Haa Phrang (Phobia 2)

Ranging from creepily moralistic to downright hiliarious, five more short and slick horror stories are offered by local studio GTH in Haa Phrang (Phobia 2). The result is a more cohesive and even-toned effort than the first set of short thrillers in last year's hit, See Phrang (4bia).

Returning directors from the first "crossroads" are Paween Purijitpanya (Body #19) and the Shutter/Alone pair of Parkpoom Wongpoom and Banjong Pisanthanakun. Joining them is Fan Chan alumni Songyos Sugmakanan (Dorm) and veteran studio executive Visute Poolvoralaks takes the director's chair for the first time.

The cast of GTH all-stars includes Ray MacDonald, Charlie Trairat, Nicole Theriault and Marsha Wattanapanich along with singer Dan Worrawech and a few familiar faces from the first Phobia.

This actually opened on Wednesday to take advantage of the numerologically auspicious day of 09/09/09.

A review is in Daily Xpress and I've posted here too.

9

Another 09/09/09 opening,  9 by animator Shane Acker expands on concepts he explored in a 10-minute animated short that is set in a post-apocalyptic world populared by numbered "stitchpunk" ragdolls fashioned out of burlap and whatever bits and pieces of household goods happen to around.

For the feature, the dolls are given voices, with Elijah Wood behind the title character. There's also Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover and Jennifer Connelly.

Produced Tim Burton and Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov, it's actually a pretty dark story. In the U.S. it was "Rated PG-13 for violence and scary images." It's Rated G for general audiences by the Thai ratings board, apparently glancing at it and deeming it safe for the little ones just because it's a cartoon.

Reviews have been favorable. It's in a limited run at Paragon Cineplex.

By the way, 9 is not to be confused with the aliens-in-Africa sci-fi thriller District 9. See below for more on that.

Also opening

My Sister's Keeper -- Cameron Diaz portrays a mother in this drama about a girl (Abigail Breslin) who is resentful of the fact that she was conceived for pretty much the sole reason of being able to provide compatible blood and bone marrow to her leukemia-stricken older sister (Sofia Vassilieva). Jason Patric also stars. It's directed by Nick Cassavettes (The Notebook).

Crows Zero II -- Cult Japanese director Takeshi Miike follows up his 2007 hit about a violent teenage gang. Here the hero gang, lead by Shun Oguri, has its turf threatened by the arrival of white-clad skinheads. In Japanese with English and Thai subtitles at the Lido.

The Naked Kitchen -- Food-based romance develops as a young husband and wife add another ingredient to their marriage. It's a South Korean movie. At SF Cinemas, but with the Korean soundtrack and English and Thai subtitles only at SFW CentralWorld.

Sneak previews
Three movies are opening for sneak-peeks at around 8 nightly before their wider release next week or the week after.

District 9 -- South African director Neill Blomkamp received the production backing of Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson for this sci-fi thriller that works on so many levels -- as a comedy, as a poignant social drama, as a documentary on the plight of refugees and finally as an action film. It's been one of the biggest critical successes of the summer, turning critics jaded by Transformers and GI Joe into drooling fanboys. I caught it on Monday night was indeed impressed and even touched by the end. The story is about a race of aliens -- derogatorily called "prawns" because that's what they resemble, though they are imposingly 7 feet tall -- whose spaceship has stalled out over Johannesburg, South Africa. The aliens have been herded into a ghetto called District 9 where crime is rampant. A shadowy corporation has been contracted to move the aliens out to a tent city further away from Joburg. Please note that some of the posters prepared for the film's campaign in Thailand are not really representative of what's going on in the film.

The Proposal -- Thank goodness this is finally opening. I am so sick of the preview trailer for this formulaic romantic comedy. It's been showing for two months and I've seen it so much I don't need to see the movie. Ryan Reynolds stars as the young, much-abused assistant to an overbearing book-publishing executive played by Sandra Bullock. They are working at an American company, but she happens to be Canadian and will be deported unless she gets married. I think you can figure out what happens. Awkward situations, an impromptu marriage and a wacky grandmother (good to see Betty White still working).

Rookies -- The hit Japanese TV series about a struggling baseball team makes the leap to the big screen with tremendous results. It was a box-office home run. In Japanese with English and Thai subtitles at the Lido.

See also

13th Thai Short Film and Video Festival encore screenings -- At 5 on Friday and noon on Saturday, there's award-winning Thai short films from student filmmakers and indie directors. The line-up of animated shorts is showing at 2.30 on Sunday. On Monday at 5, it's program 1 of the "Best of Clermont Ferrand" featuring titles from the world's premier shorts fest. It's all at the Sri Sala Cinema in Salaya, Nakhon Pathom.

Shier Lou (12 Storeys) -- Singaporean director Eric Khoo's 1997 social drama is set in a government housing complex, where various quirky characters are observed by the ghost of a teenage suicide victim. At 8 on Monday night at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. Entry is 150 for non-members, 150 baht more (members & non-members) covers a Singaporean buffet and Tiger beer served by the Embassy of Singapore .

Take note

Proposed symbols for Thailand's new motion-picture ratings system have been sent back to the drawing board by the Cabinet, which has asked the Culture Ministry to come up with a design that is universal and can be easily comprehended by both Thai people and foreign moviegoers who can't read the Thai alphabet. While the age-related symbols -- 13+, 15+, 18+ and 20+ -- seem fairly clear in their meaning, the first two symbols, for the "promote" (Rated P) and "general" (Rated G), are problematic.

Bioscope magazine is holding a brainstorming meeting starting at 1pm on September 22 at TK Park at CentralWorld. Officials from the film board will be on hand to hear suggestions on the new symbols.

As the Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) solidifies its lineup, yet another film festival has been added to the local moviegoing calender -- the Bangkok International Animation Film Festival will be held from September 25 to 30, concurrently with the September 24 to 30 BKKIFF. It'll show around 40 features and shorts, among them the Australian claymation Mary and Max, American director Henry Selick's latest wonder Coraline -- possibly due for a wider 3D release in Bangkok cinemas at some point -- and the Irish film, The Secret of Kells.

The opening film will be Yona Yona Penguin, the latest from Metropolis director Rintaro. A Japanese-French co-production about three children traveling to magical realm, it's not due to be released in Japan until December, according to IMDb. The closer will be Hayao Miyazaki's latest environmentally themed fantasy-adventure, Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea, which opened for a limited run last week. Don't wait for the festival. Go see Ponyo now! It's playing at the Scala and at Paragon.