Showing 61 - 69 of 69
Book sex row goes wacky
News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 08/12/2012
» A narrow escape or just stupid miscommunication? For now let's hope we don't welcome plaudits of Bangkok World Book Capital 2013 with the banning of books.
White-collar rules
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 07/12/2012
» This much is clear: having a character complain about the sin of making money doesn't constitute a criticism of capitalism. It's doubly laughable when that character is, apparently, rich _ no, her parents are rich, maybe super rich. Evidence abounds in the sometimes funny, mostly shallow Thai film Yod Manut Ngoen Duen (Super Salary Man), released this week with a clear-eyed target of salaried earners who're awaiting the news of year-end bonus with a throbbing heart. In fact the film, disguised as a rebuke of the robotised mindset of white-collar existence, is a love ode to corporate mentality. Capitalism is bad, oh yeah, long live capitalism.
The Lottery labyrinth
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 22/10/2012
» For 230 years Thai people have gambled on the lottery _ legit and underground, paper-based and imagination-prone. Along with every discussion of the lottery comes a whole syllabus of tangled subjects: economic value, political manipulation, tax structure, legal philosophy, morality, superstition, national character, the distribution of wealth and luck.
Almost Real
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 12/10/2012
» The whole setup is so wacky and improbable that it can only dovetail into one thing: it could be true. Or as true as a Hollywood movie could get. In order to save six Americans during the Teheran hostage crisis, the CIA sends in an agent posing as a sci-fi film producer looking for a location. He'd breeze into Iran, kiss the ring of Khomeini's culture minister, and rescue the six, not sneaking or smuggling them out, but waltzing them through the falcon-grip of a tightly surveilled airport with legit boarding passes.
Epic Leap
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 19/09/2012
» The man is 52, and yet retains his youthful vibe. His dark-framed glasses, besides his bright face, are what help us recognise him. He shows up slightly late, as to be expected from a founder, top executive, chief brain and nerve centre of one of the country's most powerful showbiz companies. On his desk is a dish of egg tarts, his choice sweet. He smiles and invites us to join him. Outside the office window of Workpoint Entertainment stretches out the vast, dry, flat, skyscraper-less expanse of Pathum Thani.
Prime number
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 25/07/2012
» With a smile on his face Jira Maligool is celebrating the seven-year itch. Or rather, seven years of hits.
Lao new wave
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 18/04/2012
» For decades, the light has been out in Laos. The movie screens have become totally dark, and the profession known elsewhere as "actor" is, up to today, still non-existent. For so many years our land-locked neighbour has subsisted on a staple of Thai TV soaps and movies, cultural imports that have travelled, or been smuggled, through airwaves and distribution channels, and so much is our cross-Mekong dominance that Lao people have almost forgotten what it's like to watch a Lao film.
Slum dogs to the rescue
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 04/04/2012
» There are a few living things film-makers approach with unease: animals and kids. This week, Pantham Thongsang revels in both. The director, whose best known film was an adaptation of a gritty social realist novel Ai-Fuk (The Judgement, 2004), found himself in the spotlight when he made the whimsical yet winsome dog flick Ma-Mar Si Kha Krub in 2007, complete with a real pack of slum dogs facing eviction and children who help them find a new home. This week, Pantham will open the sequel of his hit film, in which the talking canines and their friends return with the hope of entertaining families during this school break.
In rocks we trust
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 21/03/2012
» Our boat cut through the dark water in search of light. Salt-sprayed, wind-whipped and guided by shadows, we finally found it: in the lagoon of Kudu Island, a screen had been erected and projector installed. Gently bobbing before it was a floating lounge, a deconstructible auditorium for the castaways who imbibed cinema, hoping (or dreaming) that it were elixir. Soon a beam of light from the projecting tower pierced the darkness and illuminated the white canvas: it was indeed a cinema, and a unique cinematic experience. Hardly men had gone before to such length to enjoy movies. And of course, this is Thailand.