Cinema is Dope

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Japanese Poster Appreciation Month - January 2009

Vintage Movie Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, January 3, 2009

Now here is some fantastic high flying artwork and illustration from what I hear is one of the best action films of the 70’s. I missed getting to see this one at Fantastic Fest this past year and definitely plan to still track it down. I’m told in addition to Wang Yu and Sammo Hung there are brief cameos by one of my favorites Lam Ching-Ying, as well as Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao in it. I believe at some point this year the brand spanking new documentary Not Quite Hollywood (official site) highlighting Australian ”Ozploitation” should be getting a proper US release and it features and profiles this movie.

The director Brian Trenchard-Smith really was a class act with a quick wit that could make anyone laugh at Fantastic Fest last year. I remember having a blast watching the Danish sci-fi romp The Substitute with him, Jasper and Harvey, where I was glad that so many seemed to have been converted to instant fans of the always great Paprika Steen.

Japanese Poster Appreciation Month - January 2009 (Archive):
::: January 6 - Sisters (1973)
::: January 5 - Crime Boss (1972)
::: January 4 - White Lightning (1973)
::: January 3 - The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
::: January 2 - Rolling Thunder (1977)
::: January 1 - Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
::: January 1 - Army of Darkness (1992)
::: Preview - Cannonball! (1976)
::: Previous Japanese Posters Featured @ Cinema is Dope

Related The Man from Hong Kong Coverage:
::: Official Brian Trenchard-Smith Blog
::: Fantastic Fest 2008 Listing
::: Headquarters 10 Loves This Movie
::: Outcast Cinema/Marc Thoughts On
::: Devin from CHUD talks about this movie from Fantastic Fest 2008
::: Swarez thoughts on the movie from Fantastic Fest 2008
::: Q&A from Not Quite Hollywood (TexasGeek.tv)
::: Kung Fu Cinema Review

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

* If you don’t see your site listed here and it covers Japanese cinema please comment below so that I can review it and possibly include it in future lists.

About Japanese Poster Artwork Celebration Month:
To kick off 2009, I can think of no better way of doing so than celebrating Japanese poster artwork. The emphasis will be more of western films through the lens of Japanese poster artwork and of course some of my own personal all-time favorites. At a future date I’ll probably have a month devoted to solely Japanese films and their poster artwork. So be sure to tune in each day during the month of January as I have an incredible amount of incredible Japanese posters that will be on display. Hopefully at the end of this I can convert many of you into life long fans of Japanese posters!

Please help and spread the word on the January 2009 themed Japanese Poster Celebration Month here at Cinema is Dope. Tweet your friends. Mention it in your Facebook status or Friendfeed. Link to it on your blog. Any support is greatly appreciated!!!!!

You can follow along at these specific urls/web addresses:
::: www.cinemaisdope.com/category/movie-wallpaper-japanese-poster-celebration-month/
::: http://tinyurl.com/japanese-poster-2009

Starring in these posters will be: Antonio Sabato, Bruce Campbell, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, David Carradine, Dustin Hoffman, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, George Lazenby, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Jack Nicholson, James Coburn, Jennifer Billings, Jim Brown, Jimmy Wang Yu, John Boorman, Kate Jackson, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, Michael Caine, Peter Fonda, Richard Pryor, Roddy McDowall, Sergio Leone, Sidney Poitier, Susan Strasberg, Warren Oates, William Devane and many more…

If you’re interested in Japanese cinema, I highly recommend the following Cinema is Dope picks for January 2009. For this months book selection we have Behind the Pink Curtain by Jasper Sharp. For video recommendation this month we have Linda Linda Linda.

Additionally fans of Japanese cinema will want to pick up this amazing Yasujiro Ozu tribute shirt from Mondo Tees!

As always when in Austin, Texas, be sure to check out Weird Wednesday (January/February 2009 lineup) or Terror Tuesday (January/February 2009 lineup) and of course Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

My current favorite restaurants in Austin that are an absolute must visit are Clay Pit (be sure to place an order of naan bread) and Uchi. Be sure to tell them CinemaisDope.com sent you if you visit.

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Sunday, December 7, 2008

One great film certainly can do wonders for revitalizing a career, especially with Van Damme and JCVD. Can’t wait to see what the future will now spring…

Related Coverage:
::: Previous JCVD Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: Cyborg Japanese Movie Poster Artwork (Cinema is Dope)
::: Fantastic Fest 2008 Listing
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Page
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Video of Intro & Q&A
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD, JT and the “Re-Emergence” Film
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD: Human
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme Blooper - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme on the TV Show Friends (2:00 minutes in) - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme dancing in the film Breakin’

Image Source:
Official still used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: Official Site
::: IMDb Profile

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Friday, December 5, 2008

A fantastically jaded Japanese poster for a fantastically jaded film that gets better with each passing viewing. Up next for Maury and Bustillo seems to be Neiges aka Snow (I have a quick bit from great filmmaker Xavier Gens talking about it here on Twitch). While you’re there be sure to if you haven’t already… read the interview I did with Maury and Bustillo on Inside (read here).

Related Coverage:
::: Blake Meets the Inside Directors
::: Inside Co-Director Alexandre Bustillo Favorite & Worst Film Picks of 2004
::: Rodney Reviews Inside

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Thursday, December 4, 2008

Raise your hand if you saw this at Fantastic Fest this year, have seen the Japanese trailer for the film (shown here) or seen it recently at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Ritz (get tickets)!!!!!

Related Coverage:
::: Previous JCVD Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: Cyborg Japanese Movie Poster Artwork (Cinema is Dope)
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Page
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Video of Intro & Q&A
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD, JT and the “Re-Emergence” Film
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD: Human
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme Blooper - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme on the TV Show Friends (2:00 minutes in) - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme dancing in the film Breakin’

(Read more…)

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New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day
Saturday, September 13, 2008

Deadgirl has been getting a lot of buzz lately after its TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness world premiere. It strikes Austin at Fantastic Fest 2008 in the coming days and should be interesting to see how the crowds react. The coverage below should give you a good overview for this controversial conversation starter indie horror film.

Upcoming Film Festival Appearances:
::: Fantastic Fest
::: Sitges Film Festival
::: Leeds International Film Festival

Related Coverage:
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Listing
::: Dread Central Review
::: They Shoot Actors Don’t They Review
::: indieWIRE Capsule Review
::: Moviemartyr Review
::: Todd Brown Review
::: Little White Lies Review
::: John Allison Row Three Review
::: Bloody Disgusting Review
::: El Giante Review - AICN
::: Crunchy Squirrel Goes to Toronto Capsule Review
::: Peter Sciretta Capsule Review
::: SpaceBlog Capsule Review
::: mathew5000 Capsule Review
::: Deadgirl Intro & Q&A - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: World Premiere Video - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: Deadgirl-Related PSA - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: Interview with Trent Haaga - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: Conversation From The Line Reaction to Deadgirl - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: Deadgirl - Urban Exploration - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: Deadgirl: Extreme Objectification - TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Blog
::: INTERVIEW: Deadgirl (TIFF 08): Directors Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel - Bloody Disgusting
::: INTERVIEW: EXCL: Deadgirl’s Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel - ShockTillYouDrop.com
::: Mayhem reigns in Toronto’s “Midnight Madness” films

DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT
By Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel

Our involvement in Deadgirl originated with our interest in making a film that explored the pain of being young and the confusion of growing up, but in a way that felt altogether new. We were also intrigued by the challenge of taking a traditional genre film, and turning it on its head. What excited us about Trent Haaga’s script was the way it told a story that felt familiar at first, but then took a dramatic and terrifying turn into a direction no one could possibly anticipate.

It touched upon typical teen fears – intimacy, abandonment, uncertainty – and spun from realism to the surreal, and then back again. We felt the very nature of the script embodied what it was like to be a teenager – uncompromising and rebellious, while at the same time maintaining an earnestness, even in the most desperate of circumstances. That emotion, as well as some pretty dark humor, was important to keep us connected to the characters, even when their actions turned horrifying or uncomfortable.

When we first meet Rickie and JT, they appear to be characters we all recognize: troubled teens at a precipice in their lives. We think we know what is about to happen to them, and we think we understand where their lives are about to take them. It could be the start of any teenage horror flick—except we wanted to test our characters by making them face a surprising villain—themselves. Instead of killing a monster or outrunning some psycho to live another day, Rickie and JT are forced to battle and confront their most animalistic instincts to survive.

We were very lucky to have the opportunity to cast Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan, who understood that Rickie and JT needed to be more than stock characters. In order for a challenging story like this work, they would need to make them into flesh-and-blood human beings. Both imbued their characters with real emotions, insecurities, tenderness, fears and hope. Deadgirl becomes disturbing beyond its basic premise because the audience is invested in these two young men as real people.

The idea of addressing how people fight their urges and find ways to justify the unspeakable acts that they are capable of, is not only fascinating but continuously relevant. There’s a point in life when many see for themselves a disappointing future that differs greatly from the one they always expected. It can be a painful moment –what we see as the “horror of growing up“– and as filmmakers, we were excited to explore the theme through such an uncompromising, unique, and hopefully unforgettable story.

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JCVD (film listing) gets its North American debut next week in Austin, Texas, (Friday, September 19th at 10:00 PM; Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar) at this years Fantastic Fest! Who thought in 2008 that you would find Austin audiences buzzing for a new Jean-Claude Van Damme film? Will if you made that bold prediction, you were right (according to the latest buzz numbers off the Fantastic Fest site). So to date this year we have now seen the return of Mickey Rourke and now Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Related Coverage:
::: Previous JCVD Movie Wallpaper (Cinema is Dope)
::: Cyborg Japanese Movie Poster Artwork (Cinema is Dope)
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Page
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness Video of Intro & Q&A
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD, JT and the “Re-Emergence” Film
::: TIFF ‘08 Midnight Madness - JCVD: Human
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme Blooper - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme on the TV Show Friends (2:00 minutes in) - YouTube
::: Jean-Claude Van Damme dancing in the film Breakin’

Image Source:
Official still used in the original international release of the film.

Related Links:
::: Official Site
::: IMDb Profile