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THURSDAY | May 23, 2013 | Last update: 11:52 AM. |
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Friday 2 September 2011, 08:13AM
Job: Yoga teacher at The Little Yoga Room in Chalong
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was just about to start my final year at university and having way too much fun in Leeds, England. I was doing a degree in Counselling and Therapeutic Studies, but, by the end, I decided that I didn’t want to be a counsellor after all and went travelling instead.
How long have you lived on the island and why did you move here?
I have been here for almost three and a half years now. I got a job as a primary school teacher at a government school in Kathu and being engaged to a diving instructor when I came here, it helped that we were near the sea. (I married him by the way).
What were you doing before you moved here?
Before moving to Phuket, I used to live in Tokyo, Japan which as you can imagine is VERY different to here. I was an English teacher for a Japanese company. Tokyo is a wicked place to live with so much to do and see. The food, music, clubs and people were spot on! I loved it there and it will always have a special place in my heart.
What is the best thing about living here?
I like being warm! And living near a beach where you can actually go in the sea without freezing also helps. Also, I think that living here has given me the opportunity to practice, study and teach yoga full time. I honestly don’t think I would have been in a position where I could leave my full time job to totally give my time to something I love so much if I was back in England. My hubby and I have a lovely lifestyle.
What do you do to relax?
Yoga, yoga, yoga! A bit of poolside action in the sunshine, a spot of reading, maybe watching a film and having coffee with friends.
What hobbies or sports are you interested in?
The sports I’m interested in might sound a bit boyish, but I really enjoy watching MotoGP, World Superbikes and UFC.
I also enjoy travelling and eating out very much. I have many different places on my ‘list’ that I would love to go and visit in the future (India being one of them).
What is your favourite childhood memory?
Sledding with my dad when I was about four years old down the fields behind my house. We had only just moved to a new house and we were snowed in with 6ft drifts, but obviously managed to go out to play. I remember dropping the hammer down this road at what felt like warp speed towards my dad, using my hands to push my little self faster and faster. My dad held out his arms to catch me, totally missed and I went speeding off down the road towards oncoming cars, much to my dad’s dismay! He shouted at me to fall off sideways, and it’s a good job I listened at that age! Off I flew into a big snow drift, mouthful of snow. My dad was mortified. I had the best day ever!
Favourite food or dishes?
This changes all the time, but at the moment, I am LOVING poached eggs, or eggs florentine from the Gallery Cafe in Phuket Town.
What kind of music are you into?
Loads of different stuff. James Lavelle, Maximo Park, Kasabian, Ian Brown, Felix da Housecat, Primal Scream, David Bowie, U.N.K.L.E, Arctic Monkeys, Rolling Stones, Stanton Warriors, Lamb and Beck to name but a few. A lot of Indie and a lot of dirty, techy house. No R‘n’B.
What is the best tip you have for people moving to Phuket?
Do a bit of research on areas around Phuket, so you can figure out where you want to live. Definitely research which visa you need and if you are planning on working or have a job lined up, look at work permit info. I also think you should bring a poncho, some cheese and a bottle of red vino.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while living on the island?
I was driving home one day in Chalong when I stopped a couple of cars behind a pick up truck. On this pick up truck wasn’t your usual motorbike, furniture or general long pieces of metal that you usually see on the back of a pick up truck. What was on there however, was a baby elephant! The driver of the car directly behind it must have had the surprise of their life when the baby elephant decided to go to the bathroom ALL over the bonnet of their car! Note to self: never get too close to a pick up truck when it has a baby elephant riding in the back.
The person you admire the most and why?
My yoga teacher, Julie Hirunchai. Julie has been my teacher for more than two years now. She is a really dedicated teacher with lots of experience behind her. She always has a way of keeping me on track and calms me down if I have a mini freak out about stuff. I find Julie an inspiration and I feel honoured to have her as my yoga mum and friend.
Is there anything you don’t like about living here?
I always forget how much it rains during monsoon season and as I have a motorbike, I soon get rather bored of being drenched every time I go anywhere and pretty much all my clothes are strewn around the house damp. Also, sometimes when you think a couple of jobs you have to do will only take a short time can turn into a right mission, but I think that happens anywhere in the world to be honest.
Favourite place on the island and why?
I love it at Cape Panwa. It’s so nice and peaceful down there and it reminds me why we moved here. Love going down there for a bit of lunch on the beach with the hubby.
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Friday 2 September 2011, 03:34AM
– Motorists on a Florida highway in October 2000 got an unexpected fright when a tractor-trailer carrying 26 dead alligators overturned, spilling the carcasses across the road. The gators were due to be skinned and butchered anyway, so workers simply hauled them up onto a flatbed truck and continued on their way.
– Nooooo! A highway in The Netherlands was closed on May 11, 2005, after an accident that spilled 2,184 cases of Grolsch beer. One officer described the scene as “a sea of beer”.
– In Oregon, USA, in June 2007, a valve broke on a truck hauling animal waste from a processing plant, sending 4,000 gallons of pig blood gushing forth onto the road and into the yards of nearby homes.
– A truck overturned near Salt Lake City, USA, in August, 2005. Onlookers rushed to help, but soon legged it in the other direction when they learned the truck was carrying around 16,000 kgs of explosives. About three minutes later, the truck exploded creating a 30-foot deep crater in the road, blasting chunks out of the canyon wall, setting brush fires, and damaging a Union Pacific rail line.
– A truck spilled more than 500 pounds (226kg) of decomposing animal entrails and hides, pig heads, and outdated processed meat through Arizona, USA. The road was closed for a half-hour and bystanders gagged while a 15-man crew cleaned up the smelly spill.
– Thar She Blows! A 56-foot, 60-tonne sperm whale died on a beach in Taiwan in January, 2004. Researchers wanted the carcass to perform an autopsy and for research, but as it was being transported through the city, gasses built up to a critical level inside the whale and it exploded, spewing whale guts in the street, on the cars and over pedestrians.
– On July 21, 2006, a Tomahawk Cruise Missile fell off a truck and landed in the middle of the highway near the Bronx. Luckily, it wasn’t armed.
– There’s nothing like getting stuck in a major traffic jam early in the morning and being forced to smell breakfast meat the entire time. On April 2, 2009, about 2,000 pounds of raw sausage meat spilled onto a busy road in Savannah, Georgia. To make matters worse, it was also raining at the time, turning the processed fatty meat into a thick, mushy mess which took about four hours to clear.
– On June 11, 2009, an armoured car travelling on I-75 in Detroit, USA, somehow managed to spill bags of cash onto the highway. Local motorists began stopping and scooping up as much cash as possible, scrambling to get the money before the guards could.
– In Colombia, Bogota, on April 20, 2007, a truck overturned when it cornered a turn too fast, spilling almost a tonne of cocaine on the highway. The cocaine had been hidden in the walls and roof of the truck. The driver wasn’t hurt, but probably had a lot of time to contemplate the dangers of speeding while he sat in a prison cell afterwards.
– A truck carrying 12 million honeybees hit a wall on a highway ramp in California on December 15, 2004. The truck was carrying 480 bee colonies to pollinate an almond crop when it hit a wall, sending the bees swarming. The Las Vegas Fire Department eventually had to douse the bees with water to kill them.
–Twenty five penguins, an octopus and some exotic fish were minding their own business in the back of a refrigerated truck while being transported from the Indianapolis Zoo to Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas when suddenly, they found themselves on the side of the highway. The truck driver had lost control, flipping the truck several times before it ejected its unusual passengers. Sadly, four of the penguins died, but the octopus and fish were thrown clear and found alive in their plastic bags.
– Firefighters in China had a hell of a time cleaning up a highway after a truck loaded with buckets of construction glue crashed into a bus in Chengdu City. They tried using water guns to dilute the glue without success, and it didn’t take long before their spades and brooms became mired in the mess. Onlookers even slipped and got stuck. Eventually, the glue was dissolved with special chemicals.
– A big rig carrying freshly minted nickels from Philadelphia to the Federal Reserve in Miami crashed into another truck in Brevard County, Florida in 2008, spilling US$185,000 (B5.55 million) worth of coins onto the highway. Crews had to use blowers and shovels to up the 3.5 million coins.
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Friday 2 September 2011, 03:30AM
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Friday 2 September 2011, 03:28AM
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Friday 2 September 2011, 03:25AM
SFX Coliseum Phuket
Bangkok Kung Fu (T/E.SUB) [15+]: 11:15, 13:30, 15:45, 18:00, 20:15, 22:25
Colombiana (E) [18+]: 11:20, 14:30, 18:10, 21:20
Colombiana (E/F) [18+]: 13:10, 15:30, 20:10
Conan the Barbarian (E) [15+]: 12:00, 15:40, 18:50, 22:30
Cowboys & Aliens (E) [13+]: 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 19:05, 21:35
Cowboys & Aliens (E/F) [13+]: 17:45, 22:30
Final Destination 5 (E) [18+]: 13:40, 16:50, 20:30
Fright Night (E/3D) [18+]: 12:20, 14:50, 17:20, 19:50, 22:15
King Naresuan 4 (T/E.SUB) [S]: 13:40, 18:50
Kon Khon (T/E.SUB) [G]: 11:15, 16:30, 21:40
SFC Jungceylon Phuket
Colombiana (E) [18+]: 12:00, 14:20, 16:40, 19:00, 21:20
Conan the Barbarian (E) [15+] 11:20, 14:20, 18:05, 21:40
Cowboys & Aliens (E) [13+]: 11:50, 14:30, 17:00, 19:30, 22:10
Final Destination 5 (E) [18+]: 12:20, 16:05, 20:30
Fright Night (E) [18+]: 12:30, 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:25
Kon Khon (T/E.SUB) [G]: 13:45, 19:10
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 16:50, 22:30
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Friday 2 September 2011, 03:23AM
Run Time: 118 minutes
Rating: 13+
In what can only be described as a fairly close contest, it’s fair to say the only thing more ludicrous than both the premise and execution of this film is the title.
Of course, there were always going to be two ways you could play a film as ridiculous as Cowboys and Aliens – take it seriously, or have a bit of fun with it. Director Jon Favreau unfortunately chooses the former, and the result is a disappointingly humourless movie that takes itself so seriously that it actually borders on the edge of caricature, and as a result, completely fails.
In the end, this is a nightmare almost on par to the sheer horror that was Wild, Wild West, Barry Sonnenfeld’s mash-up retro-futurist Western from 1999. It is a movie that might have been frankly better left as a throwaway joke, or a doodle on an executive’s notepad, but has instead made it through the system as a full-length feature film.
What can basically be surmised as James Bond and Indiana Jones fighting monsters from outer space in the Old West, Cowboys and Aliens is a leaden mash-up of western and science-fiction elements that ends up noisy, grotesque and unappealing.
Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) is the epitome of a taciturn Western hero, which is fine, but he’s surrounded by Western characters who act exactly as you would expect them to act – not only the wise, benevolent Sheriff, but also Meacham (Clancy Brown), a preacher who’s remarkably open-minded, as well as a bartender/medical doctor named, surprisingly, Doc (Sam Rockwell).
The stockpile of stereotypes rises higher with a wise and discreet Native American (Adam Beach), a loyal underling to Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) who treats the older man as his father, and a sad little boy (Noah Ringer) who helps soften up the cattle baron.
With a script eager to embrace every witless western chestnut — talking is “flapping your gums” to this crowd — and a passion for stock situations, Cowboys & Aliens displays one thumping cliché after another as if its bankrupt derivativeness was in some way reinventing the wheel.
On a positive note, the cinematography is top notch, with director of photography Matthew Libatique using some stunning shots to create an authentic American west setting (though stutters with some disorientating action sequences). That’s really where the good points about this movie end though.
It’s not that Cowboys & Aliens is bad, per se, just that it pokes along rather than galloping, and never really succeeds in cohesively gelling together two vastly divergent genres. It really wants to be a Western, but it’s a horse opera that relies upon the novelty of an alien invasion to perk up the plot, which dawdles when it needs to dash. There’s no real emotional bite to the loss of all the townspeople who got roped by riders in the sky; it’s just a device to herd the story along to its inevitable final battle.
In the end, both the cowboy and the alien halves of the venture play like tired retreads of once-vibrant material, and putting them together doesn’t disguise the deficiencies — it doubles down on the losses.
And so at its best, Cowboys and Aliens is a mediocre western movie. At its worst, it is a horrible mix of two already tired genres that fail to deliver any sense of cohesion. Combined with the fact that it takes itself way too seriously, this serves as little more than a warning for future ill-conceived genre mash-ups.
– Dane Halpin
1 star
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Saturday 27 August 2011, 09:53AM
“Madam, DVD? New dress? Come inside?”
I’m in the heart of Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, and it’s like Patong on steroids.
But the difference is here, the touts chase you down the street. “Madam, come here, DVD? Come back, come for a look,” a man says as he grabs my arm, making me flee.
I quickly manage to submerge myself into the bustling crowd and find a quiet alley down the side of the busy walking street. Here, locals are purchasing every type of food, ranging from fresh fruit, to dried whitebait (I think) and beans and peanuts of all different sorts.
Out on the main street is mainly fake goods, including any type of watch, bag, t-shirt or brand of jeans you can think of – plus food galore. One man, known as ‘the pancake man’, is cooking up a storm of pancakes of all different shapes and types. The one I sampled was full of peanuts, and tasted delicious.
A nearby English speaker translated a conversation with the man saying prices for the ingredients were so high these days, he had to keep continually raising the price of the pancakes to make a profit. He looked like he had been making pancakes for years, as his hands flashed back and forth as he created the batter.
Fresh fruit, including ripe round cherries, are available on every corner, and there are also restaurants nestled in between the stores.
Silk is also a sought-after item in Chinatown, with many people heading to the area specifically to purchase such items, likewise with nearby Little India.
Clothes shopping opportunities are endless, and although mostly in Asian-style fashion, tamer outfits can be purchased for as little as B50 at times. All are made in China, obviously, and the quality isn’t the greatest, but the variety is huge and the sizing extensive.
Good public transport in KL means Chinatown is very accessible and it is located near KL Sentral, the hub of the city’s public transport. Taxi prices are about one third of the price of Phuket’s, and public transport is relatively efficient and cheap.
Nearby Little India, which is only a two minute walk from the Pasar Seni Rapid KL train station, is also recommended for travellers, if you aren’t already weary from the madness of Chinatown.
Little India is more subdued though with not quite so much haggling, and a lot of it is contained inside Central Market mall. Little alleyways on the mall’s ground floor are quaint and full of souvenirs, jewellery, more silk, fabrics, traditional clothing, and even a resident palm reader. Salespeople are less obtrusive, and are happy to let you sift through the endless items for sale, even if you’re not making a purchase.
While perhaps not as big as Chinatown and Little India suburbs in Bangkok and Singapore, the ones in Kuala Lumpur are still worth a visit if you have time to spare while in Malaysia’s capital.
– Claire Connell
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Saturday 27 August 2011, 08:27AM
Obese model Susanne Eman has a pretty big goal – she is bidding to become the world’s fattest woman.
Already tipping the scales at a weighty 330kg, Susanne is apparently not satisfied and wants to get to a record 730kg – and beyond – by gorging on 20,000 calories a day.
The 32-year-old, who is a hit among fans of ‘super size big beautiful women’, said: “The bigger I get, the better I feel. I feel more confident and sexy. Why shouldn’t I push the limits and see how fat I can get and stay healthy? I’d love to find out if it’s humanly possible to reach a tonne.”
The single mother of two, from Arizona, aims to hit her target weight in 10 years.
She visits the supermarket once a month with sons Gabriel, 16, and Brendin, 12, and spends up to eight hours filling six trollies.
“It’s like a full day’s work,” she said. That is if a day’s work involves going grocery shopping.
She uses a motorised scooter to support her grossly overweight frame, but astonishingly believes she can stay healthy.
“If I was to get sick, I’ve arranged for my sister to take care of my kids,” she said.
“I haven’t gone near the danger zones yet though.” The operative word is yet.
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Saturday 27 August 2011, 08:26AM
- It is illegal for a taxi in the City of London to carry rabid dogs or corpses, just in case that actually needed to be outlawed.
- It is illegal to die in the Britain Houses of Parliament. It is not clear what the punishment would be for actually committing this crime.
- It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down.
- In France, it is forbidden to call a pig Napoleon. You can still call it Snowball though.
- Under the UK’s Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations 2006, it is illegal not to tell the taxman anything you don’t want him to know, though you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t mind him knowing.
- In Alabama, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle.
- In Ohio, it is against state law to get a fish drunk.
- Royal Navy ships that enter the Port of London must provide a barrel of rum to the Constable of the Tower of London. Sounds like a pretty good job.
- In the UK, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet.
- In Lancashire, no person is permitted after being asked to stop by a constable on the seashore to incite a dog to bark.
- In Miami, Florida, it is illegal to skateboard in a police station.
- In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation.
- In England, all men over the age of 14 must carry out two hours of longbow practice a day.
- In San Salvador, drunk drivers can be punished by death before a firing squad.
- In the UK, a man who feels compelled to urinate in public can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle.
- In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon more than six-feet long. Because a 5’11’’ weapon is a perfectly appropriate measure of self defence.
- In Chester, England, Welshmen are banned from entering the city before sunrise and from staying after sunset.
- In the city of York, it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.
- In Boulder, Colorado, it is illegal to kill a bird within the city limits and also to “own” a pet – the town’s citizens, legally speaking, are merely “pet minders."
- In Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.
- In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.
- In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman’s genitals but is forbidden from looking directly at them during the examination; he may only see their reflection in a mirror.
- The head of any dead whale found on the British coast is legally the property of the king; the tail, on the other hand, belongs to the queen — in case she needs the bones for her corset.
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Saturday 27 August 2011, 03:35AM
SFC Jungceylon Phuket
Conan the Barbarian (E) [15+]: 11:40, 14:10, 16:40, 19:10, 21:40
Cowboys & Aliens (E) [13+]: 11:15, 12:15, 14:45, 17:15, 19:45, 22:15
Final Destination 5 (E) [18+]: 11:50, 13:50, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00
King Naresuan 4 (T/E.SUB) [S]: 13:30, 18:40
Kon Khon (T/E.SUB) [G]: 12:00, 14:25, 16:50, 19:20, 21:50
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 16:20, 21:30
SFX Coliseum Phuket
Captain America (E) [13+]: 15:50
Conan the Barbarian (E) [15+]: 13:50, 16:20, 18:50, 21:20
Cowboys & Aliens (E) [13+]: 12:20, 14:50, 17:20, 19:50, 22:20
Cowboys & Aliens (E/F) [13+]: 13:40, 16:10, 18:40, 21:10
Final Destination 5 (E/3D) [18+]: 12:00, 14:05, 16:05, 18:15, 20:20, 22:25
King Naresuan 4 (T) [S] 14:00, 16:50, 19:35, 22:25
Kon Khon (T/E.SUB) [G]: 12:00, 14:25, 16:45, 19:20, 21:50
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 13:30, 18:25, 20:45
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Saturday 27 August 2011, 03:34AM
Run Time: 92 minutes
Rating: 18+
Now in its fifth installment, it’s pretty fair to say by now you’ll know exactly what to expect with a Final Destination film – namely gore, death, and not much else.
But while all of the films are without a doubt short of moviegoing mastery – with stiff performances, stilted dialogue, and a preference for style over substance – overall the franchise has succeeded in entertaining audiences for over a decade.
So has the franchise managed to avoid death yet again? Well not exactly. Some new additions may provide some interest for long term fans, but the movie reverts to the same formulaic structure and wooden character development as previous installments, with the only real drawcard again being the elaborate scenes of death and mutilation.
Having long ago left behind the dimension where logic, the physical laws of the universe, and all semblance of intelligence exist, Final Destination 5 is free to spend all its time and most of its budget on ever more outlandish death sequences. It kicks things off with a spectacular gambit, set on a suspension bridge high over a river, where a fresh group of eight bodies await their ritual dismemberment.
From there the familiar formula is shaken up with a couple of new ingredients, but the basic flavour remains the same: intricate, Rube Goldberg-style accidents that are incredibly elaborate and designed to draw your eye away from the eventual cause of death, which is lingered upon with loving, morbid and occasionally disturbing delight.
There are some thrills to be had in this, but the problem is that between these scenes of death and mutilation, there is almost nothing to actually progress any sort of coherent narrative. It cannot be stressed enough just how bad the acting is, and the relationships and devices used to drive what little plot there is are forced and almost laughably bad.
There is a nice little twist in the ending that actually works to an extent, but it does little to make up for a predictable, poorly written story that, to put it bluntly, doesn’t make any sense (not that it’s really trying to).
On one of the few positive notes to be taken from the film, the special effects are surprisingly good, doing an excellent job of beheading, incinerating, vivisecting, squishing and performing all other forms of morbid dismemberment – if you’re into that kind of thing.
It is also very effective at creating suspense. It makes no real secret when one of the characters is due to meet their bloody end, but it sets up the elaborate death sequences well, exploiting the everyday fears of paranoid audience members and building them up into a ‘so horrible I have to watch’ kind of scenario.
At the end of the day though this is a terrible film. It will please the morbid minded among us who enjoy watching people die, but anyone interested in any form of narrative or character development will be walking out within minutes of the opening credits.
Let’s hope this really is the final destination for this film franchise.
– Dane Halpin
1 ½ stars
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Saturday 20 August 2011, 03:32AM Steak restaurants are found all over the island, particularly in high-end restaurants, but there are also cheaper, good quality options available near Phuket Town.
One restaurant in particular is Extra Steak 4, on Chao Fa West Rd, northwest of Phuket Town. Steaks, either beef or pork, plus chicken or fish options, are served with salad, french fries and garlic bread, and the prices start at B55 – almost unheard of for steak in the western world.
But fear not – it still tastes good, and the restaurant’s popularity seems to have spread considering the large number of farang eating when The Phuket News visited.
Eakarat ‘Pe’ Sutiparichart and Orasa ‘Beau’ Supitayakul, the young steak house owners are proud of their small restaurant. They also have another branch on Chao Fa Rd, on the right hand side, plus two branches in Bangkok which are popular too. Beside serving steak, staff also serve spaghetti, fried chicken, sausages and soup.
This restaurant is open daily from 5-11pm except Wednesdays.How to get there: Driving south from Central Festival, just before the turn off to the Naka Weekend Market, Extra Steak 4 is on the left.
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Friday 12 August 2011, 04:55AM
Takua Pa is a small peaceful coastal town, located amid the freshness of a valley in Phang Nga province.
Historically, Indian, Chinese and Arabic traders knew Takua Pa as Takola, the Indian word for the sweet-smelling cardamom spice. Its port was well known as a trading centre for spices on the early commercial shipping route from the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Siam 200 years ago.
Takua Pa (tin in Thai) then became also an important centre for tin-mining and was eventually included as an administrative district in the new Phang Nga province.
It was morning of a long-weekend. Thinking about where to go next, this traveller remembered Takua Pa that she once visited with many friends and met other travellers who are now close friends.
The bus ride of 120 kms from Phuket to the town on the northern coast of Phang Nga was a two-hour drive through thick forests, dense national parks and dark-green mountains, the road following a winding coastline all the way.
The route passes through the popular Khao Lak holiday area with its strings of luxury resorts on both sides of the highway north and south of the town.
Travellers can take their time, slowing down and stopping to walk and take in the sights such as at the busy Khao Lak tourist township.
More cars and motorbikes were on the road as the sun rose. People were out early, opening their restaurants, spreading out their groceries or just relaxing in front of their houses.
The old Sino-Portuguese-style buildings on Udom Tara and Sri Takua Pa roads silently testify to the golden age of old Takola when tin mines made the money that built the picturesque, grey, two-storey shophouses.
Early next morning, this travelller woke in an old hotel that was decorated simply and neatly. With not many visitors were around, it was an ideal place to rest.
A Thai movie, Wonderful Town, seen the previous night, was shot around old Takua Pa. The film director was right: this charming old town is wonderful.
– Sukunya Phoonpong
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Friday 12 August 2011, 04:36AM
Rating: G
Run Time: 105 minutes
The risk with creating intelligent apes is that they may end up being smarter than you – and if there’s only one problem with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it’s that its primate cast are significantly smarter than the movie they’re in.
But before terrifying visions of Tim Burton’s failed 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes appear in your mind, relax – there is not a single rubber mask, nor Mark Wahlberg, in sight.
Director Rupert Wyatt has instead delivered a remarkably plausible take on the origin story of the science fiction classic, though has made a seemingly conscious decision to put both plot, and (human) character development, on the backburner in place of showing off what can only be described as an evolutionary step forward in digital film-making.
James Franco plays Wil Rodman, a scientist working on what he believes is a revolutionary cure for Alzheimers. He is, predictably, testing that drug – known at ALZ-112 – on chimpanzees.
After his research suffer some untimely misfortune, he brings a baby chimp called Caesar home and raises it as his pet/son. The rest of the movie concerns the challenges facing Caesar as he is caught between two worlds – too much of an ape to fit in with people, and too smart to spend his life eating bananas and scratching himself.
While Franco does his best with a character who makes some radical personality shifts to help the story, and John Lithgow shines as his Alzheimers suffering father, it is Andy Serkis, the rubber-faced actor who provided the core performance for the digital Caesar, that deserves all the plaudits for an extraordinary performance – one that is heightened, not diminished by the motion capture process.
It might even sound odd, obvious or even derogatory to say that Serkis and the digitally-rendered apes are the stars of this film, but it is none of those things. Rather its a recognition of all that is right, and the surprisingly little that is wrong, with a film that within its first 15 minutes sees James Franco relegated to a bit-part player.
It is not just the digital creations that shine – Wyatt also benefits from the cinematography of Andrew Lesnie, who brings a painter’s understanding of natural light and colour to scenes that have no right to be beautiful, but are, as in the long shot of chimps swinging through two rows of trees down a suburban street.
Ultimately though there is little substance beneath this stunning veneer. We know almost immediately where this film is taking us from the beginning, and it makes little effort to throw in any real surprises. In a way that makes it easier to simply admire the beauty, but somewhat dull and two-dimensional human characters assist in dragging this down just enough to prevent it being an incredibly good film.
With winking nods to, and carefully-established foundations for, the original films, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes will please old fans and win over a menagerie of new ones. It may not be the thinking person’s movie, but it is a genuine evolution in digital film-making, and that in itself is more than enough to make it worth seeing.
– Dane Halpin
3 ½ stars
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Friday 12 August 2011, 04:31AM
SFX Coliseum Phuket
Captain America (E/3D) [13+]: 11:15
Captain America (E/F) [13+]: 13:30, 16:00, 18:35, 21:10
Captain America (T) [13+]: 12:00
King Naresuan 4 (T) [S]: 11:00, 14:00, 17:00, 20:00
King Naresuan 4 (T/D) [S]: 13:30, 16:30, 19:30, 22:15
King Naresuan 4 (T/E.SUB) [S]: 11:10, 12:10, 15:10, 21:00
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 11:15, 14:50, 17:10, 22:30
SFC Jungceylon Phuket
Captain America (E) [13+]: 12:00, 14:35, 17:10, 19:45, 22:20
The Hangover 2 (E) [18+]: 22:25
Harry Potter 7 Part 2 (E) [G]: 17:15
King Naresuan 4 (T/E.SUB): 11:15, 14:15
Larry Crowne (E) [15+]: 11:40, 13:50, 16:00, 18:10, 20:20, 22:25
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 11:15, 13:20, 15:40, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30
Water for Elephants (E) [15+]: 20:00
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Friday 5 August 2011, 08:33AM
Job: Retired – Co-founder of the Phuket International Women’s Club, member of the Phuket Lions Club, volunteer with French Red Cross volunteer and Phuket Thai Red Cross Society.
How long have you lived on the island and why did you move here?
Around 1970, visited a long-time business friend who suggested I open a boutique at the first resort in Rawai, Phuket. Agreed immediately and this proved to be the best decision. Never regretted it!
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Developing a small plot of land near Chalong where I now live next to my adopted Thai family. For all those years, our Lions Club and our community projects with local schools were my main concern.
What were you doing before you moved here?
I used to work in the Lab Department of a well known university in Louisiana. I arrived in Bangkok in 1964 and soon began to feel that my time ought to be put to good use, so I discussed this with my Thai and foreign friends.
This was the period when the American Forces were still in Thailand. Speaking to a good Thai friend, she suggested I visit the Chief of SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organisation) whose headquarters were near the Children Hospital.
The Chief asked me about my experience in the USA and who I had worked for. When I mentioned the name of my boss, he said, “You worked for Bob, you work for me”.
What is best thing about living here?
First, I would mention the Thai People, the Phuketians for having left a definite imprint on the local architecture and traditions.
Phuket offers so many possibilities to join in the many cultural or other events through the various media online, be it the Thai press, English or French.
The low cost of living is another plus, shopping galore and choice of places to eat or entertain.
What do you do to relax?
I read a lot, especially Thai history books such as The Four Reigns by former Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj, or simply watch a good movie, news on many channels, French, Thai, or German, English. I switch often to broaden my horizons and keep abreast or events.
What hobbies or sports are you interested in?
I try to keep fit with home exercise, swimming, gardening, listening to music and even dancing to it.
At home, it was a tradition to always have music, often a whole band, when celebrating a wedding or the baptism of a child, so I learned to dance accompanying an older sister married to a musician who had his own band, and often had to go outside our home town to perform up country.
What is your favourite childhood memory?
For me, childhood was World War II. One time we were stuck in a village on our way to other villages to sleep and be given a meal. I will never forget being called over by a young German soldier. I stopped. He was holding a round box he wanted me to take. Still I did not move.
He made gestures to let me know that he too had a little girl like me and that the box was for me. He opened it and dipped a finger in it and popped it in his mouth to show me it was good.
I took it and ran to my mom who warned me never again to move from her side!
Favourite food or dish?
I would say that my favourite menu is mostly Thai dishes, chicken curry, red or green, Hor Mok from the local market, as well as my own favourite Bolognese and paté de foie de canard for sandwiches on nice wholewheat bread!
What kind of music are you into?
I love music, be it classical or Latin.
What is the best tip you have for people moving to Phuket?
Inform yourself. These days it is quite easy to do so thanks to all the various websites in Phuket, and also directly through the Phuket Government website. Make friends and not enemies.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while living on the island?
That was when I found out that a couple, looking for a “Madame Irene”, were referred to my shop. I learned later that staff and people who knew me in the Rawai area would refer to me as Madame With The Shop On Phuket Island! The name stuck as long as we had the shop and even today when people remember me from that time.
Who is the person you admire the most?
HM The King of Thailand, with the highest respect and deepest appreciation and wishes for a long life.
If you could come back as any other person who would it be and why?
My philosophy is to live this life understanding things as they really are and the law of cause and effect. I will not speculate on any possibilities.
Is there anything you don’t like about living here?
I do not approve of foreigners driving around shirtless – something they would not do in their own country. I never have seen a Thai doing this, unless he was repairing his bike in a shop or home.
Favourite place on the island, and why?
The southern part, which I consider my “re-birth place”.
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Friday 5 August 2011, 08:24AM
SFX Coliseum Phuket
Captain America (E/3D) [13+]: 12:15, 14:50, 17:25, 20:00, 22:35
Captain America (T) [13+]: 11:15, 13:50, 16:25, 19:05, 21:40
Gan Kor Gad (T/E.SUB) [18+]: 12:45, 15:00, 17:15, 19:25, 21:35
Harry Potter 7 Part 2 (E) [G]: 14:10, 19:30, 22:10
Harry Potter 7 Part 2 (T) [G]: 11:30, 16:50
Pum Puang (T/E.SUB) [13+]: 11:50, 14:30, 17:10, 19:50, 22:25
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 12:00, 14:20, 16:40, 19:00, 21:20
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E/F) [G]: 13:10, 15:30, 17:50, 20:10, 22:30
SFC Jungceylon Phuket
Captain America (E) [13+]: 12:10, 14:45, 17:20, 19:50, 22:20
Gan Kor Gad (T/E.SUB) [18+]: 11:20, 15:05
The Hangover 2 (E) [18+]: 22:20
Harry Potter 7 Part 2 (E) [G]: 12:20, 16:00, 19:45
Pum Puang (T/E.SUB) [13+]: 13:25, 17:10
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (E) [G]: 11:15, 13:20, 15:40, 18:00, 20:15, 22:30
Transformers 3 (E) [13+]: 18:40
Water for Elephants (E) [15+]: 12:30, 15:00, 17:30, 20:00, 22:25
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Friday 5 August 2011, 08:23AM Run Time: 124 minutes
Rating: 13+
It would have been easy to turn up thinking this would have be little more than a shameless propaganda film – and to a certain extent it is.
But a humorous tone and over-the-top action prevent us from taking Captain America too seriously, as the film performs a delicate balancing act that will ultimately please, if not excite, almost everyone.
Set in a sumptuous recreation of the 1940s, the movie begins with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as a much-bullied 90-pound weakling whose relentless ambition to enlist in the US army is repeatedly denied due to his physical limitations.
Thanks to some rather creepy Benjamin Button style digital trickery, Evans is able to transform from a scrawny, prepubescent physique into a rippling hunk of man muscle as he undergoes an experimental procedure to become a new breed of “supersoldier” (though some of his initial charisma is lost in the process).
Destined to be his nemesis is Hugo Weaving, at his villainous best as a red-faced, German-accented Nazi supersoldier – a caricature so fanatical about racial purity and world domination that even Adolf Hitler’s bureaucrats are scared of him.
Hayley Atwell is somewhat stiff as the smoldering brunette love interest, but otherwise, the supporting cast is beyond reproach. Tommy Lee Jones is hilariously gruff as a colonel who doubts Steve’s powers and Stanley Tucci skilfully delivers his payload of exposition as a German refugee who serves as Obi-Wan Kenobi to Steve’s Luke Skywalker.
What truly shines through Captain America though is the appreciable human dimension to the character story at the core of the mega-scale superhero shenanigans.
Rogers’ struggle is an underdog story that is immediately engaging. We feel a genuine attachment to his support characters, and the fact that, even with his new-found strength. he remains inherently vulnerable, adds a dimension of realism and believability.
It adds to the overwhelming feeling that Captain America is not really a superhero movie, but more of a war film and a period piece with a superhero plot thrown in for good measure.
Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and director Joe Johnston clearly understood this going into the film, as it never forgets itself or falls into spandex-draped cliché. Ultimately the movie feels less like a superhero flick set in World War II, than a World War II movie that just happens to have a superhero running around in it.
The way director Joe Johnston propels the narrative is also impressive and builds on this more epic sense of scale, giving a sense of broad story rather than the impression of a series of sensational set pieces, as has been the norm for the recent string of comicbook film failures.
This is still a fairly shameless setup for Marvel Studios’ upcoming The Avengers, which will see Captain America join forces with Thor, Iron Man and Hulk in another addition to Hollywood’s seemingly endless repertoire of comic book adaptations. But it’s a setup that at least has some substance, and is a fairly solid standalone film.
It’s also showing in 3D at Central Festival, but there’s probably no point in shelling out the extra money. All the visuals were converted in post production, and it shows. Most of the movie can be watched with the glasses off anyway, as only a couple of scenes have been given the visual trickery treatment (although the 3D rolling credits are particularly enjoyable).
With plenty of pulpy action, a pleasantly retro vibe, and a handful of fine performances, Captain America is solidly old-fashioned blockbuster entertainment that will please, if not wow, everyone from the most cynical theatregoers to the most die-hard comic fans.
– Dane Halpin
3 stars
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Friday 5 August 2011, 08:17AM
Admitting guilt
In 2006, Thomas Bentey of New Jersey sued his former law school, St. Thomas University Law School of Miami, for having admitted him to law school (he was one of 40 students expelled for failing to make grades). His lawyer claimed, “They’re not supposed to accept students who don’t have a reasonable prospect of completing law school.” The case was eventually settled out of court on unknown terms.
Me v I
In 1995 Robert Lee Brock, a prison inmate in Virginia filed a US$5 million lawsuit against himself (he claimed that he violated his own civil rights by getting arrested) – then asked the state to pay because he has no income in jail. The judge was not impressed by his ingenuity, and dismissed the suit as frivolous.
Shaky claim
John Carter, a New Jersey man sued McDonald’s for injuries he sustained in an auto accident with one of their customers. He claimed that the customer who hit him did so after spilling the contents of his chocolate shake (which he purchased from McDonald’s) onto his lap while reaching over for his fries. He claimed McDonald’s should have a warning to the effect of “don’t eat and drive”. The lawsuit was unsuccessful.
Spilling the beans
Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque burned her lap and was hospitalised after spilling a cup of McDonald’s coffee. She sued the fast food giant in 1992 and two years later received US$160,000 in direct damages and US$2.7 million in punitive damages, which a court later reduced to US$480,000.
Looking for ladies
During the 1990s Budweiser ran a series of adverts in which two beautiful women appeared in front of two truck drivers drinking the brew. Michigan man Richard Overton promptly bought a case of the beer, drank it and waited – but no women appeared. Overton cited emotional distress and mental injury due to false advertising and said he wanted over US$10,000 in damages. The case was thrown out.
Batman sues Batman
In 2008, the mayor of Batman, a city in Turkey, announced that he would sue Warner Brothers, claiming the makers of the most recent Caped Crusader film, The Dark Knight, used his city’s name without permission. No media reports followed the mayor’s announcement, suggesting his rather dubious claim never made it past the drawing board.
Distressed doppelganger
In 2006, Michael Jordan lookalike Allen Heckard tried to sue Nike for US$832 million for making the basketball star so recognisable it caused Heckard permanent injury, emotional pain and suffering. He failed.
Wife breaks heart, man demands kidney
Richard Batista decided enough was enough when his cheating wife presented him with divorce papers. He promptly issued a lawsuit ultimatum: return the kidney he had given her eight years previously to save her life, or pay US$1.5 million. The outcome of the case could not be found.
Silence is golden
Music publishers for the late avant-garde composer John Cage sued Mike Batt for plagiarism in 2002. They claimed Batt’s song, A Minute’s Silence, ripped off Cage’s 4.33, which also contained absolutely no music or vocals. Even though copyrighting silence might seem to be impossible, Batt agreed to settle the case out of court, paying a six-figure amount.
Shattered ego?
German playboy Rolf Eden sued a 19-year-old woman for discriminatory ageism after she refused to jump in the sack with him. Eden, who reckons he has bedded around 3,000 women in his time, obviously didn’t take refusal too well and filed charges. The outcome of the case could not be found.
You don’t say...
In probably the only case of suing someone for truthful advertising, 57-year-old Cleanthi Peters sued America’s Universal Studios in 2000 for US$15,000, claiming she had suffered “extreme fear, mental anguish, and emotional distress” during a visit to the Studios’ ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ haunted house. She claimed the ride was just too downright scary.
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Friday 5 August 2011, 08:14AM
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