe it or not, the last time I watched a horror movie was 3 years ago. So hard for me to find movie partners for this sort of movies. Strangely, female colleagues of mine have much higher tolerance to horror movies than guys. Most of the guys either close their eyes most of the time or as though closing their eyes are not good enough, they cover their eyes with their hands. Com’on guys …

I love to watch horror movies. In especially, the Asian ones. I think this is one genre that the Asians can do much, much better than the Western ones. The hair-raising sound effect, flashes of gruesome imagines, the anticipation, and the storyline that induces fear beyond the screen. Think of “The Ring” … and think of “Shutter”.

Yes, I love “Shutter”. And that was the movie I watched 3 years ago. Now, the same pair of directors have collaborated for yet another great horror movie “Alone”. I have been looking for an opportunity to watch “Alone”. Since Cynthia has a farewell party to attend, I messaged Tong Kiat early this morning to see if he could join me. Oh well, I knew jolly well that he is not into horror and he said he would wait for me outside … ha ha ha. I asked my new colleagues if they wished to join me. I have an initial green signal then one of them asked, “English horror”? I replied, “Thai horror”. Oh well …

So I watched “Alone” alone. Although this time round, it is not as spooky as the last time I watched “Shutter” (I love the search function in my own website … ha ha ha … just key in “shutter”), I did coincidentally sit on seat number 7 this time round – same as last time. After a rather long warm-up, “Alone” delivered its first horror moment. Some of the audience screamed. I didn’t. But I was shocked by the “rain of popcorn”. The dude in front (a Westerner I believe) got shocked so much so that he threw his arms backward swinging his box of popcorn to the back row. Dude … lucky I didn’t get the “rain of Coke”.

Now, let’s get back to the review of the movie. I think I like “Shutter” better. “Alone” is part horror part thriller. The concept of “Shutter” is original. Arguably, the storyline of “Alone” – a pair of Siamese twins “Pim” and “Ploy” with one of them dead and another one alive – can be original. But from the fear factor point of view, knowing what the ghost is (duh … the dead Siamese twin of course … and this is not a spoiler as you will get this piece of info right upfront) sort of diminished the surprise factor. And what’s up with Thai actresses?! If Marsha Wattanapanich was to put on more make-up (see picture), “Alone” would have been such a treat. She can indeed be pretty as I saw her on TV doing promotion for this film. Marsha Wattanapanich can marginally act. But for the rest of the cast … I am not too sure.

The above are just some tiny criticisms. Overall, “Alone” is a good horror/thriller movie and it is entertaining as well. I think I did screamed twice and had a few hair-raising moments (literally). Definitely money well spent. At the end of the movie and I looked around, I reckon 60%-70% of the audience were girls (the largest cinema in Cathay Orchard). Com’on guys …