Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening May 5-12, 2010

Ong-Bak 3


Picking up right where 2008's cliff-hanging Ong-Bak 2 left off, Tony Jaa is back in Ong-Bak 3 (องค์บาก 3) for another martial-arts rampage through ancient times, promising more fights, more opponents and more elephants.

Here's the plot:

The legend of Ong-Bak 3> begins after Tien (Tony Jaa) has lost his fighting skills and his beloved stepfather at the Garuda’s Wing cliff from the raid led by Jom Rachan (Saranyu Wonggrajang). Tien is brought back to life with the help from [childhood friends] Pim (Primrata Dechudom) as well as Mhen (Petchai Wongkamlao) and the Kana Khone villagers. Deep into the meditation taught by [the monk] Phra Bua (Nirutti Sirijanya), Tien finally is able to achieve [the martial-arts discipline of] Nathayut. His talents are put to the test again when his rivals including the Golden-Armored King’s Guard (Supakorn ‘Tok’ Kijusuwan), the mysterious killers in black, and Bhuti Sangkha (Dan Chupong) return for the final massive showdown.

More about the movie is explained in a recent Nation article. It's the second prequel to the gritty urban 2003 original that made Tony Jaa a cult martial-arts sensation.

Directed, written, produced and starring Tony Jaa, Ong-Bak 3 has been made with none of the fuss that attended Ong-Bak 2, which controversially became bogged down in financial disputes between Tony and his producers at Sahamongkol Film International and stressed Tony out so much he walked off the set was said to have retreated to a meditation cave deep in a forest.

The production got back on track when Tony's long-time mentor and action choreographer Panna Rittikrai, who had initially been kept at arm's length, was brought in to co-direct.

Ong-Bak 3, by the looks of of the trailer, is all Tony all the time.

And it hasn't been without troubles, though, with Tony lamenting that two of his pet elephants died after succumbing to injuries sustained during the filming.

Behind-the-scenes photos reveal Dan Chupong gingerly touching his nose with crew surrounding him. Looks like took a hard strike from the business end of a foot or elbow. But injured actors are nothing new to the "no wires, no CGI" movies of Tony Jaa.

Rated 18+.

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Also opening


A Brand New Life -- French-Korean filmmaker Ounie Lecomte directs this partially autobiographical drama about a girl who is abandoned by her father in a South Korean orphanage. A Brand New Life has been picking up acclaim around the festival and awards circuit, winning a special mention at the Berlin Film Festival. It also won the Best Children's Feature Film honors at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Child actress Sae Ron Kim was a nominee for best newcomer at the Asian Film Awards. It recently played in the Tribeca and San Francisco festivals and won the narrative feature award in Sarasota. It's at House on RCA.


The Hole -- Having moved into a creepy old house with their single mother (Terri Polo), young brothers (Chris Massoglia and Nathan Gamble) discover a mysterious door in the floor of their basement. With the help of a neighbor girl (Haley Bennett), they explore the hole and find it leads to pretty frightening adventures. Bruce Dern also stars. It's directed by Joe Dante (The Howling, Gremlins), his first feature in six years. This apparently hasn't been released in the U.S. yet, so there's not much in way of critical reception except for a favorable review at Twitch. In 3D only. Rated 15+.

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Take note


Movies are opening a day earlier this week because of the Coronation Day holiday, which this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the coronation of His Majesty the King.

As of this writing on Wednesday morning, there was an offer on the table by the government in which elections would held in November.

At first, there were murmerings that the red-shirt anti-government protesters might go for it.

And in a glimmer of optimism, the Skytrain has announced it will resume ordinary service, operating from 6am to midnight after a couple weeks of reduced hours.

But the red shirts are as resolution as ever. Sticking to their demand that Parliament be dissolved, they are not about to pack up and abandon their Rajprasong Intersection stronghold.

So until you hear different, expect that the malls and cinemas around the area -- SF World at CentralWorld, EGV Metropolis, Paragon Cineplex and likely even the Apex chain in Siam Square -- will remain closed as long as the red shirts are occupying the streets.

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+.

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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.

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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+.

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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+

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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.