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Now Playing at the Odeon
Just as you no longer need to fly out of town for a decent haircut anymore, movie lovers who enjoy watching movies on the big screen (as opposed to videos) also no longer have to cross the Mekong to catch a decent flick in English.
The 950 seat Vientiane Cinema (still called by its former name, The Odeon) run by another Lao-American returnee, Saychareunsouk Phathammavong, (nicknamed "Say") regularly shows recent Hollywood fare in English with Thai subtitles.
Like Eng, Say and his Thai-born wife, Melissa, returned to the capital a couple of years ago to take over Say’s family-run cinema that had been leased out to Thai and Chinese businessmen.
Since Dok Champa last did a story on Say two years ago, the Cinema has been extensively renovated, and this November sees the Grand Opening of an American-style ice-cream parlor called Sugar Pop in the downstairs lobby. Painted in bright colors over its original Art Deco design, the Sugar Pop resembles a flashy Warlitzer juke box which somehow seems to be the only thing missing to complete the jitterbug ambience. A cocktail lounge fast-food snack bar is also openng in the upstairs lobby.
When Say first returned to revive the Odeon, the red tape involved was piled as high as an unspooled reel of film from one of his museum-piece Russian projectors. Strictly speaking, Lao law states that all movie dialogue must be dubbed into Lao. This meant that Say has to hire readers to speak the dialogue in Lao, live over the PA system. Needless to say, that proved impractical and unfeasible.
Luckily, the Ministry of Information and Culture is eager to promote English, so Say argued, what better way to learn English than to hear it from native speakers with translations subtitled in Thai (which most literate Lao speakers understand). The Ministry agreed, and even winks at American movies dubbed into Thai.
The films, however, are still censored for content, and one Thai movie about glue-sniffing addicts was axed, lest any innocent teenagers in the audience get the wrong idea.
The good news for expats is that Say has a good relationship with Warner Brothers Distributors and plans to bring in a Robin Williams comedy, a John Travolta actioner (Broken Arrow) and Desparado.
Lao audiences, however, still prefer movies dubbed into Thai. So better call up to make sure that the grunts out of Arnie or Sly are in English and not Thai. There are three daily shows: timings are 12:30, 6:30 and 9:00 pm. Ticket prices are 700 and 1,000 kip, and 2,000 for seats in the exclusive VIP room which has a private entrance through the upstairs cocktail lounge, if you don’t want to sit with the water melon seed spitters below.
On, and don’t forget to save your ticket strips. 70 strips will get you a Disney Dalmation mug, and 100 wins you a free Batman or Broken Arrow T-shirt. Lesser prizes such as buttons and stickers are given away for 10 or 25 strips.
As Say’s family owns most of the property around the cinema, Say has grandiose plans to build the country’s first entertainment complex. Next project in the works is a bowling alley across the street, next to a snooker parlor (to be renovated). Say already has had preliminary discussions with Brunswick, the American bowling company.
Are Laotians ready for bowling? "Why not?" insists Say. "Laotians crave new things. We’ve been behind the 8 ball for so long. Now we’re ready to have fun!"
Say will be happy to fax you a monthly schedule of films, although sometimes the run has to be extended without notice in order to break even. For further information call the box office on 213182 (ask for Say) or fax 214613. The Vientiane Theater (Odeon Rama), 1 Talat Leng Rd, Vientiane.