Spurred on by some strange impulse to find out what was happening with Nonzee Nimibutr's latest I just took a swing by his Cinemasia website and found concept art and production sketches for his upcoming film The Queen of Lung-Gasuka. The days of Nimibutr producing intimate little films like Mae Nak and Jan Dara? Yeah, those are gone. Can you say epic? It's got a WHALE crushing burning WAR SHIPS! And while there is no cast list to be found on the website the rumblings are that Born To Fight's Dan Chupong will star in a major role and will be using the double sword dab thai fighting style.
Upon looking at the rest of the artwork all I can say is HOLY CRAP! Not only does it have a huge pissed off whale, it also has demonic bats, a fleet of apparently friendly hammerhead sharks, some sword-swinging dude WITH WINGS and, most importantly because I got a creepy fetish for these things, a character standing amindst the bones of some other huge creature. Based solely upon the imagery, this flick has tons of potential that the Thai film industry can now squander with crappy CGI and general lack of having any idea of how to make a watchable movie. Sorry if I sound negative. Maybe I should watch more Thai movies that do not involve snakes and insects animated on an Atari, giant birds yelling at people or ridiculously overhyped martial arts slapfests.
Caterpillar: it's a Nonzee film which means it'll look mighty good. He's got a really good eye. And I'm really hoping the winged guy ends up being Chupong ...
For part two of our Berlinale 2012 Preview (here's part one - the Competition Lineup), we'll be highlighting titles in the Forum and Panorama sections. What's the difference? According to the festival, the Forum section includes the most daring and risk-taking films of the program, while the Panorama section includes films specifically targeted at buyers (who are generally not...
More »
For the second time in two years, I am frustrated and a bit sad to begin discovering the work of a great, oft-overlooked filmmaker upon reading news of their death. Such was the case last year with Jean Rollin, whose passing prompted me to dig into his filmography and in turn discover one of the most unique genre filmmakers...
More »
Berlinale 2012 kicks off in three days, and with its vast, diverse international program, preparation is mandatory. So, between stockpiling warm clothes and memorizing how to say "I don't speak German" in German, I've been combing the program and singling out potential highlights in each festival category. I'll be sharing these over the next several days before I depart,...
More »
*Some Spoilers, Fair Warning*Perhaps a goofy co-incidence that Facebook filed with the SEC to launch its $5 Billion (with a B) initial public offering in the same week as this viral/web advertised film hit cinema screens. The dollar value for the filing is itself equal parts news-catcher, market-hubris and ultimately an underscore on where society, in the here and now,...
More »
Earlier this week, Chinese cinema exhibitor Beijing Bona Starlight Cineplex Management Co. Ltd. announced that it will start applying film classifications to films in the hope of providing better guidance to its patrons and improving box office performance. A subsidiary of film distribution giant Bona Film Group, the exhibitor currently only operates four cinemas in China, including two in Beijing,...
More »
M
Upon looking at the rest of the artwork all I can say is HOLY CRAP! Not only does it have a huge pissed off whale, it also has demonic bats, a fleet of apparently friendly hammerhead sharks, some sword-swinging dude WITH WINGS and, most importantly because I got a creepy fetish for these things, a character standing amindst the bones of some other huge creature. Based solely upon the imagery, this flick has tons of potential that the Thai film industry can now squander with crappy CGI and general lack of having any idea of how to make a watchable movie. Sorry if I sound negative. Maybe I should watch more Thai movies that do not involve snakes and insects animated on an Atari, giant birds yelling at people or ridiculously overhyped martial arts slapfests.
2 words. Holy Cow! (falls off chair)
Caterpillar: it's a Nonzee film which means it'll look mighty good. He's got a really good eye. And I'm really hoping the winged guy ends up being Chupong ...