Naresuan Fever has already made several multiplexes look like "stand-alone" theatres because every screen is showing MC Chatrichalerm Yukol's epic. It's gone beyond "must-see" status, with the spill-over effect dramatically boosting visitor numbers at Wat Phra Sumaru in Ayutthaya.

The temple was there two centuries ago to witness the actual story behind the movie, but it's never had this many visitors before, busloads of local tourists swarming the site to soak up some Naresuan authenticity.

Why Wat Phra Sumanru in particular? Unlike the other dusty temples of the old capital, this one wasn't even damaged by the Burmese in the sacking of 1767.

'Black Tiger' can

stop crying now

MC Chatrichalerm may hold some sort of record for taking three years to finish the first episode of his Naresuan trilogy, but it took twice as long for "Fah Talai Jone" ("Tears of Black Tiger") - also critically acclaimed - to reach American theatres.

A failure at the Thai box office, "Tears" was praised by Western critics and won awards at several film festivals. Miramax grabbed the distribution rights in 2000, but the movie gathered dust until independent distributor Magnolia got hold of it last year and finally put it out.

"Tears" has been on North American screens since January 12, with release dates still ahead for a dozen other major US cities and the DVD slated for release on March 20.

The good news for American film fans is that the six-year wait came with a blessing: They're the first outside Thailand to see "Tears" uncut, as Nation film critic Wise Kwai reports.

"In Europe the film was cut, along with some very Thai elements, like the wedding engagement scene and the comic-relief character Sgt Yam [played by Ja Yim]. How could they remove those scenes?"

The good news for Thai film fans is that, despite its six years in limbo, "Tears" earned more than Bt600,000 in its first week in New York. That compares favourably with "Suriyothai", which earned about $46,000 in its first NYC weekend at seven theatres. These are handsome sums for the "alternative-movie" circuit.

Everything from here on out is icing on the cake for director Wisit Sasanatieng and his supporters.

Also coming out in North America in March along with the "Tears" DVD is another Thai film, "Khon Fai Bin" ("Dynamite Warrior").

Thanks to sharp-eyed outfits like Magnolia Pictures, the future is looking rosier for Thai cinema. Our flicks, regardless of the budget scale, stand a better chance of international release, and no more sitting on the shelf.

Beer, Ball, babe - do we

hear (wedding) bells?

The "official" acknowledgement that tennis hero Paradorn Srichaphan and former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova are dating supposedly riled the brewers of Singha, who cover many of their bills.

Arguably, Boonrawd Brewery could have been miffed that having two of its brand ambassadors together all the time cheated it out of the promotional mileage it could get if Ball and Nat made the rounds separately.

But to rumours that their contracts were in peril, Boonrawd executive director Chutinan Bhirombakdi merely scoffed. "There's no such danger - it's their own private lives," he said.

Paradorn's dad Chanachai admitted to the press that romance was afoot, but that was all he was willing to say. Soopsip has heard, though, that Chanachai and his wife Ubon have already given Natalie a Thai name, suggesting there's some in-law planning going on.

The Canadian expat is now known among the Srichaphans as Piangfah - "As beautiful as the sky". That's pretty close to the common expression for uncommonly beautiful women - nang fah, meaning angels.

This can only be a win-win situation for Boonrawd, because people will think that Singha beer guarantees them a warm, loving relationship. May we suggest a Valentine's Day advertising campaign featuring the couple, Khun Chutinan?

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with veen@nationgroup.com