In Thai cinemas: Luang Phee Jazz 4G

It's holiday time in Thailand, with today's Chakri Memorial Day kicking off anticipatory celebrations of next week's Songkran Thai New Year, which is a three-day public holiday from next Wednesday to Friday.

In the cinemas, the big Thai tentpole is the Songkran-flavored Luang Phee Jazz 4G (หลวงพี่แจ๊ส 4G, a.k.a. Joking Jazz 4G). It's about a bespectacled, gauge-eared, tattooed hipster with a checkered past who is hiding out as a monk at an isolated mountaintop temple. He's played by hipster comedian Phadung “Jazz Chuanchuen” Songsang. He and his temple-boy friends have an adventure as they are sent to Bangkok on a mission during Songkran.

Directed by Poj Arnon, Luang Pee Jazz 4G is the first release under the prolific producer-director's rebooted Film Guru production marque, which has been relaunched in a new partnership with Major Cineplex, the Kingdom's biggest movie-theater chain.

Poj and Film Guru were formerly associated with Phranakorn Film, a film studio owned by the Thana Cineplex chain of upcountry cinemas. Phranakorn released a string of hit country comedies in the early 2000s, including the original Luang Phee (Holy Man) movie in 2005.

Originated by comedian, actor and director Note Chernyim, the first Luang Phee Teng starred ubiquitous comedian and TV host Pongsak "Theng Terdterng" Pongsuwan as a former street hood who has entered the monkhood and ministers to colorful residents in a provincial town

 Other Luang Phee Teng installments followed in 2008 and 2010, with rapper Joey Boy and actor-musician Krissada Sukosol Clapp taking respective turns as the saffron-clad lead character. As each movie stands alone, with different characters in the lead, they aren't really sequels but are part of a franchise all the same.

The Nation had more on this latest Luang Phee movie, which is the fourth in the series.

Still hanging around after being released a week ago is the anthology horror 11 12 13 Rak Kan Ja Tai (11 12 13 รักกันจะตาย a.k.a. Ghost Is All Around).

Directed by Saravuth Wichiansarn (Ghost Game), it is released by M-Thirtynine, another film-production company that is partnered with Major Cineplex.

The stories will sound familiar if you watch a lot of these Thai horror anthologies – one about a guy haunted by the spirit of his suicidal girlfriend and another about goofball pals haunted by a friend who is dead but doesn't know it. A third story follows a woman who is in for terror in her travels with her gay chum. Heartthrob actor "Weir" Sukollawat Kanarot is among the stars.

As detailed over on my other blog, other movies in Thai cinemas include the Documentary Club release of All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records, which came out last week. This week's offerings include The Huntsman: Winter's War and the South Korean adventure drama The Himalayas, which is presented in the 270-degree True Cinema X at the EmQuartier mall in Bangkok.

Freelance wins eight prizes at 25th Subhanahongsa Awards

Subhanahongsa winners, from left, Best Supporting Actress Violette Wautier, Best Actor Sunny Suwanmethanon, Best Actress Davika Hoorne, Best Director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit of Freelance and Best Supporting Actor Ingkarat Damrongsakkul of P’Chai My Hero. Nation photo by Chalinee Thirasupa.

Like pimples on its main character's back, more trophies are popping up for Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and Freelance Ham Puay Ham Phak Ham Rak More (Heart Attack).

The indie writer-director's first directorial effort with a big studio swept up most of the prizes at the 25th Subhanahongsa Awards, the Thailand National Film Association Awards or Golden Swan Awards, which are Thailand's industry equivalent of the Oscars.

Freelance won best film and best director. Sunny Suwanmethanon was named best actor for his role as a freelance graphic artist who works so hard he comes down with a rash. Davika Hoorne took the best actress prize for her turn as the achingly lonely young resident physician at a public hospital who treats Sunny's overworked worker. And Violette Wautier took the supporting actress prize for her disarmingly droll turn as Sunny's character's graphic-arts agent and best friend.

Freelance also took the prizes for best editing (by up-and-coming young filmmaker Chonlasit Upanigkit, who also edited Nawapol's Mary Is Happy and 36, and was a double nominee this year for editing The Blue Hour).

But the screenplay prize was split between Freelance and another leading nominee and critical favorite, indie writer-director Kongdej Jaturanrasmee's Snap.

The tie was the likely result of an experimental new voting system instituted for the awards by the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand. The Nation has more on that.

Snap also won for Recording and Sound Mixing (by Sarawut Phantha and Akrichalerm Kalayanamitr) and Art Direction by Rasiguet Sookkarn (another up-and-coming young filmmaker).

Another leading nominee was the indie coming-of-age comedy-drama How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) a.k.a. P'Chai My Hero. It won the supporting actor trophy for the remarkable performance by child actor Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, who was essentially playing the lead.

And much-deserved kudos were given to Uruphong Raksasad for The Songs of Rice, which won best documentary and, of course, best cinematography.

Another winner was the teen horror thriller Runpee, which shared the best song prize and won for visual effects. The movie marked the return to the industry by veteran director Wisit Sasanatieng.

Here's the list of winners:

• Best Film: Freelance Ham Puay Ham Phak Ham Rak More
• Best Director: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Freelance
• Best Actor: Sunny Suwanmethanon, Freelance
• Best Actress: Davika Hoorne, Freelance
• Best Supporting Actor: Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, P’Chai My Hero
• Best Supporting Actress: Violette Wautier Freelance
• Best Screenplay: Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Snap, and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Freelance
• Best Film Editing: Chonlasit Upanigkit, Freelance
• Best Cinematography: Uruphong Raksasad, Phleng Khong Khao (The Songs of Rice)
• Best Recording and Sound Mixing: Sarawut Phantha, Akrichalerm Kalayanamitr, Snap
• Best Art Direction: Rasiguet Sookkarn, Snap
• Best Original Score: Hualampong Riddim, Freelance
• Best Song: Ther Dern Khao Ma from Runpee and Sud Sai Ta from The Down
• Best Documentary: The Songs of Rice
• Best Costume Design: Sukanya Maruangpradit, F Hiliare
• Best Make Up Effects: Methaphan Pitithunyapat, Phi Ha Ayothaya
• Best Visual Effects: Alternat Studio, Runpee
• Best Documentary: Songs of Rice
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Jaroen "See Thao" Petchjaroen

Freelance earns prizes at Thai Film Director Awards

The winners of the Thai Film Director Assocation. Photo via TFDA, used by permission.

The Thai Film Director Association (สมาคมผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์ไทย) points the way when it comes to film awards in Thailand, officially kicking off the Kingdom's film-kudos season last Sunday by awarding five of its prizes – best film, best director, best actor, best actress and best supporting actress – to Freelance.

Writer-director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and actress Davika Hoorne were among the figures on hand to grab the attractive trophy, which is in the shape of the TFDA logo, a hand with a pointing finger.

Other prizes in the sixth edition of the TFDA Awards went to May Who? – the last feature from GTH before it broke up and reformed as GDH 559 – and Snap.

Runner-up certificates included the indie brotherhood drama How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) for best film and Kongdej Jaturanrasmee was awarded runner-up best director for his indie romance Snap.

The indie thriller The Blue Hour (Onthakarn), the M-Thirtynine comedy Miss Happy and Sahamongkol's giant snake drama Mae Bia also collected certificates.

In addition, the TFDA also recognizes the best assistant directors, with the crews from Freelance and Snap getting pats on their backs. For Nawapol, they were first assistant directof Parama Malakul Na Ayutthaya and second Ad Therawit Srisiri. Kongdej's team were 1st AD Pipat Jomkoh with Tippawan Narintorn and Kanachat Limthammahisorn as 2nd and 3rd AD.

Here's the list of other winners:

• Best Film: Heart Attack (Freelance)
• Runner-up best film: How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) a.k.a. P'Chai My Hero)
• Best Director: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Heart Attack (Freelance)
• Runner-up best director: Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Snap
• Best Actor: Sunny Suwanmethanon, Heart Attack
• Runner-up best actor: Toni Rakkaen, Snap
• Best Actress: Davika Hoorne, Heart Attack (Freelance)
• Runner-up best actress: Sutatta Udomsilp, May Nhai (May Who?)
• Best Supporting Actor: Thanapob Leeratanakajorn May Nhai (May Who?)
• Runner-up best supporting actors: "Ben" Chalatit Tantiwut, Miss Happy (Paa Happy She Taa Yuh and Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang, The Blue Hour
• Best Supporting Actress: Violette Wautier, Heart Attack (Freelance)
• Runner-up best supporting actress: Arpa Pawilai (Mae Bia)
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Jazzsiam (Silhouette of God a.k.a. Kon Song Jao)

More details can be found at the TFDA's Facebook page.

(Thanks to Manussa Vorasingha for all assistance!)

Top 10 Thai films of 2015

Zombies shuffled, independent films delighted and a favorite studio released two more winning entries before closing up shop, helping to make 2015 another memorable year for Thai cinema. Here, mostly in the order viewed, are some of the best Thai movies I saw in Bangkok cinemas last year.

Phi Ha Ayodhaya (The Black Death)

Just as my interest in Thai film had hit an all-time low, MR Chalermchatri “Adam” Yukol reinvigorated my passion with Phi Ha Ayodhaya, the first honest-to-goodness Thai zombie film.

Made with the same props and costumes as the “Suriyothai” and “Naresuan” historical epics of his father MC Chatrichalerm Yukol, Adam’s “Phi Ha Ayodhaya” was set in 1565 and covered what’s possibly the first historical instance of zombies. As the dead come shambling from the battlefields with a hunger for brains, a disparate band of survivors hole up in a brothel and fight back.

With plenty of cartoonish action and a decent helping of cinematic gore, the familiar tropes of George Romero’s “Dead” franchise mixed with the stately pageantry of “Naresuan” and “Pantai Norasingh” to create something refreshing.

Y/our Music

Indie filmmakers David Reeve and Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every begged and borrowed cameras as they shot their documentary over the course of several years, during which they explored the divide between urban and rural folk and examined contrasting Thai music scenes – mostly-unheard-of indie musicians in Bangkok and almost forgotten country stars in the Northeast.

I got to see Y/our Music twice, and both times the film demonstrated its power to move usually reserved Thai movie audiences into spontaneous applause, as if it were a live concert.

P’Chai My Hero a.k.a. How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)

Korean-American director Josh Kim brought much-needed fresh perspective to the scene with his debut feature, a sweet, multi-layered comedy-drama about an 11-year-old boy and his relationship with his openly gay teenage older brother.

At the heart of the story is the Thai military’s unusual lottery-drawing draft, which Kim had previously dealt with in his short documentary Draft Day, covering transgender draftees. Checkers is adapted from the short stories of noted Thai-American writer Rattawut Lapcharoensap, and adds more observations about the class divide. It was one of two major Thai premieres at the Berlin fest and Thailand’s official submission to the Academy Awards.

Freelance .. Ham Puay Ham Phak Ham Rak More (Heart Attack)

Exploited workers and the rickety state of public-health services become unlikely sources of comedy in indie filmmaker Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s directorial debut with the big studio GTH.

He had previously made the abstract romance 36 and wrote screenplays for the hit GTH films Bangkok Traffic Love Story and Top Secret. Nawapol’s quirky deadpan indie style was burnished with the backing of GTH, which provided its bankable stars, leading man Sunny Suwanamethanon as a freelance graphic artist who pushes himself too hard and gets sick, and Davika Hoorne as the lonely young overworked doctor who treats him.

Subverting the “feel good” style of most GTH films, Freelance turned out to be one of the two last films from that company, which broke up at the end of the year. Freelance now provides one possible template for the reformed company, GDH 559, to follow.

Onthakan (The Blue Hour)

Representing the best that Thailand’s burgeoning indie gay cinema movement has to offer, Anucha Boonyawatana directed this remarkable thriller about a bullied gay teenage boy who arranges to meet another young guy. From their initial rough coupling in a forbidden place, their relationship leads to even darker territory.

The other major Thai premiere at Berlin last year, The Blue Hour had a foreboding atmosphere and electrifying performances from the young lead actors, Atthaphan Poonsawas and Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang.

May Nhai .. Fai Raeng Fer (May Who?)

The final film made by GTH before it broke up and then reformed as GDH 559 is more in keeping with the youth-focused slate of films from that company, with its story about a high-school girl with a weird condition that causes her to generate a powerful electrical charge.

The sophomore feature from Chayanop Boonpakob, who followed up his 2011 rock ’n’ roll romance SuckSeed, May Who? was highlighted by a domineering performance by Sutatta Udomsilp as the electrically afflicted teen. Full of positive energy, the picture was further polished with manga-inspired animated sequences, giving May Who? the colorful feel of a comic book.

Vanishing Point

The lives of two men in the midst of existential crises converge in Jakrawal Nilthamrong’s arthouse drama, which won the Hivos Tiger Award at the Rotterdam fest.

Bringing Vanishing Point to Bangkok, Jakrawal chose a rundown porn cinema in Klong Toey for the Thai premiere, creating a visceral connection between our sin-filled realm and the world of the movie, which had things to say about materialism, merit-seeking and willful self-deception. Quietly released in a handful of mall multiplexes, Vanishing Point had much more to say about Buddhism than did another Buddhist-themed drama Arpatti, which created controversy with its trailer showing a novice monk nearly kissing a girl. The film was briefly banned before the filmmakers trimmed the scenes that offended censors and clergymen.

Runpee (Senior)

The year just kept getting better with the unexpected return of New Thai Cinema Movement leader Wisit Sasanatieng, who came back after a five-year hiatus with Runpee, a teen horror comedy released by M-Thirtynine.

Similar to May Nhai, Runpee also had a strong young superpowered heroine. Played by Ploychompoo Jannine Weigel, she’s a Catholic schoolgirl who has the ability to smell ghosts, and teams up with a boy ghost to solve a 50-year-old murder.

It has all the hallmarks of Wisit’s earlier works, including Fah Talai Jone and Pen Choo Kub Pee, with spooky Gothic settings and inventively stylish (and funny) horror sequences.

Sway

More fresh perspective came from Rooth Tang, a US-educated Thai-American filmmaker, making his feature debut with a story about dysfunctional romances in three cities.

Sway was filmed over the course of several years, starting in 2010 in Bangkok with Ananda Everingham and Sajee Apiwong as a couple trying to figure things out.

Subsequent segments filmed in Los Angeles and Paris provide a look at the developing style of a new filmmaker, whose cultural views about East vs West are coincidentally similar to other Western-educated Thai filmmakers, particularly Aditya Assarat and Lee Chatametikool.

Snap

Another New Thai Cinema figure, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, combines quietly snarky commentary on social-media oversharing with anxiety about the junta in this contemporary romance, which is still playing in Bangkok cinemas following its premiere in competition at Tokyo.

The multi-layered story is about a young woman who spends her days plugged into social media, sharing her heavily filtered and hashtagged photos of everything. But the realities of life come crashing down as she attends the wedding of old friends, reconnects with her high-school boyfriend and has second thoughts about marrying her current beau, a junior Army officer. And it’s all taking place under the cover of martial law.

(Cross-published in The Nation)

Review: Runpee (Senior)

• Written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng
• Starring Jannine Wiegel, Phongsakon Tosuwan, Sa-ad Piampongsan
• Released in Thai cinemas on December 3, 2015; rated 15+
• Wise Kwai's rating: 4/5

After a five-year hiatus from commercial filmmaking, Wisit Sasanatieng has been coaxed back to the director's chair by the studio M-Thirtynine with Runpee (รุ่นพี่, a.k.a. Senior), an artfully directed ghost comedy that successfully merges old-fashioned horror thrills with contemporary teen romance.

Penned by Wisit, the story is about an outcast weirdo at a Catholic girls' boarding school. She has a special nose. Unlike the kid in The Sixth Sense, the olfactorily gifted girl Mon (Ploychompoo Jannine Weigel) can't see dead people, she smells them. More specifically, she can sniff out the troubled spirits who are still lurking in our realm.

Her unique talent leads her to develop a connection with a boy ghost (Bom Phongsakon Tosuwan) who was a student when the place was a business school in the 1980s, before it was a church convent. Together, they investigate a murder that occurred there some 50 years before, when the school was the palace home of a princess, who was found beaten, bloodied and very much dead in her swimming pool. Her gardener took the fall for the death, but there was more to the case than met the eye.

It's an old-timey Thai setting right out of Wisit's 2000 debut feature, Fah Talai Jone (Tears of the Black Tiger), and that western's trademark raspberry-jelly blood splatter is evident in key scenes. Runpee also has echoes of Wisit's 2006 Gothic horror Pen Choo Kub Pee (The Unseeable), plus the wry observational humour of his satiric Mah Nakorn (Citizen Dog).

With false scares and other cinematic sleight-of-hand tricks, Wisit keeps the audience guessing as he suspensefully strings along the story of Mon and her ghost friend Runpee, whose name means simply "senior".

Mon's abilities to sense ghosts has made her an outcast among her school's other girls. Everyone already thought she was a bit weird, but since Runpee came on the scene, she's especially bizarre, since she's given to carrying on conversations with her ghost pal, who almost no one except the audience can see. So it appears she's walking along, talking to herself. There are even street scenes, which I'm not certain were filmed on a closed set, in which passersby naturally react with perplexity to the odd girl who is flailing her arms and talking gibberish to an invisible friend.

At one point, Mon is talking and flailing during her French lessons, and the stern nun teacher punishes Mon by having her wear a sign and stand with her arms outstretched. Even then, she continues her conversation with Runpee.

The laws of physics are different in the ghost world, Runpee explains as they sleuth around the school property, searching for clues to the 50-year-old murder. For example, ghosts can't walk walls if the walls were built after they died. Industrial-like animated diagrams help illustrate. And, there are exceptions, of course. It's not quite Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, but then thank goodness it isn't.

Aside from the main story of the old murder case, there are other issues to pad out the tale and give weight to the characters. There's an annoyingly cheerful young doctor friend of Mon's (DJ We Raweeroj) whom Mon strings along long enough for him to be helpful to the murder case. Another subplot has Mon developing a selfie-fueled friendship with the school's other outcast, Ant (Kaykai Nutticha Namwong), who is shunned by the popular clique because she's been seen getting close to the male chemistry teacher – way too close in fact. He's a jerk, and gets what's coming to him in a vividly memorable scene that has him haunted by millions of eyeball-like CGI spirits.

Ant's story has parallels to the 50-year-old murder, which is intertwined with the school's history and the mysterious figure of "Baby Daeng", the heir to the princess' estate and the cause of conflict. What happened to Baby Daeng? That's the question that keeps coming back to haunt Mon and Runpee as they circle ever closer to a truth that was right in front of their eyes to begin with.

Figures from the past include an elderly doctor, portrayed by stage and screen veteran Sa-ad Piampongsan, who is a hoot to watch as he chews up scenes that grow meatier and meatier with each appearance.

Onward and upward, the action reaches its heights with Mon atop a bell tower, rescued by her personal Jesus Runpee.

It's a mix of actors from a bygone era of classic Thai genre films and fresh-faced youngsters making their debuts, which is something of a trademark for Wisit, who has a knack for plucking up fresh talents and dropping them in as the leads of his films.

Here, singer-actress Ploychompoo is an endearing heroine, rebellious and strong, placing her in good company with another superpowered young actress, Punpun Sutatta Udomsilp from another Thai movie this year, May Nai (May Who?), about a high-school girl who releases a strong electrical charge if her heart gets racing. Maybe one day Mon and May could team up to solve more crimes.

See also:

• Spirits and the soul [The Nation]

Related posts:

• In Thai cinemas: Keetarajanipon, Khun Thong Daeng, Runpee

In Thai cinemas: Keetarajanipon, Khun Thong Daeng, Runpee

On the occasion of His Majesty the King's 88th birthday this Saturday, there are films inspired by the monarch's deeds.

In general release is the animated feature Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations, which pays tribute to His Majesty's favorite pet dog with three stories about lovable pooches determined to make a difference.

And back for a special screening this weekend is Keetarajanipon (คีตราชนิพนธ์), which was first released in May. It's a compilation of four devotional stories that are in part inspired by musical compositions of His Majesty.

Since its May release, it screened last month at the Hawaii International Film Festival, and the updated poster is also sporting official selection laurels for next year's East Winds Film Festival in Coventry, England. Update: The film won the Audience Award in Hawaii, according to IndieWire and Film Business Asia.

The absolute highlight is the dramatic biographical account of the late conservationist Seub Nakhasathien. It's directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom and stars Nopachai “Peter” Jayanama. Well-known directors of other segments include Nonzee Nimibutr, who has story of elderly female singers bonding at a temple old-folks shelter, and Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, who has a tale of a bratty boy learning to do his duty.

Keetarajanipon is screening until Monday at Major Cineplexes, where free tickets are first-come, first-serve and are handed out at special table an hour before the shows. Check Facebook for details.

His Majesty the King's pet dog Khun Thong Daeng is paid tribute in the animated omnibus Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations (คุณทองแดง The Inspirations).

Produced by music-festival promoter Vinij Lertratanachai, with concepts overseen by movie-marketing strategist Dr Head, The Inspirations has three stories about pooches from three animation studios.

Imagimax Studios has Mah Wad (Mid-Road), about a tough injured stray who is adopted by an elderly monk, and unites the temple's dog pack to protect the place from thieves. The Monk Studio contributes Tong Lor, which deals with the relationship between a blind girl, her grandmother and their pet dog. And Workpoint Studios is still in the world of robots, similar to the company's animated feature Yak a few years ago, with Little Copper, about a boy robot who gives new life to his robot pet.

The three tales are tied together by live-action segments involving a girl who wanted her uncle (comedian "Nong" Choosak Iamsook) to buy her a foreign pure-breed, and he instead came up with a Thai mutt, played by the talented four-legged actor Richard, who has been the canine star of many Thai movies, TV shows and commercials. There is more about the movie in an article in The Nation. Rated G

The end of the year also brings the long-awaited return of writer-director Wisit Sasanatieng. The screenwriter of the classic Nang Nak takes on a teen ghost romance for the M-Thirtynine studio.

It has the rather curious title of Runpee (รุ่นพี่), but it's not the movie-going toilet application but simply Senior, as in older "brother". Though it could also mean ghost, a different-sounding word but also pee.

It's about a Catholic boarding school student (Ploychompoo Jannine Weigel) who has a special gift for smelling out ghosts. This leads her to meet a mysterious senior ghost boy and they investigate a murder that happened at the school 50 years before.

It's the first feature in five years from Wisit, who has largely been absent after he took a break from the film industry following a studio-budgetary ordeal making the action film Red Eagle. There's more in an article in The Nation.

Two films by Lav Diaz are screening in Bangkok, thanks to Filmvirus with generous support from the Japan Foundation. They are his Locarno prize winner From What Is Before, showing on Sunday at House, and the Typhoon Yolanda documentary Storm Children on Monday at the Chinatown art space Cloud. The screenings were announced late last week by the Filmvirus crew and spaces went fast. Monday's event, which includes a talk by Diaz himself, is full, but the Sunday film screening still has a few spaces left. Check the Facebook post for details.

More new releases in cinemas are covered at the other blog.

In Thai cinemas: Asean Film Fest, 367 Won, Love H20, Love Love You

Thais get a peek over the backyard fence in the Bangkok Asean Film Festival, put together by the Culture Ministry and the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand.

Running until Sunday at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld in Bangkok, the selection has a bit of something for all tastes.

For broad comedies, there’s the romantic farce What’s So Special About Rina? from Brunei and, if you like Thai TV comedies, then you’ll probably like Huk Ey Ly 2 (Really Love 2) from Laos, which is put together by musician and TV star Jear Pacific.

The Last Reel from Cambodia reflects on that country’s cinematic golden age of the 1960s and early ’70s, and features one of that era’s big stars, actress Dy Saveth. Other much-acclaimed dramas are Bwaya from the Philippines, Siti from Indonesia, 1021 from Singapore and Golden Kingdom from Myanmar. Edgy offerings come from Vietnam, with the gay drama Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories, while I'm hoping to check out the Malaysian entry, Flower in Pocket director Liew Sieng Tat's darkly comic satire Men Who Save the World.

And Thailand looks to the South with the drama Latitude 6, with various stories of religious and cultural conflict against the backdrop of restiveness in the three southernmost provinces.

Many screenings will have question-and-answer sessions with the directors, so stick around.

After Bangkok, the fest moves to SFX Maya Chiang Mai from next Friday to September 6, SF Cinema City Khon Kaen from September 10 to 13 and SF Cinema City Surat Thani from September 17 to 20.

Free tickets are handed out 30 minutes before the shows. Further details about the films are at Bangkok Cinema Scene. For the schedule, check SFcinemacity.com.





There are also two mainstream romantic comedies in general release. One is Khon Oak Hak (คน.อก.หัก, a.k.a. Love H2O), in which a young woman named Naam (Natpapas Thanathanamaharat) is the editor of a romance magazine. Her own love life turns rocky after her long-time boyfriend ditches her for someone else.

She wants to find the perfect guy to take to her ex’s wedding and has a choice between old friend Doc (Tony Rakkaen), diplomat Joe (Navin Yavapollkul) or property tycoon Ohm (Ananda Everingham). Sutthasit Detinthonnarak (Club Friday: The Series) directs.



And in 367 Won: Him and Her (367 วัน Him and Her), Tine (Chonluedee Amornlak) and Hade (Khanut Rojanai) have been a couple since high school.

Now graduated from college, Tine is set to head overseas, and she breaks up with Hade rather than have him wait for her to return. Thirawat Phadungkan directs.


Oh hey, here's a holdover from last week, Love Love You อยากบอกให้รู้...ว่ารัก (Love Love You Yak Bok Hai Roo Wa Rak). This is the type of indie gay Thai film that has inspired the release of other Thai gay films this year, such as P'Chai My Hero, Red Wine and the Dark Night and The Blue Hour.

Here, Blue Hour leading man Atthaphan Poonsawawas stars as a young man named Gump who feels the Earth shake when meets Sun (Thanasarn Miangbua). Gump’s boyfriend Night (Narrapat Sakulsong) has meanwhile fallen for for a dude named Ball. Their friends step in to sort things out. Napat Jaitientum directs.

After one week of release, it's still playing at some Major Cineplex branches, so check the Major Cineplex website.

It's encouraging to see an indie film like Love Love You still hanging around. Other Thai films, such as the recently released big-studio effort Joe Hua Tangmo, haven't been so lucky, and get bounced out of cinemas so fast no one has a chance to see them.

In Thai cinemas: The Blue Hour, Joe Hua Tangmo

It's been a strong year for Thai queer films, and one of the major pillars has been The Blue Hour
(Onthakan, อนธการ), a coming-of-age romance and suspense thriller.

The story involves a teenager named Tam (Atthaphan Poonsawas) who is bullied at school and unloved at home. He arranges to meet a stranger named Phum (Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang) at a spooky, abandoned swimming pool. There, amid the moldering surroundings, the two young men have rough sex and then talk about ghosts. A friendship forms, and it leads to extremely dark places.

Directed by Anucha Boonyawatana, The Blue Hour had its world premiere at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, alongside another queer-themed Thai entry, director Josh Kim's How to Win at Checkers (Every Time), a.k.a. P'Chai My Hero, which was released in cinemas here last month. Then there's a third gay romance, Tanwarin Sukkhapisit's Red Wine in the Dark Night, which was released a couple weeks ago.

In addition to Berlinale, The Blue Hour has been featured at other festivals, including Hong Kong, Seattle, Taipei, Toronto's Inside Out and Montreal's Fantasia fest. Critical reception has been very positive, and I've got my own review coming soon. Promise. In the meantime, here's a few words from the Fantasia Fest:

A stunning ghost story from Thai filmmaker Anucha Boonyawatana, The Blue Hour recalls the work of masters such as Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, while spinning its own fresh take on repressed queer sexuality, abuse and intolerance. Using the concept of haunting to tackle these issues, as well as the complex interplay between national identities and buried sexual desires, Boonywatana’s feature-length debut is nothing short of a masterpiece of tension, a revelation from this year’s Berlinale. Acutely observant, The Blue Hour’s ethereal and painterly cinematography is matched only by its terrifying set design and the stunning Thai countryside, which comes alive as the perfect mirror to the protagonists’ fragile psyches – and the traumatic and supernatural forces bubbling underneath their doomed romance.

It's only at some SF cinemas: SF World, SFX Central Rama 9, SFC The Mall Bang Kapi, SFC The Mall Ngamwongwan and SFX Maya Chiang Mai.

The Thai trailer is embedded below. For more details, check the film's Facebook page.



Industry veteran "Leo" Kittikorn Liasirikun returns to the scene with Joe Hua Tangmo (โจ หัวแตงโม นักสืบออนไลน์), an ambitious effort to blend live action with animation and address the freakish domination of social media in Thai society.

It's released by M-Thirtynine, the Major Cineplex -backed production shingle that Leo helped co-found in 2009 after RS Film's Avant studio was disbanded.

Popular young actor Jirayu La-ongmanee stars as Joe, a slouch-hatted computer hacker who creates an avatar that enables him to enter the online world to find out the real names of the people behind display names on social networks. Arikanta “Gypso” Mahaprukphong and Tanan Boonyatanapiwat also star, along with, notably, Nopachai Peter Jayanama, from the Naresuan franchise and Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Headshot and Nymph.

There's more about the film on a special website, and the subtitled trailer is embedded below.

Youth in spotlight as Bangkok Critics nominate Pee Mak, Tang Wong and Mary Is Happy

The Bangkok Critics Assembly (ชมรมวิจารณ์บันเทิง) is bowing to the domination of youth in the past year's Thai films, creating a new award for young filmmakers and giving the bulk of the nominations for its Critics' Awards to teen-oriented movies, Pee Mak Phra Khanong, Tang Wong and Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy.

The three films were also the top nominees at the recent Subhanahongsa Awards, and the Bangkok Critics' selection largely mirrors the Thai film industry's biggest trophy parade.

The teenybopper ghost romance Pee Mak Phra Khanong and the teen dramas Tang Wong and Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy each have nine nominations, including best picture, director, acting and screenplay.

At the Subhanahongsas, the low-budget indie dramas Tang Wong and Mary came away the big winners, leaving the big-studio box-office record-holder Pee Mak with just one prize.

Other leading nominees in the Critics' Awards include the teen drama Grean Fictions with seven nods, including best picture, director and screenplay. The teen ghost thriller Last Summer, the rom-com Love Syndrome, the older-woman-young man romance Prayoke Sanya Rak and the docu-drama Karaoke Girl each have four nominations. The wartime romance Koo Kam and the teen slasher Thongsuk 13 each have three.

Although the industry-organized Subhanahongsas have started to give more recognition to indie films in recent years, the Bangkok Critics have traditionally been more receptive to the low-budget art-house features that make it big on the festival circuit, and have been particularly keen on any documentaries that make it to Thai cinemas. Though oddly, the political documentary Paradoxocracy, which was nominated at the Subhanahongsas, is left off the list.

Anyway, current trends are reflected most this year in a new category, Best Young Filmmaker, honoring a crop of first-time feature directors. Nominees include Nontawat Numbenchapol, who is also up for best director with his Thai-Cambodian border doc Boundary. Twin sisters Wanwaew and Waewwan Hongwiwat are nominated for Wish Us Luck, which documented their monthlong train journey from England to Thailand. Bongkot Kongmalai, whose acting credits go back to her late teens with 2000's Bang Rajan, made her feature directorial debut with co-director Wiroj Srisithsereeamorn on Angels (Nang Fah). Palatpon Mingpornpichit is a nominee for Prayoke Sanya Rak, which is also nominated for best actor and actress and song. Visra Vichit-Vadakan is named for Karaoke Girl, which is also nominated for best actress, cinematography and song. And MR Chalermchatri Yukol, son of MC Chatrichalerm Yukol, is recognized for his feature debut The Cop (Sarawat Mah Baa).

The Critics’ Awards will be presented at 6pm on March 26 at the Royal Thai Army Club.

Best Picture

• Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Grean Fictions
• Tang Wong
• Love Syndrome Rak Ngo Ngo

Director

• Banjong Pisunthanakun, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Chookiat Sakveerakul, Grean Fictions
• Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Tang Wong
• Nontawat Numbenchapol, Boundary

Actor

• Nadech Kugimiya, Khoo Kam
• Pattadon Janngern, Grean Fictions
• Krissada Sukosol Clapp, Pawnshop
• Mario Maurer, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Setthapong Phiangpor, Prayoke Sanya Rak

Actress

• Keerati Mahaphrukpong, Love Syndrome
• Lalita Panyopas, Prayoke Sanya Rak
• Patcha Poonpiriya, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Sa Sitthijan, Karaoke Girl
• Suthata Udomsilp, Last Summer

Supporting Actor

• Auttarut Kongrasri, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich, Tang Wong
• Kittisak Pathomburana, Grean Fictions
• Jirayu La-ongmanee, Last Summer
• Arak Amornsupasiri, Young Bao

Supporting Actress

• Chonnikan Netjui, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Natharat Lekha, Tang Wong
• Titirat Rojsangrat, Love Syndrome
• Wanida Termthanaporn, Grean Fictions
• Sucha Manaying, Hashima Project

Screenplay

• Nontra Kumwong, Chantawit Thanasewee and Banjong Pisunthanakun, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Chookiat Sakveerakul and Niwaruj Teekaphowan, Grean Fictions
• Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Tang Wong
• Manachaya Panitsarn, Worakorn Virakun, Virasinee Raungprchaubkun, Kimhan Kanchanasomjai and Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Love Syndrome

Film Editing

• Thammarat Sumethsupachok, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Chonlasit Upanigkit, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Manussa Warasingha and Kamonthorn Ekwattanakit, Tang Wong
• Chookiat Sakveerakul and Jirasak Jakrawan, Grean Fictions
• Chalermsak Klangjaroen, Adirek Watleela and Taweewat Wantha, Thongsuk 13

Cinematography

• Narupon Chokkanapitak, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Sayompoo Mukdeeprom, Last Summer
• Pairach Khumwan, Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy
• Sandi Sissel and Chananan Choterungroj, Karaoke Girl
• MR Umpornpol Yugala, Saran Srisingchai, Tang Wong

Art Direction

• Akradej Kaewkote, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Rasiguet Sookkarn, Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy
• Rasiguet Sookkarn, Tang Wong
• Warakorn Poonsawas, Thongsuk 13

Original Score

• Chatchai Pongprapapan and Hualampong Riddim, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Chatchai Pongprapapan, Jan Dara: The Finale
• Somsiri Sangkaew, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Chaibandit Peuchponsub, Apichai Tragoolpadetgrai and Yellow Fang, Tang Wong
• Giant Wave, Thongsuk 13

Original Song

• "Sao Karaoke", Kampee Sangthong, Karaoke Girl
• "Hideko", Yusuke Namikawa and Wichaya Wattanasap, Khoo Kam
• "Yuewya", Cin Thosaporn Achawanantakul, Last Summer
• "Chan Rak Ther", Rerkchai Paungpetch and Chansa Mettapan, Fud Jung To
• "Khem Nalika", Kunlapon Samsen and Warat Prasertlab, Prayoke Sanya Rak

Young Filmmaker Award

• Wanwaew and Waewwan Hongwiwat, Wish Us Luck (Khor Hai Rao Chokdee)
• Bongkoj Khongmalai and Wiroj Srisithsereeamorn, Nang Fah
• Palatpon Mingpornpichit, Prayoke Sanya Rak
• Nontawat Numbenchapol, Boundary
• MR Chalermchatri Yukol, Sarawat Mah Baa
• Visra Vichit-Vadakan. Karaoke Girl

Box Office Award – Pee Mak Phra Khanong

Lifetime Achievement Award – Pitsamai Wilaisak

(Via The Nation)

Tang Wong and Mary trump Pee Mak at Subhanahongsa Awards

Kongdej is happy. He won best director and screenplay for Tang Wong, which also got best picture and best supporting actor. Nation photo by Thanachai Pramarnpanich.

The indie films Tang Wong and Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy scored a major upset at the 23rd Thailand National Film Association Awards (รางวัลภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ สุพรรณหงส์) on Sunday night at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, winning four Golden Swan trophies each and leaving the leading nominee, the blockbuster ghost romance Pee Mak Phra Khanong, almost empty-handed.

Tang Wong, which had 10 nominations, swept up the Subhanahongsa Awards for Best Picture, director and screenplay for writer-director Kongdej Jaturanrasmee. The satiric teenage comedy-drama looked at the eroding state of Thai culture with its story about four schoolboys learning a traditional dance in return for their prayers being answered at a spirit-house shrine. One of the film's four young stars, Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich, won best supporting actor for his role as a table-tennis star looking for a way out of his life in a rundown Bangkok apartment block. The film premiered at last year's Berlin film fest,and also screened at the Hong Kong International before having a Thai theatrical run. It also met critical acclaim at other fests, including Luang Prabang.

Another teenage comedy-drama, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy, took awards for actress and supporting actress, Patcha Poonpiriya and Chonnikan Netjui, who portrayed best friends. It had also been nominated for 10 awards. Written and directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy is the quirky story of a sad, angst-filled boarding-school pupil and was based on 410 consecutive messages from a Bangkok schoolgirl's Twitter stream. The low-budget project was generated out the Venice Biennale College and premiered at last year's Venice film fest. It had a limited run in Thai cinemas, but was a cult hit thanks to an engaging social-media campaign masterminded by Nawapol. It also won awards for film editing and cinematography.

Pee Mak, the GTH studio's romantic comedy based on the famous ghost legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong, was the leading nominee, with nods in 13 of the 16 categories. It shattered box-office records last year with estimated earnings of more than 1 billion baht. But it won only one award – for art direction by veteran Akradej Kaewkote, who had also been the production designer on another Mae Nak adaptation, 1999's Nang Nak.

Best actor went to soap-opera leading man Nadech Kugimiya for studio M-Thirtynine's wartime romance Koo Kam, which was released around the same time as Pee Mak and took a beating at the box office. It also won for costume design.

The nominees were selected in a controversial new system instituted by Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand president Visute Poolvoralaks. The so-called "R+O" system combined open voting from members of the film industry balanced by the usual jury panel of critics, academics and experts as "referees". The federation had hoped to involve some 1,500 members of the film industry, who would weigh in on their areas of expertise. However, many hadn't actually seen the films, so only about half participated in the first round of voting. Another vote took place after the nominees were announced, and only around 300 cast ballots, according to The Nation today.

Other winners included Tony Jaa's 3D martial-arts actioner Tom-Yum-Goong 2, which picked up the only two awards it was nominated for – visual effects and sound.

Former Federation president Jaruek Kaljaruek, an executive at the Kantana studio, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Here's the list of winners:

• Best Picture: Tang Wong
• Director: Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Tang Wong
• Screenplay: Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Tang Wong
• Actor: Nadech Kugimiya, Koo Kam
• Actress: Patcha Poonpiriya, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Supporting Actor: Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich, Tang Wong
• Supporting Actress: Chonnikan Netjui, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Cinematography: Pairach Khumwan, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Film Editing: Chonlasit Upanigkit Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy
• Recording and Sound Mixing: Ram Indra Sound Mixing Studio, Tom-Yum-Goong 2
• Original Song: "Yuewya", Cin Thosaporn Achawanantakul, Last Summer
• Original Score: Chatchai Pongprapapan, Jan Dara: The Finale
• Art Direction: Akradej Kaewkote, Pee Mak Phra Khanong
• Costume Design: Vorathon Krisanakalin, Koo Kam
• Makeup: Arporn Meebangyang, Thongsuk 13
• Visual Effects: Surreal Studio Company and Thossaporn Poonnart, Tom-Yum-Goong 2
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Jaruek Kaljaruek
• Popular Vote Awards: actor Nadech Kugimiya and actress Suthata Udomsilp

Review: Fud Jung To

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• Directed by Rerkchai Paungpetch and Noppadon Arkard
• Starring Ramita Mahapruekhong, Pakorn Chatborirak, Anek Intachan, Phongchak Phitsathanphon
• Released in Thai cinemas on December 25, 2013; rated 15+
• Wise Kwai's rating: 2/5

To me, “Gypso” Ramita Mahapruekhong is Thailand’s most annoying actress, which puts her high in the running for most annoying actress in the world.

I don’t know what it is about her that rubs me the wrong way. She’s talented, funny and pretty. Maybe it’s because she’s always been cast in atrocious movies.

Which brings me to Fud Jung To (ฟัดจังโตะ), in which she plays a super-annoying girlfriend who is forced to take a trip to Japan with her super-insensitive prick of an ex-boyfriend.

It’s a contrived plot to be sure, but then aren’t all romantic comedies contrived? However, “Fud Jung To” takes forced situations to new heights of ridiculousness.

The latest effort by studio M-Thirtynine and director Rerkchai Paungpetch, “Fud Jung To” is another of their year-end comedies. It’s something they’ve been doing for several years now. All have been nonsensical yukfests with mostly incomprehensible plots. Most of the titles have been untranslatable. I asked a Thai colleague to explain this one, and she says Fud Jung To has no meaning at all.

Yet despite all the nonsense, the movies have been crazily popular. So they keep making them. Fud Jung To debuted on Christmas Day, and a late-night screening this week at a suburban Bangkok multiplex was still pulling in a fair-sized crowd. According to the box-office figures as of New Year’s Day, it’s earned a not-so-shabby Bt31.67 million.

Gypso is a young product presenter named Gabs who is obsessed with buying bottled tea. She’s hoping the next cap she unscrews will be the one that wins her a trip to Japan. Gabs is not someone you’d want to be queued up behind at the 7-Eleven, because she’ll have an armload of bottled teas, which will lead the clerk to mentioning a promotion on the stuff to entice her to buy even more. But this only causes Gabs to be indecisive and take up even more time in line. Being one of her friends isn’t so hot either. Ask her to buy you a juice or cola, you’ll get a green tea instead. And you’ll have to surrender the bottle cap.

Gabs has gone to such a length to score that winning cap, she has even landed a boyfriend who works at the tea company and whose job it is to design those caps.

Seems like there would be a conflict of interest with that relationship, but the real problem is that Gabs’ sweetie Gob has about had it with her roller-coaster emotions, neediness, whining and constant phone calls pestering him about everything. He’s played by “Boy” Pakorn Chatborirak, who’s wonderfully deadpan in his reactions but also comes across as a jerk.

Really, it’s hard to sympathize with either of these characters. They are constantly at each other’s throats, slapping each other’s faces, kicking each other’s behinds, strangling each other and then kissing.

He breaks up with her in a little Japanese restaurant in a shopping mall, possibly in hopes that the public venue would keep Gabs from going nuts. And she doesn’t go nuts – she goes absolutely berserk, bawling and screaming at the top of her lungs, running down the up escalator and drawing a huge crowd of dumbfounded onlookers.

Gabs’ emotions then rocket back up into the stratosphere when she hears she’s won that trip to Japan, but her joy is immediately tempered when she learns that she must take the trip with the person she named in her entry – her ex-boyfriend Gob.

So the two ex-lovers are forced to travel together. Their shared futon becomes a wrestling mat as the bickering twosome grapples for superiority.

To heighten the contrived situation, the pair are also compelled to don various Japanese outfits, ranging from traditional wedding garb to school uniforms and finally bizarre cosplay getups.

They have to wear the costumes because they are being recorded by hidden cameras for a promotional short film. At least that’s what they’re told by their tour guide, a bespectacled young geek named Guide (Phongchak Phitsathanphon), who is accompanied by his oddball father (comedian Anek Intachan, a regular in these M-Thirtynine year-end movies).

To be fair, for the first hour, Fud Jung To clicks along entertainingly, in spite of its contrivances. Perhaps sensing that audiences are starting to grow weary, Rerkchai dispenses with some of the sloppiness of his previous efforts. He sticks closer to a script. Also, there’s no sign of cherubic funnyman Charoenporn “Kotee” Onlamai, who’s been in Rerkchai’s previous films. Also, Rerkchai is assisted by a co-director, Noppadon Arkard.

As the slaps, kicks, punches and bites pile on, the effect is numbing. The laugh-a-minute pace slows to a dull, quiet crawl.

A twist is introduced, clumsily. It might have been more effective if it hadn’t already been revealed in the trailers and synopses. So much of the suspense is killed because the bored audience is wondering when that twist is going to show up. And when it does, it’s underwhelming, because, after all, it’s just Gypso again, only with a different hairstyle and different clothes, but she’s still caught in the same nonsensical movie.

(Cross-published in The Nation)

Review: Hashima Project

• Directed by Piyapan Choopetch
• Starring Alexander Simon Rendell, Pirath Nithipaisalkul, Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Sucha Manaying, Mek Mekwattana, Sho Noshino
• Released in Thai cinemas on October 31, 2013; rated 15+
• Wise Kwai's rating: 3/5

Filmmaking sucks. So kids, don't try this at home. That's this week's lesson from a Thai horror film.

Hashima Project (ฮาชิมะ โปรเจกต์, a.k.a. Project H) has a talented jerk of a director and his crew hunting ghosts on Hashima, Nagasaki, the legendary "ghost" island off the coast of Japan. Bad things start happening to them when they return to Bangkok.

Veteran helmer Piyapan Choopetch (My Ex, My Ex 2) directs this fairly slick effort for studio M-Thirtynine, with seasoned support from producer-editor-writer-jack-of-all-trades Adirek "Uncle" Wattaleela. What's notable is they actually went to Nagasaki and filmed the island.

Alex Rendell heads the cast as the young director Off. His team are actor Nick (Pirath Nithipaisalkul), actresses/love interests Nan (Apinya Sakuljaroensuk) and May (Sucha Manaying) and cameraman Doc (Mek Mekwattana, whose name in the subtitles was hilariously given as "Dog". Woof).

In Bangkok, the youngsters make a jumping little short-film ghost thriller. They use it as a showreel in hopes of getting hired on by a major studio.

Uncle rips a page from his 2005 directorial effort, the hilarious filmmaking-sucks horror-comedy Ghost Variety, which had an endless parade of cameos from actual Thai directors. Here, there's a guest appearance by actual Thai director NOnzee Nimibutr (Uncle can be spotted walking by as the kids are leaving). Nonzee seems impressed with the short, but only says he'll call.

Discouraged by the response, the impatient tykes decide to upload the ghost clip to YouTube, and are soon scaring the bejesus out of hundreds of thousands of students and office workers who ought not to be wasting their time with such nonsense. The number of views soon attracts the attention of the "reality" TV show "Ghostland", and the producer calls the kids in to offer them a project, something he calls "project Hashima", which puts them on the next commercial flight to Nagasaki.

They are met by their fixer, Mr. Sato, and after the obligatory tour of Nagasaki's tourist attractions, they check in to their hotel. It turns out to be an eventful night, during which they encounter a young woman in traditional Japanese garb. They see her picture on the wall the next morning, so you know what that means.

She's played by Show Nishino, the ex-AV star who made her Thai film debut in the remake of Jan Dara, and ended up stealing the show. Playing the ghost, she's also an enjoyable highlight of this movie.

Next day they visit Hashima Island, a bulwark of concrete apartment blocks and industrial structures, built to mine coal up until whenever Wikipedia says they did.

They split up and film the ruined buildings. Off, a non-believer in ghosts, writes his name on a wall where other names are written. He's generally disrespectul of the place and has no reverence for what might have happened there. A creepy toy is played with, and a jar full of dust is broken, which is bad news for the crew. There's an earthquake and everyone runs screaming. The special effects are simple but effective.

Back in Bangkok, the film gang tries to get on with their lives. Doc eats insects, which comes back to bite him later.

Off works to get on with editing his film for the TV show, but encounters difficulties, among them a bookie who comes to collect Off's debts from gambling on football. It's a bit of character development for Off that is only half-baked, which is too bad. What is clear though, from his arrogant demeanor, is that he's a jerk and will get what's coming to him.

Aside from Show Nishino's ghost, the director Off and bug-eating goofball Doc, the other characters are a bit bland, except for Nan, but that's because she's seasoned player Apinya, whose wide eyes are made for being a victim in horror movies like this.

The picture falls apart in the last 30 minutes or so and drags to a crawl as it struggles to find an ending. The phone's ringing, but nobody's answering.

Man, filmmaking sucks.

See also:

Official trailer

High hopes as Tom-Yum-Goong 2 heads to AFM

Tom-Yum-Goong 2, which at last count had total domestic earnings of 49.4 million Thai baht (about US$1.57 million), is at the American Film Market, which opened yesterday.

Film Business Asia has a look at the movie's chances there.

Meanwhile, Tom-Yum-Goong 2 (ต้มยำกุ้ง 2, a.k.a. The Protector 2) has fallen to No. 3 at the Thai box office.

It was in first place during its October 24-27 opening weekend, but didn't have much competition as it was really the only live-action wide release at the time.

It's now behind the No. 1 Hashima Project (ฮาชิมะ โปรเจกต์), a ghost thriller from Thai studio M-Thirtynine, and the Hollywood sci-fi Ender's Game.

At the same time it opened in Thailand, Tom-Yum-Goong 2 also made its bow in Malaysia, where it was No. 3 with $438,786.

In Thailand, promotional efforts hit a snag because of star Tony Jaa's ongoing feud with his studio, Sahamongkol Film International and its boss Somsak "Sia Jiang" Techaratanaprasert. Just as the movie was released, Jaa jetted off to the U.S. to take part in production for Fast and Furious 7. He's also been busy teaching Vin Diesel Muay Thai, over Sia Jiang's objections.

So while the Thai press wasn't too keen on reporting about a movie without the main star on hand, the Malaysian press was happy to make do with the movie's director, Prachya Pinkaew. He talked to The Star about the movie's stand-out action scene. You know which one.

“The fighting scene is between Tony Jaa and the motorcycle gang, which lasts for 14.50 minutes. It took us eight months to film this scene.

“Unlike the previous movie, we didn’t shoot any scenes abroad. We used Bangkok as the backdrop as we wanted to present a side of Bangkok that a lot of people have never seen before.

“Sometimes it’s very difficult, like shooting from a helicopter. Helicopter shoots may be normal for other countries, but it’s very difficult in Thailand. Not only that, we filmed the action scene with 300 moving motorbikes.”

But, hey, look! The New Straits Times scored an e-mail interview with Jaa himself. He talks about being injured during that big motorcycle chase:

"There were some injuries from action scenes because we worked with metals and objects coming at you at a high speed, which we could neither predict nor control. There was a scene where I had to push away a speeding bike and I injured my legs in the process. The villain who rode the bike was slashed on the neck by a sheet of metal. It was a terrifying experience.

Critical consensus is mixed, with reviews ranging from "probably Tony Jaa's worst movie thus far" in Malaysia to "just enough punches to satisfy action fans" from the Bangkok Post's Kong Rithdee.

Channel News Asia chips in with an unenthusiastic review as the movie opens in Singapore this week.

For more on how Tom-Yum-Goong 2 has been doing, check out my old Rotten Tomatoes pal Senh Duong at Movies With Butter.

Thai film and animation industry go Hollywood

Going on next week, the first Thailand International Film and Animation Business Alliance roadshow, will take place in Santa Monica, California.

Here's the press release they sent out, just today:

October 30 to November 1, 2013, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Mr. Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, is heading a delegation of the finest Thai film and animation companies to Hollywood for the first Thailand Film and Animation Business Alliance roadshow in America.

Organized by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) of the Thai Ministry of Commerce, this first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at promoting the Thai film and animation industry in America, and fostering greater creative and business ties between the two countries.

Twenty Thai companies involved in film production, distribution, visual effects and animation will be flying to Los Angeles to participate in a busy 3-day program which includes a symposium, studio tours, companies' showcases and a business matching session.

The program will culminate with Thai Night: Halloween Special, an exclusive party held on Halloween night and presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya. The Thai Night: Halloween Special will be the occasion to preview a slate of exciting new horror films coming out of Thailand and meet the talent behind them.

In addition to Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, Mr. Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Commerce and Mrs. Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, Director General, Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, Royal Thai Government will be attending the event along with industry leaders from Thailand. A number of international celebrities and industry executives will also be present.

Participating companies (film) : The National Federation of Thai Film Associations, Amfine Production, Five Star Production, Kantana Post Production, Klongchai Pictures, M Pictures, M-Thirtynine, Right Content, Studio Aromdi, Sahamongkol Film International.

Participating companies (animation): Anya Animation, Creative Bean Studio, Imagimax, Lunch Box Studio, The Monk Studios, G Motif, Teapot Studio, Tomogram Studio, Vithita Animation, Yggdrazil Group.

Source: Department of International Trade Promotion, The Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand

It's taking place at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City.