Category: Graphics

  • Yu Aoi for new Yoji Yamada Tokyo Kazoku Film

    Yay! And I can re-use the photo too~ LOL

    Yoji Yamada was working on a new project based on the re-telling of beloved film Tokyo Story, which will be called Tokyo Kazoku (Tokyo Family). The cast has been announced as Bunta Sugawara, Etsuko Ichihara, Masashiko Nishimura, Yui Natsukawa, Shigeru Muroi, Shozo Hayashiya, Satoshi Tsumabuki and Yu Aoi.

    Satoshi Tsumabuki (30) will play the younger son, with Yu Aoi (25) playing his girlfriend.

    via Nippon Cinema

    I know the reviews for About Her Brother, aka. Otouto, weren’t glowing, but I’m still giddy over the fact that Yoji Yamada decided to call Yu-chan once again. That must mean she’s a professional, and that people want to work with her more than once, right?

    Shooting of Tokyo Kazoku starts on April 1st until late June, with a possible release (in Japan) by the end of the year… most likely early next year.


  • Facebook Friends Mapped World by Paul Butler + 2011 Wishes

    Amazing~ I thought this was a good graphic to close the year with~ a graphic of the world!

    I love how China and Russia are pretty much dark on this graphic. Also how the East coast in the US is all lit up… like everyone there has a FB account. LOL [check details + bigger resolution here]

    Anyway, guys~ 2010 is OVER. It’s gone! We’re getting older! This is so depressing xD with the opening of YAM Magazine, I’ve stopped blogging quite a bit here… which I didn’t expect. I really wanted to keep both active, but it’s impossible. I have decided to keep this for fandom blogging.

    So don’t worry, Yu Aoi fans~ I’m still going to be talking about her. I’m due a few posts on her already. Also, I tweeted someone who plans to attend Yu Aoi’s play with Satoshi Tsumabuki, asking them if they would review the show for us xD At the moment, they said yes – EXCITING! This is the first time we’re getting a review of any of her stage performances.

    Then… I have decided – Bibi Zhou fans. I’m gonna Bibify the world! I’ll try to post everything Bibi and become the Bibi hub online for English… or non-Chinese speakers/readers xD I’m starting 2011 with a Bibi post, and with a mission. LOL

    Without further ado,

    Happy 2011, everyone!


  • 2011 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations!

    It’s begun~~~ officially xD

    and look! Another banner~~~ LOL

    I generally like the Indie Spirits marketing. It’s a little more loose, but also generally more fun than the Golden Globes or the Oscar. And it’s certainly better than most Critics Choices…

    This year’s nominations… don’t surprise much, actually. It seems those most nominated have been “big” independent films. You know, we’ve talked about this already — American independent films: There are different types of indie films~~~ The pseudo-indie, known in Hollywood as indie because they “only” cost $1M, there’s the more regular indie that could cost between a few thousand dollars, then there’s indie-indie of a couple of thousand dollars, and hardcore indie which… is, just really hardcore.

    This year’s Indies seem more like pseudo-indie. Sadly… and at the same time exciting.

    I hope we get good screeners. =D Last year we got a few good ones. The most elaborate one that time was Precious. Don’t worry, I didn’t vote because of the packaging.

    I think it should be required for First Features, foreign, docus  and the John Cassavetes noms to send screeners, or allow screeners to be sent. But maybe that’s just me.

    Anyway~~~ here are the nominees~~~

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  • Juri Ueno as Gou on NHK’s 2011 Taiga Drama

    You know, I was watching the last episode of Ryomaden on Sunday’s afternoon before lunch. Sorry, Ryoma-san ~~~ I didn’t feel ya. But I did feel Teruyuki Kagawa’s Iwasaki — frienemy of Ryoma. Just like I enjoyed Kiyomori’s grey relationship with Yoshitsune.

    There’s something about not so good characters in history that’s just wayyyyy more interesting than the heroes. Heroes are boring. That’s why Atsuhime was so good! She was actually sent to manipulate the Shogun in favor of her clan… then she married the Shogun, and not-really turned on her family, but she didn’t do what she was sent to do.

    Looking forward to Gou… as well as Kenichi Matsuyama’s starring on the 2012 NHK Taiga drama about the life of Kiyomori. That’s all sorts of awesome considering he’s gonna battle it out with Hiroshi Tamaki playing Yoshitsune’s father, Minamoto.

    Yup, I just showed you all my samurai / taiga drama knowledge right there.

    It’s like I know history! I feel knowledgeable ~~~


  • Cinema Firsts for Top 10 Films

    In honor of Top 10 Films’ 1st anniversary~~~

    1. First Film: Enter the Dragon

    I figured it must be one of my dad’s favorites, since he’s the one who got the tapes and did the recordings on the Betamax from tv broadcasts…

    I literally know the dialog to Enter the Dragon ;P

    2. First visit to the Cinema: Jurassic Park

    I’m not entirely sure when my parents first decided to take me to the cinema, because my parents worked a lot so most my outings were with my aunts and cousins. And my parents think little kids who don’t behave themselves shouldn’t be taken on too many activities, so it is likely we didn’t properly go to the movies until I was 5 or more… so Jurassic Park it is.

    I saw it with my aunt and little cousin, who’s now… 20 xD

    3. First film purchase:
    VHS: None
    DVD: She’s All That and Loser

    When I grew up, it was a troubling time for the economy. We didn’t buy tapes – my dad, however, used to bring a lot of rentals from a place who used to watermark its videos with “videorama” – of course my dad taped all those Disney shorts and old movies.

    Sometimes when my uncle would visit Miami, he would bring a tape or two of Disney’s Sing Along Songs. I also remember my auntie gave me an X-Men tape (the one were the color palette is earth colors – Cyclops head is all covered and Wolverine is all brown), and my uncle gave me the tape of Winnie the Pooh’s Wishing Star story.

    My first two DVDs, I bought when I turned 15, so you can’t hold me accountable of the purchase. It was on my bday trip to California, and bought those discs thinking they were VCDs for some weird reason, and having to wait a couple of months before my family actually bought a DVD player.

    4. First Crush:
    Carly Pope and Christopher Gorham

    Weird, huh? They’re not really Film crushes, though both have done films.

    I mean it is rather silly to be a 11-year-old girl watching Titanic and swooning over Leonardo DiCaprio. First, I wasn’t THAT interested in film back then – TV was everything to me… and pop music, so it’s only fitting that my first “crushes” weren’t Film crushes.

    Once I get a crush, I am rather faithful. My interest may wain, but it will never truly disappear unless said object of imaginary affection does something truly bad.

    And god, Carly Pope’s striking face — and those eyebrows! Hmm.. I might have an eyebrow fetish (Crawford and Garbo, anyone?) — and Christopher Gorham’s sexy nerdiness. It’s killer to me. And they both supposedly speak more than one language? It’s a killer combo for me.

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  • Joan Crawford vs. Mario Vargas Llosa on Straight-Jacket?

    I was watching my newly-purchased copy of Strait-Jacket with my father, having a blast — seriously, that movie is a hoot! Can’t really wait to take a look at the extras, and see Ms. Crawford with that ax.

    But then, almost at the end of the film when Crawford is wrapping up, my dad goes on and says “Look, it’s Mario Vargas Llosa!” Freezing the image, we burst out laughing.

    do you see it? I mean this photo of Crawford in the film isn’t really it. You must see her with her not-a-wig hair from where she is normal. It’s uncanny.


  • Guilty Pleasures Regarding Reality TV

    It is common knowledge that I’m not really partial to un-scripted television. I grew up with things like MTV’s The Real World in the background of my mind, sometimes watching it quietly when I was a teen. But then it just exploded, and it’s not like I’m bothered by the actual programs… what bothers me is that contestants later become “celebrities”. It’s like being a celebrity means nothing. You can eat crap (literally) for money, win and become a “celebrity”. That’s sad.

    Having said that, I have a few shows that I do watch. It doesn’t have to do with who’s in it, or who’s going to be in it… who says it’s what, or if it’s hot or not to watch it.

    It’s simply 3 things I would like to be able to do.

    First, dancing.

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  • Shunji Iwai Fake Criterion Collection

    I was re-watching the DVD for Swallowtail Butterfly that I bought after watching the film on YouTube xD – and Because I’m cheap, I bought the Hong Kong version, when the Japanese version comes with English subtitles. I don’t think it’s the DVD per se, but the way it was shot. I don’t really know what it is, it’s scratchy, and it could certainly be because the film is kinda old. However, I would like to see a clean better release by Criterion… of all of Shunji Iwai written and directed films~

    Fake Criterion Collection: Shunji Iwai Collection - Love Letter

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  • Yu Aoi + Satoshi Tsumabuki for New Hideki Noda Play

    Yu Aoi and Satoshi Tsumabuki are set to star in Hideki Noda’s new play, Minami he (To South), at the Metropolitan Art Space from February 10 to March 31, 2011. Tickets will be on sale beginning January 8th.

    via Nikkan Sports + Tokyo Stages

    So Yu will be busy with the opening of Coin de Rue — opening the 11th — and this.

    It’s like she knows is my birthday x’D

    I could be wrong on this one, but this is the third time she does theater, right? First, Shakespeare playing Desdemona. Then Gakuya, and now this? Well, it’s not like I can attend the theater, since I won’t be understanding anything said xD


  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2010 – Day1

    First day of Wildground’s 2010 Japanese Film Blogathon for everything about J-Cinema. Check out everyone participating around the world!

    I had a bit of a problem picking my topic for today, because I mainly talk about idols that act. However, I thought I would dedicate my first post to the first ever director I saw since my craze for J-Films began.

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