Exciting Times Coming to Martial Arts Films

I had a long phone conversation last night with Marrese Crump. He is one of the premier martial artists on the planet today and he is soon coming to Thailand to take part in a couple of film projects. He is an amazing talent and everyone here is looking forward to working with him. The projects are still in development but shooting this year. Get ready for this guy he will amaze everyone and to think Panna is training him and Tony Ja. Truly where the best meet the best!

Porsche

As things are coming together for my film FIGHTING FATE, one of the most important pieces of the puzzle has been working along side me to make it happen. Porsche, or as he is known by his buddies here in Thailand, Boad, is our leading man. He was the star of Bangkok Knockout and is anxious to prove he is more than just a stunt man. Acting coach Speedy Arnold will be working to polish his dramatic presence and considering his action ability this should create something very special.

He and I are bound together by one piece of bad fate, both of our father's died of lung cancer after lives of smoking. Maybe this tragic fact has brought us together.

I think movie fans are going to see that Porsche is a talent with a very big future. His father was an action star and his mother was an actress, so he has a pedigree and understanding of the sacrifice and hard work it takes in this business.

Get ready for Porsche playing an Interpol agent who returns to Bangkok to avenge the death of his mentor. Lucky for him, his mentor's daughter is being played by Nui Kessarin.

Somluck Kamsing

It was a great honor to meet Thailand's first Olympic boxing champion Somluck Kamsing. I was scheduled to meet with Panna to discuss my film's action sequences, but when I arrived at his house I was told he's playing snooker with a friend. I had not expected it to be Somluck. Somluck is fighting a kick boxing match against John Claude Van Dam this year and I'm sure he's going to give him hell.

We also talked about him taking part in my film. If he can work it in while training for John then he's in. I think this is truly the best part of the film world, getting to meet people like Somluck, even if he takes a few baht off me on the snooker table.

2011 and FILMS in the works

Just as 2010 finished with the release of Bangkok Knockout, 2011 has begun with the development of 2 film projects. 1 film I have written for Panna Rittikrai who is ready to direct his next film this year and it will be a brilliant exploration of Thailand and of Thai ACTION, but I have to withhold the title of this piece as it is a property of Sahamongcolfilm International at this point.

But FIGHTING FATE is the working title of our independent film and this is a film I am very excited to be both writing and co-producing. I'll be working with Nonthakorn Thaweesuk who will direct the piece. He has been in the film industry for 8 years working as an editor, director of photography, and a director. His experience and vision will offer a great deal to FIGHTING FATE.

We will have many of the action stars of BANGKOK KNOCKOUT involved in this piece, but as it is a romantic action story we have gone out and found the best FEMALE ACTION STAR we could find. Nui Kessarin will be joining us in this project as our leading lady. Please check out her martial arts and dance talents. I couldn't be more excited about this film. If you have any interest in investing we are going to be looking for both corporate sponsorship and individual investment so contact me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhsJoxGS_Qs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdGNOUgkkho

Holidays Were Special

What a difference a year makes. 2010 was an amazing year. I think I had more fun and relaxed more about life than I have in years. I also think some very nice things have happened. Thailand did not go to war with itself, and that is very good news. The shuttle to the airport finished creating a fast and inexpensive way to get out to the international airport. A Coffee World opened up on Kaset Campus right across from the track where I jog and along side the fruit market where I buy fruit. New backboards and rims were put in at Satit Kaset offering us an amazing place to play basketball, okay, the rims are 10 inches too high, but glass backboards look so cool. I must say though my neck is killing me from looking up to these 10'10 rims.

My favorite class is in IP 12, so we're having fun putting in our final year together. IP 12 has been a blast to teach and as they head off to USA, Japan, and Chula, they will be missed. This class is going to make some major waves out there in the world.

And on my personal career notes I added a wonderful experience getting to work with legendary action director Panna Rittikrai in saving his Kot So Kot Su or Bangkok Knockout. The project was so challenging because he had already shot many of the action scenes before realizing the story was not working. "Sim, just write a story that can slip my action scenes in, other wise we may have to kill this idea." These words and then a CD with 7 action scenes were handed to me. I must have watched that footage 30 times, trying to figure out why they would be fighting, motivation, etc. What I came up with was not perfect, but it offered us a chance to save the film and that AMAZING ACTION that he is so good at. Action fans will love the film for those scenes, while critics will pan the story, but little do they know how hard we worked to save this project and to give a team of young stunt men a chance to be actors.

I will always be proud of our work and the friendships I developed during Bangkok Knockout. I must say too, driving around during the Christmas break I got a little tingle every time I saw our movie up in lights. We played for 3 weeks here in Thailand, but will be going to the US some time in 2011 so maybe we'll find a nice niche over there with action fans. I hope so.

Next film project is already under way and it will be AMAZING because we are all starting the project together! Just wait!

Chiang Dao Christmas 2010

What can I say, life in the north of Thailand is different. Chiang Dao is a very special place where we have spent Christmas for the past 5 years. We love it there because it is cool, almost cold, giving us a break from Bangkok heat. It's also home to some very large Christian communities so the Christmas celebration every year is truly Christmas like, and when you are living over seas I don't care who you are the holidays will make you feel a twinge of homesickness. But Chiang Dao is really a blast and yet its the kind of blast where you had better find your own fun because there isn't that much to do. Considering the chaos of the past three months I could not have been more ready for a trip up north. The photos bellow are just some glimpses of the trip. The first photo is a typical meal, notice no one has an individual plate, but instead eats what ever they can scoop up with a ball of sticky rice. The second photo is a coffee shop called Haneebahoi where I did the majority of my writing during the trip. The other photos are of a night when we went up in the high mountains to see a very beautiful little village. On the way home we had a little trouble getting around this very territorial herd of cattle. Let's face it, life in the north is just different.

The Movie Premier December 13th

I guess in the end everything came together and this was a chance for all of us to celebrate this achievement. It was a splendid night of seeing friends, but I must admit I was so stressed to see the editing decisions that at times I could barely watch. I would have edited it differently, no doubt, but in the end I think we tied it all together pretty well. Here are some photos of the evening. BUT, I must say one editing decision baffled me, near the end of the film our 3 sexy ladies enter a van, the scene that took place in the van was hot--a cat fight between 2 Thai girls and a Japanese super model. But after the editing we only saw them enter the van. I know the action around the van was fast paced and most important, but I was still disappointed to not see the two Thai girls rough up the Japanese beauty.

WEB SITE FOR MY BANGKOK KNOCKOUT

Check out the website. It's a nice promotional tool I think. Just can't wait to see this on the big screen. What a long process, but sitting in the theater on the night of the premier is going make it all worth it. Bangkok Knockout is coming out on December 16th. Go see the movie!

Magnolia Has Picked up Bangkok Knockout

Well teh USA will be showing Bangkok Knockout. The date has not been decided or announced yet, but the great news is that Magnolia is going to get the film out in the USA.

ตัวอย่าง "โคตรสู้ โคตรโส"

B.K.O. Bangkok Knock Out

Promotional Event Part II

This was all done live in front of the press and done without wires. These guys are so talented. I can't wait to work with them on my next film project. PUNNA ACTION TEAM has a great future!
Bangkok Knockout opens December 16th.

Bangkok Knockout! Promotional Event!

So it was nearly 6 months ago that I was asked to come on board and write the dramatic scenes for a film that had stalled out in mid production. At the time I saw it as a project that would be a blast. When I was a kid I grew up watching Hong Kong Action films and was, like most of my generation, awed by the amazing skills and power of BRUCE LEE. When Punna called and asked for my help I was surprised when he said, "We've already shot 80% of the action, but we need you to write the entire story." What? What? You've done what? But you need what?

The action was so good he couldn't leave this stuff on the cutting room floor so my task was to not only create a story that might appeal to both a Thai and an international audience, but to make sure and weave the story around action scenes that had already been shot.

I thought my eyes were going to pop out as I finished watching the action scenes for about the 30th time. Finally I had an idea and went to work.

What we came up with is Bangkok Knockout! 

What I have taken from the experience is one of the toughest writing challenges of my life, one of the most eye opening about film and where I may play a part in it in the future, and most importantly a FAMILY atmosphere with Punna's Team that made me feel as if I had found home. After all Punna is from the rice fields of North East Thailand and I am from the corn fields of rural Nebraska. 

Check out this promotional video and COME OUT and see BANGKOK KNOCKOUT coming to theaters all over Thailand December 16th.