Exclusive: In one of the first partnerships of its kind, Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov is teaming with Chinese filmmaker Eva Jin (Sophie’s Revenge) on a Russian/Chinese remake of Yolki (Six Degrees of Celebration). They will be among several filmmakers who’ll direct segments of the film. The deal comes after Yolki 2 topped the box office in Russia last weekend with $7.8 million gross. The 2010 first film became Russia’s most successful local movie in the past three years. Yolki tells the stories of eight different Russians – from eight different time zones – and how their destinies intersect one New Years Eve. The remake will be framed around the Chinese New Year. There will be eight stories connected by a young orphan girl who must deliver a message to the President and whose only hope is to use the theory of “six degrees of separation” – that all people on Earth,...
- 12/23/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
There's the ghost of a fairly good film in Cai Xin's You Deserve To Be Single, but it's flailing desperately under the sheer volume of trite, saccharine clichés and hysterically overt product placement piled up on top of it. The cast eke a surprising amount of dramatic mileage from what initially seems like merely one more tired mainland Chinese romantic comedy, but the director and screenwriter never pause for long enough to really let the characters or the story breathe, and You Deserve To Be Single ends up frustratingly bland and largely forgettable as a result.
Li Zheng (Mike He, Love At Seventh Sight) and Li Ying (Elsie Gao) are a brother and sister who run a successful dating agency in downtown Shanghai. She's the smiling public face chairing the agency's regular speed dating nights, but they offer more services than that. If a client feels concerned about the viability...
Li Zheng (Mike He, Love At Seventh Sight) and Li Ying (Elsie Gao) are a brother and sister who run a successful dating agency in downtown Shanghai. She's the smiling public face chairing the agency's regular speed dating nights, but they offer more services than that. If a client feels concerned about the viability...
- 8/2/2010
- Screen Anarchy
This is the tenth film review in the coverage of Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival. There certainly was a time when filmmakers from mainland China didn't dabble too much in making blockbusters. Obviously, Sophie's Revenge looks like score of other romantic comedies you've seen. However, it's a rather entertaining film.
Sophie (Zhang Ziyi), a comic book artist/writer, has been in relation with Jeff (Ji-seob So), a surgeon, for two years. While they were supposed to get married, Jeff falls for Joanna (Bingbing Fan), a movie star, after he had operated her. Obviously, Sophie is devastated and she doesn't want to face her mom who organized the mariage. With two months left before the day, Sophie will try to win Jeff back with the help of her two best friends, Lucy (Ruby Lin) and Lilly (Chen Yao).
Sophie also intends to publish a comic book targetting women. With this book,...
Sophie (Zhang Ziyi), a comic book artist/writer, has been in relation with Jeff (Ji-seob So), a surgeon, for two years. While they were supposed to get married, Jeff falls for Joanna (Bingbing Fan), a movie star, after he had operated her. Obviously, Sophie is devastated and she doesn't want to face her mom who organized the mariage. With two months left before the day, Sophie will try to win Jeff back with the help of her two best friends, Lucy (Ruby Lin) and Lilly (Chen Yao).
Sophie also intends to publish a comic book targetting women. With this book,...
- 7/28/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Start: 07/08/2010 End: 07/28/2010 Start: 07/08/2010 End: 07/28/2010
Montreal's FanTasia Film Festival 2010 has their most female-director-friendly lineup Ever, with literally dozens of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy shorts and features directed by women.
Highlights include Maude Michaud's Snuff and Hollywood Skin, Nicola Tomassini's État d'humains, Hélène Tremblay's H5N1, Charlotte Beaudoin Pelletier's Le septième écart, Hélène Florent's Léger problème, Caroline Mailloux's Motel Pluton, Jelena Girlin and Mari-Liis Bassovskaja's Oranus, Mai Tominaga's Rinco's Restaurant, and Eva Jin's Sophie's Revenge.
But seriously, there's way too many to list here. Check it out at The FanTasia site.
Watch the trailer for Mai Tominaga's fantastical Rinco's Restaurant:
Watch the trailer for Eva Jin's Sophie's Revenge:...
Montreal's FanTasia Film Festival 2010 has their most female-director-friendly lineup Ever, with literally dozens of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy shorts and features directed by women.
Highlights include Maude Michaud's Snuff and Hollywood Skin, Nicola Tomassini's État d'humains, Hélène Tremblay's H5N1, Charlotte Beaudoin Pelletier's Le septième écart, Hélène Florent's Léger problème, Caroline Mailloux's Motel Pluton, Jelena Girlin and Mari-Liis Bassovskaja's Oranus, Mai Tominaga's Rinco's Restaurant, and Eva Jin's Sophie's Revenge.
But seriously, there's way too many to list here. Check it out at The FanTasia site.
Watch the trailer for Mai Tominaga's fantastical Rinco's Restaurant:
Watch the trailer for Eva Jin's Sophie's Revenge:...
- 7/12/2010
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
Fantasia has a proud tradition of showcasing the best and strangest of Asian cinema and 2010 will be no different!
The Asian film selection brought forth by Fantasia 2010 will allow spectators to experience a variety of Asian cultures, all while enjoying a wide range of cinematic genres that will inspire every possible emotion. From musicals to thrillers to war films and horror flicks, Asian filmmakers often use genre cinema as means of painting a portrait of their nation, highlighting certain social preoccupations, or examining historical events that have impacted that corner of the globe. This reality is strongly represented in the Asian film selection at this year's Fantasia Film Festival.
In order to paint an accurate picture of the national cinemas presented in our program, attention will also be given to certain key works that have helped shape the contemporary cinematic landscape of these countries. Therefore, Fantasia will offer an excellent selection of classic films,...
The Asian film selection brought forth by Fantasia 2010 will allow spectators to experience a variety of Asian cultures, all while enjoying a wide range of cinematic genres that will inspire every possible emotion. From musicals to thrillers to war films and horror flicks, Asian filmmakers often use genre cinema as means of painting a portrait of their nation, highlighting certain social preoccupations, or examining historical events that have impacted that corner of the globe. This reality is strongly represented in the Asian film selection at this year's Fantasia Film Festival.
In order to paint an accurate picture of the national cinemas presented in our program, attention will also be given to certain key works that have helped shape the contemporary cinematic landscape of these countries. Therefore, Fantasia will offer an excellent selection of classic films,...
- 6/29/2010
- Screen Anarchy
[Thanks goes to Alexander Thebez for this review.]
Yimeng Jin's Sophie's Revenge is a gleeful, well-polished Chinese rom-com with a lot of slapstick humor and snippy banter. The film follows the story of Sophie (Zhang Ziyi), a cartoonist who is trying to win back her ex-boyfriend from a famous movie star, Joanna (Bingbing Fan). Racing against time, Sophie, with the help of the handsome, mysterious Gordon (Peter Ho) employs questionable "scientific methods" to reclaim hunky Jeff (So Ji-sub).
First of all, if you are looking for a heart-wrenching, profound drama, Sophie's Revenge will definitely sink your boat. The official Nyaff 2010 website describes a little conspiracy between American movie distributors and the CIA from 20 years ago. It was decided that the only movies from China allowed in the States are the ones that depict China as a really crappy place to live. Aside from being Zhang Ziyi's debut as a producer, Sophie's Revenge is also a movie...
Yimeng Jin's Sophie's Revenge is a gleeful, well-polished Chinese rom-com with a lot of slapstick humor and snippy banter. The film follows the story of Sophie (Zhang Ziyi), a cartoonist who is trying to win back her ex-boyfriend from a famous movie star, Joanna (Bingbing Fan). Racing against time, Sophie, with the help of the handsome, mysterious Gordon (Peter Ho) employs questionable "scientific methods" to reclaim hunky Jeff (So Ji-sub).
First of all, if you are looking for a heart-wrenching, profound drama, Sophie's Revenge will definitely sink your boat. The official Nyaff 2010 website describes a little conspiracy between American movie distributors and the CIA from 20 years ago. It was decided that the only movies from China allowed in the States are the ones that depict China as a really crappy place to live. Aside from being Zhang Ziyi's debut as a producer, Sophie's Revenge is also a movie...
- 6/27/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Shanghai -- Asian media powerhouses Bona Entertainment and CJ Entertainment have signed an agreement to co-produce movies for the pan-Asian audience.
On the sidelines at the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival, CJ CEO Katherine Kim and Bona CEO Yu Dong said their work together on the 2009 Chinese boxoffice hit "Sophie's Revenge" led them to expand their cooperation.
"We're looking for films in all genres, as long as they will work as co-productions and work first in our home market," Kim said.
The companies have agreed initially to make at least two films a year with pan-Asian themes.
Beijing-based Bona, historically a distribution leader in China and a newcomer to film production with just two years under its belt, will handle distribution for all Chinese-speaking territories.
Cj, Korea's largest entertainment company, will handle distribution in Korea and Japan. The partners will decide how to carve up distribution to the rest of...
On the sidelines at the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival, CJ CEO Katherine Kim and Bona CEO Yu Dong said their work together on the 2009 Chinese boxoffice hit "Sophie's Revenge" led them to expand their cooperation.
"We're looking for films in all genres, as long as they will work as co-productions and work first in our home market," Kim said.
The companies have agreed initially to make at least two films a year with pan-Asian themes.
Beijing-based Bona, historically a distribution leader in China and a newcomer to film production with just two years under its belt, will handle distribution for all Chinese-speaking territories.
Cj, Korea's largest entertainment company, will handle distribution in Korea and Japan. The partners will decide how to carve up distribution to the rest of...
- 6/14/2010
- by By Jonathan Landreth
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Subway Cinemas has updated their New York Asian Film Festival 2010 blog with details on their Friday and Saturday midnight screenings at the IFC. Head on over to their blog to see the full descriptions of the films and check out some of the trailers, and keep an eye out for further announcements about the complete times and dates.
IFC @Midnight Lineup
Death Kappa (Japan, 2010, World Premiere)
L.A. Streetfighters (U.S.A., 1985)
Pink Power Strikes Back: Japanese Wife Next Door, 2, Groper Train: School Uniform Hunter
Power Kids (2009)
Hong Kong Films
Bodyguards and Assassins (2009, New York Premiere)
Development Hell (2010, North American Premiere)
Eastern Condors (1987)
Echoes of the Rainbow (2010, North American Premiere)
Gallants (2010, North American Premiere)
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man 2 (2010, North American Premiere)
Kung Fu Chefs (2009, North American Premiere)
Little Big Soldier (2010, New York Premiere)
Red Cliff Uncut (2008/2009)
The Storm Warriors (2009, Us Premiere)
Mainland Chinese Films
Cow (2009, North American Premiere)
Crazy Racer...
IFC @Midnight Lineup
Death Kappa (Japan, 2010, World Premiere)
L.A. Streetfighters (U.S.A., 1985)
Pink Power Strikes Back: Japanese Wife Next Door, 2, Groper Train: School Uniform Hunter
Power Kids (2009)
Hong Kong Films
Bodyguards and Assassins (2009, New York Premiere)
Development Hell (2010, North American Premiere)
Eastern Condors (1987)
Echoes of the Rainbow (2010, North American Premiere)
Gallants (2010, North American Premiere)
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man 2 (2010, North American Premiere)
Kung Fu Chefs (2009, North American Premiere)
Little Big Soldier (2010, New York Premiere)
Red Cliff Uncut (2008/2009)
The Storm Warriors (2009, Us Premiere)
Mainland Chinese Films
Cow (2009, North American Premiere)
Crazy Racer...
- 5/25/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Subway Cinemas has updated their New York Asian Film Festival 2010 blog with details on the full roster from Hong Kong and mainland China. Head on over to their blog to see the full descriptions of the films and check out some of the trailers, and keep an eye out for further announcements about the complete times and dates as well as special screenings and events.
Hong Kong Films
Bodyguards and Assassins (2009, New York Premiere)
Development Hell (2010, North American Premiere)
Eastern Condors (1987)
Echoes of the Rainbow (2010, North American Premiere)
Gallants (2010, North American Premiere)
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man 2 (2010, North American Premiere)
Kung Fu Chefs (2009, North American Premiere)
Little Big Soldier (2010, New York Premiere)
Red Cliff Uncut (2008/2009)
The Storm Warriors (2009, Us Premiere)
Mainland Chinese Films
Cow (2009, North American Premiere)
Crazy Racer (2009, North American Premiere)
Sophie's Revenge (2009, New York Premiere)
Tian An Men (2009, International Premiere)
Japanese Films
8000 Miles (2009, North American Premiere)
8000 Miles 2: Girl...
Hong Kong Films
Bodyguards and Assassins (2009, New York Premiere)
Development Hell (2010, North American Premiere)
Eastern Condors (1987)
Echoes of the Rainbow (2010, North American Premiere)
Gallants (2010, North American Premiere)
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man 2 (2010, North American Premiere)
Kung Fu Chefs (2009, North American Premiere)
Little Big Soldier (2010, New York Premiere)
Red Cliff Uncut (2008/2009)
The Storm Warriors (2009, Us Premiere)
Mainland Chinese Films
Cow (2009, North American Premiere)
Crazy Racer (2009, North American Premiere)
Sophie's Revenge (2009, New York Premiere)
Tian An Men (2009, International Premiere)
Japanese Films
8000 Miles (2009, North American Premiere)
8000 Miles 2: Girl...
- 5/24/2010
- Screen Anarchy
And the winner for film I most want to see is Gô Shibata's Doman Senman which I hear is incredibly weird. This is the same guy who did the serial killer with cerebral palsy flick Late Bloomer (Osoi Hito).
Other notable films include Merantau, the world premier of Alien vs Ninja, Mutant Girls Squad and Hitoshi Matsumoto's Symbol which I'm also dying to see.
The festival runs from June 25th to July 8th, and you can hit the Nyaff website right here.
Full lineup after the break.
Official Opening Night Film
IP Man 2 (Hong Kong, 2010, North American Premiere) - Sammo Hung and Donnie
Yen throw down in this lavish martial arts flick that blew the Hong Kong box
office wide open and beat Iron Man 2 like a redheaded stepchild.
***The movie's star and action choreographer, Sammo Hung, will be present.
Centerpiece Presentation
Confessions (Japan, 2010, International Premiere) -...
Other notable films include Merantau, the world premier of Alien vs Ninja, Mutant Girls Squad and Hitoshi Matsumoto's Symbol which I'm also dying to see.
The festival runs from June 25th to July 8th, and you can hit the Nyaff website right here.
Full lineup after the break.
Official Opening Night Film
IP Man 2 (Hong Kong, 2010, North American Premiere) - Sammo Hung and Donnie
Yen throw down in this lavish martial arts flick that blew the Hong Kong box
office wide open and beat Iron Man 2 like a redheaded stepchild.
***The movie's star and action choreographer, Sammo Hung, will be present.
Centerpiece Presentation
Confessions (Japan, 2010, International Premiere) -...
- 5/21/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Go Lala Go sees mainland actress Xu Jinglei return behind the camera as well as in front of it for the first time since her increasingly prominent supporting roles in a trio of powerhouse Asian blockbusters (Confession of Pain (2006), The Warlords (2007) and Jackie Chan's The Shinjuku Incident (2009)).
Though she's enjoyed domestic success for some years now her previous projects as director and star have always been on a surprisingly intimate scale, whether the confessional melodrama of My Father And I (2003), the period tragedy of Letter From An Unknown Woman (2004) or the chamber duologue of What Dreams May Come (2006).
Go Lala Go is different. It's a glossy rom-com, basically. Though it flirts with a number of subtexts and is directed with a graceful, picture-perfect style that belies how flimsy the material is, it's still a story of girl meets boy, where the two protagonists wonder if they can ever make...
Though she's enjoyed domestic success for some years now her previous projects as director and star have always been on a surprisingly intimate scale, whether the confessional melodrama of My Father And I (2003), the period tragedy of Letter From An Unknown Woman (2004) or the chamber duologue of What Dreams May Come (2006).
Go Lala Go is different. It's a glossy rom-com, basically. Though it flirts with a number of subtexts and is directed with a graceful, picture-perfect style that belies how flimsy the material is, it's still a story of girl meets boy, where the two protagonists wonder if they can ever make...
- 5/18/2010
- Screen Anarchy
One of Europe's standout festivals for Asian cinema lovers has to be the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. This year's edition is no exception pulling excellent films from all corners of East Asia.
72 titles;24 International Festival Premieres;
7 European Premieres;
9 countries from the Far East (China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam);
2 Opening Movies: Sophie's Revenge with Zhang Ziyi and the World Premiere Dream Home by Pang Ho-cheung;
2 retrospectives: [Nudes! Guns! Ghosts! The Sensational Films Of Shintoho] + [The Reformer: Patrick Lung Kong And His Cinema]
1 Workshop "Eave Ties That Bind", first edition of the International Workshop dedicated to the co-production between Asia and Europe;
...and more:Johnnie To returns to Italy thanks to Far East Film and Fandango: the great director of the Hong Kong cinema will greet the public in Udine on 22nd April (pre-opening Feff 12) and in Rome on 23rd April during the premieres of his movie Vengeance.
And our own Kurt Halfyard will be in attendance this...
72 titles;24 International Festival Premieres;
7 European Premieres;
9 countries from the Far East (China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam);
2 Opening Movies: Sophie's Revenge with Zhang Ziyi and the World Premiere Dream Home by Pang Ho-cheung;
2 retrospectives: [Nudes! Guns! Ghosts! The Sensational Films Of Shintoho] + [The Reformer: Patrick Lung Kong And His Cinema]
1 Workshop "Eave Ties That Bind", first edition of the International Workshop dedicated to the co-production between Asia and Europe;
...and more:Johnnie To returns to Italy thanks to Far East Film and Fandango: the great director of the Hong Kong cinema will greet the public in Udine on 22nd April (pre-opening Feff 12) and in Rome on 23rd April during the premieres of his movie Vengeance.
And our own Kurt Halfyard will be in attendance this...
- 4/14/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The dark side of mainland China's domestic film industry flexing its muscles on the world stage ('We can too compete') is when it takes Hollywood self-indulgence and refines it into something many times worse. Witness Eva Jin's Sophie's Revenge, where superstar Zhang Ziyi (The Banquet, 2046) tries her hand at daffy romantic comedy - the resulting disaster is an odious misfire on just about every level and a definite front runner for worst film of 2009.
Zhang (who also produced) clearly sees the film as some kind of glossy hybrid of Jeunet & Caro whimsy paired off with the mass-market appeal Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock used to have. The very first scene is a flight of fantasy, her eponymous artist imagining a television interview as wartime film noir interrogation.
Her doting public want to know what the inspiration behind her new comic 'The Love Handbook' was. Cue the film as lengthy flashback,...
Zhang (who also produced) clearly sees the film as some kind of glossy hybrid of Jeunet & Caro whimsy paired off with the mass-market appeal Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock used to have. The very first scene is a flight of fantasy, her eponymous artist imagining a television interview as wartime film noir interrogation.
Her doting public want to know what the inspiration behind her new comic 'The Love Handbook' was. Cue the film as lengthy flashback,...
- 12/19/2009
- Screen Anarchy
Hong Kong -- On his just-completed swing through some of the Confucian parts of Asia -- China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea -- President Obama faced issues with which the film industry in this part of the world already is familiar.
These include issues of market access, a China that is pushing ahead as a regional superpower but already wants to play on a global stage and a string of Asian economies that largely have pulled out of recession and are out of step with a lumbering U.S.
Precisely how Asia's film industries deal with the rise of China and the new local balance of power isn't clear. It won't be without its bumps, but the biggest surprise might be how easily the rest of Asia falls in line.
"We could be entering an era of interdependence within Asian cinema," says Lee Joo-ick, a Korean producer who recently completed "The Warrior's Way,...
These include issues of market access, a China that is pushing ahead as a regional superpower but already wants to play on a global stage and a string of Asian economies that largely have pulled out of recession and are out of step with a lumbering U.S.
Precisely how Asia's film industries deal with the rise of China and the new local balance of power isn't clear. It won't be without its bumps, but the biggest surprise might be how easily the rest of Asia falls in line.
"We could be entering an era of interdependence within Asian cinema," says Lee Joo-ick, a Korean producer who recently completed "The Warrior's Way,...
- 11/23/2009
- by By Patrick Frater
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beijing -- Zhang Ziyi is joining Wendi Murdoch and Florence Sloan in producing "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," an English-language drama starring Zhang. Wayne Wang has come aboard as director.
Set in 19th century remote China, the film revolves around the lifelong friendship of Lily and Snow Flower and their imprisonment by rigid cultural codes of conduct for women.
Producers were scheduled for talks during the coming days with potential backers and distributors at Afm.
Although it would be Zhang's second feature as producer, "Flower" would be the first in partnership with Murdoch, the China-born wife of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. Sloan, who is Malaysian-Chinese, is married to MGM chairman Harry Sloan.
The nascent partnership appears to have Zhang -- perhaps China's most exportable female star -- following the practice of big Hollywood talent: establishing her own production company to pull in projects...
Set in 19th century remote China, the film revolves around the lifelong friendship of Lily and Snow Flower and their imprisonment by rigid cultural codes of conduct for women.
Producers were scheduled for talks during the coming days with potential backers and distributors at Afm.
Although it would be Zhang's second feature as producer, "Flower" would be the first in partnership with Murdoch, the China-born wife of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. Sloan, who is Malaysian-Chinese, is married to MGM chairman Harry Sloan.
The nascent partnership appears to have Zhang -- perhaps China's most exportable female star -- following the practice of big Hollywood talent: establishing her own production company to pull in projects...
- 11/4/2009
- by By Jonathan Landreth
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hong Kong -- Asia's film executives can be forgiven for arriving in Santa Monica a little exhausted, and it's not just the 16-hour jetlag.
Many recently have trekked from Pusan to the Tokyo festival and market, and some even added a few days at last week's China Film Group-organized Beijing Screenings. Despite that, most arriving at the American Film Market are expecting to do business.
Pusan and Tokyo's Tiffcom effectively were warm-up events before the main show, and both were better attended than last fall, when the severity of the global financial meltdown was making itself felt.
Since then, Asian economies have largely recovered, boxoffice has proved resilient and local and regional films have shown themselves capable of being financed and prebought within the region. Further intra-Asian business is definitely on the Afm agenda this week.
Still, Pusan and Tokyo essentially were regional events, whereas this week's...
Many recently have trekked from Pusan to the Tokyo festival and market, and some even added a few days at last week's China Film Group-organized Beijing Screenings. Despite that, most arriving at the American Film Market are expecting to do business.
Pusan and Tokyo's Tiffcom effectively were warm-up events before the main show, and both were better attended than last fall, when the severity of the global financial meltdown was making itself felt.
Since then, Asian economies have largely recovered, boxoffice has proved resilient and local and regional films have shown themselves capable of being financed and prebought within the region. Further intra-Asian business is definitely on the Afm agenda this week.
Still, Pusan and Tokyo essentially were regional events, whereas this week's...
- 11/3/2009
- by By Patrick Frater
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opening in 800 theaters on Friday, Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo promises to be another enchanting experience. The English-language version features a voice cast that appears to have been chosen from a name recognition menu (one Cyrus girl, one Jonas boy, etc.) but John Lasseter has been as faithful as possible to the original-language versions in the past, and if this is the price to pay to see Miyazaki on the big screen, so be it.
Out on DVD tomorrow, Seijun Suzuki's A Tale of Sorrow (Hishu monogatari), his only film from the 70s, is "a sexy psycho-drama," says Jasper Sharp of Midnight Eye, "based around the popularity of that most bourgeois of sports, golf! ... This long-overlooked work simply cries out for revival." The Samurai I Loved (Semishigure), based on a novel by Shuhei Fujisawa and directed by Mitsuo Kurotsuchi, features "scenes that are absolutely heart-wrenching," Zack Davisson writes at his Japan Review Blog.
Out on DVD tomorrow, Seijun Suzuki's A Tale of Sorrow (Hishu monogatari), his only film from the 70s, is "a sexy psycho-drama," says Jasper Sharp of Midnight Eye, "based around the popularity of that most bourgeois of sports, golf! ... This long-overlooked work simply cries out for revival." The Samurai I Loved (Semishigure), based on a novel by Shuhei Fujisawa and directed by Mitsuo Kurotsuchi, features "scenes that are absolutely heart-wrenching," Zack Davisson writes at his Japan Review Blog.
- 8/10/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Missed previous episodes? See: 1995 , 1996, 1997, 1998 , 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Vanity Fair briefly killed my enthusiasm for the "Hollywood project" when they nixed the traditional cover for 2009. But time heals most wounds and I have reanimated the project's corpse. 2004's cover had 13 already peaking actresses on it. How'd they follow it in 2005? With another batch of goddesses, 60% of whom had already graced their "Hollywood" cover. In the case of the C/Kates, it was now thrice. Was Vanity Fair running out of ideas? Given the idiosyncratic pool the covers regularly pulled from you'd think there were only 40 actresses in Hollywood... but then, it's probably all in who you know who represents you when it comes to face time here. It's definitely not only about the fame. Consider this: this cover series lasted from 1995 - 2008 and Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Michelle Williams and Tilda Swinton never appeared on them (just four chronologically appropriate examples off the...
Vanity Fair briefly killed my enthusiasm for the "Hollywood project" when they nixed the traditional cover for 2009. But time heals most wounds and I have reanimated the project's corpse. 2004's cover had 13 already peaking actresses on it. How'd they follow it in 2005? With another batch of goddesses, 60% of whom had already graced their "Hollywood" cover. In the case of the C/Kates, it was now thrice. Was Vanity Fair running out of ideas? Given the idiosyncratic pool the covers regularly pulled from you'd think there were only 40 actresses in Hollywood... but then, it's probably all in who you know who represents you when it comes to face time here. It's definitely not only about the fame. Consider this: this cover series lasted from 1995 - 2008 and Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Michelle Williams and Tilda Swinton never appeared on them (just four chronologically appropriate examples off the...
- 5/26/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
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