Raging Phoenix (2009) Movie Review

You can’t blame the Thais for continuing to produce action movies like “Raging Phoenix”. There are basically only two genres coming out of Thailand that sells nowadays – martial arts movies and horror films. Everything else just doesn’t translate very well. One of the industry’s newest import...

November 5th, 2009 | Read More

Coming Soon (2008) Movie Review

New Thai horror “Coming Soon” certainly has an impressive pedigree, with debut director Sophon Sakdaphisit having written two of the country’s best recent genre hits in the form of “Shutter” and “Alone”, and with producer Yongyoot Thongkongtoon having worked on the recent “4bia” as...

July 3rd, 2009 | Read More

Phobia (aka 4Bia, 2008) Movie Review

Horror anthologies can be rather hit and miss affairs, ranging in quality from the excellent “Three” to the rather shabby “Black Night”. The awkwardly titled “4 Bia” (apparently playing on the word ‘phobia’, though causing no end of problems with pronunciation and search engines in the...

January 12th, 2009 | Read More

Chocolate (2008) Movie Review

“Chocolate” is a film which has been causing considerable excitement amongst martial arts fans, unsurprisingly given that it is Thai director Prachya Pinkaew’s follow up to his worldwide hits “Ong Bak” and “Warrior King”. Having made a star of Tony Jaa, he here aims to do the same for female...

October 16th, 2008 | Read More

Ghost of Mae Nak (2005) Movie Review

Thai horror “Ghost of Mae Nak” was originally released back in 2005 when the modern Asian ghost genre was very much still in full swing, and with the country just having scored one of the best efforts of the form to date with the excellent “Shutter”. The film was, and indeed still...

July 20th, 2008 | Read More

13 Beloved (2006) Movie Review

Although perhaps not as internationally recognised as that of other Asian countries, Thai genre cinema has over the last few years been responsible for a growing number of popular hits and cult favourites including the likes of “Alone”, “Dorm”, “Sick Nurses” and others....

May 20th, 2008 | Read More

Sick Nurses (2007) Movie Review

Although the modern Asian ghost genre continues to languish in the creative doldrums, it does throw up the occasional gem, such as the delirious “Sick Nurses” from Thai directors Thospol Siriwiwat and Piraphan Laoyont. A truly whacked-out and imaginatively grotesque variation on the tired...

May 18th, 2008 | Read More

Alone (2007) Movie Review

“Alone” has been causing considerable excitement amongst horror fans as it marks the return of Thai directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, whose 2004 debut outing “Shutter” still stands as one of best modern Asian ghost films. Advance word on the film has been...

November 24th, 2007 | Read More

Dorm (2006) Movie Review

Although many viewers are understandably becoming less and less enthusiastic about the modern Asian ghost film, with the genre long having become the exclusive domain of murderous long haired female spectres, there is still plenty of room for innovation in the form, as demonstrated here by the excellent...

February 22nd, 2007 | Read More

Invisible Waves (2006) Movie Review

“Invisible Waves” is the latest offering from Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang, who scored a cult hit in 2003 with the excellent “Last Life in the Universe”. The two films actually have a lot in common, both being surreal mood pieces, beautifully lensed by master cinematographer...

November 27th, 2006 | Read More

Art of the Devil 2 (2005) Movie Review

“Art of the Devil 2″, the sequel to an obscure occult thriller which nobody appears to have seen, made quite a stir when its incredibly gory posters and trailer appeared on the internet a while back. These featured all kinds of surreal tortures, with eyes being sewn into foreheads and lizards...

August 13th, 2006 | Read More

SARS Wars (2004) Movie Review

“SARS Wars” sees the ever expanding Thai film industry take a stab at the zombie subgenre which has been given somewhat of an action packed facelift in recent years. Thankfully, unlike a great many of the recent genre films from Thailand which appear to have been shot on video, writer/director...

May 4th, 2006 | Read More

The Tiger Blade (2005) Movie Review

“The Tiger Blade” is the latest attempt by Thai filmmakers to capitalize on the sudden success of Thai action films, made popular by Tony Jaa’s exhilarating “Ong Bak”, and recently followed up with the satisfying ass kicker “Tom Yum Goong”. Theeratorn Siriphunvaraporn’s...

April 13th, 2006 | Read More

Garuda (2004) Movie Review

The DVD cover for the Thai monster movie “Garuda” shows a gigantic, bird-like creature perched over a modern city, ready to wreak havoc upon the unsuspecting populace. It looks very much like your average Japanese kaiju film, the kind that usually involves an atomic breath lizard or giant...

January 11th, 2006 | Read More

Tom Yum Goong (aka The Protector, 2005) Movie Review

As convoluted, improbable, and questionably scripted as “Tom Yum Goong” is (and there’s little doubt it’s all those things), there’s a roughly 10-minute sequence near the hour mark where Kham (Tony Jaa) makes his way through an elaborate building that serves as the bad guys’...

November 23rd, 2005 | Read More

Bang Rajan (2000) Movie Review

While originally made in 2000, the Thai war epic “Bang Rajan” didn’t get much exposure outside of Asia despite being the most successful film in Thai history at the time. That is, until maverick U.S. director Oliver Stone (”Natural Born Killers”) championed its distribution...

August 10th, 2005 | Read More

Unhuman (2004) Movie Review

Science fiction is a dangerous genre. It takes a degree of thought and subtlety to pull off a good film. However, the genre is so ripe with ideas that any Tom, Dick and Harry who get their hands on a camera and a chunk of cash can subject an unwitting audience to their take on ‘Sci-Fi’ cinema....

May 11th, 2005 | Read More

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000) Movie Review

There has been a long established two-way street between Hollywood and Asian cinema. The venerable Akira Kurosawa took the inspiration for many of his films from the epic features of John Ford, and Hollywood filmmakers from Clint Eastwood to George Lucas have studied hard at the school of Kurosawa. The...

May 9th, 2005 | Read More

6ixty9 aka 69 aka 6ixtynin9 (1999) Movie Review

“6ixtynin9″ is an early film from Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, who has recently won acclaim for “Last Life in the Universe”, his stunning slice of cross-culture ambience. “6itynin9″ has actually been around for a few years on the festival and art house cinema...

April 13th, 2005 | Read More

Legend of Suriyothai (2001) Movie Review

Weighing in as the most expensive film in Thai history, and made with financial support from the Thai Royal Family itself, “The Legend of Suriyothai” is a historical epic from the old school. Helmed by Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, “Suriyothai” is a stunning film of immense scope,...

April 4th, 2005 | Read More