Movie Idea - Western Women In Paradise

[Eggmeng]

Time for me to bow out now. I can see it's going nowhere productive.

Thanks all, for the comments.

See you at the movies.

[bobbin]

Read everything interesting on TV today and decided to peek into the Ladies Forum whereupon I found this thread.

It got quite good as it went along. The Op is obviously not a troll. They don't invest as much effort in laying out their premise, in my experience.

Unfortunately, in his effort to enlist some female perspective, he has run up against sbk, who cuts western men no slack whatsoever.

She defends her turf like a pit-bull guarding a bone. No concessions. It's one thing to protect the integrity of the forum, but sbk has an agenda every bit as rigid as the misogynists she rails against.

[Boo]

does she? The only agenda here is to prevent idiots using the ladies forum as their own personal firing range. Sorry if you are unhappy about it but it's worked fine so far for the past 6 years. We have a zero tolerance policy of women haters, trolls & flamers in here so I suggest if you don't like it you refrain from viewing this section. It is very very simple to do.

If you have any further issues with the moderation of thaivisa then contact support (at) thaivisa.com. This is not the thread for it.

[bobbin]

does she? The only agenda here is to prevent idiots using the ladies forum as their own personal firing range. Sorry if you are unhappy about it but it's worked fine so far for the past 6 years. We have a zero tolerance policy of women haters, trolls & flamers in here so I suggest if you don't like it you refrain from viewing this section. It is very very simple to do.

If you have any further issues with the moderation of thaivisa then contact support (at) thaivisa.com. This is not the thread for it.

ah...

I was responding to sbk the poster not sbk the moderator.

And I will dip into any forum I please. Thank you very much for your suggestion though.

[jombom]

Time for me to bow out now. I can see it's going nowhere productive.

Thanks all, for the comments.

See you at the movies.

Sorry to see you signing off. I found your views and ideas quite interesting and reasonably original. Please do not give up, even if you decide to desist from posting more.

It is sad to see some threads getting hijacked.

[troy]

See you at the movies.

Will you give me a discount on my popcorn?

[sbk]

Read everything interesting on TV today and decided to peek into the Ladies Forum whereupon I found this thread.

It got quite good as it went along. The Op is obviously not a troll. They don't invest as much effort in laying out their premise, in my experience.

Unfortunately, in his effort to enlist some female perspective, he has run up against sbk, who cuts western men no slack whatsoever.

She defends her turf like a pit-bull guarding a bone. No concessions. It's one thing to protect the integrity of the forum, but sbk has an agenda every bit as rigid as the misogynists she rails against.

you don't have a clue, do you? I won't even bother going there, because, as Boo rightly pointed out, this is the Ladies forum and it is part of our responsibility to make sure the saddos keep their problems to themselves as the women really have no interest in reading them

Time for me to bow out now. I can see it's going nowhere productive.

Thanks all, for the comments.

See you at the movies.

Sorry to see you signing off. I found your views and ideas quite interesting and reasonably original. Please do not give up, even if you decide to desist from posting more.

It is sad to see some threads getting hijacked.

I don't see any hijacking. Except for the personal attack on me, of course. OP asked for opinions. He received them. He clearly didn't like the opinions he received.

[OldenAtwoody]

Hello Ladies,

I'm a screenwriter and filmmaker who wants to shoot a low budget independant film here. A long time resident on one of Thailand's paradise islands, my plan is to realize the story right here, and perhaps even cast the movie from the local expat population.

I've always liked writing roles for women. I find there are two few good ones. I have an idea for a bittersweet comedy about a group of single Western women who meet while on vacation in Thailand for the first time, and look forward to some flirtations and maybe even holiday romance.

They would not be considered undesirable in their own countries, where they are used to getting plenty of attention when they go out, and so they are wholly unprepared when they find themselves neglected by the vacationing Thai girl fixated males, when they get here.

I don't claim it's a premise that's particularly original, in fact I've been inspired in part by some of the threads I've read here, and on another expat forum when I lived in Cambodia. I do however, hope to create a story and an international cast of characters that does justice to the wackiness that is peculiar to the Southeast Asia vacation.

Anyone care to contribute some ideas based on stories imagined or experienced?

Sounds viable. Has all the elements of a ripping chick flick, cross-generational (Grams, Mom, and daughters), jaundiced looks at old, sad, fat expat men chasing 18 year-old girls whilst in Bermuda shorts and sandals, a little slapstick . See some tour sights, bring a few tears, break down some walls.

Darjeeling Express, all that then, eh?

Sure, it's a great idea - you could reflect on age, beauty, wisdom, "men". It's got it all.

Real or not, this is the sappy stuff that Hollywood buys.

Edited September 30, 2009 by OldenAtwoody

[OldenAtwoody]

mssabai.

Honestly, this kind of sounds like another troll inhabiting the ladies forum to try and make another point about western women. However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now and see how things progress.

Fact is, western women are "neglected" by most western men in Thailand. The fact also remains that very very few western women tourists come to Thailand looking for men and the idea of painting western women as desperate to find a man no matter where they happen to be is a tad ludicrous. A group of girls on holiday looking for prince charming in western form? More likely, a group of girls on holiday, getting pissed and having a good time.

I take issue. "This kind of sounds like another troll inhabiting the ladies forum to ... make a point about men." You.

You LIVE here - as do most of the female posters in this thread - so of course your experiences will differ. Anyone who lives here tends to stay off the tourist pathways, but the whole point of the movie idea was a gathering of a group of women - on holiday - for self-discovery.

You DO read English, no?

If you don't have a glimmer of hope in your life to accept the premise, then we all know who the real troll is here.

You don't own this forum. Be a little more respectful. I'm not the least bit afraid to report you to management - you "volunteer" - for violating forum rules. It won't be the first time. This is a business, not your private chat room.

Respectfully,

Olden Atwoody

[StrandedBusinessPerson]

I have an idea for a bittersweet comedy about a group of single Western women who meet while on vacation in Thailand for the first time, and look forward to some flirtations and maybe even holiday romance. They would not be considered undesirable in their own countries, where they are used to getting plenty of attention when they go out, and so they are wholly unprepared when they find themselves neglected by the vacationing Thai girl fixated males, when they get here.

As a screenwriter expat in another Asian country close by, that's not enough of an idea...and romances tend not to be about them (per se) these days. Take for example Mad Money with Diane Keaton/Queen Latifah/Ted Danson, tagline: They're having the crime of their lives... For a bittersweet comedy to succeed and for women to be portrayed decently I'd say the male script writer has to be very clever. Glenn Gers teams up with Callie Khouri (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood & Thelma and Louis) and does a great job screenwriting. So what I suggest is to put the female leads into a uniquely and ridiculous Thai backdrop (in Mad Money, it was three female co-workers conspiring to rob the Federal Reserve) and then weave a funny and engaging story around that - one that does not overtly have anything to do with finding holiday romance. Perhaps the women in this forum could suggest exactly what that story/backdrop would be...but it has to be more then a Pattaya vacation.

Edited September 30, 2009 by StrandedBusinessPerson

[OldenAtwoody]

This term "chick flick" bothers me. If we use the definition I provided above from W'pedia, I guess all these are chick flicks.

"Summertime" (previously mentioned) and directed by the great David Lean.

"Dr. Zhivago" (also directed by Lean)

"Breakfast at Tiffanys" from the novella by Truman Capote.

"Alfie" (the original with Michael Caine, I haven't seen the remake)

"Betrayal" written by Harold Pinter

"Marty" written by Paddy Chayevsky

"Romeo and Juliet" written by that dead guy with the beard.

Almost all of Woody Allen's movies once he got serious

Most of Ingmar Bergman's movies

Many movies from the French New Wave

I'm guessing the chick flick term was coined by a Generation X man, after movies had largely shifted from being about people (and therefore relationships), to being about orchestrating the kind of mayhem that male teenagers will pay to see. This happened when the movie going demographics started to change.

You might argue that some of Stephen Spielberg's hugely successful movies are about relationships, but they are all sentimental in a young person's sort of way.

I think any film where no one dies unnaturally, or there are no car chases, pretty much qualifies as a "chick flick".

[sbk]

mssabai.

Honestly, this kind of sounds like another troll inhabiting the ladies forum to try and make another point about western women. However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now and see how things progress.

Fact is, western women are "neglected" by most western men in Thailand. The fact also remains that very very few western women tourists come to Thailand looking for men and the idea of painting western women as desperate to find a man no matter where they happen to be is a tad ludicrous. A group of girls on holiday looking for prince charming in western form? More likely, a group of girls on holiday, getting pissed and having a good time.

I take issue. "This kind of sounds like another troll inhabiting the ladies forum to ... make a point about men." You.

You LIVE here - as do most of the female posters in this thread - so of course your experiences will differ. Anyone who lives here tends to stay off the tourist pathways, but the whole point of the movie idea was a gathering of a group of women - on holiday - for self-discovery.

You DO read English, no?

If you don't have a glimmer of hope in your life to accept the premise, then we all know who the real troll is here.

You don't own this forum. Be a little more respectful. I'm not the least bit afraid to report you to management - you "volunteer" - for violating forum rules. It won't be the first time. This is a business, not your private chat room.

Respectfully,

Olden Atwoody

Sir, I suggest you have a re-read of the forum rules as well as the rules of this particular forum before attacking me. And be aware, that personal attacks on members, regardless of who they may be, is not allowed.

[IanForbes]

A good movie needs three things:

1. A good plot

2. Good script writing

3. Believable actors

Everything else is just window dressing. The setting can be anywhere. Humans pretty much act and react the same way the world over. We all suffer from the same frailties whether we are in Thailand or North America.

A book can spend more time developing the characters, but a movie has to do it in a limited time frame and in just a few scenes. There is no need to develop characters if they have no importance in the story.

A good example of fine screen writing was the 1997 movie “The Devil’s Own”, starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. There were a few short vignettes that aptly portrayed the characters played by Ford and Pitt. The movie had action, suspense and emotion. It was tightly written and with no over acting or unbelievable parts.

A good story can take place in just one room if it has suspense, good acting, good script writing and a believable plot. A good example is the play/movie “12 angry men”.

Even though the OP’s idea might be a bit of a cliché type plot, I see nothing wrong with a low budget movie about a group of western women and their experiences in Thailand. It all has to do with the plot and the development of the characters. It could be how each personality reacts to a similar situation in a different manner. Life is full of clichés and many are quite humorous. There is no need to make anyone look ridiculous, and a movie is better off not doing so. Despite the denial of some ladies here, there are many cases where western women have lost their boyfriends and husbands to Thai ladies. But, that happens everywhere and it’s not because of any specific ethnic group. As I already said, the movie could take place in any country where western women might go for a holiday… so why not Thailand?

Movies have to over do a few things just to make the audience understand what is going on. If it is too subtle then many people might miss the idea. But, there is a fine line between over doing it “a bit” and making it downright stupid. I’m a professional writer and so is my sister. We understand the differences between good script writing and general book writing. I’m a magazine writer and my sister is a novelist. Although there are similarities, there is a difference in style. Newspaper and magazine writing is tight to the point of being boring. Fiction has a lot more leeway in allowing the development of characters, but still needs to say as much as it can in as few words as possible.

[Jimjim]

Astonishingly, no. Never saw Sleepless in Seattle. Nor Titanic for that matter.

Titanic wasn't a chick flick.

[sbk]

Astonishingly, no. Never saw Sleepless in Seattle. Nor Titanic for that matter.

Titanic wasn't a chick flick.

Was to me

Don't do romances, don't do romcoms, don't watch alot of the stuff that comes out tbh.

Anyway, Ian has some good points, but I don't think the OP had the old "loses husband to thai woman" story in mind. tbh, I think it takes a very very open mind for a man to write from the perspective of a woman (or women).

[IanForbes]

I think it takes a very very open mind for a man to write from the perspective of a woman (or women).

It is possible, but only with a lot of help from women. The point I was making is if you have a well written story and a good plot then you can create believable characters to make your point... even if it DOES take a few cliches. I know women who act more like men than women, and men who act more like women than men. It takes all kinds to make a world. Certainly there are biological differences, but there is lots of data on that. In affairs of the heart, men and women are essentially the same. We can all get our feelings hurt and we all build a wall around ourselves to keep from being hurt. And, if you get burnt more than once it's easy to build up an agenda to combat the problem in the future. I hear that agenda played out many times when I'm in Thailand. And, it's from both genders.

[Boo]

Despite the denial of some ladies here,

I see no denials Ian, only opinions that the op's premise is incorrect. Now considering it has pretty much come from all the women unanimously, that should give him & any other male poster a clue but clearly it is easier to believe your own perceived cliches about western women in Thailand than to accept the opinions of actual western women in Thailand. Carry on, I'm bored...

[cdnvic]

Don't do romances, don't do romcoms

Not even the Brit ones? They actually make them funny, not sappy.

[sunspun]

Relations between men and woman have changed dramatically in the West in recent decades. Some would say that despite some improvements, many young people now have a sense of confusion and ambivalence about the opposite sex that doesn't exist in developing countries where mens' and womens' roles (for better or worse) are more clearly defined in what might be called a traditional sense.

I'd have to say I agree with you. And I'm 24, so I think I am in the know.

Edited October 1, 2009 by sunspun

[eek]

Don't do romances, don't do romcoms

Not even the Brit ones? They actually make them funny, not sappy.

Not much of a romcom fan myself either Never seen sleepless in Seattle or a lot of those style of movies as they dont appeal to me much...however, some break out the floods of tears, like "The Notebook" and "Ghost". No idea what the ingredients are that make me reject one style over another. Maybe I like ones that have more of a twist, or are more edgy, rather than lovey-dovey mushy. Anyway, im more of an action, adventure, psychological drama, and comedy lover myself. Girls and guns, guys and fast moves, liver eating psychopaths, and side cracking comedians keep me on the edge of my seat more than wistful longing glances and slobbering kisses. So maybe im not the right kinda viewer to comment on this kinda movie anyway!

Relations between men and woman have changed dramatically in the West in recent decades. Some would say that despite some improvements, many young people now have a sense of confusion and ambivalence about the opposite sex that doesn't exist in developing countries where mens' and womens' roles (for better or worse) are more clearly defined in what might be called a traditional sense.

I'd have to say I agree with you. And I'm 24, so I think I am in the know.

Hi sunspun...actually this is getting interesting..maybe the thread will flow in another direction (but hopefully remaining civil or should that be chivalrous?..). Are you male or female sunspin? What country are you from? I think if you are going to give your view, it would be helpful to know more detail than just being one of millions of 20-something year olds.

Im just over 10 years older than you, from the UK, but from an Italian background/family. My family in some ways were quite traditional, so at times I was met with little support in my choices (ie: wanting to study..as in my family, particularly the older gen, they believed it was a bit useless for women to want to pursue further education and to concentrate on finding a good husband instead..etc). So, I was brought up in a society that taught me that my choices should be equal to men, but having/learning a somewhat more traditional role within the family home (and in many ways quite extreme and detrimental..but thats another story). But, once i left my home to make my own way in the world, i didnt feel confused about my role as a woman. I felt that i should have general equal opportunities to men, but still be allowed to remain feminine (and men masculine). The problem that i faced was more from mens side at times rather than my own (i felt). Some men have forgotten how to be gentlemen. Maybe its out of laziness or out of knowing what is the right or wrong thing to do. But, I like men who are courteous. I think men should be gentlemen without needing to assert themselves over or put down women, and women should allowed to be feminine but still have a right to assert themselves without being labelled feminazis. General things should fall into some kind of basic rights regardless of race or sex etc..no? ..Shit, im waffling... (scuze the "french"..SO unladylike )

Edited October 1, 2009 by eek