Review: Bangkok Love Story

Bangkok Love Story
Written and Directed by: Poj Arnon
Starring: Rattanaballang Tohssawat, Chaiwat Thongsaeng, Wiradit Srimalai, and Chutcha Rujinanon



Being a killer-for-hire is a tough job. Especially in Thailand, and especially if you fall in love with the person you were sent to kill.








Welcome to Bangkok Love Story. The film, released on DVD today by TLA Releasing, tells the story of a hit man, Cloud, who's tragic past, a blind mother and HIV positive brother, led him to a life of killing. His latest target is Stone. He kidnaps Stone and takes him to his boss. It is here that he discovers Stone is in fact a good guy, and since Cloud only kills bad guys, Cloud helps Stone escape, getting himself shot in the process.

The two hide out and Stone helps nurse Cloud back to health. It is during this time the two men develop a passionate forbidden love.


It's an interesting film to watch. The dialogue is a bit under par if you ask me. Some of the lines fall a bit flat, but the chemistry between the actors is extremely potent. You really feel the drama they are going through. Cloud fighting the feelings he has for Stone. Stone desperately trying to get Cloud to return the love he is showing.

The two lead actors make the clunky dialogue a non issue because they deliver it with serious passion.

Writer/Director Poj Arnon may need some practice with his words but he certainly proves himself to be a great director. Together with Cinematographer Tiwa Moeithaisong, Arnon has crafted a simply beautifully shot movie. The Thai skyline and dark, damp alleys are so exquisitely shot that it was almost like staring at a painting. I was seriously taken aback by some of the shots. They were amazing.

The film is dark, touching, and heartbreaking. It's not exactly a masterpiece, at least by script standards, but the cast and the gorgeous cinematography set this film apart.

The DVD includes an alternate ending that I actually thought should have been in the movie. It really explains more about Cloud's brother Fog, and gives us a bit more back story to the brothers.

The movie is refreshing and different. The love story is a bit heavy handed and rushed, but in the end it is a believable transition. The twists and tragedies surrounding the events of the movie are truly heartbreaking.

It is a beautiful film with its fair share of flaws but it is certainly worth picking up if only for the amazing (and rather attractive) leads and for the stunning shots.


Bangkok Love Story is on DVD today.

RAWR(for more)

Review: Hell's Ground!

Anyone who likes gore, zombies, or burqas should certainly pick up Hell's Ground --- where it's poor protagonists are attacked by plauge ridden, flesh starved zombies by day and a mace-wielding, bloody burqa wearing, body carving psychopath named Baby by night. Who knew Pakistan could make horror films?

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Pakistan's first splatter flick is one of the newest offerings in TLA Releasings Danger After Dark line and it is a doozy.

Hell's Ground is about a group of friends who head out on their own for a night of fun at a concert. They make up a story for their parents and head out in a wildly decoracted van. One creepy shop keeper and a short cut later, they find themselves in the midst of a horrifying turn of events. And then they run out of gas.

By day, they are attacked zombies (including a little person zombie, ain't he cute?). By night, a psychopath named Baby who's fashion sense is a tad skewed.

Pretty much the best parts of slasher flicks all rolled into one 80 minute package.

Director Omar Khan has delivered a freakfest worthy of the best grindhouse theater. Quentin Tarantino would be proud. It's loaded with cliches but you really don't care, it's too much fun to worry about cliches. Hell's Ground mashes together so many different movies that it's hard not to find yourself enjoying it. It's creepy, jump filled, and gory as hell. You get everything really. Zombies, a maniac with a MACE, or a flail, or a morning star whatever you want to call it it's friggin cool.

Like I said, this movie would be at home in a grindhouse cinema. The acting is pretty decent, despite the cookie cutter characters (cool guy, bad girl, innocent girl, movie geek dope head, and poor guy). They do jump back and forwards between english and their native language which is a bit disorienting at first. Whether it is Punjabi or not, I can't be certain. I saw somewhere it wasn't but what do I know.

Omar Khan directs this movie like he is the son of Rodriguez and Tarantino. Grainy film, shaky camera. It all adds up to a priceless slasher experience. He takes a genre that is, lets face it, as american as apple pie and claims it as his own. Let's see if he does a sequel. I'm sure it will be just as fun.

Anyone who likes gore, zombies, or burqas should certainly pick up Hell's Ground. It's one of those great midnight movie creepfests you'll enjoy watching with your friends.

Hell's Ground is available now.

RAWR(for more)

TLA Acquires a killer!

TLA Releasing has acquired the rights to the Thai film Bangkock Love Story.

From the Press Release:

An assassin’s forbidden tryst fuels this gorgeously shot actioner from Thailand.

TLA Releasing has acquired all theatrical, home video, television and VOD entertainment rights for North America and United Kingdom for BANGKOK LOVE STORY (Thailand, 2007), directed by Poj Arnon. The film will be released in the summer of 2008 through the TLA Releasing label.

TLA acquired the film from Thailand-based sales and production company Sahamongkolfilm International Co., Ltd.; Sahamongkolfilm was represented by Executive Vice President Gilbert Lim; TLA Releasing was represented by Vice President of Acquisitions Jennifer Arndt-Johns. The deal was finalized at the 2007 American Film Market (AFM).

“We’re ecstatic about the opportunity to collaborate with Sahamongkol Film International on this title,” said TLA Releasing’s Jennifer Arndt-Johns. “A visually exciting film filled with action, romance and a fresh twist, BANGKOK LOVE STORY, will be an engaging discovery for all types of film lovers.”



BANGKOK LOVE STORY tells the story of Maek (Rattanaballang Tohssawat) an assassin who is sent to kill Iht (Chaiwat Tongsaeng) but when a twist of fate brings the men together, Maek refuses to kill Iht and in a gunfight, takes a bullet. Iht helps Maek back to a safe house and is nursed back to health. A bond begins to develop, revealing emotions from the mens’ hearts to each other. Confused, since Maek’s life as an assassin doesn’t allow him emotional attachments, especially with his assigned target, he attempts to leave but Iht will not give up on him. And when Maek goes back to his boss to rectify the situation and Iht suddenly appears, the end result is a bloody gunfight that will pit enemies, friends and lovers against each other. The film also stars Suchao Pongwilai of Ong-Bak Warrior fame.

From the pictures I've seen the film looks to be a beautifully shot movie. The story sounds really intriguing. I can't wait to see it.

For more info visit TLA Releasing.

RAWR(for more)