this thread is meant to motivate people to speak about movies from Asia.
this year, Japan won the Palme d'Or, and these are two of the highest grossing movies in the world so far:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdFDeIlrtZw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GJTd4iB5dk
what even is South Korea doing these days? jk i have an example duh
This movie is a BLAST. If you're an action movie fan you'll recognize all the beats, and sink your teeth into the theatricality of its chaos. The first one is serviceable but a bore in comparison, with a tone that's way too grounded. You'd be all right in skipping it for this one, there's a flashback sequence to catch you up.
excellent!
one day i want to go to either Burbank Town Center 6 (https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/los-angeles/amc-burbank-town-center-6) or Burbank Town Center 8 (https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/los-angeles/amc-burbank-town-center-8), multiplex theaters that play these big international movies.
recently, past month, i watched Takashi Miike's Crows Zero (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016290/) and appreciated Miike all over again. he has a recent that was a big hit, as the trailer mentions it was his 100th movie
Headshot is a well-made action movie from Indonesia so i need to see that asap
and i clearly need to see The Villianess (sword fight on motorcycles at 1:10)
this opened as a massive hit in China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on82VId28l4
Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke Confirmed for Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Verite' (https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/juliette-binoche-ethan-hawke-hirokazu-kore-eda-verite-1202873812/)
Binoche and Hawke co-star as a married couple who return to France from the United States when the wife's mother (Deneuve), a well-known actress, publishes her autobiography. During their reunion, various truths are revealed. The script is based on a stage play Kore-eda wrote nearly fifteen years ago, but never produced.
[...]
His "Like Father, Like Son" was acquired for remake by Steven Spielberg
China's Most Expensive Movie is an Epic Flop (https://nextshark.com/china-expensive-movie-epic-flop/)
The fantasy movie, which supposedly led a trilogy, spent 750 million yuan ($112 million) in its production that lasted for six years.
Unfortunately, it only earned 49.05 million yuan ($7.3 million) on its opening weekend.
As a result, producers Alibaba Pictures, Zhenjian Film Studio and Ningxia Film Group decided to pull the movie from cinemas on Sunday and offered their "deepest apologies to viewers who did not get a chance to watch the film," the South China Morning Post noted.
"This decision was made not only because of the bad box office. We plan to make some changes to the film and release it again," a Zhenjian Film representative told Sina News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKmbBYiC01g
source (https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/bi-gan-journey-to-open-taiwan-golden-horse-film-festival-1202890716/)
"Long Day's Journey Into Night," by rising star mainland Chinese director Bi Gan ("Kaili Blues",) has been set as the opening film of the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan. The festival runs through much of November and has its high point with the Golden Horse Film Awards, which are open to films in any variant of the Chinese language.
A slow-moving love story of sorts, "Journey" debuted in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes festival earlier this year. There it was noted for a bravura 40-minute take executed in 3D.
The festival will close with another cutting-edge film, "Your Face," by veteran Taiwan-based auteur Tsai Ming-liang. The film comprising only close-up shots will debut first in the Venice festival. Tsai's VR work "The Deserted" last year had a similar trajectory opening in Venice and continuing at the Golden Horse parade.
****
Long Day's Journey Into Night clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE_RD09LXiQ
thanks for these Jenkins!
Chinese Star Fan Bingbing's Unusual Disappearance Could Mean Trouble For Jessica Chastain's Thriller '355' (https://theplaylist.net/fan-bingbing-jessica-chastain-355-20180918/)
The current situation surrounding Chinese film star Fan Bingbing is truly bizarre. We have yet to cover the story on The Playlist, and mainly because there's been a lot of speculation and rumors, but little actual news about Fan and her recent disappearance. But now, with the star off the radar for such an extended period of time, there is a ripple effect that looks to make a mark on a variety of high-profile projects, including Jessica Chastain's star-studded "355."
First, let's take a step back and talk about what led us to these unusual circumstances. Fan Bingbing is one of China's biggest film stars. Such a huge draw in her native country, the actress has already begun her transition into Hollywood films, appearing in a small role in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and signing on to be in the incredible cast of Chastain's upcoming spy thriller "355." But her rocket to global superstardom came to an apparent abrupt halt in late July, when the actress' Weibo account (with over 60 million followers) suddenly went silent.
Fans began to realize that the actress hadn't been seen in public since July 1. Dots began being connected and rumors of her involvement in a tax evasion scheme began circulating, which led many to believe that Fan was silenced by the Chinese government, and is currently under some sort of detainment/house arrest. All inquiries about her status have remained unanswered and any local news outlets that post updates have the articles quickly removed. It appears that the Chinese government wants to silence one of the country's biggest stars, and it's using her financial issues to do it.
Fan Bingbing is accused of being involved in "yin and yang contracts," which is an illegal method of bypassing tax laws by drawing up, and signing, two separate contracts for film roles. One contract has the actual monetary terms of the contract, while the other reportedly would have a much lower number, which would be submitted to the government. Obviously, this is illegal and is one of the subjects of China's Communist regime's latest crackdown on rising incomes (and influence) of film/TV stars.
With all that being said, the situation with Fan has no end in sight, Deadline is reporting that her upcoming film slate is in serious jeopardy. Even with the actress being cut from marketing materials for upcoming Chinese films, some of those films being shelved altogether, and losing endorsement deals, one of the biggest impacts might be on the aforementioned "355."
For those that remember, "355" is the Simon Kinberg-directed spy thriller starring Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Fan Bingbing that was all the rage when it was sold at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was quickly snatched up by distributors, including the Huayi Brothers spending a reported $20 million for Chinese distribution.
However, with the actress not apparently available for filming (and with travel outside of China expected to be impossible for quite some time), "355" finds itself without a star and huge Chinese draw. Obviously, the production can hire another Chinese actress to fill the role, which would benefit Huayi Brothers. Interestingly, however, if Fan does star in the film, due to her recent tarnished reputation in China, the government could ban the film from playing in the country, which means Huayi Brothers are out $20 million.
The rest of Deadline's report details the full extent her disappearance has had on China's film industry, and it's pretty incredible. Obviously, everyone is concerned for her well-being and is upset by her alleged treatment. But the report claims that she should be back in the public eye eventually.
But in the meantime, there's an immense amount of potential fallout from her situation.
Feng Xiaogang Cut From 'Ash Is Purest White' as Fan Bingbing Scandal Spreads (https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/ash-is-purest-white-cuts-china-fang-bingbing-1202946374/)
Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke's drama "Ash is Purest White" will get its theatrical release this Friday in China – but with cuts that may reflect the sensitivity of the current political-cultural climate in the Middle Kingdom.
The film, which follows the turbulent lives of a gangster couple over a 17-year period, was screened at the Toronto Film Festival last week in a version that was six minutes shorter than the version that played in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The new version was labeled as a director's cut.
"This is a normal process which improves the flow of the narrative," a spokesman for MK2 Films, the movie's French co-investor and international sales agent, told Variety. "It is always a rush to prepare a film for Cannes. And [Jia] did the same thing with 'Mountains May Depart'" from 2015.
But Chinese media reported that the edits specifically remove the cameo appearances of Feng Xiaogang, the high-profile film director who is embroiled in the scandal and rumor mill surrounding celebrity actress Fan Bingbing. Fan has been accused of hiding part of her income from an appearance in Feng's upcoming film "Cell Phone 2." Fan and Feng have both denied accusations of tax dodging.
In 2017, Fan attended the launch party in Cannes for Jia's new Pingyao film festival. This year she walked the Cannes red carpet for the world premiere of "Ash." Her disappearance from public view since late July has fueled suggestions that she is being detained by authorities against her will.
At a public screening of "Ash" in Beijing on Sunday, Jia dodged questions about cutting out Feng. "It is complicated," he said onstage, according to reports by Chinese website Mtime.
Jia is China's highest-profile art-house director. He has made a career of chronicling the changes in Chinese society wrought by the country's breakneck modernization. That has made him a darling of overseas festivals – Toronto's Platform section was named after Jia's 2000 film of the same title – and a recurring pain for Chinese authorities.
While Jia's first four features were considered underground works, more recently he has received partial financial backing and local release through state-owned companies including the Shanghai Film Group. His films are considered auteur works and reach much smaller audiences than those of Feng, but Jia has successfully steered a course between social critique and outright antagonism of authorities who would prefer to present a rosier picture.
Even so, his recent films have depicted the effects of the massive Three Gorges infrastructure project, collusion between crooked businessmen and civil servants, and the alienating impact of working in the Chinese mega-factories that make iPhones.
"Ash" is by far his biggest film in terms of budget, with much of it spent on painstaking recreations of sets and costumes that were current less than two decades ago but which are now obsolete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-mXdOzC4c
November 23rd
i saw Ash is Purest White too, i think that's every movie i've seen this year except for Mary Poppins. it's crazy bc i've always liked Jia Zhangke but he's obviously more developed now, it's hard not to call this one his best. Tao Zhao has been there this whole time but my god was she undeniably marvelously vibrant this time
Long Day's Journey into Night is on Criterion Channel in February.
https://twitter.com/KFMovieGuide/status/1306304344166477824
it's Hong Kong's Oscar nom and it's a romantic crime film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbHwPfW4PQ
here's an entirely different trailer that expanded the context for me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp3jpReOf3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16hdJtGpMp4
Opens 5/28 in select theaters.
From master director Jia Zhang-Ke (Ash Is Purest White, A Touch of Sin) comes a vital document of Chinese society since 1949. Jia interviews three prominent authors—Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, and Liang Hong—born in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, respectively, and all from the same Shanxi province where Jia also grew up. In their stories, we hear of the dire circumstances they faced in their rural villages and small towns, and the substantial political effort undertaken to address it, from the social revolution of the 1950s through the unrest of the late 1980s. In their faces, we see full volumes left unsaid. Jia weaves it all together with his usual brilliance. SWIMMING OUT TILL THE SEA TURNS BLUE is an indispensable account of a changing China from one of the country's foremost cinematic storytellers.
Looks beautiful. Great pacing to that trailer edit.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-HRibOm0NBVc%2FTg-mOzeKEjI%2FAAAAAAAAAi0%2FJhYF9vm4gKw%2Fs1600%2F400.png&hash=069d7c00a29a1cc818e22316283808bfacbaf067)
Moonlight Whispers (1999)
Sweet adoration and twisted desire. Their sense of intimacy is young, and so it's pure exploration and discovery.
Sometimes we mine new depths together; love as a game of chicken. A game of who needs who the worst.
Golden Harvest
Leading Change in Changing Times
乘風變化 嘉禾電影研究 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y23LXQS7JK5EjurUIA08JQuoQJxppc2Z/view?usp=sharing)
QuoteGolden Harvest was established in 1970, the beginning of a critical period which, in many ways, marks a turning point in the history of Hong Kong cinema. The advent of free-to- air television not only brought new challenges to the film industry, but also nurtured a fresh crop of talent. The relaxation of film censorship led to a rise in depictions of violence and sex; Cantonese was beginning to overtake Mandarin as language of choice for mainstream productions; and independent filmmaking by small companies was booming. Golden Harvest was not only part of these different trends and developments, but was often a driving force behind them.
Commercially speaking, Golden Harvest established itself as a rival to Shaw Brothers as early as the 1970s, and was unquestionably the most successful of all new film companies of the period. It maintained its status as a major player in the industry throughout the 1980s and 90s. Indeed, it may be argued that Golden Harvest has been the most commercially successful and stable film company in Hong Kong from 1970 to 2000. This Golden Harvest research project coincides with our work on the Hong Kong Filmography series, which has stepped into the 1970s. It also marks a continuation of our previous research efforts into two major Hong Kong film companies before the rise of Golden Harvest – Cathay Organisation and Shaw Brothers.
Yet unlike Cathay and Shaws, Golden Harvest developed a business strategy of diversification. It owned a great number of satellite companies which worked and filmed for Golden Harvest, but from time to time, it engaged the services of film companies from outside as well. It also delegated different aspects of its business to a variety of partnering companies. For instance, Golden Communications was a company responsible for the overseas distribution of Golden Harvest films, as well as the filming and production of Hollywood features. All Golden Harvest films were developed by Cine Art Laboratory, and although the two companies worked closely together for many years, Cine Art was not, strictly speaking, part of Golden Harvest. Only in 1991 did Golden Harvest formally acquire Cine Art, just before it became listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Making sense of the complex web of relations between Golden Harvest and these other
companies is both a challenging and necessary task.
To cite an obvious example, Golden Harvest went public in 1994, but this only involved its film distribution businesses; film production remained private. Misunderstandings can easily arise if such distinctions were not made clearly. This book mainly focuses on the film production businesses of Golden Harvest, and there is relatively little discussion on Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment (Holdings) Limited, a branch of Golden Harvest that deals mainly with film distribution.
Hou Hsiao-hsien Is Now Retired from Filmmaking Due to Battle with Dementia (https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/hou-hsiao-hsien-retired-from-filmmaking-dementia-1234919475/)
Unfortunately seems that he will not be capable of finishing a production he had started to roll out - his artworks in cinema will live on inpsiring filmmakers for years and years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGrwr6rp9Tw
https://twitter.com/realJackEason/status/1648754532338262036