Blackbirds at Bangpleng
Encyclopedia
Blackbirds at Bangpleng is a 1994
Thai
science fiction
horror film
. Though it is based on a novel by the famous Thai writer and politician Kukrit Pramoj
, the story closely mirrors The Midwich Cuckoos
by John Wyndham
, which itself was adapted into the 1960 film, Village of the Damned
.
is celebrating Loy Krathong
, when the festivities are disrupted by the descent of a spaceship. Ray beams are fired from the craft and all the village's women find they are suddenly pregnant. That very day, they give birth, their offspring aliens. The children have the power to kill with just their stare, and they have an insatiable appetite for raw meat.
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
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...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
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...
. Though it is based on a novel by the famous Thai writer and politician Kukrit Pramoj
Kukrit Pramoj
Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj was a Thai politician and scholar. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand 1973-1974 and was the thirteenth Prime Minister of Thailand, serving in office from 1975-1976.- Early years:Of royal descent, M.R...
, the story closely mirrors The Midwich Cuckoos
The Midwich Cuckoos
The Midwich Cuckoos is a science fiction novel written by English author John Wyndham, published in 1957. It has been filmed twice as Village of the Damned in 1960 and 1995.-Plot summary:...
by John Wyndham
John Wyndham
John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
, which itself was adapted into the 1960 film, Village of the Damned
Village of the Damned (1960 film)
Village of the Damned is a 1960 British science fiction film by German director Wolf Rilla. The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. The lead role of Professor Gordon Zellaby was played by George Sanders. This film was #92 on Bravo's 100 Scariest...
.
Plot
A village in rural ThailandThailand
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...
is celebrating Loy Krathong
Loy Krathong
Loi Krathong is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and certain parts of Laos and Burma .-Overview:...
, when the festivities are disrupted by the descent of a spaceship. Ray beams are fired from the craft and all the village's women find they are suddenly pregnant. That very day, they give birth, their offspring aliens. The children have the power to kill with just their stare, and they have an insatiable appetite for raw meat.
Further reading
- Close encounters of the generic kind: A case study in Thai sci-fi, essay by Adam Knee, Screening the Past, Latrobe University, November 1, 2000.