Sunday, July 15, 2007

The Golden Rock - July 14th, 2007 Edition

- I'm not a fan of Ayumi Hamasaki at all, but for your information - the second MTV of her short film with Hong Kong actor Shawn Yue is up as well. While the annoying flashes and whooshes are gone, it runs out of steam and logic halfway.

- This weekend, Japan Times' Kaori Shoji reviews the kamikaze documentary Tokko (Wings of Defeat), while also turning in a feature on the film, its director Risa Morimoto, and producer Linda Hoagland (one of the most top subtitlers in Japan). Meanwhile, Mark Schilling reviews the Cannes participant dark comedy Funuke Domo, Kanashimi No Ai Wo Misero ( Funuke, Show Some Love, You Losers!)

Meanwhile, other critics in Japan has been praising the film as one of the best of the year, which helped Funuke score a pretty big opening weekend on July 7th. In one Shibuya theater, the film attracted 1870 admissions, grossing 2.84 million yen. However, since the theater actually sits 303 people, and let's say it opened at 4 shows a day (it's now at 5 shows a day), that's just a "pretty good" 77% capacity. Still, you can't ignore that 2.84 million yen gross.

By the way, the film will play with English subtitles from August 4th to August 10th, so you can check it out for yourself which critics are right.

- As the Hong Kong Broadway Cinema chain website has reflected, the Carol Lai-directed horror film Nakara 19, starring EEG stars Gillian Chung and Vincy Chan, has been pushed back from an early August opening to the post-summer date of September 6th. This signals either: 1) Hong Kong films are learning to get out of Hollywood blockbusters' way, or 2) The powers that be don't have much faith in the film. This leaves only two Hong Kong summer films left - Benny Chan's Invisible Target and Wilson Yip's Flashpoint. The Hong Kong Film blog also lists Triangle as an August 23rd opening, but no Hong Kong cinema chain website has confirmed that. More on the Hong Kong summer tomorrow on the Podcast.

- Dave's Trailer Page has a trailer of the Hong Kong limited release hit Two Days in Paris, directed by and starring Julie Delpy. Honestly, it doesn't even look like an arthouse film.

- Everyone has completely forgotten, but it looks like Derek Yee's long-awaited The Shinjuku Incident, featuring Jackie Chan playing a rare dramatic role, is actually now set to start shooting in November. Yes, Jackie Chan is still playing an exchange student in Japan. Actually, now that I think back to my days in Japan, there were some somewhat old Chinese exchange students there, so it MIGHT work. Maybe.

- Posters, posters, posters everywhere. First, we have the latest posters for Yoshimitsu Morita's remake of Sanjuro, then we have the individual character posters for Peter Chan's Warlords.

- In China, a sci-fi writer lost his case against 20th Century Fox and director Roland Emmerich, whom he accused of stealing his play for the hit film The Day After Tomorrow. He lost because 1) He couldn't prove when he wrote the plays, and 2) that 20th Century Fox ever had access to his plays. Ouch. Then again, is Hollywood the only one doing the plagiarizing?

- Spain's Neptuno Films has bought up distribution rights for the China-Singapore co-produced animated series Katakune. So far, the show is set to broadcast in China, Taiwan, and Thailand, with Neptuno planning to bring it to all areas outside Asia and North America.

- The Japanese film University of Laughs, about a clash between a playwright and a government censor, has been adapted into a play by British playwright Richard Harris. In fact, the whole crew just took the play to Japan.

4 comments:

YTSL said...

"...either: 1) Hong Kong films are learning to get out of Hollywood blockbusters' way, or 2) The powers that be don't have much faith in the film. This leaves only two Hong Kong summer films left - Benny Chan's Invisible Target and Wilson Yip's Flashpoint..."

Actually, there's also THE DRUMMER (due to open at the end of August). Granted that it may not be seen in some quarters as entirely a Hong Kong movie (on account of it being officially a HK-Taiwan-Germany co-production) but it stars Jaycee Chan, Lee Sinjie, Tony Leung Kar Fai, Roy Cheung and Josie Ho.

Additionally, Jay Chou's upcoming movie, SECRET, stars Anthony Wong Chau San along with Jay Chou and an actress whose name I can't remember.

*And* I hope that HOOKED ON YOU has a long run in cinemas, partly as counter-programming to all the Holllywood, action and animation that will be the rule this summer in Hong Kong.

GoldenRockProductions said...

Hi, YTSL,

I always thought of Jay Chou's Secret as a Taiwanese film, which is what his currently-shooting Kung-Fu Dunk is being billed as, despite the presence of Charlene Choi.

And I had no idea The Drummer is opening at the end of August, and I thought I wouldn't be able to catch it if I missed it at Summer Pops in HK next month.

Thanks for the info!

YTSL said...

Hi Golden Rock Productions --

BTW, where have you heard/read that FLASHPOINT will be playing in theatres this summer? Have seen the trailer but don't know about any (certain) release dates for it.

More re THE DRUMMER: Readers in Switerland (are there any?!) might like to know that it's on the programme at Locarno this year.

GoldenRockProductions said...

Hi, YTSL,

This blog observed that the theatrical posters initially had an August 2nd release date, but later posters have simply stated that it will open in August.

And I thank you in case there are anyone from Switzerland reading this =P