Father Geek here with long time Asia-AICN Reporter pigmon Who is going solo and will be giving us a new AICN-Japan column each week... Here's his first one...
NEWS...
NEWS...
* Last week ,there was huge Japan premire and press conference for "The Matrix Reloaded" with Keanu Reeves,Laurence Fishbourne,Hugo Weaving,Jada Pinkett Smith and Joel Silver in Tokyo. Around 600 press showed up at this press conference and best part was when Keanu and his company shouted to Tokyo Tower,"The Matrix Reloaded Tokyo Tower!!", Tokyo Tower's lighting turned to completely green.
* Now this week,another huge press conference took place in Tokyo."Charlies Angels:Full Throttel" press conference with Cameron Diaz,Drew Barrymore,and Lucy Liu happened in front of 1000 press(and 2500 fans at the outside of arena the day before the press conference, these Charlies Angels appeared in one of the oldest Japanese noodel shops in Tokyo. Cameron Diaz had vegetable noodels, Lucy had Okame noodels with Tempura batter topping and Drew ate the fatty Tempura plate.....
* Gaga Communications gets the rights to make a film based on Capcon's best selling game,"Devil May Cry". This is second project to make films from Capcon, first one was "Kagemusha" which is under developing. Both movies will be live action,not 3D CG animation(GAGA got a good lesson from "Final Fantasy") and plan on shooting in 2005. GAGA has already another game based project with Namco is in progress,"Tekken:The Movie" which first draft script should be ready any day now.
* "Battle Royal 2" is nearly completed (expect to finish June 15th) and will be premire on June 22 in Tokyo. I will try to get in and write the first review for you guys.
* "AZUMI" ,one of most disappointing movies of this year got offers from 12 countries after showing a 20 minitues demo at Cannes Film Festival. Original movie took 2 hours and 22 minitues but Japan Herald announced that there will be a 2 hours International version in the works. Two major distributors from US are curious about this film but they will determine what they will do after viewing this International version. I think this movie will never be shown in US theaters......
* "Godzilla vs Gamera" the Kadokawa-Daiei company really likes the idea of making "Godzilla vs Gamera" near future but the Toho company does not want to make it. Godzilla will have its 50 years anniversary next year. Toho has some big plan for next year. If this project goes on ,it will be after 2005. Another rumor regarding to Toho company ,they plan to make (B big budgeted submarine movie....it is going to be the remake of "Kaiteigunkan".
SHORT-REVIEWS...
* "AZUMI" directed by Ryuhei Kitamura("Versus"and "Alive")
This movie is most the disappointed movie of this year from both our audiences and Japanese critics. I can say that this is a new type of Japanese samurai movie with speed and graphc violence but story line and the relationship of each characters are so weak. After viewing this movie ,you feel like its all the live action version of Anime and it leaves nothing for your brain to work on at all. Biggest problem is that most of characters are so young that I don't feel any reality for most of period the film has. A Good example is,when Azumi alone faces 200 samurai, she looks like shes cutting letteus and tomatoes. It needs a more strong and heavy image. We need some explanation that explains why Azumi is so strong.
* "Nasu:Summer In Andalusia" directed byKitarou Kosaka("Sprited Away"'s art director)
This is short film (47 min) and looks like big picture. One of Miyazaki's one of the best man, Kitaro Kousaka's feature film is beautiful and funny. It is about a famus bicyle race in Spain, "Vuelta A Espana". You have never seen so many race bycycles in Anime history. Kitaro knows how to handle the difficult animation on each bicycle perfectly. You will bite nails at the end of the race.It is really great. It is truly this summer's Anime champion in Japan. A winner.
* "Geroppa(Get Up)" directed by Kazuyuki Izutsu
This is one of best Japanese comedy movie in years.Starring by top actor in Japan,Toshiyuki Nishida who plays Hanemura, Yakuza boss is about going back to jail for another 5 and half years.Hanemura's friend gets good idea to cheer Hanemura up before going back to jail:kidnapping James Brown and make perform in front of Hanemura.James Brown is in Japan tour,so youth yakuza goes to the hotel where JB stays. The problem is these young yakuza see all the black men look like J.B. One night ,they captures J.B.at the hotel. Actually they kidnap fake J.B. who travels with Fake Show (Marilyn Monroe, Elvis,and so on). Fake J.B.is played by Willie Raynor whose is based in Hollywood. I hope this movie will be shown in US. Anyway title, Gerropa" refers to "Get Up" We ,Japanese hear Gerropa instead of Get Up.
BOX OFFICE
Great promotion done by Japan's UIP,Eminem's "8 Mile" is at number uno position for the second week in a row.
