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Interview with Directors of ‘Folklore’, HBO’s New Asian Horror Anthology Series

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Folklore

Folklore is a new, six-episode, hour long, modernized Asian horror anthology series from HBO Asia. Each episode is helmed by a different director and based on deeply-rooted myths and superstitions across six countries in Asia.

Produced and created by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker, Eric Khoo (who also directs one of the segments), Folklore features episodes by Joko Anwar (Halfworlds, Satan’s Slaves) from Indonesia, Takumi Saitoh (Blank 13, Ramen Teh) from Japan, Lee Sang-Woo (Barbie, Fire In Hell, Dirty Romance) from Korea, Ho Yuhang (Rain Dogs, Mrs. K) from Malaysia, and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Samui Song, Last Life in the Universe) from Thailand.

As part of TIFF, I had the opportunity to sit down with two of the series’ directors – Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and showrunner/director Eric Khoo – to talk about the show’s creation, themes in Asian horror, and the classic cultural lore that feeds into our fears.

Kelly McNeely: With the popularity of horror anthologies, it’s fantastic that this will be – I understand – the first horror anthology TV series in Asia. Eric, how did you develop the idea or the concept for the series?

Eric Khoo: I’ve always been a bit fan of The Twilight Zone, and I love horror films. My mother got me into horror when I was six years old. In Asia, we love a great story. I remember Pen-Ek, we were in Patong (Thailand) together several years back, and we were joking about how we should do some horror together.

He had this crazy idea of doing a horror couch, like a couch that you would sit on and it would eat you up. And so when HBO approached us to come up with a series… [jokingly] I know a one-location that could be done for very little money [all laugh]. I pulled together these directors that I respected from Asia, and I said, you know “let’s do something together”. So it was very organic.

I talked to Pen-Ek – because I didn’t want to lose him (to scheduling conflicts) – and I was very happy that HBO Asia didn’t step in too much, like, Pen-Ek’s was all in black and white [mock annoyance, laughing]. But it was really fun, that was kind of its genesis.

The one thing I really wanted to do was not have it in English language – because it would be ridiculous, you know, having Thai speaking English, or Japanese speaking English. So they were allowed to keep it all in their mother tongue, and I think that was really good, because all the different teams from different parts of Asia came on board as a unit.

via HBO

Kelly: Pen-Ek, what drew you to the project… other than Eric? [laughs]

Pen-Ek Ratanruang: He emailed me and told me he was doing this thing with HBO and he wanted me to be involved. I’ve never done horror in my life! I love horror, but I didn’t know how to do it. I asked how much time I had to give an answer and he said one week. So I said, ok, within the next few days if I have an idea, I’ll say yes, but if I don’t, I’ll say no.

I had this idea of a ghost – instead of taking on a victim, the ghost becomes the victim of the situation. And I hadn’t thought of this. So, I thought of this story and I didn’t really have an introduction or idea, you know, but just… said ok, I’ll do it.

Eric: It’s a really good ghost story. You’ve never seen anything like that before.

Kelly: It subverts the idea of your typical ghost story, and I love that! Speaking of folklore and mythologies, what stories from when you were young really scared or had an effect on you?

Eric: For me it was the Pontianak – a female vampire. She seduces men and eats those men, and she likes to eat babies too. So that sort of freaked me out. There was a banana tree that wasn’t too far away from where I was staying, and my mother told me that if you put a nail into that tree with a thread, and you put the thread under your pillow, you would dream of her. So I would take the nail away. [laughs]

And the Pontianak is very famous in Southeast Asia. So you see her called Kuntilanak, but a lot of times they’ll say Matianak, so there are a lot of different permutations, you know? The other one that kind of gets me – and this was done by (Folklore’s) Malaysian director, Ho Yuhang – is called the Toyol. A Toyol is a baby ghost. So if you have an aborted fetus, you take the fetus and you pray to it, you can make it into either a malevolent spirit or a good spirit. If it’s a good spirit, it will help you with luck. So there’s a dark one and the good one.

via HBO Asia

Kelly: Each country has their own themes in horror that are tied to cultural history and events. For example, the ghosts of Japan are tied to their folklore, whereas in America, it’s more about possessions and demons that are related to their puritanical past. Could you speak a little bit on the prominent themes in horror films from Singapore and Thailand, and perhaps where those themes or ideas came from culturally?

Eric: The thing is, in Singapore, it’s a country with a mix of immigrants. The Chinese were there about 100 years ago, but before that were the Malays. And the Malays have a lot of folklore. So the Pontianak is from the Malays. The Toyol is also from the Malays, but the Pontianak is more like a devil child. A lot of folklore from Singapore – traditional folklore – comes from Malay folklore. So there’s a lot of Malays here, and Bruneis, and Philippines here, there’s a really mixed community.

Pen-Ek: With Thailand you have a few famous ghosts, but… I’m not afraid of ghosts. I’m just not scared – I’ve never met one. But we shot my episode (Pob) in a run-down, haunted hospital, and everyone in the crew – they saw something –

Eric: And you were away! [laughs]

Pen-Ek: I think drew my inspiration more from the ghost cinema, rather than real ghosts. And in Thai cinema – it’s more of a tradition that in ghost films and ghost stories – it has to have an element of comedy. Obviously it’s scary too, but, it has to have a light element. But it’s a full-on horror movie. Like the ghost is supposed to be scared of the man, for example… then the man can chase the ghost.

When you make a horror movie – a classic Thai horror film – the man will run away from the ghost, so we’d see him running away, and then a classic horror movie, they would jump into a huge vase and then they’d stick their neck out [mimes the action]… it has to have that kind of thing.

Or like, someone is really scared of the ghost so they walk backwards, and they further they walk backwards they look up and it’s like “do… do… do…!” [mimes a surprise]. So I thought, ok I could do something like… I mean not exactly like that, but I could almost treat my film like that, I could make it a comedy as well.

Kelly: Right, add a bit of levity to it.

Pen-Ek: Not a full-on comedy but, you have that tradition in Thai horror films. You have this tradition of comedy and horror.

via HBO Asia

Kelly: So that tradition of comedy and levity, where do you think that comes from? How did that get grouped in Thai horror cinema specifically?

Pen-Ek: Because horror films in Thailand are made purely for entertainment. It’s supposed to be shown to people from all over the world. In parts of the country, the level of education may not be very high, so everything needs to be broad. The comedy needs to be very broad. But I think it’s quite clever, because if you’re laughing so much and then suddenly a scary moment comes, it becomes really scary! [laughs] I remember seeing these kinds of films when I was young, I remember they were mostly comedy – but the scary parts shock you so much that you remember. You remember that shock.

Kelly: You never expect that when you’re laughing, right?

Pen-Ek: Yeah, exactly. It’s a good strategy!

Kelly: There’s a great balance with horror and comedy, the building of tension and releasing with humor… there’s this kind of ebb and flow that helps to build that reaction, that tingle of adrenaline.

Continued on Page 2

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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