I was nutz over the poster I saw a while ago, coz it was oh so pretty. And now! Ooh la~~~~ Trailer!!!
[iframe width=”560″ height=”349″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/01-PqqifyjA?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″]

I was nutz over the poster I saw a while ago, coz it was oh so pretty. And now! Ooh la~~~~ Trailer!!!
[iframe width=”560″ height=”349″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/01-PqqifyjA?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″]
Tetsuya Nakashima’s latest film, PAKO to Maho no Ehon is one horrorific Japanese film – and you should see it for it. Nakashima has become quickly in one of my favorite Japanese directors (alongside Shunji Iwai, who is, by the way, a total different approach to filmmaking) and Memories of Matsuko is my favorite Japanese film to date.
Nakashima is quickly turning into my Japanese sort of Tim-Burtonesque filmmaker stylist, in the way he uses rich visual enhancements to his storytelling – thanks to his background in CMs, and just found out and remembered watching this – He combines amazing color treatment, art direction, cinematography and mashes it all up with anything he can… be it a bit of violence, grandeur musical numbers, and animation.

In the end, it isn’t much of a surprise when you begin watching Paco and the Magical Book and find yourself in a very Disney-nesque world (the film starts with a Lion-King-esque chant, literally) – after all, this is supposed to be aimed at a younger audience. However, don’t ever fool yourself thinking that this will dumb down anything that Tetsuya wants to show… which includes a punk-goth-tatooed-blond nurse (Anna Tsuchiya), a psychologically-insane-ex-child-star-bum (Satoshi Tsumabuki), a raging-drag-queen whom a lot of people are referring to as ‘gay’ (Jun Kunimura), and a blood-sucking-neck-biting-vampiresque nurse (Eiko Koike). And don’t forget the grumpy old man who doesn’t back down when hitting the kid (Koji Yakusho)… well, I actually laughed at that bit. Does that make me an asshole??
Yes, the film is nuts, but it’s worth watching. For international audience, it might not be recommended to watch with their kids, unless they are willing to read subtitles… because films like this should be enjoy in its original language. I still think is not as brilliant as Matsuko, but I will have to see it once more with proper subtitles to form a strong opinion. And man! Those CGI animated sequences… and the whole thing, like I said~~ dramatic comedy meets Disney on LSD. I think that’s the perfect description for Nakashima’s style.
I’ll leave you with some links,
Ao Akua arrived this afternoon! – Book is the cutest thing ever. LOL’ Tinier than I expected really~~

Though, I don’t love this PB as much as I love A Piacere, mainly because I was a tad bit disappointed on the photographs. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few great shots, but a lot of snap shots too~~ What I love about this one? I like the concept, and the fact that there’s a companion DVD.
More after the break.
Something about the film:
(From AsianMediaWiki)
Schoolteacher Hisako Oishi struggles to imbue her students with a positive view of the world and their place in it, despite the fact that she knows full well that most of them will die in the war.
Genre: Drama
Starring: Hitomi Kuroki, Kaoru Yachigusa
Appearances by: Akira Emoto, Yu Aoi, Shun Oguri
Duration: +2hr
Below, the spoilers~
LOL’
Yes, I hurt my knee doing this, but still~~ was kinda fun. What you think?

I also need to get a remote control for my Nikon D70s, anyone has any good suggestion as to what I should get? It’s hard figuring out when the timer will go off, jump and get a good shot… also, going back and forth from camera to spot to jump – so NOT FUN.
Comment me here, xD
Thanks to Lainey, and NataliePortman.com~~ Variety is reporting Natalie and Brad are teaming up for a new film!
The film has a long ass name, ready? Are you sure? It will be the adapted film from the book called, “Important Artifacts and Personal Property From the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry.” – Yes, that’s a whole title. We’ll referred to it as “Artifacts” for the moment~~~
Pitt’s Plan B will produce with Portman’s Handsomecharlie Films banner. Portman brought the book to Pitt, whose company is Par-based.
The book takes the form of a Sotheby’s-like estate auction catalog, with 325 entries and photographs depicting items that reveal the private moments and the rise and fall of a four-year relationship between the fictitious couple Hal Morris (a 40ish photographer) and Lenore Doolan (a New York Times food columnist in her late 20s).
The project will be developed as a romantic comedy to star Pitt and Portman.
At this time, Brad Pitt has a LOT, and I do mean a LOT of work~~ He’s got Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds coming out soon, followed by Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and Moneyball by Soderbergh. While… well… Portman has only Brothers, which we’ve been waiting for a while now – with Jakey!! xD and Maguire.
I am also waiting to see New York, I Love You~ despite some of the other people involved in it. Ha! And she’s algo got Love & Other Impossible Pursuits, but I’m guessing it will be quite a while until the day I get to see that one…
Thoughts?
… well more like making you remember. LOL I think I might have perhaps talked about this on previous Why the 90’s Ruled or Not editions. But here it goes,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qirBaUq0aPU
You LUV it, right? The video, LOL – you’re free to go after the break to keep on reading… travel through time!!! xD
OMGOGMOGMGGMOMOGMG. I just died of excitement. *laughs*
I haven’t been to Yu Aoi’s website in a while, and not only did I find a new ‘news item’ but also a new ‘message’ – they were announcing the release of Portugirl!! Yu’s NEW PHOTOBOOK!!!!!
OMG, I’m so frakin’ BROKE. =.=

And the PB just went on sale on Saturday… according to the website. March 14th ~ which is NOT TODAY anymore. However, the Amazon.co.jp link I found shows the ‘pre-order’ button, instead of the ‘add to cart’ – not like I’m buying through Amazon *laughs* but just something to point out. Also~~~ HMV Japan has it listed with another title.
Should I test HMV and not wait for YesAsia to list it? I have $5 off my next YesAsia purchase, but that could expire before the book shows up there~~~
Anyway!!! Best thing ever~~~ Yu’s back with Yoko *laughs* – to quote Yu on Travel Sand. I LOVE Yoko-san’s world. ALSO… when did Yu got time to visit Portugal??? Yo, girl~~ I’m telling you… you should totally visit this side of the world, and I’m not talking about Venezuela or any of the Guyanas xD
As you know, I LOVED WOWOW’s Camouflage with Yu Aoi. *hearts* So the prospect of a WOWOW project with Juri (before she goes off to Europe to film more Nodame – Julz, this is your cue) is NUTZ. The current working title apparently is:
GI~TA~ KE~SU no Onna –> A Girl with a Guitar Case, but you know that could change just like Camouflage switched titles.
As you know, I liked Hito no SEKKUSU (Don’t Laugh at my Romance) and Hyakuman-en (One Million Yen Girl) which had WOWOW attached… of course that might had to do with Yu Aoi as well ~ but these prospects are the same. ^^
ON OTHER NEWS!
There’s a trailer out for Juri’s North India Documentary with NHK on the Jiji no e Tegami project, or Grandfather’s Letters… which in case you didn’t know~~~ Juri has a song for… (just like she has Onara Taisou for Nodame).
The documentary will be on NHK March 20th (Friday) from 8pm to 9.29pm (LOL, 29? haha… sorry). Set your clocks, and I will set my own time… 6am??? GOSH~
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For more some photos and graphics, head over to Juri’s LJ community.
Weeeeee