If there's one thing I learned from watchingArt of the Devil 3(2008), it's that if a witch doctor tells you to bury a dead fetus and a dirty mirror, you'd better damn well do it. Otherwise, your mother-in-law will see dead people, and the red string tied around her wrist will fall off, and the person whose body she's inhabiting will reclaim that body and then proceed to seek bloody vengeance against you and your family by using some terrible black magic—you know, THE ART OF THE DEVIL!
Now if that first paragraph doesn't make sense, don't worry. Nothing much makes sense inArt of the Devil 3, which is a prequel to the events leading up toArt of the Devil 2, a 2005 horror Movie that is a gory exercise intorture porn. That movie manages to be moderately compelling, in part because of a deliriously demented performance byNapakpapha Nakprasitte, who plays a wronged schoolteacher, Ms. Panor.
Nakprasitte and the filmmakers, seven directors collectively known as the "Ronin Team," return for this installment and attempt to up the ante by employing safety pins, needles, knives, scissors, and other assorted objects as instruments of torture. (These collaborators have nothing to do with originalArt of the Devil (2004), which in turn has nothing with the two sequels.)
Let's try to sort out the confusing storyline, shall we? A family living in the Thai countryside is still reeling from the untimely death of its matriarch, who was poisoned by her husband. He did so because he wanted to hook up with a hot teacher, namely, Ms. Panor. Well, the dead mother's family doesn't take kindly to any of this, so they hire a warlock, Dis (Supakorn Kitsuwon), to use THE ART OF THE DEVIL to shove the dead mother's soul into Ms. Panor, who they have kidnapped, strapped down, and pretty much killed after forcibly removing her unborn baby.
But of course the lame son-in-law doesn't follow the rules (burying the aforementioned fetus and mirror), so Ms. Panor is able to come back to life and take possession of her own body because, when she was alive, she was a master practitioner in THE ART OF THE DEVIL!
Art of the Devil 3 Official International Trailer
While the movie does make you cringe in disgust, just like the filmmakers intend, the kill scenes lack imagination. They seem like inferior variations of the stuff that goes on in the previous film, and the whole affair has the fetid air of joylessness. I know that horror films like this aren't necessarily made to inspire a sense of delight—but are they meant to be reprehensible?
Thai Movie Central Rating
How to Watch the Full Movie (with Thai Audio and English Subtitles)
—Buy the DVD.—Buy the Blu-ray.—Watch on Amazon (rent/buy for US$1.99 & up).—Watch on iTunes (rent/buy for US$2.99 & up).—Watch on PlayStation (rent/buy for US$2.99 & up).—Also available to watch for Amazon Prime subscribers.
Additional Notes
—The Thai title of this movie is ลองของ 2 (transliteration: long khong 2), which means "challenge 2." This movie is the sequel to ลองของ (transliteration: long khong), which means "challenge." Both films were released as part of the "Art of the Devil" franchise, even though they have nothing to do with the firstArt of the Devil (2004), except for the black magic theme.
—The film was screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada, and Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
—Screenwriters:Kongkiat Khomsiri,Yosapong Polsap
—Director:Pasith Buranajan,Kongkiat Khomsiri,Isara Nadee,Seree Phongnithi,Yosapong Polsap,Putipong Saisikaew,Art Thamthrakul
—Cast:Napakpapha Nakprasitte(Aajaan Panor),Namo Tongkumnerd(Ta), Paweena Chariffsakul (Daun), Supakorn Kitsuwon (Dis), Carolyn Supaluck Neemayothin (Pan), Sommart Praihirun (Pravet)
—Genre: Horror
—Running Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
—Movie images and video © Five Star Production Co. Ltd.
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Keep Reading! Related Posts on Thai Movie Central
—Movie Review: Art of the Devil (2004)
—Movie Review: Art of the Devil 2 (2005)
