Venice: Asian Films in Competition

63rd Venice Film Festival (launched 30 August 2006)
Venezia 63 – Asian Films In Competition...

Paprika (Japan - 90’)
Director: Kon Satoshi (anime).

Mushishi (Japan - 131’)
Director: Otomo Katsuhiro
Starring: Joe Odagiri, Makiko Esumi, Nao Omori.

Fangzhu (Exiled) (Hong Kong, China - 98’)
Director: Johnnie To
Starring: Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Simon Yam.

Hei yanquan (I don’t want to sleep alone)
(Taiwan, France, Austria - 115’)
Director: Tsai Ming-Liang
Starring: Lee Kang-Sheng, Chen Shiang-Chyi, Norman Atun.

Sang sattawat (Syndromes And Century) (Thailand, France, Austria - 105’)
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Starring: Nantarat Sawaddikul, Jaruchai Iamaram, Sophon Pukanok,
Jenjira Pongpas.

Asian Cine News

Asian Cine News

The next project of Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai (Election) will be "The Blue Ocean and A Brave Heart”. Based on a true story, the film tells of a canoeist (Huang Jue) who overcomes difficulties to finally snatch the gold medal in the Olympic Games. Tony Leung will play his coach. Producer Li Xiaowan and screenwriter Chi Shao'ai teamed up for the project.

Director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is wrapping up´his latest project, "I'm A Cyborg (But That's Ok)", film about a girl who believes she´s a robot, starring actress Lim Su-Jeong (A Tale of Two Sisters) and pop singer Rain.

Speaking of sci-fi flicks, the new film of director/actor/writer Stephen Chow apparently will be titled “LONG RIVER 7” , refering to a satellite.

Recycle (HK)

Asian Cine News

Asian Cine News

the last samurai - Another remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (1954), is supposedly in preproduction. This good, or very bad news, depending on the point of view, was announced by Donnie Yen. The chinese actor was invited by the Weinstein brothers to be part of the future hollywood project.

Golden Boy - The “Oldboy” director Park Chan-wook was invited to joint the jury of the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. The jury president will be french veteran actress Catherine Deneuve. Last year, Park’s film "Sympathy For Lady Vengeance" won the CinemAvvenire (Cinema of the Future) award in Venice, the Little Golden Lion and the Best Innovated Film award. Next Park´s project, "Cyborg Girl", will be released at the end of year.

"Operation Condor" Trilogy - The Hua Shang Bao newspaper reported that Hong Kong star Jackie Chan is making preparations to film the third installment of his "Operation Condor" (1987) and "Armor of God" (1991) series. Chan plans to direct and cast mainland Chinese actors, returning to his leading role of treasure hunter Asian Hawk.

Fist and Fun – before we can see another chapter of the “Operation Condor”,Chan and Jet Li will be working together for the first time on planned project "Monkey King" by Hollywood director Rob Minkoff.

Korean Blockbuster - "The Host" directed by Bong Joon-ho stomped past the 10 million viewer mark, already. The movie about a monster from Seoul's Han River became only the fourth Korean film to surpass that milestone after "Silmido”, "Taegukgi" and "The King and the Clown." But “The Host” set the record for the shortest period in reaching the milestone just 21 days after its release. (http://english.chosun.com/)

Shutter (Thailand)

Shutter (DVD/ Thailand, 2004, 105 min.)
Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
Screenplay: Banjong Pisanthanakun; Sopon Sukdapisit
With: Ananda Everingham (Thun), Natthaweeranuch Thongmee (Jane),
Achita Sikamana (Natre), Unnop Chanpaibool (Tonn).



One night, a young photographer (Thun) and his student girlfriend (Jane) accidentally run down a woman. They had been drinking hard at a party, so they run away of the crime scene. Some time later, strange shadows appear at some Thun´s photos and, tormented by guilt, he and Jane start investigating the possible link between the photographs and avenging spirits.
This is a very well done film, a hit at its home Thailand, good actings, impecable production, but don´t expect Pang Brothers or Shimizu brillancy, it´s more like “I´d follow the manual of asian thriller movie step by step” with sucess. And you won´t enjoy it less, for sure!

China Cine News: Ang Lee, Tony Leug, Venice Fest

Telegraphic News
 Adaptation - The names of some cast members of director Ang Lee's new project Lust, Caution were released after much speculation. The lead actress will be Tang Wei, a new film star in China's mainland. Based on a short story by Eileen Chang, the story of "Lust, Caution" is set in the Japanese occupied Shanghai during the Japanese aggression in the 1940s.

Painful Affairs – the new production of the HK directors team Andrew Lau and Alan Mak is a police thriller, entitled Confession of Pain. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai (as Lau, a police officer) and Takeshi Kaneshiro (as ex-cop, alcoholic private detective Yau). Aditional casting include actresses Xu Jinglei and Shu Qi.

It´s all true - Yuanmingyuan is the new documentary film of the awarded chinese director Jin Tiemu. The modern digital production tells the story of Yuanmingyuan; full of exquisite landscapes, the Old Summer Palace was once the world's largest and most luxuriant royal garden. Its construction began in 1707 during the Qing Dynasty and took more than 100 years to finish. "Yuanmingyuan" is set to be screened in China this September.

“And the winner is...” - The Hong Kong Film Critics Association announced the winners of the 11th Golden Bauhinia Awards last Sunday. The musical “Perhaps, Love” won six awards, including best director (Peter Chan), best actress (Zhou Xun), and best music. Johnny To´s “Election” received the top award of best film, and Simon Yam was crowned best actor.

Golden Lion - Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's martial arts epic The Banquet, starring incensed young actress Zhang Ziyi, will have its world premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3. The 20 million U.S. dollars film, coproduced by Huayi Brothers and the Hong Kong Media Asia Films Company, will be released across Asia on Sept. 15.

Danny, the Dog

Danny the Dog (DVD, 2003, 102 min.)



by Louis Leterrier; screenwriter: Luc Besson
martial arts coreography by Yuen Wo Ping; music by Massive Attack
with Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon.

Even if you disapprove Mr. Li playing such a medodramatic role (being nursed by an old blind musician and his naive teen stepdaughter), can´t miss the excellent action, the always brilliant martial arts coreography by the master Yuen Ping. And only french Luc Besson to come up with such a crazy funny story.

The Eye 10

 The Eye 10 (DVD, Hong Kong-Thailand, 2005)
by Pang Brothers; with Chen Po Lin (Ted), Isabella Leung (April), Kate Yeung (May), Kris Gu (Gofey), Ray McDonald (Chongkwai).

Pang Brother´s last film inside this kind of “trilogy of the spirits”, The Eye 10 turns back to its sucessors, The Eye 1 and 2, with a revisionist but, at the same time, ironic and openly comic looks. You can count on the frighting moments, anyway. This film has the flavor of the classic american teen horror movies, enjoying the group histeria factor, but keeping an eastern vision of the spirits world, in contraposition to the usual psicokiller plus urban legend staged until the exaustion it the hollywood productions. It´s a must see for the genre´s fans. With all the theme´s recycling one must wait to see what´s next in the filmography of this creative chinese directors. (see the post of june 29)

News: The Pang Brothers took home the Most Creative Award, at the 11th Golden Bauhinia Awards, for their box office hit, the horror flick "Re-Cycle"; the brothers will do the remake of their 1999 action thriller "Bangkok Dangerous", with Hong Kong actress Charlie Young and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage.