Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening April 29-May 4, 2009

Iron Man 2


Robert Downey Jr. suits back up in Iron Man 2 for another go as billionaire eccentric playboy weapons developer Tony Stark.

"I am Iron Man," Tony has admitted.

Now the government wants to get its hands on the super suit he's built.

Meanwhile, there's Mickey Rourke with a bad accent. He harbors a grudge against Stark and has a wall of newspaper clippings to feed that grudge. As Whiplash, he devises a powerful weapon based on Stark's technology and uses it against him.

Lurking around is Scarlett Johansson who lost so much weight she's barely visible in her tight catsuit. She plays a Russian spy named Black Widow.

And also new to the cast is Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, an oily rival arms manufacturer who is Stark's nemesis.

In the first film, it was Terence Howard looking longingly at an Iron Man suit and saying "next time, baby." But this time it's Don Cheadle who gets to suit up as Tony's best friend, Air Force Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and wear the armor as War Machine.

Also returning is Gwyneth Paltrow, playing Tony's right-hand woman Pepper Potts. Samuel L Jackson, seen in the surprise ending of the first film, is back as Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Jon Favreau again directs, bringing his breezy Swingers sensibility to the big-budget of a superhero movie. Justin Theroux, who wrote the war-movie satire Tropic Thunder, which Downey co-starred with Ben Stiller, is brought aboard as a writer.

Early critical reaction is mixed to favorable. And it should go without saying that Iron Man 2 has a "surprise" tag ending, so keep your butt planted during the credits. Also at IMAX. Rated 13+.

---

Also opening


Kon Thai Ting Pandin (คนไท ทิ้งแผ่นดิน, The Edge of the Empire) --This historical epic from the Kantana studios delves into the legendary ancestors of Thais -- the Tai people of southern China in the 8th century AD and their battles against Han domination. In production for more than three years, most of the time has been spent polishing the film with loads of computer-graphic imagery, including realistic butterflies, spraying blood and digital backdrops that transform Kantana Movie Town in suburban Bangkok into the mountainous southern China of 1,200 years ago. The movie is directed by industry veteran Nirattisai “Ta” Kaljareuk, He cameos as the beardstroking Han emperor. The screenplay by Ari Jinthapanichakal is based on a bestselling novel by Sanya Phonbhrasit, winner of the John F Kennedy Award for Literature in 1973. Expertly capturing the sweeping, cinematic frames as director of photography is British filmmaker Paul Spurrier. The spectacular results are let down by overly melodramatic acting from the young cast of TV stars, exceptions being the top villain, played by Prapadon Suwannabang. Other stars include Than Thanakorn, Sara Legge, Awain Muangawan, Arnuz Lapanich, Lalisa “Tik” Sontirod, Khemchair Kamutchart, and, in a disappointingly brief appearance, Yuenyong “Ad Carabao” Opakul. Check out the trailer at YouTube. Opened Wednesday. Rated 18+.


Kheaw Aa-Kaard (The Intruder) -- Vengeful reptiles terrorize residents of an apartment building that was built in the Nong Ngoo Hao (Cobra Swamp) area east of Bangkok where Suvarnabhumi Airport is today. Kwankao Sawetwimol, Akara Amartayakul and Apinya Sakuljaroensuk are among the stars in this ensemble-cast thriller produced by Poj Arnon. At least a couple of the cast were actually bitten in the making of this movie, though no snakes were harmed. "James" Thanadol Nualsuth and "Ping" Thammanoon Sakulbunthanom direct. Check the trailer at YouTube to see if you are up for this.


Housefull -- The BollywoodThai boys are back in business after a couple months' hiatus. They bring another new-release Bollywood comedy to Bangkok the same weekend it's opening in Mumbai. Akshay Kumar stars in Housefull as an unlucky guy. He dates three women, hoping to find his one true love but marries all three. Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan also star. At Major Cineplex Central Rama III on Friday at 8, Saturday at 5 and 8, Sunday at 4 and 7 and at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit on Monday at 7.45. Call (089) 488 2620 or visit www.BollywoodThai.com.

---

Take note

This week, the FCCT-NETPAC Asian Film Festival was to open with Mr. and Mrs. Iyer from India, but it has again been indefinitely postponed "due to unforeseen circumstances."

The red-shirt political protests are continuing at the Rajprasong intersection.

CentralWorld shopping center continues to be shut down, removing 15 screens from the central Bangkok cinema equation.

Other shopping centers in the area have reduced hours, which are decided on a day-by-day basis.

Some cinemas, such as Siam Square's Apex chain, won't screen a flick if you're the only customer. Others, like Century, will sell you the ticket but might ask you to see another movie is no one else shows up.

I'm told they need at least three to make it worthwhile, so find some friends when you are planning your movie outings.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening April 22-28, 2010

Noo Kanpai


Thai tattoo movies are a unique subgenre of Thai films, though off the top of my head I can only give a few examples.

Of course there's Killer Tattoo, but that isn't really what I'm thinking about here.

It's about the Thai spiritual tattoos that are said to convey supernatural powers that protect the wearers from bullets and blades.

You'll see the tattoos around, worn by policemen, soldiers, motorcycle-taxi drivers and other hard-working men in Thailand.

The ink is very much in evidence in historical battle epics like Bang Rajan 2.

The recently released Buddhist thriller Nak Prok (Shadow of the Naga) made a cheeky reference to the "power" of the tattoos and showed one of the main characters receiving one from a monk.

The tattoos are applied with an ink-dipped needle that's attached to a long stick.

Supernatural tattoos were a focal point of the 2008 action movie Hanuman: The White Monkey Warrior, in which the characters assumed the powers of the mythical gods they had tattooed on their backs.

Another 2008 tattoo-action movie was Haa Taew, literally "five columns", which refers to the five lines in a tablet of Buddhist scripture that is usually tattooed on the shoulder.

Lots of young actresses and models are getting these haa taew tattoos on their delicate little shoulder blades. Other women get little scrolls on the small of their back.

They're following the example of Angelina Jolie who came to Thailand some years back and got one from Ajarn Noo Kanpai, the recognized master of the yantra tattoo. There's lots of videos dedicated to Noo Kanpai.

It was Noo Kanpai who produced Haa Taew and now he's made another movie -- an action-packed biopic about his own life.

According to the legend of Noo Kanpai, the master first started to study about magic spells and yantra tattooing at the age of six. When it was discovered the tattoos conveyed magical powers, everyone wanted one, even as Noo Kanpai tried to remain modest and avoid infamy. The full title is, check this out, Noo Kanpai Seuk Maha Yan Ying Kan Sanan Jor (หนู กันภัย ศึกมหายันต์ ยิงกันสนั่นจอ), something about fighting furiously and loudly.

Khet Thantap, Bin Bunluerit, Suebsak Pansueb and Supakorn Kitsuwan star with a special appearance by Noo Kanpai himself. Keep your eyes peeled on the trailer (embedded below) for a familiar pair of policemen -- probably the last appearance by the two of them together. Arinthawit Chomsri directs. It's released by Ohm Maha Ruay Film. Rated 18+.

---

Also opening


The Crazies -- Breck Eisner (Sahara) directs this remake of a 1973 George Romero thriller about zombies of a different sort that crop up in an Iowa farming community. A toxin is turning the residents into violent psychopaths and the U.S. military is bearing down trying to isolate the sickness by killing everyone off. But there are survivors -- the local sheriff (Timothy Olyphant), his physician wife (Radha Mitchell) and others. Critical reception is leaning toward positive. Rated 18+.


The Shock Labyrinth 3D (Senritsu meikyû 3D) -- The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu gets in on the 3D trend with this horror-thriller about teenagers dealing with the sudden return of a friend who went missing a decade ago. When she falls ill, they take her to a hospital but end up trapped in a labyrinthine haunted house. It's Thai-dubbed in most places by House cinema on RCA has the 2D version in Japanese with English and Thai subtitles. Rated 15+.


Brooklyn's Finest -- Training Day director Antoine Fuqua offers another gritty thriller about bent cops. The policemen in this drama about come from different beats. There's an undercover guy played by Don Cheadle, a young vice cop (Ethan Hawke) who's started skimming drug money to support his sick, pregnant wife, and an older uniform officer (Richard Gere) who just wants to get through his last week before he retires. They all come together at the same crime scene. Wesley Snipes and Michael K Williams (Omar from The Wire) also star. Critical reception is leaning towards negative. At Apex and SF Cinemas. Rated 18+.


Tenderness -- Russell Crowe stars in this crime thriller as a police detective keeping watch over an 18-year-old psychopathic killer (Jon Foster) who's been released from an institution and appears to have been rehabilitated. The detective believes otherwise. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old girl seeks out the young man, thinking he'll help her escape from her troubled home. John Polson directs. The actor-turn-director previously helmed the psycho-thrillers Swimfan and Hide and Seek, but has also been doing TV work, including Without a Trace, The Mentalist and FlashForward. The movie is adapted from a novel by Robert Cormier (The Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese). Critical reception for this 2008 film is still a bit thin on the ground but is leaning towards negative. At APEX and SFX Central Lad Prao. Rated 18+

---

Take note


The red-shirt protests are continuing in the Rajprasong area and CentralWorld has remained closed. Siam Paragon and other shopping centers in the area have been open but might be cutting back on hours. The red-shirt protests are coming under pressure from security forces who are determined to keep them confined to Rajprasong and not spread to Silom. A number of anti-red-shirt groups -- yellow shirts, no-shirts, white shirts, multi-color shirts, whatever-kind-of-shirts -- are staging counter protests.

In short: It's getting ugly.

Be careful out there. Stay clear of the protest areas. Pay attention to the news and call ahead before you venture out.

This week, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand postponed the start of its FCCT-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, officially "due to unforeseen circumstances". The club is located in the penthouse of the Maneeya building, just steps away from the Rajprasong interesection. You do the math.

The film series is now due to start on Thursday, April 29 with Mr. and Mrs. Iyer from India.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening April 13-21, 2010

Kick-Ass


In a twist on Spider-Man and all that hooey of "with great power comes great responsibility" comes Kick-Ass, about a teenage comic-book nerd to who dons a costume and calls himself Kick-Ass as he goes around the city performing feats of derring-do.

"With no power comes no responsibility," says the hero nerd, portrayed by Aaron Johnson.

Caught on viral video as he performs great deeds, he soon finds there are other costumed avengers lurking. Much like most of the anti-heroes in Watchmen, they are ordinary people with no superpowers.

Among them is a kid with a fast car and a red outfit who calls himself Red Mist. He's played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, probably best remembered for his role as "McLovin" in Superbad.

But the real kick-ass characters in Kick-Ass have to be the purple-haired gun-toting acrobat Hit-Girl (13-year-old Chloe Moretz in a stunning performance), who wears a plaid schoolgirl skirt with her body armor. She's partnered with her father, Big Daddy, played by none other than Nicolas Cage. I'm getting a big Batman vibe off Big Daddy, which is probably the intention of the filmmakers.

Based on a comic series by Mark Millar (who also wrote Wanted), it's directed by Matthew Vaughn, who previously did the British gangster drama Layer Cake and the fractured fairytale Stardust and produced Guy Ritchie's Snatch.

Critical reception is mostly positive. There's a teaser on YouTube. Opens Thursday. Rated 18+.

---

9 Wat


9 Wat (9 วัด), English title Secret Sunday, is perhaps a fitting movie to open today, which is the start of Songkran, the Thai New Year -- one of the biggest holidays in the Kingdom.

The release day is auspicious, because many adherents do just what they are doing in the film -- visit nine Buddhist temples in a bid to erase bad karma and clear the way for good luck.

That isn't the way it's working out for "Noon" Siriphan Wattanajinda, a beauty columnist who is being haunted for some reason. Maybe because she dyed her hair a bleach blond. Or wears thick eye makeup. And dresses fashionably. And swims in a bikini. The spirits can't take it. They are angered by non-traditional Thai looks.

So she takes a trip with her architect boyfriend (James Alexander Mackie), who's been tasked with undertaking the nine-wat ritual by his mother (Penpak Sirikul). The couple are accompanied by a friend of theirs who is a monk (Pharadorn Sirakovit).

Trouble is, instead of clearing up their bad karma, the temple trek seems to bring them more rotten luck. And bleeding cows. And headless dogs. And a hand that needs washing.

It's directed by Saranyoo Jiralak, who's making his feature debut. He's previous worked as an assistant director with Nonzee Nimibutr and Wisit Sasanatieng and has been making commercials.

“I don’t believe karma can be fixed. We all have to pay for what we have done,” he was quoted as saying in The Nation last week.

It's the second production from the new company, Oriental Eyes, which debuted in 2008 with Where the Miracle Happens, a drama starring Princess Ubol Ratana.

Saranyoo says his first choice wouldn’t have been a horror flick but after discussions with the producers, he decided it could be an interesting project.

“Although the Thai film industry has a lot of ghost and horror movies, I believe there is room for new ideas. I hope viewers are ready to open their minds,” he says.

For actress Siraphan, who debuted in romantic comedy Puean Sanit (Dear Dakanda) and starred in Wisit Sasanatieng’s Pen Choo Kab Phee (The Unseeable) and was featured in Where the Miracle Happens, portraying Poon has been her biggest challenge to date.

“Poon may seem confident and aggressive but in fact, she’s very vulnerable. It wasn’t easy for me take the part because I come from a very conservative family,” says the actress, who agreed to take the role only after her mother read the script and gave the green light.

“Her decision really encouraged me to do this project even if it does blow my good girl image,” she says.

The trailer has crowds jumping in cinemas now and it's on YouTube. Rated 18+.

---

Also opening


Legion -- From the poster, I thought this looked stupid. Then I saw the trailer and thought, "Wow. This looks pretty cool." It's basically Dogma without the dick jokes. Paul Bettany plays the archangel Michael, the only one standing between mankind and the apocalypse. He teams up with mortal strangers in a remote desert diner to battle all the other angels and protect a young waitress (Adrianne Palicki) who may be pregnant with Christ in his second coming. Dennis Quaid, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson and Charles S. Dutton also star. Scott Stewart, a senior staffer at award-winning visual-effects house The Orphanage, makes his directorial debut. Critical reception is mostly negative. Rated 18+.


Chloe -- Atom Egoyan directs a remake of Anne Fontaine’s Nathalie, with Julianne Moore as a wife who suspects her husband (Liam Neeson) of infidelity. She meets an alluring young woman (Amanda Seyfried) who works as an escort and hatches a scheme of having the girl seduce her husband but finds that she's the one being seduced. Critical reception is evenly mixed. Rated 18+.


Oppai Volleyball -- Haruka Ayase, in Japanese Academy-nominated role that won her best actress from the Mainichi Film Concours, stars as a young teacher in 1979 Japan who volunteers to coach the boys volleyball club. The guys are all nerds who are obsessed with girls. In an effort to motivate the team, she promises to flash them her “oppai” (breasts) if they win a game. At the Lido.

---

Take note

Except for Kick-Ass, movies are opening two days earlier than ordinary this week because of the Songkran Thai New Year holiday, which starts today (April 13) and officially runs until Thursday but will likely continue through the weekend. It's a traditionally celebratory and lighthearted time for family gatherings and water fights.

This year there is more to worry about than getting wet.

There is a pall cast over Songkran by the deadly battles that took place in Bangkok on Saturday between the red-shirt political protesters and Thai soldiers.

The red shirts are continuing their protest and are still occupying the Rajprasong Intersection. This has caused the nearby malls, including CentralWorld and Paragon, to close or curtail hours. The Lido multiplex has been dropping is last showtimes, closing after the 6.30 shows are over.

I hope there won't be any more shooting.

So, in addition to slipping your phone and other gadgets in waterproof bags, wearing light clothing and plastic sandals, prepare for your movie outings by planning carefully and trying to avoid the areas of town where the protest is going on, however non-violent they might be right now.

Make sure the cinema is open. I've called ahead to my favorite cinemas -- the Apex in Siam Square, and they confirm they are open and are showing Kick-Ass at the Siam, Shutter Island at the Scala and Oppai Volleyball as been added to the program at the Lido.