Dorm

[dave_tf-old]

The latest Thai movie from my Netflix queue.

Despite being released under the Tartan Asia Extreme label, this is a fairly simple ghost story with an endearing twist. I won't uncover any of the plot, but while it has it's creepy moments, it twists the genre in a delightful way.

Made by a talented young director and featuring an appealing cast of youngsters and one of Thailand's most famous female actors, it's set in a time somewhat pre-contemporary--maybe the 60's or 70's--and is very well shot, lit, and composed.

It's a good story, well presented. It's not one for the gay ghetto, but Thailand lovers/missers should enjoy it. The DVD extras are pretty cool too. There's even a subtitled commentary track that was pretty entertaining in itself.

While I'm talking movies...my favorite Thai movie is one I don't believe has been released on DVD yet. It was a historical epic which was a huge hit several years back. I saw it in a Bangkok theater in Thai sans subtitles but followed the story fairly well. I don't recall the title, but the poster prominently featured an Elephant. Said elephant died and was mourned in the media during either that trip or a later one.

With those clues, does anybody have any idea what that movie was called? And could I be missing it from reading Netflix blurbs?

[Bob]

Maybe was it Suriothai? (spelling probably wrong). Big Thai epic centering around one of the last big wars with the Burmese and had a lot of elephants in battle, etc. I saw it in Chiangmai about 3-4 years ago and I've got the dvd here at home (if that's the one, I can send it to you if you want).

I saw some other Thai epic (which may have been the one above or another) that also featured the huge waterbuffalo "Boonlert" - had about an 8-foot horn spread - but can't remember the name of that one). Apparently Boonlert was very famous (was in several Thai films) and he/it died about a year ago and that hit the Thai press.

[dave_tf-old]

Bob...you are correct. It was a water buffalo, not an elephant. And that was at least the name of the Buffalo, if not the movie. I give you high marks for that correction, even though I have to deduct some for your bad memory for dates. It has to be several years ago the poor buffalo perished--as many as 5?

Anyways...THAT'S the movie and I'd love to see that one again with subtitles. Maybe I can track it down with the Buffalo's name.

As you well know, I keep track of Thailand time by remembering who I was 'dating' at the time. That's my head for dates. Sadly, I can't remember now whether it was Be** or No**. So...more than a year, but probably less than five, now that I think about it.

[dave_tf-old]

From 2001.

"BOONLERT THE BUFFALO PAID LAST TRIBUTE
A movie star is holding a three-day funeral for the buffalo that starred in his most successful film, helping it become a box office hit.


Bin Banlue-rit is offering thanks to Boonlert, a 32-year old water buffalo with 3m horns, which was a leading character in "Bangrajan", based on a battle between Siam and Burma 230 years ago.

Boonlert, whose unusually long horns were credited with drawing large crowds to cinemas, died on Sunday of natural causes in Lop Buri.

"He could not just die like other ordinary water buffaloes because he had done so much for the movie," said Bin.

"If there had been no Boonlert, the film's revenue might not have reached as much as 70 million baht so far."

At the funeral,which started on Sunday, Boonlert is held upright by rope and draped with white cloth. A Thai opera will be performed in front of the corpse today to pay respects to the buffalo, Bin added. тАУ Reuters"

Well...we were BOTH wrong.

But you were wronger. :cheers:



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284880/

[Bob]

Wronger? Hell, at least I had the species right! (I'll send you a drawing so you can tell an elephant from a water buffalo!)

I do remember the battle scenes of the movie with some fierce Thai warrior atop Boon Lert heading towards a phalanx of the evil Burmese. Let me tell you....you wouldn't want to be in front of ol' Boon Lert bearing down on your skinny ass! You'd be falang toast (which if I remember right would be "kanom pang ping falang!")

Come to think of it, I think you dated Boon Lert one time or another?

[dave_tf-old]

I did date Boon Lert. I broke it off after recieving too many emails from him--always bemoaning the death of yet another owner and asking for money.

And...And, he always insisted on topping too. Yeouch!