Dynamite Warrior

MAGNOLIA PICTURES PRESENTS

DYNAMITE WARRIOR

DIRECTED BY CHALERM WONGPIM

SCREENPLAY BY CHALERM WONGPIM, YUTHAPONG PIRAYUTHAPON

STARRING DAN CHUPONG

Running time: 103 mins, NR In Thai with English subtitles.

Distributor Contact: Jeff Reichert / Matt Cowal Magnolia Pictures 49 W. 27th St., 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 (212) 924-6701 phone (212) 924-6742 fax [email protected] [email protected]

49 west 27th street 7th floor new york, ny 10001 tel 212 924 6701 fax 212 924 6742

www.magpictures.com CAST

JONE BANG FAI…………………………………………...... DAN CHUPONG

LORD WAENG……………………………………..…….PUTTIPONG SRIWAT

NAI HOI DAM………………………………………………..PANNA RITTIKRAI

NAI HOI SING……………………………………………SAMART TIPTHAMAI

E'SAO……………………………………………KANYAPAK SUWANNAKOOT

THE THIEF……………...………………………………….SOMDEJ KEAWLUE

KAAN………………………………………………….AMPOL RATTANAWONG

PAEN……………………………………………………….WICHAI PROMCHAN

SOMMOR…………………………………………………...NAMPHON PAKDEE

SEWEY………………………………………………………..PANTIPA RACHOO

ONG KARAKSAI…………………………...KAMPANART ANGSOONGNERN

ONG KARAKKWA……………………………………...KOMKIP WONGVIROT

NAI JAN…………………………………………………….CHARAN NGAMDEE

TAKERD………………………………………………...AMPORN PANKRATOK

KRATONE……………………………………………….EAKKASIT SOMPETCH

PAT………………………………………...YUTTAPONG PEERAYUTTAPONG

ROM……………………………………………………APINAN KONGSUPALUX

www.magpictures.com CREW

Director: Chalerm Wongpim

Screenplay by: Chalerm Wongpim Yuthapong Pirayuthapon

Producers: Prachya Pinkaew Sukanya Vongsatapat

Executive Producers: Somsak Techaratanaprasert

Line Producer: Sita Vosbein

Cinematographer: Thanachart Bunlah, Chalerm Wongpim

Art Direction: Thanom Nantaworaphongsaa

Action Diretor: Somjai Janmuntri

Film Editor: Chalerm Wongpim, Wichit Wattananon

Original Score: Theppanom Piriyaworakul

Costume Design: Kiatichai Kirisri

Make-up Artists: Tatli Jarutjutharat, Jirawat Khamnong

www.magpictures.com SYNOPSIS

DYNAMITE WARRIOR is a supernatural, action packed movie with high-grade special effects and the kind of raw action scenes the world is coming to expect from Thailand.

Set in rural Thailand during the 1920s Dan Chupong (Born To Fight) plays Jone Bang Fai a young man riddled with grief and bent on revenge after witnessing his parents’ murder by a callous and malicious killer. The only information Jone has as to the killer’s identity is the memory of a tattoo-covered man who is part of an organized group of cattle rustlers. Jone makes it his mission to stop all cattle rustlers and in the process return each head of cattle back to its rightful owner.

After searching the country high and low, Jone finally believes he has found the murderer in a small rural village in the North of Thailand. To Jone's dismay he learns that the killer is in fact a warlock of immense power, a nearly invincible mystical man who is trying to control the whole village. His one weakness? He can be harmed only by weapons that have been treated with the menstrual blood of a young virgin. Armed with this knowledge and a few hundred highly charged rockets (and a dash of menstrual blood), our intrepid hero goes up against one of the most dangerous men to have ever walked the Earth.

www.magpictures.com The Characters

Jone Bang Fai played by Dan Chupong.

Jone Bang Fai became a local legend after stealing buffalos from unsuspecting rustlers and returning them to the villagers who desperately needed them. No one knew who this mysterious savior was they only knew that without him their lives would be in disarray. No matter how hard the rustlers tried none of them managed to capture Jone Bang. His skill and expertise in fighting and the use of explosive was exemplary and beyond compare. Jone Bang Fai is a stubborn man with revenge rested firmly in his soul after he witnessed the murder of his parents. Ever since this terrifying event Jone Bang has been determined to hunt down the man behind the brutal slaying.

Actor’s Biography

Name: Dan Chuphong Date of Birth: 23 January 1981 Education: Undergraduate Studies Diploma in Physical Education, Physical Education College of Mahasarakham

Bachelor’s Degree, Srinakarinwirot University.

Special Abilities: Fighting, Gymnastics, Sword & Staff Combat

Dan entered the movie industry with a minor role in Ongbak. After which Dan Chupong joined Panna’s stunt team. With outstanding good looks, a personality to match, as well as the ability to perform many aerobatic fighting styles, Dan was chosen to take on the leading role in “Born to Fight.” Through which Dan found success both in and out of Thailand, particularly while promoting his film in Japan, France and America.

www.magpictures.com Nai Hoi Dam Played By Panna Rittikai

10 years ago, there were two famous and well respected ranchers known as Nai Hoi Dam and Nai Hoi Sing. Both were endowed with supernatural powers which were passed on by Buddhist monks. However in the years that followed the two would grow further and further apart as Nai Hoi Dam began to turn corrupt and leaned towards the darker side of his abilities. Their differences finally met its climactic conclusion after a great battle which left Nai Hoi Dam allergic to all sunlight. In time villagers became to fear the evil man who they now call the Black Ogre (Pop Dam). The Black Ogre is greedy, selfish and does everything he can to wreak havoc on Nai Hoi Sing. He must have his revenge on Nai Hoi Sing by any means possible.

Lord Waeng Played by Phutiphong Sriwat (Leo Putt)

Lord Waeng returned to Thailand after studying in England with new technology which he acquired from abroad, namely tractors. However, Thailand has many buffalos which are willing and able to do the tedious farm work. It wasn’t long before Lord Weang came to realize that the tractors wouldn’t sell, and in his mentally unstable condition he set out to exterminate all buffalos throughout the kingdom. Despite his clef pallet, Lord Weang is regarded as quite handsome with a good complexion. His conniving and devious ways make him a shrewd businessman who acts entirely in his own self interest. Despite his numerous concubines and overt sexual deviousness, Lord Weang has an overpowering desire to take E’Sao for himself.

Nai Hoi Sing Played by Samat Thipthamai

Nai Hoi Sing is a well known rancher from Bangkok. He is an honorable and brave man with the skills to overpower many forms of dark magic. Beneath Nai Hoi Sing’s strong but silent demeanor is a man who fears no one yet still shows kindness and empathy to all. He is shocked when the unthinkable happens—his one time partner and long time rival Nai Hoi Dam resurfaces and challenges him to the battle of his life.

www.magpictures.com E’Sao Played by Kanyapak Suwannakoot

E’Sao is the young and beautiful daughter of the evil Nai Hoi Dam. No one has ever dared to come close to her due to the infamous nature of her father. That is until Lord Weang and Jone Bang Fai, or Bak Siang as he was known by his parents, enters her life. Lord Weang has a desperate crush on E’Sao however the feeling isn’t mutual as she feels much closer to Jone Bang Fai. E’Sao feels that Jone Bang Fai is the first man to have ever had enough courage to approach her and this impresses her immensely.

Kaan or ‘Leaping Tiger’ played by Ampol Rattanawong

Kaan (pictured left) is one of Nai Hoi Sing’s right hand men. He has a mystical tattoo of a tiger sprawling across his chest which is endowed with hidden powers given to him by Nai Hoi Sing. The tattoo gives Kaan the ability to tap into a tigers hidden strength, at the command of his master Nai Hoi Sing, instantly turning him into a human tiger.

Paen or ‘Quick Monkey’ played by Wichai Promchan

Bak Paen (pictured right) is another one of Nai Hoi Sing’s right hand men. He has a mystical tattoo of a monkey across his chest which is endowed with hidden powers given to him by Nai Hoi Sing. Like his counterpart Bak Khan, Bak Paen has the ability to turn into a human monkey at the Nai Hoi Sing’s command. As a monkey Bak Paen is extremely strong, agile and has the ability to leap long distances.

www.magpictures.com The Origins of DYNAMITE WARRIOR

It was Chalerm Wongpim’s love of the countryside along with his childhood experiences of watching the giant firecracker rockets blasting through the air in Khon Kaen, Thailand that inspired him to create DYNAMITE WARRIOR. During his time in Khon Kaen Chalerm learned a piece of northern Thai, or Issan as it is more affectionately known, history regarding how the introduction of the tractor in the 1800s threatened to replace the humble farm buffalos. And so the concept for DYNAMITE WARRIOR was born. Chalerm Wongpim tells us more:

“ It’s been a dream of mine for a while to make a movie set in Issan. I made 7’s Heaven, 7 Street Fighters and Takien after joining Baa Ram Ewe but I still wanted to make a movie set in Issan. Finally I had of the story of the introduction of tractors to the country. Buffalos were still the main source of transportation when tractors were first introduced.

The story takes place during the reign of the 4th and 5th Kings of the Chakri Dynasty. It was during that time that Sir John Baowring signed a Treaty with Thailand. Thailand then began an exchange of commerce with other countries. Back then Issan farmers were still using buffalos as their main agricultural tool. However, farmers in Thailand’s central regions didn’t have buffalos so they had to purchase them from buffalo herders or ranchers who were known as the ‘Nai Hoi’. The Noi Hoi were traders, herders and ranchers who transported buffalos from Issan to the central regions of Thailand. In DYNAMITE WARRIOR there is an aristocrat called Lord Weang. Lord Weang decided that he was going to import tractors into Thailand but he found them hard to sell due to the regions dependence on buffalos. So in an attempt to starve off his competition Lord Weang decided to have all the herders murdered which in turn meant that there was no one to transport the buffalos to Thailand’s central regions and the farmers would be forced to buy Lord Weangs expensive tractors. As time went and the deaths began to mount up the herders began to suspect each other as the possible murderers. Many of the herders, Nai Hoi, were good and respectable but there were a few who weren’t these Nai Hoi were effectively rustlers who would steal the buffalos from others and then sell them making 100 percent profit. DYNAMITE WARRIOR is an action-comedy but it is not a slapstick comedy like 7’s Heaven or 7 Street Fighters it has a lot of very realistic action sequences with a hint of famtasy thrown in. In order to give the fight scenes a more fantastic appeal to them I decided to use some wires similar to the way Chinese action sequences are done but I made sure to keep it authentically Thai.”

www.magpictures.com The Fire Behind The Cast

Chalerm Wongpim is famous for bringing the characters of his movie to life with an almost cartoon like presence, be they Seageant Dab from 7’s Heaven and 7 Street Fighters or Jone Bang Fai in DYNAMITE WARRIOR. The director shares with us some of his views on the cast and characters.

“The characters in this film are a combination of Chinese fighters, Western Cowboys and Issan-Thais. Dan Chupong plays Bak Siang aka Jone Bang Fai. He’s a young 20 year old, good hearted boy who steals buffalos for the villagers. Normally, the firecrackers are used as tools in Issan to summon rains before the monsoon season. But when Jone Bang Fai gets hold of them they become something totally different. Jone Bang Fai is a skilled fighter and a perfect shot with a powerful rocket filled with gunpowder. People run whenever they hear they loud crack of igniting gunpowder fearing that it might be Jone Bang Fai.”

There were a number of things that first drew me to Dan for the part of Jone Bang Fai. Dan is amazing, he does all his own stunts and he can show feelings such as romance on camera and most important of all he actually comes from Issan. Basically he was perfect for the role and I think he did a truly wonderful job as Jone Bang Fai.”

Another vital character in DYNAMITE WARRIOR is Nai Hoi Dam. Nai Hoi Dam is a buffalo herder and dealer who works alongside Nai Hoi Sing until one day Noi Hoi Dam decides that the straight and narrow is not the path for him.

“It wasn’t difficult for me to cast the role of Nai Hoi Dam. To be honest it couldn’t have been anyone else. I needed someone strong, agile, good at stunts, with good acting ability and of course famous throughout Thailand but more specifically Issan. Panna Rittikrai fitted the bill perfectly. He is world renowned as a great actor, director, stuntman and choreographer.”

Chalerm Wongpim chose Samat Phayakarun for the role of Nai Hoi Sing after being impressed by him as Muay in 7 Street Fighters.

“During the filming of 7 Street Fighters I noticed that Samat had an innate acting quality and that he was exceptional with more dramatic scenes. For a Thai person he has facial qualities that are very similar to Clint Eastwood. I thought that if I dressed him up in Issan style clothes, placed him on a horse and gave him a mustache he actually look very manly and suave. There was one slight hitch to casting him though. He didn’t have an Issan accent but after a lot of work and a little patience he managed to make it work.”

www.magpictures.com Samat Phakarun had to undergo a small transformation in order to perfect his Issan dialect but, teen idol, Leo Putt had to undergo a giant transformation to take on the role of the wacky and slightly disturbed Lord Waeng.

“ It was important that Lord Waeng was good looking. He is Thai aristocrat who studied overseas and returned to sell tractors to unsuspecting farmers. Despite his good looks he does have a clef pallet which impairs his speech a little. Lord Waeng is a very extroverted character and Leop Putt manages to pull this off perfectly.

E’Sao is DYNAMITE WARRIOR’s leading lady and was a bit of a challenge when it came to casting.

“E’Sao was difficult to cast because we needed a famous actress that looked right and could also speak the Northern Thai dialect of Issan. After an exhausting search we finally settled on Kanyaphak Suwankut, a relative newcomer to the industry who was perfect for the role and did an amazing job.

www.magpictures.com Director’s Biography

Name: Chalerm Wongpim

Date of Birth: October 26, 1971

Education: High School: Kaen Nakhon College, Khon Kaen

College: College of Fine Arts, Chulalongkorn University.

Filmography

Director, Writer 'Heavens 7' Director, Writer, Film Editor :' Ninety Shock Taloed Poed Pong' Director, Writer: “Extra Legal” Director, Writer: '7 Street Fighters' Director, Writer: 'Takien' Director, Writer, Film Editor: '7 Street Fighters' Photography: ‘Bang Ra Jun’ Photography: 'Ong Bak' Photography: '999-9999' Photography: '7 Street Fighters '

www.magpictures.com