The Bangkok Podcast28 Apr 2020

Author Phil Jablon on the Disappearing Legacy of Thai Cinemas [Season 4, Episode 28]

Greg interviews Phil Jablon, a true connoisseur of Southeast Asia's old movie theaters and author of the fantastic book Thailand's Movie Theaters: Relics, Ruins, and the Romance of Escape. As noted on the show, you can order from the Amazon link above, but if you would like a free vintage movie theater ticket as well, reach out to Phil on his Facebook page and order his book there.

Phil grew up a movie lover but developed an interest in older, stand-alone movie theaters as they began to fade away in the States. In 2008, he started a blog where he documented old movie theaters he found on his travels in Thailand, and eventually, all of Southeast Asia.

Phil discusses his research methodology, which basically consists of showing up in small towns across the country and asking people about the history of theaters there. Phil notes that something as specific as the history of movie theaters in a small town actually reveals quite a lot about how Thailand has changed over the years, both economically and culturally. Greg draws a parallel between the role temples play in local Thai communities, and Phil concurs that theaters, at least in the past, were meeting places for all kinds of events in small Thai towns.

Greg and Phil also discuss their mutual appreciation for Thai movie posters, which were often hand-drawn by local Thai artists because foreign productions rarely produced marketing materials for the Thai market. And naturally, Phil's book includes plenty of photos of Thai posters for classic Western films.

As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(583)

AI Helps Us Find Hidden Meaning in the Art of the Late, Great Khun Pichai [S8.E61]

Greg begins by discussing the late Bangkok street artist Khun Pichai, whose intricate and cryptic sidewalk scribbles across the capital attained a devoted cult following over the years, with sightings...

15 Sep 39min

Vic Levitin Talks About Starting From Scratch in Thailand [S8.E60]

Moving to Thailand can be a disorienting, discombobulating experience, even if you're on your own. Now imagine doing it with 9 hours to prepare. That's what Vic Levitin and his family did, but the unk...

8 Sep 48min

Bangkok's Roads: The History Behind the Names (S8.E59)

Greg begins by discussing a suggestion from their friend Scott to explore the origins of well-known street names in Bangkok. After briefly touching on familiar spots like Khaosan Road and Lumpini Park...

1 Sep 39min

Photographer Dax Ward on Capturing Bangkok's Abandoned Beauty [S8.E58] (Classic ReCast)

Greg interviews Dax Ward, an adventurous photographer best known for his beautiful photos of dilapidated buildings and abandoned places. Dax begins by explaining that he was a very late starter to pho...

25 Aug 51min

A Peek Into Bangkok's Thriving Bluegrass Music Scene [S8.E57]

In another example of a thriving subculture in Bangkok you wouldn't expect to see, Greg and Ed interview Sunny Sachdev, a Thai Indian banjo player who is part of the informal network of musicians that...

18 Aug 46min

The Devil's in the Details: Playing the Expat Insurance Game [S8.E56]

Inspired by recent discussion among friends, and Greg's switch to a new provider, the boys tackle the enduring issue of health insurance as an expat. There are many companies, many plans, and many pit...

11 Aug 37min

Weird Explorer's Jared Rydelek on Asia's Strangest Fruits [S8.E55]

Greg interviews Jared Rydelek, the creator of the Weird Explorer YouTube channel. Jared explains that his day job is a contortionist, but his lifelong vegetarianism sparked a deep fascination with rar...

4 Aug 49min

Saying Too Much: Dealing With Self-Censorship in Thailand [S8.E54] (Classic ReCast)

Greg and Ed tackle the uncomfortable topic of self-censorship in Thailand, especially as it pertains to the podcast itself, and the churning, roiling issue of what you can say, when, and how, which se...

28 Jul 37min