If The Offering is truly Singapore’s first Hollywood horror film, officials might want to call a mulligan on that footnote.
Filmmaker Kelvin Tong is no stranger to scares (having directed 2005’s The Maid), but his latest thriller struggles to find individuality amidst a hodgepodge of Us influences. Entire scenes can be classified as homages to popular American haunters, where “homage” is a nice term for “egregious ripoff.” The Conjuring, The Exorcist, and a billion movies in between help shape Tong’s vision, which is nothing but a reference-fueled grab-bag of unconnected dots. If you’ve seen Any horror movie – like, ever – then you’ve probably already seen some portion of The Offering.
It all begins when Jamie (Elizabeth Rice), a young journalist, is pulled to Singapore by the death of her sister Anna (Rayann Condy). The local coroner blames suicide, but Jamie refuses to believe her sister would commit such a sin.
Filmmaker Kelvin Tong is no stranger to scares (having directed 2005’s The Maid), but his latest thriller struggles to find individuality amidst a hodgepodge of Us influences. Entire scenes can be classified as homages to popular American haunters, where “homage” is a nice term for “egregious ripoff.” The Conjuring, The Exorcist, and a billion movies in between help shape Tong’s vision, which is nothing but a reference-fueled grab-bag of unconnected dots. If you’ve seen Any horror movie – like, ever – then you’ve probably already seen some portion of The Offering.
It all begins when Jamie (Elizabeth Rice), a young journalist, is pulled to Singapore by the death of her sister Anna (Rayann Condy). The local coroner blames suicide, but Jamie refuses to believe her sister would commit such a sin.
- 5/6/2016
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Seven award-winning directors led by Royston Tan are set to create an omnibus film celebrating the 50th anniversary of Singapore and its people.
Tan is joined by Eric Khoo, director of films such as of My Magic, Jack Neo of Ah Boys To Men, Kelvin Tong of The Maid, Boo Jun Feng of Sandcastle, Tan Pin Pin of Singapore GaGa, and K Rajagopal of I Can’t Sleep Tonight.
“I like to think that the project is a microcosm of the Singapore story,” said Tan. “We all have diverse filmmaking styles, we all see different aspects of Singapore and its 50-year journey in our unique ways, yet it has given us a common sense of purpose. We hope this will shine through in the final cut
The jubilee omnibus is set for a release in the middle of 2015, and is looking to confirm an “iconic venue” for its premiere.
“Singapore and our people have influenced so many...
Tan is joined by Eric Khoo, director of films such as of My Magic, Jack Neo of Ah Boys To Men, Kelvin Tong of The Maid, Boo Jun Feng of Sandcastle, Tan Pin Pin of Singapore GaGa, and K Rajagopal of I Can’t Sleep Tonight.
“I like to think that the project is a microcosm of the Singapore story,” said Tan. “We all have diverse filmmaking styles, we all see different aspects of Singapore and its 50-year journey in our unique ways, yet it has given us a common sense of purpose. We hope this will shine through in the final cut
The jubilee omnibus is set for a release in the middle of 2015, and is looking to confirm an “iconic venue” for its premiere.
“Singapore and our people have influenced so many...
- 8/22/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Seven award-winning directors led by Royston Tan are set to create an omnibus film celebrating the 50th anniversary of Singapore and its people.
Tan is joined by Eric Khoo, director of films such as of My Magic, Jack Neo of Ah Boys To Men, Kelvin Tong of The Maid, Boo Jun Feng of Sandcastle, Tan Pin Pin of Singapore GaGa, and K Rajagopal of I Can’t Sleep Tonight.
“I like to think that the project is a microcosm of the Singapore story,” said Tan. “We all have diverse filmmaking styles, we all see different aspects of Singapore and its 50-year journey in our unique ways, yet it has given us a common sense of purpose. We hope this will shine through in the final cut
The jubilee omnibus is set for a release in the middle of 2015, and is looking to confirm an “iconic venue” for its premiere.
“Singapore and our people have influenced so many...
Tan is joined by Eric Khoo, director of films such as of My Magic, Jack Neo of Ah Boys To Men, Kelvin Tong of The Maid, Boo Jun Feng of Sandcastle, Tan Pin Pin of Singapore GaGa, and K Rajagopal of I Can’t Sleep Tonight.
“I like to think that the project is a microcosm of the Singapore story,” said Tan. “We all have diverse filmmaking styles, we all see different aspects of Singapore and its 50-year journey in our unique ways, yet it has given us a common sense of purpose. We hope this will shine through in the final cut
The jubilee omnibus is set for a release in the middle of 2015, and is looking to confirm an “iconic venue” for its premiere.
“Singapore and our people have influenced so many...
- 8/22/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
The Twilight Saga may have been a shamefully terrible chapter in teen-targeted cinema, but the series did act as a launch-pad for multiple actors and actresses, most notably Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed. Greene has demonstrated considerable acting talent in projects like Cbgb and ABC’s short-lived Pan Am, while Reed was one of the best parts of recent action fare like Catch .44 and Empire State. Greene already made her bid to become a Hollywood scream queen with 2012 flop The Apparition, and now, it’s Reed’s chance. The actress has just signed on to topline a Singapore-set horror film called Email, which will start shooting on location in Singapore this May.
Singaporean director Kelvin Tong will helm the flick for Spj Enterprises, a production company also based out of Singapore. Tong previously directed The Maid, which was widely considered to be one of the country’s first horror...
Singaporean director Kelvin Tong will helm the flick for Spj Enterprises, a production company also based out of Singapore. Tong previously directed The Maid, which was widely considered to be one of the country’s first horror...
- 1/31/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
• Shia Labeouf is not retiring, it seems. The Nymphomaniac star, thrust into the spotlight recently by an ever-escalating plagiarism controversy, has signed on to Barry Levinson’s Rock the Kasbah alongside a host of high-profile names including Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, and Kate Hudson. The film follows a past-his-prime rock manager who takes his sole client on a Uso tour in Afghanistan. While in Kabul, the manager discovers a young talent and enters her into the Afghan Star contest — Afghanistan’s version of American Idol. [The Wrap]
• Bill Hader, who showed his dramatic chops in the Sundance pic The Skeleton Twins,...
• Bill Hader, who showed his dramatic chops in the Sundance pic The Skeleton Twins,...
- 1/31/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Ilo Ilo (Anthony Chen, Singapore)
Quinzaine Des RÉALISATEURS
Set in Singapore on the verge of the Asian crisis of 1997, Anthony Chen's first feature starts with a blurred shot: the back of a young boy doing something noisy and strange in front of a window. It works as a metaphor of what the film will tell: blurred reality, blurred futures, blurred conscience of the world in a young boy's mind before affection will make him grow up.
In young Jiale's middle-class family, Dad is a not too successful sales executive and Mom is a public officer, and she's expecting her second child. This is why she insists on hiring a maid. And since it is how the market goes, the maid will be Filipino. Teresa arrives in the family's small flat: not talkative, a good Catholic, keeping much to herself but frequently listening to music from home on her Walkman.
Quinzaine Des RÉALISATEURS
Set in Singapore on the verge of the Asian crisis of 1997, Anthony Chen's first feature starts with a blurred shot: the back of a young boy doing something noisy and strange in front of a window. It works as a metaphor of what the film will tell: blurred reality, blurred futures, blurred conscience of the world in a young boy's mind before affection will make him grow up.
In young Jiale's middle-class family, Dad is a not too successful sales executive and Mom is a public officer, and she's expecting her second child. This is why she insists on hiring a maid. And since it is how the market goes, the maid will be Filipino. Teresa arrives in the family's small flat: not talkative, a good Catholic, keeping much to herself but frequently listening to music from home on her Walkman.
- 5/22/2013
- by Marie-Pierre Duhamel
- MUBI
By Erin Lashley, MoreHorror.com
Since supernatural horror movies from Asia became popular worldwide, I have often heard complaints that there are too many of them and that they are too formulaic. While I agree that many fall under the second category, I don’t believe there is such a thing as too many supernatural horror movies.
What keeps a movie from becoming more of the same old “I have long black hair and I am mad at you because I am dead” stuff is fresh writing and the effective drama contained within. You have to have human drama to tell a good ghost story; otherwise you’re just watching a ghost and her effects team find creative ways to kill people. Because I am on a quest to watch every movie with a ghost in it, I can help you wade through the flood of ectoplasm.
Here are five...
Since supernatural horror movies from Asia became popular worldwide, I have often heard complaints that there are too many of them and that they are too formulaic. While I agree that many fall under the second category, I don’t believe there is such a thing as too many supernatural horror movies.
What keeps a movie from becoming more of the same old “I have long black hair and I am mad at you because I am dead” stuff is fresh writing and the effective drama contained within. You have to have human drama to tell a good ghost story; otherwise you’re just watching a ghost and her effects team find creative ways to kill people. Because I am on a quest to watch every movie with a ghost in it, I can help you wade through the flood of ectoplasm.
Here are five...
- 8/4/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Singapore has of late been turning out a number of effective supernatural outings, such as Kelvin Tong’s “The Maid” and “Rule no.1”, and now the 2009 “Blood Ties”, which marked the feature length debut of upcoming director Chai Yeewei. The film is an interesting blend of crime drama, revenge thriller and ghost chiller, making good use of Chinese folklore in a modern urban setting and exploring themes of police corruption and life after death. Chai managed to pull together an impressive cast, headed by David Leong (“Painted Skin”), Cheng Pei Pei (the Shaw Brothers sword maiden, more recently in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and gangster veteran Kenneth Tsang (“A Better Tomorrow”, “The Killer”), with child actress Joey Leong carrying the film in the central role. The film revolves around the brutal murder of David Leong’s honest officer Shun, who before his death is forced to watch...
- 9/6/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
It’s somewhat of a mystery why Singaporean writer director Kelvin Tong isn’t better known than he is, having helmed one of the better modern Asian ghost films in “The Maid”, found success with romance in “Love Story”, and conquered Hong Kong with his awesomely unpredictable “Rule No.1”. For his latest outing “Kidnapper”, Tong returned to Singapore, trying something different with one of the country’s very rare hard boiled crime thrillers, co-scripting along with Ken Kwek (“The Blue Mansion”). A fast paced tale of child snatching and desperate deceptions, the film stars popular local television actor Christopher Lee (“The Shaolin Warriors”) in the lead, with Jack Lim (“Ah Long Pte Ltd”) as the ruthless villain of the title. Lee plays Lim, a taxi driver whose wife has abandoned him and his young son Wei Siang, leaving him struggling to make ends meet. His life is one day thrown...
- 6/2/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
by Colleen Wanglund for MoreHorror.com
"Every year, for thirty days during the lunar seventh month, the Chinese believe that the gates of hell are thrown open. Vengeful spirits or hungry ghosts wander among the living, seeking revenge and justice before the gates of hell are closed again for another year."
Written and directed by Kelvin Tong, The Maid (2005) is a horror movie from Singapore. Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi) is an eighteen year old from the Phillipines who comes to Singapore for a job to help support her family. The agency sends her to the Teo family. They explain that she has arrived on the first night of seventh month. They burn paper and leave food in front of the house as offerings to the dead, and warn her to be careful of spirits. Rosa isn't afraid but promises to be careful. Unfortunately for Rosa and the family, Rosa has...
"Every year, for thirty days during the lunar seventh month, the Chinese believe that the gates of hell are thrown open. Vengeful spirits or hungry ghosts wander among the living, seeking revenge and justice before the gates of hell are closed again for another year."
Written and directed by Kelvin Tong, The Maid (2005) is a horror movie from Singapore. Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi) is an eighteen year old from the Phillipines who comes to Singapore for a job to help support her family. The agency sends her to the Teo family. They explain that she has arrived on the first night of seventh month. They burn paper and leave food in front of the house as offerings to the dead, and warn her to be careful of spirits. Rosa isn't afraid but promises to be careful. Unfortunately for Rosa and the family, Rosa has...
- 1/7/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Back in July, Singapore film maker Kelvin Tong (The Maid, Rule #1) revealed his latest project, the suspense thriller Kidnapper. Well it seems he’s finished, because the release date has just been announced and marketing media is dropping all over the shop. Latest to surface is this striking teaser poster, and you can also check out a taut, edgy and rather dark trailer, below. It looks like Mr Tong is still on form. Kidnapper is due for release on 10th January 2010. Synopsis: A woman who loses her husband is called a widow. A man who loses his wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. What do you call a parent who loses his child? Lim is a father who defies all odds and moves heaven and earth to rescue his kidnapped son. In the process, he gives up everything in his life to raise the ransom,...
- 12/12/2009
- 24framespersecond.net
Imagine for a moment that you're a lowly cab driver who happens to share a name with a wealthy businessman. And imagine that, in a case of mistaken identity, someone kidnaps your child aiming to deep into the deep pockets of your wealthy namesake. And then imagine that this particular kidnapper is on particularly vicious Sob who sends you bottles of your son's blood to extort more and more money out of you rather than releasing the child after you've already buried yourself in staggering debt to pay the initial demand. What do you do?
This is the premise to Kelvin Tong's upcoming Kidnapper, the latest from the Singapore director who had major hits with ghost story The Maid, action thriller Rule #1 and slapstick horror comedy Men In White. Big time Singapore TV star, now making the move to features, Christopher Lee stars. Check the trailer below.
This is the premise to Kelvin Tong's upcoming Kidnapper, the latest from the Singapore director who had major hits with ghost story The Maid, action thriller Rule #1 and slapstick horror comedy Men In White. Big time Singapore TV star, now making the move to features, Christopher Lee stars. Check the trailer below.
- 11/30/2009
- Screen Anarchy
SINGAPORE -- Andy Lau's Focus Films and News Corp.'s Chinese film network, Star Chinese Movies, begin shooting their first made-in-Singapore feature, Love Story, this month. The film will air on the Star Chinese Movies satellite channels in addition to receiving theatrical release. The Chinese-language movie will be directed by Singapore filmmaker Kelvin Tong with a cast that includes Allen Lin, Benjamin Heng, Tracy Tan and Evelyn Tan. Tong previously directed The Maid, which broke Singapore boxoffice records for a horror film, taking $1.3 million. The Maid, produced by Singapore's MediaCorp. Raintree Pictures, is also the studio's highest-grossing film in Malaysia, with a boxoffice take of $304,000.
- 11/22/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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