With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013

With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013
With Dada Chen at NYAFF 2013

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Happy Birthday wishes to Bae Doo-na

Bae Doo-na at the premiere of Cloud Atlas in October, 2012

Actress Bae Doo-na (sometimes spelled Doona or Doo Na) in Seoul, South Korea. Originally a model, she went on to star in both Japanese and Korean films. With her role in Cloud Atlas (2012), she joined Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, 2006, and Pacific Rim, 2013) as a contemporary Asian actress appearing in primarily English language international productions. There has been very positive buzz about her performance as a recent police academy graduate who has been punished for misconduct with a transfer to a small seaside village in July Jung's feature debut A Girl at My Door (2014).

Here is a sampling of screenshots some of my favorite of BAE Doo-na performances:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)




Saving My Hubby (2002)

Linda Linda Linda (2005)

The Host (2006)

 Air Doll (2009)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of TRIBE COOL CREW


Get ready to feel the rhythm as two future superstars dance to their own beat in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, Tribe Cool Crew. This action dance series is directed Masaya Fujimori (Pokemon: The First Movie, Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess), with series composition by Atsuhiro Tomioka (Blade & Soul, Hero Bank), sound direction by Katsuyoshi Kobayashi (Viewtiful Joe, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie), and animation production by SUNRISE (Inuyasha, Love Live! School Idol Project).

Synopsis: Haneru Tobitatsu is a junior high student who loves to dance. One day after class at a secret rehearsal space, Haneru meets Kanon Otosaki who is training to dance like him. The two of them experience the fun of having someone else to dance with for the first time and having someone to watch their own dance moves. They will then engage in dance battles with various rivals, and come to understand what it really means to express and connect to people through dancing.

Tribe Cool Crew will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.

Free screening of THE DIVINE MOVE in NYC next Tuesday, Ocotober 14th

Korean Cultural Service New York
presents
Korean Movie Night 2014
Series Five: Blown Away by Korean Blockbusters!
The Divine Move
Directed by CHO Beom-gu
South Korea, 2014, 118 minutes
When: Tuesday October 14, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Doors open: 6:30 PM
Where: Tribeca Cinemas 54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal, NYC
Near the A, C, E @ #1 Canal Street subway stops
Admission: FREE!!!

After Tae-seok, a professional Baduk player, loses his brother to an infamous underground gambler and is framed for the murder, he becomes consumed by revenge. Imprisoned for seven years, his rage builds alongside his desire to strengthen his skills and train in martial arts. When he is finally released, Tae-seok is ready to make “The Divine Move!” Infiltrating the inner circle of the gambling lair, he eliminates those who wronged him and his family with cunning skill.

Don’t miss this brand new crime thriller that has been wowing audiences and breaking box office records across Asia.

Thursday, October 09, 2014

New restoration of HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR at NY Film Festival tomorrow

A Rialto Pictures release
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Directed by Alain Resnais
Screenplay and Dialogue by Marguerite Duras
Starring Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada
France/Japan, 1959, 92 minutes
Language: French, Japanese, and English with English subtitles
When: Friday, October 10, 2014 at 6:00 PM
Where: The Film Society of Lincoln Center's
Walter Reade Theater, 165 W 65th Street, NYC 

A new 4K restoration of Hiroshima Mon Amour, the 1959 film that marked director Alan Resnais' feature film debut, will have its U.S. premiere tomorrow, Friday, October 10th as part of the NYFF52 Revivals section of the 52nd New York Film Festival. The film opens in theaters next Friday, October 17th.

I saw the restoration at a press screening yesterday. While I just don't have the time right now to write a full review (that will have to wait until next week), let me say that it looked wonderful as projected in the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format. I never saw the original, so I can't make any comparison, but here the tonal range is slightly clipped. By that I mean the whites are not brilliantly white, even in direct sunlight, and the blacks are not a pure, dark black. For me this look was just right for the moody, mysterious and poetic nature of the film.

I think this new restoration is a "must-see" regardless of whether or not you've previously seen Hiroshima Mon Amour.

Here's what the Film Society of Lincoln Center says about this classic film:

"This modernist masterwork began as a documentary commission from Daiei Studios, secured for Alain Resnais by producer Anatole Dauman. Resnais decided that the bombing of Hiroshima and its impact needed fiction, brought Marguerite Duras onto the project, and worked with her to create a story—of a French film actress (Amour Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva) who goes to Hiroshima to make a film and has an affair with a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada)—that would exist “in two tenses… the present and the past coexist.” Few films have had such a lasting, wide-ranging impact. Hiroshima, mon amour [sic] is a devastating experience on every level: visually, sonically, emotionally, intellectually."

The restoration was realized by Argos Films, Fondation Groupama Gan, Fondation Technicolor, and Cineteca Bologna, with support from the CNC.

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

VIZ announces spotlight on Takeshi Obata and digital manga debuts & updates for October 2014

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL © 2014 by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Ryosuke Takeuchi,yoshitoshi ABe, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc.
 VIZ MEDIA SPOTLIGHTS TAKESHI OBATA AND DETAILS NEW
DIGITAL MANGA DEBUTS AND UPDATES FOR OCTOBER

Digital Premiere Of WORLD TRIGGER And Updates To More
Than 20 Other Series; Celebrate Takeshi Obata’s New York Comic Con
Appearance With A Sweepstakes And Special Digital Pricing

VIZ Media has announced a substantial digital manga update to open the Fall 2014 reading season with a host of new titles and a special promotion celebrating the work of artist Takeshi Obata for his first-ever U.S. appearance at New York Comic Con 2014.

VIZ Media highlights several updates this month including the digital debut of the sci-fi action series, WORLD TRIGGER, with the first two volumes available on October 7th, as well as more than 20 other VIZ Media series.

Takeshi Obata is the seminal artist/creator of smash hit manga (graphic novel) series such as DEATH NOTE, BAKUMAN。, HIKARU NO GO, RALΩGRAD and ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. He is scheduled to appear at several events during New York Comic Con 2014, taking place October 9th- 12th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Full details on the East Coast's biggest pop culture convention are available at: www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

VIZ Media marks his appearance with a special Takeshi Obata Sweepstakes that runs from October 6th to 31st and offers fans two ways to enter. Visit the VIZ Media Booth #1944 during New York Comic Con and submit your email address to receive a FREE Takeshi Obata art poster and be automatically entered for a chance to win one of the fantastic prizes listed below. Or to submit your entry remotely and for more information including rules and regulations visit www.vizmanga.com/obata.

Takeshi Obata Sweepstakes Prizes Include:

   ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Omnibus Edition (Signed)
   DEATH NOTE Black Edition, Vol. 1 (Signed)
   DEATH NOTE Manga Poster (Signed)
   BAKUMAN。Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)
   HIKARU NO GO, Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)
   RALΩGRAD, Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)

VIZ Media will also highlight Takeshi Obata with special digital pricing available for a limited time between October 6thth and 31st on all of his aforementioned series available from VIZ Manga. Also check VIZ Media’s partner sites for promotional pricing on Takeshi Obata digital manga titles during October.

New Digital Manga Series Debut:

WORLD TRIGGER Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
DIGITAL MSRP: $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) • Available Now!
Destroy thy Neighbor! A gate to another dimension has burst open, and invincible monsters called Neighbors invade Earth. Osamu Mikumo may not be the best among the elite warriors who co-opt other-dimensional technology to fight back, but along with his Neighbor friend Yuma, he’ll do whatever it takes to defend life on Earth as we know it.

Additional notable October digital updates to several other popular continuing manga titles include the stunning series conclusion to the paranormal gothic drama, VAMPIRE KNIGHT (Vol. 19 available Oct. 7th), as well as the latest editions of MY LOVE STORY (Vol. 2), NARUTO (Vol. 67), DEADMAN WONDERLAND (Vol. 5), SUNNY (Vol. 4; MSRP: $14.99), TORIKO (Vol. 24) and an array of new updates to several titles from the VIZ Select imprint such as TRINITY BLOOD (Vol. 7), LUCKY STAR (Vol. 4), SUKI (Vol. 2), FUTURE DIARY (Vol. 7), TRINITY BLOOD (Vol. 8), LAGOON ENGINE (Vol. 4), and KYO KARA MAOH (Vol. 2).

Readers can enjoy these latest manga updates that are available on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets. The titles may also be purchased through the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, ComiXology, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. These dynamic digital platforms offer fans the opportunity to explore and enjoy a massive catalog of new and classic manga titles that spans more than 2,300 volumes across over 200 different series.

Don’t miss special digital pricing on the following Takeshi Obata manga titles now through October 31st:

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $4.99 ea (U.S. / CAN)
When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his fifth iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?

BAKUMAN。Vols. 1-20 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-20 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-12 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-12 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects – and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

HIKARU NO GO Vols. 1-23 • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-23 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
After stumbling across a haunted go board, Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player named Fujiwara-no-Sai has taken up residence in his consciousness. Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed go prodigy Akira Toya!

RALΩGRAD Vols. 1-4 • Rated ‘M’ for All Ages •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-4 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
In the midst of a war, a child is born during a bloody battle at the cost of his mother's life. From this baby comes forth a huge and powerful dragon born of Shadow. Within minutes the dragon lays waste to the landscape, but a quick-thinking knight locks the baby in a cage of darkness, where he grows to be a young man, knowing only the kindness of his young female tutor. Until the day the Shadows attack and he is set free...

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the comiXology, iBooks and GooglePlay Stores.

All manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and readers can also explore all titles with free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, visit www.vizmanga.com.