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Money matters:
Graham Macdonald MBMG International Ltd.
The Ugly, The Bad and The Good
Part 3 - The Good
CHART 1
A few months ago in this column we featured an article on the
Harvard & Yale endowments in which we, admittedly, have a vested interest. The
general approach shares a great many similarities with the multi-manager,
multi-asset class approach adopted by Scott Campbell and Miton Optimal for
managing MBMG’s client portfolios and specifically Frontier Capital’s funds
which are key holdings within these portfolios and look to specifically mimic
the Harvard and Yale performance.
The FT observes that the route from Massachusetts to Wall Street is now
decidedly two-way, citing Mohamed El-Erian who left the job managing Harvard’s
USD35bn (more than the gross domestic product of Syria or Bulgaria) endowment
fund and Jack Meyer, his long-time predecessor at Harvard who left the endowment
fund to co-found Conexivity Capital. David Swensen still effectively manages
Yale’s USD22bn endowment fund and is now entering his 24th year in charge of the
fund. Despite the competition between the institutions there is a surprisingly
high degree of correlation between them.
CHART 2
The FT also asks a question that we first asked ourselves
back in the mid-90s - how do the fund managers of academia achieve the results
that they do? The FT also comes up with the same answer that we did - simple
asset allocation theories that deliver double-digit investment returns at a
reduced rate of volatility and should be available to everyone. Back in the
1990s we identified Scott Campbell as the only major offshore fund manager
putting this theory effectively into practice for private investors. We consider
that move just about the smartest thing we’ve ever done for our clients. (See
chart 1)
Not only has it worked over time but it’s still working. (See chart 2)
Admittedly Yale has done slightly better but then most investors don’t have
USD22 billion to invest and, therefore, we consider Scott’s performance for our
clients a pretty good proxy of what the super endowments have done. Please
remember that the performance of the MBMG portfolios is not due to Graham
Macdonald sitting over an FT on a Saturday morning armed with a cup of coffee in
one hand and a pin in the other, but us taking advice from one of the world’s
leading fund managers.
All three have achieved this by a combination of long-term direct investments
into capital markets, while taking advantage of “alpha generators” - such as
absolute-return equity and fixed income arbitrage strategies - and to add value
to a portfolio. All owe something to the Modern Portfolio Theory, which was
largely developed by Nobel laureates James Tobin and Harry Markowitz.
Each allocate a significant amount, currently, to absolute return strategies, to
private equity and to “real assets”, most notably in the form of Yale’s
employment of a forestry team to manage real estate, forestry assets.
Apparently other universities and wealth managers are finally heeding the
lesson. The FT cites that, “According to the National Association of College and
University Business Officials, the average US endowment has 17.7 percent
allocated to hedge funds for absolute returns.”
CHART 3
Sadly, we see too little evidence of this filtering through
to private client portfolio management, although the FT cites that JP Morgan
make such an approach available to clients with at least GBP25 million (USD50
million) to invest.
Like MBMG and the super endowments, JP Morgan’s portfolios are significantly
underweight in equities right now and have used similar allocations to Miton and
the endowments to achieve their returns of 12-14%.
Coutts are the latest converts to this philosophy for their ultra-high net worth
(similar ball-park to JP Morgan above) clients. Carl Astorri, head of investment
strategy, highlights a key aspect of the underlying philosophy - “We try to
blend innovative structures with traditional strategy.” At MBMG we offer access
to this sort of investment for as little as USD5,000.
From Western Avenue, Massachusetts to Wall Street and via the Queen of England’s
bankers to Thailand, all successful adherents of practical application of Modern
Portfolio Theory share this same ability - to blend innovation and tradition. We
believe that MBMG remain unique in trying to bring this to the vast majority of
investors and savers.
Scott Campbell will be visiting Bangkok again in early June. For details or if
you wish to reserve a place at his seminar and sit down with him for a chat then
please contact Todd Guest on [email protected] or call him on 02 650
3123/4.
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The above data and research was compiled from sources
believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its
officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above
article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any
actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For
more information please contact Graham Macdonald on
[email protected]@mbmg-international.com.com
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Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman
It’s how you see, not what you use
There are many photographers in the past that I admire.
They all have one thing in common. They knew what they are looking at,
and knew what the final result should be. And guess what, none of them
used a digital camera.
 Thomas
Carlyle
Look at the photograph of the eminent historian Thomas Carlyle. That was
taken in 1867 (141 years ago) and is ranked as one of the most powerful
portraits in the history of photography, and yet was taken with totally
primitive equipment.
Look again - technically it is imperfect. There is blurring of the
image, and when you realize that the shutter was open for probably
around three minutes, then you can see why. The sitter could not
possibly remain motionless for that period of time. But it has the power
to mesmerize you. How?
The dynamics of this shot come from the very first principles of
photography - painting with light. It is not the subject that makes the
shot - it is the way you light the subject, and this is the prime
example, taken 141 years ago. The light is falling on the sitter almost
from the side and slightly above. One eye is partially lit and the other
in shadow. The hair and beard show up strongly. The photo is totally
confrontational.
Analyze further. If the face had been front lit, and both eyes, the nose
and the mouth were all clearly visible then there would be no air of
mystery. The dark areas of the photograph have made you look further
into it. You begin to imagine what the features were like. You also
begin to imagine what the person was like. You have just experienced the
“perfect” portrait.
The shot was taken by Julia Margaret Cameron (1815 - 1879) a British
lady who, in her late forties, took up the new fangled notion of
photography. This was not the age of the point and shoot simplicity we
enjoy today. This was the age of making your own photographic plates by
painting a mixture of chemicals all over it - chemicals you mixed
yourself - exposing the plate in a wooden box camera and then fixing the
negative in more chemicals and finally making a print.
It was the 29th of January 1864 when Mrs. Cameron finally produced her
first usable print. She had made the exposure at 1 p.m. and in her diary
recorded the fact that by 8 p.m. she had made and framed the final
print. (And you think you are doing it tough if the ‘review’ function
takes more than one millisecond to show you the result!)
Julia Margaret Cameron made close up portraits 30x40 cm. However, she
would not have managed to photograph so many of the notables of the era
had it not been for her next door neighbor, the Poet Laureate, Alfred
Lord Tennyson. After Tennyson saw his own portrait he persuaded his
eminent friends to sit for her as well. Most of these portraits were
different from the Thomas Carlyle photograph in that they were taken in
profile. Mrs. Cameron felt that the innate intelligence could be more
easily seen in the profile and this may have been the result of the
influence of the quasi-science of Phrenology, whereby your cranial bumps
showed your true talents, which was all the rage at that time!
Julia Margaret Cameron has contributed to photography by showing that it
is the eye of the photographer that dictates the photograph, not the
“smartness” of the equipment. She also showed a personal determination
to succeed which should be an example to the young photographers of
today.
So you can stop reading the photographic magazines to see if you should
buy the latest offerings with 1000 megapixels complete with one
millionth of a second shutter speed and dedicated flash power for up to
three kilometers and just go out and take photographs with what you have
got. Look at what is in front of you and “make” your own photographs
“work” for you. Thus endeth the inspirational lesson. Thank you Mrs.
Cameron.
Modern Medicine:
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
The Seven Deadly Sins
Heart disease is still one of the greatest killers of
mankind, ranking a strong second after the Songkran road toll - OK, I
exaggerated that a little, but I still maintain that any celebration in
which 500 people get killed is a blight on the face of our community.
Interestingly, if you look at the major causes of death by development of
the countries, in the high income countries death toll comes from heart
disease, stroke and lung cancer, middle income countries have stroke, heart
disease and lung disease and for the low income countries it is heart
disease, respiratory infections and then HIV/AIDS.
There are many reasons for the differences, including dietary,
socio-economic, educational, development of health services and tobacco and
alcohol abuse. However, this week I am only going to address heart disease,
and the seven deadly ‘sins’ that can predict your likelihood of getting (and
suffering from) heart disease.
1. High Blood Pressure: 20 percent of elderly people suffer from this
condition. Imagine trying to blow through a long tube. If the tube becomes
constricted for any reason, you will have to blow harder, increasing the
pressure. Blood pressure is the same - if the arteries are constricted or
less pliable, it takes a greater pressure to force the blood around. The
heart has to work harder to produce the increased pressure, and eventually
the heart gets tired and fails.
2. High cholesterol: High cholesterol foods such as egg yolk, offal, animal
brain, animal fats, dairy products, seafood, oyster, squid, etc, leave
deposits in the blood vessel walls. As a result, the fat “plaque” on the
vessel walls obstructs the blood flow and this will eventually cause heart
disease, as per the first deadly sin above.
3. Smoking: Smoking is a primary factor in the causation of coronary artery
disease. Smokers are at a much higher risk, even two times more than
non-smokers. Smoking increases adrenaline, which causes an increased heart
rate, increased blood pressure and lowers the amount of oxygen carried by
the blood.
4. Diabetes: Diabetic people have twice the risk of congestive heart failure
than people with normal blood sugar levels, due to their increased weight
(see number 5) and high cholesterol levels produced in the blood.
5. Obesity: People who are fatter than average have to face a 30-40 percent
increase in risk of heart disease compared to thin people. In just carting
around the extra weight, the heart has to work harder (and the knee and hip
joints wear out). Try walking around with 10 kg extra on your back and tell
me how you feel at the end of a week. Tired? Of course. And your heart is
tired too.
6. Stress: Stress is not totally bad for us, as it keeps you going, and in
an appropriate level actually stimulates our curiosity and motivation;
however, by getting over-stressed, adrenaline levels are increased and this
may lead to abnormal heart function. Though stress is not the main cause of
heart disease, it can make the artery walls less flexible, which is the
beginning of heart disease.
7. Lack of exercise: Exercise is the best way to increase high density
lipoprotein (HDL) - “good” cholesterol that prevents the arteries becoming
abnormal. By exercising, blood pressure, body weight, and the possibility of
thrombosis will be reduced.
So you can see just how these seven risk factors all are inter-related. Keep
the arteries clean, watch the diet and ensure you have a reasonable level of
exercise. Check the Blood Pressure and stop smoking.
Remember too, that as you get older, the chances (and risks) of heart
disease are higher. (Young males are more likely to die from Songkran
effects than heart failure.) Statistically, men aged over 40 years as well
as the postmenopausal women have a higher risk than adolescents.
Despite our knowledge, we still cannot predict exactly when the demise will
come, but looking at the big picture, we do know that smoking, overweight,
unfit diabetics with high blood pressure and high cholesterol do not live as
long as non-smoking, fit, lean people with normal blood pressure, and normal
blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Do you know your levels? A brief medical check-up will tell you.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
A couple of weeks ago, one of your writers was all doom and gloom and was
worried about the prices going up in the red light areas. I reckon he’s right.
You even said that the price of beer would go up, too. I’ve been coming to
Thailand for over 20 years and you should have seen the price in the red light
areas then. Really, really cheap. Thailand is going to get more expensive, you
just watch, Hillary old girl.
The Fortune Teller
Dear Fortune Teller,
You are only half right, Petal. Sure, on paper, everything is much more
expensive than it was 20 years ago, but so is your salary, my love. In reality,
most things are cheaper relatively, than they were. Try the price of your air
ticket to come over on your holidays. It is much cheaper, relative to your wages
than it ever was. It’s called the Cost Price Index (CPI) or something.
Unfortunately my favorite Beluga caviar is being overtaken as the most expensive
dish in the fine dining restaurants by rice, gently sautéed in diesel, and we
can thank the oil producers for that one.
Dear Hillary,
When was the last time you went to Patpong? You wrote to the guy called Bill,
that “I cannot think of any other costs in the bar areas, as prostitution is
against the law.” Hillary, it goes on all the time, and the costs are rising.
Where have you been? You’ve missed the bus, Petal.
Realist Ron
Dear Realist Ron,
Have you ever heard of the term “satire”? Do you know what it is? You are guilty
of selective quotations, Petal. What I wrote was, “I cannot think of any other
costs in the bar areas, as prostitution is against the law, and therefore does
not happen.” We all know prostitution happens. It happens in London (Soho),
Amsterdam, Bombay and even New York, so I’m sure it happens here too, if you
know where to go to look for it. Perhaps you should take me on a tour one
evening, Ronzo. I might just surprise you a little.
Dear Hillary,
I have a big problem. Well, it’s not all my problem, it’s also my best mate’s.
I’ll call him Bill, but that’s not his real name. He’s fallen in love with a bar
girl, I’ll call her Lek, but that’s not her real name either. This is Bill’s
first time in Thailand and he came over for the Songkran stoush with some of his
pub mates from Birmingham. Long story short, he meets Lek and the next thing you
know it’s an item. Now here’s the real problem - I had Lek last year when I was
over by myself and I know she’s a right little gold digger. Got her hooks into
my visa card and soon cleaned me out. Bill doesn’t know anything about that
because I’m married to Bill’s sister, so I couldn’t say anything, I just fibbed
a bit and said I’d bought stuff that was coming over and it hadn’t arrived yet.
So what should I do Hillary? Let Bill get cleaned out too or give him a warning
somehow.
Jack
Dear Jack,
Which probably isn’t your real name I would imagine, you certainly have weaved a
web of deceit, haven’t you. If you give Bill the nod, he’s going to tell his
sister, who will attack you with an iron bar when you get back and never let you
out unaccompanied ever again. If you stay stum then Lek is likely to clean out
Bill, and if she doesn’t - she’s going to tell Bill about you and her last year.
All that is left for you, other than making up another excuse and running back
to England because you miss your wife too much (I am a sarcastic bitch at
times), is to gently tell Bill that many chaps on their first visit get hooked
by the professional ladies from the bars and get their fingers and their credit
cards burned. There are many books on this subject, including Stephen Leather’s
Private Dancer or Mike Baird’s cartoon books. Point him in that direction. By
the way, Lek won’t be her real name either!
Dear Hillary,
I come over to Thailand once a year and every year it is the same. Fun, fun,
fun. By the end of my three week vacation I need the fourth week to recover.
What I am wondering, is how do the guys who live in Thailand keep up the pace?
Is it blue diamonds or what? I’m only 35 and I see some much older blokes than
me who seem to be regulars in some of the bars.
Pickled Pete
Dear Pickled Pete,
What a wonderful nom de plume, Petal! However, have you ever heard about the kid
in the candy store? That’s you, my pickled Petal. The guys who live here perhaps
do resort to the blue diamonds for their viagorous exercises, but many of the
older chaps you see in the bars who are regulars have got through the candy shop
stage. But as you say, you are only 35, so enjoy life, Pete who is pickling
himself. The bars will still be here on your next holiday.
Learn to Live to Learn: with Andrew Watson
A visit from the Esther Benjamins Trust
It was recently my privilege to welcome to my school Camilla
Kinchin, fundraising coordinator of the Esther Benjamins Trust,
a charity with which regular readers of this column will, I
hope, be familiar. The Esther Benjamins Trust (www.ebtrust.
org.uk) was established in 1999 by Lt Col Philip Holmes in
memory of his first wife Esther Benjamins. Esther took her own
life in January that year because of childlessness. Philip’s
response was to resign from a successful career as an army
officer and establish a children’s charity in Esther’s name.
This was not just as a memorial, for at the time of Esther’s
death she was a judge whose admirable qualities combined a sense
of justice for the neglected and oppressed with a deep love for
children. It is these values that are perpetuated through the
work of the Trust that bears her name.
Since its inception, the Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT) has grown
rapidly to become the leading registered charity that works
exclusively for disadvantaged and stigmatised Nepalese children
and young people. One of the things the charity does is rescue
enslaved, trafficked and abused children and create safe havens,
after care and education for them in Nepal.
Camilla’s visit coincided with and helped celebrate the launch
of a student designed Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) diary
and raised awareness of human rights and global responsibilities
in a world where, it seems, many are just “too busy” to stop and
think. CAS is one of the central components of the IB Diploma
Programme; in many ways it could be said to define what the IBO
is all about, especially the “Service” part. The thing is, it’s
mandatory and students who might achieve maximum scores in
academic subjects will nonetheless fail their Diploma if they do
not satisfactorily complete their CAS programme. That sends a
powerful message to the whole school community about the notion
that “giving to others” is not a peripheral part of existence.
Neither is it just about giving financially; nor is it a once a
year half-attended box filling exercise, although fund raising
is often a part of a Service and all forms of giving should, I
suppose, be regarded as “good”. CAS goes further and should,
like the critical thinking component of the Diploma Programme,
enthuse and inform and enhance delivery of subject areas. “How
so?” you might ask. Well the first thing is to ensure that the
values enshrined in CAS permeate the whole school, not just the
final two years.
Camilla’s three day visit was an intensive programme of
activities and discussion groups which involved looking at the
work of the charity from the perspectives of different subject
areas, the charity as a discreet CAS Service project and the
philosophical and educational implications of “Acting locally,
thinking globally”. She spoke to every student from Years 7 to
12 (there are 60 in each year group) in what was undoubtedly a
gruelling schedule, yet I observed an individual of remarkable
grace, dedication and determination demonstrate unending
patience and good humour; indeed she seemed to be enjoying
herself very much indeed.
Camilla talked with Art classes about the training the rescued
children are given in creating the most marvellous mosaics (she
revealed an example to audible gasps from her audiences),
developing skills which can help them rebuild their lives and
build a future, in a nurturing, caring environment where they no
longer need to feel scared.
She visited Geography classes where the harsh physical realities
of Nepal, “The roof of the World” and Northern India were
contextualised for enthralled students.
She spoke about the history of slavery to History classes,
challenging students whether the abolition of slavery two
hundred years ago meant that slavery no longer existed.
Camilla spoke about the potential that each of us have to make
real changes to real people’s lives, such as students attending
the Garden International School of Football in Thailand (GISF)
and other progressive international schools around the world
have realised. For a small fee, younger students are coached
towards awards authorised by the English FA and their fees are
transferred directly to the EBT. Younger students are thereby
exposed to the work of the charity and the humanitarian issues
involved. Last year in Thailand, GISF alone raised well over a
thousand dollars.
I grabbed a moment over lunch to talk with Camilla about the
day-to-day realities of work on the ground in Nepal. What’s the
reality, for example, of children’s lives in the circus? It’s a
tragic story that Camilla has told many times before, but one
she never tires of telling. “The research we carried out in 2002
showed that they work for very long hours. From 4 in the morning
to 8pm … there are three performances a day and the rest of the
time is spent training for the tricks they are forced to do … as
you can imagine they eat very, very poorly … the rescued girls
says they were hungry the whole time because they were fed on
very, very poor diets to deliberately keep their weights down so
that they could be agile enough to do the tricks and to
constrain their growth in some ways … they live a life of abuse
… they are slaves in the circus. They can’t escape.” There was
an unpleasantly unmissable irony in discussing a matter of
dietary deprivation over lunch.
A common question among students was related to how children
managed to end up in the circuses in the first place. “In many
cases,” explained Camilla, “the parents have signed contracts
for them.” They are duped into signing, of course. Trafficked,
in effect.
Camilla paused, contemplative, before continuing, “You know,
parents do come to us asking us to rescue their children … and
of course there is a rescue process then … but until the day
that we are able to rescue them, they are slaves within the
circus.”
Directly after leaving us, Camilla was due to fly to Nepal to
spend a month working “on the ground”, but before she did, I was
determined to find time to learn more. The photos shown here are
some of the marvellous mosaics made by children rescued by the
Esther Benjamins Trust.
Next week: Esther Benjamins Trust: a moment to talk.
DOC ENGLISH Teaching your kids how to learn English:
Time for extra tuition?
Hello and welcome to the latest Doc
English column!
There may be times when your kids may need extra tuition in English,
even if they are attending an international or bilingual school. They
may be falling behind, or they may need to work on a specific area, such
as pronunciation. A language course or private tuition at a reputable
language school may be the answer. There are a variety of language
courses on offer by a variety of private language schools around
Pattaya, but what are they like?
I had hoped to interview a few language schools this summer and having
rushed off a few e-mails over the Songkran period, I sat eagerly
awaiting their responses.
Richard Woodhead from AUA Language School in Pattaya was very quick to
reply and he offered me an informal interview at his office on Pattaya
Bazaar 1st floor, 266/33-38 North Pattaya Rd.
Richard turned out to be very courteous and friendly and he was very
frank about AUA activities in the Pattaya area. He was knowledgeable
about his students needs and very confident about AUA’s position in the
Pattaya language ‘market’.
AUA was established in 1952 and in my opinion it has a good reputation
in Thailand for offering quality English education. From my experience,
rate of staff turnover is often an indicator of the quality of
management in an organization. Decent teachers soon break contract and
leave if a school is poorly managed.
At AUA staff turnover is low. “Our teachers never leave!” explained
Richard, who also pointed out that his teachers have a minimum of five
years of teaching experience, a Bachelors Degree plus TEFL qualification
and work permits. AUA teachers have a great deal of experience to bring
to the classroom and have the requisite qualifications.
AUA uses the ‘Communicative’ approach to language teaching.
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of
second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the
means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. This involves lots
of talking and active participation from students.
Examples of communicative activities (from my experience) include:
* Role Play
* Interviews
* Information Gap
* Games
* Language Exchanges
* Surveys
* Pair Work
* Learning by teaching
Most of the AUA Pattaya language courses are filled in advance and AUA
appears to have no problem in obtaining students. Their main problem, as
Richard explained, is that they do not have enough capacity to cope with
the growing number of students wanting to learn English.
I did not witness any teaching as no classes were running when I visited
so I cannot comment on the quality of individual lessons; however, AUA
may be a sensible choice for students aged 15+ and young adults wishing
to improve their English (but not young children at this stage). They
also offer teacher training courses and have even been involved in
communicative language teacher training at schools around Thailand,
which is very admirable.
AUA also offers relatively cheap Thai language courses, so no there’s no
excuse for not learning Thai!
That’s all for this week ladies and gentlemen. If you want an
independent school review, please email me at:
[email protected] and I will pay them a surprise visit! Enjoy
spending maximum time with your cherubs.
Let’s go to the movies:
by Mark Gernpy
Now playing in Pattaya
Iron Man: US Action/Adventure – Superb popular
entertainment. They got everything right here: all the right
ingredients, served deliciously. I predict a big hit, and more
importantly, that you’ll like it very much. The difficult and driven
actor Robert Downey Jr. plays the Marvel superhero Tony Stark, a wealthy
industrialist (originally modeled on Howard Hughes) who is forced to
build an armored suit in order to escape his terrorist kidnappers, and
ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against the evil use
of weapons that he himself created. Downey is brilliant, and I cringe to
think what this film would have been like with their original choice of
star, Tom Cruise. With fine supporting performances by Terrence Howard
and Jeff Bridges. Generally favorable reviews.
Don’t even try to fight it: Marvel, along with its varied
universe(s), is here to stay. Marvel is already planning two sequels to
this Iron Man. And Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk is due here on June 12,
and in it Iron Man makes an appearance. So just sit back, relax, and
enjoy the action.
I only mentioned cast member Ghostface Killah last week because I became
fascinated with the name; I couldn’t believe anyone had such a name.
Well, he does exist; he’s a rapper from Staten Island.
There are many rumors making the rounds on the internet about whether
Samuel L. Jackson is in it. I can definitely tell you this: yes, and no.
By the way, in many films like this there are often additional little
scenes at the very end of the closing credits. That’s the case here, and
there was a good 20 percent of the audience waiting for the interminable
ending credits to finish. The scene, when it finally came, was
extraordinarily short, and in my opinion not worth the wait.
Speed Racer: US Action/Drama – A somewhat computerized but
basically live action adaptation of the classic Japanese anime series
about a boy who loves to race cars, filmed almost entirely in front of a
green screen, with the backgrounds drawn in later.
What Happens in Vegas…: US Comedy/Romance – Cameron Diaz and
Ashton Kutcher as strangers who unwittingly end up as bride and groom
after a wild night in Las Vegas. When they discover one of them won a
jackpot the night before, greed takes over.
The Eye: US Drama/Horror – A poor remake of the hugely successful
Hong Kong film about a blind girl who is given a corneal transplant and
is then haunted by frightening visions. Generally negative reviews.
Nim’s Island: US Adventure/Family – An exhilarating and
enchanting family picture about a smart, independent 11-year-old who
lives with her microbiologist father on a remote island. With a
delightfully funny performance by Jodie Foster. Mixed or average
reviews.
Phobia/See-prang: Thai Horror – Four quite good horror stories by
four accomplished Thai directors. Quite well done. If you enjoy Thai
horror films, check this one out.
A favorite section of mine is “In the Middle,” directed by Banjong
Pisanthanakun, one-half of the team that directed the original famous
“Shutter” and also the excellent and truly creepy “Alone.” It’s about
four young guys out camping, and bedded down for the night in their tent
telling ghost stories. One story is about camping trip where the guy who
slept by the tent door woke up to find a ghost sitting at his feet. Ter,
the guy sleeping by the entrance, gets spooked by the story and pleads
with the other three to let him sleep in the middle.
Then Aye jokes, “If I die, I’ll come back and haunt the one in the
middle.” And as luck would have it, their boat overturns the next day
while whitewater rafting, and Aye doesn’t make it to shore. And so that
very night, with Ter sleeping in the middle . . .
The interactions of the four boys throughout are natural and fun, and a
good spirit of camaraderie is created. It’s a very likeable excursion.
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale: US
Adventure/Action – A poor rip-off of “The Lord of the Rings.” Reviews:
Extreme dislike or disgust.
The Forbidden Kingdom: US Action/Adventure – I thoroughly enjoyed
this loving homage to every martial arts movie ever made, with every
known cliché intact, done with a great sense of humor and style by the
legendary Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Quite witty, and a lot of fun. Though
filmed in English, it’s only shown here in a Thai-dubbed version.
Scheduled for May 15
21: US Drama – Kevin Spacey is a crafty professor who trains
brainy students to count cards and then flies them to Las Vegas to raid
the blackjack tables. Mixed or average reviews.
Juno: US Comedy – Juno discovers she’s pregnant, and is forced to
grow up fast. A bright and funny comedy, and a winning film. Reviews:
Universal acclaim.
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