Cinema is Dope

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One of Simon Yam’s finest performances is in the latest film from Johnnie To, Sparrow. I caught this at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year. It was an instantly jarring To film because you realize very early on it’s a G rated To crime film. What it doesn’t have in violence and bullet mayhem it makes for with charm so catchy it resonates like a free flowing and upbeat Coltrane solo.

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Ami (Minase Yashiro) is one girl you don’t want to bully with in Noboru Iguchi’s Machine Girl. Media Blasters will be releasing this film via DVD on June 3. For those around the Austin area, Fantastic Fest (www.fantasticfest.com) will be holding a special theatrical screening of it on June 2 (more info).

Of special note with this filim is Yoshihiro Nishimura who does molding/special effects. He also worked on Meatball Machine, Death Note: The Last Name, Strange Circus and Exte: Hair Extensions. Their directing debut comes out this year with Tokyo Gore Police (view trailer), which by the tile along sounds like a lot of damn fun!

Machine Girl also features the work of action director Masaki Suzumura (Death Trance).

Related Coverage:
::: AFFF 2008: THE MACHINE GIRL Review (Ardvark @ Twitch)

Japanese Cinema:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

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Odagiri Joe and a nosey Miura Tomokazu in Miki Satoshi’s, Adrift In Tokyo (Tenten). Certainly seems to be a cult festival film in the making.

Related Coverage:
::: Adrift in Ever Morphing Tokyo - Jason Gray
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: Udine Report: ADRIFT IN TOKYO Review (Todd @ Twitch)
::: Vampire Queen meets Miki Satoshi
::: Are You Having A Laugh? An Interview With Miki Satoshi - Interview by Mark Schilling
::: Miki Satoshi Pictures from Udine 10

Japanese Cinema:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

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Takashi Miike’s Crows Zero (Kurôzu zero) seems to be the feel good gangster movie of 2008! Eagerly anticipating catching this somewhere on the festival circuit this year.

Related Coverage:
::: Japanese Poster Artwork
::: Review by Mark Schilling
::: AFM: CROWS 0 Review (Todd @ Twitch)

Japanese Cinema:
::: Jason Gray
::: Mark Schilling’s Tokyo Ramen
::: Midnight Eye
::: Outcast Cinema
::: Ryuganji
::: Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow

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As Udine 10 wraps up tonight with its closing night party. In this edition of Udine 10 @ a Glance I highlight all the interviews they have compiled for the festival this year, enjoy!

Interviews:

Japan (all interviews by Mark Schilling):
::: Are You Having A Laugh? An Interview With Miki Satoshi
::: The Cool Comedian: An Interview with Fujita Yosuke
::: Taking The Blows: An Interview With Koizumi Norihiro
::: A Return To Always: An Interview with Yamazaki Takashi

Hong Kong:
::: The Collaborator: An Interview With Sylvia Chang
~ Tim Youngs

Philippines (all interviews by Jessica Zafra):
::: Altar Boy: An Interview With Rico Ilarde
::: Bringing Out the Dead: An Interview With Neal Tan
::: Flights of Fantasy: An Interview With Mark Reyes

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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As Udine 10 winds down so will all the reviews, pictures and news coming out. I expect some more reports from various people that were there over the following weeks. It will be interesting to see what wins there this year, as well as what everyone’s favorite films end up being and related fun festival stories.

Latest Udine 10 News:

News:
::: Far East Film 10: Venerdì 25 (Udine20.it)

Photographs:
::: 2 Pics from pierofix (Flickr)
::: 2 Pics from Selena M. (Flickr)

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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There really is nothing on the Internet or in any media like David’s great GreenCine Daily. It really is in most cinephiles top 3 scenarios - if you could only take 3 websites to an Island with you, what would they be? It has a firm pulse on the film world we all love in all its many facets, shapes and voices. Today there was an excellent mention that brought up the topic more or less of the current state of film criticism. What I find fascinating is often times we as writers change our voice depending on whom we are writing for. If we are writing for print we trim our voice to the alloted space (perhaps sometimes write longer and let our editors sort it out) and then hone in sometimes on the style the outlet is expecting. There is creativity to be had out there for sure, but there is also manufactured film writing going on where we are packaging up our voice on something. This really does vary from writer to writer how much this is all done. Some writers just have that one unmistakable voice that they constantly hone in on and it comes through regardless how short or what outlet they are writing for. These are often times the writers I am most drawn to.

There is writing for business. There is writing for art. There is writing that is personal.

To some degree we all perhaps float in between one of those three or are in many cases just doing one. The more we hit on all art and personal writing I think lends itself to writing the most compelling pieces out there, so long as they still keep some site of business (if they are writing to be paid).

The Internet and blogging allows us as writers to now stray away from the business side and just share our writings on art and who we are, our voice uncut. We aren’t often worried about commerce or making money. It bridges a new gap with people that might read us to hear how we really write without word limits or any silly guidelines. It gives us a work out gym of writing to hone in on our voice and dig deep for meaning, substance and the heart of things that sway and moves, the inner essence of what makes us feel alive and connected with the world.

So to this I say it’s always great to have a reminder that we need to throw away our boxes and things that hold us back from writing with our voice. It’s not just about being a cinephile, its also about writing with our voice and for art as well. Explore the world, meet new people and just get out.

There is nothing but ourselves to limit our writing and why limit what we love, why write about anything where you are trying to confirm.

The most important lesson in film writing is just be yourself and let the chips fall. And by this I don’t necessarily mean for you paid work, but on your blogs and other places. I’m tired of people saying that on any personal film blogs your writing should conform this or that way and follow this or that guideline. Screw that stuff. This is the space I can write without limits or rules and offer up my voice uncut. Anyone can write like all the other sheep’s out there, but honestly there are countless sites out there with people instead of writing with their voice, they write with trying to adhere to some kind of pre-determined guidelines or rules, when they should just throw everything out the window and write with their own voice.

Too many film writing sheep out there makes everything rather bland and makes reading rather dull as it is.

::: How to Write Film Criticism? Stop Reading It.
Karina Longworth

::: Curious but Vital
Hollywood Elsewhere

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So it seems horror day was a great success yesterday at Udine 10. Today I have several more new links to new imagery being done out there and a ton of new reviews as well.

Latest Udine 10 News:

News:
::: Fests Galore! LA’s Indian, Dallas’ USA, Udine’s Asian - Peter Martin (Cinematical)

Film Reviews:
::: More Reviews from asahifirsa - Resiklo, Glorious Team Batista, Other Half, Our Town, Screen at Kamchanod, Black House, Guardpost and Body No. 19
::: Udine Report: THE BLACK HOUSE Review - Todd (Twitch)
::: Udine Report: THE BODY Review - Todd (Twitch)
::: Udine Report: THE GUARD POST (GP506) Review - Todd (Twitch)

 
 
Photographs:
::: Photos Day 7 - Udine20.it
::: Pics from Amici del giovedi (Flickr)
::: Pics from pierofix (Flickr)
::: Pics from zeno cosini (Flickr)

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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I feel particularly nostalgic here with this great poster artwork for Flash Gordon (1980). I saw this film when I was a kid at a test screening of all things. This particular cut was a much, much longer cut of the film that I have sadly yet to ever see again at theaters or on home video of any format.

Eiga Chirashi = mini poster/flyer’s from Japan

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A quick note to point you over to Twitch where my interview with Sydney Tamiia Poitier aka Jungle Julia is now up.

Also dig while reading it a ton of exclusive pictures I took of her and Zoe Bell.

::: THE TWITCH INTERVIEW - JUNGLE JULIA

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In great news that may or may not have hit your radar, Matthew Kiernan is the Sponsorship Coordinator for Fantastic Fest (www.fantasticfest.com). What a great and welcome addition this is!

::: It’s Official…
Matthew’s post on Headquarters 10 announcing this

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Horror Day I believe is currently rolling along today at Udine 10. What frights and gaps will we be able to report in tomorrow with from everyone around the Internet? The only shocking thing at the moment is a picture (view here) showing Udine programmers and staff doing a group massage for a guest. I can it’s not very often you see a festival roll out the red carpet like this. Though maybe it wasn’t a massage, maybe it was one of those, “We looooveeee your moooovieee so much!,” kinda moments!?! For those at Udine 10, I can offer up a fright of a different kind. Walk about a block and a half south of the movie theater and grab a bite to eat in the pizza parlor on the right. You will be shocked as hell to get served by the waitress, we like to call (cue horror sound effects) - The Mustache Lady! While some females do seem to always have a wee bit too much hair around their upper lip as a sort of garlic repellent towards any advances someone might make on them, The Mustache Lady has a full on grown out mustache.

Latest Udine 10 News:

Film Reviews:
::: Udine Report: THE GLORIOUS TEAM BATISTA Review - Todd (Twitch)

Photographs:
::: Photos Day 6 - Udine20.it
::: Photos Day 5 - Udine20.it
::: Pics from niachan (Flickr)
::: Pics from pierofix (Flickr)
::: Pics from gianpy77 (Flickr)

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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So what happens when a Vampire Queen meets Miki Satoshi? Apparently this (view here)!

It certainly looks like Mark Schilling is having a blast out at Udine 10 this year! See new pictures of him and Miki Satoshi (view here).

Latest Udine 10 News:

Film Reviews:
::: Quick reviews from asahifirsa on Adrift in Tokyo, Funuke, show some love you losers!, Going by the Book, Deathfix, Kala Malam Bulan Mangambang, The Detective and The Wonder Years
::: Vampire Queen Talks In the Pool With Pictures
::: Udine Report: ADRIFT IN TOKYO Review - Todd (Twitch)
::: Udine Report: FUNUKE SHOW SOME LOVE YOU LOSERS Review - Todd (Twitch)
::: Udine Report: KALA MALAM BULAN MENGAMBANG Review - Todd (Twitch)

 
 
Photographs:
::: Photos Day 4 - Udine20.it
::: Pics from zeno cosini (Flickr)

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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Since I couldn’t make it out to Udine Far East Film Festival this year, I’m going to try my best to keep up with its coverage around the Internet. If your covering the festival this year either as media, blogging, videos or photographing, please let me know.

Of particular note today is this great photograph of Miki Satoshi (view here) via Amici del giovedi (e della topa) on Flickr. Two other great photographs from the festival can be seen (here) and (here). Seems like everyone is having fun at Udine this year, even Smurfs!

Latest Udine 10 News:

Film Reviews:
::: Udine Report: IN THE POOL Review - Todd @ Twitch
::: Udine Report: THE ASSEMBLY Review - Todd @ Twitch
::: Quick reviews from asahifirsa on Happiness, In the Pool and The Assembly

 
 
 
Photographs:
::: Several great pictures from Amici del giovedi (e della topa) (Flickr)
::: Tons of pics from ub66 (Flickr)
::: Various pics from zeno cosini (Flickr)

News:
::: Seven Thai Films at Udine - Wise Kwai’s Thai Film Journal

Related Links:
::: Udine 10 Official Site
::: Udine 10 Official Blog
::: Udine 10 Trailer

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Easily one of my own personal favorite films of 2008 is The Wackness. I am particularly fond of the late 80’s and early 90’s, for which there seems to be few films set in. Regardless of this the film really was quite a welcome surprise when I caught it earlier this year at the European Film Market in Berlin. You can a bit more on my initial thoughts on the film over at Twitch (read here).

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