Latest news with #TheRedEnvelope
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The Red Envelope brings Thai popstars Billkin and PP Krit together for deeply silly queer ghost love story
If 2005 rom-com Just Like Heaven hinged on Mark Ruffalo helping the ghost of Reese Witherspoon jolt her body to life and find her one true love, Thai comedy The Red Envelope is about a man helping a ghost he has been betrothed to achieve his dream of getting married and reincarnated. It is as culturally specific as it gets. Fast Facts about The Red Envelope What: A deeply silly platonic love story between a gay ghost and a straight man Directed by: Chayanop Bonnprakob Starring: Billkin, PP Krit, Piyamas Monyakul, Anna Chuancheun Where: In cinemas now Likely to make you feel: Tickled and, despite yourself, moved The ghost is the spirit of gay man Titi, whose wishes to get married in life were thwarted by a prejudiced father. On his last day on Earth, Titi had a fight with his father and died in a hit-and-run car accident while in an anguished state. In a posthumous scheme hatched by Titi's amah (Piyamas Monyakul) — perhaps the most progressive grandma to ever live — whoever stumbles upon a red envelope with Titi's lock of hair and cut fingernails will be his husband for perpetuity. That person turns out to be Menn, a petty criminal-turned-informant who fools men and women alike in sting operations that often go wrong due to his general uselessness. Crucially, he's also a homophobic straight man, despite his penchant for masquerading as a gay man when it suits him. The Red Envelope's draw rests on its two superstar leads: Thai actor-singers PP Krit and Billkin, who play Titi and Menn respectively. This is not the first time they have acted together, however — their joint breakout roles were in the queer coming-of-age TV series I Told Sunset About You and its sequel I Promised You the Moon. The rapport between them is palpable as Menn's prejudice gives way to care and he becomes accustomed to the presence of a ghost in his apartment, while Titi discovers things about his life that shatter his understanding of himself and his loved ones. The other thing that must be said: The Red Envelope is patently ridiculous, comically overblown and absurdly camp. The low-fi special effects as Titi jumps out of photo frames and glides through the air like he is on roller-skates — I suspect this is the case, because we never see his feet — make the technology of late 90s TV adaptation Animorphs look sophisticated. The one horror scene in the film is so overdone it is ludicrous. Titi's ability to possess anyone leads to uproarious outcomes, particularly in the case of Menn. One particularly memorable scene revolves around Menn undergoing a makeover as he pretends to be a gay man in order to infiltrate a queer club — the transformation hinges on an outfit that an archetypal straight man like Menn would not be capable of conjuring. Challenged to a dance battle that is most reminiscent of White Chicks, Menn is possessed by Titi, who takes pity on him, and soon his stilted dance moves give way to stylised voguing and impeccable choreography. The emotional core of the film begins to emerge after the first act as Menn starts to work with Titi to track down his killer, a case that neatly segues into Menn's own mission to discover the identity of a drug overlord who remains at large. Motivated initially by his wish to vanquish Titi permanently from his life — the theory is that Titi will be reincarnated if he finds peace — Menn starts to discover the benefits of having a close friend, when he previously had none. The Red Envelope is a remake of 2022 Taiwanese blockbuster Marry My Dead Body, but it has a tongue-in-cheek script that references its own distinct influences, from Thai horror film Shutter to South Korean social realist drama Parasite. At times, the film struggles to balance its sillier aspects with the ever-growing seriousness of the dual mysteries that it is trying to resolve. Did it have to be 2 hours 8 minutes? Almost certainly not. Less a rom-com and more a buddy cop bromance between the unlikeliest of partners, The Red Envelope tugs on the heartstrings — particularly in a stirring climactic performance by Titi's father (Anna Chuanchuen) — even as it remains a deeply unserious film.
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
My Perfect Weekend with The Red Envelope's Thai director Chayanop Boonprakob
Who: Chayanop Boonprakob, 40, is a Thai director and screenwriter. He made his feature film debut with the musical comedy SuckSeed (2011), followed by the teen romantic comedy May Who? (2015). He co-directed the Love At Sundown segment as part of the acclaimed anthology A Gift (2017), and later helmed the romcom Friend Zone (2019). His latest film, The Red Envelope, is showing in Singapore cinemas. A Thai remake of the 2022 Taiwanese blockbuster Marry My Dead Body, the supernatural romantic comedy tells the story of a straight cop (Billkin) who is forced to marry a gay ghost (Krit Amnuaydechkorn) afte r picking up a red envelope. The Red Envelope is produced by Chayanop's Thai wife Pijarin Lertsaroj, 36, whom he has known for 14 years. The couple, who have no children, were in town on April 17 to promote their movie. 'Running has always been a main hobby my wife and I share. Even before we were a couple and when we were just friends , we bonded over running. We usually run in town, at a park or sometime s in another province. We're based in the outskirts of Bangkok, so we enjoy exploring new routes. A perfect Sunday for us is one when we can hit the road early after waking up at 5am, especially when the streets are quiet. We love running on the road. It is usually packed with traffic on regular days, but on weekends, it is clear and peaceful. My wife and I have been married for four years, and she was the one who inspired me to start running. We run marathons together as well. My first full marathon was the one we ran together in Moscow, Russia, in 2019. Now that we are in Singapore for The Red Envelope's premiere, we are thinking of going for a run near Marina Bay. We walked by the area recently, and it looked like a great route. I also saw many running groups pass by – some were fast-paced and some were slower. I thought we could definitely do something like that – a slow morning jog in the city. (From left) Thai director Chayanop Boonprakob, local actress Hong Huifang and local director Ong Kuo Sin at the screening of The Red Envelope. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHAYANOP BOONPRAKOB My wife remembers jogging there years ago and spotting a group of otters crossing the street. Everyone stopped to watch, and some even played with them. After a run, we always get hungry. Eating after a workout is the best kind of meal. My wife's favourite breakfast is usually pork skewers with sticky rice. We would head to a nearby restaurant to grab a good coffee. The great thing is that by then, it is only 8 or 9am. There is still a whole day ahead. That said, we also love staying in during the weekends and we are homebodies. We moved to a new home two years ago, and I have since got into gardening. I even recently grew some banana plants.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Independent
28-03-2025
- The Independent
Scot in Bangkok says ‘blood rushed to his head' as earthquake struck
A Scottish expat in Bangkok said 'blood rushed to his head' as an earthquake shook his apartment building and forced him to evacuate his home. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage in Thailand and a state of emergency was declared in Myanmar on Friday, with hundreds feared dead or injured. Alex MacGregor, a PR consultant who has been living in the Thai capital for the last six months, was working from home and waiting for the delivery of his lunch when the tremors began at around 1.30pm local time. 'I was just waiting for the driver to come with my food and I look in the pool and noticed the water started to kind of lap at the edges… but then it started to get violent,' the 36-year-old, originally from Inverness, told the PA news agency. 'All of a sudden I started feeling faint, like that kind of blood rushing to the head feeling, and I was like: 'Am I ill here, or what's going on?' 'Then I looked up the other condo, which is a really high skyscraper and I saw their pool water coming over the sides and that's when I knew it was an earthquake. 'It's a weird sensation, you're seeing a lot of things happen in slow motion around you… I actually went and sat down because I was feeling unsteady on my feet.' Despite the tremors, Mr MacGregor said people were 'remarkably calm' as an alarm went off in his building telling all occupants to evacuate. 'Shortly after I left my condo area to come to a coffee shop… all the shops here in this eastern part of Bangkok were closed, so people were lining the streets,' he said. 'We knew there was going to be an aftershock, so I've made my way to an outdoor space and there's a lot of people just sitting out here working on their laptops generally being chill. 'The Thai people are really friendly people, very chill – the last people that are going to panic in this kind of situation.' Living in the 'fairly residential' On Nut in eastern Bangkok, Mr MacGregor said the worst of the earthquake appeared to have impacted other areas of the city. On the opposite side of the city, 90 people remain missing and three are confirmed dead after the collapse of a high-rise building under construction near the popular Chatuchak Market. A British tourist on holiday in Bangkok said she initially thought the shaking was due to effects from the film she was watching. Mandy Tang, 38, from London, told PA: 'I was watching a film called The Red Envelope. It happened to be quite an action-packed scene when the shake happened, so I initially thought it could have been Imax effects. 'I looked around and none of the local audience left their seats. However, my Taiwanese friend insisted it's an earthquake, so I walked out of the theatre with her, and we met the security guards coming to evacuate us just outside the theatre. 'We could see the doors were opening and closing, all the chairs were shaking.' Ms Tang said she was trying to get a car back to her hotel, adding: 'Basically I'm tired and I'm trying to get back. 'It was quite nerve wracking, I've never experienced such a strong shake. It is quite scary.' Scottish tourist Fraser Morton told AP there was 'panic' when the earthquake hit while he was shopping for camera equipment in a Bangkok shopping centre. 'All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,' he said. 'I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense.' Issuing a travel warning on Friday, the Foreign Office (FCDO) said the earthquake's epicentre was in Sagaing region near Mandalay in Myanmar – where a state of emergency has been declared in six regions and states. A member of a rescue team in Mandalay told the BBC they expect casualties to be 'at least in the hundreds'. 'There may be several strong aftershocks,' the FCDO said on its website. 'If you're in the area or planning to travel there, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local media.'
