Father Geek here with a photo filled Asia-AICN column from Darius25 and his staff of reporters. Good stuff this week! I'm putting it up a day early this week because Harry and I are guests out at LA's LosCon Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention being held this weekend at the Hilton in Burbank. If you're in the area drop by and visit with us. We'll be at the hotel and fest from the 22nd till the 27th. Some of the other guests include Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, and Ray Bradbury among others. It should be lots of fun!
Now on to our Thursday morning report's special Wednesday edition...
Asia-AICN #32
Hey all. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Americans out there!! Now
that it's finally come (and gone), let the Christmas season begin!
(Actually, I'm REALLY looking forward to no university for a couple of
weeks J ) Anyway, we have lots of new information for you today,
especially a really great review of Takeshi Kitano's latest film, Battle
Royale. The concept of the movie sounds absolute twisted and therefore
it'll HAVE to be amazing. Also, "AznFob55" has returned with more great
Filipino news. Now here's the latest from Asia.
INDIA
INDIA
- The shooting for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdaas has now begun. The film is yet another (I believe the 4th) version of the popular Indian novel. It's about a dark and depressing story about a drunk obsessed with his former girlfriend. He eventually finds solace in the arms of a prostitute, but his obsession never really goes away and ultimately leads to a tragic end for everybody. No real spoiler here if you've seen the original versions (there's a 1928 silent version, a 1935 version with K.L. Saigal and a 1955s version with Dilip Kumar). The Dilip Kumar version (directed by Bimal Roy) was FANTASTIC. Kumar really captured the character of Devdaas much better than Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas (an extremely similar film). This new version stars Shahrukh Khan as Devdaas, Aishwarya Rai as his girlfriend, and Madhuri Dixit as the prostitute. I have to say that the cast is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!! Shahrukh has done this kind of role many times in the past and will excel in the role. Madhuri Dixit will finally be able to prove that she is not just a has-been. Unfortunately, Ash doesn't really have that big of a role, but based on the previous films, she HAS the potential to be absolutely amazing, especially in the final scene of the film. Still, the Dilip Kumar version was very good and there's really no need for a remake. If anything, I hope that more people of this generation see the film and appreciate a true Indian classic. If any of you liked Leaving Las Vegas, definitely watch out for this film. It will be released sometime next year.
- Actor/Director Kamal Haasan's Hey! Ram (see my review in Asia-AICN # 22) has been selected to represent India at next year's Academy Awards. The film was selected from a list of films that included Astitva (Existence), Mohabbatein (Love Affairs), Mission Kashmir, Hum Saath Saath Hain (We Stand United) and Jaanwar (Animal). Hey! Ram stars Kamal Haasan, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Nasseruddin Shah as Mahatma Gandhi.
- Aishwarya Rai has walked off Indra Kumar's Rishta (Relationship), which stars Anil Kapoor. Karisma Kapoor will now replace Ash in the film.
- Karisma Kapoor has also joined the cast of director Sameer Malkan's next film. The film, which has yet to be titled, will also star Manoj Bajpai and Fardeen Khan. It is slated to release in July.
- The principal photography for director Raajiv Rai's Pyar Ishq Mohabbat (Love Love Love) is now complete and the film is now heading into the post production stage. The film features Sunil Shetty, Aaftab Shivdasani, and Arjun Rampal who fall in love with the same girl (Kirti Reddy). This is NOT a copy of the Monica Potter movie with Joseph Feinnes and the Rufus Sewell. The film will be released sometime this spring.
- Director Raj Kanwar has announced yet another film. This one will star Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Karisma Kapoor and is based on a script written by Robin Bhatt and Shyam Goel. The film has yet to be titled and will star shooting from January 6, 2001.
- Director David Dhawan's new film, Jodi No.1 (Pair No.1), will be released on January 12, 2001. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Monica Bedi and Twinkle Khanna.
Here's a pic from the sets of the film (from the left is Monica, Sanjay, Govinda, and Twinkle):
- Producer K.C. Bokadia's new film will be Pyar Zindagi Hai (Love is Life). It will be directed by Vijay Sadanah and will introduce two newcomers in the leading roles - Vikas Kalantri and Ashima Bhalla. The rest of the cast has yet to be finalized.
- Last week's new release was director K. Murli Manohar's Kahi Pyar Na Ho Jaaye (Hope there isn't Love) with Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Jackie Shroff, and Mohnish Behl. Sadly, the film is a remake of one of my favourite romantic comedies - The Wedding Singer. Salman stars as Prem, an aspiring musician who sings at weddings to make ends meet and lives with his sister and his brother-in-law (Mohnish Behl). He meets and falls for the new girl in town (Rani Mukherjee) who joins Prem's band in order to save up for her own wedding. He sets out to woo the girl, with the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend (Jackie Shroff). I can't really give a fair commentary on this film since I LOVE The Wedding Singer. I really don't understand the need for a remake - it's not an important story, nor a forgotten classic that can never be revived. What's worse is that Rani Mukherjee is NO Drew Barrymore. Yeah, Sandler is great and all that but Drew is what MADE the film. Her innocence, charm, and beautiful face is what made me fall for her in that film. Sadly, she will probably never top it and neither will Adam Sandler. As for this film, I think it's safe to say that it's reasonably ok. Not an extremely bad film, but not a very good one either. It's such a shame that Salman Khan (who used to be a very good dramatic actor) has now resorted to such low-brow comedic roles instead of the Shahrukh-like roles he used to be successful in. All I can say about this film is that it's average. The songs are good, the story is good, the actors are decent, but the film on the whole will always pale in comparison to its original version.
Here's a picture from the film with Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee:
Here's another picture with Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff and Pooja Batra:
- This week's recommendation is a much better Rani Mukherjee film, Badal, which was directed by Raj Kanwar. This an out and out action film starring Bobby Deol as a criminal seeking revenge against the corrupt police officer (Ashutosh Rana) who killed his family. The criminal takes a new name, Badal, and comes to a small town in order to wait for the policeman. Badal takes refuge in another police officer's home and becomes like a part of his household. But revenge is still the top priority in his mind. The ending has to be seen to be believed, complete with over 6 explosions, a thrilling car chase, and tonnes of blood. Admittedly we've all seen the story before, but this is just a popcorn film. Only Amrish Puri, who plays the honest cop, gives a REAL acting performance. Bobby Deol just looks mean and yells throughout the entire movie (a lot like his older brother Sunny in other films) while Rani Mukherjee's job is just to look beautiful and lighten our mood in between the action and drama. The direction is very good. Raj Kanwar has done his fare share of violent films and he knows how to deliver. While this isn't as violent or as cool as Mission Kashmir, it's still a pretty good action film with enough violence, comedy and drama to entertain you.
CHINA/HK
The following was reported by "AccSpy":
- The official site for Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kelly Chen's angel/human romance "Lavender" is now online. The romantic fantasy will open in mid-December as the only non-action flick in this holiday season. Here's the link: Right Here.
Here's a still from the film:
- Stephen Fung and Sam Lee, the duo from "Gen-X Cops" and "Gen -Y Cops", are currently shooting a "Bio-Zombie"-like horror comedy, literally titled "Zombie Police Station" (a "Residential Evil" rip-off??). Here's a pic from the set:
- After a two month open audition throughout China, Stephen Chow and director Lee Lik-Khi announced that a 18 year-old Grongzhau amateur girl, Li Wei, is offered the main role in the now-shooting "Shaolin Soccer (lit. title)". The film's other female lead is Vicki Zhao, who is now taking two weeks off from the shooting and had attended Jackie Chan's Cup racing competition last weekend. The annual competition is an actress-only match founded by Jackie Chan; Here are some pictures from the event.
Jackie Chan and Vicki Zhao:
Vicki Zhao:
- Golden Harvest announced that they will shoot a spinoff from Jackie Chan's soon-to-be-released "The Accidental Spy". The $7 million HKD-budget film is set to premiere on the internet next year and will star two newcomers who are from the original.
- The French blockbuster "Taxi 2" debuted in the first place at the HKBO last weekend. The Navy drama "Men of Honor" landed at no.2. Both films scored an estimated $1 million HKD in three days. "The Exorcist" was still going strong at no.3, Gigi Leung's "Marooned" fell one spot to fourth place and the horror flick "Cut" was at no.5. The holiday season is officially starting next week when both Leon Lai's "Skyline Cruiser" and "Charlie's Angels" open and compete for the top spot.
- This week I wanna recommend an action drama called "A War Named Desire". A second effort directed by the talented Alan Mak ("X'mas Rave Fever") and starring Francis Ng, Dave Wong, Daniel Chan, Sam Lee and a refreshing Gigi Leung, the film follows Chun (Daniel Chan), an immature rascal who goes Thailand to look for his elder brother Charles (Francis Ng), a local triad boss. The film somehow reminds me John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow" as both films mainly deal with the misunderstanding between siblings. AWND is refreshing in its genre since the film is set in a remote location - Thailand. Alan Mak's tightly-paced direction is also well appreciated. The film also features a very good supporting cast. Dave Wong and Gigi Leung, as loyal brother-sister hitmen to Ng, are terrific while Sam Lee is excellent as the usual "small potato" role. But this film truly belongs to Francis Ng; if you are already a fan of Ng like me, then this film is yet another cool performance by THE man; if not, for God's sake see this movie and be one! The film includes about five shoot-out sequences, all elegantly shot; if you like last year's The Mission", you might dig this one too. Here's a link for buying the VCD. I'm sure the DVD version was released too but I can't find the link in Yesasia. If you rent or buy HK movies regularly, then I'm sure you know the place. Buy the VCD atThis Place
- "Summer Holiday" is also out on VCD. Besides stunning cinematography, the film features a great performance by Sammi Cheng (but not as good as her performance in "Needing You."). This is not a great film, but if you like it, buy it at: Their Site
JAPAN
Here's "Pigmon" with a review of Takeshi Kitano's latest and more news:
Director Shuji Fukasaku's new violenct film,"Battle Royal"is one of the most original films in Japan, and will surprise fellow action directors like John Woo and Ringo Lam. The film is set in the near future where things are becoming really violent, especially in the schools. The government introduces a new law named "Battle Royale" to prepare the students for any form of harm and injury in the schools. Every year, a 9th grade class is picked at random. The students in this class are taken to an isolated island and are given various survival equipment (map, compass and food). They are also given weapons and ammunitions. The goal is to kill all students until one survives. If any student tries to leave the island a bomb (set on his/her neck) will go off, blowing him/her to bits. The students are given 3 days to kill each other. Takeshi Kitano plays this year's supervisor who guides the student to mass violence and destruction. A bunch of students are killed during the competition until they eventually team up to destroy Kitano and his colleagues.
Right off the bat I must inform you that this film is violent. Necks are broken, heads are decapitated, and tonnes and tonnes of blood spill all over the place. The violence and mature subject matter are causing quite a controversy in Japan, where Governor Ishi is trying to stop the distribution of this film. He told Oshima that "You cannot show young people how to kill others!!" As of now, the film (currently rated R-15) will open in the middle of the December. This film HAS to open in the US, not only for Takeshi fans but for action fans in general. You can check out its website at This Place.
Now here's this week's news.
- The Japan/HK co-production "Kakashi" has now started shooting. The film will star Maho Nonami and Grace Ipp and will be directed by Norio Tusruta ("Ring O"). It will be releasing next summer in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- The Japanese/Canadian co-production TV film,"G-Saviour", will be airing December 29 on TV Asahi. This Gundam film was supposed to have a theatrical release but it will now make its debut on television (could it be a bad film ?). The film features an all Canadian cast and the VFX done by an American company (I don't know who did at this moment).
- The English-language site for "Godzilla VS Megaguirus has now opened. Check it out at This Spot
Here's a picture of Megaguirus from the film:
- I reported about 6 months ago on US celebrities appearing in Japanese TV commercials. Well, more commercials are out featuring these celebrities. Here is a look at some of them.
1. Nicolas Cage appears in one of the most popular commercials in Japan. He plays himself and keeps on saying "I love Pachinko!!" .(Pachinko is a Japanese pinball.
2. George Clooney appears in Toyota's Mark II commercials. The second commercials will start shooting soon at Paramount studios.
3. Ashley Judd still appears in Honda's Life car commercials.
4. Brad Pit appears in the Roots canned coffee commercials. There's nice cinematography in these ads.
5. Cameron Diaz still appears in the commercial for Zios English language schools. Many of her fans are complaining about how disappointed they were when she did not come for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
PHILLIPPINES
The following was reported by "AznFob55" :
- Dina Bonevie and Gloria Romero are joined by a stellar ensemble cast consisting of Johnny Delgado, Edu Manzano, Hilda Koronel, Joel Torre, Cherrie Pie Picache, Carol Banawa and CJ Ramos in a film called "Tanging Yaman" (The Only Treasure). Pictures of it can be seen at:The Site. The movie comes from Star Cinema and more information can be found at it's official website at This Location.
Here's a picture from the film:
- Former "Ang TV" star Rica Peralejo surprised her teen followers when she dived in with Joyce Jimenez in a very risque film (think Eyes Wide Shut). Rica Peralejo reportedly went nude in "Balahibong Pusa" (Cat Fur). Many observers say that this will make Rica break into a whole new genre in Philippines Cinema. This also comes across as a shock, since another former "Ang TV" star Mylene Dizon revelaed that she will also go nude in her new movie, "Gatas Sa Dibdib ng Kaaway" (Milk on the Bosom of the Enemy).
- Two new pictures from "Death Row" have been posted at Their Site. This film is from the same big guns who did the internationally acclaimed "Jose Rizal" (which went on to gross P120 Million) and the also acclaimed "Muro Ami" (which also went on to gross 120 Million). Many critics have considerably loved the film and is projecting it to even go beyond the success of the two previous films. The film stars veteran actor Eddie Garcia.
Here's one of the new pictures from "Death Row":
