Well it looks like The PHILLIPPINES can be added to our list of regularly reported from countries here at Asia-AICN. Father Geek here knew that if we just hung in there all these other countries would begin to be represented in the weekly columns. "If you build it, they will come." When I started setting up these international weekly reports I told our editors it might take a while for them to catch on, but to just stick with it and we would have something we could really be proud of, a site covering the whole world of cinema, and its coming to pass. As a result of the regular columns we are now getting dozens of other reports every month from independent reporters from the four corners of the world. And that's what the net is all about, shrinking the world. Father Geek is happy to be apart of this geek network and I'm proud of all who have helped to make it a reality...

Asia-AICN #18

Hey all. Happy Pakistani and Indian Independence Day (Aug. 14 and 15, respectively). We have lots of new info this week including news on a Raj Kapoor retrospective, Deewane (Lovers), The Legend of Tekken, Hotaru, Joyce Jiminez and much more. Now here's the latest from Asia.

INDIA

- There were no earth-shattering annoucements regarding Dr. Rajakumar's abduction last week. The kidnapper, Veerappan, has set additional conditions to his list of demands released last week. Much of these conditions are extensions of his demands, with the major one being that the Tamil language be a part of the compulsary education curriculum till Grade 10. Also, the emissary who brought the second set of demands, R.R. Gopal, will again meet with the bandit sometime this week in order to secure the release of Dr. Rajakumar. That is basically all that happened last week, but I will keep you all up-to-date as more news is revealed. Also, if you want to send your sympathies or well-wishings to Dr. Rajakumar's family, you can do so by visiting Dr. Rajakumar's website at http://www.raj-kumar.com

- A ten day retrospective on legendary actor Raj Kapoor will be held in Chicago from August 18. Seven of his greatest films will be screened at the Gene Siskel centre during the event. The films will be shown in their original language (Hindi) with English subtitles. The films to be screened are Aawara (Vagabond), Barsaat (Rain), Sri 420 (Mr. 420), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hain (The Land in which Ganga Flows), Jagate Raho (Stay Awake), Mera Naam Joker (My Name is Joker) and Bobby. On a related note, the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, and the mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, have proclaimed August 18 as the "Raj Kapoor Day" in Chicago and the state of Illinois.

- Principal photography has begun for the film Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai (I Want to Say Something), to be directed by Satish Kaushik. The film stars Tushar Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.

- Madhuri Dixit will make her debut in the Kannada film industry with Cauvery (a place in one of the southern states of India). The film will also star famous South Indian actor Prabhudeva.

- Lyric writer Javed Akhtar's son Farhan Akhtar will make his directorial debut with the film Dil Chahta Hai (Heart's Desire). The film will star Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia.

- Fight Choreographer Tinu Verma will make his directorial debut with Maa Tujhe Salam (I Salute You Mother). The film stars Sunny Deol, Arbaaz Khan and Tabu.

- Actress Shilpa Shetty has been signed to star in the Tamil-language film Vanchinathan, which is to be directed by Shaji Kailas. The film will also co-star Vijaykanth.

- Actress Jyothika will appear in the South Indian film Snehgithiye, which will be directed by Priyadarshan. The film will also star Sharbani Mukherjee and Ishita Arun.

- Two major films were released on August 11. The first film is Deewane (Lovers) starring Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar and Mahima Choudhary. Ajay Devgan plays a dual role as a cop and a thief, but this is very far away from being an action flick like Double Impact. Vishal (Devgan) loves his girlfriend Sapna (Urmila) very much but doesn't feel the need to show it. They have a boring, non-existent relationship which Vishal doesn't seem to mind. He is very much occupied with catching every single criminal in the city. One day he is attacked by some criminals and slips into a coma. Because the news of Vishal's accident may cause a city-wide crime spree, the police commissioner finds a lookalike, Arun, to take his place. While pretending to be Vishal, Arun falls for Sapna while also making her feel like someone special. Then, obviously, Vishal wakes up causing Sapna to hate Arun for tricking her. The film is a standard love triangle with the obvious happy ending. We all know how this movie's going to end which pretty much leaves any excitement. Ajay Devgan is pretty good in the movie, particularly as Arun. He's done the silent, serious romantic role before, and again, he pulls it off with ease. As Vishal, he pulls off a passable performance, but he's not nearly as good as Chow Yun Fat or Mel Gibson (you know the films). Urmila is given a fairly meaty role but she doesn't really seem to pull it off. She has done serious roles in other films such as Satya, but she's been typecasted as a "bimbo" so much in recent times that she looks uncomfortable in a fairly serious performance. The songs in this movie are pretty good, with some pretty gorgeous cinematography. The direction by Harry Baweja is adequate, I suppose. All in all, there is nothing really special about Deewane. I didn't hate the film but I didn't like it either. Here's a picture of Ajay Devgan and Urmila Matondkar from the film:

- Much better is the other new release, Dhadkan (Heartbeat), which is directed by Dharmesh Darshan and stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Shilpa Shetty (no relation). The film is yet another love triangle with almost the same story as Jeet (Victory - see last week's recommendation). Sunil Shetty plays Dev, a middle-class man in love with Anjali (Shilpa Shetty). However Anjali is extremely rich and her father doesn't want her to marry a poor guy. So eventually, Anjali gives in to her father's wishes and marries Ram (Akshay Kumar), a wealthy industrialist. But Dev won't let Anjali go that easily. Let me first say that unlike Jeet, this is NOT an action film. This is an attempt by Dharmesh Darshan to cast not one, but two action heroes and then turn the film into an all-out drama with very little violence. I think he definitely succeeded. Both Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty have branched out before, but they are at their very best in this film. Sunil is already an accomplished actor with his good performances in films such as Border and Refugee, but it's Akshay who is the real surprise in the film. He gives a very restrained performance which is quite far from his usual action-oriented roles. With the help of more films such as this, Akshay will finally be able to break out of his action-hero curse. Shilpa Shetty is also very convincing in her role. Dharmesh Darshan made a very good decision by making Anjali a strong-minded, independent character rather than somebody who just spends the entire movie screaming and crying. The songs in this movie are also very good, with some gorgeous locales set in Europe. As I said before, the script is very strong and the direction is very tight, leaving you no-time to yawn from boredom. All in all, Dhadkan's a very good entertainer. Here's some pictures from Dhadkan.

This first picture is of Sunil Shetty and Shilpa Shetty :

This second picture is of Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty:

Finally, here's a picture of all three leads from the movie:

- This week's recommendation is another film featuring Ajay Devgan called Dil Kya Kare (What Can the Heart Do?), directed by Prakash Jha. The film also stars Kajol and Mahima Choudhary. Ajay Devgan and Mahima Choudhary play a middle-class couple who are living very happily with their adopted daughter. The trouble begins when the child's mother, Nandita (Kajol) walks into their lives. Now, this is not really a movie-of-the week flick, but a very serious love story. It turns out that Anand (Devgan) and Nandita had an affair and the girl is the result of that affair. The question really isn't whether or not the child will go back to her mother, but whether or not Anand will leave his wife for Nandita. The acting is what makes this movie rule. Ajay Devgan gives one of his performances in this movie. You see the conflict in his eyes - the regret for the mistake he made versus the chance to go back to his former love. Kajol (Devgan's wife in real life) gives another brilliant performance as Nandita. She is not your typical house-breaker but a genuinely innocent woman who rediscovers her love. The whole movie is based around the Ajay-Kajol relationship and you can genuinely feel the chemistry between them. Mahima Choudhary provides a good supporting performance as Anand's wife, but she is mostly kept in the background until the climax. Overall, if you like serious romance flicks, you won't be disappointed with Dil Kya Kare.

CHINA / HK

The following was reported by "The Accidental Spy":

- The Stanley Tong project I've mentioned often ("Thunder Cop") has finally been officially titled "China Strike Force". It's shooting will resume in late September.

- Jackie Chan is in talks to make a cameo role in "The Legend of Tekken" (The latest Chinese trans. title of the live-action adaptation) to be, well...who else...Lei Wulong. In fact, Chan is one of the shareholders of Stareastnet.com, the company who is financing the movie.

- Yuen Biao, Chan's "little brother" at the Peking Opera School in childhood, is also in negotiation to join the cast of "The Legend of Tekken", probably for the role of Forest Law. Yuen's last appearance in film was last year's "A Man called Hero". (He was also the main villain in "Shanghai Noon". - D25) If Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao both agree to join the movie which Sammo Hung is already in, this would be the reunion of the trio since the 80's classics like "Project A" and "My Lucky Stars". (In fact, Corey Yuen, the director of "The Legend of Tekken", is also one of the seven members of "Little Lucky Seven", which included Chan, Yuen and Hung.)

- While Chan and Yuen remain unconfirmed, actor Chin Kar-Lok has joined "The Legend of Tekken", which started shooting last week. Chin is a stuntman-turned-actor who was under the wing of "Sammo Hung's stuntman group" in the 80's. He has appeared in films like "Drunken Master II" and "Full Throttle".

- Another movie being financed by Stareastnet.com is "Healing Hands"(temp. title), which also started shooting last week. Healing Hands is a hospital drama starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Michelle Reis (The HOTTIE from Swordsman 2 and the Fong Sai Yuk series - D25), Kenny Bee, Valerie Chow ("Chungking Express", "Sausalito"), Esther Kwan and Pinky Cheung.

- The sequel to "Downtown Torpedoes" also started shooting last week. This second installment is being directed by Wilson Yip ("Bullets Over Summer", "Bio-Zombie", a very potential director in the new generation of HK cinema IMO), starring the real-life couple Leon Lai ("Sausalito", "City of Glass") and Hsu Chi ("Gorgeous", "City of Glass). The super cute (!!!) Indian-Chinese actress Michelle Cheng ("Bullets Over Summer") also stars in the film along with Jordan Chan being the only returning cast member from the 1997 original. The film is now shooting in Malaysia.

- Last weekend, the HK movies "Summer Holiday" and "Help!!!" debuted at no.1 and no.2 spots at the HK box-office respectively, booting "X-men" to third place, with "The Perfect Storm" and "The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas" rounding up the top 5.

- "Summer Holiday" is directed by Jingle Ma ("Tokyo Raiders", "Fly Me to Polaris") and stars the new "HK queen of romance" Sammi Cheng (from this year's highest grossed "Needing You...") and Richie Yam ("Fly Me to Polaris"). This is yet another romance movie about a HK cosmopolitan girl (Sammi Cheng) who decides to sell a motel and beach in Malaysia which she co-invested with her cousin, but faces a problem when she finds out her cousin has sold his share to the current motel-keeper (Richie Yam).

- "Help!!!"(previously mentioned as "Saving Job") is directed by Johnny To and Wai Ka-Fai, the pair who also directed the blockbuster "Needing You...". This hospital comedy only finished shooting in 17 days between July and August (crazy!!). It stars Ekin Cheung, Jordan Chan and Cecilia Cheung as three new generation doctors who want to improve the hospital's service and struggle with the doddering policy. The comedy ends up with an unexpected big twist, leaving the audiences to decide if it's really a comedy or not.

JAPAN

"JavaDevilYouAreMyBeeyotch" shares some info with us on a live-action Gundam series, which he got from Right Here

Sunrise's upcoming Live-Action / CGI Gundam project G-Saviour is expected to broadcast in Japan soon. The series is set in Earth's future where the problems of an exploding population, food shortage, environmental decay, and an energy crisis plague humanity. Against this backdrop war and political intrigue unfold.

Mankind has moved out into space colonies which are ruled along with Earth by a united government, the Congress of Nations. Enviromental researcher Cynthia Graves and a team of research interns infiltrate a deep sea laboratory led by an ex-Congressional army pilot, Mark Curran. A military team led by Curran's old rival Lieutenant Colonel Jack Halle descends on the lab apprehending the intruders. Curran discovers that Cynthia stole samples that, when combined with formula of her creation, form new underwater plant species named Bioluminesence that could turn the world's ocean floors into farms where food can be grown to cull the Earth food crisis. But this isn't in the plans of General Garneaux, the Ambitious Earth Autonomous Region governor-general and Halle's comanding officer. Mark's discovery brings an attempt on his and Cynthia's life and they flee to the space colony Gaea. Mark must enter the cockpit once again, this time piloting a Gundam Mobile Suit and defend the Gaea space colony from attack.

On a related note, a PSX2 G-Savior video game is releasing in Japan on September 14th at a retail price of 7,800 Yen. Also, a spoiler-filled review & synopsis of the G-Savior film can be found at This Site

The following was reported by "Pigmon":

- Ken Takakura's next picture will be the WWII film "Hotaru (Light Bug)". It is about a Kamikaze plane instructor. Toei is producing the film and it will be released next June.

- Yuji Oda ("Bayside Shakedown")'s next movie will be the action thriller Whiteout. It will open in Japanese theatres on August 19.

- It was recently announced that the Japanese title for "Scary Movie" will be "Last Scream Project". It opens in Japan on September 2nd.

- Film composer Joe Hisaishi (many Takeshi Kitano films & Princess Mononoke) will make his directorial debut with "Quartet". Its about 4 music university graduates. Hisaishi will compose the film's soundtrack as well. Sony Pictures (domestic) will release "Quartet" next spring.

- "M:I-2" is still #1 at the Japanese box-office, for 6 weeks in a row, followed by "The Perfect Storm", "The Talented Mr. Ripley", "Pocket Monster 3 (Pokemon 3)", "Kaze O Mita Shonen", "Shanghai Noon", "Stuart Little", "The Cider House Rules", "Jouvenile" and "Shisha No Gakuen Sai", respectively.

KOREA

The following was reported by "Matrix1966":

- Cinema Service, the biggest Korean film production & distribution company, announced its strategic alliance with Shochiku, one of the major Japanese studios. Cinema Service and Shochiku will co-produce "A Love Story (Soonaebo)", directed by Korean director Hi Joon Park, by investing respectively 60% and 40% of the budget to this project.

- Many Asian stars will be seen in Korean movies in the future. Hong Kong actor and singer Leon Lai is shooting a Korean SFX Action Fantasy movie, "Angels' Dream (Chunsamong)", from June 5th in Pusan, Korea and Hong Kong. Since he likes the script and his character, it is reported that he agreed to be paid only $250,000 for this project, against his usual salary of $700,000 in Hong Kong. Ziyi Zhang, the star of Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", which will open soon in Korea, will be seen in "The Warriors (Moosa)". This movie is being produced by Sidus Unofilm, the biggest production management company in Korea. Zhang will play the role of a Chinese princess in the Ming dynasty who is the love interest of a Korean warrior.

PHILLIPPINES

The following was reported by "AznFob55":

- The very weighty and intense new ensemble drama based on Nick Joaquin's literary masterpiece, "Larawan: Portrait of the Artist as a Filipino", to be directed by Nonon Padilla, has snatched heavy-hitters Alicia Alonzo and Vivian Velez to star. This piece will depict WW2 from the eyes of two Filipina maids.

- Renowned actor Eddie Garcia will return to the directorial chair after a decade to direct the new movie, "A Ba Ka Da Ina (The ABC Mother)". Eddie Garcia has directed many films including the 1978 masterpiece, "Atsay" starring Nora Aunor. "A Ba Ka Da Ina" will focus on an illiterate mother and her sudden awareness of her self-worth played by Lorna Tolentino. Albert Martinez (who she also worked with in "Pusong Mamon") will join her in the flick.

- "Ni Sa Langaw, Di' Kita Padadapuan" (it's a working title) has started filming with action star Robin Padilla playing leading-man with soap-superstar Claudine Barretto playing the damsel-in-distress.

- Rosanna Rocess is back again. The very talented former erotic-film star has started shooting her next film with Diether Ocampo. The movie, "Rosang Pinagpala (Blessed Rose)", will be directed by Chito Ronio.

- "Narinig Mo Na Ba Ang Latest" is the newest film from Aga Mulach and he is joined by the new "pantsya ng bayan" Joyce Jimenez. The two have worked before, having co-hosted the Philippine Academy Awards. This romantic comedy is from Star Cinema. The shooting of this flick began just last week. Here's a picture of Joyce Jimenez:

We've now come to the end of this week's column. Remember, if you have information regarding any movie industry in Asia, please contact our Asia-AICN offices atshrivas@home.com . See you all next week.

- Darius25