'Pee Mak' keeps scaring up prizes
IT'S BEEN TWO years since the horror-comedy 'Pee Mak Phra Khanong' was released to widespread acclaim and record-setting box-office success both at home and abroad, and the movie is still racking up the accolades.
The latest is a special jury prize from the Asean International Film Festival and Awards, which was held last week in Kuching, Malaysia.
Director Banjong “Tong” Pisanthanakun and one of the supporting actors, Pongsatorn “Phuek” Jongwilas, attended the fest, which welcomed many big names from across Asia, including Hong Kong high-kicker Jackie Chan and his “Police Story 3: Super Cop” co-star, homegrown action heroine Michelle Yeoh. She was honoured with the AIFFA’s first lifetime achievement award.
With “Pee Mak”, jurors were most impressed by the way the century-old Thai ghost story easily connected to a wide swath of contemporary viewers.
Phuek was particularly pleased to accept the award and say a few things to the crowd.
“It was my first time to say ‘thank you’ on stage at a movie awards show and also my first time in English,” the actor said.
And Tong was pleased to see how the crowd reacted to Phuek.
“At first people didn’t recognise Phuek, because he’s not wearing the same old-time hairstyle he had in the film, but when they figured who he was, they all wanted to take photos with him,” Tong said.
In fact, it’s more than just “Pee Mak” fans who know about Phuek – he’s part of a quartet of comic-relief actors Banjong put together for the GTH studio’s “Phobia” horror anthologies, 2008’s “Si Phrang” (four intersections) and 2009’s “Ha Phrang” (five intersections). “They said they been fans of to Phuek since ‘Si Phrang’, and I was thrilled,” Tong said.
Perhaps it’s time to give Phuek and his pals their own movie.
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A free for all
Even before the first punch is thrown, the May 2 dream fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao has already broke records.
Considered the richest boxing match ever, with a potential take of $300 million, it’s also the most expensive. For the bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the cheapest seat costs $1,500, or about Bt48,000. Fans who want to stay at home and watch aren’t getting off lightly either, with pay-per-view prices in the US at a record-setting $99 for high-definition and $89 for the standard less-sharp picture. And of course, there’s no guarantee of how long the fight will last. Pay-per-view customers might just be paying for one punch.
Fight fans elsewhere are much luckier. In Pacquiao’s home country, the Philippines, watching the “fight of the century” is considered a birthright, and it will be carried live on all TV channels.
In Thailand, the fight has been picked up by the free-to-air Channel 7, ensuring that Thais can also cheer for the Pac-Man. The bell rings at 8am.
