Cinema is Dope

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Monday, September 29, 2008

With Hiroshi Kuze in the mix, this certainly looks to be more than usually interesting. Add Fumihiko Sori to the mix and this could be really damn good. I’m sure word out of the Sitges Film Festival this year should be a good indication on how well this film has turned out. I have some very cool Sori stuff to post here in the coming days…

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

Press Notes

INTRODUCTION
“Zatoichi” – the lonesome blind swordsman in search for justice – has been one of the most popular samurai heroes in Japanese film and TV.

In ICHI, we bring back this character, but replacing the main character as a female. She is a lone goze (a blind traveling entertainment troupe) who has been isolated from her troupe She carries a shamisen (traditional Japanese instrument) and a walking stick with a hidden blade inside, and wonders about to find a place for herself in life.

Because she is blind (and also, beautiful), she constantly encounters people who try to take advantage of her. People treat her coldly, and she is even dismissed by the others who are blind or in the lower rank as her.

However, Ichi stands tall with dignity. It may be that because this character — who fights with pain every time she swings her sword — is a female, the audience is able to feel her sorrow and the sting in the heart of the difficulty to live.

It is also through her eyes that cannot see, that the audience will reach her soul, and her true relief when she finally connects with others by finding friendship and love.

The swordplay will be done in a classic form with intensity, with the swordplay direction done by Hiroshi Kuze, the man behind Akira Kurosawa’s amazing sword fights.

Director SORI, acclaimed for his direction in PING PONG (2002) and a hit CG Animation VEXILLE (2007) returns to bring ICHI in action, together with a great cast and crew. Audiences will definitely appreciate and feel the emotions of each character, and the action which brings the film to a dramatic climax.

About ZATOICHI
A fictional character and samurai hero in one of Japan’s longest running series of films (26 in total) and television. Zatoichi, a wandering blind swordsman who protects the innocent and fights the injustice, has been acted by Shintaro Katsu through 1962 to 1989, who was the sole actor to work on this role until Takeshi Kitano has directed and acted his version of Zatoichi in 2003. In “ICHI” the character returns in a female role.

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Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Monday, September 29, 2008

As shown in the image above, avoiding a lethal snake fist requires great skill and cunning acrobatic like grace. At a moments notice you have to be able to divert through blocking or jumping to avoid its venomous blow. When contrasted with monkey kung fu style, the snake fist is even more highly entertaining to witness on the big screen.

Related Coverage:
::: Previous Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: Kung Fu Cinema Review
::: The Slums of Shaolin

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Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, September 28, 2008

Striking image from the last Harold Lloyd (official site) silent film, Speedy. This silent is aptly titled with Lloyd’s real life nickname. A film print of Speedy will be screened in the middle of October at the 2008 Flanders International Film Festival-Ghent (more details).

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, September 28, 2008

Ryoo Seung-wan (City of Violence) returns with the fun spy spoof Dachimawa Lee starring Lim Won-hie. This will be playing very soon in the coming days at the Sitges Film Festival (www.cinemasitges.com)

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Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, September 27, 2008

Seems about time to get start getting some images up from this classic family film.

Caption:
Babe’s new owners, Arthur and Esme Hoggett (James Cromwell and Magda Szubanski), proudly pose before their farm with their reliable sheepdogs Rex and Fly.

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