Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal

Shahkrit hooks up with Gybzy in My Ex

2009-07-11T12:00:00.003+07:00

Even though a chunk of production staff has left to form their own company, RS Film's Avant label is still very much a going concern. Among the upcoming projects is My Ex (Fan Kao, แฟนเก่า), starring Shahkrit Yamnarm as an actor who flits from woman to woman.That's Nymph star "Gybzy" Wanida Termthanporn there with him while the corpse of a spurned girlfriend lies mouldering next to them. Gybzy's

Thanit Jitnukul combats teenage drug use in Samchuk

2009-07-11T06:00:00.001+07:00

I've kind of lost track of what all Bang Rajan director Thanit Jitnukul has been up to since he made his big historical battle epic way back in 2000.Okay, well, he made the first Art of the Devil film, had a hand in the Black Night Pan-Asian horror omnibus at Five Star, did the pirates and kids movie Salad Ta Diew at Sahamongkol and did RS Film's flyboy drama First Flight. That's not everything

7th World Film Festival of Bangkok website has updates

2009-07-11T00:03:00.003+07:00

The World Film Festival of Bangkok website has been updated with preliminary news entries as the festival nears its November 6 to 15, 2009 run at Paragon Cineplex.The festival has a call for entries until October 1.And it's also touting its presence on the Web again this year, reminding us that they have a YouTube channel, a Flickr stream, a Facebook group, a blog and a Twitter account.I am

An early look at Raging Phoenix (updated with trailer)

2009-07-10T23:25:00.002+07:00

Ahead of seeing Wongkamlao over the long weekend, I caught the teaser trailer for Chocolate star Jeeja Yanin's new action film Du Suay Doo (ดื้อ สวย ดุ, "stubborn, beautiful and fierce"), also known as Raging Phoenix.It opens with her in what looks to be a highly advanced, backbreaking yoga position, in a handstand with her body arched out like a bridge, but her feet aren't touching the ground.

Production staff at Avant make move to M Pictures

2009-07-10T00:00:00.001+07:00

Thai music and entertainment conglomerate RS Public Company Limited, or RS Promotion, is undergoing restructuring, and in the upheaval, production staff from the group's Avant flm label have jumped ship, with most joining a new company under M Pictures Entertainment.Daily Xpress has the story. It says that RS boss Surachai Chetchotisak has put his brother Komson in charge of Avant as the studio

Agarian Utopia gets a trailer for the road

2009-07-09T18:00:00.001+07:00

Time to play catch up with Uruphong Raksasad's Agrarian Utopia, which is still touring the festival circuit. Last I looked, it was winning a special mention in Barcelona, but that was way back in May.Since then, according to the film's page at production company Extra Virgin, it's played in two recently wrapped-up fests: the fifth Libertas Film Festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where it was in the

Wongkamlao books 50 million baht, now on to Yam Yasothon 2

2009-07-09T12:00:00.001+07:00

Mum Jokmok's latest directorial effort Wongkamlao was tipped to top 100 million baht as of today by Daily Xpress. I'm told the parody of Thai high society and soap operas earned 50 million baht in its first five days of release since July 1.It opened on the same day as Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Nymph from Five Star, which had nowhere near as strong a showing, despite the Wednesday opening and a

Bangkok International Film Festival runs September 24 to 30

2009-07-08T20:30:00.000+07:00

Although the dates were informally announced last month, now it's officially been announced in a press release.The next edition of the Bangkok International Film Festival is set for September 24 to 30, organizers said today.As with last year, the festival will again be supported in part by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and is organized by the Federation of National Film Associations of

Review: Wongkamlao

2009-07-08T13:00:00.000+07:00

Directed by Petchtai WongkamlaoStarring Petchtai Wongkamlao, Akamsiri Suwansuk, Apaporn Nakonsawan, Chalerm Yamchamang, Chantana Kitiphan, Somlek Sakdikul, Weawwow Jokmok, Anuwat Tarapan, Sudarat ButrpromReleased in Thai cinemas on July 1, 2009Rating: 4/5Ordinarily I can't stand to watch (Thai) comedies nor soap operas. For the former, it's the broad slapstick humor, fart jokes, shrieking

Khru Baan Nok remake planned

2009-07-07T19:00:00.003+07:00

Surasee Pantham, director of 1978's Khru Baan Nok (ครูบ้านนอก, The Country Teacher) is planning a remake of the well-regarded social drama.According to a recent Soopsip item in Daily Xpress, Sahamongkol Film International will produce and shooting is expected to commence in two months.But first, Surasee needs a fresh-faced young actor to take on the title role of an idealistic young schoolteacher

Queens of Langkasuka, Power Kids, Fireball to make North American premieres at Fantasia

2009-07-07T12:00:00.001+07:00

There will be plenty of Thai action at the Fantasia International Film Festival, which starts on Thursday in Montreal and runs until July 29.Browsing through the full festival program, there are three Thai films, all making their North American premieres: Nonzee Nimibutr's historical pirate fantasy Queens of Langkasuka as well as two brutal actioners, Thanakorn Pongsuwan's brutal Muay

A look at Nang Mai: Cannes Version

2009-07-07T06:00:00.000+07:00

Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Nang Mai (Nymph): Cannes Version is playing in a limited run in two Bangkok cinemas. It's 15-minutes longer than the new 90-minute edit that's being called the Director's Cut.There are things to like about both versions, though I suppose if pressed I would probably say the Director's Cut is an improvement.Aside from running time and the absence of a score, the chief

Short Film Marathon starts July 7

2009-07-05T12:00:00.000+07:00

It's begun. In the run up to next month's 13th Thai Short Film and Video Festival (August 13-24), the Short Film Marathon starts on Tuesday, July 7 and runs until August 2, with daily screenings. Hundreds of shorts have been submitted. Not all can be shown in the festival itself, but they have to be shown sometime, so that's what this is for. The venue this year is conference room 4 at the

Trailer for Thai horror 6:66

2009-07-04T12:00:00.001+07:00

While the Thai film industry has shifted away from gory horror to focus instead on goopy romance, it's good to see there's still some horror films in the pipeline.Coming up next from Sahamongkol Film International is 6:66 -- 6:66 ตายไม่ได้ตาย, or 6:66 dtaai mai dai dtaai, literally 6:66 Die Not Die.It's directed by Takeaw Ruengratana and written by Punlop Sinjaroen and produced by Workpoint

A new era for Thailand's National Film Archive

2009-07-03T20:00:00.000+07:00

It's official. Thailand's National Film Archive has become a public organization, effective as of a Royal Gazette entry on June 22.It's a promotion up the bureaucratic chain in the Ministry of Culture that could mean the Archive can move more quickly and more effectively to save what's left of Thailand's withering cinematic heritage.Kong Rithdee has more from Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch in

Death in the Land of Melancholia: Lav Diaz Retrospective in Thailand begins July 31

2009-07-02T12:00:00.001+07:00

A pioneer and inspiration for the current independent film movement in the Philippines, Lav Diaz is scheduled to come to Bangkok at the end of the month to help kick off a three-month-long series of screenings of his films in Bangkok and Phuket. The title really captures the spirit of it all: Death in the Land of Melancholia: Lav Diaz Retrospective in Thailand.Diaz broke away from commercial

Review: Nymph (Nang Mai)

2009-07-01T06:00:00.002+07:00

Directed by Pen-ek RatanaruangStarring Wanida Terthanaporn, Nopachai Jayanama, Chamanan Wanwinwet, Pornthip PapanaiReleased in Thai cinemas on July 1, 2009Rating: 4/5Lace up your hiking boots, set up your tent and roll out your sleeping bag. It’s time to go camping with director Pen-ek Ratanaruang and his latest movie, Nang Mai (นางไม้, English title: Nymph).A romantic drama, ghost story and

Aditya Assarat picks George Washington for Berlinale Forum celebration

2009-06-30T18:00:00.002+07:00

The Berlin Film Festival's Forum program is 40 years old this year, and to celebrate, a birthday party is being held at the Kino Arsenal from July 1 to 5.For the symposium celebration, "Dialogues with Films: 4 Decades of the International Forum of New Cinema" has 12 directors selecting films they really like and explaining why they really like them.Among the directors having to explain

Venue and program set for Samui Film Festival

2009-06-30T12:00:00.001+07:00

The first Samui Film Festival, set for August 14 to 16, will be held at the Imperial Boat House, located on Choeng Mon Beach.The lineup is a shorter version of program from this year's Phangan Film Festival, which is put together by the same folks. It's a collection of documentaries and shorts on the themes of "Nature" and "Spirit". Check the website for details.Meanwhile, next year's Phangan

Asian Film Festival of Dallas has Thai spirits

2009-06-29T12:00:00.002+07:00

Two Thai ghost films -- GTH's four-segment horror omnibus 4Bia and Five Star's thriller The Screen at Kamchanod -- are the Thai entries for the 8th Asian Film Festival of Dallas, which is set for July 17 to 23.And those aren't the only Thai spirits. The festival is sponsored by Beer Chang and Mekhong whisky -- both pretty lethal poisons, from what I've heard. Never sampled them myself. Don't want

Meet Gybzy, Pen-ek's new muse

2009-06-28T20:29:00.006+07:00

Wanida Termthanaporn is making her feature-film debut as the lead in Nymph (Nang Mai), the new thriller by Pen-ek Ratanaruang. It's obvious from the lingering looks at her in the trailer that Pen-ek is quite taken with her as an actress. And her performance has been noted by the film critics -- even those who didn't particularly care for the movie liked her.But they could probably criticize her

More on Pen-ek and art films

2009-06-27T12:00:00.000+07:00

As his latest film Nymph looms closer to the July 1 release in Thailand and September's North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Pen-ek Ratanaruang is giving interviews to major media outlets. Among them is The Wall Street Journal.Pen-ek talks to writer Dean Napolitano about what Nymph is about, how the story developed, its themes, his evolution as a director and how

Comments from filmmakers and stars at the World Comedy Film Festival

2009-06-27T06:00:00.003+07:00

Sick of hearing about the World Comedy Film Festival yet? I know I am. But Lekha sent some more stuff as a follow-up to her earlier report, and I thought it had some pertinent things to say about the festival, so here it is.Story and photos by Lekha J. ShankarThe inaugural World Comedy Film Festival has come and gone. There were good, bad, funny, un-funny films. There were sparse audiences .

Taiwanese 'cute princess' becomes a horror queen in the Pangs' 3-D Eye film

2009-06-25T00:00:00.000+07:00

The Pang Brothers are back in Thailand, working on the fourth in their Eye series, The Child's Eye, which is budgeted at US$4.5 million and touted to be the first Asian 3-D film.Playing the lead role is Rainie Yang, a 25-year-old Taiwanese pop singer and TV-drama star who's been dubbed the "cute princess". The Nation's Sunday Leisure section had a story about Rainie and The Child's Eye this past

Mum Jokmok takes on hi-so soaps in Wongkamlao

2009-06-24T18:00:00.000+07:00

Petchtai "Mum Jokmok" Wongkamlao gathers a few familiar faces from his past films for his latest directorial effort, Wongkamlao (วงษ์คำเหลา), which spoofs the classic hi-so Thai soap opera Baan Saithong.With Mum playing the head of a wealthy family, the comedy also stars Apaporn Nakonsawan, who had a memorable role in Mum's first Bodyguard, playing the club-hostess matriarch of a slum family.