Lifer Movies

Title: Chocolate Rating: 3.5/5 Genre: Action (Martial Arts) Starring: JeeJa Yanin Director: Prachya Pinkaew Language: Thai Yet another that has been sitting on the shelf too long; a film from the man responsible for Ong Bak, featuring an adorable little girl doing the ass kicking. Quite frankly I suspect a number of you need little more encouragement than that. For the rest I suppose I should get on with explaining what it's all about, as quite frankly the beginning is a little more confusing than it really needed to be. Zin is a beautiful women who happens to be the mistress of a big Thai Mafia kingpin. She can have anything she wants and dutifully follows him to all his “engagements,” largely consisting of removing limbs until people give him money. Anything she wants, that is, except for her Japanese husband who happens to be some sort of Yakuza working in Thailand or something, but that never really gets explained. We just get one scene later on of a grumpy old man surro...

Title: 13-04-2022: Tsunami Should be Known As: The Day After Thaimorrow Rating: 2/5 Genre: Action, Adventure Starring: Pisan Srimankong, Sirinda Jensen, Panudej Wattanasuchat, Suchao Pongwilai Director: Toranong Srichua Language: Thai Finding information about this film seems to be pretty tricky; IMDB has no recollection of it and neither does google – beyond a few handy links to download the thing – yet this doesn't have the feel of a no-budget craptastic feature, and much of the cinematography looks well done if perhaps lacking from a Hollywood budget which becomes particularly noticeable when the CGI emerges. There are also clearly some hefty similarities to “The Day After Tomorrow,” but given that I never actually watched that film, i'll make no claim as to just how much was 'inspired' by it. My logic for watching this and missing the original, however, is quite simple: take cute Thai Women and add water. Pretty hard to get wrong right? Step One : Make su...

Title: Lub Lae Rating: 2/5 Genre: “Horror,” (Crime/Romance) Starring: Jutharat Uttakorn, Nattanun Khunwat, Anchisa Liewpairoj Language: Thailand This film is a Thai horror. This is all I needed to know before going in – though the woman on the front certainly helped persuade me – hoping for a hot fun filled horror romp. Except it isn't. In fact, if you excluded the final moments its altogether pretty genre-less, perhaps best suited to a sort of Romantic film involving criminals, but despite this apparent lack of direction the result is rather impressive. The small budget clearly making itself apparent in the use of effects which fortunately were kept to an absolute minimum, and the moments that feel off the wall only occur very briefly, and are adequately explained by the films conclusion. The entire film starts rather abruptly; no introductory sequence or on my copy, even production credits, kicking off with four nameless men fleeing through the forest from the authoritie...

Title: Meat Grinder Rating: 2.5/5 Genre: Splatter Horror Release Date: 2009 Language: Thai Firstly I apologising for the lack of details with regards to the director and actors within the film, but it would seem there is little information in this regard and this isn’t entirely surprising. It seems fairly odd that Thailand has become known amongst the ‘Asian Horror’ craze as the holders of the ghost story throne yet this recent release is without mention, perhaps not coincidentally in part due to the lack of any ghosts. In fact, this feels far more akin to a 80s style slasher film but not without a reasonable budget and a sense of intelligence to it – two things rarely seen in modern re-visits to this classic style. With the lead protagonist, a woman called ‘Bus,’ desperately trying to maintain her family’s coherency, feeding her child with little food or money whilst her husband spends all his earnings on his gambling addiction, it is only when he loses their home that he lea...

Title: Nang Nak Rating: 4.5/5 Genre: Horror, Romance Starring: Intira Jaroenpura, Winai Kraibutr Director: Nonzee Nimibutr Language: Thai I did warn that I would be returning to Thai horror before too long, and whilst this doesn’t strictly fit, combining horror with a strong romantic element, it nonetheless feels appropriate to restart my exploration here for reputedly one of the key films in starting the Thai ghost film phenomenon. Originally based on a Thai Legend (though it should be noted that the story is believed truthful rather than mythical), it is proceeding the events of the Chiang Toong War (read: ~1870) that Mak returns to his wife (Nak) and her recently born child, but all is not as it seems. The pleasant situation he observes an illusion created by his wife who died along with her stillborn child, wishing nothing more but to be with her husband. As people try to warn him, he responds with disbelief whilst the infuriated spirit of Nak fights to prevent him from dis...

Title: Coming Soon Rating: 3.5/5 Genre: Horror, Thriller Starring: Chantavit Dhanasevi Director: Sopon Sukdapisit Language: Thai Whenever horror films from Asia crop up in conversation it always seems to be either the Japanese (renowned for being willing to push the boundaries of convention) or the South Koreans (producing fewer films, but often constructed with a larger budget more comparable to the product of mainland Europe) that seem to get mentioned, but the Thai have been developing their little niche as well. With the rise in what is now capable on smaller budgets, a greater emphasis is being placed on using the effects effectively than merely using them in excess allowing this small nation to make claim as to the title of king of ghost stories. Opening with one of the most ‘bludgeoningly’ brilliant openings for a horror film in recent memory, ten minutes of horror bliss that sets the bar impossibly high for the remainder of the film; the preview showing of the film ‘T...

Title: Ong-Bak Rating: 4/5 Genre: Action Starring: Tony Jaa Language: Thai Proudly mentioning the lack of stunt doubles, CGI and special effects they were right in doing so, for the natural feel of the action scenes starkly contrasts many action films being produced today that are filled with ever more ridiculous stunts in an attempt to better those that preceded it. Ironically, the realism that this presents feels more powerful than the greatest of special effects, harking back to the days of the martial arts masters that have long been lost in time. When viewing an action film, it is the action that takes precedence over all other factors. I don’t go in looking for a strong plot or acting capabilities, and whilst this feels like a simple vehicle for the talents of Tony Jaa it delivers where it matters. From a small village the action soon gets under way when the evil Don steals the revered head of Ong-bak for his wheelchair-bound, mechanical voice box wielding master, and wit...