The Pang brothers return with one more instalment to their series of ghost tales. This one also goes under the title of The Eye 10 (and The Eye: Infinity), which is actually the more accurate nomenclature, given the sheer number of hauntings that are present here. A group of friends on vacation in Thailand regale each other with ghost stories. Their host then produces a book that lists the ten ways of seeing ghosts. The group, whose instinct for self-preservation could do with some strengthening, proceed to put the book to the test. They get far more than they bargained for.
In the making-of featurettes that accompany the film, the Pangs talk about how they had too many ideas to fit into the first two instalments of the franchise. So here they have a structure that allows them to pack in a cornucopia of summonings and hauntings. Some of the manifestations are undeniably effective, and there are some pretty decent jolts. On the other hand, the Pangs recycle some of their greatest hits, sometimes to deliberately humorous effect. The tone generally is much lighter than before, but the humour has a tendency to disrupt scenes that are building up a good head of terror. The film is thus a frustrating mixed bag, where flashes of the Pang brilliance are present, but there are also plenty of moments where the brothers seem to be just going through the motions, when they aren’t taking the piss entirely.
Audio
When the film gets scary, the audio is more than up to the job of helping out. The score is enveloping, building atmosphere as it surges from speaker to speaker, and there are plenty of goosing sound effects. The dialogue is clear and free of distortion. All in all, a spooky, pounding, wonderfully produced score.
Video
There is some pixellation visible in the opening sequence, but that’s the only real flaw I noticed (and it doesn’t show up on smaller screens). The colours are very strong, very rich, and the contrasts and blacks are superb. The image is sharp, and there is no grain or edge enhancement. A lovely looking transfer all around.
Special Features
A couple of making-of featurettes (of the usual promotional variety) are all that’s on offer here, along with a bunch of Asian-related horror trailers (plus Midnight Meat Train).
Closing Thoughts
Entertaining and amusing, but nowhere near as frightening as the original film. There’s originality here, but of a particularly undisciplined kind.
