Cinemas and theaters in Ho Chi Minh City raked in the moolah during Tet last week.
With movie-going becoming a growing habit in Vietnam, producers now look to the Lunar New Year holidays as a high season for releases, as a horror-comic flick and two romantic comedies hit the screens this year.
“Co dau dai chien” (Bride in a big fight), a laugh-a-minute love story involving five girls and a guy, was popular with both fans and critics for its strong plot, interesting characters, and attractive cast.
During the Tet week, it collected VND14.2 billion (US$730,000).
The first made-in-Vietnam 3D movie, the horror-comic “Bong ma hoc duong” (school ghosts) produced by Thien Ngan Movie JSC and directed by Le BaoTrung, delves into issues faced by teens with relation to family, love, and school violence.
In the 12 days since its release, it has picked up a cool VND22 billion (US$ 1.1 million).
However, critics have slammed it for being too sex-focused and its grainy and blurred visuals.
“Thien su 99” (Heavenly messenger 99), the last of the releases, cast the lone shadow, being deemed a disappointment in all aspects.
Some cinemas even had to cancel screenings for lack of audience.
Packed theatres
As for theaters, most had to increase their shows to three or four daily to cope with demand despite increased ticket prices, which aficionados seemed to shrug off.
Tickets for plays at Idecaf Playhouse featuring star actor and playwright Thanh Loc were sold out in advance though they were criticized for not being as good as usual.
Hong Van Theater, owned by renowned ex-actress Hong Van, welcomed the Lunar New Year with horror plays.
Though ghosts are a taboo topic during the New Year for many Vietnamese, the shows ran to full houses.
Most popular were the shows by comedienne Kieu Oanh who combined theater with singing, hip-hop dance, and acrobatics.
Oanh’s shows were full though tickets cost a whopping VND500,000-1.5 million (US$26 - 77).
