Design

& copywriting
address: 153 S. Laurel St. Ventura, Calif. 93001 tel. 805-204-1632 email: bradcheng@gmail.com
James Bradford Cheng
Weekend Magazine
Weekly entertainment supplement
The Nation/Bangkok, Thailand
Santa Barbara News-Press
Newspaper/Nation and World section
Werndorf Associates
Entertainment advertising
n
Design
Covers
Weekend Magazine
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 306 FEBRUARY 28, 2003
RE-ENTER
THE DRAGON
A MARTIAL ARTS MASTER BRINGS
BRUCE LEES MOVES TO BANGKOK

YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 342 OCTOBER 31, 2003
PHOTO/BEAT PRESSER
CARLOS SANTANA BRINGS
HIS MAGIC TO BANGKOK
4
Its art on the edge at the
Bangkok Fringe Festival 12
Change your musical diet
at the Third Fat Festival 5
Dining has a new FACE at
Bangkoks best kept secret 9
Browser
Aint that
a shaman
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 335 SEPTEMBER 12, 2003
ART
WITH
A SMILE
THE PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY HUGS THE
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DANCE AND MUSIC
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 327 JULY 18, 2003
British Film Festival gets
lucky with seven gems
page 12
Mystery of van Goghs
moon finally wanes
page 15
Bob Dylan tangled up and
blue over plagiarising lyric
page 6
Browser
A plague on your houses!
THE STYLISH ZOMBIE-FEST
28 DAYS LATER INFECTS
LOCAL THEATRES
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 326 JULY 11, 2003
CHARLIES ANGELS RETURN IN
FULL THROTTLE
Peach Band, ripe for
success, tops the charts
page 4
Tequila lays waste to its
drunken frosh image
page 9
Charlie Chaplin catches
up with modern times
page 5
WWES NO NECK BRIGADE
PUTS BANGKOK IN
A HEADLOCK
Browser
Steel yourself
and play the
Terminator 3:
Rise of the
Machines
contest

YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 343 NOVEMBER 7, 2003
THE MATRIX TRILOGY
REACHES A CLIMAX
12
Is this
the end?
THE MATRIX TRILOGY
REACHES A CLIMAX
12
Is this
the end?
YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 344 NOVEMBER 14, 2003
Browser
THE BANGKOK THEATRE
FESTIVAL SHINES
BRIGHTLY
4
Out of the
Shadows
Teen queen Mandy Moore
does a grown up album 4
Colour me Yoda Star Wars:
Clone Wars cartoon series 6
The documentaries of Nicolas
Filibert come to Bangkok 12
Teen queen Mandy Moore
does a grown-up album 4
Colour me Yoda Star Wars:
Clone Wars cartoon series 6
The documentaries of Nicolas
Filibert come to Bangkok 12
PHOTO/SOMKI ET VANTANAVI JAN

YOUR GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE NO 338 OCTOBER 3, 2003
The World Film Festival of
Bangkoks Asian film treats
page 6
Have dinner with Amadeus
and the opera Cosi Fan Tutti
page 5
Singing out proud with the
Rainbow Connection album
page 15
Browser
FINDING NEMO
SWIMS INTO
THEATRES
Star
Fish

| BY CONNELLY LAMAR |
T
he taste of rubber and
strawberry ... mmm ...
delicious, the diners say.
The strawberry tart, has
all but disappeared, but
everyone is gently nibbling the
remnants of the sweet confection
from rubber-gloved hands. With
no utensils, the food squishes
between their fingers. Welcome to
dessert at Bed Supperclubs famed
surprise weekend where a meal is
presented with special surprise of
Beds own concoction.
Six months since its opening,
Beds creative team is focusing on
turning it up a notch at the
Supperclub.
We definitely have some new
twists now, and the team is always
coming up with something spe-
cial, says PR director Juliana Ross.
Expect the odd and the unex-
pected. Diners actually climb into
bed together while the staff injects
the right dose of underground
venom into the heart of the
Sukhumvit area (thats art direc-
tor Tanyapat Limsutorns actual
job description). Has it worked?
Yes, according to the faithful.
The creative twists such as the
rubber gloves and performance-
art pieces, which often include
audience participation, have
ensured that Bed gets noticed
among other high-end nightlife
venues.
B
eds elaborate meals only fur-
ther its reputation by proving
that its more than just a concept-
heavy restaurant. The strikingly
delicious fusion cuisine actually
outweighs hang-ups about the see-
and-be-seen style that goes with
the clubs design or events. The
four-course weekend specials
(around Bt690) along with regu-
lar weekly fare are kept amazing by
Chef Dan Ivarie, formerly of
Jesters in the Peninsula Hotel.
He has a gift for subtle palates,
and there are usually choices on
weeknights including duck, chick-
en and seabass. The presentation
is both delicate and attractive, with
standard dessert fare including a
banana crepe flambe with Grand
Marnier (a cant-miss).
Dinner reservations are recom-
mended, especially for weekends.
The dining area holds 120 guests,
and has a few tables available along
among the many beds.
On weekends, doors usually
close around 8pm and dinner is
served in one sitting with a special
surprise. n
Dining
Ready for Bed?
May 16, 2003 ; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 9]
Diners climb
between the
sheets at the
Bed Supperclub
off Sukhumvit
N
A
T
I
O
N
/
E
K
K
A
R
A
T

S
U
K
P
E
T
C
H
| BY RACHEL
SANDERSON |
F
r a n k
S i n a t r a
used to
send from
Las Vegas
for Gian Paolo
Belloni to make his pesto just
the way he liked it, but now the
Genoan chef is more concerned
about keeping the basil-based
pasta sauce closer to home.
There is only one true pesto
and it is from Genoa, said the
head chef of the Zeffirino restau-
rant, who has also served the
Genoan delicacy to the Pope and
Mikhail Gorbachev.
Our pesto is without paral-
lel. We must defend this product
against the world...There is only
one Pesto Genovese.
Food furores are common in
Italy. But in Christopher
Columbus home town, the port
city that calls itself The Proud
One, the fighting talk has gone
beyond the countrys borders.
Incensed by what locals say are
multinationals muscling in on
their prized produc-
tion, Genoas pesto
makers plan to
march on the
E u r o p e a n
Commission in
Brussels to
demand a trade-
mark for the deep
green sauce made
from basil, parme-
san and pecorino cheese,
pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and sea
salt.
It is a legal battle and polit-
ical battle, said Sandro Biasotti,
president of the Liguria region
of which Genoa is the capital.
Pesto is part of our culture and
our history. n Reuters
Details
The Bed Supperclub
26 Sukhumvit Soi 11
Tel: (02) 651 3537
Genoa is out to
save the sauce
it calls its own
HAPPY LANDINGS Comfort and style are well mixed.
Bed Supperclub
Atmosphere: HHHH
Food: HHHH
Service: HHH
| BY WEEKEND STAFF |
T
he Oriental Hotel
is holding its
annual summer
classes to help
you learn how to
make great international
dishes.
The classes will be con-
ducted at the hotel on
Saturdays from 9.30am to
noon, followed by lunch.
Students are accepted on
a first-come, first-serve
basis, so early booking is
recommended. Classes
are Bt3,000 per person
per class, including lunch.
Classes to be taught in
the coming months
include:
Louisiana Kitchen:
June 7 and 21
Prepare sumptuous,
down-south home fare
created by Executive Chef
Norbert Kostner. Tempt
your palate with such
hearty dishes as chicken,
shrimp and bacon gumbo,
chicken, shrimp and clam
jambalaya.
Enjoy Your Brunch:
July 5 and 19
Chef Dominique
shares the secrets of a
hearty breakfast/brunch
meal with the Orientals
very own recipes for waf-
fles, pancakes, French
toast, omelettes, eggs
Benedictine.
British Isles: August
2 and 16
Chef Paul shares
recipes for traditional
dishes like cod fish cakes
with chutney, cocka-a-
leeky soup, Lancashire
hot pots and classic
desserts like coconut mac-
aroon triffles.
Best of the Bakery:
August 30 and
September 13
Bakery Chef Peter will
demonstrate the best of
the bakery, such as
almond charlotte, creme
brule, Pistachio Almont
Biscotti and different
tuiles. Definitely the per-
fect class for those with a
sweet tooth.
For more details or for
reservations, call (02) 659
9000. n
WhatsCookin
FINAL TOUCH The classes
take you from the start to the
finish of a creating a top meal.
Pesto
Wars
The Orientals summer classes are hot stuff

April 25, 2003 : THE NATION : WEEKEND : [ 5 ]
Performance
I BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY I
M
adonnas American Life video has been reincarnat-
ed as a tamer, non-violent version of its former self.
The performer scrapped the original version because
she thought its violent, antiwar themes were inap-
propriate during the conflict in Iraq.
The original video featured explosions, a runway show of cou-
ture army fatigues and Madonna dancing in a military uniform.
At the end, she threw what looked like a hand grenade into the
lap of a President George W Bush look-alike.
The new version still features Madonna dressed in a mili-
tary uniform, but shes simply singing in front of a backdrop of
ever-changing flags of different countries.
Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and
respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not
want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the mean-
ing of this video, the singer said earlier this month when she
decided not to release the original version.
But in a VH1 special that aired before the videos debut, the 44-
year-old singer said she was frustrated that some celebrities who
express antiwar sentiments are suffering a backlash.
The Dixie Chicks, for example, saw sales of their best-selling
disc Home drop after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London
audience she was ashamed of Bush, a remark for which she later
apologised.
You know, its ironic were fighting for democracy in Iraq
because we ultimately arent celebrating democracy here,
Madonna said. Because anybody who has anything to say
againstthewaroragainstthepresidentorwhateverispunished,
and thats not democracy - its people being intolerant.
Madonnas new album, American Life, was released on Tuesday.
peace
Lady of
Madonna omits the violence
in her American Life video.

Dining/Shopping/Arts
Weekend
Picks
Weekend Magazine
August 8, 2003 : THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 11 ]
Choices
The Right Angle
Scholar Square
Occasional
Table
Q
uite plain is its
demeanour, the
Scholar Square occa-
sional table effortlessly
exudes strength, sturdi-
ness and reliability.
A part of Ous
Scholar Collection and
made from teak, this
hunk of a table stands
370mm high, making it
well suited as a coffee table. The earth tone of the
wood, which comes in six different shades, will
deliver calm and cool to any room.
Playing with negative and positive space, the
form and function of this clean-looking table allows
the user to place objects such as books or figurines
underneath as well as above. The base is what gives
it its simplistic uniqueness, with confidence writ-
ten all over its surface. Stop by the Jim Thompson
store on Surawong Road where the Scholar Square
table goes for Bt33,500.
Silken Simplicity
AVA Double Drawers
A
nother one from Jim Thompson, but from a dif-
ferent collection, the AVA Double Drawers are
sheathed in gorgeous Thai silk. There are over a
thousand patterns and shades of silk that can be
picked from to suit your taste or to complement
the rest of the room.
Also made from teak, these double drawers have
an air of simplicity and the clean, uncluttered look
that Ou Baholyodhin is famous for. An earthiness
is imparted through the use of teak, but a subtle
and sophisticated elegance created by the Thai
silk.
Their casualness and practicality invites use;
place it in a hallway with some fresh flowers in a
vase and stack up your books. Their spacious draw-
ers can also provide a pretty decent home for your
little gadgets and gizmos.
The Double Drawers are available at the Jim
Thompson store located on Surawong Road for
Bt30,000.
Washing Time Away
Ocean Glass Time Collection
T
oasting to time and serving a hearty meal would
be most appropriate with the glassware of Ous
sublime Ocean Glass Time collection.
So simple, so pure, this glass tableware collec-
tion comprises a variety of stemware, tumblers,
bowls and plates.
The clean look and undeniable perfection in
each line and angle of this glass collection show-
case the young designers talent for creating grand
designs with a minimum of detail.
The stemware in the Ocean Glass Time col-
lections consists of a fluted champagne glass (160
ml), goblets (275 ml), white wine glasses (185 ml)
and larger glasses for red wine (225 ml). Included
in the tumblers are those for tall drinks (420 ml),
those designed for white wine (245 ml) and red
wine (270 ml) and for drinks on the rocks (360 ml).
The bowls in the collection come in three dif-
ferent sizes: a salad bowl (19 cm), small serving
bowls (11 cm) and large serving bowls (13 cm). The
plates come in large (23.5 cm), medium (19 cm)
and small (15 cm). Ous glassware is available at
all Central department stores.
Contemporary
Elegance
Bayon Armchair
S
leek and modern, with the magic touch of
authentic Thai silk, this armchair from the
Bayon Collection may not look lounge-back-and-
relax comfortable, but its clean lines are deceiving.
Comfortable as well as spacious, the contours
of the Bayon armchair allow you to slide way back
and rest that tired body of yours in gorgeous
style.
Another of Ou Baholyodins designs for Jim
Thompson, the chair can be covered in the range
of colours and patterns available from the compa-
ny. The shade of the chairs teak legs can be matched
to the fabric you select.
Give your home a clean and classic look with the
addition of this armchair. Also in the Bayon
Collection are a double and triple armchair, bench,
double and single ottoman, a chaise lounge, demi
sofa, stool, club chair and side chair.
The Bayon collection is available at the Jim
Thompson store on Surawong Road. The Bayon
Armchair is approximately Bt37,000.
The Final Word
Living With Zen
by Ou Baholyodhin
C
haotic as living in the city may be at times, one
can always escape back home. So much more
pleasant can be your escape if your home is fur-
nished according to Zen principals that transmit
tranquility and harmony to your surroundings.
Published in 2000 by Tuttle Publishing, Living
With Zen by Ou Baholyodhin gives you advice and
ideas in creating a more serene atmosphere in your
home.
With Zen texts and meditations to help you
along the way, this book shows you the significance
of mindful living. Living with Zen will help you
rid yourself of excess that we tend to bring home,
as well as give you helpful suggestions in using Zen
in other aspects of your life from the way you pre-
sent food to your own appearance.
The 208-page book filled with the wisdom of
Thailands rising young star in the world of design
is available at Asia Books for Bt1,495. n
I BY MALISA SANTIGUL I
E
merging as one of the leading young designers from Thailand, Nopadon Ou Baholyodhin studied fur-
niture design at Kingston University, London. His talent was quickly recognised and he won a major
award at the Muji International Design Competition in 1995. Also in 1995, one of his designs was cho-
sen for a Best New Product award at the Fromex Exhibition in Stockholm, and in 1997 he was given the New
Designer award at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. In his short time working pro-
fessionally, Ous clients have included Karl Lagerfeld, Donna Karan, ALMA, Kenso, JOSEPH and K-Bar. He
has had exhibitions in the Axis Gallery in Tokyo and has lectured at the Design Workshop in Saint-Etienne.
The author of two books, Living with ZenandBeing With Flowers, Ou has designed furniture for Jim Thompson,
tableware for Ocean Glass and ceramics from Propaganda, all of which are now available here in Thailand.
WeekendPicks
The lean, clean designs of Nopadon Ou Baholyodin
are spotlighted this week for their form and function.
effortlessly
exudes
strength . . .
Practicality
invites use . . .
pleasant can be
your escape . . .
. . .its clean lines
are deceiving.
effortlessly
exudes
strength . . .
Practicality
invites use . . .
pleasant can be
your escape . . .
. . .its clean lines
are deceiving.
So simple,
so pure . . .
So simple,
So pure . . .

| BY PATRICIA ANN
CHUNGSATHAPORN |
W
ho wouldnt
want to look like
stunning super-
m o d e l
M e t h i n e e
Look Ked Kingpayom? But
what to you have to do to
achieve the radiant look of the
catwalk star? Instead of keep-
ing it herself, Methinee has
decided to share her beauty
secret with others. According
to the supermodel, source of
her healthy glow is fruit juice
and now anyone can sip one
of Methinees elixers at her
Contrazt Juice Bars.
Following the success of
branches at the Grammy
Building on Ekkamai, the
Liberty Building on Silom and
Siam Square Soi 1, Methinee
recently opened the latest
Contrazt Juice Bar on the busy
streets of Siam Square Soi 2.
Juice bars have come a long
way from their days as coun-
ters in health food stores offer-
ing wheatgrass and carrot juice
and glasses of chalky protein.
But as juice bars have gained
popularity, theyve also lost
something of their sense of
purpose. In keeping with the
idea of fresh juices as a path to
better health, Contrazt offer
drinks that go beyond the tasty
trappings of a watermelon
frostie, serving drinks that
actually aid your health.
For example, Contrazts
smoothies are blended taking
into consideration the vita-
mins and amino acids con-
tained in the fruits that go into
them. The Flu Buster smooth-
ie (Bt75) is a vitamin-rich con-
coction of orange, strawberries
and bananas, that is said to
help fight the common cold.
The Sweet Surrender is a
smoothie of fresh strawberries,
watermelon, banana and
yogurt, that ll is said to give
your romantic relationships a
boost by energising your
libido.
Body cleansing and energy
drinks are also on the menu. If
you work in the Siam area,
drop by in the early morn and
down a Good Morning (Bt75),
heavy-duty dose of vitamin C
to jump-start your day. If
youre feeling a little light-
headed, there a drink called a
Dizzy Spell (Bt95) meant to
help rid you of nausea.
The Ultimate Detox (Bt75)
promises to give you a full
internal cleansing and the
Boner, concocted from red
apples, cabbage, beetroot and
celery, is designed to build up
bones and make them
stronger.
Another favourite is a nifty
combination of watermelon
and ginger, called a Sex Me Up
(Bt75), a drink said not only to
enhance your sex drive, but
relieve hangovers and improve
blood circulation.
T
hough delicious, some of
the more unusual blends
can take a little getting used
to, but as theyre made from
all-natural ingredients and
blended fresh theyre hard to
resist. The recipes are all
Methinees.
I enjoy fruit drinks myself
and I always make them at
home, says Methinee.
In addition to its fruit and
vegetable drinks, Contrazt
offers cookies, home-made ice
creams and sorbets as well as
ultra-moist and delicious
chocolate cakes. Theres a
dessert for health freaks as
well, Orange Carrot Cake.
Coffee and other beverages are
also served.
Contrazt is great place to
chill or even drop by to learn a
little lesson about the benefits
of fruits and vegetables. The
juice bar itself is cozy with a
slightly futuristic feel and
enough cushy chairs to seat 25
people. At Bt75 - Bt95 a pop,
the fruit and veggie drinks are
a bit pricey, but as they say:
Whats money if you dont
have your health? n
Dining
Squeeze Play
September 12, 2003 ; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 9]
Contrazt Juice Bars drinks are designed to restore
your heath and beauty - a very juicy proposition.
N
A
T
I
O
N
/
E
K
K
A
R
A
T

S
U
K
P
E
T
C
H
Details
Contrazt Juice Bar
Siam Square Soi 2
Tel: (02) 654 6262
Open daily: 10am-8pm
Methinee
has decided
to share
her beauty
secret with
others.

Weekend Magazine
Weekend Highlight
2-page centerpiece
Weekend Highlight by
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : October 3, 2003 October 3, 2003; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]
W
hen a person decides
to play a 152-year-old
sea turtle in a movie,
the key word to
remember is Whoa.
While writing and directing the
new computer-animated Finding
Nemo, opening today in theatres
around the Kingdom, Andrew
Stanton found himself saying that
again and again as the voice of a
philosophical turtle named Crush.
Whoa can have many mean-
ings in surfer-dude lingo, as in: At
first you were like, Whoa! (Help!)
And then we were like, Whoa!
(Alarmed!) And then you were like,
Whoa ... (Ouch.)
The 37-year-old filmmaker previ-
ously co-directed the A Bugs
Life and supplied part of the men-
acing electrical voice to the evil
spaceman Zurg in Toy Story 2.
In a phone interview from Pixar
Animation headquarters in
Emeryville, California, Stanton said
he fell into acting by doing scratch
voices dialogue tests done by
crew members before the final
actors record the lines while
writing for the Toy Story movies.
In the case of Crush, Stanton
said he couldnt find another actor
who got the beach-bum drawl just
right. So he kept his version in the
final film.
Finding Nemo chronicles the
adventures of Marlin, an orange-
and-white striped clownfish voiced
by Albert Brooks, who alienates his
son Nemo by being too overprotec-
tive.
When Nemo is captured by a
human diver and imprisoned in an
aquarium, Marlin teams with the
forgetful blue tang Dory, played by
Ellen DeGeneres, on a rescue quest.
Along the way they meet an anti-
carnivore shark named Bruce, Nigel
the jabbering pelican, and Crush
and his baby Squirt who teach
Marlin to have more faith in Nemo.
Did your own family life
inspire the story of the
nervous fish father?
I was on Toy Story 2 and fin-
ishing A Bugs Life ... and my
son was five at the time. I was so
busy with those movies that I
really felt I hadnt seen him
much. I made some daddy-son
time to walk in the park and I
spent the whole walk going:
Dont touch that, Watch out for
cars, Youre going to poke your
eye out. I sort of stopped myself
and realised I was so afraid of
something bad happening to him
that I was missing out on the
chance to connect with him.
Did anybody in particular
inspire Crushs surfer talk?
Its hard not to think of Spicoli
(Sean Penns burnout character
from 1982s Fast Times At
Ridgemont High). He sort of
introduced the Southern
California surfer to the world in
the early 80s.
Has Finding Nemo
changed the way you look
at seafood?
No, I also got that same thing
with A Bugs Life. No, I still kill
those freaking ants whenever
they come into my house.
(Laughs.) I hate to say it but
somebody chose sushi for the
Finding Nemo wrap party. I
dont know if Id go fishing again,
but once its already on my plate
I dont really think about it.
Any deep-sea diving
planned now that the film is
finished?
I hope to. Im hoping to go to
Australia and dive the Great
Barrier Reef itself. That would be
great, to see all these fish that
I ve been working with all these
years.
Maybe start your own
aquarium?
No, thats a lot of work. Its
not a low-stress hobby. ... Its
high maintenance, man. Start
with goldfish, they re low mainte-
nance, but even there you
could easily screw up.
n AP
a whale of a tale
Disney and Pixars Finding Nemo takes computer animation into new waters.
D
| BY MANOND APANICH |
D
isneys new animated feature, Finding
Nemo, has got Bakery Music song-
writer. Boyd Kosiyabong singing a new tune.
Buena Vista asked me to write a song
titled Rak Tae (True Love) for the
movie, because they knew I love animated
films, says Boyd.
While many of Boyd s songs have
appeared on movie soundtracks, this is the
first that he has specifically penned for a
film. The song wont actually be on
Finding Nemos soundtrack, but it will
be released as a single or on a compilation
album. Its only meant to be a song
inspired by the movie, explains Boyd.
In the song, Boyd again explores realm
of love this time the love between a father
and son. In keeping with the story of
Finding Nemo the song illustrates how
one has to go through the pitfalls of life in
order to learn about life, explains
Boyd. It looks at the tribulation of a father
who must let his child be hurt in order to
learn.
Finding Nemo definitely brought out
something of the child in Boyd. Not only did
he get to brag to friends about his advance
copy of the film but Buena Vista also threw
in a bonus no child-at-heart could resist.
They offered me figurines and models
to add to my rather large toy collection,
Boyd admits with
a smile. Goodies aside,
the songwriter has other reasons for rec-
ommending the movie.
Pixar is involved and I think they do
even better computer animation than
Disney, notes Boyd.
That says something as Boyd, apart
from being a top scribe for Bakery Music,
also runs his own animation production
company, Beboyd CG. n
SCREEN MAGIC: BIT BY BIT
Characters
It took a total of 361,975
feathers to cover all 7 peli-
cans in the shot in the film
with the most pelicans, an
average of more than 50,000
individual feathers per bird.
There are 202 teeth in
Bruces mouth, each individ-
ually animatable.
Explosions
It took 80 individual mine explosions to blow up the submarine. The
most seen in any shot is the final shot of the sequence with 33 indi-
vidual blasts, 34 explosion clouds, in only 30 frames. That shot
required more than 120 layers in compositing to incorporate all the
effects.
Whale
For a shading reference the art dept borrowed actual samples of
whale skin and baleen from UC Berkeley for refer-
ence on the whale.
Fish Schools
It took about 1,000 individually ani-
mating fish to fill up the Fishing Net at
the end of the film. Only 50% of the
fish in the shot of the fish in the
Fishing Net have blink cycles, and of
those, about half of those blink only once,
with the others having a mix of blink cycle
timing letting them usually
blink more than once during
the shot, all at random times.
It took 692 distinct schools of
fish used in various places, in
various scenes, in various
shots, to make the film. It
took 99,079 individual fish to
fill out all those schools.
Jellyfish
The most jellies seen in any
individual shot was 8,609 in
the shot where Father and
Dory race by camera as we
pan with them. It took 74,472
total jellyfish to fully populate and fill out the entire sequence. 1,112
of those 74,472, were handplaced, shot by shot.
Turtle Dive
Pixar had to create and simulate 800,000cm of the East Australian
Current to complete both scenes with the turtles. That ends up
being a tube about 5 miles long. To fill that
tube and fully realise this loca-
tion for the film, Pixar
had to use approximately
290,336 bubbles, along
with 1,161,344 individ-
ual pieces of particle matter.
The Coral Reef
The shot of the single fish swimming away from the barracuda
through the suddenly empty neighbourhood, required 1,890
corals to be hand placed to complete the reef background,
more than any other single shot. When Mr Ray takes
Nemo on a FieldTrip to the DropOff, Pixar
had to use 12,996 individual corals to build
all the reef sections they
swim through.
Diving Boyd
Bakery tunesmith
Boyd Kosiyabong
pens an ode to love
and growing up
under the sea.
BAD COMPANY Nemos father runs into a trio of grinning, but menacing sharks.
DUDE! Director Andrew Stanton has his
beach bum pal, Crush the sea turtle.
JELLY BELLY Above, dad
trapped in a school of jellyfish.
Below, Crush the turtle.

399
| BY MANOND APANICH |
D
ance fever will
hit town this
weekend when
Dance Day
comes to the
Benjasiri Park. This
years, two-day festival is
the biggest to date, with
the Bangkok
Metropolitan Admini-
stration (BMA) lending
its resources to the event.
Stretching from the
front door of The
Emporium across the 29
rais of Benjasiri Park,
Dance Day adds two new
stages this year and addi-
tional workshops and
performances. The
expanded festival also
sees a wider spectrum of
arts, having previously
focused mainly on con-
temporary dance.
But you cant
really separate
anything because
visuals, sound,
images and
technique bind
all forms of art
t o g e t h e r,
says organ-
i s e r
V a r a r o m
Pa c h i ms a wa t ,
founder of the
D a n c e
C e n t r e
School of
Performing Arts. We
want to develop Dance
Day into a true contem-
porary art festival.
Additional activi-
ties include painting
and photo exhibits,
film programmes
on contemporary
dance, and work-
shops on sub-
jects ranging
in from
Kung Fu
to mime.
M o r e
than 30
p r o -
grammes of
entertainment will
begin at 4pm
each day on
Saturday
a n d
Sunday,
with the
l a r g e r
e v e n t s
starti ng
a r o u n d
7pm.
Officially celebrated on April
29, Dance Day was founded 21
years ago by the International
Theatre Institute and UNESCO
to commemorate the birthday of
Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-
1810), the creator of modern bal-
let, and to expose and educate
audiences about dance.
T
wo years ago, UNESCO
(Thailand) approached Vararom
and the Dance Centre to organise
the first Dance Day in Thailand.
As one of the countrys largest
supporters of the art of dance,
Vararom and the Dance Center
did just that, forging a newforum
for Thailands dance scene at the
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : May 16, 2003
Weekend Highlight by
Performance workshops
will be held from 4pm to
7pm on both days of the
festival.
| BY MONTY PHAN |
T
he Matrix Reloaded is the sequel.
The Matrix Overloaded could
be the marketing campaign.
Anyone wondering what the
Wachowski brothers have been up
to since their creation, The
Matrix, debuted in 1999? Youre
about to find out.
In the kind of synergistic
rollouts that make media
conglomerate executives
salivate, Andy and Larry
Wachowski have written
and directed two sequels - the first of
which, Reloaded, hits theaters
May 15, followed by The Matrix
Revolutions in November -
and have helped in the pro-
duction of a Matrix
video game and a DVD
of animated short
films inspired by
the trilogy.
Heres a look at the latter two
products of the Wachowskis
Matrix-themed cottage industry:
ENTER THE MATRIX. Like the Lord
of the Rings games, Enter the Matrix
carries a huge budget - reportedly as
much as $21 million, which would make
it the most expensive ever. The game,
which comes out May 15, was written by
the Wachowskis and contains an hour of
new movie footage. Its plot runs parallel to
The Matrix Reloaded. It will be available
for PlayStation, Gamecube, Xbox and PC.
THE ANIMATRIX. This DVD, available
June 3, is a collection of nine animated
shorts inspired by The Matrix trilogy. You
may already have seen one of them, Final
Flight of the Osiris, a nine-minute, com-
puter-generated short film written by the
Wachowski brothers that was shown before
the March release of Dreamcatcher. n
Neo Realism
Martial arts choreographer
Yuen Wo Ping continues to
fly by the wire in creating
original thrills for actioners
like The Matrix Reloaded
8
May 16, 2003; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]

Tapping The Matrix

would do so well. No one could have predicted
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragons success,
either. So I dont let the pressure get to me. The
director tells me what he wants and I just
design the action to go with his vision. I dont
think feeling stressed about it will help the situ-
ation.
Some critics would say that over-exposure to
Hong Kong action f ilms could be detrimental.
What do you think?
That is true. There are pros and cons to every-
thing. When something good comes along, other
people will hop on the bandwagon and work the
genre to death. It then turns the audience
away. This is the natural cycle.
What was it like working with the Wachowski
brothers versus Ang Lee?
The Wachowski brothers understand action
movies very well. With Ang, I knew some of his
requests were undoable so I would tell him. Or I
would tell him that something he thought was
spectacular, was really something quite com-
mon in the industry. The Wachowski brothers
method of filming is quite different from other
American directors. For instance, Hollywood
directors usually use several cameras to film
an action sequence. The Wachowski brothers
only used one camera. Thats what we do in
Hong Kong. Theyll find the best angle and work
from there.
What was it like working with Keanu Reeves
this time around?
He has improved a lot. He still had to
undergo a lot of training but then he
has a lot more action and he also had
to train with weapons. In the first
part, his fights were mainly hand-to
hand and one-on-one.
How did you maintain the spir-
itual and religious disciplines of
the martial arts in what some
describe as the spiritual void of
Hollywood?
Philosophical beliefs are part of the
spirit of kung fu but it has no bearing
on the choreography. When you are
teaching Keanu how to fight, we
dont talk about the philosophy
behind the moves. If we had to
do that, then wed need
another eight to 10 years to
train him! n
The Matrix
Reloaded is now playing
in theatres.
990=0990=0990=0

changed. Films have progressed. In

Drunken Master, it was all hand-to-
hand. However, these days, if the action is
too repetitive, the audience wont be sat-
isfied. We need to add in a new style or
two to boost the aesthetics of the action.
Wires help the action look more powerful
and exaggerated.
Did you have to compromise some
authenticity to make the action look
better with digital effects?
Ive never worried about digital
effects. The Wachowski brothers
are very clear about how they
want a scene to look. They give
very specific instructions and
explain what they expect the
digital effects to do, so we just
match the action with the
effects. The digital effects did-
nt pose a problem.
With expectations for
The Matrix: Reloaded
and Matrix Revolutions
running high, has that
increased the pressure
on you?
After I finished The
Matrix, I went straight
to Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon.
When I made the
latter, I had no
pressure because
no one could
have imagined it

;;;

| BY WEEKEND STAFF |
A
martial arts legend, Yuen Wo Ping
was known in Asia for some 20
years before his high-wire stunt
choreography was presented in
The Matrix and Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon.
Check back to his directoral debut,
Jackie Chans 1978 Drunken Master, for
an example of the fighting style that Neo
and his cohorts have uploaded into their
brains. The ground-shattering moves by
Morpheus and Agent Smith can be spotted
in Jet Lis Once Upon a Time in China
from 1991.
Besides The Matrix: Reloaded and
The Matrix Revolutions coming out this
year, Yuens stunts make up a big part of
the upcoming Kill Bill, by Quentin
Tarantino, who helped make Yuens Hong
Kong work more widely known by promot-
ing a US release in 2001 of 1993s Iron
Monkey.
How would you characterise your f irst
experience working on a Hollywood f ilm?
The Matrix was the first film I did in
Hollywood. It wasnt really difficult. I would
discuss with the director what he wanted
from the action and how he wanted the
action to work with the special effects. The
directors didnt actually give me a hard
time and they gave me a lot of creative
freedom. They were very supportive.
How did you start your career as a
martial arts choreographer? What
inf luenced you to pursue f ilm?
That was a very, very long time ago -
almost 30 years ago. The film was called
Mad Killer (1971). I was just following in
my fathers footsteps. My father [Yuen
Siu-tin] started teaching [my brothers
and I] kung fu when we were still very
young. My father was a martial arts direc-
tor and he was the one who got us into the
business. We started out as stuntmen.
How do you think The Matrix has
changed the look of Hollywood movies?
After The Matrix, quite a few Hollywood
films starting looking for Hong Kong action
directors. I think The Matrix influenced
it a lot. It started a trend in Hollywood.
Compared to your previous movies,
have you changed your style of action?
Compared to the days of Drunken
Master, my action choreography has

| BY JEREMY HARTLEY AND
PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK |
D
emonstrations of
corporate might
come in numer-
ous forms.
S k y s c r a p i n g
headquarters, sports stadiums
and ubiquitous and complicated advertis-
ing schemes are perhaps the dominant
forms. Seldom is it, though, that a major corpo-
ration express itself in such an interesting way as
Red Bull has with its Bt500-million Red Bull X-
Park, which opened with marching-band flair last
Saturday. The launch ceremony for the park featured
appearances and performances by musical acts,
freestyle hip hop showdowns, break dancing, a
graffiti contest, sports demonstrations, bungee
jumping, loads of dyed hair, and free Red Bull.
The park will allow Thai youngsters to
practice their skills at extreme games to repre-
sent Thailand in regional and global competi-
tions, said Red Bull Beverage marketing
manager Sanit Wangvicha.
The Red Bull X-Park, which is being billed
as Asias biggest open-air establishment for
extreme games, resides on a 2.5-rai plot on
Sathorn Road, just opposite Soi Convent. The
plot is dominated by the terrain park - a collec-
tion of ramps, boxes and rails capable of accom-
modating skateboarders, roller-bladers and bik-
ers - conceived by local designer and extreme
games aficionado Apichat Ratnin.
The site also includes an air-conditioned
clubhouse housing two cafe/snack shops, a pro
shop and an observation deck where extreme par-
ents can sit in comfort while their kids sweat it out
on the ramps below. Starting on Monday, the Red
Bull X-Park will be paying a nurse from neigh-
bourhood hospital BNH to operate an on-site
nurses station to deal with any injuries.
Because extreme sports tend to share
fairly porous borders with other youth cul-
tures, the park expects to eventually
become a venue not just for sports, but also
for music and other creative outlets.
Initially, the park open from 9am to 9pm
will charge its patrons Bt30 per session with plans
to eventually create year-long and lifetime member-
ship packages. Members will get discounts on equip-
ment and Red Bull products. The park is insured for
Bt1 million per person for injuries resulting from a
collapsed obstacle and Bt20 million for construction.
Apichat, who is also the secretary of the 2,500-
member Thai Skater Association, founded this year,
says that the opening of the park fulfills the five main
factors necessary to foster a healthy extreme sports
community in Thailand.
We had talented athletes, local contests, interna-
tional tournaments, media,
but we didnt
have an
i nt er -
nati onal -
standard park.
The Red Bull park will help Thai
athletes develop and improve
their skills.
There are many talented
young Thai extreme athletes,
Jirasak Patsorn for example placed
fifth in the 2000 World Extreme
Tournament in San Francisco, adds
Sanit. We have places to play football,
basketball, tennis, but no venue for
kids who love extreme sports. They are forced to go to
demolished buildings or under bridges to play. Many
people assume that these kinds of teen hangouts could
lead to drugs.
Thai graffiti godfather andthe judge of last Saturdays
graffiti showdown, Mongkol Rattanapakdee, or Yacht,
concurs.
The X-Park provides space for graffiti art as well
as sports. It has been difficult for graffiti to progress as
an art here because the kids have to search out aban-
doned buildings to create their work, he says. This
park could become a tool that Thai artists can use to
develop their skills.
In the US, many different cities are building X
parks in order to give teenagers a drug-free place to
practice the activities they love. This park has the
same objective, says Apichat, who used to work for
the Office of the Narcotics Control Broad.
O
ne of the beneficiaries of the social and com-
petitive spirit behind the Red Bull X-Park is
five-year-old Khwanthep Prakarnrat, an award-
winning ice skater in Skate Asia 2002 and up-
and-coming roller blader extraordinaire.
I like the park. Its cool. Its a little scary to
skate on the half pipe, but its fun, he said while
applying some spray paint to one of the parks
graffiti walls. Khwanthep discovered extreme
sports when he was only three years old.
Thai X sportsmen will soon be recognised as
world champions, says Prapan, Khwantheps
father and coach.
The social component and competitive national-
ism of the language surrounding the Red Bull X-Park
is interesting, particularly as the opening of the park
coincides with a national debate over the ethics of
marketing energy drinks to the youth market.
However, the people at Red Bull are quick to dismiss
any attempts to connect the park with sales.
We are not going to ask the kids to show a can of
Red Bull when they come to the park, says Ogilvy
Public Relations communications director
Adcharaporn Wongwaracharti.
The Bt30 entry fee will not generate enough money
to turn a profit, or even cover the parks maintenance
expenses, which Sanit estimates will be in the millions
of Baht.
Were not thinking about making money. We just
want to give something back, he says. We hope to
promote Thailand as a hub of extreme sports, bring-
ing international recognition to the country. n
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : December 13, 2002 December 13, 2002 ; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]
Weekend Highlight
Moving rollerblading, skateboarding and
biking off the streets and putting them
into a safe venue is one goal of the Red
Bull X-Park. But some also see it as
the training ground for a new breed of
extreme sport athletes in Thailand.
measures
Taking extreme
We had talented
athletes, local contests,
international tournaments,
media, but we
didnt have an
international-
standard
park.
N
A
T
I
O
N
P
H
O
T
O
B
Y
A
N
A
N
T
C
H
A
N
T
A
R
A
S
O
O
T
Weekend Highlight by
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : February 6, 2004 February 6, 2004; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]
| JEREMY HARTLEY |
N
u-metal kingpins Korn are
ready to bring their unique
and widely loved brand of hard
rocking unhappiness to
Bangkok as part of their Asian
tour.
After a year that saw rap-metal stan-
dard-bearers (and Korn tour mates Limp
Bizkit) cancel a show here, its refreshing
to know that Korn, a band that has built
its reputation on having a hard-driving
touring schedule and a hardcore, devil-
may-care sense of rebellion has the
courage and dedication to its fans to trav-
el across the world to play Saturdays con-
cert at Impact Arena.
And by all accounts, Korns appearance
here should meet expectations even
among the most discriminating fans.
The band will be delivering its full
show here, the same seen throughout the
rest of the tour. Everyone leaves the show
having truly experienced the power of
Korn live, says BEC Tero Entertainments
Neil Thompson. We ll see [Korn singer]
Jonathon play the bagpipes and their
famous microphone stand in the shape of a
woman.
Korn is jetting in for one night only as
part of a larger Asian tour that will take
them to Australia, Japan, Indonesia,
Hong Kong and South Korea. The band
will be making no other appearances in
the city, so fans have just one chance to
see them in action.
The band has released six albums in
Thailand on Sony Music Bec Tero, all sur-
passing gold record status. Issues,
released in 1998, reached platinum status
and their latest release, Take a Look in
the Mirror, is nearing gold status. The
band will be playing material from all
their albums, including Korn favourites
Freak on a Leash, Blind, Got the Life
and Adidas.
You dont have to consult the bands
impressive sales figures to know that
Korn has a huge following in Thailand.
Readier proof is in the ubiquitous Korn T-
shirts worn by teenagers across the coun-
try and the enthusiastic response whenev-
er one of the bands songs is played on the
radio or in bars and nightclubs.
We had been in discussions with Korn
for the past two years. Every time that we
thought we had secured the act, some-
thing always came up that postponed the
tour, such as better offers in the US and
Latin America, says Thompson, whose
company is investing Bt20 million to
bring Korn to Bangkok.
K
orn formed in 1993 in California,
instantly developing a fan base thanks
to its intense stage show and a rigorous
touring that had them playing with some
of the hottest acts of the day, including
House of Pain, Biohazard, 311, Marilyn
Manson and heavy metal godfather Ozzy
Osbourne. The band recorded its self-
titled debut album for EastWest Records
in 1994 and went on to release its first sin-
gle, Blind, achieving almost instant suc-
cess when the song went into heavy rota-
tion on MTV. Cementing its popularity
with a string of hard-rocking releases, the
groups Family Values tour did for Nu
metal what Lollaplooza did for alternative
rock and the Warped Tour did for punk
rock. Family Values was one of the most
financially successful musical acts of the
1990s.
But what is it that so moves fans
around the world? Korn is a band that
communicates in screams and whispers.
Their music moves between angry bom-
bast and moments that feel introspective,
creating a unique and at times almost
schizophrenic sound that many have
tried to imitate, though with nowhere
near the success or intensity.
The instrumentation is relentless,
sometimes heavy, sometimes groovy,
sometimes dropping into powerful
silences that communicate of the solitude
of the bands angry, wounded universe.
Korns reputation as a band that gives
its all whether when writing music or
performing live is an almost pure exam-
ple of rock n rolls ability to strike a bal-
ance between commercial success and
rebellion.
Though the band plays heavy, loud
rock music, its anger is strangely person-
al and emotional and therefore a little
more inclusive than the political or reli-
gious agendas of some of Korns musical
predecessors.
Its this specially crafted kind of rock n
roll catharsis which the bands faithfuls in
Thailand have come to expect. Korns rep-
utation is almost a guarantee they wont
be let down when the lights come
up. n
Korn performs at Impact Arena, Muang
Thong Thani at 8.30pm tomorrow. Tickets
are priced from Bt500 to Bt1,500 and are
available from Thaiticketmaster.
Stalking Korn
Korn comes
to Bangkok
tomorrow
to create a
little nu-metal
thunder. What is
it about the band
that keeps them
soaring up in the
Thai charts?
P
H
O
T
O
C
O
U
R
T
E
S
T
Y
S
O
N
Y
M
U
S
IC
B
E
C
T
E
R
O
W Week eekend Highlight end Highlight by
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : May 21, 2004 May 21, 2004; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]
| PATRICIA ANN
CHUNGSATHAPORN |
H
ip-hop has gotten a bad rap.
Many people have precon-
ceived notions of hip-hop,
which is why mamma wont
let the kiddies listen to or
even watch the music videos she
believes only promote drugs, sex and
weapons.
Its true that hip-hops message was
buried by the popularity of gangsta
rap in the 1990s, but the musical
form first burst onto the scene with a
positive vibe. And that side of hip-
hop will rise again when the Black
Eyed Peas perform on Monday at
BEC Tero Hall at Suan Lum Night
Bazaar.
With the Black Eyed Peas
theres no trace of violent West
Coast gangster rap. Although also
born on the streets of Los
Angeles, the hip-hop of the peace-
minded and positive-spirited Peas
remind us what was hip-hop was
originally about.
Their music has earned the
respect with their insightful lyrics
that look at what has gone
wrong on the hip-hop/rap
music scene:
I feel the weight of the
world on my shoulder/As
Im gettin older, yall,
people gets colder/
Most of us only care
about money
makin/
Selfishness got
us followin in
the wrong direc-
tion.
The four Peas in
the pod consist of
William Adams (Will.
I. Am), Jaime Gomez
(Taboo), Alan Pineda
(Apl de Ap) and new
member Stacy Ferguson
(Fergie), formerly of the
Mariah Carey look-a-like
trio Wild Orchid.
After high school, when
Will.I.Am and Apl De Ap were
part of a breakdancing crew known as
Tribal Nation, they started concentrat-
ing on hip-hop music and split off on
their own as Atban Klann, an acronym
for A Tribe Beyond A Nation.
Falling out with their original label,
Ruthless Records, Will and Apl
recruited another dancer/MC, Taboo,
and reappeared as the Black Eyed
Peas. The trio quickly gained notice on
the LA music scene. Their third album
Elephunk welcomed a new member
into BEP, Fergie.
Since then theyve been heard
round the world belting out their pleas
for peace and understanding. Their
smash hit Where is the Love, was
nominated for a Grammy Record of
the Year award. Their cur-
rent album
Elephunk has sold over 2 million
copies and includes the hits Shut Up,
Hey Mama, Hands Up and Lets
Get Retarded.
T
he band first came to the attention
of BEC-Tero last year, when the
group Extreme Moto X Riders spread
the word of this great new band gain-
ing popularity in the US and the UK.
When BEC Tero saw the Peas perform
in Singapore, they spoke to them about
a full Asian tour, and now the Peas will
be hitting Bangkok, Singapore,
Malaysia and Manila.
Since the Peas are the first hip-hop
act to visit Thailand, BEC-Tero is con-
fident they will be well received. Hip-
hop is the fastest growing music in
Asia, with local acts like Thaitanium
and Joey Boy selling between 50,000
to a million discs.
With hip-hop clubs popping up all
over the City of Angels and the influ-
ence of R&B all over the airwaves
and the silver screen, its no won-
der why hip-hop records are sell-
ing like hotcakes.
The market will continue to
grow as long as it is not hard
core like gangster rap, says
Neil Thompson, deputy man-
aging director of BEC Tero. The
charts certainly seem to agree
with him.
Joining the Peas as their open-
ing act is local hip-hop leader
Joey Boy. Joey Boy met the band
in Los Angeles and they co-pro-
duced and performed one of Joey
Boys songs, LA to BKK,
released here as an under-
ground single. Given his rela-
tionship with the band and his
local popularity, BEC Tero
thought it was perfect to have
Joey Boy as the opening act.
In fact, we thought it would be
impolite not to invite him to join
the event, says Thompson.
The Black-Eyed Peas are know
for their high-energy perfor-
mances. Shows are focused
on their music and not on
special effects. However,
audiences can look for-
ward to a great light
show and super sound
system.
The concert itself
will be a minimum
of 75 minutes,
plus encores. The
better the crowd
response, the longer
the band will play so
keep them onstage by
shouting your little
hearts out. n
The Black Eyed Peas
perform at 8.30pm on
Monday at BEC Tero Hall,
Suan Lum Night Bazaar.
Gates open at 7pm.
Tickets are available at
Thai Ticket Master
Counters at Central
Department store branch-
es in Chidlom, Ladphrao,
Pinklao and Bangna,
also at Big C
Ramkhamhaeng.
Ticket prices are
Bt600, 800 and
1,200. For details,
call (02) 2204 9999
or visit thaiticket-
master.com
Peas, love and
harmony
W
eekend and BEC Tero is giving
away five pairs of tickets (worth
Bt1600 each) for the Black Eyed Peas
concert at 8.30pm on Monday at BEC
Tero Hall, Suan Lum Night Bazaar. To
win a pair, correctly answer this ques-
tion:
Who will join Black Eyed Peas
as their opening act?
E
-mail your answers to weekend@nation-
group.com (subject: Black Eyed Peas)
before 7pm today. Be sure to include your
name, address and telephone number. We
will call the winners on Saturday. To claim
your tickets, bring your ID card to BEC Tero
Hall reception desk at 6pm. For confirma-
tion, call Anongsiri Udomsak at (02) 262
3819/20.
CONTEST!
Making its debut in Thailand is the kinder, gentler hip-hop of the Black Eyed Peas
They ve been
heard round
the world
belting out
their pleas for
peace and
understanding
[ 12 ] THE NATION : WEEKEND : August 29, 2003 August 29, 2003; THE NATION : WEEKEND [ 13 ]
Weekend Highlight by
BIG
Thinking
The upstart festival, the Little Big Film Project,
returns with a song in its heart and a mission to
enlighten viewers.
Rejoice:
a blast of alterna-
tive cinema has
just hit town.
From today to October
23, Mongkol Films pre-
sents its seventh Little
Big Film Project at the
Lido Theatre.
The theme of this years
Little Big Film Project is
Rhythm on Film, with all
four films being shown
sharing a musical element.
The films being screened
were selected for their
subtle dramatic devices,
dark or unusual comedic
effects and have been
shown at major film festi-
vals in Berlin, Cannes and
Venice.
The project provides qual-
ity alternative films to local
film buffs, says Chomsajee
Tacharatanatrasert, project
programmer and a sales
manager at Mongkol Films.
As is the case abroad, alter-
native film has a niche market
here, says Chomsajee. And
the art house crowd is growing.
Since the first project
kicked off in 1998, the num-
ber of viewers has been
steadily increasing, says
Chomsajee, who travels
searching for works at inter-
national film festivals.
Kicking things off is Laurel
Canyon (today to September
11), about a man who moves with
his finance into his mothers
home in Los Angeles, hoping for
a quiet home base, only to find
that his mother is now producer
for a boy band. Yes Nurse! No
Nurse! (September 12 to 25)
follows the amusing musical lives
of patients in a home for the
handicapped.
Like a cinematic concert, the docu-
mentary Naqoyaqatsi (September
25 to October 9) is a perfect blend of
computer-generated images from
everyday reality documented by direc-
tor Godfrey Reggio. A soundtrack by
Phillip Glass and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are
all the more absorbing for the fact
that the evocative film has no spoken
dialogue.
The festival closes with new wave
Indian director Deepa Methas
Bollywood/Hollywood, in which con-
temporary Indian music and dance plays
a lead role.
An underlying theme of every project is
hope, says Chomsajee.
Quality film is our criteria, she says, but
the films are also selected because they
deal with substantial subjects and suggest
solutions to the real-life problems they
raise. n
Laurel Canyon
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Synopsis: Newly graduated psychiatrist
Sam and his fiancee Alex move to Los Angeles
for Sams residency, into Sams mothers
house in upscale Laurel Canyon. The only prob-
lem is, Sams mother (Frances McDormand) is
still there, supposedly finishing up a record that
shes producing for the band of her new boy
toy, Ian. She seems more interested in smoking
pot and drinking than actually working, though.
Alex doesnt mind, although shes soon dis-
tracted by the rock-n-roll lifestyle around her.
Bollywood/Hollywood
Director: Deepa Mehta
Synopsis: Bollywood/Hollywood is a madcap
love-song to both East and West with Bollywood
music and Hollywood choreography. Crafted by
Indian director Deepa Mehta, the film is a playful
tribute to the conventions of Bollywood cinema.
The romantic comedy follows a diverse group of
Indian Canadians living in environment saturated
with Hollywood, yet who share a common passion
- Bollywood. Rich, young, handsome Rahul is des-
perate to stop his mother and grandmother from
interfering with his romantic life. But when they
threaten to call off his sisters wedding unless he
finds himself a nice Indian girl, he hires an escort,
Kimberly, to pose as his finacee.
Naqoyqatsi
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Synopsis: In this cinematic
concert, mesmerising images
are plucked from everyday real-
ity, then visually altered with
state-of-the-art digital tech-
niques. The result is a chronicle
of the shift from a world organ-
ised by the principles of nature
to one dominated by technolo-
gy, and the synthetic. A tidal
wave of visuals and music by
Philip Glass gives rise to a
unique, artistic experience
reflecting a brave new world.
Yes Nurse!
No Nurse!
Director: Pieter Kramer
Synopsis: Yes Nurse, No Nurse is the
musical tale of Nurse Klivia (Loes Luca), who runs
a rest home populated by a gang of lovable nut-
cases next door to the uber-cranky Mr Boordevol.
Mr Boordevol is constantly looking for a way to
get Nurse Klivia and her rowdy patients evicted,
and may finally have found a way when a young,
burglar with a heart of gold moves in with them.
The movie is packed with memorable characters
and musical numbers, with camera work thats as
fun and inventive as the singing and dancing itself.
Its Buzby Berkley gone Dutch treat in this deliri-
ous, all-singing, all-dancing romantic comedy
chock full of over-the-top 60s set design, tinted
postcard tableaux and lush, split-screen visuals.

Entertainment advertising
Werndorf Associates
Copywriting
(Sorry for the low-rez le, lost my last copy of this ad)
Newspaper layout
Santa Barbara News-Press
Thank you for looking