Gossip nearly grounds 'Flight'
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The buzz ahead of the premiere of Five Star production's 3D thriller "Dark Flight 407" yesterday included a rumour that its star, Marsha Wattanapanich, slashed her usual fee so she could get the role.
The buzz also included Marsha’s ticked-off denial that she would ever lower herself to do such a thing. She asked reporters at the preview screening if they made up the story for the sake of headlines.
Marsha insisted her fee for “Dark Flight” was the same as always, though she wouldn’t say what that is. And yes, she’s starred in a lot of horror films lately, she acknowledged, but it’s not like her roles are identical.
It’s possible the reporters made up that stuff about Marsha because they had two hours to kill – the screening was postponed until 10pm. A lot of them gave up and left without seeing the flick, so presumably they made up their reviews too.
Five Star blamed the delay on a technical glitch, but bored film critics decided they must have done some last-minute editing. One of the pundits, Nantakwang Sirisuntorn, cracked that it felt like being in an airport with Flight 407 delayed.
Smart bamboo
Mechai Viravaidya is pretty pleased with his Mechai Pattana School in Buri Ram, the so-called “Bamboo School”. They don’t need no stinkin’ free government tablets, they do their own e-learnin’, and a couple of foreigners teach English and French.
The kids are taught about sustainable development and the semesters are timed to the rice seasons, so they’re home for sowing and reaping. Instead of paying tuition fees, parents can plant a tree or make some other contribution to society.
As to academic merit, some of the children have been invited to intern at international schools.
Next up for “Mr Condom” is taking in pregnant teens to save them from dropping out of high school and “ruining their future. Why do we punish them when the boys who make them pregnant walk free?” he wonders.
