Comments (0) Nov 26 2008

Happy Turkey Day with Kimchee on top!

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NOW PLAYING

At Anthology Film Archives on November 20, Lee Myung-Se’s M mesmerizes and hypnotizes with its heady imagery and deep, dark sound design. It’s the story of a blocked writer on a deadline, haunted by a woman who may be a ghost, a stalker, a dream or a memory. Truly psychedelic and it needs a big screen to be appreciated. (Showtime info) (Read more) (See the trailer)

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On November 20 @ 6:30pm, screening at the Korea Society as part of their monthly series “A Tradition of Critical Realism,” Kim Hong-Joon’s LA VIE EN ROSE.  Set in the dreary 1980’s, an all night comic store becomes a refuge for three men running from the law and from life.  The shopkeeper is a sexy lady, known as Madam, and she rapidly forms the center of their tangled up lives. (More info)

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At the Asia Society on November 21 @ 7pm, Li Yu’s DAM STREET will be screening. This film is a stunning visual investigation of the life of a young woman, Xiao Yun, who has never played by the rules.  As her community, family, and society continue to shun her for living outside of the box (read: she got pregnant as a teenager), she tries to find real allies in this movie that’s been compared to the work of Zhang Yimou.  Winner of the Grand Prize at the Deauville Asian Film Festival and winner of the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival?. (More info & tickets)

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At the Japan Society as part of their monthly series “Best of Tora-san,” Yoji Yamada’s TORA-SAN MEETS THE SONGSTRESS AGAIN screens on November 21 @ 7:30pm. Tora-san travels with Hyodo to Hokkaido and runs into his high school sweetheart, Lily, who is now divorced and ripe for love.  Will he be able to win back her heart for good? Well, it’s a Tora-san film, so probably not. (More info & tickets)

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At the IFC on November 21, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath’s THE BETRAYAL uses decades of recorded footage to present this profound film about a family torn apart by the United States’ clandestine bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. Kuras is a cinematographer for directors like Martin Scorsese and Michel Gondry, while Phrasavath is a Laotian-American activist. (More info & tickets)

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At the MoMA, on November 23 and November 24, thrill to the Saturday morning matinee adventurism of Sergei Bodrov’s Academy Award winning film MONGOL. Cheer for Genghis Khan Jr. (played by stone cold awesome Tadanobu Asano) as he grows from a misunderstood twerp to the guy who ruled the world. A hit when it was released, this is a throwback to the blood and thunder action adventure bio-pics that were once a staple of Hollywood. (More info)

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At ImaginAsian, Tarun Mansukhani’s DOSTANA heats it up for your viewing pleasure with a Bollywood remake of I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY set in Miami. Two male buddies (superstar Abhishek Bachchan, son of icon Amitabh Bachchan) and John Abraham pretend to be lovers to attain a sweet apartment, but things get shaken up when they start vying for the same bikini-wearing woman (Priyanka Chopra). It’s another Yash Raj family entertainer with slick production values, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, mega-director Karan Johar’s assistant director on several of his blockbusters. (Tickets) (Official site)

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Still only playing at the Angelika and the Lincoln Plaza, Danny Boyke’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, winner of the People’s Choice Award at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival.  A teen orphan from the ghetto of Mumbai is on the verge of winning big on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” when he is arrested for cheating on a game show.  The flashback of his hard luck life is revealed as he tries to prove his innocence. Starring Bollywood mega-star Anil Kapoor, whose career hasn’t been the hottest of late, as the gameshow host. (More info)

Comments (0) Nov 20 2008

NOW PLAYING

On November 12 at the Korea Society, the screening of Kim Cheol-gyu’s TV drama, HWANG JIN YI, part one “The Zenith of a Kisaeng.” A luscious tale about the famous kisaeng (Korean courtesan), Hwang Jin Yi, who broke the rules with grace and beauty. Director Kim will be there to present the film. Parts Two, Three and Four continue through February. (More info)

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Opening November 12 at the Angelika, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE directed by Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, 28 DAYS LATER), winner of the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. An orphaned teenager from the Mumbai ghettos is on the verge of winning big when he is arrested for cheating on a game show based on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Lots of Indian talent is on display, mostly newcomers and character actors, but big dog Anil Kapoor plays the role of the gameshow host. The real host of India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” was Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and now it’s super-mega-star Shah Rukh Khan. Anil Kapoor has been keeping a low profile lately, but “Millionaire” was a comeback of sorts for the Big B so let’s hope it opens some new doors for Anil K. (More info)

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Speaking of Bollywood, at ImaginAsian, Madhur Bhandarkar’s FASHION dives into the glitzy and glamorous fashion scene that every girl wants into, and Meghna is no exception. High fashion demands a high price as she struggles to shine in this world of shallow virtues. Bhandarkar is better known for his gritty takes on the corporate world and this flick sounds like he’s finally gotten bitten by the Valley of the Dolls bug. Supermodels on booze! Drugs! Runway shows! (More info) (Read a review)

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Also at ImaginAsian, Rohit Shetty’s GOLMAAL RETURNS is a wacky comedy about Golmaal who everyone believes is guilty of cheating on his wife and is the prime suspect in a murder. The flick is a sequel to GOLMAAL and it is already shaping up to be a massive hit. Starring Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor (not seen onscreen together since the 2006 Othello adaptation OMKARA) it has already collected massive loot overseas and broken first-day box office records at home. (More info)

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At Anthology Film Archives on November 20, Lee Myung-Se’s M mesmerizes and mystifies with it’s heady imagery and sound effects. The narrative follows a famous writer who is tormented by his writer’s block as well as the ghost of his first love, but the ghost may be a dead person, it may be a living person, or a memory or a dream. In Director Lee’s world we’re never quite sure. This is one of the few true psychedelic head-exploders made in recent history and you should see it on the big screen where its rich, dark imagery can swallow you up. (more info) (watch the trailer) (More on the movie)

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Comments (0) Nov 12 2008

Now Playing

In Brooklyn, playing at CC Village East Cinemas, Wong Kar Wai’s new and improved epic sword fight and vision quest in ASHES OF TIME REDUX. (More info)

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At ImaginAsian, James Dodson’s THE OTHER END OF THE LINE romances the screen. A long-in-the-works collaboration between Indian company Adlabs (who are trying to own the world) and MGM, this is their first attempt at an Indian/American romantic comedy that can be sold to both markets. The long distance connection is redefined as an Indian customer service operator falls for a young American stud. They meet in San Francisco and discover chemistry and romance, but she has to reveal the truth about her life in India, and he needs to get the balls up to do something about his love. (More info) (See the trailer)

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At the MoMA on, November 5, Doris Dörrie’s film KIRSCHBLUTEN – HANAMAI (CHERRY BLOSSOMS). Opposing worlds gently collide in this film about an aging couple who decide to visit their children in the urban jungle when the father finds himself ill. Winner of numerous awards around the world, KIRSCHBLUTEN – HANAMAI is a poignant memo to everyone who’s getting old: eventually, no one’s going to care about you anymore. See: Ozu’s TOKYO STORY. Shot in German, Japanese, English, with English subtitles. (More info)

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At BAM on November 6, “Life Is a Pitch” the film series all about the art of selling, hits the screens with this Weijun Chen’s documentary, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME. Shot in China, it follows the election of third-grade class monitor, a bloody arena where bribery, vote rigging, mud slinging and sabotage are the order of the day. Plus, these kids sport some of the craziest rat tails I’ve ever seen. (More info) (Watch the trailer)

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On November 7, The Museum of the Moving Image along with the Indo-American Arts Council presents “Bombay/NY: An Evening with Mira Nair and Suketu Mehta” that traces the passionate ties between New York City and modern day Mumbai. The discussion will feature film clips from director Nair’s THE NAMESAKE and MONSOON WEDDING, along with a reading from Mehta, author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. The two super stars are collaborating on various film projects. (More info)

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At the Asia Society on November 9^th comes the U.S. premiere of Shyam Benegal’s BOSE: THE FORGOTTEN HERO with a stimulating discussion with the director post screening. The film documents the life of the controversial Indian leader, “Netaji” Subhas Chandra Bose, who ditched Gandhi’s party of peaceful resistance against the British in India because he thought that the only way India would get its freedom from the Brits was down the barrel of a gun. He wound up meeting with folks like Hitler and asking for their support in his battle against the British. He believed in the power of force and formed India’s first national army to fight it out with Allied forces. (More info)

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On Wednesday, November 12, at the Korea Society, a screening of Kim Cheol-Gyu’s TV drama, HWANG JIN YI, part one “The Zenith of a Kisaeng.” A luscious tale about the famous kisaeng (Korean courtesan), Hwang Jin-Yi, who broke all the rules, using her grace and beauty to protect herself. Her mind and wit matched her surface splendor, but her talent in the arts and music made history. Director Kim will be there to present the screening. Parts Two, Three and Four continue through February. (Images, and more about Hwang Jin-Yi)

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Comments (0) Nov 05 2008