The 45th New York Film Festival at Lincon Center debuts The Darjeeling Limited, No Country for Old Men, and more
The schedule for the 45th New York Film Festival was up on Monday, and the biggest titles are already being sold out. A high profile selection of films from all over the world once again converge at Lincoln Center. It runs from September 28 to October 14, 2007
Opening night: Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited. Blade Runner, Ridley Scott’s ‘Final Cut’ after 25 years. Centerpiece Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men. Closing night, the animated Persepolis, based on the acclaimed graphic novel. A complete retrospective of Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, “father of Brazil’s Cinema Novo movement.”
While those are obvious picks for any avid film fan, sold out at no tickets means looking elsewhere. Other personal picks of mine would be: The Orphanage, produced by director Guillermo Del Toro of last year’s fantastic closing night film Pan’s Labyrinth. Hou Hsiao-hsien directing Juliette Binoche in Flight of the Red Balloon. Nicole Kidman and Jack Black in Noah Baumbach’s Margot at the Wedding. Song Kang-ho and Jeon Do-yeon (in her Cannes Best Actress award winning role) in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine. Claude Chabrol’s A Girl Cut in Two. Béla Tarr’s The Man from London. Palme D’Or winner <4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days…
There’s just too many interesting films. Enough reading, just go watch something before more tickets are gone.
- Official website, New York Film Festival
Tags: Coen Brothers, director, event, Wes Anderson
This cute little fella looking like a yellow marshmallow peep has got the moves even with no appendages to speak of. If only I was graced with half the rythmic funkiness of this guy. The robot named “Keepon” dances to the tune of “Don’t You Evah” by Spoon.
Too bad it’s not retail yet – only R&D for now – or else I would have bought one in a jiff.
You know, ’cause I heart dancing lil robots. There, I said it. ^______^
Tags: keepon, music video, robot, spoon, wired
Family Ties, one of the films from the fest, starring Moon So-ri
The 7th New York Korean Film Festival 2007 starts this Tuesday and it’s turning out to be their biggest yet. Everything from romantic comedy to historical drama, the gangster flick and even documentary are represented. That includes 16 of the latest Korean movies from 2006 and 2007, a 4-film retrospective of renowned Mr. “101-films” director Im Kwon-Taek, 8 horror films (or rather 7 horror + 1 moody drama) and an expanded full day of short films for free(!). There will be a number of parties, and 2 special guest directors from Korea this year. Being pretty much the only chance for us to see these films in a theater-setting outside of Korea, I’m definitely looking forward to the fest.
- www.koreanfilmfestival.org
- podcast introducing this year’s festival
Never Forever, written/directed by Gina Kim, starring Vera Farmiga, Jung-woo Ha
+ Highly Recommended +
Yesterday, July 28, was the closing night of the 30th New York Asian American International Film Festival. Among other things, they chose to bookend this year’s run with the Sundance 2007 Grand Jury Prize Nominee, Never Forever.
Vera Farmiga (The Departed) expertly becomes Sophie, the well-to-do wife of a successful Korean American lawyer (David McInnis, The Cut Runs Deep).But even with the big house, the important company of upscale living and everything else, Andrew cannot give her a child, for he is impotent. After Andrew slips into suicidal depression and her in-laws give her stern looks during prayer sessions, Sophie takes on desperate measures to save her marriage. She secretly pays Jiha (Jung-woo Ha, The Fox Family, Kim Ki-duk’s Breath and Time),an undocumented Korean worker, to impregnate her. When business dealings and secrets unravel, Sophie must choose how to carry on.
Writer/Director Gina Kim, on-set.
The second feature-length film from writer and director Gina Kim shows us a strong turn in her storytelling, now that it takes on a much more straightforward narrative approach than her first film from 2003, Invisible Light, which although dealt in a similar theme of woman and body in relation to longing/intimacy, was more experimental in style.
Turning the table on interracial relationships, women’s identity and self-empowerment, Never Forever gives us believable and strong performances that ring painfully true in our lives today, transcending the race divide that it kicks off from.An opportunity of circumstance culminates into the moment of self-discovery as Sophie defines her life beyond those around her –and it stirs the viewer with a chill and a nod. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Gina Kim, interracial relationship, Jung-woo Ha, Never Forever, Vera Farmiga
'Mad Monkey' from Studio Flying
Studio Flying, makers of the love-it-or-hate-it potty humor feature animation AAchi & SSipak, have put up still images from their latest project, Mad Monkey.
Twitch surmises it’s a direct-to-DVD and according to the company website’s news section, it is indeed listed as an “HD project for DVD.” The images seem to keep the raw, un-clean outline look of A&S, which would probably fit the context well of what will likely be lots of action and fighting. The stills also seem to suggest a more serious tone, plotwise. Here’s to hoping it’s anywhere between the swift stylization of Samurai Jack and the recently-reimagined Samurai 7 in tone.
Here’s their short synopsis from their website, translated by yours truly.
The Six Warriors’ Saga
X-Men, Batman, Hell Boy.. What if the likes of these superheroes existed in ancient Eastern history?
In a time that we never learned about nor have any record of, in a strange, unknown past…Rather than be taken as history, an age that feels more like
a legend or fairy tale. Six warriors ventured to the end of the world
and knocked on the “Gate of Hell.” Because of their fearless daring,
people call them ____ [translator's note: the original Korean text leaves out words, what I assume should be "Mad Monkey"].A tale about a band of six men, Six Warriors, that lived on while posessing both the anguish of humans and the power of supernaturals.
X맨, 배트맨, 헬보이… 동양고대사에 이런 슈퍼히어로가 존재했다면 어떨까?! 우리가 배운 적 없고 어디에도 기록되어 있지 않은 미지의 과거 어느때…
역사로서 인식되기보다 전설이나 설화로 느껴지는 고대 대륙의 시대. 세상의 끝까지 나아가 ‘지옥의 문’을 두드린 여섯명의 무사. 그들의 흉폭함으로 인해 사람들을 그들을라 부른다.
인간의 고뇌와 초인의 파워를 동시에 지닌채 살아갔던 여섯명의 무사, 육부대, 의 이야기.
- Studio Flying website
- Catsuka, via Twitch
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