Asian Cinema and TV's topics - tribe.net

Sukiyaki Western Django

2009-06-04T18:32:38Z

i am filled with expectant joy...

http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2008/09/sukiyaki-wester.html
http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/movies/29djan.html?8dpc/

"Mr. Miike has taken the further step of allowing his performers, in effect, to dub themselves into English. Their sometimes awkward readings of lines like “Don’t you reckon we’d better high-tail it?” emphasize the demented artificiality of the movie..."

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 11 replies

"Mongol"

2008-08-07T22:44:46Z

So the other big epic Asian film I saw at the festival was "Mongol," which details the life of Genghis Khan before he conquered most of Asia. It's all based on factual info known about his life -- much of which comes from a very detailed secret biography written about Khan by the Mongols themselves. This document was only translated in the 20th century, and is discussed at length in the brilliant and entertaining book "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World," which you should all read immediately! But the movie follows the Mongol bio exactly, and was shot in Mongolia and Tajikistan, among other places.

It's a sweeping epic and a compelling story, and Khan is played by none other than Tadanobu Asano. Go see it!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 7 replies

New Tribe

2008-07-30T05:51:23Z

http://tribes.tribe.net/flixfreaks

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Tears of the Black Tiger.

2008-06-28T15:39:19Z

Is there anybody out there who has seen this visual treat ? A Thai "Western" with the 50s retro look and styling. This one is definately in my Top 5 asian list.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

13: game of death

2008-06-05T21:27:30Z

Has anyone else seen this movie? Before I watched it, I had no idea what to expect and I was highly surprised how well it was done. It kind of reminded me of the movie "The Game" and a tiny bit of the "Saw" movies.
The movie is pretty intense.
Here is a copy of the synopsis:

"13 is a new and very secret competition offering a grand prize of 100 million Baht. The contestants are chosen from those most afflicted with problems involving work, money, family and love. If they can complete 13 tasks, they'll receive riches beyond their wildest dreams. But there's a catch...the challenges will test them in every aspect of their lives from love to religion and even moral values. They may seem undemanding when they start but as they progress they become increasingly more intense until finally, they reach a stage where they are no longer sure if they are human anymore. As with every game there are rules and these rules must be obeyed at all times. If they fail even one of the tasks, they will be dismissed from the game. The rules prohibit them from giving up from telling anyone else that they are playing and from investigating the origin of the game. A man named Phuchit is delighted to be offered the chance to compete, little realizing that it will cost him his friends, his family, his sanity and perhaps his life...What wouldn't you do for money?"

I highly recommend it!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Auditions- Aberrant Behavior- Saturday June 7th @ Mamma Buzz in Oakland arts district ( Lead needed is Japanese)

2008-05-27T01:45:59Z

I am having auditions for my new movie "Aberrant Behavior" Saturday June Seventh at Mamma Buzz Cafe in downtown Oaklands Art District 2318 Telegraph Ave from 4-6PM. If your interested in the movie you can e-mail me at: aberrantbehaviormovie@gmail.com. I have already casted some of the roles and have people working on it, I just have not cast all of them yet and of course the female lead.

There will be some paid roles (of course the leads) but this is a low budget (around 25-35,000 or so) affair so it won't be a whole lot. Just to warn you.

Aberrant Behavior, is basically a love story about two self destructive anarchistic-y street kids who have an exaggerated form of pica, a disorder where people feel compelled to eat non-food materials, carpet, dirt, soap, drano, various chemicals, etc. as portrayed as a drug addiction. They have a very co-dependent relationship and with there disorders too , they literally destroy each other.

There's more to it, but that's the basic synopsis. If you can't make it to the auditions, you can send me a head shot with resume, or whatever you want. We can then decide when and where to meet.

THERE WILL BE SOME SEXUALITY AND NUDITY FOR THE TWO LEADS, AS WELL AS MISTY AND FOGGY TO A LESSER DEGREE. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ME FOR THOSE ROLES, IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. THANK YOU.

I will be hiring for many roles, all ages (over 18) races, sizes, etc. But here are the main characters:
Main Characters:

LEADS:
Victor Muertos: (Mid to late twenties) Half Mexican/Half white (Half latino/half white will probably work). Black hair, down to chin and five o clock shadow. (Flexible though). Tall and thin but not too thin. Dark, brooding, depressed, prone to long winded sarcastic, cynical rants. Living off the state for mental depression, and addiction, but eventually breaks himself from the state. He hates the state, and normal life in general. He hates almost everything. He is sort of sloppy hipster, slightly emo, slight slight slight goth meets street kid. Light or no body mod, piercings, etc. He eventually lives on the street because of choice.He falls in love with Aiko. SOME NUDITY AND SEXUALS SITUATIONS REQUIRED-CAST

Aiko Zumbi (18-early twenties or look like it) Half Japanese/Half German (or Japanese, or half Japanese/Half white). Shorter than Victor, thin but still slightly curvy.
Street kid with a bit of dark hippie. Has been sexually abused as a child. Prone to violence. Prone to long winded rants, or sometimes just total silence. Dark, cynical, with a very bleak view of life. Body mods, tattoo's, piercings, fine. Dreaded or colored hair fine as well. Actually preffered. She falls in love with Victor. SOME NUDITY AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS REQUIRED.

SUPPORTING LEADS:
Pedida Muertos- (20's -40's)-Mexican- Victor's nearly catatonic - mute drug addict mother, who is usually messing around with strange men, and drugged up. Mostly abuses Victor through neglect. Mostly shown in flashbacks, but one scene in present as well. Young actress aged to look older in present, or vice versa.

Misty & Foggy (20's) two girls that Victor and Chad meet at the bar, who are wasted, and act and look like twins. Very ditzy, drunk, corporate, normal. They take Victor and Chad back to there place. Drunken debauchery ensues.

Spic 'N' Span (20's -40's)- One of the horrible mascots for the advertising firm Victor works for, "Spic n Span's Whiten it up" Cleaning product. They play racist cliched versions of mexican house workers. Think Samo. It's meant to be horrible, and it of course offends Victor.

Aiko's Father-
A militant cold hearted man who sexually abuses aiko. Must be bilingual Japanese & English

Aiko's Mother-
Always screaming at Aikos father. Bi-lingual fluent in German & English

VARIOUS:
Hipster's (18-30) Some with speaking roles. A house party Victor crashes.

Office workers (20's -on) Some with speaking roles.

Various small roles for the horrible commercials and promo's from the firm Victor briefly works for

Other roles as well-Not listed

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Teppan Girl Akane! The Iron Chef high school girl style show :)

2008-05-04T16:43:41Z

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Teppan_Shoujo_Akane!!

So cool, I love it. Seems to be playing saturday on Channel 8 over here in the East bay around 8:30

Akane Kagura runs her family's teppanyaki restaurant alone after her mother dies and her father, the chef, disappears. When the resturant's borrowed debts need to be repaid Akane sets out to find her father and bring him back. ...

Seems like she travels through Japan doing various food battles to defend local small time farms/ restaurants etc. against the evil French cooking style antagonists that follow her around, and at some point she'll meet her father at the end of the show for some huge food battle. Great humor, cute girl, food drama with some cooking super power special FX, ... I love it!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

The Forbidden Kingdom, coming soon

2008-04-27T21:51:42Z

Jet Li, Jacky Chan, and some great looking work...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/forbiddenkingdom/hd/

I think I'll enjoy this one :)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 17 replies

"The Warlords"

2008-04-27T16:34:39Z

Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro -- need I say more?

I just saw this at the SF Intl. Film Fest tonight, at the fabulous Castro Theater.

Beg, borrow, or steal to get this movie. Preferably see it in a theater for its massive scope, as it's a sumptuous feast of historical action and drama. The context is mid-19th century Chinese civil war, and the generals who fight it.

This is one of the best Jet Li performances, acting-wise, ever (he gets in his share of ass-kicking, so no worries). Andy Lau and Kaneshiro are also great (and I was happy to see a Japanese person play a Chinese person just to balance the scales after the casting fiasco of "Memoirs of a Geisha"). But this is Li's film all the way, and he earns every scene. For those of you who think he's an acting lightweight (I've said it myself in the past) this film proves us wrong.

Epic, bloody battle scenes. Political intrigue by scheming Mandarins. Forbidden romance. Oaths of loyalty. Betrayal. Brave men weep.

LOVED IT!!!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Lust, Caution

2008-04-18T20:44:10Z

I'm interested to hear any opinions of Lust, Caution. I respect Ang Lee and thought this movie was an excellent piece of film making. However, most of the reviews I've read seem to focus not on the movie but merely on the sex contained within the movie.
I'm interested to hear if people without a Chinese background fully understood this movie. And if you did was it because you had previous knowledge of this period of history? Do you think the film crosses cultural backgrounds?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 16 replies

great happiness space

2008-04-13T02:09:46Z

http://www.thegreathappinessspace.com/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 3 replies

2046 ?'s

2008-03-22T23:38:02Z

Ok so you all know i was not a big fan of Chung King Express. But I do i do love Faye Wong to no end. So my question is will I likely not enjoy 2046 since I didn't like Chung King Express?

Also should i watch In The Mood For Love first if I'm going to attempt to understand 2046?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 11 replies

"Death Note"

2008-03-22T01:20:24Z

Just saw part 1 at the Asian American Film Fest, and downloaded part 2. Like "Kill Bill," you need to see both parts. (Wait, I take that back -- NOBODY "needs" to see "Kill Bill.")

Anyway, it's a live action two-part movie adapted from manga, and it revels in its comic book roots. But don't think that this is a horror film; it's more like a black comedy crossed with a detective thriller.

It's a very fun, over-the-top, weird and entertaining set of films that just get stranger and funnier as the story progresses. I really enjoyed them, especially the lethal battle of wits that ensues between the various characters. I don't want to say too much -- best to see this film without knowing anything about it. And it's uniquely Japanese in execution and narrative, since although much is explained, much is also left ambiguous.

Well worth seeing -- check it out!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

CG7 Chow baby!

2008-02-05T12:02:02Z

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0940709/

so as not to hijack the other thread...Looks like it came out in Japan and China Today. As soon as anyone sees any sort of decent dvd anywhere please alert us :)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom

2008-01-17T05:32:17Z

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374546/

AKA Spring, Summer, Winter, Autumn …and Spring.

Basic story...A young boy lives in a small floating temple on a beautiful lake, together with an elderly master who teaches him the ways of the Buddha. Years later the boy, now a young man, experiences his sexual awakening with a girl who has come to the temple to be healed by the master. The youth runs away to the outside world but his lust turns his life into hell, so he returns to the lake temple to find spiritual enlightenment.

I found it an interesting movie and overall a good watch. Mostly I just loved the idea of this little monastery floating along on some peaceful lake in the woods, I could live like that for maybe a month every year :) It didn't have nearly as many Buddhist or Taoist ideas thrown into it as say an episode of Kung Fu, so I guess my search continues for something more like that.

I'm still not sure what I thought of the film entirely, like what was the deal with the woman with the woman who conceals her identity? I have ideas about that but none that really make too much sense, anyone else see the film? Btw if you post an answer to that part please say Spoiler Warning :)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

this looks tasteless..Machine Girl

2007-12-20T14:57:12Z

I must see it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSpCWJnnWVI

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Can't remember the name of a movie

2007-11-29T21:57:45Z

In the movie, people would die and would be stuck between reality and heaven. There was a council of people that worked as social workers to help them choose a single definining moment of their life that they could relive. The social workers would try to recreate it for them before they passed onto heaven, and also tried to get them to decide....anybody know the name of it?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

The Host

2007-11-01T07:55:21Z

Just saw the advance screening of this Korean film.

It's a fun, funny 50's-style monster flick in the tradition of "Tremors." And it's got CG effects done by the Orphanage, a great SF-based effects house, and WETA, who did all of the Lord of the Rings stuff.

It's very entertaining, and the monster looks super cool. Check it out.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

U got "Too Tired to Die" "Lavender" "Returner" movies with Takashi Kaneshiro?

2007-03-20T06:23:26Z

do u have "Too Tired to Die" or "Lavender" or "Returner" movies with Takashi Kaneshiro?
I would like to watch them.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Shinobi

2007-03-13T06:00:16Z

Anybody seen this yet? Looks super-sexy, filled with gorgeous people, wild action, and a "Romeo & Juliet" plot:

http://www.shinobithemovie.com/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Fearless

2007-03-07T21:04:12Z

I saw the U.S. preview for fearless on television. I hope its pretty good. Jet li has been doing marshall arts movies forever.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 16 replies

kanashimi no belladonna

2007-02-18T18:28:13Z

I'm looking for recommenations for psychedelic era Japanese animation similar to this film. Check it out if you haven't!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Chin-jeol-han Geum-ja-ssi / Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

2006-11-20T00:16:48Z

"The final installment of director Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy (preceded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy) chronicles the efforts of Lee Geum-ja (Lee Yeong-ae) -- known to her cellmates as "the kind Ms. Geum-ja" -- to track down the man who betrayed her. Taking the rap for her accomplice and incarcerated for 13 long years, she plots an elaborate retribution with help from her fellow inmates. "

Watched this last night. It's a good film, not as hardcore as Oldboy. There are a few scenes that are slow.. but over all, a film worth checking out.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

asian cinema and shakespeare

2006-11-15T15:09:49Z

i am looking for asian films based on shakespeares plays, if you know of any good ones or where i may buy/rent them please let me know

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 14 replies

Araru Daijiten

2006-10-20T15:10:05Z

i will be appearing on the tv show on Sunday this weekend! They are doing a special on amazake and looked for
chefs in the US who make homeade amazake and unique things with it.
Me and my lemon amazake tart with a walnut-date-vanilla bean crust will be appearing :)
it airs on Fuji TV at 9 pm this sunday evening

phil

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

anyone know when prince of himalaya comes out?

2006-10-19T21:25:54Z

im looking for prince of himalaya on dvd with english sub. to rent/buy any info helps

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

"Red Doors" Chinese American Comedy opening in SF plus PARTY

2006-09-19T23:50:41Z

"Red Doors"
Opens Friday, September 22, 2006
Filmmakers/cast in person at all opening weekend shows

Landmark’s Clay Theatre– 2261 Fillmore St. San Francisco, (415) 267-4893
Tickets are $9.75 for general admission and $7.75 seniors and children

Q&As with members of cast & filmmakers
Fri 9/22 - Sun 9/24 all shows
Starting all day Fri thru Sat afternoon will be Director/Writer/Producer Georgia Lee, leading actor Tzi Ma, and Co-Producer John Fiorelli. Tzi Ma and John Fiorelli continue through Sat night and all day Sun.

Opening night party
Fri 9/22 9:00pm
Thai Stick, 2001 Fillmore Street (at Pine)
RED DOORS ticket stub required for admittance
Sponsored by Frameline, Center for Asian American Media, APIQWTC & Blanc de Chine Entertainment
RSVP to rsvp@reddoorsthemovie.com by September 20

Showtimes (valid 9/22-28):
Fri-Sun 12:25 2:30 4:35 7:00 9:10; Mon 2:30 4:35 7:00 9:10; Tue 2:30 4:35 9:10 (no 7pm show); Wed-Thu 2:30 4:35 7:00 9:10

More details online at: www.landmarktheatres.com

Official film site: www.reddoorsthemovie.com

Red doors are supposed to bring good luck. The Wongs, a bizarrely dysfunctional Chinese-American family living in the New York suburbs, need all the help they can get. Ed Wong (Tzi Ma, The Ladykillers, Rush Hour) has just retired and plots to escape his mundane life. But the tumultuous, madcap lives of his devoted wife (Freda Foh Shen, A Mighty Wind), and his three rebellious daughters change his plans. Samantha (Jacqueline Kim, Charlotte Sometimes) decides to reexamine her life as she approaches 30; Julie (Elaine Kao) meets the woman of her dreams at a weekly ballroom dance class; and Katie (Kathy Shao-Lin Lee) engages in an elaborate prank war with her longtime neighbor and nemesis.

RED DOORS was produced by Blanc de Chine Entertainment, which writer/director Georgia Lee formed with her Harvard friends and fellow producers, Jane Chen and Mia Riverton. RED DOORS is an Emerging Pictures release.

"...reminiscent of early Ang Lee..."—TIME OUT NEW YORK

"...insightful and touching..."—NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“Heartwarming comedy…unique and yet universal story.”—NEW YORK TIMES

“Well-told and charming, debuting writer-helmer Georgia Lee’s comedy-drama ‘RED DOORS’ is big on heart but never sappy.”—Sheri Linden, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

FESTIVALS & AWARDS
Tribeca Film Festival—Best Narrative Feature
CineVegas Film Festival—Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting
Outfest—Audience Award and Jury Award for Screenwriting
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival—Official Selection
San Francisco International LBGT Film Festival aka Frameline—Official Selection

We encourage you to share this email with friends, colleagues, and moviegoers.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

curse of the golden flower

2006-08-30T20:41:00Z

zhang yimou, gong li, and chow yun fat - sporting a goat.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/curseofthegoldenflower/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

China Embraces Bruce Lee

2006-08-29T19:01:12Z

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/29/DDGHIKQPUF1.DTL&feed=rss.entertainment

Seems that a village in south China's going to make a theme park for Bruce, CCTV is going to do a 40 part TV show about him, his brother and a former student are about to make movies about him and David Henry Hwang is about to make Bruce Lee: The Musical on Broadway.

Wow.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Petchara Chaowarat

2006-08-24T18:56:04Z

I was doing general hunting/research for the ol blog and came across this interesting anomily: you tend to think of google as an intense resevior of info, but it's actually quite skewed. For example, plug the name of this Thai actress who starred in nearly 300 films in the 60's/70's into the image search and you get less than a dozen results, several of them redundant. That seems very strange to me. True, it can only search what has been put up on the net...but it's still weird.
So anyway, I'm curious for more info on her beyond wikipedia, first hand accounts and fandom I guess is what I'm asking for. What ya got, tribe?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

The Protector

2006-08-23T03:45:47Z

Has the guy from ONG bak. I think its coming out earlier september. I think this one is going to be way better than ong bak

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

New Integrative Medicine tribe.

2006-08-11T20:54:30Z

Hey guys and Gals, I started another tribe...

To Join:
tribes.tribe.net/integrativemedicine

some Integrative Medicine basics:

What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.

Note from Chris:
Often I find myself reaching out to tribe members for advice on so many medical issues that go beyond the herbal scope. I am also frankly a bit turned off by people who support anything that might be dangerous or for which there is no high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. This tribe might not be for all of you and I'm going to keep it moderated for now so we don't get just any old crazy folk dropping in to spam or promote snake oil.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Leatherclad Delinquent Girl Detective (Sukeban Deka)

2006-08-09T17:36:03Z

Toei wil release a new Sukeban Deka film later this year with Aya Matsuura playing the lead. There has been much speculation about what she'll be wearing and now the first pictures of her "combat suit" have been made public. The big news is that she won't be fighting in a sailor suit although the leather get-up has some nods to the character's usual oufit which has been appearing on the posters and the official film site. She still has the yo-yo/police badge from the earlier films which was a big influence on Quentin Tarantino's choice of weaponry for Go-Go Yubari in Kill Bill. Well, the whole character was a big influence. The English language title for the film will be Yo-Yo Girl Cop.

via FG
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15785

movie site
http://www.sukeban.jp/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Tom Yum Goong (The Protector)

2006-07-27T07:07:10Z

This is Tony Jaa's second big movie Produced Written and Directed by the same guy that worked with Jaa on Ong Bak, Prachya Pinkaew. So why it was so terrible I cannot explain. It starts off with a good premise and them it just turns into a bad story wrapped around cool action scenes (which include one amazing one take shot going up multiple floors of a building while taking out bad guys etc.).

I want to heavily stress that Tony Jaa did his best and is not to be blamed for this embarrassing pic he rocked as expected, he probably gave the best performance or maybe the only decent performance of the entire movie (perhaps Petchtai Wongkamlao his co-star from Ong Bak did a fair job as well).

Maybe I just expected too much from this one being that Ong Bak was so amazing, my error there. BTW you should be able to find the english subbed version if you look around, I think I had the Korean release.

for more info...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427954/

Plot Outline: A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards. (more) (view trailer)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

The Return of Gong Li

2006-07-19T15:07:31Z

"She didn’t so much announce her return as shout about it earlier this year with a scene-stealing, gloriously over-the-top performance as a vindictive older geisha in Memoirs of a Geisha. Now, with a slew of high-profile projects coming up, she is set to conquer Hollywood. "

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14931-2266543,00.html

and trying to put the best face she can on appearing in miami vice...

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

baka gaijin ugh

2006-07-17T23:46:45Z

So I was going through IMDB, and the forum for Tampopo is nothing but "omfg the animal cruelty!!" Apparently people were disgusted AND offended (how, I do not know) by the turtle killing scene, and that caused others to rant about what's "morally correct" in things to show in film. It annoyed me to no end, am I alone in this? It annoyed me to the extent of writing a lj rant about it, and now I'm ranting about it here. For fuck's sake, people need to grow the hell up.

Every other meat preparation in the movie was ok, because those meats obviously were never alive to begin with.

A couple of them actually had problems with the shrimp playing around with the girl's stomach, also, and even the whole passing the egg yolk scene, meaning they could not appreciate the most erotic scene of the movie.

"oh! that scene made my neck hurt and made me cringe and hide under a pillow. then i was sullen toward my boyfriend for about ten minutes for making me watch it. He's lived in japane for a year and speaks japanese (he's just a white guy), and the more he tells me about japanese culture, the more disturbed i get! But I do like this movie and Spirited AWay. The rest of japan and japan-related stuff alternately frightens and disturbs me! But who am I to talk -- I study russian!"

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Lady Snowblood

2006-07-17T16:20:59Z

Rent and watch it, as well as 'Sex and Fury' and others you future posters are hopefully about to turn me on to. Tarantino is such a chump!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 3 replies

Real Drunken Monkey Style

2006-07-12T17:47:40Z

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20060711/115263504000.html

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Tampopo remake?

2006-07-08T06:53:37Z

The nightmare has arrived. Brittany Murphy is starring in The Ramen Girl, as a girl who becomes stranded in Japan after her boyfriend dumps her, and learns to live again through a mad ramen cook...

Let the mobs begin.
http://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=14609

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 8 replies

remember this girl?

2006-06-23T23:18:36Z

Apparently they spell her name Min Geun-yeong in English, she played the younger sister in Tale of Two Sisters, and I've also seen her in My Little Bride.
http://imdb.com/name/nm1371529/

So I just came back from a week-long trip to Korea, and little did I know, she made quite an image of herself out there. She's in ALL the fashion ads, cell phone ads, go-Korea-world-cup ads, she's EVERYWHERE. A bit of a shock, seeing her face in so many places. She is indeed cute, but I didn't realize how popular she had gotten.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Lost in translation

2006-06-20T17:56:31Z

Hi Chris..
Just cruising all the tribes,...haven’t posted here since I talked about Aqua Boy and Speed Racer..But I got in an argument today with the guys at work...

I like the movie LOST IN TRANSLATION,. Although I know it isn’t really an "Asian film", since it was a Copola directed flick, the concept seemed like it was rather well entrenched (researched and portrayed) in Asian (Japanese) culture, and was good at showing modern Japan and its pursuit of westernization...

The guys I work with said none of that couldn’t or would never have happened. (The totally sexless, close relationship of the stars) but I think it was well done and the Japanese backdrop helped add depth.
Anyway, most of the guys I know hated it. Probably because of the platonic story line....

Anyone here (that is a guy or girl) not/like it?

thats it...just passing through!!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 9 replies

The Promise

2006-06-14T03:32:47Z

Haven't seen it yet, but a friend warns me that Miramax butchered the US release (as usual -- see previous discussion on "Shaolin Soccer" for details), cutting 18 minutes from it, and to get the DVD instead. He loved it, and was annoyed that many reviews said that it narratively jumped around, a sure result of the cuts made.

Fuckers. C-I-L-L MIRAMAX!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

2006-06-12T09:26:31Z

This was recommended to me by guy I know who is a professional animator (he did the original Dreamworks logo).

It's 100 min., 75 min. of which consists of blindingly fast, complicated fight scenes, including Akira-esque motorcycle battles and drawn out swordfights (using swords as big as their bodies) that last forever. The animation is very impressive, and although the characters aren't quite 100% human yet, with all of the mo-cap they did it's beginning to look damn close. What I found especially beautiful were textures: cloth where you could practically count the weave, very realistic (though often cartoonishly styled) hair, skin, leather, etc. And the lighting was also very layered.

The plot makes no sense whatsoever unless you are a devotee of FF, and I had no emotional involvement in the piece at all, so there's no depth to it -- just pure eye candy and very little time-wasting exposition. But there are lots of fairly cool moments, insane fights, and a bunch of tight CG that makes you want to lean in closer just to look at the detail (you'll want to watch the best quality copy you can get for this reason).

Enjoy!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Triads and Hong Kong Cinema

2006-05-04T21:05:17Z

http://soundprint.org/radio/display_show/ID/684/name/Triads+and+Film

great raido show, just on NPR.

Enter the Hong Kong Triad "Underworld", where actors, directors, and police describe the Triad control of the film industry in the 1990s when a whole series of murders, beatings and dodgy dealings went down. That's when the Triad techniques of persuasion allegedly came into play - extortion, blackmail, beatings, rape - to get actors and stunt men to appear in their flicks. Eventually the actors had enough and campaigned against the violence. In “Triads and Film”, Producer Sarah Passmore of Radio Television Hong Kong looks at the current situation in the Hong Kong film industry to see the extent to which it may have broken free of these groups, and how much Triads are still involved in the entertainment industry. This program airs as part of our special international collaboration, Global Perspectives: The World of Crime.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Zu Warriors

2006-05-01T13:29:43Z

anybody see this yet?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/zu_warriors.html

looks promising.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 11 replies

Did you like Ong Bak?

2006-03-15T17:26:43Z

You might wanna check out, Born to Fight. Its the new flick from fight choreograher Panna Rittikrai, the same guy that did Ong Bak. Same crazy stunt work with no wires. The story is ok but your not really watching this movie for the story.

http://www.borntofightmovie.com/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 15 replies

Kikaida

2006-03-13T04:26:33Z

anyone a fan of this series. Kikaida (1972)?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Seven Swords

2006-03-01T18:40:33Z

I just saw this latest from Tsui Hark and it SUCKED big time. it looked really great to begin with...very stylized. I mistakenly thought it was a redux of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, but there really is no resemblance. The plot and character development veered off into oblivion quite quickly. Boy am I disappointed.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Ping Pong Hustle

2006-02-08T22:54:15Z

Ingenious:

http://www.holylemon.com/CrazyPingPong.html

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

The Promise- A Wuxia Fairy Tale

2006-01-29T22:44:00Z

The Promise aka Mo gik
2005

7.5/10 Total

Sound- 7/10
Vision- 9/10
Design- 8/10
Acting- 7/10
Story- 7/10

A Wuxia Fairy Tale

The Promise, or Mo gik in Mandarin Chinese (meaning Unlimited Potential) is a very good movie that is entertaining and great to see. The viewer is thrown into a world that never existed that is a combination of Chinese, Japanese and fantasy elements. The sets and the costumes are colorful and, coming from a familiar yet totally foreign world. The camera roams through this world, both real and CGI, allowing the viewer to be absorbed by the film. Compared to many other epic fantasy movies of late, the CGI is not distracting or than The sound, sound effects and music fit the movie perfectly and punctuate it instead of distract. Although if the music has been less Chinese and maybe more Oriental, it would have been much better.

This is a movie all about choice, fate and the The first scene begins on a battle field where a young Qingcheng, played by the wonderful and beautiful Cecilia Cheng, fights against a young boy for a piece of bread that comes back into the movie at the end. Qingcheng loses the bread only to be given it back by the Goddess Manshen who promises her wealth and prominence at the cost of never being able to love a man.The young girl accepts and the movie fades to black, as most scenes in this film so effectively sedge-way. We finally meet Kunlun (Jang Dong-Gun) and General Guangming (Hiroyuki Sanada) about ten mintues into the picture, the heroes of the story. Guangming wins a crucial battle thanks to the incredible running skills of Kunlun. The only moment of unconvincing CGI occurs at this point, as Kunlun is chased by and outruns a herd of stampeding water buffalo. Kunlun becomes Guangming's slave just in time for the Duke of the North, Wuhuan (Nicholas Tse) to come to the capital to threaten the King because he has a crush on the now Princess Qingcheng and wants to take her and the throne. Manshen comes back into the movie to give Guangming a vision of his killing the King and he makes a wager against the all powerful goddess that he won't do that. From here, the plot thickens as a faster than light assassin dressed totally in black with a gothy white pale face, named Snow Wolf (Liu Ye) is sent to kill Guangming and only injures him after seeing Kunlun and telling him that he comes from "The Land of Snow". Now, Kunlun is ordered to go to the capital wearing Guangming's crimson armor and to save the King. From here point the movie runs into trouble as the story and plot aren't very convincing. The acting is mostly cartoonish and wooden, like a fairy tale. Only Kunlun is believable in his role as he is the only character that truly emotes and has some substance on the screen and instills some empathy in the viewer. Wuhuan turns into the stock villain with the tiny pencil mustache with traps and schemes, Guangming is the half-hearted hero with a destructive secret and Qingcheng is the princess in peril and generally unsympathetic.

The Promise is a good wuxia movie, a blend of martial arts and fantasy that will suspend your beliefs, only if you allow it. It is simply a fairy tale that is a good piece of escapist entertainment. The Promise is not as terrible as you might think, if you believe all the bad reviews online. I really don't know what movie they saw but it certainly wasn't what I just watched. Give it a chance since it is far more entertaining a movie than nearly all the of Hollywood movies of last year and very much deserving of a wider audience.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 8 replies

Speed Racer and Aqua Boy

2006-01-24T22:09:39Z

I dont know...just thought I would state the only real two I grew up with and were exposed to in the 1960's...

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 6 replies

a few sf indie film fest movies of interest...

2006-01-24T13:20:46Z

http://www.sfindie.com/indiefest06/film/?film=Naisu_no_Mori:_The_First_Contact
http://www.sfindie.com/indiefest06/film/?film=Hanging_Garden
http://www.sfindie.com/indiefest06/film/?film=House_of_Fury
http://www.sfindie.com/indiefest06/film/?film=Initial_D

last but not least... takashi miike
http://www.sfindie.com/indiefest06/film/?film=The_Great_Yokai_War
http://yokai-movie.com/index.html

ff

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Jet Li's Newest

2006-01-22T17:22:15Z

Hopefully this is going to treat us to some old-school wuxia beat-down:

http://www.fearlessthemovie.com/

Yuen Wo Ping choreographs.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

Karen Mok (HK actress) photo collection.

2006-01-22T17:20:39Z

I posted this at the Karen Mok tribe too... does anybody know where you can still get a copy of the Karen Mok Photo Album? I had tried YesAsia but despite what it says on their website they are out of stock. Is anyone in this Tribe familiar with this book? It's a big (200+ pages) Art book with great big glossy & matte photos of Karen Mok in various states of dress and undress in different cities around the world. I bought one months ago but I would like to make some framed posters so I am looking for a 2nd copy to use for that. Any help would be appreciatated. Thanks y'all!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

70's Japanese sexplotation

2005-12-14T18:13:31Z

Brand new to the tribe here, please forgive if there is a more specific tribe for this topic...I haven't come across it yet.

Just found, bought and watched 'Sex and Fury' last night and am hot on the genre. Any other recommendations beside the obvious sequel? As someone who used to own a small bookstore, I've always been against the giant corporations, but must admit if there going to start carrying obscure stuff like this, I sort of impressed. Obviously props to the distribution as well, so thanx Panik House.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

MPD Psycho

2005-12-11T21:58:27Z

This came out in 2000 on Japanese TV. It's from Takashi Miike, the director of Audition and Ichi the Killer.

It's about a schizo detective with a repressed personality who is trying to find a killer or cult of killers. The killer is one of the detectives personalities that escaped and can transfer to different people through telephones and the internet. The killer personality can only transfer to people with this strange tatoo of a bar code on their eyeball. There's also some weird shit with a dude that pulled out his bar coded eyeball and now trades in snuff films. The detective's wife gets a call that tells her not to pick up the next call. She hangs up and the phone rings and she picks it up. Then she ends up in a strange trance wandering the city doing all sorts of weird shit. The wife resembles the detective's old wife who was killed 5 years earlier and she even has the same name. The detective's best friend is the police chief who has two wives or something. The first episode has the killer turning woman in hydroponic flower gardens and the second has a case involving babies being cut out of their mother's wombs. Anyways, I'm about to go rent episodes 3 & 4. Check it out if you like sick, twisted Japanese films like Audition or Suicide Club.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

suicide club (jisatsu circle)

2005-12-11T05:14:04Z

that's some strange stuff. it's like a mystery musical with some horror scenes. the narrative is utterly bizzarre, the subjectivity follows around a string of different characters, some for no particular reason, and the ending is kinda imitative of kubrick's weirder moments...

worth watching if you enjoy the genre (? of j-horror, i guess), or if you want to see a really interesting performance of a japanese genesis p. orridge impersonator that's shoehorned into the wandering plotline...

don't expect a tidy ending...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312843/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Casting Call for Battle Angel !

2005-12-05T17:11:53Z

desperately seeking alita!

No prior film experience necessary. However, voice, movement, and actor training are imperative.

SEEKING: FEMALE LEAD. 16-mid 20s. Any ethnicity, including Caucasian.

She moves and behaves with confidence and a sense of nobility. Lithe as a cat. Athletic and agile, she is a warrior. Graceful movement and an ear for languages and dialects are essential.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=21948

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Ong-Bak (awesome Thai film!!!!)

2005-12-03T01:23:11Z

What an great film this one is. I just watched it tonight and I was totally blown away. Good story, well shot, acting was good, and the action was the best I have seen possibly ever in a martial arts film. It was like Bruce, Jet, and Jackie had a child plus he didn't use wires and he kicked ass!

Here is the imbd link for extra info like the basic plot outline. But just trust me on this one... go buy it asap.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368909/

One technical note...i couldn't find a dvd of it with english subtitles so i had to buy the vcd which had chinese and english subs plus a chinese dub all running at once. i unplugged the right channel audio output from the dvd/vcd player to eliminate the chinese dub so it would just be the two subtitles and I didn't have a chinese echo dub going on.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 12 replies

Bruce Lee to get statue in Bosnia

2005-11-28T20:47:08Z

SARAJEVO (AFP) - The martial arts legend Bruce Lee is to be honoured with a statue in the southern Bosnian city of Mostar, as a symbolic protest against ethnic division, local authorities said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050912/ennew_afp/afplifestylebosniafilm_050912133847

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 13 replies

chan gets animated again, black gets lazy again

2005-11-27T23:25:50Z

Daily Variety reports Black toplines the animated action comedy, but now Jackie Chan, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman and, possibly, Lucy Liu, who is still in negotiations, have joined him.

http://www.filmstew.com/Content/Article.asp?ContentID=12754&Pg=1

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

Sword in Moon (Cheongpung myeongwol)

2005-11-24T00:23:18Z

here is a synopsis

"An assassin is killing a number of ministers who were involved in a revolution that usurped the throne, and the government's top swordsman is tasked with identifying the culprit. This doesn't take particularly long, but the answer is not one he wanted to hear. Through prolonged flashbacks we learn why, and the history of the swordsman and the assassin, and of the revolution."

Lots of good swordplay in this one but I found the story a bit difficult to follow in many critical parts. I was also annoyed because for some reason although this is a Korean film I only had chinese dub tracks available, I suspect it would have been much better with the original language and sound intact.

Overall I'll give it a 6 of 10 stars.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0370402/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9c3dvcmQgaW4gbW9vbnxmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0xfGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Evil Cult

2005-11-22T04:20:12Z

I rented this from netflix

The wirework is awesome. It has a few different kung fu styles, and jet li comes across different types of kung fu powers. The movie seems a bit old, and the translation was horrible, but it made watching it more fun. This movie is kind of like Iron Monkey, but completely insane with more fighting.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

j-pinku movie posters

2005-11-06T23:38:48Z

really sweet gallery...

obviously unworksafe, clicky.

http://s87455100.onlinehome.us/covers/poster/page_01.htm

via:
http://fuckedgaijin.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13735&sid=868eeed3f4c3a59bfbb845d5729851b5
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/007385.php#trackbacks

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Tsui Hark - Seven Swords

2005-11-04T19:13:19Z

Hey all, if you're interested in seeing a good film, (imo), please check the latest movie from director Tsui Hark entitled Seven Swords

Synopsis

The movie is set in China around the 1600's and the Manchurian's have just taken control of the land and established the Ching dynasty. However, there are widespread pro-nationalist revolts and in an effort to curb the violence against them, the new government imposes a ban on the study and practice of martial arts by the people as a means to establish control over the population.

Firewind (played by Sun Honglei) is a military official from the previous government who has joined with the new order and together with a warband of mercenaries, ranges across north-western China, implementing the new law by killing off any villager his forces can catch and making himself rich in the process by collecting the bounty of 300 pieces of silver per head for every person caught breaking the law.

Finally, there is only one village left, Martial Village

Fu Quingzhu (played by Lau Kar Leung) is a retired executioner from the previous government and was once Firewind's boss, but he is trying to make amends for his previous cruelty and sins, by trying to save Martial Village and its people.

He convinces two young villagers, Wu Yuanyin (Charlie Young) and Han Zhibang (Lu Yi) to follow him to Mount Heaven to seek help from the Sword Master and his disciples.

The Master agrees to help and sends four of his best disciples back to save Martial Village, Chu Zhaonan (played by Donnie Yen), Yang Yunchong (Leon Lai), Mulang, (Duncan Chow) and Xin Longzi, (Tai Li Wu). Representing heroism, decency and goodness the group become known as the Seven Swords and their journey to save the village begins.

For safety reasons they decide to evacuate the village, but their escape is marred by confusion and betrayal for they soon realise that there is a traitor in their midst who must be discovered if they want to evade the army of General Firewind.

With so many things going wrong and the fate of the villagers balancing on a knife edge between life and death, their situation is further complicated by the emergence of an unexpected and unwelcome love triangle between Wu Yuanyin, Chu Zhaonan and a Korean slave girl played by Kim So-yeun.........

Based on the novel

Seven Swords from Mount Tian by Liang Yu Sheng

Link to official site

http://www.sevenswordsthefilm.com

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Seven Swords

2005-11-04T19:06:56Z

I just watched this one last night. It's a decent action movie.
Has the Chinese made Korean feel to it.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

New Police Story

2005-10-17T00:15:41Z

Below is a synopsis for an upcoming Hong Kong movie starring, (amongst others), Jackie Chan, Charlene Choi, Daniel Wu, Nicolas Tse and Charlie Young.

Looks like it'll be a goodie....... :)

Synopsis – New Police Story

Wing (Jackie Chan) is the Hong Kong police's resident super cop. He's the best of the best, cracking every case he handles in record time. Fung (Nicholas Tse) is a rebel without a cause, a street-smart Hong Kong youth who longs to become a police officer. However, his late father's criminal background makes this an impossible dream.

Fung finally gets his chance to play at being a detective when he persuades Wing that he is a police officer, and they team up to track down a truly awesome group of adversaries, The Gang Of Five…Led by Joe (Daniel Wu), the Gang consists of five young and cold-blooded criminals. When we first see them in action, they rob a bank before purposely setting off the alarm, treating the responding police officers as target practice.

Joe (Daniel Wu) uses shoot-'em-up videogames as his inspiration to create the most elaborate and deadly traps for the police. The son of an abusive and authoritarian senior police officer, Joe has been nursing a grudge against cops since childhood. He derives an almost sadistic pleasure from wounding and killing Hong Kong's law enforcers.

Wing and his team of slick dressed 'Armani cops' are assigned the Gang of Five case. They quickly locate the gang's hideout and stage a raid. However, Wing’s supposed comrade-in-arms betray them, Sam (Wang Chieh). Wing's men are trapped, and gunned down one by one. Only Wing himself escapes…

In the aftermath of this massacre, Wing's life falls apart. His colleagues are all dead, including Rocky, the younger brother of his girlfriend Ka Yee (Charlie Young). He hides himself from Ka Yee and, though still technically on the force, sinks into an abyss of alcoholism and despair.

One night, Fung finds his idol lying dead drunk in the street and pulls him out of the gutter, bringing him home. Fung sees in Wing a chance to live his dream, and pretends to be a cop assigned by Wing's superiors to help him hunt down the Gang of Five. Fung enlists the help of Fa Fa (Charlene Choi), a fresh and pretty, young policewoman who runs the computer crimes division. Charmed by Fung she helps him track down Sam.

Sam has left the police force, changed his name and gone into hiding at a local nightclub. Wing and Fung question the nervous Sam, and then, following up on a further tip, go to a rooftop mountain bike X-games event. When the Gang members realise they have been rumbled, Sam is shot dead. Wing commandeers one of the mountain bikes, and a fast, furious chase ensues, one that races across the Hong Kong skyline before descending to the roof of a bus, and then onto the streets below.

Wing maintains his pursuit, forcing the terrified Fung to keep pace with his daredevil antics. The ruthless criminals open fire on a group of kindergarten children, and escape in the ensuing chaos. Wing finds out that Fung is not a cop, but, before he can question him, Fung has engineered a reunion between Wing and Ka Yee. However, Wing is still emotionally crippled with guilt over the death of Ka Yee's brother Rocky.

Back at the police station, Wing confronts Fung, who admits that he has faked being a police officer because he wants to claim the reward for the Gang of Five. Realising that it is thanks to Fung that he has recovered some of his former confidence, Wing allows the youngster to stay at his side. Back to his old self, Wing begins to piece together the identities of the Gang of Five.

As the evidence mounts, Fung and Wing learn that the building used for the X-games was rented from Joe, and go to question him. They are shocked to find out that Joe's father is a senior police officer.

Ka Yee goes to the police station to see Wing but becomes trapped by Joe, who forces her to hold a ticking bomb, Wing gets the bomb into the police vault, but it explodes anyway and Ka Yee is wounded. She falls into a coma. Fung is arrested for impersonating a police officer, and Wing for aiding and abetting him. They are detained in the police cells, but Fa Fa helps them escape, with the complicity of the other officers, who are secretly on Wing's side.

Meanwhile, Joe reunites his team, and tries to set up a final gambit. However, Wing is now wise to his tactics. He uses the knowledge that he and Fung have gathered from Fa Fa to turn the tables. The same scenario in which Wing's teammates lost their lives is played out again, only now it's the Gang of Five that is hunted down. Wing finally overcomes his own fears, and calls on all his reserves of courage and strength to defeat Joe. Ka Yee recovers, and she and Wing resume their romance. Fung disappears, having repaid a secret, personal debt he has longed owed to Wing...

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Ichi 1

2005-10-16T18:35:30Z

Prequel to ichi the killer. I enjoyed it. Sick shit.

it's about high school kids in japan that like to fight. lots of graphic violence. ichi gets off on it sexually whenever somebody gets their ass beat. very perverted and twisted.

where the fuck are these kids parents??? where the fuck are the teachers??? a kid gets all his limbs broken and thrown out a window in the middle of a classroom.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

House of Fury

2005-10-14T05:53:52Z

I have this on dvd now and it features most of the same cast from 'The Twins Effect' movie.
Anyone else seen this one yet?
I don't understand why the box cover is so different from the movie. Is it supposed to be a joke?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

New Audition DVD?

2005-10-08T20:44:50Z

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009WFEDC/qid=1128396334/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8838925-4916143?v=glance&s=dvd

Is this worth getting? I mean, it is uncut anymore compared to the original US DVD or the HK DVD?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

Three Extremes

2005-10-04T09:49:31Z

Ok so I know this one has been around in for awhile on DVD but it's just getting it's US release around Halloween. The US trailer was actually very good (it played before Serenity) and if anybody finds it online please let me know ( so far only the international versions are online).

Without any spoiling what did you guys think of the one. I figure with Takeshi Miike, Chan-Wook Park, and Fruit Chan (don't really know much about him or her) it should be a good collection of films :)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Jackie Chan - Gorgeous - minor spoilers

2005-10-03T00:23:52Z

I thought that this movie was pretty sweet. You could tell that jackie wrote it himself, or had someone develop it with him. The movie made him look really cool, and very nice, sort of like mr. nice guy. It also has a few positive messages hidden in it that you cant tell come right from jackie. this movie has one of the best fight scenes in any jackie chan movie. Its Jackie boxing this little guy for like 15 minutes in a warehouse....its SOOO good. For a new-ish JC movie, I'm amazed at how hard and fast jackie fights in this. Its awesome. The plot of this movie is allright, and there are some funny spots too.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Anime Social Networking Site?

2005-09-28T03:01:09Z

has anyone here heard of www.animetribe.com ? I was just wondering and would like to get feedback from ya;ll

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 7 replies

Negadon

2005-09-20T21:14:57Z

cgi short film pays a mighty tribute to vintage kaiju flicks. awesome look and feel to the trailers, i particularly like the coloring...

official j-site:
http://www.cwfilms.jp/negadon/

trailer 1
http://www.mangazoo.jp/mztv/cwfilms/movie/001_negadon/negadon_tokuhou1.mpg

trailer 2
http://www.mangazoo.jp/mztv/cwfilms/001_negadon/movie/negadon_tokuhou2.mpg

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Bittersweet Life

2005-09-20T15:44:32Z

Great gansta shoot em up action. I haven't seen gun play like this since Hard Boiled. Highly recommended. Check out the trailor on the website.

http://www.d-o-e-s.com/collection/bittersweet/index0.html

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Anyone Ever seen Gen (X,Y) Cops?

2005-09-19T20:39:06Z

I have gen X cops on video, but GEN Y is far more entertaining. Its just so unbelievable. Its hilarious for the first part of the movie. Like Shoalin soccer. Even if the movie makes no sense or gets boring at the end, I still like it.

I love the type of humor the chinese have!! Its way funnier than anything japanese.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 7 replies

Hana Bi

2005-09-09T20:49:01Z

I finally got around to watching it last night, looks like there's general agreement that it is the most artistic film that Takeshi Kitano has made, with some more or less of a dispute about the ending. Overall I thought it was very well done, of course I'm comparing it to Brother, which was his US attempt (which would have been great had he better actors). I have a couple more of his stuff lying around somewhere.....

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 22 replies

how to remove the ads!!!

2005-09-07T04:15:23Z

http://www.beatnikpad.com/archives/2003/03/08/adblocking

i'm not sure if you can do the same trick with a PC but it worked great on my Mac. The fucking ads in threads need to go away!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

The Eye (Jian gui)

2005-09-05T17:35:08Z

I know it's kina old but....

I just watched this one last night with Mihoko (she is crazy about horror movies), and I liked it. It a fun one with a good story and I didn't feel bored to tears in the slower parts :)

I'd give it an 8 of 10 for it's genre

http://imdb.com/title/tt0325655/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9dGhlIGV5ZXxmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0xfGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=251;fm=1

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 5 replies

If you happen to be in Honalulu, Hawaii

2005-09-05T03:16:29Z

Check out the Dragon Gate Bookstore at 100 N Beretania St. #a-120 (808 533-7147), run by Emily Ng.

She is in Chinatown there and her store has a great dvd/vcd selection of Asian movies! Plus she actually watches all of them and knows her shit (unlike most Asian dvd stores in SF Chinatown). I wish I could move her shop here but I guess I'll just have to go to Hawaii more often :)

FYI: I hate to disappoint all you cool sexy girls in the tribe but you should know I'm a married man now since my trip to the islands. But I urge you to hook up with all the other cool Asian Cinema lovers we have here in my favorite tribe *)

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Shaolin Soccer: The TV Show

2005-08-30T10:36:48Z

And a cheeseball one at that. The spin-off (perhaps rip-off) is called "Kung Fu Soccer," and runs on Chinese cable (I get it on Dish, so it might be in your area as well).

Eps are 30 minutes long, and are done with super low-budget effects (looks like they are quickly done in Adobe After Effects). It tries to be funny, but lacks Stephen Chow. It does star the guy who played Chow's older brother in the movie, the one with the impervious head.

It has a few moments of charm, but don't go out of your way for it.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

Chris in Action!

2005-08-30T10:25:52Z

Check out Chris in his new video role, who along with local George Ju, acts as insightful co-ambassador to Asian culture in SF:

http://www.inmanstories.com/movies/newplayer.cfm?name=chinatown

It was shot by our mutual friend Peter, and it's both well-executed and entertaining. And Chris is a natural host!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

Initial D (Tau man chi D)

2005-08-29T09:57:31Z

This is a very modern style Chinese flick (based on a Manga series). The basic plot is about a young tofu delivery boy that has a natural talent for racing (bordering on force powers) who gets into the drift racing circuit. Now keep in mind I know nothing of the Manga that this one was based on, I am treating it as a separate work.

Directed by Wai Keung Lau &
Siu Fai Mak (Infernal Affairs) this movie has great editing and camerawork plus a decent cast including one of my favs Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (Infernal Affairs, House of Fury etc.). Lots of great racing scenes prevailed throughout the film and the camerawork was stylish without attracting to much attention to itself.

Judging from the IMDB reviews some of the fans of the Manga really hated it but I really liked it, the dvd is a keeper.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439630/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

KUNG FU HUSTLE 2

2005-08-20T00:52:30Z

http://www.monkeypeaches.com/

According to the Taiwanese media, filming of the sequel to Kung Fu Hustle will begin in Shanghai this September or October and will complete by the yearend. Almost everyone, including Stephen Chow himself, Lam Tse-Chung (Chow's sidekick), Yuen Qiu (the Landlady) and Yuen Wah (the Landlord), will reappear in the sequel. Even Chan Kwok-Kwan, whose character died in the first film, will return with a new character. However, Huang Shengyi, who played the female lead, is currently trying to leave Steven Chow's agency and her chance of returning to the sequel is quite small. The action will still be handled by Yuen Wo-Ping and there will be more action sequences in the sequel. The budget is about US$ 15 million and part of it comes from Sony Pictures.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 12 replies

House of Fury

2005-08-11T09:25:45Z

This one is produced by Jackie Chan but I don't think he kept a very good eye on it. It's a fun kung fu comedy but it needs a little work. A few good action scenes and some good humor are to be found but not much else.

I guess I was expecting too much from the movie considering Jackie's involvement and they had some great actors too (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang from IA and I always love the ever cute Gillian Chung of the Twins) .

Overall it's a good laugh and it might be a fun rental if you have some time.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435026/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1ob3VzZSBvZiBmdXJ5fGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=20

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 3 replies

Help!

2005-07-21T00:54:41Z

Hi all, a friend on another tribe has asked for help regarding this movie, (short feature), any assistance would be appreciated. :)

wkw/tk/1996@7′55″hk.net

Anybody ever heard of this film? Any comments? Anyone know where to get it? I don't think a Japanese laserdisc is too likely to show up near here anytime in the near future.

From wikipedia.org;

wkw/tk/1996@7′55″hk.net is a 1996 commercial short film by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai that he made for Japanese fashion designer Takeo Kikuchi. The title contains the initials of Wong Kar-wai and Takeo Kikuchi, the year of release, the length, 7 minutes 55 seconds, and hk for Hong Kong.

It features Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano and Hong Kong actress Karen Mok. Photography is by Wong's stock cinematographer, Australian Christopher Doyle. The film is very much in keeping with Wong's style. There are several versions of the film, originally two otherwise identical versions were released with different soundtracks to lay emphasis on the perspectives of the male and female character respectively. There are several versions of the film that have been aired as television commercials. These are available on the Japanese laserdisc release of Wong's Fallen Angels (1995), as well as various bootlegged VCD releases of Wong's features.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Casshern

2005-07-16T20:30:57Z

Looks like it's out on DVD, anyone spotted it in China or Japantown near SF?

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 6 replies

Oldboy

2005-07-13T21:39:04Z

It took me about a year but alas I just finished watching the dvd of "Oldboy". This is one of the best one the the best suspense/mystery style movies I have ever seen. Well done all the way around. If you haven't checked it out then you're missing out.

Looks like they are doing an english remake too, wtf is wrong with importing arrrg!

http://imdb.com/title/tt0364569/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9MXxmYj11fHBuPTB8cT1vbGRib3l8aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=21;fm=1

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 3 replies

a snake of june

2005-06-16T05:16:10Z

just saw this on dvd. great director, Shinya Tsukamoto. he also made "tokyo fist." strong visual style in both films, and intense stories.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

Ping Pong (JP)

2005-05-31T01:51:27Z

Great movie about friends, rivals, and Ping Pong. I really enjoyed it. It was like the god of cookery for ping pong. 8of10 stars.

imdb link below
http://imdb.com/title/tt0328258/

short clipping from a review...

Ping Pong is an entertaining variation on the tried and trusted idea of friends who are driven apart, and then reunited by something that they have in common. In this case, it's table tennis.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Oakland asian movie night?

2005-05-26T00:20:54Z

I was curious if anyone else would be interested in having a regular get together for movie watching? I'm in downtown Oakland, not far from Chinatown, and I've got THE BIGASS projector for watching movies on the wall...

:)

Chris

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

kung-fu hustle

2005-05-21T18:07:48Z

that kicked ass.

chow reaches a new height of stephen chow-ness. well paced, surprising, and absurdly funny. great character work, nice visuals...this one might just put him on the mainstream map.

maybe.

packed, PACKED with CGI fx, so, if you don't care for that sort of thing, you'll probably be turned off. it was, however, pretty well used in context.

not a film you have to see on the big screen, but i feel that way about comedies in general...if you like a rollin' audience tho', this one's got it.

8 out of 10.

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 29 replies

MonkeyPeaches website

2005-04-30T05:01:58Z

Here's a new website I just discovered (if you haven't already):

www.monkeypeaches.com/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Goodbye Dragon Inn

2005-04-04T00:12:44Z

By Tsai Ming-Liang (What Time Is It There?).

I just saw that movie in Roxie. I must say I loved it.

It's a slow movie without much dialogue. So, some people might not like it. Everything happens during the last movie show in an old, run- down, movie theater. While King Hu's 1966 epic, Dragon Gate Inn, plays on the screen, characters wander around empty halls of the cinema looking for each other.

Shih Chun and Miao Tien who are acting in this movie were also the stars of King Hu's Dragon Gate Inn in 1966.

Closing song of the movie made me stumble onto this site http://www.asr-singapore.com/ that holds some of samples of rare 30s and 40s Shanghai popular music. Quite amazing.

Here is an interview with Tsai Ming-Liang http://www.wellspring.com/movies/text.html?page=interviews&movie_id=47

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 4 replies

Infernal Affairs 3

2005-04-02T21:12:06Z

I sat down to watch part 3 hoping that this one might come a little closer to the first than part 2 did. Unfortunately it was still disappointing for the most part. While I enjoyed watching it and technically it was well done, it just didn't pull me in like the first one. It was like watching Godfather 3 only with better acting :)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374339/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 2 replies

C.R.A.C.K.

2005-03-31T23:45:26Z

China Restoration of Asian Cinema Kingdom

"Dedicated to ending piracy and illegal downloads,
bringing Hong Kong and Chinese Cinema back to the forefront of International Cinema,
and crushing the likes of Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan beneath its heel,
the China Restoration of Asian Cinema Kingdom (CRACK) is on the job..."

All About CRACK

Eric Tsang has a reason to be sad. Hong Kong Film is dying, and nobody can do anything about it. Until now. As the leader of China Restoration of Asian Cinema Kingdom (CRACK), Tsang is working to make sure that Hong Kong and China regain their top spot in the Asian Cinema world. CRACK has hired a group of Hong Kong Cinema luminaries, including megaproducer Wong Jing, cosmetic surgery specialist Teresa Chiang, that lovable pig McDull, plus high-powered lawyer Ekin Cheng, and some other nutjobs to take on the rest of Asia, and that most dreaded of foes: Piracy. Their plans are numerous, but the first order of business: a massive nuclear strike on Mongkok. There might also be a lucky draw, and maybe a nice banquet.

CRACK's Axis of Evil, as explained by Eric Tsang-

Bit Torrent
"I've never used this BT thing, but I hear it's bad, real bad. It better stop. I mean it!
Boy'z
"Did you see 6AM? I've put a hit on the filmmakers. I should get a call back in about an hour."
Miramax
"Thanks to them, I can't even see my own movies on DVD!"
LoveHKFilm.com
"How can he name his site LoveHKFilm.com? Is he trying to be ironic or something? I kicked ass in Partners!"
John Woo
"Didn't he use to be a film director?"
South Korea
"Using a whole pack of tissue at a movie doesn't mean it's good! Why don't people realize that!?!"
Ong Bak
"Damn that Tony Jaa kid! He's stealing HK's thunder! I'm getting his legs broken next week!"
The Wachowski Brothers
"Thanks to them, everyone thinks martial arts movies suck!"

see foolish link for the whole thing, quickly...:-D

http://www.lovehkfilm.com/index.htm

frankenfool

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

The 24 HK Film Awards, fuck the Oscars!

2005-03-28T23:00:26Z

thanks to FrankenFrank for the link and info...

http://www.monkeypeaches.com/050327D.html

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 0 replies

last life in the universe

2005-03-28T04:49:05Z

christopher doyle lends his hand as the dp for Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's "last life in the universe", a really good film from thailand. i highly recommend it. www.imdb.com/title/tt0345549/ and it's got takashi miike as a yakuza!

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 1 reply

House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu, aka The Lovers)

2005-03-25T04:57:23Z

What did you guys think of this one?

I liked it but I was somewhat disappointed and I'm not totally sure why. Perhaps the score didn't move the scenes the way I thought it should, or maybe it was just a little too drawn out for me. I'm not really sure and i think i'll view it again to get a better grasp. I think I was expecting more like Hero and this just didn't seem up to that level of coolness to me.

None the less it is a pretty movie with some memorable moments and I thought the actors all performed quite well. I must also note that my GF was very moved by the story to the point of balling at the end of the movie so maybe the story just wasn't my personal cup of tea.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385004/

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 13 replies

best 100 chinese motion pictures...

2005-03-25T03:34:19Z

http://www.monkeypeaches.com/050316A.html

quite an impressive list although i disagree with some of the rankings.

i.e as much i like john woo and his films, i don't think a better tomorrow merits a number 2 of all time.

just my $.02.

ff

posted in Asian Cinema and TV - 13 replies