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It seems pretty clear these days that governments around the world often exploit the poor by uprooting them from their homes to build flashy high-rise buildings or even temples, all in the name of “progress” and they do not even consider the situation of the helpless people they displace or show any real concern for their well-being. In the movie Bangkok Breaking: Heaven and Hell, directed by Kome Kongkiat Komesiri, this exact situation takes place, in a small housing village in Thailand, the government signs a deal with a construction company called Idea Tech, led by CEO Mr. Wichai to build a world-class community complex, but to do that, they plan to kick out the people who’ve been living there for ages. Obviously, this created a lot of chaos among the locals, and the villagers started to protest. They had a feud with the police sent by the government,...

There have been quite a few action movies this year where the cityscape, or at least a part of a city, was turned into a battlefield to comment on classism, corruption, and how justice has become a distant reality. For starters, there was City Hunter, which used vigilante justice to wage war against the seedy connections between the police, the beauty industry, and the defense forces. With Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the cities featured in the films show how anti-immigration sentiments are used to mask criminal misconduct. The Roundup: Punishment, Monkey Man, and Rebel Ridge, to a certain extent, used its surroundings to give us an education on righteous violence. Twilight of Warriors served as an homage to Hong Kong action films while talking about the violent gentrification of slums. Bangkok Breaking: Heaven and Hell falls squarely in this category. Is it any good though?...

BBC Acquires Aussie Spin-Off Of ‘Death In Paradise’

The BBC will air Return to Paradise, an Australia-set spin-off of the long-running series Death in Paradise. Filming next year, the six-part series will be produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia alongside Death in Pardise maker Red Planet Pictures for the ABC, in association with the BBC. Set in the idyllic, beachside hamlet of Dolphin Cove,the series will be a “gripping, twisting and fiendishly clever murder mysteries – all against the spectacular backdrop of the Australian coastal landscape.” The plot follows Australian ex-pat Mackenzie Clarke, the seemingly golden girl of the London Metropolitan police force, who is suddenly forced to up sticks and move back to her childhood home of Dolphin Cove. When a murder takes place in Dolphin Cove, Mack can’t help but put her inspired detective brilliance to good use. The series is created and executive produced by Peter Mattessi,...

Period action comedy Khun Phaen Begins starring Pee Mak’s Mario Mauer leads the slate.

Thailand’s M Pictures is launching sales on a string of new titles led by Khun Phaen Begins, a period action comedy set in the Ayutthaya Kingdom and featuring hot Thai actor Mario Mauer of Pee Mak fame.

Directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, whose credits include Khun Phan 1 and 2, Khun Phaen Begins is scheduled for an October release.

It Could Be Him, which will open locally on March 28, is a romantic comedy about two best friends who fall for the same girl. It is directed by Bungfai Team,...

One of the most intriguing genre talents in the world today, Thailand's Kongkiat Khomsiri first came to international attention at the height of the Asian horror craze as part of the Ronin Team - the collective of Thai filmmakers responsible for the super grisly Art Of The Devil films. Since then Khomsiri has continued solo as both a writer and director and while his output is very diverse - he ranges from martial arts drama to classy supernatural chillers and grimy serial killer fare - he never seems to stray too far from his genre roots. And he looks to be - once again - expanding his base with the upcoming Khun Pan. The story of a legendary Thai cop believed to be impervious to...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

One of the most intriguing genre talents in the world today, Thailand's Kongkiat Khomsiri first came to international attention at the height of the Asian horror craze as part of the Ronin Team - the collective of Thai filmmakers responsible for the super grisly Art Of The Devil films. Since then Khomsiri has continued solo as both a writer and director and while his output is very diverse - he ranges from martial arts drama to classy supernatural chillers and grimy serial killer fare - he never seems to stray too far from his genre roots. And he looks to be - once again - expanding his base with the upcoming Khun Pan. The story of a legendary Thai cop believed to be impervious to...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

No, the moustache does not actually appear to stop bullets in upcoming Thai action fantasy Khun Pan but traditional black magic certainly does and it's hard to imagine the magnificent facial hair doing any harm. Art of the Devil 2 helmer Kongkiat Khomsiri takes the helm of this one with Ananda Everingham and Dan Chupong featured prominently in the cast. The adventure and trials of Thailand famous policeman of the last century. Khun Pan was the most hated and respected policeman by all. He is very intelligent, brave and stop at nothing to stop the threat to the society. This is the adventure during the period of unrest in Thailand half a century ago. Khun Pan was sent to stop a local bandit in the...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Thai writer-director Kongkiat Khomsiri made quite a name for himself as part of the team behind gruesome Thai horror film Art Of The Devil 2 and while he has since proven himself to be far more diverse than just a horror film grinder, with a brace of action pictures and thrillers now under his belt as well, horror will always be what Khomsiri is best known for. And so it's worth taking notice that he is returning to the genre now after an absence of several years. In the decade since making his directing debut in 2005, Khomsiri has pretty thoroughly established himself as the gold standard in commercially oriented Thai films. A very strong writer as well as a director, Khomsiri's work typically boasts...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Thailand’s M Pictures has closed a string of sales on horror film Take Me Home, directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, which it launched at Hong Kong’s Filmart earlier this month.

Following a pre-market sale to Cambodia’s Westec Media, the film has also gone to Suraya for Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Brunei; Inter Solusindo Film for Indonesia; and Dd Content Company for Vietnam and Myanmar.

Starring Thai superstar Mario Maurer (Pee Mak), the film follows a man who returns home after losing his memory and has a frightening encounter with his twin sister’s new family. Wannarot Sonthichai (Jan Dara) plays the sister, while the cast also includes Peter Noppachai (Headshot).

Kongkiat Khomsiri previously directed hit horrors Art Of The Devil 2, Art Of The Devil 3, Chaiya and Slice.

Take Me Home is scheduled to open in Thailand and Laos on April 13, while Cambodia’s Westec has pencilled in a July release.

Writer/director Kongkiat Khomsiri tackles the world of Bangokian gangsters from the 1950s/60s in The Gangster. Based on a true story, the film follows rising gangster Jod (Krissada Sukosol Clapp) as he changes the rules of gang fighting (from knives to guns) before being sent to prison. After his release he tries to lead a straight life, but it proves difficult for this leopard to change its spots.

It becomes apparent within the first 20 minutes of the film that Khomsiri has bitten off more than he can chew. The film is cluttered with exposition, a few minutes of narration to explain the fight scene that ensues before repeating this cycle. Only a few scenes manage to show anything about Jod’s character, with the script relying on telling you everything you need to know (in order to cram in as many violent scenes as possible, no matter how disconnected...

The Gangster

Written by Kongkiat Khomsiri

Directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri

Thailand, 2012

Templates exist for a reason. Their existence can serve as inspiration for future inventors, politicians, activists and artists to build upon and carve their own meaningful place within the domain of their choosing. In the case of art, use of a preceding piece of artistic expression can be both useful or counterproductive to creating something new. In film, the gangster genre has its legion of fans, yet at this point in time it is increasingly challenging to tell a fresh story. Thai director Kongkiat Khomsiri delves into the genre with a lavishly produced period piece aptly entitled The Gangster, which nestles itself in a semi-satisfactory zone by neither feeling like a completely tired retread on familiar ground nor bringing anything especially new to the foray.

Proposing a dramatization of the criminal careers of some of Thailand’s legendary lawless...

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup has now been revealed, and we have here the third and final wave of titles to share. Prepare to drool!

From the Press Release:

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the rest of our 120-feature lineup that comprises our 2013 event, along with a string of additional details that mark our 17th edition as a standout. Fantasia will engulf the city of Montreal from July 18-August 6, 2013. Be sure to visit the Fantasia Film Festival website for detailed essays on every title announced here, as well as all films previously disclosed over the last weeks.

Before we get started on titles... Meet Our 2013 Juries

Main Competition For The Cheval Noir Award For Best Film

Jury President: Laura Kern (Critic, Curator, managing editor, Film Comment)

Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Director, Screenwriter)

Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival, Programmer at Japan Society)

Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer and Operations Manager,...

The Fantasia Film Festival is taking place from July 18th to August 6th in Montreal and will feature over 100 films from around the world. We gave you a look at the initial lineup last month and now have an additional list of Fantasia 2013 films that will be screening, including Curse of Chucky, You’re Next, and Frankenstein’s Army:

Horror Is Child’S Play – Don Mancini’S Curse Of Chucky (World Premiere)

A rarity among genre franchises, the Child’S Play series (begun in 1988) has retained the sure-handed guidance of original screenwriter/creator Don Mancini throughout killer doll Chucky’s decades’-long reign of horror. Mancini, who will be hosting our “scar-studded” world premiere, graduated to the director’s chair with 2004’s Seed Of Chucky, after having co-written or written every entry in the series. His longevity with the project is, of course, matched by the fiendish voiceover work by...

Pen choo kab pee (The Unseeable)

Written by Kongkiat Khomsiri

Directed by Wisit Sasanatieng

Thailand, 2006

Motion is important in a horror movie. There doesn’t need to be action, or dramatic events, or even scares. But, there’s needs to be motion of some sort. That can mean anything from an encroaching atmosphere to a killer chasing down teens with a machete. No matter how it is achieved, it is of the utmost importance that a horror film establish motion and maintain said motion. Pen choo kab pee is a film bereft of motion, and that’s why it’s such a boring and uneventful attempt at a horror film.

In essence, Pen choo kab pee is every haunted house horror film you’ve ever seen in your life. There’s nothing, outside of some nifty camera work here and there, to separate Pen choo kab pee from the countless...

Robert Nagle was still racing cars professionally when he saw Ronin for the first time. The Euro-set chases in the 1998 Robert De Niro thriller were a massive undertaking that involved over 300 stunt professionals and would go on to become lionized as the best of all time. Like most, Bullitt was a favorite from his childhood, but Nagle was awed by what the Ronin team accomplished with a few Peugeots and the tunnels of Paris. “It’s the most realistic. They really sold the speed, had some really great drivers doing those pieces, and just the way they shot it, it came out spectacular. I walked away going, ‘How did they do that?’. I needed to figure out how they did some of those pieces because they were done so well.” Many of us had the same connection — a sense of wonder at the raw ability of the sequences to pummel adrenal glands marked by that natural, amateur...

Thai horror takes to the skies and enters the third dimension with “Dark Flight” (aka “407 Dark Flight 3D”), an airborne shocker claiming to be the country’s first domestically produced 3D film – though another 2012 outing, “Mae Nak 3D” also makes a similar boast. The film is the latest from Ronin Team, best known for their ultra-nasty black magic stomach turner “Art of the Devil 2”, directed by Isara Nadee and with Kongkiat Khomsiri having worked on the script. Inspired by a devastating real life 1998 Thai air disaster that left over a hundred people dead, the film is a special effects heavy affair that stars Marsha Watanapanich in the lead, an actress singer who previously appeared in genre hits “Alone” and “Phobia 2”. Wattanapanich plays New, a flight attendant with a tragic past, who survived a plane crash years back which she blamed on evil spirits. Her first day back on the job...

Who would have thought - when he first appeared on the scene as part of The Art Of The Devil directing collective Ronin Team - that Thailand's Kongkiat Khomsiri would emerge as one of his nation's most consistently compelling and technically gifted directors? It's not that the Art Of The Devil movies were not well made - the two installments handled by the Ronin Team very definitely were - but they didn't even begin to hint at the range of what Khomsiri was capable of.Since those days Khomsiri has turned in stellar fight drama Muay Thai Chaiya and gritty serial killer thriller Slice, demonstrating with both that he is a master of the small details, a story teller with an ability to create remarkably...

Hearing the title Muay Thai Fighter, one may expect a film reminiscent of Jean Claude Van Damme’s Bloodsport or Kickboxer, some film chockfull of fight sequences threaded together with a superficial storyline. Instead, however, Muay Thai Fighter resembles Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, with similar themes of loyalty, friendship, and violence. Even Muay Thai Fighter’s vibrant cinematography, occasionally choppy editing, first person narration, and its attention to atmospheric detail, seem to be paying homage to the 2002 Brazilian picture. It’s no surprise Muay Thai Fighter’s original title is Chaiya, a much more subtle name for a film that is not just a senseless vehicle for guys kicking each other around. This film is far better than its new title suggests.

Growing up in Thailand, three best friends with limited futures dream of becoming champion Muay Thai fighters. Their ambitions take them down a tough road that constantly...

Directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri

Featuring Sonthaya Chitmanee, Akara Amarttayakul, Thawatchai Penpakdee, Parita Kongpech

Winner of several prestigious awards in its native country, Muay Thai Fighter (also known simply as Chaiya) is an elegantly shot action/crime drama from 2007 finally making its stateside debut.

It’s a shame that this Lionsgate acquisition has been packaged as another generic Asian action film as its epic scope and nuanced narrative raise it far above the typical direct-to-video fare.

Muay Thai Fighter tells the engrossing story of three childhood friends growing up in impoverished southern Thailand. Piak, Pao and Samor bond while attending a training camp specializing in an ancient form of fighting called Muay Thai. When the camp’s trainer (and Pao’s father) is forced to close the business, the three young men find themselves faced with an unknown future. Unmotivated and living in poverty, the friends indulge in dead end pursuits...

What's the best measure of how good Slice is? Perhaps this; it's technically a vicious, blood-soaked police procedural about a dirty cop who finds himself tracking down a murderer, convinced a long-lost childhood friend is the killer he's after. But it's not the violence that has the most staying power, or the setpieces, or the plot beats - it's the overwhelming sense of loss after the credits roll, which delivers an emotional punch out of all proportion to a gritty, overblown thriller.

Though Kongkiat Khomsiri is credited as writer and director, the man behind the original story is Wisit Sasanatieng, he of Tears of the Black Tiger, Citizen Dog and The Unseeable. Regardless of who did what, Sasanatieng's fingerprints are all over Slice, from the sizzling colours in much of the production design, to the picture-postcard framing that recalls Tears, to the sepia-tinged flashbacks dotted through the running time.

While...

Year: 2010

Directors: Kongkiat Khomsiri

Writers: Kongkiat Khomsiri, Wisit Sasanatieng (story)

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: projectcyclops

Rating: 6 out of 10

A killer in a red cloak and hood stalks wealthy and influential urbanites in modern day Bangkok, cutting off the victim’s genitals and stuffing their corpses into bright red suitcases, leaving them floating in the river for the cops to discover. Corrupt, alcoholic police chief Papa Chin recruits disgraced former gangster Tai to play detective and track the killer down, since he has a unique childhood connection to the main suspect. Tai’s girlfriend Noi has been targeted by the killer too and hides out in a police safe house. Tai has 15 days to find the killer before he’s booted back into prison, where his status as a police informer will make life pretty tricky. “Slice” is a gory thriller with some incredibly well shot scenes of violence,...

Grimmupnorth 2010 is coming to Manchester for a second time this Halloween! Readers may remember last year’s coverage from the first Grimmfest last October ‘09. Well, we’re going back for more this year too. Festival director Simeon Halligan and his crew have spent all year finding some amazing new titles to screen at Manchester’s biggest horror film festival, including Evil: In The Time Of Heroes, which I missed at Eiff so am well up for seeing. There’s also the inventively named Canadian shocker, Dead Hooker In A Trunk, the Japanese genre mash-up Alien Vs Ninja, Thai thriller Slice, Zombie mock-u-mentary Reel Zombies and a horror doc featuring all kinds of industry insiders, The Splat Pack. There’s also a ton of activities and seminars for festival goers to participate in too. Personally I’m looking forward to the special screening for my favourite Argento film, Deep Red.

If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.

For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.

It's been called the Cannes of genre cinema an the first wave of programming has been announced for Sitges 2010, a lineup featuring the best in genre film of all types from all around the globe. Here's the full announcement!

The Shining celebrates its 30th anniversary and the 43rd Sitges - International Fantasy Film Festival of Catalonia, that will take place from 7 to 17 October, would like pay homage to it through the image for this year's official poster. The Shining (1980), by Stanley Kubrick, is one of the few undoubtedly classic horror films that still holds up with the passage of time, going beyond the genre and the director himself.

The Festival will also be remembering the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis, offer a special tribute to the deceased Paul Naschy with the screening of the documentary El hombre que vio llorar a Frankenstein, and will be...

Well, well, this particular collaboration continues to bear some very striking fruit. Beyond the fact that both directors make films for Thailand’s Five Star Entertainment, Wisit Sasanatieng and Kongkiat Komesiri wouldn’t appear to have much in common. Sasanatieng burst on to the scene with his technicolor western Tears of the Black Tiger before cementing his reputation with his whimsical fantasy romance Citizen Dog. Komesiri? He arrived as part of the Ronin Team, the group of extreme film makers behind the ultra-gory Art of the Devil films befoire branching out somewhat with martial arts drama Muay Thai Chaiya. And here’s where things get interesting ... somewhere between Art of the Devil 2 and Muay Thai Chaiya Komesiri and Sasanatieng met and became friends and have been collaborating ever since. Sasanatieng served as art director for Chaiya, a favor Komesiri returned by writing ghost story The Unseeable for Sasanatieng to direct.

Due to arrive in Thai theaters before the end of this year, upcoming horror project Slice is hotly anticipated in these parts for two primary reasons. First, this is the latest directorial effort from Kongkiat Komesiri, a man who more than proved his horror chops as part of the Ronin Team collective that created the Art of the Devil films before showcasing a surprising range by writing and directing sterling fight drama Muay Thai Chaiya. Which brings us to reason two to be excited: Chaiya was art directed by Tears of the Black Tiger director Wisit Sasanatieng and the film marked the beginning of a surprising and ongoing collaboration between the two very talented men. The collaboration of Muay Thai Chaiya would be followed up by Komesiri writing the script for Sasanatieng’s under-seen and under-appreciated ghost story The Unseeable, a favor that Sasanatieng is now returning by writing the script of Slice for Komesiri.

Filed under: Action, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Noir, Mystery & Suspense, Festival Reports, Other Festivals, Cinematical Indie

The Asian Film Festival of Dallas wrapped up last week with actor/action choreographer Tak Sakaguchi (Versus) in attendance to screen his directing debut, Be a Man! Samurai School. Unfortunately, I missed that night, but two films that screened earlier in the fest stood out for their unique visions.

Indonesian movies are hard to come by in the Us, so I confess my total ignorance about the country and its cinema. Is Kala (Aka Dead Time) representative in any way? I don't know, but I very much liked its mix of dramatic mystery and supernatural lore. Director Joko Anwar has a great eye for composition -- he's really good with looming shadows -- and harbors no fear of traveling down well-trodden paths before adding his own odd twists. The film doesn't completely hang together in the narrative sense,...

Date: Thursday, July 17, 2008

Press Release: For Immediate Release

Subject: First Wave of Fantastic Fest content announced

Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX

Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008

Contact:

Tim League

(512) 912-0529

info@fantasticfest.com

www.fantasticfest.com

We are proud to announce the first wave of our feature film programming for the 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. For the past 9 months, we have been scouring the globe for the strangest, the most heart-pounding and the most challenging new genre films. With over 100 films representing over 30 countries, Fantastic Fest is the largest festival of its kind in the United States. We are proud to announce our first slate of 22 confirmed feature films. Also included is information about our signature Fantastic Fest special events and parties.

Feature films:

Art of the Devil 3 (2008, Thailand, director: Ronin Team)

A prequel to one of the most graphic and visually creative horror movies in recent times,...

Date: Thursday, July 17, 2008

Press Release: For Immediate Release

Subject: First Wave of Fantastic Fest content announced

Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX

Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008

Contact:

Tim League

(512) 912-0529

info@fantasticfest.com

www.fantasticfest.com

We are proud to announce the first wave of our feature film programming for the 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. For the past 9 months, we have been scouring the globe for the strangest, the most heart-pounding and the most challenging new genre films. With over 100 films representing over 30 countries, Fantastic Fest is the largest festival of its kind in the United States. We are proud to announce our first slate of 22 confirmed feature films. Also included is information about our signature Fantastic Fest special events and parties.

Feature films:

Art of the Devil 3 (2008, Thailand, director: Ronin Team)

A prequel to one of the most graphic and visually creative horror movies in recent times,...

[The Udine Far East Film Festival celebrates its tenth edition this year. The lady friend and I rolled in to town last night and while we missed yesterday’s screenings one of the late pictures was Muay Thai Chaiya, a film I’ve seen and greatly enjoyed previously, so I’m pulling my previous review forward here.]

Kongkiat Khomsiri’s debut as a solo director after being part of the gang behind ultra-gorey Art of the Devil 2 will strike many as familiar on more than one level. Drawing on the tried and true story of three poor friends from the country drawn to the big city by the promise of fame and fortune only to be forced apart by forces outside their control, Muay Thai Chaiya follows one of the most popular structures in Asian action films - one drawn on earlier this year in Alexi Tan’s Blood Brothers and prominent in kung fu and action films from the golden age onwards. Now, if Khmosiri has failed to do the story justice you could reasonably criticize the man for simply repeating what had come before but there’s a very good reason why this particular structure keeps coming back - in good hands it produces remarkable...