Thais behaving strangely in New York subway
There was some doubt at first as to whether a recent episode of the often-controversial TV series "Hormones" was actually shot in New York City as purported. But it's not easy building a replica Manhattan, so the answer is yes, it was.
The episode had Win (played by Patchara Chirathiwat) hiding out in the storied American metropolis. New character Nerng (Kanyawee Songmuang) was there too, in her debut appearance, and so was Khwan (Ungsumalynn “Pattie” Sirapatsakmetha) – sort of.
Pattie was in New York shooting solo scenes of her not actually being there. Win kept thinking about her, back home in Thailand, and he’d picture her there on the streets of the Big Apple. So there was Pattie in her high-school uniform in chilly New York – the episode was shot last winter. She was wandering the mean streets and looking forlorn in a subway station.
Pattie says it was one of her most memorable experiences ever, especially that part in the subway. Filming took place in the wee hours when there weren’t many people around (apparently New York does occasionally get some sleep after all). Pattie was standing alone and wistful on the platform with the crew and camera way over on the other side of the tracks. A train pulled up, some guy got off and he looked at her. He felt compelled to ask if she needed any help. Another myth busted: So much for New Yorkers being unfriendly.
The real problem was that Pattie couldn’t answer him because the camera might have been rolling right at that minute. She understood why he was concerned – she was acting troubled and for all he knew she might even have been mulling suicide.
Funny, she says, because, given the episode’s concept, she was more like a “ghost”, and that would really have scared the poor guy.
Tanuki sightings
“Stand By Me Doraemon 3D” has been burning up Japanese box offices for the past three weeks, outselling even the Hollywood blockbuster “Transformers: Age of Extinction”. It’s anxiously awaited here – but not until the very last day of the year – so meanwhile the fans are picking fights.
What happened was the Major Cineplex website listed the animated film as “Nobita and the Lost Blue Tanuki”. By “tanuki” they mean Doraemon, but Doreamon hates being called a tanuki. He’s always saying that in the cartoons.
A tanuki is actually a racoon dog native to Japan. In folk tales it can take human form. Doraemon is a robot cat who’s come from the future to help Nobita. In myth and fiction as in life, cats hate dogs.
So the Thai fans stormed the Multiplex fan page and vented their wrath on Pantip.com too. The movie disappeared from the website, causing another shock: Had the release been cancelled?
Well, M Pictures, in charge of distribution, says relax, it’s still coming, and the Thai title simply hasn’t been finalised yet.
“Stand By Me Doraemon” has earned 4.5 billion yen (Bt1.4 billion) to date. Director Takashi Yamazaki had a hit in Thailand with his last movie, “Always: Sunset on Third Street”.
