November 18 - 24, 2005
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
TOKYO DRIFTER at the Japan Society (Nov. 19)
Actually, the Subway crew is split on this one. It's either Seijun Suzuki's best film, or one of his most overrated. Either way, we all agree that it is a MUST SEE.
COMING SOON
On November 30th, the documentary, FROM THE MASSES TO THE MASSES: AN ARTIST
IN MAO'S CHINA will be screened at the ASIA SOCIETY.
For more info. call (212) 517-ASIA.
HARDBOILED AND IN THE MOOD: TONY LEUNG RETROSPECTIVE
December 1 - 18 at BAM
Little Tony (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) gets a retro in Brooklyn of all places. The line-up is pretty extensive, from his artsy movies (CITY OF SADNESS, FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI and CYCLO) to his rarities (MAGIC CRANE, TOKYO RAIDERS) and the stuff that made him a super-stud like HARDBOILED, and a Wong Kar-wai triple feature with HAPPY TOGETHER, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and 2046 all in one day).
SO CLOSE (Dec. 2)
Hong Kong's female action movie in excelsis comes to the Museum of the Moving Image for one night only.read a review:http://www.subwaycinema.com/frames/archives/nyaff03/soclose.htm
Starting December 2nd, MoMA will present a series of Chinese silent and early sound films titled: BRIGHT STARS, BIG CITY: CHINESE CINEMA'S FIRST GOLDEN ERA, 1922-1937. For more info, try moma.org
EK AJNABEE (Dec. 9)
One of Bollywood's last big movies of the year looks like a doozy: starring Amitabh Bachchan in a riff on MAN ON FIRE (burnt-out bodyguard kills thousands while protecting innocence of little girl), shot in Bangkok and with action by Seng, a Thai stunt choreographer who did the tuk tuk chase in ONG BAK and did stunts in BORN TO FIGHT, the eye popping action flick from Panna Ritthikria, Tony Jaa's mentor.
See the trailer:http://www.ekajnabee.com/flash.htm
NOW PLAYING
BAM
KENJI MIZOGUCHI RETROSPECTIVE (Oct. 31 - Nov. 22)
Japan's often-unseen master gets a full retro (well, pretty full) out at BAM. More introspective than Kurosawa, less static than Naruse, Mizoguchi is a great director to test yourself against: can you appreciate his movies, or do you fall asleep? Try the grim and grueling SANSHO THE BAILIFF or the go-go tragedy of STREET OF SHAME for starters.
Here's the remaining schedule:
Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) 144minMon, Nov 21 at 6, 9pm
Street of Shame (1956) 87minTue, Nov 22 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
more info:http://www.bam.org/film/series.aspx?id=38
Columbia University
THE AESTHETICS OF KAWAII - 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
Monday, November 28 @ 4PM
What is cute? Why does it matter? Prof of Film and Media Studies from Meiji Gakuin University, Inuhiko Yomota, explains it all to you.
LIGHT NOVELS, GAMES AND OTAKU IMAGINATION - 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
Tuesday, November 29 @ 6PM
Hiroki Azuma lays out the future of entertainment for you.
Film Forum
NARUSE: THE UNKNOWN JAPANESE MASTER
October 21 - November 17
Naruse's final film SCATTERED CLOUDS will bring this retro to a close on Thursday 11/17. More info:http://www.filmforum.org/films/naruse.html
A great essay on Naruse:http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0542,stephens,68959,20.html
IFC Center
PULSE (2001, Japan)
Starts November 9
This is Kiyoshi Kurosawa's most accessible flick, and my personal favorite horror movie of his. It also happens to be one of the best Japanese horror movies ever made. If you're tired of dead wet girls with long black hair then this one's for you. It's all about how using the internet is exactly the wrong thing to do if you're worried about accidentally opening up a hole into hell and letting all the ghosts of lonely dead people out to invade the world of the living and spark an apocalyptic wave of mass suicides.read a review:http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/kairo.shtml
ImaginAsian Theater(239 East 59th Street, btwn 2nd and 3rd Ave)
PULSE begins on Friday 11/18
THE XI'AN INCIDENT (China, 1981)
Plays at noon on Saturday and Sunday 11/19, 11/20
An historical recreation of Chiang Kai Shek's 1936 capture and forced partnership with the Communists to fight the Japanese invasion.
Japan Society
HIROSHI SUGIMOTO FILM SERIES (Nov. 11 - Dec. 11)
Japanese visual artist Hiroshi Sugimoto lands at the Japan Society and programs any old thing that grabs his fancy. But what grabs his fancy are visually dazzling flicks like Suzuki Seijun's TOKYO DRIFTER, the S&M-esque odyssey BLIND BEAST, and Kenji Mizoguchi's silent THE WATER MAGICIAN.
more info:http://www.japansociety.org/events/category.cfm?id_category=1
This week:
BLIND BEAST (1969, Japan, 86 minutes)
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura
11/19 AT 2 pm and 11/20 at 4:20 pm
TOKYO DRIFTER (1966, Japan, 82 minutes)
Saturday, November 19 @ 3:45PM
Suzuki Seijun (PRINCESS RACCOON) dropped an impeccable style bomb on the yakuza film with this flick about a sensitive soul who has to rely on his fists to get along in a world of violence. All-white night-clubs, shoot-outs sinking in a swamp of enormous abstract objects, a theme song that never dies, shaving cream sprayed on a sailor's face from under a hooker's skirt. This one's worth it.
THE FACE OF ANOTHER (1966, Japan, 124 minutes)
11/20 at 2pm
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
A man loses his face and has another person's grafted on - cool!
Korean Cultural Service
The Korean Cultural Service presents monthly video projections of independent and mainstream movies.
A BITTERSWEET LIFE (2005, Korea)
Thursday, November 30 @ 6:30PMKim Ji-Won's first movie since A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is a hardboiled, eyeball ravaging flick about gangsters with problems.
read a review:http://www.koreanfilm.org/kfilm05.html#bittersweet
INNOCENT STEPS (2005, Korea)Thursday, December 15 @ 6:30pm
A Chinese-Korean ballet dancer with no experience competes in Seoul!
more info:http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1004031708/code-k/section-videos/
A TALE OF CINEMA (2005, Korea)Thursday, December 29 @ 6:30PM
Hong Sang-Soo's art film has gotten good reviews all over the place. If you're a fan, you'll be there.
Read a review:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001221699
Loew's State
Currently the State is playing these Indian films but not sure what will be coming on Friday - call to check:
GARAM MASALA
Akshay Kumar stars in the kind of bubbling, musical comedy that Bollywood specializes in.
more info:http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5785
KYON KI (India, 2005)
Salman Khan, he of the ripped abs and the flying fists, in a romance with mega-talented Kareena Kapoor in Bollywood movie that takes on...medical ethics?
Read a review:http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5788
SHAADI NO 1 (India,2005)
The latest comedy from laughmeister David Dhawan - it stars an assortment of youthful talent - Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan, Soha Ali Khan (sister of Salif) and Esha Deol.
Museum of Modern Art
Early Autumn: Masterworks of Japanese Cinema from the National Film Center, Tokyo
September 14 - January, 2006
Japan's National Film Center opens its archives and releases 53 prints of some of Japan's classic must-see films.For the historically-minded, there's rare, early classics on hand like MR. THANK YOU, RICKSHAW MAN, WHERE CHIMNEYS ARE SEEN and INO AND MON. If you're looking for early work by major directors, there's Mizoguchi's SISTERS OF THE GION and Kurosawa's SUGATA SANSHIRO.And if you like your movies pulpy, don't miss MATANGO (ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE), GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA and the first ZATOICHI movie, here called: THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF MASSEUR ICHI.Full listings: http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/film_media/2005/japanese_cinema.html
Museum of the Moving Image
UGETSU (1953, Japan, 96 minutes)
Sat and Sunday at 6:30
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi - considered one of the great classics of cinema
And always be sure to check Grady's poorly named, but tremendously informative and entertaining Asian film blog, Kaiju Shakedown at:
http://www.kaijushakedown.com/
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
TOKYO DRIFTER at the Japan Society (Nov. 19)
Actually, the Subway crew is split on this one. It's either Seijun Suzuki's best film, or one of his most overrated. Either way, we all agree that it is a MUST SEE.
COMING SOON
On November 30th, the documentary, FROM THE MASSES TO THE MASSES: AN ARTIST
IN MAO'S CHINA will be screened at the ASIA SOCIETY.
For more info. call (212) 517-ASIA.
HARDBOILED AND IN THE MOOD: TONY LEUNG RETROSPECTIVE
December 1 - 18 at BAM
Little Tony (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) gets a retro in Brooklyn of all places. The line-up is pretty extensive, from his artsy movies (CITY OF SADNESS, FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI and CYCLO) to his rarities (MAGIC CRANE, TOKYO RAIDERS) and the stuff that made him a super-stud like HARDBOILED, and a Wong Kar-wai triple feature with HAPPY TOGETHER, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and 2046 all in one day).
SO CLOSE (Dec. 2)
Hong Kong's female action movie in excelsis comes to the Museum of the Moving Image for one night only.read a review:http://www.subwaycinema.com/frames/archives/nyaff03/soclose.htm
Starting December 2nd, MoMA will present a series of Chinese silent and early sound films titled: BRIGHT STARS, BIG CITY: CHINESE CINEMA'S FIRST GOLDEN ERA, 1922-1937. For more info, try moma.org
EK AJNABEE (Dec. 9)
One of Bollywood's last big movies of the year looks like a doozy: starring Amitabh Bachchan in a riff on MAN ON FIRE (burnt-out bodyguard kills thousands while protecting innocence of little girl), shot in Bangkok and with action by Seng, a Thai stunt choreographer who did the tuk tuk chase in ONG BAK and did stunts in BORN TO FIGHT, the eye popping action flick from Panna Ritthikria, Tony Jaa's mentor.
See the trailer:http://www.ekajnabee.com/flash.htm
NOW PLAYING
BAM
KENJI MIZOGUCHI RETROSPECTIVE (Oct. 31 - Nov. 22)
Japan's often-unseen master gets a full retro (well, pretty full) out at BAM. More introspective than Kurosawa, less static than Naruse, Mizoguchi is a great director to test yourself against: can you appreciate his movies, or do you fall asleep? Try the grim and grueling SANSHO THE BAILIFF or the go-go tragedy of STREET OF SHAME for starters.
Here's the remaining schedule:
Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) 144minMon, Nov 21 at 6, 9pm
Street of Shame (1956) 87minTue, Nov 22 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
more info:http://www.bam.org/film/series.aspx?id=38
Columbia University
THE AESTHETICS OF KAWAII - 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
Monday, November 28 @ 4PM
What is cute? Why does it matter? Prof of Film and Media Studies from Meiji Gakuin University, Inuhiko Yomota, explains it all to you.
LIGHT NOVELS, GAMES AND OTAKU IMAGINATION - 403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
Tuesday, November 29 @ 6PM
Hiroki Azuma lays out the future of entertainment for you.
Film Forum
NARUSE: THE UNKNOWN JAPANESE MASTER
October 21 - November 17
Naruse's final film SCATTERED CLOUDS will bring this retro to a close on Thursday 11/17. More info:http://www.filmforum.org/films/naruse.html
A great essay on Naruse:http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0542,stephens,68959,20.html
IFC Center
PULSE (2001, Japan)
Starts November 9
This is Kiyoshi Kurosawa's most accessible flick, and my personal favorite horror movie of his. It also happens to be one of the best Japanese horror movies ever made. If you're tired of dead wet girls with long black hair then this one's for you. It's all about how using the internet is exactly the wrong thing to do if you're worried about accidentally opening up a hole into hell and letting all the ghosts of lonely dead people out to invade the world of the living and spark an apocalyptic wave of mass suicides.read a review:http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/kairo.shtml
ImaginAsian Theater(239 East 59th Street, btwn 2nd and 3rd Ave)
PULSE begins on Friday 11/18
THE XI'AN INCIDENT (China, 1981)
Plays at noon on Saturday and Sunday 11/19, 11/20
An historical recreation of Chiang Kai Shek's 1936 capture and forced partnership with the Communists to fight the Japanese invasion.
Japan Society
HIROSHI SUGIMOTO FILM SERIES (Nov. 11 - Dec. 11)
Japanese visual artist Hiroshi Sugimoto lands at the Japan Society and programs any old thing that grabs his fancy. But what grabs his fancy are visually dazzling flicks like Suzuki Seijun's TOKYO DRIFTER, the S&M-esque odyssey BLIND BEAST, and Kenji Mizoguchi's silent THE WATER MAGICIAN.
more info:http://www.japansociety.org/events/category.cfm?id_category=1
This week:
BLIND BEAST (1969, Japan, 86 minutes)
Directed by Yasuzo Masumura
11/19 AT 2 pm and 11/20 at 4:20 pm
TOKYO DRIFTER (1966, Japan, 82 minutes)
Saturday, November 19 @ 3:45PM
Suzuki Seijun (PRINCESS RACCOON) dropped an impeccable style bomb on the yakuza film with this flick about a sensitive soul who has to rely on his fists to get along in a world of violence. All-white night-clubs, shoot-outs sinking in a swamp of enormous abstract objects, a theme song that never dies, shaving cream sprayed on a sailor's face from under a hooker's skirt. This one's worth it.
THE FACE OF ANOTHER (1966, Japan, 124 minutes)
11/20 at 2pm
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
A man loses his face and has another person's grafted on - cool!
Korean Cultural Service
The Korean Cultural Service presents monthly video projections of independent and mainstream movies.
A BITTERSWEET LIFE (2005, Korea)
Thursday, November 30 @ 6:30PMKim Ji-Won's first movie since A TALE OF TWO SISTERS is a hardboiled, eyeball ravaging flick about gangsters with problems.
read a review:http://www.koreanfilm.org/kfilm05.html#bittersweet
INNOCENT STEPS (2005, Korea)Thursday, December 15 @ 6:30pm
A Chinese-Korean ballet dancer with no experience competes in Seoul!
more info:http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1004031708/code-k/section-videos/
A TALE OF CINEMA (2005, Korea)Thursday, December 29 @ 6:30PM
Hong Sang-Soo's art film has gotten good reviews all over the place. If you're a fan, you'll be there.
Read a review:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001221699
Loew's State
Currently the State is playing these Indian films but not sure what will be coming on Friday - call to check:
GARAM MASALA
Akshay Kumar stars in the kind of bubbling, musical comedy that Bollywood specializes in.
more info:http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5785
KYON KI (India, 2005)
Salman Khan, he of the ripped abs and the flying fists, in a romance with mega-talented Kareena Kapoor in Bollywood movie that takes on...medical ethics?
Read a review:http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/5788
SHAADI NO 1 (India,2005)
The latest comedy from laughmeister David Dhawan - it stars an assortment of youthful talent - Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan, Soha Ali Khan (sister of Salif) and Esha Deol.
Museum of Modern Art
Early Autumn: Masterworks of Japanese Cinema from the National Film Center, Tokyo
September 14 - January, 2006
Japan's National Film Center opens its archives and releases 53 prints of some of Japan's classic must-see films.For the historically-minded, there's rare, early classics on hand like MR. THANK YOU, RICKSHAW MAN, WHERE CHIMNEYS ARE SEEN and INO AND MON. If you're looking for early work by major directors, there's Mizoguchi's SISTERS OF THE GION and Kurosawa's SUGATA SANSHIRO.And if you like your movies pulpy, don't miss MATANGO (ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE), GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA and the first ZATOICHI movie, here called: THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF MASSEUR ICHI.Full listings: http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/film_media/2005/japanese_cinema.html
Museum of the Moving Image
UGETSU (1953, Japan, 96 minutes)
Sat and Sunday at 6:30
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi - considered one of the great classics of cinema
And always be sure to check Grady's poorly named, but tremendously informative and entertaining Asian film blog, Kaiju Shakedown at:
http://www.kaijushakedown.com/
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