Category: Moving Media

  • First Ouch Reviews for Redline and Raiou

    Okay, the Raiou review isn’t so ouch because it’s in Japanese, and it didn’t seem to talk much about the film – other than the synopsis – but they gave it 2/5 which… you know, it’s bad. It doesn’t really surprise me after Ryuichi Hiroki’s April Bride. We’re not talking about Shinobu Terajima — fully, in-your-face actress — with Ryuichi Hiroki. We’re talking about Eita and Nana Eikura — the idols.

    But still, as an idol film, I think it’s gonna floor me. I’ve seen the clips, it’s got Yu-chan riding a horse in slow-motion. Screaming. Talking with an accent. Shooting an arrow. It’s got Yu-chan’s first proper on-screen kiss — it’s not an “in your head” kiss scene, it’s not a stolen kiss — it’s a proper romance.

    Then Mark Schilling from the Japan Times – who also kicked FLOWERS in the shins – kicks Redline too. I’m gonna pick the phrases that sum up his review the best:

    “Redline” is all about visceral thrills that peak in the first slam-bang, headlong race scene. The film then spends the next 90 minutes trying to top this opener — about 90 minutes too long for me.

    …

    But the first 10 minutes are terrific.

    There you go. He gave it a 2.5/5

    But he says the animation is good, which… I mean – have you seen the World Record short from The Animatrix? Same guy directing. I can’t wait to just feast my eyes. Maybe, if the story and action is as sucky as he says (not enough drama, again?) Maybe I’ll just watch it one more time. I mean, he did love Tekkonkinkreet.

  • The effects of Twitter on my Blogging

    I’ve run out of material to post. I was working on part 1 of a post, that still needs a part 2. While also working on coding for YAM… which I didn’t do today. Haven’t had time to watch anything, listen to anything… or even finish the book I was reading.

    Oh, yeah – I haven’t posted that I’ve been reading Handling the Undead – and finally, the reliving are doing something. Also… have I told you I’ve been going to bed at 6am everyday? Sighs…

    Having said that, I got an email from the Spirit Awards – hope to get screeners early next year, though I would really like to get the screeners now. xD Looking forward to the nominees =D

  • Asia Pacific Screen Nominations 2010

    Never have followed the Asian Pacific nominations… mainly because it’s hard to, you know~~~ watch films from that part of the world for me. However, distribution is getting better – dvds are being launched so much faster, and many of them come with subtitles in English (when needed), and there’s a lot more people willing to fansub when needed.

    And YAY! Aftershocks has landed 6 nominations – including Best Film, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay PLUS! Best Actor and Best Actress. Now, I’m trying not to be biased, I don’t think actor Chen Daoming was THAT good in Aftershocks, but actress Xu Fan completely deserves it.

    The other big nominee of the night is South Korea’s Poetry (Shi) – crap! I’m really that good at film recommendations for distributors, someone hire me ASAP! – which received 4 nominations for Best Film, Best Directing, Best Screenplay and Best Actress. While Taiwan’s Monga – see, I’m good – was nominated for 3 awards for Best Film, Best Directing and Best Cinematography.

    The APSA(wards) will be handed out December 2nd on a live webcast at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards site.

    All nominations below the break~

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  • Jonsi’s Live Stream from Los Angeles

    Did you see it?

    It was amazing – LOL, the closest thing to it since I doubt he will ever perform here. I think it’s becoming a fixture… watching Sigur Ros, Bjork, Jonsi on live streams. xD

    Anyway, in case you missed it – they will be re-running the nearly-hour show pretty much all of today. Just go to the NPR website, and check if the live stream is ready for re-viewing.

  • Why Raiou Needs to Reach #1~

    Raiou, based on the novel by Mari Ueza about tragic lovers, is set to open next week on Friday the 22nd. It stars idol-in-the-rise Masaki Okada opposite established-idol-transitioning-to-actress Yu Aoi. What does Raiou mean to their careers?

    A rising-star and an established-idol starring in a period drama romance? If it succeeds, it means the rising-star will keep on rising, and the established-idol still has “it”. A period drama romance lays solely on its protagonists’ shoulders, and their chemistry. If it fails, it’s because of them. That’s a lot of scary thoughts right there~

    Why does Yu Aoi need Raiou to succeed? She is indeed an idol still. She sponsors products, and she makes a living selling products. She’s young — to westerners, anyway — she’s cute, youthful… the whole shebang. However, the life-span of a Japanese female idol is short, some of them have retired at 20! So Yu, having turned 25 already, isn’t… well, a young idol any longer. She’s been away of major mainstream entertainment, she’s had relationships, she’s been on tabloids as people discuss who she really is dating. Everything takes its toll. She’s now a woman. An actress who is still an idol. Will people support her passed her prime-early-twenty years like they did when the hit Hula Girls came out?

    Raiou holds Yu’s idol-hood future. Will it be a hit right away? Shoot to number one the first week to then drop the next? Will it slowly climb to number one in two or three weeks and stay there a week or two? Will it climb slowly up to stay there for several weeks? Will it never reach number one?? Whatever happens, it will change Yu’s bankability.

  • Black Swan Limited Edition Posters

    These are gorgeousity~~~ xD

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  • Distribution: Chinese Films to Open on Same Day in North America as in China

    Film Business Asia is reporting that China Lion Film Distribution has made a deal with AMC to release Chinese films in the cities with most Chinese demographics in the United States and Canada the same day as the films open in China.

    Now, that’s how you do distribution.

    Sure, Hollywood’s kinda getting good in World Premiere business, but only the big-studio stuff. We actually have to wait a ton for a theater release, or the release of the DVD to catch a film that’s not mainstream. The Chinese film industry lacks distribution — only films that get distributed in the US, get distributed in Latin America. The last Chinese film I saw at the cinema was Curse of the Golden Flower~~~

    So with this deal, China expands that ever-expanding Chinese film market with hopefully more than just Martial Arts Films and/or Arthouse Films. And HOPEFULLY, this will mean more Chinese films down here as well.

    So guys! Get ready for Aftershocks (aka. After Shock) kicking off this new deal on October 29th in the cities of  New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Boston, Seattle, Toronto and Ottawa.

  • Hello, Goodbye YAM012~

    Hello to YAM012.

    Goodbye (sorta) to YAM PDF.

    Hello to yam-mag.com~

    Head over, for the last time, to my portfolio to download the latest and last issue.

  • The 65 Foreign Submissions are in + Documentary shorts

    I can feel it in the air. Award season is approaching. I think Indie Spirit Awards are also done with submissions, and their nominations should arrive come early December.

    In the meantime, the Academy Awards has released the list of the 65 countries (or not-countries… Greenland?) that will be competing for 5 spots as “Best Foreign” nominees, as well as their 8 short documentaries.

    Here are some of the reviews of the ones I’ve seen.

    Let’s talk wild guess predictions in here. Which countries will be the 5 chosen ones?

    Mexico’s Biutiful seems like an easy assumption.

    China’s Aftershocks seems to be a good candidate for several reasons besides “film”. Whatever your thoughts on melodrama are, I mean… you really need to be a sour grape not to feel something for the family in that film. Either that, or you’ve never been in a natural disaster. Having said that, it is because it’s a melodrama that it’s perfect for Oscar. Moving family drama that deals with catastrophe with a really powerful and magnificently handled Earthquake scene that was a box office hit in China. It’s just good business.

    Also, China being nominated is controversial. Anything to do with China since 2008 is controversial. Controversial always brings ratings. Also nominating China is just plain good business. If China gets nominated – I dunno, what are the chances of some state channel broadcasting the Oscar? Just imaging 2/3 of China’s internet population watches the Oscar that night. That’s 200 million viewers. Anything in China is big.

    If there’s no China, it must be another cheese movie… like South Korea’s A Barefoot Dream. An underdog story of a kiddie football team and a coach. It shall make you feel happy xD

    Canada’s Incendies?

    and… I dunno what else. Peru’s chances? From what I have seen, and what I’ve heard. It could very well get into the nine before they select the final five. I’ll have a better grasp once the 9 are out xD

  • Glee Quote of the Week – S02x04 – Duets

    Sincerely, this has been Glee’s best episode of the 2nd season so far. We learned a bit from the characters, and the music didn’t take over. There was plenty of funny moments. However, I’m lazy – so this might be my last Glee Quote of the Week. Picking a quote each week is turning into “oh I don’t know what to pick” so it actually takes a lot more time than it did before.

    With this post, I want to get off the hook in case I find it difficult next week.

    Julie Andrews needs to be Kurt’s grandma, or auntie after his fierce number of Victor/Victoria. And talking about “aunties” – Tina, ain’t nothing wrong with dim sum. Or chicken feet. The Asian in me really wanted to use the chicken feet quote… because I can’t imagine salad with chicken feet. LOL

    Having said that. What a gay episode. Rachel and Kurt are meant to be fag-hag and main-gay together. Brittany did Lady and the Tramp, but she had no one. Artie’s being a bitch. But the biggest bitch of all is Santana. The difference is that I like bitch Santana, and I think Artie’s just being a jerk. He’s all like “poor me, you took advantage of me”. Suck it, Wheels!

    BitchSantana may be a major bitch, but still ain’t bitch enough to battle the biggest bitch of all. Santana meet Nicole Julian – I think you’re both known as Satan in your respective universes.

    There was also cheerleader make-out scene. O_o

    I’m like a lizard. I need something warm beneath me or I can’t digest my food.

    I like that she doesn’t take offence in comparing herself with a lizard. xD