Alone (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
Alone is a 2007
Thai
horror film
directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, a duo whose debut film, Shutter
, was a box-office smash in Thailand and other Asian countries. Alone stars Thai-German pop singer Marsha Wattanapanich
in her first film role in 15 years.
, conjoined at the stomach with her sister, Ploy. Pim was very sweet and protective to Ploy.However, it was Ploy who threw rocks at a group of children who were taunting them. While they were staying in a hospital, Pim and Ploy met a boy named Wee. Although both loved him, Wee only returned Pim's affections, which made Ploy angry and jealous
. Finally Wee recovers from his illness and was able to leave. As he is getting into the car, Wee decided he wanted to see Pim one last time. Since the twins' room was on the second floor, he decides to call to her. As much as Pim wants to see Wee, Ploy would not get out of bed. Wee is upset and leaves. Angry and in tears, Pim demands that she and Ploy be separated. The twins had an operation to separate them, but Ploy did not survive.
Several years later Pim, who is now living in South Korea
and is dating Wee, receives a phone call from Thailand
that her mother has had a stroke. When Pim and Wee return to Thailand, Ploy comes back to haunt her. Curious, Wee looks into Pim's family affairs. In a stroke of irony, Wee learns that Pim is actually Ploy. Revealed in a flashback, Ploy strangled Pim in a jealous rage after Pim demanded they be separated. In order to save Ploy's life, doctors had to amputate Pim's corpse from Ploy. Ploy assumed Pim's identity in order to be with Wee. Throughout the film, Pim's ghost was actually trying to tell Wee of this. Ploy's mother knew of her actions as well, tried to tell him, but was unable to talk due to her weakened state.
After confronting Pim, Ploy takes Wee hostage, but not before killing her mother. However, Wee escapes, and the ensuing fight with Ploy causes the house to catch on fire. Wee escapes, but a shelf falls on Ploy. Trapped underneath, Pim's ghost confronts and holds her down, taking Ploy with her as burning debris rains down around them. In the end, Wee visits the twins' grave, apologizes, and places a necklace on their tombstone.
. At Fantastic Fest
in Austin, Texas
, the film won awards for best director and best actress. It swept the awards at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival
in Los Angeles, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. The film also won the top Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2007 Toronto After Dark festival.
DVD in Hong Kong
by Asia Video, with the original soundtrack and English and Traditional Chinese subtitles.
remake, Akela, is planned with the twins' names Akash (Alive One) and Prakash (Dead One) portrayed by an Indian actor, Genelia playing the girlfriend and Juhi Chawla
playing the twins' mother.
In the United States, remake rights and all North American distribution rights were acquired by indie distributor 24 Frames.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, a duo whose debut film, Shutter
Shutter (Thai film)
Shutter is a 2004 Thai horror film by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom; starring Ananda Everingham, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, and Achita Sikamana...
, was a box-office smash in Thailand and other Asian countries. Alone stars Thai-German pop singer Marsha Wattanapanich
Marsha Wattanapanich
Marion Ursula Marsha Vadhanapanich born 24 August 1970, is a Thai pop singer and actress. Her mother is German and her father is Thai. She is a Buddhist, and has one son with her first husband, Thai singer Amphol Lumpoon.-External links:* * *...
in her first film role in 15 years.
Plot
Pim was born as a twinTwin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
, conjoined at the stomach with her sister, Ploy. Pim was very sweet and protective to Ploy.However, it was Ploy who threw rocks at a group of children who were taunting them. While they were staying in a hospital, Pim and Ploy met a boy named Wee. Although both loved him, Wee only returned Pim's affections, which made Ploy angry and jealous
Jealousy
Jealousy is a second emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions...
. Finally Wee recovers from his illness and was able to leave. As he is getting into the car, Wee decided he wanted to see Pim one last time. Since the twins' room was on the second floor, he decides to call to her. As much as Pim wants to see Wee, Ploy would not get out of bed. Wee is upset and leaves. Angry and in tears, Pim demands that she and Ploy be separated. The twins had an operation to separate them, but Ploy did not survive.
Several years later Pim, who is now living in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and is dating Wee, receives a phone call from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
that her mother has had a stroke. When Pim and Wee return to Thailand, Ploy comes back to haunt her. Curious, Wee looks into Pim's family affairs. In a stroke of irony, Wee learns that Pim is actually Ploy. Revealed in a flashback, Ploy strangled Pim in a jealous rage after Pim demanded they be separated. In order to save Ploy's life, doctors had to amputate Pim's corpse from Ploy. Ploy assumed Pim's identity in order to be with Wee. Throughout the film, Pim's ghost was actually trying to tell Wee of this. Ploy's mother knew of her actions as well, tried to tell him, but was unable to talk due to her weakened state.
After confronting Pim, Ploy takes Wee hostage, but not before killing her mother. However, Wee escapes, and the ensuing fight with Ploy causes the house to catch on fire. Wee escapes, but a shelf falls on Ploy. Trapped underneath, Pim's ghost confronts and holds her down, taking Ploy with her as burning debris rains down around them. In the end, Wee visits the twins' grave, apologizes, and places a necklace on their tombstone.
Cast
- Marsha WattanapanichMarsha WattanapanichMarion Ursula Marsha Vadhanapanich born 24 August 1970, is a Thai pop singer and actress. Her mother is German and her father is Thai. She is a Buddhist, and has one son with her first husband, Thai singer Amphol Lumpoon.-External links:* * *...
as Pim and Ploy - Vittaya Wasukraipaisan as Wee
- Ruchanu Boonchooduang as Pim's and Ploy's mother
- Hatairat Egereff as Pim, age 15
- Rutairat Egereff as Ploy, age 15
- Chutikan Vimuktananda as Pim, age 7
- Chayakan Vimuktananda as Ploy, age 7
- Namo Tongkumnerd as Wee, age 15
Soundtrack
The closing credits feature a song by Marsha Wattanapanich, "Suan Neung Khong Chan (A Part of Me)".Festivals and awards
Since its general release in Thailand cinemas, Alone has made the rounds at film festivals, playing at the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival2007 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on Asian cinema....
. At Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions. The festival focuses on genre films such as horror,...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, the film won awards for best director and best actress. It swept the awards at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest horror film festival in the United States. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror". Previously held at Loews Universal Studios Cinemas, Universal CityWalk, the festival is now held annually at the...
in Los Angeles, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. The film also won the top Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2007 Toronto After Dark festival.
DVD release
Alone has been released on Region 3DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Asia Video, with the original soundtrack and English and Traditional Chinese subtitles.
Remakes
An IndianCinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
remake, Akela, is planned with the twins' names Akash (Alive One) and Prakash (Dead One) portrayed by an Indian actor, Genelia playing the girlfriend and Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
playing the twins' mother.
In the United States, remake rights and all North American distribution rights were acquired by indie distributor 24 Frames.