Yuthlert Sippapak
Encyclopedia
Yuthlert Sippapak is a Thai
film director
, screenwriter
and producer
. He's best known for his genre-blending films Killer Tattoo
(comedy and action) and Buppah Rahtree
(comedy and horror).
, Yuthlert developed a strong interest in the arts from an early age and at 18 went to Bangkok
to study fine arts at Silpakorn University
, where he received a degree in interior design (the same program as another Thai director, Wisit Sasanatieng
).
Yuthlert set up his own design company, which he worked at for a year before his interest waned. He then moved to New York City
, where he studied at the Art Students League of New York
. This put him in touch with a group of friends who were involved in the film business, which made him think that was something he wanted to do.
He returned to Thailand and submitted a script to Tai Entertainment and told them that he wanted to direct a movie. The script and his offer to direct were rejected. He then offered a three-page script called Always Love, and it was rejected.
Yuthlert returned to New York and worked for a time doing architectural drawing while also studying filmmaking on his own and developing his script-writing abilities.
He returned to Thailand and Tai Entertainment, offering a screenplay for O-Negative, which was based on his three-page script. Tai Entertainment offered him a position as the assistant director on the film, but he turned them down and took back his script. He ended up selling the script to GMM Grammy
and had the project taken away from him. The film starred Tata Young
.
So he wrote another script, which became Killer Tattoo
, about a group of aging and/or mentally challenged assassins. He took it to RS Film's Avant Co. Ltd., which allowed him to direct the film and cast an ensemble of Thai comedians, including Suthep Po-ngam
and Petchtai Wongkamlao
, as the stars.
In 2002, he established Mahagan Films Co. Ltd. as his production company. And in 2003, for his sophomore directorial effort, the drama February
, he returned to Grammy's GMM Pictures for a distribution deal.
His 2004
film Sai Lor Fah
(Pattaya Maniac) featured another top Thai comedian, Choosak Eamsuk (better known as Nong Cha Cha Cha) in the lead dramatic role, with Somchai Kemglad – the heroic lead from Killer Tattoo as the comedy relief.
His horror films, Buppah Rahtree
(containing references and homages to The Exorcist
and Audition) and the sequel Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns
as well as Krasue Valentine
all feature heavy doses of comedy, but also have significant dramatic elements.
Not all his films have been comedies. His second film, February was a romance about a Thai woman with a terminal illness
who goes to New York City, is hit by a car and then develops amnesia
, forgetting that she's in need of medical care.
He's faced controversy over casting Sayan Muangcharoen, a Thai comedian with Down syndrome
in his films. However, Sayan is a popular staple in other Thai films and on television comedy variety shows.
Yuthlert often makes in jokes and references to his own films. In Sai Lor Fah
, a character is encouraged to be just like "Kit Silencer", the lead character from Killer Tattoo
. Also, a character in Sai Lor Fah was trying to buy a pirated DVD
of Buppah Rahtree 3, a sequel that hasn't been made. In Ghost Variety, a film directed by Adirek Wattaleela (a producing partner and character actor in Yuthlert's films), Yuthlert had a cameo (as did dozens of other Thai filmmakers). The characters in Ghost Variety burst into what they thought was a haunted house, but turned out to be a movie set of Buppah Rahtree 3.
His latest film, 2006's Krasue Valentine contained a number of references to his Buppah Rahtree films, the most visible of which was a bumbling pair of police officers (one portrayed by Adirek Wattaleela) that appeared in both Buppah Rahtree installments.
martial arts
warriors called Kode Mahagan. The latest project mentioned is Ghost Station
, a comedy about a pair of gay men that appears to be a parody of Brokeback Mountain
.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He's best known for his genre-blending films Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo is a 2001 Thai action-comedy film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak...
(comedy and action) and Buppah Rahtree
Buppah Rahtree
Buppah Rahtree is a 2003 Thai comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. With its comic references to The Exorcist and Audition, Buppah Rahtree gained a cult following through screenings at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival and the Fantasia Festival...
(comedy and horror).
Biography
Growing up in northeast ThailandIsan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
, Yuthlert developed a strong interest in the arts from an early age and at 18 went to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
to study fine arts at Silpakorn University
Silpakorn University
Silpakorn University is a well-known public university in Thailand. The university was founded in Bangkok in 1943 by Italian-born art professor Corrado Feroci, who took the Thai name Silpa Bhirasri when he became a Thai citizen. It is the leading Thai university in the fine arts and archaeology,...
, where he received a degree in interior design (the same program as another Thai director, Wisit Sasanatieng
Wisit Sasanatieng
Wisit Sasanatieng is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent...
).
Yuthlert set up his own design company, which he worked at for a year before his interest waned. He then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he studied at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
. This put him in touch with a group of friends who were involved in the film business, which made him think that was something he wanted to do.
He returned to Thailand and submitted a script to Tai Entertainment and told them that he wanted to direct a movie. The script and his offer to direct were rejected. He then offered a three-page script called Always Love, and it was rejected.
Yuthlert returned to New York and worked for a time doing architectural drawing while also studying filmmaking on his own and developing his script-writing abilities.
He returned to Thailand and Tai Entertainment, offering a screenplay for O-Negative, which was based on his three-page script. Tai Entertainment offered him a position as the assistant director on the film, but he turned them down and took back his script. He ended up selling the script to GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry. Artists on Grammy include Bird McIntyre and Loso...
and had the project taken away from him. The film starred Tata Young
Tata Young
Amita Marie Young , better known under her stage name Tata Young, is a Thai singer, model actress and dancer....
.
So he wrote another script, which became Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo is a 2001 Thai action-comedy film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak...
, about a group of aging and/or mentally challenged assassins. He took it to RS Film's Avant Co. Ltd., which allowed him to direct the film and cast an ensemble of Thai comedians, including Suthep Po-ngam
Suthep Po-ngam
Suthep Po-ngam , also known by his stage name Thep Po-ngam, is a Thai comedian, actor, film director and screenwriter. He played the leader of a gang of inept hitmen in Killer Tattoo...
and Petchtai Wongkamlao
Petchtai Wongkamlao
Petchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
, as the stars.
In 2002, he established Mahagan Films Co. Ltd. as his production company. And in 2003, for his sophomore directorial effort, the drama February
February (2003 film)
February is a 2003 Thai romance-drama film, written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. The involves a young Thai woman with a terminal illness who goes to New York City to live her final months, is hit by a car and then develops amnesia, forgetting that she's in need of medical care....
, he returned to Grammy's GMM Pictures for a distribution deal.
Genre blending
Since Killer Tattoo, casting comedians in dramatic roles has become a trademark for Yuthlert.His 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
film Sai Lor Fah
Sai Lor Fah
Sai Lor Fah is a 2004 Thai crime-comedy written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. Filmed on location in Pattaya, it is the story of friends who become mixed up in an escalating series of crimes.-Plot:...
(Pattaya Maniac) featured another top Thai comedian, Choosak Eamsuk (better known as Nong Cha Cha Cha) in the lead dramatic role, with Somchai Kemglad – the heroic lead from Killer Tattoo as the comedy relief.
His horror films, Buppah Rahtree
Buppah Rahtree
Buppah Rahtree is a 2003 Thai comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. With its comic references to The Exorcist and Audition, Buppah Rahtree gained a cult following through screenings at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival and the Fantasia Festival...
(containing references and homages to The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
and Audition) and the sequel Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns
Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns
Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns is a 2005 Thai comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. It is a sequel to the 2003 film, Buppah Rahtree.-Plot:...
as well as Krasue Valentine
Krasue Valentine
Krasue Valentine is a 2006 Thai romance-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. The film concerns the krasue ghost legend that is common in Southeast Asian countries.-Plot:...
all feature heavy doses of comedy, but also have significant dramatic elements.
Not all his films have been comedies. His second film, February was a romance about a Thai woman with a terminal illness
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
who goes to New York City, is hit by a car and then develops amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, forgetting that she's in need of medical care.
He's faced controversy over casting Sayan Muangcharoen, a Thai comedian with Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
in his films. However, Sayan is a popular staple in other Thai films and on television comedy variety shows.
Yuthlert often makes in jokes and references to his own films. In Sai Lor Fah
Sai Lor Fah
Sai Lor Fah is a 2004 Thai crime-comedy written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. Filmed on location in Pattaya, it is the story of friends who become mixed up in an escalating series of crimes.-Plot:...
, a character is encouraged to be just like "Kit Silencer", the lead character from Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo
Killer Tattoo is a 2001 Thai action-comedy film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak...
. Also, a character in Sai Lor Fah was trying to buy a pirated DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of Buppah Rahtree 3, a sequel that hasn't been made. In Ghost Variety, a film directed by Adirek Wattaleela (a producing partner and character actor in Yuthlert's films), Yuthlert had a cameo (as did dozens of other Thai filmmakers). The characters in Ghost Variety burst into what they thought was a haunted house, but turned out to be a movie set of Buppah Rahtree 3.
His latest film, 2006's Krasue Valentine contained a number of references to his Buppah Rahtree films, the most visible of which was a bumbling pair of police officers (one portrayed by Adirek Wattaleela) that appeared in both Buppah Rahtree installments.
Future projects
Since Krasue Valentine, Yuthlert has been tied to a number of upcoming projects. One was a horror film, Mia Ngoo (The Snake's Wife), and the other was about a band of disabledDisability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
warriors called Kode Mahagan. The latest project mentioned is Ghost Station
Ghost Station (film)
Ghost Station is a 2007 Thai comedy-horror film directed by Yuthlert Sippapak as a spoof of Brokeback Mountain.-Plot:Udd and Yai are a gay couple who love cowboy movies and move from the city to a rural area to have a more intimate, rustic setting for their relationship. They buy an abandoned...
, a comedy about a pair of gay men that appears to be a parody of Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry...
.
Filmography
- Killer TattooKiller TattooKiller Tattoo is a 2001 Thai action-comedy film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak...
(20012001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
) - FebruaryFebruary (2003 film)February is a 2003 Thai romance-drama film, written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. The involves a young Thai woman with a terminal illness who goes to New York City to live her final months, is hit by a car and then develops amnesia, forgetting that she's in need of medical care....
(Khumphaphan) (20032003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
) - Buppah RahtreeBuppah RahtreeBuppah Rahtree is a 2003 Thai comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. With its comic references to The Exorcist and Audition, Buppah Rahtree gained a cult following through screenings at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival and the Fantasia Festival...
(Rahtree: Flower of the Night) (2003) - Sai Lor FahSai Lor FahSai Lor Fah is a 2004 Thai crime-comedy written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. Filmed on location in Pattaya, it is the story of friends who become mixed up in an escalating series of crimes.-Plot:...
(Pattaya Maniac) (20042004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) - Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree ReturnsBuppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree ReturnsBuppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns is a 2005 Thai comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. It is a sequel to the 2003 film, Buppah Rahtree.-Plot:...
(20052005 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
) - Krasue ValentineKrasue ValentineKrasue Valentine is a 2006 Thai romance-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak. The film concerns the krasue ghost legend that is common in Southeast Asian countries.-Plot:...
(Ghost Valentine) (20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
) - Ghost StationGhost Station (film)Ghost Station is a 2007 Thai comedy-horror film directed by Yuthlert Sippapak as a spoof of Brokeback Mountain.-Plot:Udd and Yai are a gay couple who love cowboy movies and move from the city to a rural area to have a more intimate, rustic setting for their relationship. They buy an abandoned...
(2007) - The Last Moment(2008 Film) (2008)
- Kill Tim (2008)
- Mia Ngoo (in development)
- Kode Mahagan (in development)