easternkicks.com » Filmmakers

A brief guide to Takeshi Kitano

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:00:04 +0000

With Takeshis’ finally on a limited release in the UK (we originally reviewed it back at the 2005 London Film Festival!) Guardian writer David Thompson recently posted a brief guide to the man himself, Takeshi Kitano. (But it may leave you wanting to know much more!)…

Of course, we rather slammed Takeshis’ on it’s original release as self-indulgent (though it had as much to do with that films immaturity). But was that fair? Kitano is hardly the first or last filmmaker to take their own fame or profession and exploit it as the subject of a movie. Take Pedro Almodovar’s recent Broken Embraces. (The difference being Pedro had Penelope Cruz to distract us!)

So what do you think about some of Kitano’s more recent work? Has he lost the plot completely, or is it okay for a director’s output to become self-indulgent, even when arguably it isn’t appealing to anyone else?

Drop us a line using the comment box below…

Read David Thompson’s Takeshi Kitano Guide on the Guardian online »

Xiaolu Gu presents She, a Chinese at BFI Southbank

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:09 +0000

The BFI continues to support Asian cinema in the UK with a special preview of Xiaolu Gu’s She, a Chinese on Wednesday 10 February, which will feature a Q&A with the director and novelist himself whose previous work includes How is Your Fish Today and A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers. The film concerns an enigmatic young Chinese woman raised in a backwater, longing for a different life.

Find out more and book tickets »

Ozu at the BFI Southbank, Tokyo Story released nationwide from 1 January

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:00:52 +0000

The BFI kicks off the New Year with an exhaustingly comprehensive season celebrating the work of the acclaimed film director Yasujiro Ozu. Promising nearly every surviving work by Ozu (over 30 films!), the season runs throughout January and February – starting with a nationwide UK release for his masterpiece Tokyo Story.

Best known for tales of family tensions and troubles, such as Tokyo Story itself and other films like An Autumn Afternoon, Story of Floating Weeds, Late Autumn and Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family, the season also offers the chance to see lesser known comedies (like Days Of Youth) and gangster films (Dragnet Girl). The BFI are also running a special offer, buy tickets for four films, get a fifth free!

The retrospective will be accompanied by a season highlighting Ozu’s influence on filmmakers throughout the world, including Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys.

Ozu season at the BFI Southbank

Andrew Heskins — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:52:56 +0000

Best known for tales of family tensions and troubles, such as Tokyo Story itself and other films like An Autumn Afternoon, Story of Floating Weeds, Late Autumn and Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family, the season also offers the chance to see lesser known comedies (like Days Of Youth) and gangster films (Dragnet Girl). The BFI are also running a special offer, buy tickets for four films, get a fifth free!

John Woo to receive lifetime honour

Andrew Heskins — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:00:20 +0000

Arguably it would have been unimaginable 20 years ago, when his crowning glory The Killer was originally released – if only because few filmmakers from Hong Kong were lauded at the time – yet next year John Woo will be presented with a lifetime achievement honour at the Venice Film Festival.

Some may indeed scoff (and some of Woo’s back catalogue, such as Payback, may well be better glossed over) but his influence over cinema in the last 30 years, particularly action films, is undeniable.

Organisers praised him for being “an innovator of the contemporary language of cinema”. Continuing: “Woo is considered a master who has changed the language of contemporary film for generations of filmmakers.”

The award will be presented next September.

London Korean Film Festival 2009

Andrew Heskins — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:00:24 +0000

The annual festival is back for another feast of new features, events and animations, running for the third year at the Barbican, in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korean Content and Culture Agency (KOCCA).

This year the spotlight will be taken by an exclusive screening of director-of-the-moment Yang Ik-june’s Breathless, followed by a Q&A with the director himself. There’s plenty from Korea’s master directors, including Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, Kim Ki-duk’s Dream and Yoo Ha’s A Frozen Flower. There’s also a celebration of one of Korea’s most-loved directors, the late Yoo Hyun Mak, best known for Aimless Bullet, and a focus on Korea’s burgeoning independent scene. Other events and screenings include sleeper hit Scandal Makers and a Korean Animation Day.

The season also includes the afore mentioned Bong Joon-Ho retrospective showing at the BFI Southbank.

» Visit www.koreanfilm.co.uk for more information

London Korean Film Festival 2009

Andrew Heskins — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:50:19 +0000

The season also includes the afore mentioned Bong Joon-Ho retrospective showing at the BFI Southbank.

» Visit www.koreanfilm.co.uk for more information

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Bong Joon-ho season at the BFI Southbank London

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:33 +0000

The BFI to screen the entire filmography from one of the finest and most inventive filmmakers in the world – Bong Joon-ho – including a preview of his latest offering Mother, followed by a conversation with the man himself…

Exciting times for Asian film fans indeed. From his short films; to his impressive debut Barking Dogs Never Bite (still unavailable on DVD in the UK); to his international breakthrough Memories Of Murder; the celebrated hit family drama/monster movie hybrid The Host; his contribution to Tokyo; and finally Mother – an inventive tale of a mother turned detective to clear her retarded son, accused of murdering a sexually precocious girl. All will be screened through early November at the BFI on London’s Southbank, a welcome celebration of a modern South Korean talent.

» Find out more about individual screenings and times from the BFI website

Win a trip for two to the London Premiere of Thirst, and meet director Park Chan-wook in person

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:00:32 +0000

Palisades Tartan, the reborn imprint of the Tartan Films label, are offering a chance for two to attend their UK premiere of Park Chan-wook’s Thirst and meet the director in person…

A winner and two runners-up will be randomly selected from those who enter. The grand prize winner will win a trip for two to London to attend the UK premiere of Thirst at the Curzon Soho cinema on Monday 5th October 2009, hosted by Metrodome Distribution in association with Palisades Tartan UK. The winner and a friend will also have the opportunity to meet and have lunch with the film’s celebrated director, Park Chan-wook. The grand prize includes roundtrip transportation to London from the major airport or train station nearest to the winner’s home address, as well as overnight hotel accommodation for their stay in London.

The two runners-up will each receive a copy of the Vengeance Trilogy DVD Box Set released by Palisades Tartan UK.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is visit Palisades Tartan’s competition page between now and midnight on Wednesday 23rd September 2009 and enter your details.

» Enter the cometition here

In July 2008, the highly respected US company Palisades Pictures and its parent company Palisades Media Corp acquired a majority of Tartan Film UK’s 400-plus film library assets and branded their new division Palisades Tartan. Now bigger, better and bolder than before, Palisades Tartan will continue to expand on an already distinctive and provocative catalogue of films and to re-introduce the most popular elements of the former Tartan label to a whole new audience through DVD re-releases and exclusive DVD box sets, as well as through brand new releases in both the theatrical and home entertainment markets – starting with next month’s theatrical release via Metrodome Distribution of the eagerly awaited vampire movie Thirst from Old Boy director Park Chan-Wook.

Future releases also include A World Without Thieves, written and directed by Xiaogang Feng (Assembly; The Banquet), one of the most successful film directors in China, and starring Andy Lau (Three Kingdoms; House Of Flying Daggers; Infernal Affairs), Rene Liu (Double Vision; The Personals), You Ge (If You Are The One; Legend Of The Black Scorpion), Baoqiang Wang (Assembly; Blind Shaft) and Bingbing Li (The Forbidden Kingdom; The Knot), the film is billed as a thrilling crime caper with plenty of action and more than a hint of romance to spice things up. Out on Monday, 21 September.

53rd London Film Festival

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:04:36 +0000

The 53rd London Film festival runs from 14 to 29 October, with plenty of Asian premieres on offer…

One definite highlight of the festival must be Lu Chuan’s film remarkable film on the ‘rape of Nanking’, City of Life and Death. Almost exactly three years ago the director talked enthusiastically about the project to easternKicks whilst promoting his fantastic Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, and it’s great to see this project has come to fruition.

Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother debuts at the festival too, about a herbalist and acupuncturist turns ‘detective’ to prove her son’s innocence when he’s charged with murder. With such great films as The Host and Memories Of Murder under his belt, one can only look forward to what he has in store for us this time.

Other films to arouse our curiosity are Hirokazu Kore-eda’s live-action adaptation of Yoshie Gouda’s avant-garde manga The Pneumatic Figure of a Girl, Air Doll – starring Korean star Bae Doo-Na, it tells of an inflatable sex-doll suddenly finds herself with a soul; and Kamui from Korean-Japanese director Yoichi Sai – again another live-action adaption from a manga – which BFI critic Tony Ryans declares is ‘probably the best ninja movie ever made’.

Also watch out for include Pan Jianlin’s Feast of Villians, Joko Anwar’s Forbidden Door and Ho Yuhang’s multinational production At the End of Daybreak. We’ll probably do another round-up soon, once we’ve had a chance to digest the programme fully – but is it just me or is there a lack of real Asian, if you’ll pardon the phrase, ‘crowd pleasers’ this year?

» Find out more on the official LFF website

easternkicks.com » Filmmakers

A brief guide to Takeshi Kitano

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Xiaolu Gu presents She, a Chinese at BFI Southbank

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Ozu at the BFI Southbank, Tokyo Story released nationwide from 1 January

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Ozu season at the BFI Southbank

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John Woo to receive lifetime honour

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London Korean Film Festival 2009

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London Korean Film Festival 2009

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Bong Joon-ho season at the BFI Southbank London

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Win a trip for two to the London Premiere of Thirst, and meet director Park Chan-wook in person

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53rd London Film Festival

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