Can you tell us a bit about Lost?
Lertsiri: Our films depict people who are lost in various ways. We specifically focused on people losing their memory, becoming lost in love and lost in their own ego. In the first, an elderly man tries to walk to a different province, thinking it is his home. Along the way, he befriends a runaway girl who has lost hope in life and has turned to drugs. The next story is about a couple, soon to be wed, going through a period of uncertainty. The situation escalates when the groom-to-be runs into his old girlfriend, and, for a moment, becomes lost in love. Finally, we have a story about an egomaniac working at an ad agency. He’s climbs the ladder of success and reached the top, but today he discovers what it’s like to fall. The movie is set in Bangkok and told within the timeframe of one day.

How did the project come about?
Lertsiri: I thought back to the days when I lived in NYC with my mom working at a nursing home. Seeing elderly people being left behind sort of drove a nail through my heart. When I came back to Thailand and lived in Bangkok, I saw that the hectic way of life meant many elderly people were being left behind. And every now and then you would hear news of people being lost in the city as they went searching for their loved ones. I decided to base the movie on this, and to take it up a notch by expanding the theme of being lost to feeling lost in love and getting lost in your own ego. Vutichai shared this vision and we wrote the script together. 

You're screening Lost at the Lido Theatre but only for one day. Why such a short run?
Lertsiri: Our film was sponsored by True Visions and they actually helped us with the project, so that it would become a feature presentation on True Visions this Christmas. But as filmmakers, Vutichai and I agreed that we should at least give it a shot on the big screen to realize our dream. So we forked out our own money to screen it at Lido. Due to our financial resources, we could only afford that one screening. But if demands are high, who knows.

Which films first got you excited about the possibilities of the medium?
Lertsiri: Run Lola Run, Jaws, The Killing Fields.
Vutichai: Cinema Paradiso, The Last Emperor.

Would you liken your style to anyone in particular?
Lertsiri: We really wanted to be unique from the start, but like, you know, everything has been done before. It is not so much of a style but rather our topics and issues that both Vutichai and I like to go in depth with. We both agreed that our interests in social issues is what defines our writing and vision. 

Do you predict any big changes for Thai cinema in the near future?
Lertsiri: We think that Thai films will eventually gain a more global audience. Thailand has so much to offer with many bright young directors. If only they were given the chance to prove their worth. I doubt that change will happen fast, but it will eventually come.

Finally, do you have any more projects in the pipeline?
Lertsiri: Before working on Lost, we had been building up a list of ideas and synopses for many movie ideas. Currently we are returning to our list of scripts and we’re working on three different stories at the moment: a romantic comedy, a children's fantasy and drama). For us, the process starts all over again, and it might take some time to find the right sponsorship or funding. But, hey, at least this time around we have some experience to guide us. interviewed by Dominic Hanratty

Ad Here 13th Blues Bar

13 Samsen Rd., Phranakorn, 089-769-4613, [email protected]. Open daily 6pm-midnight.
If your old man is a music lover then there’s no better place to take him than the spit and sawdust charm of Ad Here. This tiny little shophouse, a short walk from Khao San, remains one of the premium joints to catch some authentic live blues thanks to its constantly rotating line up of very talented, and often slightly gnarled, local and inter musicians losing themselves in the moment. Your dad will also love the impressive collection of classic vinyl covers that serve as the wall decorations.

Humidor

Lobby/F, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Rd., 02-656-0444. Open daily 8am-12:30am.
You’re not far from the Fireplace Grill to get that manly steak dinner and the Humidor has plenty of black leather and chrome to stay in the mood. But what makes this bar really special is that it’s also one of the rare places where you can puff on a big cigar indoors. Expect a solid selection of single malt whiskies to go with that stogie and live music Mon-Fri, 9pm-midnight.  

Brew Beers and Ciders

G/F, Seen Space, Thonglor Soi 13, 02-185-2366. www.brewbkk.com. Open daily 4pm-2am.
What real dad doesn’t love a beer or two, and this place has arguably the most impressive collection in town. With a range of intriguing brews that come from America, Britain, Belgium and beyond, there’s sure to be one that tickles his taste buds. Grab a seat out in the courtyard and he’ll get the added bonus of being able to ogle the bright and beautiful young things that flock to Seenspace every night.    

Manhattan Bar

2/F, JW Marriott Bangkok, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-656-7700 ext.4230. Open daily 6pm-1am.
Located on the second floor of the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok, at the heart of Sukhumvit, the Mahattan Bar is run by the same folks behind New York Steak House, considered one of the top places for a slab of red meat in Bangkok. Start your night with something from the grill before imbibing a few of the martini offerings in the stylish gentleman’s club ambiance.  

While everyone is arguing over which B30,000 ultrabook to get, you might have missed out on how insanely cheap entry-level laptops have become. Lenovo S300 is one such PC, with enough power to get work done, but not much multimedia oomph.

Plugged:
· Nice keyboard design and spacing, accurate and easy to type on.
· Lots of ports, whether it’s USB 2.0 and 3.0, HDMI and a card reader.
· The One Key Recovery button allows you to back up your system to an image file and restore it, create a bootable recovery disc or reboot your computer to system recovery mode.
· Although the speakers are located underneath, the sound is pretty loud and clear.

Bugged:
· The track pad is not located at the center often leading to mixed up left and right clicks.
· Although it is designed to be portable, it feels both heavy and a bit flimsy.
· Shut down takes a bit longer than expected.
· Screen sharpness (1366x768 pixels) and clarity isn’t the best.
· You often need to refresh the wireless network list for your desired connection to show up.

Verdict:
If you don’t mind the weight, and can get used to the off-center track pad, the Lenovo S300 is one solid budget laptop. Perfect for basic operations like web browsing and all the usual Microsoft Office duties. But if you’re looking to do more heavy tasks like Photoshop, gaming and video editing, then the screen’s lack of clarity and the CPU’s low specs means the S300 doesn’t quite measure up.

Specs:
Intel Core i3 1.6GHz, Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel HD Graphics 3000 4GB DDR3 RAM, 720p HD integrated webcam, HDD 500GB, battery life 5 hours

B13,990. Available at Lenovo retailers nationwide, try 4/F, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., Bangkok, 02-640-7000.

1.) Gildo

(dried crab imitation sticks in curry flavor, B35)
Gildo is really pungent. The second you open the bag you’re torn between aromas of Mama noodles and dried squid. We admire the concept, though. If you’re going to make a fake flavor, why pick “fake” crab sticks instead of just crab? Half-snack, half-conceptual art, Gildo divided our testers—as bold concepts often do.
Try Tops Supermarket, Silom Complex, Silom Rd., 02-231-3333. www.tops.co.th for more branches.

2.) Entrée

(chicken with teriyaki flavor, B20)
Take Japanese skewers, slice them up, and throw them into a bag. This is culinary genius. Why didn’t we think of it? The chicken is cut into very little pieces so the texture is a bit mushy but the taste isn’t that bad—sweet and completely unrelated to yakitori, which just goes to show how far they’ve taken their original idea.
Try Tops Supermarket

3.) Pumpui <BK PICKS>

(baked baby clams, B10)
If baby clams were baked in sugar and left out in the sun to dry, you’d get this wonderful surprise of a beer snack. And just like in the promotional TV ad, we were very tempted to just pour the little critters down our throats—shot style. Highly recommended.
Try 7-Eleven.

4.) Hed Tod Nanhode

(deep-fried mushroom and vegetables, B20)
This snack has the subtle sophistication of a kaiseki dinner at Aoi: it actually comes with a sweet dipping sauce, meaning the completely plastered may struggle with the added level of complexity. Also, it’s for vegetarians—as is beer. Mercifully, though, it doesn’t taste like vegetables, or mushrooms, or anything really. Hence, the dipping sauce.
Try 7-Eleven.

5.) Pumpui

(baked shrimps, B10)
Pumpui does it again. Only this time they’re using baby shrimps instead of clams. Very crispy, sweet and a bit salty, it reminds us a bit of the namprik gung siab (dried shrimp Southern paste with herbs). We could swear beer was invented for this stuff, but apparently it’s the other way around.
Try Tops Supermarket.

6.) Pretz

(bread sticks in laab flavor, B13)
Ah, laab, that quintessentially Northeastern mix of MSG and chili. Or at least that’s what an alien being introduced to the minced Isaan salad via these pretzel sticks would think. And if that alien decided to destroy our planet after tasting these, we’d have to agree it would not be entirely undeserved punishment.
Try 7-Eleven.

7.) Nut Candy

(peanuts coated with squid flavor, B33)
While the outside is crispy, there’s something squishy and frankly weird inside. Something unknown. Something whose taste we can’t even describe. This is like a ghost movie made into a 4Dx beer snack complete with the smell of nuts, old people and faux squid. Fear this snack.
Try Tops Supermarket.

8.) Mr. Capp

(deep-fried pork skin with no fat in chili sauce flavor, B15)
Even though the logo is a pig roasting in a fire, this kab moo doesn’t feel all that hot. Clearly, this pig is overstating his case. We would argue that the spice levels in this snack are more akin to a warm afternoon in Copenhagen than the fires of a barbeque pit. The texture is very floury and light, too, making us wonder: were any pigs really harmed in the making of Mr. Capp?
Try 7-Eleven.

“From the bottom of my heart thank you... to Bella, Edward and Jacob for letting us laugh, cry, debate, and pick sides while you three bastards stare at each other.” Mark Ellis, Schmoes Know

“With so many scenes of well-dressed vampires sitting or standing, stiffly, while Taylor Lautner or Robert Pattinson or Kristen Stewart passes another micro-slab of dialogue like a kidney stone, [Sheen’s] overacting’s greatly appreciated, thanks.” Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

“The final Twilight movie, bizarrely actionless for much of its length, may be the longest whimper in Rom-Goth history. Even the title weakens the will to live.” Nigel Andrews, Financial Times

“This fifth and mercifully final installment features so much idle anticipation that it’s unclear whether we’re watching a movie or an Apple product launch.” Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

“You’re going to hear a lot about Breaking Dawn Part 2 being the best of the Twilight movies. That’s like saying a simple head cold is preferable to swine flu.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone