Day 26: Tales from the Dark
Via: Amazon Prime
Release Date - 2013
Synopsis: Tales from the Dark 1 is a 2013 Hong Kong portmanteau horror film directed by Simon Yam, Lee Chi-ngai, and Fruit Chan. The film is split into three stories based on short stories by Lilian Lee.
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read.
I love, LOVE foreign horror films. Especially Asian horror films. They don't treat the audience like an idiot. Their subject matter can be something that would be considered too complex for an American audience. All three short stories are based on revenge. Revenge of the dead.
The first short revolves around a poverty stricken man who is trying to do his best to get work and also keep any job he does manage to get. It is revealed that he is living within an unused area of a cemetery. His situation worsens when he is fired from multiple jobs. Desperation sets in and he decides he will do anything to try to make a living. He comes up with the idea of holding urns for ransom. Pretty messed up idea. He steals 3 urns and leaves a note were the urns were kept. It is a ransom note notifying loved ones to pay up if they are wanting the missing urn of their beloved deceased. One of the spirits comes back to warn their loved one about this man and quickly plots his revenge on the thief.
This was a great looking film. In fact, all of these shorts are shot and edited well and the acting is pretty good. The only other factor that is true for all stories is the poor translation. You can get the overall idea of what some of the characters are saying, but there is definitely a cultural difference and poor translating keeping the full narrative consistent and without confusion.
Ok, the second short revolves around a fortune teller who is trying to close his shop in order to get his wife back. She doesn't believe in that kind of stuff and it's causing friction between her, her husband and their son. He sees spirits here and there but his wife doesn't want anything to do with it. While dining together, a girl happens to appear to him. This apparition opens up the story to a sort of unsolved mystery where our fortune teller must solve. He meets a couple who come to him for fortune advice and end up being the catalyst for the spirit's downfall.
This is mainly where the Chinese and Americans differ. These shorts present ghosts as a regular aspect of life. They are beings who are trapped for various reasons and they come to seek revenge or a path to reincarnate and rest in piece. That alone, is not a very Western ideology.
The last short deals with a cultural myth that seems to be based on the spiritual and witchcraft subjects. There is a time in the lunar calendar where people seek witches to "beat their villains" It seems it is a custom for the client to seek a witch, give them a photograph or story about a bad person they would like the universe to harm, or kill in some cases. The witch will take the photo or an illustration representing the "villain' and beat them with a shoe while chanting words of hate. By the way, when I say witch I mean an old lady who practices these rituals. Don't think of your typical witch in black looking all creeper. Think of your grandma and her wise ways. In this last story the witch happens to be part of the ritual in a very personal way.
These were all very enjoyable and had a learning aspect of cultural and spiritual attributes that would be great to anyone with an open mind.
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