Asian Cinema

Some people enjoy a slow, experimental, rub-your-nose-in-it indy flick, while others would rather be entertained by something more down-to-earth that moves fast and doesn't require you to figure out what the hell's going on with every cryptic movement or utterance. TOMORROW YOU'RE GONE (2012) might as well have a dividing line between these two groups of viewers painted right down the middle of it.Stephen Dorff (IMMORTALS, BLADE) is compelling as Charlie Rankin, a soon-to-be-released convict whose mentor, The Buddha (Willem Dafoe), promises to take care of Charlie if he'll just do him the favor of rubbing out one of his enemies. But the hit goes dreadfully wrong, and Charlie dreads the prospect of returning to the crime scene the next night to fix it. Especially after meeting Florence Jane (Michelle Monaghan, (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III, MR. & MRS. SMITH), a sweetly eccentric porn actress who falls inexplicably in love with Charlie and tries to bring out the good qualities buried deep within him before he destroys himself.Charlie is troubled with a capital "T"--director David Jacobson (DAHMER) has a field day depicting how constant mistrust, paranoia, and nightmares from his past skew his perception of reality until viewers themselves can't really tell what's real and what isn't. This calls for a variety of camera effects that some will find irritating, along with some creative editing that plays around with reality (he sees people who aren't there, including himself) to the point where you start wondering if you're watching an extended "Twilight Zone" episode.After their "meet-cute" on a bus (actually, it's more of a "meet-weird"), we also wonder what the deal is with Florence and why Charlie is so instantly, irresistibly appealing to her. Is she an angel? Is she a figment of his imagination? Or is she just totally nutso? After the botched hit, the film becomes a mini-road movie when they buy a car and drive around the city all day waiting for nightfall when Charlie will deal with his unfinished business once and for all. In one scene, they end up in a church as Florence urges him to open up a line with God and see if it isn't too late for a little redemption of his tortured soul. The rest of the time she's cajoling him to have sex with her as though she'd just gotten out of prison instead of him. I like her character, and Monaghan is very appealing in the role, but Florence is just too good, or too wild, or too weird to be true. Eventually, the inevitable hour arrives when Charlie must either make good or lose his soul forever, with Florence and The Buddha (Willem Dafoe with his usual menacing performance) representing God and the Devil. After all the existential angst and art-house tomfoolery, it's nice that this meandering, disorienting character study manages to give us a semi-satisfying resolution that I found emotionally resonant. The DVD from RLJ Entertainment is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish. No extras.I liked TOMORROW YOU'RE GONE enough to watch it again and found the second viewing much more rewarding than the first, mainly because I could stop trying to figure out the plot (such as it is) and concentrate on all the hidden meanings (such as they may be). But a lot of you won't like this movie at all, and to you my description of it alone should serve as adequate warning.Buy it at Amazon.comDVDBlu-Ray

Usually I don’t notice  a lot of things, this I noticed–a ‘Domo’ themed backpack near the end of episode 8 of Khun Chai Puttipat. They are at the market to buy food and they are arguing, she is thinking about starting up a shop selling appetizers and sweets in Ayutthaya and he is annoyed she is planning to leave him. Khun Chai Pat:’Why are you always thinking about leaving me?’ He walks away and she follows him. Kaew:’I must be able to raise myself up. I can’t disturb other people from now on.’ Khun Chai Pat:’Who are these other people?’ Kaew utters his name and in the backdrop there are backpacks hanging in a nearby shop, most notably a ‘Domo’ themed backpack. This is annoyed some Thai viewers who complained on Pantip that the Director was careless and this is a period lakorn set in 1961 (2504), why is there a Domo themed backpack when the Domo short-motion animation character was created in 1998 by Japan’s NHK television station. Some found it funny like  this Thai viewer:’5555 (meaning Ha ha ha), my mom found it really funny like huh back then they had Domo too?’ Or this, ‘I didn’t see it because I was too focus on Khun Chai Puttipat.’ Other people started to complain about other details in the lakorn such as the purse (I don’t know which one they are talking about) they didn’t have it back then, Khun Chai Pat’s surgery instruments, his surgery technique,  no blood, guy villain Glai-Lerk (played by DJ Man)’s fixed perfect teeth. ‘Whenever he talks I would notice DJ Man’s arranged teeth,’ wrote a observant Thai viewer on Pantip. And I thought wow, these people watch lakorn in such detail and I was proud I noticed one flaw in the series. One point for me–Oh yea! Some found it distracting, I think most still like the lakorn and are still ‘in’ to the Khun Chai Puttipat and Krong Kaew pair. Back to the scene. Khun Chai Pat:’What are we? Answer me what are we?’ Kaew struggles to answer him. ‘It’s just…’ Khun Chai Pat:’Just a marriage license that makes us husband and wife.’ Kaew:’I will quickly sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. I won’t postpone or delay the process at all.’ Khun Chai Pat:’So you really want to leave me as soon as possible.’–awww she doesn’t. Kaew:’It’s not like that.’ Khun Chai Pat:”Then what do you want?’ Kaew:’You have done a lot for me. You have sacrifice yourself to protect me from danger. You are also caring for my father. I have always been the one who is receiving. I am taking an advantage of you. The thing I want to tell you is that I want to build myself up to have a foundation, to have dignity, to have everything better than what I have now. When that time comes, I want to repay you back.’ Khun Chai Pat playfully:’You are the most conceited and arrogant woman ever.’ Kaew:’A person must stand on their own two feet, they must be beneficial to other people, they can’t just depend on other people forever.’ Khun Chai Pat:’Every word you say is ‘other’ people. Have you  never heard a husband and wife is one person according to the law.’ Kaew:’You keep saying that again.’ Khun Chai Pat:’Because it is the truth.’ He holds up his jade necklace from her neck. ‘Look at this, you are wearing my mother’s jade necklace which was intended to give to her daughter-in-law. Like this, how can we be other people to each other. Most importantly everything I have done is the responsibility of a husband.’ He holds her shoulders and stared into her eyes. ‘Your responsibility is to speak sweetly, act gentle, play the part well.  Don’t forget, the hoodlums are after you, they looking for an opportunity to har

The S.H.Figuarts Toei hero lineup for September/October 2013. Photos courtesy of Bluefin. © Ishimori Pro ? Toei/ © Toei Articulated Bandai Figures to be Sold in Japan and America Source: Bluefin Corp. S.H.Figuarts Official Site: tamashii.jp/shfiguarts (Japan) Special Thanks to Xavier Lim Distributor Bluefin Corp. has provided product specs and high-res photos for three S.H.Figuarts releases coming from Bandai's Tamashii Nations in September and October 2013. Fans of Toei's Kamen Rider franchise will soon be able to purchase Masked Rider Blade and Masked Rider No. 1's Cyclone motorcycle, while Super Sentai fans can look forward to an exclusive Mighty Morphin White Ranger figure. All three items will be released both in Japan and North America. Fans and collectors can purchase S.H.Figuarts figures from authorized Bluefin dealers, including SciFi Japan's sponsors Anime Jungle and Toy Freakz. Continued...

This is one of those rare blog entries that isn't a film review. I've done that in the past, but those were few and far between. I thought I could carry this on indefinitely, writing these reviews for pleasure, which had opened some incredible doors for the good part of my life in the past decade or so. The galas, the premieres, the parties, the festivals, and best of all, getting to meet and

We’re never ones to turn our nose up at good Vampire flick and Neil Jordans (who you will remember brought us the excellent film version of ‘Interview with a Vampire’) new Vamp horror Byzantium, looks very good indeed. There’s a new clip just out for your viewing pleasure, but to be frank we were sold from the first trailer. Byzantium opens in the UK May 31. Synopsis: Eleanor and Clara, two mysterious and penniless young women, flee the scene of a violent crime and arrive in a run-down coastal resort. They try to find money and refuge along the tawdry seafront and in the dilapidated hotels. Clara, ever-practical, sells her body. She soon meets shy and lonely Noel, who provides a roof over their heads in his seedy guesthouse, Byzantium. Clara, always looking towards the future, turns it into a ‘pop-up’ brothel. Meanwhile Eleanor, the eternal schoolgirl, meets Frank, a kindred spirit who unwittingly prompts her to tell the truth about her life. She tells him that Clara is her mother; yet Clara is only a few years older. She says that she was born in 1804; yet she is just sixteen. She confesses that she must drink human blood to stay alive – and so must her mother. In the small, quiet town, people start to die. And the past that the girls have been running from for so long, finally catches up with them – with astonishing consequences. Byzantium new clip Byzantium full trailer

That SHE is number 1 and he is number 10. It was her birthday and everyone on the set of her lakorn with Por Thrisadee is avoiding her, teasing her that she is no longer the darling of the set–a woman who was playing with Yaya said James Jirayu is. In retaliation, Yaya looked at the camera and sent this message to James Jirayu in a cutesy manner:”To nong Jirayu I am #1, you are #10.’ The message has caught the attention of many lakorn fans. Producer  ‘Ja’ Yossinee Nanakorn joked on her IG this past Thursday May 16, 2013 that ‘Linping (a playful nickname for Yaya after the Panda in captivity) has changed channels. Everyone was crowding around Yaya for her lakorn fitting then James Jirayu came out of the elevator suddenly all of the cameras turned to him. Linping has fallen wrote Khun Ya (meaning Yaya is no longer popular). Yaya went around saying if she dressed up like a boy she would more handsome. It has become the ‘cute’ feud of the week–Yaya playfully getting jealous of James’ popularity. James and Yaya have very similar characteristic both are EXTREMELY playful and act ‘immature’ at times. Thai lakorn fans want to see a James and Yaya pairing in a lakorn directed by Paa Jaew because they want to be amuse in seeing James and Yaya compete for the attention of everyone on set. Yaya sends the message to James in the clip at the 1:11 time mark. Though fans talk of a playful feud between the two popular young stars, the two seem to like each other very much. James secretly crawled on his knees to watch Yaya’s lakorn fitting. Yaya personally praised James on his acting. ’I am watching your lakorn na. Your acting is really good and you have a good voice,’ she told him upfront which made him smile. James with Yaya and hugging Khun Ja. Here he is on his knees at Yaya’s ftting. I don’t remember where I read this, Sanook or Kapook, some people were dubbing James Jirayu as Nadech  Kugimiya’s downfall. Someone wrote this, James Jirayu was born solely to kill (not literally, career wise) Nadech. Then there is this clip of James being a normal 19 year old posting a comment on socialcam he wants to learn how to play ‘HON-Heroes of Newerth’ and you realize he is JUST a kid.  What he said in the clip at Mthai Games:’Hello during the evening of the 10th. I have been failing at this since this morning. I don’t understand it. The thing I don’t understand is how do you play this program?’-click on the link to watch the clip, he has a nice voice. http://game.mthai.com/online-games/23966.html/comment-page-1#comments Another James tidbit: Paa Jaew, the director of ‘Khun Chai Puttipat’ wrote this recently on his IG about James:’A star is born …… Born to be a star……… But better than that is being a simple actor name @jirayu_jj …Love to see you grow up smarter and stronger.’ Source: Kapook, Pantip, Mthai Games

The program for - one of Germany’s premier Asian film festivals - the 13th edition of the Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection is complete! Over the course of six festival days, the audience will have the chance to discover more than 130 short and feature films from Japan, with many German, European, and world premieres, from 4 – 9 June 2013. The genres range from subtle dramas and wild comedies to anime and critical documentaries. Many filmmakers and artists from Japan will be present at the biggest festival for Japanese cinema worldwide. An extraordinary cultural program will top off the festival, offering a rich experience of this outstanding country. The wide and multi-faceted film program invites both experienced connoisseurs and curious newcomers to cinematic discoveries. Including Sion Sono’s science fiction drama Land of Hope, and Hajime Hashimoto’s erotic fantasy horror Princess Sakura - to name but a few. Full details, as always, on the fests official site.

Former Momoiro Clover member Akari Hayami, who has recently been active in TV dramas and commercials, will get her first starring film role in Momose, Kocchi wo Muite. Hayami will play a high school girl named Momose who becomes involved in a pseudo-romance with an emotionally awkward classmate. Showing her commitment to the role, Hayami cut off about 18 inches of hair, which she had been growing out over the past two years, in order to achieve Momose’s cropped look. The film is based on a...

The official website for Toshiyuki Morioka’s Jyokyo Monogatari has been updated with a YouTube embed of the movie’s new trailer. In yet another live-action adaptation of Rieko Saibara’s autobiographical manga, the film stars Kie Kitano as an aspiring artist named Natsumi Takahara who arrives in Tokyo to attend art school and starts living with a young man named Ryosuke (Sosuke Ikematsu). Although Ryosuke is kind-hearted, Natsumi gradually gets fed up with his inability to hold down a steady...

Screw you dodgy servers and Ukranian dick pill farmers, or whatever you are. It takes more than your poxy efforts to keep Teleport City down. In fact, the phoenix-like resurrection of that venerable site continues apace, with the latest good news being that my complete archive of film and music reviews -- some five years' worth -- has now been fully reinstated. This process has provided a real walk down memory lane for yours truly -- except, of course, in those cases of reviews that I don't remember writing, which happens. In any case, feel free to check it out, maaaan.