Owen Wilson coup movie will not be banned in Thailand

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buksida
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Owen Wilson coup movie will not be banned in Thailand

Post by buksida »

A forthcoming Hollywood movie partially shot in northern Thailand that depicts a coup in an unnamed Southeast Asian country has not been banned by authorities in Bangkok, according to reports.

The movie ‘No Escape’, which was formerly known as ‘The Coup’, was filmed in Chiang Mai and neighboring provincial capital Lampang and stars Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan.

The movie was filmed in 2013, before the current ruling military junta came to power in last year’s coup, and the name change was announced in February this year. It is not clear whether the name change was an attempt to appease the Thai authorities.

The movie is slated for an Aug. 26 premiere in North America and a Sept. 10 premiere in Thailand. However, entertainment site Radar reported yesterday that the flick has been banned in Thailand. The article cites an anonymous “movie insider” who describes how the Thai National Film and Video Censors Board banned the film because its studio and director refused to “not to have Thailand mentioned by name at all in the film or script.”

However, the Bangkok Post reported that such claims were mere rumors, and that No Escape will be released in Thailand as planned on Sept. 10. The article said that the Culture Ministry confirmed on Monday that the movie was approved by government censors as early as July 28.

Full Story: Asian Correspondent
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Re: Owen Wilson coup movie will not be banned in Thailand

Post by GLCQuantum »

As if they are going to let Hollywood show 'their' film about life after an 'Asian' coup in Thailand. They banned bloody 'Hunger Games' due to some three finger salute people started doing (which was a sign supposedly opposing dictatorship).

Yeah, right. If you want to watch this movie you're going to have to download it, I'm afraid.
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Re: Owen Wilson coup movie will not be banned in Thailand

Post by J.J.B. »

I watched this film last night. It was quite far-fetched and the plot devices were fairly weak but enough was familiar - not least the menacing use of the word "farang" - to give me a few chills.

'Guests' indeed.
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Re: Owen Wilson coup movie will not be banned in Thailand

Post by hhfarang »

Just watched it and it was certainly a tense movie with near non-stop action. I enjoyed it as did the wife but she said it made Thailand look bad so I explained to her that it was supposed to be a fictional country in S.E. Asia.

There were Thai signs, as well as others in a language she didn't recognise and Thai dialogue as well as familiar symbols and Singha beer, but the country bordered Viet Nam directly across a river so if one wanted to try to identify it geographically it would have to be Cambodia or Laos. Near the beginning Pierce Brosnan actually named it and it sounded to me like he said "Lasia".

Anyway, the bad guys wore red bandannas reminiscent of past uprisings in Bangkok and there were those familiar forts or defensive walls made of stacked tires and bamboo poles.
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