Even in 3D, it’s one dimensional!
Pattaya movies beginning Thursday, September 3, 2009
… through Tuesday, September 8
by Thomas Ohlson
Best Bet: Inglourious Basterds.
Picture at right is from Inglourious Basterds.
Here is the 107th edition of my weekly compilations of movie times and comments for Pattaya! Starting our third year! And the 20th online edition!
Here are the films playing in Pattaya for the week as of Thursday, September 3, for Pattaya Major Cineplex (at Villa Supermarket Center), for the SF Multiplex at Central Plaza (Big C), and for the new SFX Cinema Pattaya Beach on the 6th Floor of Central Festival Pattaya Beach, the new huge and beautiful mall located between Sois 9 and 10 and running the length of the soi from Beach Road to 2nd Road.
Next change next Wednesday, with the advent of Phobia 2, and probably again on Thursday. Because of delays inherent in the film rating system, with a ratings board that is only on the job part time and can only see one film a day, distributors are expecting delays in the releasing of films.
Now playing in Pattaya * = new this week
* The Final Destination 4: In Digital 3D! US, Horror/ Thriller – 82 mins – 18+ – After a teen's premonition of a deadly race-car crash helps saves the lives of his peers, Death sets out to collect those who evaded his plans. But I have to tell you that even if you go to see it in 3D, the movie is in only one dimension in terms of story and character. Nevertheless, you sort of get your money’s worth with this one, should you enjoy watching deaths: It contains 11 death scenes, the most of any film in the series. They brag about it! Rated R in the US for strong violent/ gruesome accidents, language, and a scene of sexuality; “18+” in Thailand, under the new ratings system which went into effect August 11. “18+” is an advisory rating that suggests viewers should be 18 or older to see the movie. Generally unfavorable reviews: 30/30 out of 100. In Digital 3D only at SFX Cinema Pattaya Beach; in 2D elsewhere.
Far be it from me to discourage you if you truly slaver over this sort of thing, but I thought it truly repulsive and offensive. You have various human organs flying at you right through the cinema, and if you’re seeing it in 3D, yes your reflexes make you actually duck!
I found it interesting to note where the Thai subtitles appear in 3D – they appear to be floating in the air about five rows ahead of you in the cinema, which means that sometimes they’re actually behind an image on the screen.
The Hollywood Reporter, Kirk Honeycutt: The new gimmick here is that all the flying body parts and absurd impalements come in 3D. And that's about as inspired as anything gets in this edition. Story and character get chucked to the sidelines as the arena has room for only death scenes.
Variety, Jordan Mintzer: An array of gory mayhem only marginally enhanced by 3-D and a plot as developed as a text message.
Boston Globe, Wesley Morris: The writers don’t write, the director doesn’t really direct, and the actors don’t exactly act. They wait for the movie’s contraptions to impale them.
Austin Chronicle, Marc Savlov: As mesmerizing as watching bread toast. Death, be not proud, indeed.
* The Gamer: US, Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – 95 mins – 18+ –By the writers and directors of the two recent Crank movies, this continues their quest for bigger explosions, and action which is even more “non-stop.” Set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid, allowing millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death. Rated R in the US for frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity, and language; “18+” in Thailand. Early reviews: Mixed or average: 43 out of 100.
My Ex / Fan Kao / แฟนเก่า: Thai Horror/ Romance – 90 mins – Ken is a heartthrob of an actor with a bad boy reputation of loving beautiful girls and then dumping them. After his marriage, one of his ex-girlfriends comes back from the grave to exact revenge. Director: Piyaphan Chuphet (Phii mai jim fun / Vow of Death, Necromancer).Unaccountably bloody, dreadful, and confusing, even for a Thai flick. Some interesting cinematography.
Inglourious Basterds: US/ Germany/ France, Drama/ Action/Adventure/ War – 153 mins – Quentin Tarantino's exceptionally bloody tale of Jewish-American troops on the hunt for Nazi scalps in World War II France, starring Brad Pitt and an amazing Christoph Waltz, a little-known Austrian actor, in a truly fine performance. A must-see movie, though I’m uncomfortable with the fact that I’m recommending a film that carries violence to such extremes. But it’s just that I find the filmmaking skill so mind-blowing. Never have I felt such a deliciously slow and inexorable building of tension in a scene, and such studied control over all the aspects of moviemaking. Will forever change how war movies are filmed, and not only because of its extensive use of German and French – it’s simply a milestone in the history of film.
Rated R in the US for strong graphic violence, language, and brief sexuality. In Thailand it’s rated “18+” under the new ratings system. “18+” is an advisory rating that suggests viewers should be 18 or older to see the movie. There’s a warning to this effect just before the film’s main titles. Generally favorable reviews: 69/70 out of 100.
Note that this is basically a foreign-language film, in German,French, andItalian, as well as English, with subtitles.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: US, Action/Adventure/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – 107 mins – It’s from Hasbro the toy-makers, and is very much like Transformers – Critic-proof nonsensical mayhem, and very loud, but stylish. Make sure you take your earplugs! Generally negative reviews: 32/40out of 100.
I actually found it quite a bit more enjoyable than Transformers, which I guess might not be saying much. But if you like an occasional action flick, I think this is one of the better ones. With Dennis Quaid and Marlon Wayans (he was a lot of fun!). Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy and it’s two sequels, and Van Helsing).
Buppha Rahtree 3.2: Rahtree's Revenge / บุปผาราตรี 3.2: Thai, Horror/ Romance – Continues the romantic-horror story of the revengeful ghost of Buppha and her love struck cartoonist, played by Mario Maurer of Love of Siamfame. There’s the creepy little girl again; and Rahtree herself (Chermarn Boonyasak),playing with a straight razor; and the comic troupe is all present and accounted for. An exceptionally bloody and confusing horror flick, and one of those where most of the work of scaring the audience is done by the soundtrack’s spooky music and sound effects. Rated “18+” in Thailand under the new ratings system. “18+” is an advisory rating that suggests viewers should be 18 or older to see the movie.
Jija - Raging Phoenix / Jija - Due Suai Du/ จีจ้า ดื้อ สวย ดุ: Thai, Action/ Romance– 110 mins –Martial arts film starring the amazing girl from the film Chocolate, Jija Yanin, a true female action icon, who here combines her startling fight skills with a love story and break dancing. A rather odd mix of a film and a real confusion, but it should please martial arts fans. Watch it only when you're really in the mood for seeing startling martial arts images in a disconnected pattern.
17 Again: US, Comedy/ Drama/ Romance – 102 mins – A mild comedy about redoing life over again from high school, and generally making the same mistakes again. It uses a well-worn formula, but has just enough Zac Efron charm to result in a harmless, pleasurable teen comedy. Mixed or average reviews: 48/51 out of 100.
Solstice: US, Drama/ Horror/ Thriller – 87 mins – A young girl uncovers a disturbing secret about her twin sister, who committed suicide just a few months before. Directed by Daniel Myrick (The Blair Witch Project), the horror movie follows a group of high school friends on their summer vacation at a lake house. Things take a turn for the worse when Meghan (Elizabeth Harnois) realizes that her dead twin sister is trying to contact her.
In Country & Melody 2 / E-Som Somwang 2 / อีส้มสมหวัง ชะชะช่า: Thai, Comedy/ Musical– 115 mins – Som and Somwangfrom the first episode abandon their musical band to pursue their dreams in Bangkok. Somwang gets a job as a singer in a night cafe, and is soon allured by the night life, girls, and fame.
Scheduled for Pattaya cineplexes on Wednesday, September 9
Phobia 2 / Haa Phrang / ห้าแพร่ง: Thai, Horror – 15+ – Literally "five crossroads," this is a five-part horror anthology by some of Thailand’s best-known directors of horror films, including segments by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom (Shutter), Paween Purikitpanya (Body #19), Songyos Sugmakanan (Dorm), and Visute Poolvoralaks.
Wise Kwai: Five short horror films from Thai studio GTH -- the same slick professionals who brought us the likes of Shutter, Alone, Dorm, Body #19, Coming Soon and 4Bia. The tales range from the moralistic to genuinely scary and, most refreshingly, laugh-out-loud sarcastically funny.
And looking forward:
Sep 17 – District 9: South Africa/ New Zealand, Drama/ Sci-Fi/Action/ Thriller – 112 min – 28 years ago, aliens made first contact with Earth. Humans waited for the hostile attack, or the giant advances in technology. Neither came. Instead, the aliens were refugees, the last survivors of their home world. Rated R in the US for bloody violence and pervasive language. Reviews: Universal acclaim: 81/77 out of 100.
Genre master Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, etc.) produced this science-fiction film, the directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp. He simply gave the director $30 million to make whatever he wanted. The result was this film. Shot in Johannesburg.
Rotten Tomatoes: Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic.
Los Angeles Times, Betsy Sharkey: In a good summer, there's usually a movie that will come out of nowhere and completely wow us. This is a good summer, and that movie is District 9.Though the themes are universal, the director's childhood in South Africa clearly informs the film's sensibility, in this case greatly adding to its distinctive look and feel. It's an impressive first feature for the 29-year-old Blomkamp.
Movie Rating System
There are seven categories under the new system:
Category 1 covers educational films that all are encouraged to see;
Category 2 films are those deemed suitable for a general audience;
Category 3 films are suitable for viewers aged 13 years and over;
Category 4 for those over 15;
Category 5 for those over 18; and
Category 6 for those 20 and older.
And then there’s the invisible Category 7, which doesn’t need a symbol because it’s absolutely forbidden to be shown.
The ratings 1 to 5 are only a guide and will be enforced mainly by social pressure, according to Culture Minister Teera Salakpetch, but entry to Category 6 films will be strictly controlled, with fines of between Bt20,000 and Bt100,000 for cinemas that do not comply.
New website for Major Cineplex
Here you go: Schedule on Major Cineplex Website or http://www.majorcineplex.com/showtimepage.php
It’s basically a mixture of Thai and English, and this is how you work it: The link above gets you to the “Showtime” page. On the right two-thirds of the screen you will see two lists: movies, and theaters. At the top of the list of movies, click “Select All Movie” unless you’re really only interested in one movie. On the list of theaters, click “Pattaya.” This is one of four cities in the “Zone UPC-South-East” section, which is the 7th region down, or the 3rd from the bottom. Then hit “go” either at the top or the bottom of the lists, and almost immediately you will get at the very bottom of the page a list of the movies, the cinemas (โรง) they are in, and their remaining times (เวลา) for the day. If you do this after midnight and in the early morning, you will get a blank. Times are posted later in the morning. You have no way at the moment for getting any times except for the current day, and only the remaining times.
The new website redesign for MovieSeer
Major Cineplex - Pattaya
At Villa Supermarket Center
Opposite Soi 13 on 2nd Road.
“At The Avenue!”
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box first
Major Cineplex, and then Pattaya. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.]
SFX Cinema Pattaya Beach
6th Floor of Central Festival Pattaya Beach
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box
SF Cinema City, SFX Pattaya Beach. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.]
SF Multiplex / Cinemacity-Pattaya
At Big C
3rd Floor, Central Festival Department Store
[Central Plaza] Pattaya 2 Road, T. Nog Prue
A. Banglamoong, Chonburi
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box
SF Cinema City, Central Pattaya. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.
Ignore the fact that it says it’s Central Festival Pattaya Beach.
It’s not. It’s Big C.]
