The Nakorn Luang Rama - Bangkok, Thailand

Featured below is the Nakorn Luang Rama, formerly of Jaransanitwong soi 29/1 in Bangkok. The grand old 2nd-run theater had a seating capacity of 1,534.

It was built in 1979 and closed down in 2005, before meeting its ultimate fate in September of 2011. 

Judging by its architecture, it looks as if the Nakorn Luang was designed by the same person that did the Ngamwongwan Theater, otherwise it's an identical copy.  

Sympathy for this stalled if not dead project still runs high. Many thanks to long-time contributor to the SEA Movie Theater Project and prolific movie theater chronicler in his own, Mr. Peep, for sending these photos along.

A reminder of better days at the Washington

The below photos depict the Washington Theater in a slightly more decorative light than the previous post. At the time of their taking in the early 2000's, its movie screening days had already past and the Mambo cabaret had taken up the lease.  

The Washington Theater once stood behind the street side marquee and signage pictured above. 

In its heyday during the last quarter of the 20th century, the Washington was a premiere Sukhumvit Road movie destination, particularly for Hollywood and Bollywood films. The theater's parent company, the Asia Rama Network, circulated movies between its numerous first and second run theaters throughout metropolitan Bangkok, nearly all of which have been demolished.

These two shots come courtesy of the thoughtful Mr. Peep, a long time contributor to this blog.

Washington Theater movie ticket

Washington is destroyed!

Word has it that the former epicenter of Bangkok's Washington Square - the Washington Theater - is in the process of being demolished. 

Though shuttered as a theater for more than a decade, the Washington represents Cold War Thailand at its pinnacle. The surrounding "square" was lined with bars and brothels that catered to American soldiers and ex-pats left over from the Vietnam War and others who gravitated to it in the war's aftermath. Needless to say, the name of the square and its anchor theater hearken back to the "special relationship" between Thailand and America during the Cold War.   

Architecturally speaking, the Washington was never the most glamorous of Thai theaters. But for better or worse, an important vestige of 20th century social history is will be lost with its demise. 

 

Colorful Rot

The ruins of the Tang Sia Huad Rama in Nakorn Pathom are haunting. Why the abandoned theater didn't meet the same fate as the shop houses that once flanked it is unknown. It could be a warehouse, or some other kind of storage facility, I suppose.

Whatever it's post-cinema purpose, I'm glad it's there. And equally glad that my comrade had the consideration to document it and send it this way, to be displayed in the public domain. Colorful rot from central Thailand.  

SEA Movie Theater Project invited to Jakarta documentary film fest

If ever there was a perfect event for the Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project to exhibit at it's the upcoming ChopShots Documentary Film Festival being held in Jakarta, Indonesia from December 5th to the 9th.  ChopShots has compiled 60 documentary films from around the world, covering a diverse range of topics that's bound to satisfy all comers.

Among the many sideshows will be a 24-image series from the Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this inaugural film fest, but that shouldn't stop anybody who happens to be in the metro-Jakarta area from going. Don't miss out on this most stimulating event.

Burmese polychrome

If there's any style of cinema architecture that can be said to be unique to any of the countries I surveyed, it would be the polychromes of Burma. Only five were encountered in all, but scouring old photos revealed at least another two which have since been demolished.

This cosmetic touch, achieved by way of paint or tile, turns an otherwise mundane facade into a spectacle. 

Here are the five that I documented between 2010 and 2011.   

The Nay Pyi Daw Cinema - Yangon

The Shae Saung Cinema - Yangon

The Nyunt Cinema - Bago

The San Pya Cinema - Magwe

The Thida Cinema - Yangon

Burmese Art Deco

In my down time, the mind wanders back to recent excursions. To the frenzied streets of Burma and those Art Deco picture houses that enhance what we pedestrians see. After the British had accepted their resign and before iron fists clamped down on the country, Classical Art Deco cinema halls were one of two architectural styles to proliferate. Here are a few for your viewing pleasure.

The Thwin Cinema - Yangon

The Tun Thiri Cinema - Pyay

The Kemarat Cinema - Kyang Tung

The Myoma Cinema - Pyin Oo Lwin

The Shwe Hintha Cinema - Bago

The Win Cinema - Tounggoo

The Yazuna Cinema - Pyin Oo Lwin

The Aung Mingala Cinema - Dawei