Ghost of Guts Eater
 
   

Director:  S. Naowaratch
Year: 1973
Rating: 5.0
Country: Thailand

Aka - Krasue Sao

There is a Krasue loose in a small rural village and livestock is turning up bloody and torn apart. A Krasue is one of Thailand's many folklore monsters or ghosts. They have all types - phi means ghost and there are variations of them. Those that suffered violent deaths and want revenge are Phi Tai Hong, ones that sit on your chest when you sleep are Phi Am, Phi Kee is a ghost that resides in your toilet that you must ask permission from before doing business, Kuman Thong are ghosts formed from still born babies and many other types. The thing is that many Thais believe in ghosts. I was with some Thai friends once who were visiting my girlfriend and the lights began to flicker in the hallway outside my apartment and I told them "Funny, they have been doing that ever since that fellow was killed in the apartment down the hall". They took off like bats out of hell before I could tell them I was joking.




Krasue are a particularly ugly form of ghost as it is human during the day but at night when it gets hungry the head detaches itself and flies off with just the entrails hanging below it. Hard to be sure where these folk tales came from but this is supposed to be a lady who was burnt to death and cursed and possesses other women. It will gladly eat chickens but newborns are its favorite dish and placentas a good midnight snack.  If you look it up, you will see that there are still the occasional sightings of one though I tend to think that strong Thai whiskey that it very cheap may be related to these sightings. Though I have noticed a few times that my girlfriend's head seems to be missing but I am sure I am dreaming. If ever you get to the lovely seaside village of Bang Saen, go visit the sinners park which is filled with large or grotesque statues of demons. Not a Disney Park by any means. It is called Hell Park.




Krasue have been the subject of a number of films - not just in Thailand but in SE Asia as well. There is just something about a female head and entrails that can't be resisted. This film probably played much better 50 years ago in Thai movie theaters; especially the outside ones in the rural areas at night. Because again, people believe in this. Walk around Bangkok and you will see food offerings all over to appease spirits. This film is super cheap and the special effects are abysmal - the Krasue is basically a picture which they move around from left to right like a puppet. Not very scary at all. The demons just look like homeless guys. Still it held some interest to me just for the Thai aspects of it.





So back to the Krasue who is eating chickens. The village people form a posse and go after it and one fellow hits it with a machete. The lovely Bua Klee (Pisamai Vilaisakoi) hears her very old grandmother yell out and goes into her room to find her dying - someone came in through the window and struck me. Her last wish is for Bua Klee to take her ring and wear it always. A charm against Krasue? Not exactly. Turns out sweet old Grand mom was the Krasue and has given the curse to her granddaughter. Thanks Grand mom.



Not knowing that she is a Krasue at night, Bua Klee marries Boon Muang (Sombat Methanee) and she gets pregnant. But the villagers keep telling Muang you married a vampire. The head on the Krasue is Klee's head. He beats up everyone that says so. An exorcist tries to get in on the act by bringing back a demon to kill Bua Klee - the demon says hey I am about to be reborn, I really don't want to. Things do not turn out well for the Exorcist. And we are at about the 35 minute mark of a 105 minute movie. Lots of soap opera drama and demons to go. Klee meets another Krasue and bites her on the ass. I didn't thik they even had an ass. It is Krasue combat! Info on ghosts from webpage The 13 Most Terrifying Ghosts in Thailand.