'The Snake Lady'
'The Snake Lady' a possessive love story of a cobra and its attachment to an attractive girl is now being screened at Rio Cinema Colombo.

On the bus heading to an antique graceful Thai House by the waterside in Suphanburi, Chanachol falls into a strange trance. After graduating he has shortly become a successful businessman. He is a married man with a son and seems to be perfect in everything. Yet, he feels he is lacking something in' his life... something that brought him to this Antique Thai House… His drift is interrupted by the vigorous voice of Mekhla, a young lady guide who is entertaining and giving information to her tourists; she is also an owner of the antique Thai House where she is taking them to visit.

Mekhla spent her life living in Bangkok and this Thai House where she lives with Lung Tim, Pa Dub, Naul, and a mysterious Cobra who is both a host and an unwelcome visitor. The black Cobra has been living in this Thai House for ages, ever since Mekhla was a child and moved to this provincial house with her mother, Koshum.

Chanachol who spends the night at the Thai House falls in to an intimate relationship with Mekhla.

Chanachol's happiness was short lived when the black Cobra furiously chases him up with an unusual revenge.

Mekhla knows that the relationship between her and Chanachol causes the Cobra's to attempt to kill Chanachol as it happened before with Poj, a well-known guy in town who once had fallen in to Mekhla's captivation and paid his desire with his life when he decided to defy the Cobra.

Mekhla tries to drive the Cobra away from the house and her life, he… the Cobra never confronts her, but keeps close to her and the house as always. The secret relationship between Mekhla and Chanachol is broken to Maikaew, wife of Chanachol. She gets very upsets and angry.

Mekhla realizes that her immoral love is over. She decided to leave Chanachol and go abroad. At the same time not able to overcome the obsession, the boy goes back to the Thai House where the Cobra is awaiting him.

Some of the other films imported and listed to be released by the Rio Cinema Films are Men in Black II, Bless the child, Panic Room and Vertical Limit.

Sumithra's 'Samanala Uyana' faces baptismal pains
By Susitha R. Fernando
Sumithra Peries has found it rewarding to work with the cast in her latest direction 'Samanala Uyana'- (The Garden of Butterflies) as she says they were very cooperative. Speaking about the last scene, Sumithra went on to say that it was actually shot on location. The location being Siripada- (Adam's Peak) they had to face an arduous climb.

So instead of resorting to an alternative location Sumithra had decided to make the scene authentic. It was a successful attempt due to the commitment and cooperation given by actress, Kanchana Mendis. This is what the film industry is searching for committed and cooperative young actors and actresses, says Sumithra. She also went on to say that this scene would have created a precedent in the history of the film industry as it was a rather a demanding task of not climbing Siripada but to be creatively acting after such a climb.

Sumithra appreciates Kanchana's deep sense of sensitivity but I am sure the bouquet should go to Sumithra who has taken many fresh faces such as Vasanthi Chathurani to the silver screen in "Gehenu Lamai" and Nirosha Herath to the small screen who were made to be stars.

The film deals with the conflicting aspirations and outlook of a couple who are differently aged.

Sanath Gunathilake, Kanchana Mendis play lead roles while Dinindu Jagoda, 23-year-old son of the late theatre veteran Dhamma Jagoda plays Sanath's younger brother. The film also has an elite cast Vasanthi Chathurani, Rangana Premaratne and Daya Tennakoon with Irangani Serasinghe taking on the role of visually impaired mother-in-law.

Gladwin Fernando will edit the film while Mrs. Peries is yet to select a music director.

Samanala Uyana is produced by Ceylon Theatres, the oldest cinema production company in Asia. This theatre company funded this project by way of celebrating it 75th anniversary which falls this year. The producer had earlier sponsored 'Nidahanaya', 'Akkara Paha' and 'Golu Hadawatha' of Dr. Lester James Peries and even helped to complete his 'Rekawa' when it was in financial difficulities.

'Duvili Maliga' :Story of youth
'Duvili Maliga' (Dust Castles) deals with the relationship between a young couple, who hail from different backgrounds, is telecast every Wednesday at 9.00 pm on the Swarnavahini Channel.

Scripted and directed by Sanjeewa Alwis, the teledrama is produced by Crishantha Manamperi.

The main roles are played by Janaka Kumbukge, Sulakkana Mihiripenna, Ashoka Peiris, Manel Jayasena, Mahendra Perera, Neil Alles, Sasanthi Jayasena, Srinath Maddumage and Cyril Dharmawardena.

Coming from an aristocratic family Molagoda is an arrogant businessman. His devoted wife is Seetha and their son is Sudeera who runs a totally different life style from that parent.

Middle aged, Karunasena, is a widower living with his two daughters Geetha who is still schooling and Piumi a graduate who is awaiting a job The father loses his job after being involved in trade union activities.

Following this incident Piumi plans to take the burden of looking after the family. She finds a job. She takes up the job as a waitress in a restaurant for a meagre salary. Her earnings are hardly enough to support the family.

Meanwhile this restaurant is a regular place visited by Sudeera with his friends. Seeing the new waitress, the young Sudeera gets attracted to her beauty and calmness. Wijaya, a colleague who works in the restaurant too has an idea on Piumi. She did not pay attention to anyone. Though Sudeera declares his love to Piumi she rejects him.

Sudeera persists and manages to win her over.

In the meantime Marcus working in Molagoda's company plots to get Sudeera's position. He uses Sudeera's affair as an instrument to improve his position thus bringing the affair between Sudeera and Piumi to light.

'Last Man Standing'- A thriller at MC
'Last Man Standing' a thriller movie made based on Akira Kurosawa's classic film 'Yojimbo' has now released at Majestic cinema .

The film of which the lead role is by Bruce Willis, is about a mysterious stranger who wanders into a small Texas town paralyzed by a bloody tough war raging two Chicago based mobs.

John Smith (Bruce Willis) is a gun for hire, a man faithful only to his own code of honour, who seems to have neither a past nor a future. In the Prohibition-era of Texas, Smith drifts into dusty Jericho, a lonely border town home to two deadly gangs who illegally bring booze in to the country from Mexico.

An immediate run-in with Doyle's (David Patrick Kelly) gang, over Felina (Karina Lombard), the hauntingly beautiful native American mistress whom Doyle has taken, leads Smith to join his enemy Strozzi's band of thugs. An uneasy truce has enabled the rival gangs to carry on business as usual under the corrupt sheriff Gali, but not for long.

Since Smith seems to have no loyalty to anyone but himself and plays Strozzi and Doyle off against one another, feigning allegiance to both, but really only furthering his own agenda. Soon he is caught in the middle of a dangerous game of cross and double cross, as the two mobs battle it out. The only one wise to Smith's trick is Doyle's chief lieutenant, the ruthless Hickey, a man whose gun prowess is matched only by his lack of conscience. After Smith sets Felina free Hickey and a desperate Doyle kidnap and torture him. Smith escapes and set in motion the ultimate gang war- a bloody vendetta that leaves virtually everyone dead except Doyle, Smith and his own archrival, Hickey. The Last Man Standing was written and directed by Walter Hill and produced by Arthur Sarkissian.

Following 'Last Man Standing', Six Academy Award winner at the recently held Academy Award Festival 'Chicago' will be screened from May 22 at Majestic Cinema.

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