Films From Thailand Last Update 25 November 2005
There is an burgeoning film industry in Thailand that has a few gems hidden among the direct to video folk tales and porn films. Although they are relatively scarce, you may find them in Asian variety stores or on the web from Hong Kong distributors. Here are a few that we've been able to locate.
The Adventures of Iron Pussy By day he is a humble cashier in a 7-11 cashier, but in the off hours she is Iron Pussy, the transvestite super hero Lamduan or Iron Pussy. With her faithful scooter driver Pew, IP is keeping Thailand safe from international bad guys and local toughs. Maybe this is a spoof on James Bond films or maybe it is serious, although the former is more probable. Filled with static musical interludes and lame ass fight scenes, this bitch can kick some ass. At the request of the government, Lamduan becomes a maid in a wealthy household where she can keep an eye on the suspicious foreign visitor, Mr. Henry. Tang, the son of the wealthy home owner soon falls for her and they sing a few coquettish duets. Iron Pussy is torn between love and duty when she discovers Tang and Mr. Henry are concocting new ecstasy inducing drugs. Between crime fighting and wardrobe changes Lamduan also treats everyone to some rockin musical performances. I doubt you'll find this too readily, but if you really want to see it, we can be persuaded to part with our copy. Unrated, Thai with English subtitles
Tom Yum Goong Do you like elephants and martial arts? Granted, it is a strange combination, but this film has an abundance of both. Kham grows up in the Thai forests helping his dad and their elephant. Por Yai, collect wood. When their great bull elephant sires a baby, Kham gets to raise him and the two become inseparable. At least until some evil poachers steal the pair of pachyderms. Kham, played by the Muay Thai martial arts genius Tony Jaa. must retrieve the elephants and honor of his family. There's plenty of fighting against amazing odds and plenty of well placed kicks and jabs before the task can be accomplished. Lot's of cool scenery, plenty of stunts and too many chase scenes to count. The elephants are cool, too. If you want more of the same see Tony Jaa in Ong-Bak. Thai 2003 Rated IIb
Ong-Bak The Thai Warrior Ong-bak is the name of the village's prize possession , an old stone image of the Buddha. When the head of the image is stolen by some Bangkok Antiquities thieves, they send young Ting (Tony Jaa) to the city to retrieve it. Trained in the religious martial art of Muay Thai, no one can mess with Ting but he is naive in the ways of the big city. He garners the help of a Bangkok tough who came from his village. There are some extraordinary fight scenes in which the pacifist Ting is called upon to flatten hulking Australian and American opponents. He dispatches them with ease but is no closer to finding the head of Ong-Bak. In the end, the two locate a criminal mastermind who tricks Ting into a title bout, and then orders him killed. Our country boy proves more resilient that his adversary and good triumphs in the end. You won't want to see this for the story line, which is a little like a Bowery Boys movie, but the stunts and fights are outrageous and worth a look. 2005 Thai Rated R 105 minutes
6ixtynin9 Tom was sitting home, bemoaning her lost job when someone leaves a box of money on her doorstep. A bit of a moral dilemma, but, she decides to keep it. It isn't long before two thugs turn up and ask for it back. Well, somehow they end up dead, and she stuffs them into the closet and goes about her business. Deciding it is in her best interest, Tom methodically arranges to get out of town, buying a black market passport to speed her departure. Thing do not go smoothly or , hell, why would you watch it to the end. It smacks a little of a Thai version of True Romance, but it is quite good. 1999 Rated IIb 90 minutes Thai w/subtitles
303 Fear Faith Revenge five new students at the exclusive St George Boarding school are curious about six students who died at the school in 1952. They use a Ouija board to contact one of the dead students and they open a door to the past. All hell breaks lose and one of the five becomes possessed and the past events begin anew. fairly stock horror stuff with an Asian flair. Thai w/subtitles. 93 minute Rated IIb
Bangkok Haunted There are three horror vignettes retold as stories in a bar. In story #1 Paya , the village beauty, is best friends with Gnod, the local hunchback geek. When they are grown, Gnod kidnaps her on the night of her wedding and makes a drum with her spirit trapped inside and perhaps a few of her body parts. 100 years later an antique dealer is haunted by Paya when he comes into posession of the drum. The second story is about a woman he get hold of Pye extract which is a powerful love potion. It gives her complete power over the men who drink it, but always with fatal results. Story #3 is a detetective story about a girl who was found hanging in a warehouse. Convinced she was murdered a young detective finds out too late that she cleverly committed suicide by standing on blocks of ice with a noose around her neck. Rated IIB 2001 Thai w/subtitles
Snaker There must be a few interspecies sex fans out there who might revel in this tale of a woman who cheats on her husband with a boa constrictor snake god whom she meets in the woods. Her husband is a trifle suspicious when she becomes pregnant as he's been away on business for a few months. He catches her with her snake lover and slays them both, but one baby snake god gets away and grows up to have a snake/human relationship of her own. This might be of interest to horny herpetologists, but lacks general appeal. Rated III Thai w/subtitles
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