The Golden Rock - September 17th, 2007 Edition

It's still Sunday in the states, and Asian films didn't win anything in Toronto, so there's just not that much news out there today:

- Apparently there is such a thing called "sex radio" in China. At least, radio shows that talk about sex. However, I will never be able to find out what they're like, because they just got banned. I really wanted to know about the "efficacy of certain drugs for sex" too.

- Yutaka Takenouchi, whom I always believed to be a cooler version of Takashi Sorimachi, is returning to film after he was in Calmi Cuori Appassionati 6 years ago. This time it's an adaptation of the story "Wenny Has Wings," about how a tragic accident strains the bond of a family. I was really hoping he would just lighten up and do a comedy.

- After Hong Kong-based Max Makowski works on the ill-advised remake of Shinobi (the one that will be about Hong Kong triads instead of ninja clans), he will help revive the 70s television series Kung Fu for film after Allen and Albert Hughes (these guys haven't really worked for a while) decided to take on another project. Please don't tell me this one will involve triads too - just because you're based in Hong Kong doesn't mean it always have to be about triads.

- It's more French than Asian, but Variety's Ronnie Scheib has a review of the French film Plum rain, about a stage director who goes to Japan to oversee his play being performed there. That in itself makes it worthwhile of the blog.

- If you're in Spain in October, be sure to check out the Sitges film festival. This year, you would apparently get to see Dai Nipponjin, Vexville, and Sukuiyaki Western Django, among other films.
- How can Toho simply let people take their most acclaimed films get into the hands of pirates? A Tokyo court has now ordered a company to halt production on their Kurosawa collection. Er....doesn't that mean it's time for Toho to release relaible and cheap DVDs of Kurosawa films?