Article & Interview by Terry Ong,
I-S Magazine 2006

"A memorable concoction of horror and perversion… arguably one of the most imaginative local films we've seen." - I-S Magazine

After Eric Khoo's 12 Storeys and Mee Pok Man comes the low budget but intriguing feature length film A WICKED TALE , by local indie filmmaker Tzang Merwyn Tong, which hit the stores in DVD format late last year. Premiered locally at the Singapore International Film Festival last year, the film is memorable concoction of horror and perversion. A young girl named Beth (Evelyn Maria Ng) is on her way to her grandmother's house when she meets the young and dangerous Louis Le Bon (Johan Ydstrand), who tempts her with forbidden fruit. Following a scene of seduction, the unexpected happens, leading to a torrid bloodbath straight out of Tales From The Darkside. Arguably one of the most imaginative local films we've seen, A WICKED TALE is a worthy inclusion for all horror fans. Director Tong talks to us about his little indie flick that became a cult hit overseas.

How did the film come about?

The film came about from my fascination with psychological make of fairytales. Ever since I was a kid, I found the story of The Little Red Riding Hood rather peculiar. It's a fairytale that is potent with metaphors. An adolescent meets a ravenous creature in the woods, only to stop and daintily respond to his advances. Doesn't the girl realize that she is talking to something with bestial intentions? Why does she still play along? It's a psychological process that I see in modern day dating behaviour as well. Young girls become suddenly aware of their sexuality when approached by dangerous men - brave enough - to take advantage of them, leading to horrific consequences.

What was the budget?
It's difficult to keep and track. I'm still spending. I refuse to count ... Because I'd rather live in denial than to know that my art is killing me.

What was it shot on?
The film was shot on Betacam SP. The equipment is provided by Faber Image who came to into this project as a co-producer. We chose the Beta over Digital because of that special softness it adds to the image.

How did you choose the actors?
We chose our actors through an audition process. We knew that our craziest challenge is to find 'Beth' - the little red riding hood of the story. A girl who must not only look the part but is willing do the crazy things that she has to do for the part. We've seen a lot of very good actresses, about 40 of them, but Evelyn really stood out. She reminded me of Snow White in the Disney Cartoon - ethereal, child-like and doll-like, yet somewhat uncanny. Johan Ydstrand is a musician from the band Bleached. We met for drinks and then roped him in.

How was it received at the film festivals?
Strangely, it was the young people (rather than regular festival going types) that made it a hit. A WICKED TALE made its World Premiere at the prestigious Rotterdam International Film Festival to a full house paying crowd. Note that it was an unknown film by an unknown Singapore director. It was also a surprise hit at the Montreal FanTasia film festival, being the first Singapore film ever screened in the history of the festival, spawning quite a bit of coverage in the media for its eccentricity. And in Israel at ICON 2005, forums went crazy with discussions about 'the very strange Singapore film' that was screened at midnight during the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth.

But the most interesting screening we had was in Potsdam, Germany - a theatre just outside Berlin, in a town where they shot Nosferatu some decades ago. It was organized by an independent festival organizer who heard that I was coming to Berlin for the Berlin Talent Campus. They had previously helped me with some really successful screenings of my first film [e'TZAINTES].

With only four days to prepare, he and his team printed their own flyers and organized a screening, promoting A WICKED TALE just outside the ticket office of Berlin International Film Festival. They also went around distributing A WICKED TALE flyers at bars and clubs.

The vibe of the whole screening/campaign was incredible. It was snowing heavily that day, yet the whole hall was full. Some people came dressed in gothic apparel, etc. Others came because they were curious. It was totally underground and the reaction was just as mixed.

The film has since become a cult sensation of sorts. Bootleg versions of A WICKED TALE were made and are traveling in the underground film circuits in Berlin and Montreal.

We enjoyed the film as it had a rather sickening twist. What are your film and directorial influences?

It's hard to say because I'm never really certain where I get my ideas from. It might be from the comics that read as a kid, the b-movies that I watch on Saturday night TV in the 80s and 90s, the urban legends that I grew up with, magazines, rock music, etc.

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