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,
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~
TotalFilm.com has ranked Natalie as one of their best Sesame Street appearances xD Yes, the one with the elephant… cute as a button. I always thought Sesame Street (aka. Plaza Sesamo) was a pretty good kid’s show… and I always thought Elmo was cute, plus! he doesn’t speak like a stupid Teletubbie. “nuff said.
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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?
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.
… Now if only they’d begin getting rid off region restrictions, I’d die of happiness~~~
According to this article at Derby LA Times;
Showtime will continue with their innovating Emmy campaign by allowing Emmy voters to watch episodes of Emmy-contenders online through a portal exclusively for them. They get like a Showtime voting kit in the mail, where they get a code which they can use to access.
This is after they got 21 nods last time when they were doing a similar campaign. With the code, they apparently get some episodes from shows… normally 3. They will be getting the first three episodes of United States of Tara, the first two episodes and season finale of Weeds Season 4, first two episodes of The Tudors Season 3, episodes 5 and 10 of Dexter Season 3 (the one with Miguel finally getting Dexter’s trust, and the one in which that cycle gets completed LOL), and the first episode and finale of The L Word Season 6 (and final season) – which by the way makes kind of sense. In my opinion those episodes where shot the best, and I said that you could watch those two and wouldn’t be missing anything~~~ LOL
The next idea should be ‘no region’, right? xD
The trailer for Coco Avant Chanel, about the life of Coco Chanel starring Audrey Tautou has hit the net a few days ago. Me wants to see~~~ I need a little French push at the moment with so much Asian in my life.
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Looks good, non? I’m surprised Lainey is not over all of this by now. LOL’ I thought she;d be, btu oh well~~
It was sort of nice meeting you.
Spoilers did their work on just not hyping it up, but still the final episode was pretty bleh. And Sholly… Sholly has been forever tainted with Jenny’s *disease* LOL. I blame it all on the rumor of Hollywood Ebola. HAHAHA, ‘coz Julz knows that Hollywood Ebola’s disease is so powerful, that even a rumor can infect you.
Anyway, as a goodbye to Sholly, I did a little funny.
(more…)
LOL’ What is it? The Whip Ship. Love it. xD
I just saw a glimpse of season9 of CSI on the TV, and it turned out to be Lady Heather leaving Grissom, and him telling her to stay. I haven’t watched CSI for what feels like ages~~~ Perhaps my last proper episode was the last season with Lady Heather (season7)~ xD But you know, I also saw the one with Sara and the bye-bye to Warrick, but that’s been on and off really…
Just a few days ago, I was about to swear off shipping, haha. Really, I had lost most giddiness which comes with being a shipper, but just seeing a glimpse of Lady Heather back and a share scene with Grissom makes me giddy! Just in time!!! Right?
I’ve always sort of followed Catherine/Grissom, over Sara/Grissom – mainly because there was a time where I just couldn’t stand Sara’s self-righteousness… and despite Lady Heather/Grissom’s slim chances, I’ve always had a thing for them together~~~ Even if they appeared to have reunited under some shady circumstances (Grissom sad over his relationship with Sara), anyway~ I’ll take any giddy at the moment!
Let’s hope for more Lady Heather… eh~~~ even if Petersen is not on CSI any longer…