Horror Film is a popular genre which has received renewed attention in Cambodian film making since 2003.
History
One of the earliest successful Cambodian Horror movies was 1970s The Snake King’s Wife by Tia Kim Kon. Other films followed such as Crocodile Man, The Snake King’s Wife Part 2, The Snake girl and My Mother is Arb finding success both in Cambodia and abroad.
During the Khmer Rouge regime the cinema of Cambodia saw a general decline as conditions for producing movies were unfavorable.
A New Wave
As the Khmer Rouge lost power films were again being produced. In 2001, The Snake King’s Child a sequel of The Snake King’s Wife and a thai-khmer joint film, was released and was recognized as the first Cambodian horror film to be released since before the Khmer Rouge era.
In early 2003, appearance of a period ghost films, Kohak Kmorch Tek Snech Asara Peak but not a big name.Another working of the genre,a Psychological thriller, The Weird Villa, produced by Angkor Wat Production and written by Pan Phuong Bopha, came up with box office successful and considered one of a outstanding film maker for year. It Followed by a major grossing horror films, Lady Vampire, adopted from Krasue Mythology and Legend basing, Ghost Banana Tree, likely a theatrical run, produced by Campro Production.
The Horror films for new development mostly featured several remakes such as Neang Neath and Neang Pomiry including The Killing Phone was found on screen but still the hit films.
Other top grossing horror film revealed as award winning film, The Crocodile, a tale about the heroism of a man who killed the beast responsible for the deaths of several people in his village matched with The Forest as well as The Haunted House, both produced by Campro Production.The Sequel of The Snake King’s Child, The Snake King’s Grandchild also talked about the ghost story according to Krasue Myth .
During The New Wave, almost 50% of Khmer films were the horror genre.
The most produce horror films company were FCI Production and Campro Production. Till Now, they provided the horror film project over 15 films.
On December 5 2008, Rankopedia website listed Cambodia on Country that currently creates the scariest Horror movies with ranked number 20th out of 25th as band score 1.57 by 19 votes. Nieng Arp appeared as the top film for Cambodia followed by The Forest, Villa Horror, The Snake King’s Child and finally Secret Well.The Winner goes to Japan caused of its famous horror film, Ringu.
In Addition, after a repeat of film industry crisis, the horror genre is only one genre to serving to keep Cambodia cinema alive.
The Prohibition
With the argument of making too much horror films, Khmer Culture and Film ministry, suggested the Khmer Film Maker to decreas their works for this title. In Fact, The horror genre revealed the big hit for the local audiences especially for the young age started attracting for khmer horror movies after the absent for long times.
Despite This views, Several Director especially from the Production which loved to made horror films facted the issue.
The manager of FCI Productions, which made Nieng Arp, a big hit khmer horror film,Korm Chanthy said We make movies to suit the domestic market and the demand of our youths and They like to watch horror movies because they make them feel excited, thrilled and terrified. Meanwhile,Producer, 29-year-old Heng Tola, was looking to diversify his computer business when he founded Campro three years ago with several friends.
Making a movie takes Campro about three months and costs an average of US$30,000, including about US$1,000 for the lead actor, he said.
Despite the current taste for horror movies, Heng Tola believes a more serious trend is emerging, prompted in part by the resentment many Cambodians feel about its colonial past and toward domineering neighbors such as Thailand and Vietnam.
However,In The Third Khmer film festival which held in the late of 2007, banned the Ghost films to celebrate.
Feature
The Cambodian horror film generally features about the ghost story, old mythology and some kinds of revenge between one person to one person and sometimes several ones.The popular features is Krasue as Khmer Cinema now has more than five projects about Krasue with one still in shooting for 2009 release. Another ghost story, mythology and blood rituals adoption such as Ghost Banana Tree or Kantong Kiev Witch, The as well. Meanwhile, a horror film, The Haunted House loosely based on a rumor.
A few of the horror films tend to focus on suffering and anguish of the characters but unlike K-Horror or J-Horror, it still over-the-top gore effects.The well known and the hit thriller films, The Weird Villa and Secret Well from Ángkor Wat Production mentioned the psychological appearance. Also, Khmer Mekong Films now bring an upcoming contemporary and psychological thriller, Heart Talk, on screen with strongly believe as success. Some kind of thriller, revealed a imagination theme and a little bit of supernatural like 2006’s The Red Sense.
For Revengeful Version, it just illustrated about the vengeance of wills, love and some argument.The films repeated talking about the dead comes alive to take the revenge from the living or unfinished business but still subduced by the good thing or spirit doctor, well known as Monk Character. The famous ones, Villa Horror, Annoyed or Moheagita.
The monstrous projects can be found on Cambodia horror films and considered the new genre, ever seem for local films. A Campro box office hit’s graphic title, The Forest also the ones including some from FCI Production such as Queen of Cobra and People eating Lizard. The style of Khmer monster films just only the low special effect in production including more natural cinematory as well. Like the Hollywood stylish, the characters for the monster film are focus on teen adventure within adults freedom. It mightily introduces a visiting with journey. Some part of the title also links to slasher film refers the final girl with a creature or killer who stalks and graphically murders a series of mostly adolescent victims in a typically random, unprovoked fashion, killing many within a single night. The first slasher film for Cambodia screen, The Waterfall of Death, which its plot has similarities to the murder thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer combined with Thailand psychological killer film Scared.