Lao Horror Capacity: Scaring the khao peak out of you...

In the course of preparing for DEMONSTRA, I had to look through a lot of our classical folklore and contemporary literature. I now feel confident to say Lao horror can be distinguished by a consistent incorporation of dark humor almost verging on slapstick.

Cinematically, I think a Lao writer could easily have done films like "Re-Animator," "Drag Me to Hell" or "Army of Darkness," but would have had more of a challenge writing "Saw," "Hostel" or "Paranormal Activity." Or "The Human Centipede." I'm not missing saddened by that.

Continuing on that line, I'm on the bubble whether we could have done "The Exorcist." Lao writers from the 20th century and earlier would connect with it as a phi vs. mor phi story, but no one would have done it for fear of inviting malicious spirits to the set.

Based on some of the work of Sery Bounphasaysonh, I think we could definitely take on Twilight Zone scenarios or those akin to Luigi Pirandello. Existentialist or Theater of the Absurd horror might be a little more difficult, such as Sartre's "No Exit," Albee's "The Sandbox," or Ionesco's "Rhinoceros." But  "Rhinoceros" was technically remade recently as "Zombie Strippers," so, given Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay's "Kung Fu Zombies vs. Cannibals," I'd say it's not entirely beyond the realm of possibility.

"I Know What Pretty White Kids With Problems Did Last Summer" could have been done, but would most likely not have been made because most Lao writers would consider that boring. "Those kids should have been helping mom and dad at the shop!" or "Don't these brats have something better to do than getting into drama?"

Obviously, if they'd given us enough foam, latex and decent film equipment for a change, we totally could have gone toe-to-toe with Godzilla. But less boring exposition. "Phaya Nak vs. Mecha-Nyak?" Totally.

Our classical literature doesn't include a lot of stepmom or single parent angst, but a surprising amount of grandma and girlfriend gone bad angst. So, "A Tale of Two Sisters" could have been done, although it would have been more coherent. We'd have had an easier time doing something up there with "Hellboy" or "Pan's Labyrinth."

I'm less certain we could do Hitchcockian horror a la "Psycho" or his more intricate suspense pieces like "Rear Window" or "North by Northwest." We could handle the humor, but the elaborate set-ups and intricate plotting and sense of forensics is an area I think we could all stand a little more practice with.

We can definitely do social satire horror like "Dawn of the Dead" or "Planet of the Apes," based on the historic way Xieng Mieng and certain phi stories and others were used to discretely critique social customs and policies of the time.

We would have had a hell of a fun time with our take on "Predator." With less questionable racial subtext. Would it have been interesting to see 'A covert rescue mission goes awry for a special team of Lao, Hmong, Khmu, Tai Dam, Tahoy and the token falang paramilitary advisor..."

"Final Destination" stories? Definitely.

But X-Files might have been harder because much of the classical audience wouldn't be prone to the usual skepticism that drove the better episodes of the X-files. "Oh, Mulder, of course, the Fluke Man is possible, just ask your Phi Kasu partner...."

But what do you think? Which famous horror films could Lao writers have taken on, and which areas would we have struggled with?

Screaming On in the Twin Cities Daily Planet

The Twin Cities Daily Planet picked up my column on Lao American Horror Poetry this week, "Screaming On." A few minor tweaks and changes from what I'd already posted earlier this month on this blog.

DEMONSTRA will be coming from Innsmouth Free Press very soon. I had to finish a last pair of poems to really give it a good polish, and trim a little fat. In addition to the work inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft and Lao mythology and history, DEMONSTRA will include most of the poems that originally appeared in my chapbook "The Kaiju and I" from G-Fan Magazine.

For those of you who are coming by this blog looking for examples of other Lao American poets who are addressing horror topics, I would turn your attention to the Hmong writer Burlee Vang, and the poetry and writing of Binly Krisada Phounsiri, Saymoukda Vongsay, Sery Bounphasaysonh, and Jim Vongsouvanh, although they don't necessarily write that much horor. You might also find a few examples in the work of Phayvanh Luekhamhan and Souvankham Thammavongsa.

I can see there are already some big questions emerging from this column, and I'll try to address those in a few follow-up columns later on this year. For example, how do we keep from promoting a culture of nihilistic pessimism if we see too much horror poetry without enough romance poetry or poetry with happy endings? But let me know what other questions you'd like to see answered.

Science Fiction in China: A Conversation with Fei Dao

The Los Angeles Review of Books has an interview with Chinese author Fei Dao which gives an insight into some of the things happening with Chinese speculative literature. Will this be a big influence on Lao science fiction produced in Laos?

One of the quotes I think is particularly useful to consider is:

...in the late Qing dynasty around 1902, it was chiefly concerned with the problem of bringing ancient China into modernity. At that time, Liang Qichao [translated sci fi] because he thought it would be beneficial for China’s future … as something that could popularize scientific knowledge. And Lu Xun thought that if you gave ordinary people scientific literature to read, they would fall asleep. But if you blended scientific knowledge into stories with a plot, it would be more interesting. [He thought that] in this way, the people could become more modern. So at that time science fiction was a very serious thing to do in China that could allow ordinary people to get closer to modern scientific knowledge, and serve as a tool for transforming traditional culture into modern culture. It played a very important role, and had a serious mission to accomplish.

 There are a lot of responses that I think were going to be rather obvious. That Russian and Japanese writers had significantly more influence on Chinese writers than those from the West for a long time, for example. But overall, it was nice to see writers from outside of a traditional European American worldview being given a chance to share their views.

[Poem] Ba

 From the moment I met her
        She's been wiggling,
        Squirming,

                         This way and that
                         Like a naughty young nak

        Or a baby pla buek
        Who dreams of wide seas.

I'm only inviting her to visit,
My words a humble net of black line
 
She slips through every time.

Just when I think I've got her,

         Surprise, she's changed again into something
         Almost immortal

Splashing in the pools of my memory,
               Swimming just out of reach

While I stand upon the beach, laughing
Beneath hot stars opening the door for night

              And my dreams, where she's so much easier to hold on to.