Asian Horror Movie Monsters Galore At The Oldham Theatre

Between June 7 and July 21, 2019, fans of Asian horror movies can get their fill of monster movies at the Oldham Theatre, National Archives of Singapore. For a mere S$10 for the general public and $9 for students, Full Time National Servicemen and seniors alike can watch old classics such as ‘Godzilla’ and  ‘Pontianak’ to new movies such as Thailand’s 2018 movie ‘Pob.’

The traditional notion of monsters may come in form of humanoid beasts, as depicted in ‘Brides of Blood.’ However, the film screening proves that monsters come in many other forms.

Some monsters are derived from local folk tales. Asian horror movies such as Thailand’s ‘Nang Nak’ for instance, depicts the life of a wife and mother who becomes a monster in an attempt to wait for her husband to come home from the war. Stories of the manananggal in the Philippines and Malaysia’s Orang Minyak are other examples of common folk tales used as inspiration in monster horror movies.

Inanimate objects can also be possessed and turned into monsters. Such is the case for the haunted houses in the movies ‘House’ and ‘Lukisan Berlumur Darah,’ not to mention the bewitched fridge in the ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ segment Pridyider.

Monsters can also be made. This is evident in Asian horror movies such as Singapore’s ‘God or Dog,’ Indonesia’s ‘Mystics in Bali’ and the Philippine/US collaborative work ‘Terror is a Man.’

On the flip side, there are also instances where those who society deems as monsters exhibit more human-like qualities than the rest of the population. Watch ‘Oily Maniac’ or ‘Mekong Hotel’ as examples of this type of monster movie.

The complete list of movies, their synopses and schedules can be found on the State of Motion website. If you are in town and a fan of Asian horror, head over to the Oldham Theatre before the screening ends.