The clips were shot by the crew of Fox Movietone around 1929, during the reign of King Rama VII. In addition to their historical importance due to the inclusion of sound, the four clips also show rare images of a royal puppet performance and a traditional Thai music ensemble. They also captured a lively, eccentric scene of a woman dancing to accordion music while children watch on.

The last clip shows a navy private sweet-talking to a young woman, before cutting to a scene of what looks like a party in an elegant mansion where young couples danced to jazz music.

The clips were preserved at the archive of the University of South Carolina. The Thai Film Archive, a public organisation, found out about them last year and requested a new digital scan of the clips from the US archivists for preservation in Thailand. The clips to be shown on September 9 feature high-quality image and sound.

The screening will be accompanied by a talk featuring music historians.

The sound technology introduced to Siam by the crew of Fox Movietone would later lead to the development of sound film in Siam. The first Thai sound film – a feature film – was “Long Tang” (“Going Astray”), made by the Wasuwat brothers in 1932.

“The First Sound Recorded on Film in Siam” will take place on September 9 at 3.15pm at the Thai Film Archive, Buddha Monthon Sai 5 Road, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom. Admission is free.

Co-produced with China Movie Channel (CMC), “Master” is the fourth installment in the Chinese language martial arts anthology that made its debut back in 2016.

Directed by Si Xiao Dong (“Detective” and “State Mission”),it stars Shi Junzhe (“Tycoon”), as the titular lead, China’s National Martial Arts Champion Fan Weipeng as Mun Sing and Yin Ran (“The Next Magic”) as Ching-Ho’s wife, it was shot in Mandarin in Xiangshan though viewers in Asia will be able to watch it dubbed in English with local language subtitles when it premieres on HBO.

The film is set in the early 19th century at a time when Britain encouraged Chinese opium use to turn around the trade deficit with China. In Canton, Wong Ching-ho, the head of a Guangzhou martial arts alliance decides to take action and burn down an opium warehouse. Local officials turn a blind eye or fear of causing a public riot. Mun Sing, a Kung Fu master from out of town, is recruited by the opium suppliers to challenge the local martial arts houses. Eventually Wong Ching-ho develops the “Nine Dragon Fist” and defeats Mun Sing. Wong Ching-ho become a hero and helped locals build rehabilitation facilities in Guangzhou.

Starring Hailee Steinfeld, “Dickinson” audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson (played by Steinfeld).

Set in the 19th century, “Dickinson” is a coming-of-age story that finds Emily Dickinson to be an unexpected hero for our millennial era.

Created, written and executive produced by Alena Smith and executive produced by Hailee Steinfeld, “Dickinson” also stars Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt and Adrian Blake Enscoe.

“Dickinson” will debut this fall exclusively on Apple TV+, which the company is billing as a new home for the world’s most creative storytellers.

The RCB Film Club’s 2019 Movie Series returns next month with the Malaysian film “Rise”, one of the activities being organised by the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok to make the country National Day. It will screen on September 14 at 4pm at RCB Forum on the second floor of River City Bangkok

The film follows the lives of six characters of different ethnicities, cities, professions and social status. What binds them together is their love for their homeland, especially at the time of their crucial Elections in 2018. The highlight of the film is the reporting on the last Malaysian elections and in particular, the sensational win of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who appears at the end of the movie

It is a unique film that combines politics, patriotism and personal choices in a multi-racial, multi-lingual country.

The wide array of characters in the drama includes a Muslim-Malay student in London, a Chinese-Malay restaurant worker in Singapore, a classical Indian dancer and polling agent at odds with her rigid father, a policeman confused by the lure of corruption, a businessman moved by the plight of illegal workers and a journalist trying to uncover the truth.

The film is directed by three filmmakers from different ethnic communities: Malaysia-Malay, Chinese and Tamil/Indian. Many issues are dealt with and cover the fields of education, business, politics and an inter-racial society. The characters not only represent their independent cultures but also speak their own languages with dialogue switching between Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil, which add to the unique flavour and strength of the film.

“Rise” was one of last year’s most eagerly anticipated movies and was well-received by the multi-ethnic country. It offers ample proof that a diverse nation can be a homogenous one.

The film screening is courtesy by WebTVAsia and supported by the Embassy of Malaysia, Bangkok who will provide Malaysian snacks and drinks after the screening.

Dato Jojie Samuel, Ambassador of Malaysia to Thailand, will introduce the film.

Admission is free.

For reservations, email clubmovie2019@gmail.com.

The two films that rank first and second are Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth. All three are totally “Made in China”: they are directed by Chinese directors, shot by Chinese video teams, as well as based on novels written by Chinese authors. And they have made the most money in the Chinese market.

That phenomenon reflects, first of all, that Chinese audiences are increasingly more interested in their own stories than in foreign ones.

The three Chinese films are familiar and the tale of Ne Zha is among the most popular stories in China. In an age when people can easily gain access to foreign culture, it is natural for stories of their own domestic culture to be more appealing.

Besides, unlike the ticket sales champion and its runner-up, Ne Zha tells a story that is an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. But instead of simply telling the story once again with modern technology, the new film has rewritten the story so it better reflects the values of modern society.

The somewhat violent parts in the old story, as well as the parts that promote personal revenge, have been deleted and replaced by scenes that promote sincerity toward each other.

That’s partly why Ne Zha’s daily ticket sales rose day by day in the first few days. It has appealed to the hearts of the modern audiences with values acceptable to them. No wonder they have given it high-approval and are willing to recommend it to others.

In other words, Ne Zha’s success lies, to a large extent, on its ability to make traditional Chinese culture relevant to modern society. Ne Zha has not been screened overseas yet, but there is ample reason to believe the film will be able to move the hearts of overseas audiences, as on social media networks there are already comments anticipating its arrival.

There are plenty of stories like that of Ne Zha which can appeal to modern audiences if well told in a modern way.

Even more daring is Kim’s attempt to do so with an occult film — a genre that has been a hit and miss when it comes to Korean movies.

“During my visit to France, I saw a statue of an angel suppressing the devil. (The statue) embodied an enormous struggle, which got me thinking (about the possibility) of making a (film) universe in Korea like Marvel or the “Conjuring” universe, in which (characters) can fight,” the director said during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Wednesday, explaining how he came up with the idea for the flick.

Kim said he discussed the possibility with Park Seo-joon, the main lead of the film, with whom he had worked on the 2015 hit “Midnight Runners.” They shared the vision of starting a cinematic universe.

Park plays the role of a mixed martial arts fighter, Yong-hu, who has lost faith in the world after losing to his father in his youth.

He discovers a scar of unknown origin on his hand and seeks help from Father Ahn, an exorcist and priest from the Vatican, played by Ahn Sung-ki. They team up to find a “bishop of the evil,” Ji-sin, played by Woo Do-hwan.

Playing his first big screen role in two years, Park, 30, said he put a lot of thought into playing Yong-hu, a character with a dark side.

“I’ve played many characters that are upbeat and positive, but this is a type of character I’ve always wanted to play. … There were a lot of question marks on how I would appear on screen visually, and in terms of portraying (the character),” he said.

Ahn, whose acting career spans over six decades, joked that this role was one that “only he could play,” perhaps a nod to the role of an exorcist priest he played in the 1998 “The Soul Guardians.”

Coming out of a years-long hiatus, he said he wanted to meet as many viewers as possible through the new film. “I felt like I could demonstrate a tremendous energy for my age,” he said.

Playing his first big screen role, Woo said his character has a “reason for being evil.”

“The most charming thing (about my character) was that he is quick to figure out what other people are like, because it is his job to dazzle and deceive them,” he said.

Whether the film will go on to build a cinematic universe remains to be seen.

“I think there are plenty of elements in our movie to create a universe. But we still need characters, or heroes. This movie sets up a lot of the necessary characters,” said the director.

One such element could be the presence of Ahn. “Ahn is like Nick Fury (of the MCU),” Kim said, hinting that the veteran actor would continue appearing in his film universe to be built up in upcoming movies.

“The Divine Fury” opens in theaters tomorrow (August 22)ใ

Executive produced by actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who star alongside Steve Carell, “The Morning Show” explores the high-stakes world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the mine field of high-powered jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, “The Morning Show” explores ego, ambition and the misguided search for power.

The cast also includes Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Desean K. Terry, Jack Davenport and Janina Gavankar. The series is written by Kerry Ehrin and directed by Mimi Leder, both of whom also executive produce

“The Morning Show” will debut in autumn l exclusively on Apple TV+, a new home for the world’s most creative storytellers.

The screening will follow by a post-film talk by Tom Waller, a Thai filmmaker of Irish descent and one of the producers of “Soi Cowboy”, and Dr Wikanda Promkhuntong, a film scholar from Mahidol University. The talk will focus on the way Thailand is seen, captured or represented by foreign filmmakers – from “The Man With the Golden Gun” to “The Hangover II” – and how truthful, distorted or exoticised the image of the country is on the big screen.

Waller is the director of several films such as “Sop Mai Ngiab” (“Mindfulness and Murder”), “Petchakat” (“The Last Executioner”), as well as the upcoming “Nang Non” (“The Cave”), which tells the story of the rescue mission of the 13 boys trapped in a Thai cave. Dr Wikanda is an expert in film history and film tourism.

“Soi Cowboy” is an eccentric take on the story of a Thai bar girl and a Danish man. And though the film isn’t really about the red-light district of the title, it trains its observant eyes at the strange dynamics between a local woman and a foreigner, superimposed under a meta-cinematic lens.

The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2008, and the screening at the Thai Film Archive will be on 35mm. The screening will start at 1pm at the Thai Film Archive, followed by the discussion at 3pm. Free admission.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/ThaiFilmArchivePage/

“Following the success of HBO Asia’s Mandarin Original Series including the award-winning “The Teenage Psychic” and “The World Between Us”, we are pleased to bring yet another Mandarin production, ‘Adventure of the Ring’, to our audiences in Asia and around the world,” said Jonathan Spink, HBO Asia’s chief executive. “The heart-warming tales in HBO Asia’s first romantic comedy series will resonate with many.”

“Adventure of the Ring” tells the stories of different couples who come into contact with an engagement ring. On a morning commute, the ring is misplaced by a man on the day of his proposal, threatening to disrupt all his plans. Chris Wang plays Yi Zhi, the man who loses the ring and Allison Lin is Lisa, Yi Zhi’s intended bride. As the search for the ring continues, Yi Zhi and Lisa re-examine what love means to them as the ring travels through the hands of other couples and impacts their lives.

The series, which is helmed by Nelson Yeh and directed by Golden Bell-nominated Kitamura Tayoharu, is produced in partnership with Good Image with support from the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan, the Taipei Film Commission and the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation.

HBO Asia started producing Original productions in 2012 and has aired 16 of them to date, including award-winning series, movies and documentaries such as the Japanese drama series “Miss Sherlock”; the network’s first original documentary, “The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors”, Chinese language drama series, “The Teenage Psychic”; two seasons of the network’s dark fantasy series “Halfworlds” and a horror mini-series, “Grace”.

Later this year, HBO Asia will premiere the second season of the award-winning series, “The Teenage Psychic”; a brand-new anthology series “Food Lore”, heartfelt stories told against the backdrop of Asian cuisine, as well as “Invisible Stories”, a drama series about the extraordinary stories hidden behind ordinary people.

After the series became available on Thursday, it has become a hot topic on social media and many have warned that the series should be watched in private with all the sex and nude scenes.

Directed by Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love”), the series is based on Nobuhiro Motohashi’s non-fiction book Zenra Kantoku (“The Naked Director”) and chronicles Muranishi’s unusual and drama-filled life and well as his spectacular setbacks in an attempt to turn Japan’s porn industry on its head.

The series opens in the 1980s, with the life of Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada), who becomes a successful salesman of English encyclopaedias, providing us the first glimpse of his daring wit when he accidentally meets the yakuza.

His life turns upside down when the company went bankrupt and he witnesses his wife’s infidelity. He meets a young gangster (played by Shinnosuke Mitsushima) who tells him about the money to be made in a plastic-wrapped adult magazines.

Muranishi soon opens his own binibon that attract customers with fresh and daring ideas. But his rising fame becomes the attention of a corrupt police detective (Lily Franky), who works with a powerful business rival (Ryo Ishibashi) to ruin his success.

Muranishi stands up against them and sees a new business opportunity in porn videos. He tries to change the old taboo of AV movie rules and that takes him and the team into risky territory. When his idea becomes successful, he becomes the target of police and a powerful porn movie production company.

His reckless challenge attracts the beautiful art student Megumi (Misato Morita), who comes from a middle-class background, entered the prestigious Yokohama National University and dreams of studying art in Italy. But she also wants to act in AV of her own will. She debuts in the movie that Muranishi serves as director, cameraman and actor. That causes her to become famous with a new name Kaoru Kuroki.

What’s more she becomes a celebrity appearing on TV shows and expresses the empowerment of women with her signature unshaven armpits. Meanwhile Muranishi’s troubles keep coming in and he ends up in jail. His teams and also Kuroki are in desperate to get him out.

Playing the title role is maverick actor Takayuki Yamada, a veteran of Japanese films and TV shows such as “Train Man” (2005), “Crows Zero” (2007), “Ushijima the Loan Shark” (2010), and “Lessons of the Evil” (2012).

With his transformation into the Muranishi character, we hardly recognise the actor as he morphs himself to be the middle-aged serious director just like his co-star Tetsuji Tamayama. During an interview with them and also Shinnosuke Mitsushima, they look dazzling and not at all like they are in the series.

“I never bought an AV movie before, and just watching then for free. Working in this project makes me know that they are working hard in one project so I pay for it now,” says Yamada.

Yamada is a well-known actor. Even though Japanese movies and TV series are not popular among Thai audiences he is still a familiar face among Japanese movie and series fans. For years he appeared in many TV series like “Crying out love from the centre of the world”, the tense thriller drama “Byakuyakou” or the light-hearted series made from the popular comic of Adachi Misuru like “H2”.

“He is a headstrong. He forces people doing in what he wants. But he is full of charm and that attracts people to work for him,” says Yamada of his latest character. “He fearlessness led him to break into the AV movie industry.

“When I met him, he was very active despite being aged 71. His life is like a roller coaster.”

Yamada adds that he likes Muranishi and his energetic, reckless personality.

“But he is a crazy guy,” he adds.

Muranishi now blogs and sells his classic AV titles from his own website.

Mitsushima and Tateyama say that their characters are fictional so they don’t have the role model to work but they think that the it’s the opportunity to bring this topic into light.

“Japanese AV movies are unique compared with those of other countries. They have gimmicks and story ideas,” says Tateyama.

“People don’t speak out in public, so it’s a good opportunity to present the behind the scenes of this industry. These movies should earn respect like other movies,” says Mitsushima.

At that time there was a prejudice against adult videos and female actress were not accepted in the way they are now.

The series not only shows the world of the AV movie industry but also the economics and society of Japan in that era as well.

Since Netflix launches in Japan in 2015, the major original Japanese Netflix projects are animations with some TV series including the hit reality series “Terrace House” to the fantsy drama “Switched” and “My Husband Wont’ Fit”.