First Bite

Part black comedy, part voodoo ghost story, First Bite, or 1st Bite as it is sometimes billed, claims that “as in love and in life, it’s cooking up the passion that counts. The greatest passion is rewarded with the greatest death.” That’s according to the official website of its director and screenwriter, Hunt Hoe. It is also a mixture of Dracula gore and more common gourmet fare. The story revolves around Gus who works in a Montreal restaurant and travels to Bangkok to learn Thai cooking. He meets Lek, a mysterious girl who lives in an island cave and whips up all kinds of exotic dishes for him. Between his karaoke sessions and full-moon parties, Gus has a lot of fun, but then he begins to have strange experiences, not the least of which involves waking up on a beach and being helped by an Indian guru who heads the Institute for Enlightenment and Empowerment. Back in Montreal, Gus falls in love with a Canadian girl, but the Thai sorceress refuses to let him go. The film had a three-month shoot schedule and was the first Canadian film to be made in Thailand. It features a Thai, Canadian and Indian cast.