Movie Overload (Asia Filmfest)

The Asia Filmfest is over. I went almost everyday and enjoyed it as usual. Yesterday I spent more than 12 hours non-stop watching movies. I´m surprised that I didn´t get a headache.

Last year I bought comics and books there, this year ink pens and sweets. I really had a good time the two past weeks.

Special thanks to Benjamin who took care of the kids every(!!!!) evening. I do appreciate this and I have a surprise for you when you come back from Antwerp.

Asia Filmfest Nov 10-12 (Chocolate, Three Kingdoms)

Phew... I´m done with the Asia Filmfest. :)

November 11:

Chocolate

November 12:

Three Kingdoms
© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Asia Filmfest Nov 10-12 (Sukiyaki Western: Django)

November 10-12 some of the movies which had been shown at the Asia Filmfest screened for a second time. That gave me the chance to catch up with some of the movies I had missed.
Sukiyaki Western: Django is the movie which I had been anticipating for weeks before the festival started. It is a Japanese cowboy movie written by Takashi Miike and features an appearance by Quentin Tarantino.

Sukiyaki Western: Django

"Sukiyaki Western: Django is an ultra violent gunslinger opera set in a nowhere land that's partly 11th century rural Japan and partly 19th century Nevada, with a cast of Japanese actors speaking English (with varying degrees of success) alongside a supporting performance by Quentin Tarantino. (...) Miike doesn't simply want to dazzle us with his artful shot-making, lovingly orchestrated action scenes and gory death moments. OK, he does want to do that, but he also wants to sweep us up in the grandiose, mythical clutter-tide and deliver a genuine emotional catharsis. I'm not sure he quite gets there, but it's one hell of a spectacular ride." (Salon.com)

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Official End of the Asia Filmfest

The last day of the Asia Filmfest fell on my Birthday. Great! I asked my husband to take care of the kids and I could spend the whole day at the festival. Well, I spent the half day there and watched 4 movies in a row. I was surprised that it wasn´t too much.
The Red Spot was sold out and the director, the actors and crew were present. It was cool to watch the movie, as most of it was shot near the place I used to live and where my mom still lives. And I always enjoy listening to the director and actors talk about the movie after watching it.

Drifting Flowers

The Red Spot

Paco and the magical book

Tokyo Gore Police

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

I need a break! (Asia Filmfest Nov 6 & 8)

Thursday evening, right before leaving for the Asia filmfest, I cut myself again. This time another finger. But I didn´t want to miss a movie and really didn´t want to spend the night at the emergency station of a hospital. So I bandaged it myself and went off to enjoy the movies. Friday morning I had an appointment anyway because of the first cut. But the next day my daughter had a pinkeye and my son lost a piece of his tooth.
So I spent the day at 4 different doctors and just came home 10 minutes before Shabbat started. I wouldn´t have made it, if I hadn´t called a taxi for the way back.
Saturday, my son got the pinkeye and my daughter is sick. Tomorrow I´ll be spending the whole day at the cinema and I guess that will be my break. :)

Nov. 6:

The Warlords

Nov. 8:

Crows Zero

The Guard Post

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Fun Family Film (Nov 5)

I hadn´t expected to laugh tears at a family movie, but it was a nice change to all the bloody and crazy movies I have seen the past week. Well, at least for two hours! After that they showed the classic In the Realm of the Senses.

CJ7

In the Realm of the Senses

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Change Can Happen (Asia Filmfest Nov 4)

Today morning I was happy to read that Obama won the election. Congratulations! I was pretty sure he would, but then you can never be sure. I wish him the best.
Yesterday I watched only one movie as I have been very tired. After all I want to watch 4 or 5 movies on Sunday and I won´t be able to do that when I´m as tired as I am now. On my way home I passed the place where they had the election night party and was tempted to go inside, but the urge to go to bed was stronger.

The Moss

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Movies Without Cut Off Limbs (Nov 3)

During the weekend the Filmfest Lounge offered culinary delights from Asia as well as sales booths with DVDs, comics, books, chocolate, tea and other souvenirs. I´m glad the comics weren´t sold daily, so I got away with one comic (Adolf - Mord in Berlin, Carlsen Comics) and one chocolate Keiko (Green Chocolate, Green Kiss).
Yesterday Benjamin joined me to watch the following two movies. He was glad that both movies weren´t splatter (except for one cut off ear in Mad Detective).

TOKYO SONATA

MAD DETECTIVE

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

Watching Splatter Movies with Mom (Nov 2)

Yesterday my mom came along to watch two movies at the Asia Filmfest. I warned her - specially about The Machine Girl. I told her, that I would take her along, if she wouldn´t keep commenting the movie while watching it. I don´t enjoy movies with someone sitting next to me telling me constantly how implausible or disgusting or exaggerated the movie is. She usually does that, but still wants to see these kind of movies. But yesterday she did quite well and didn´t comment the whole time. :)

Tokyo!

The Machine Girl

More bloody, gore pics here.

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

65 Tickets for the Asia Filmfest (Nov 1)

I still can´t believe how many tickets I received with the festival pass. I won´t be able to watch all of them, but I will manage to find time for about half of the movies.

Dachimawa Lee

Lovedeath

© all movie images by Asia Filmfest

Click on the pictures for more information about the movies or on the website of the Asia Filmfest.

CAUTION SICK SHIT

Today the Asia Filmfest started. This year I have luckily got a little more time than usual, so I talked Benjamin into giving me a festival pass for my Birthday, which lets me see all the movies from the filmfest.
So this is what we received: a package with the festival pass, the tickets for all of the shows and they let you choose a free dvd. Even though I will be only able to watch the half of the 60 movies, I was happy to hold such a treasure in my hands.
(Specially after having such a stressful day with hurrying around from one place to the other, cutting off one fingertip with a scalpel, standing in front of a closed (!!) hospital with my hand and two towels drenched in blood, finding another taxi to drive me to another hospital, having to organize a Halloween party for today, etc.)
I´m glad they showed only one movie on the opening day of the Filmfest. I´m dead tired now, and so I didn´t join the others who went to the party after the movie. I guess I missed some drinks and Tom Novy at the match club.

ASHES OF TIME REDUX

The film is Mr Wong's most abstract endeavor, a bold excursion into the realm of pure cinema." (New York Times)

A star-studded cast includes both Tony Leungs, Leslie Cheung and Maggie Cheung, and masterful camera work by Chris Doyle. In ancient China, a vagabond swordsman earns his living by hiring others
as assassins. His heart was long ago hardened by the betrayal of a woman, but his encounters make him reflect on his lost love. Cut together by director Wong Kar Wai from a variety of prints of the original, this is the definitive version of his rarely seen martial arts film. Digitally tweaked and tightened, ASHES OF TIME REDUX remains pure Wong - a visually bold film that centres on unrequited longing and emotional frustration, rather than the sword fights of wuxia cinema. (Melbourne International Film Festival)

Watch the trailer.

Fantasy Filmfest & Asia Filmfest

Next week the Fantasy Filmfest (September 3 - 10, 2008) will begin and in Oktober the Asia Filmfest (October 31 - November 9, 2008*). Last year I had the possibilty of seeing a lot of movies at the Asia Filmfest and I hope I can do the same this year. But first I´ll try to get to the Fantasy Filmfest. Actually it should be called Horror Filmfest, or is it just me choosing the scary movies?

* Hopefully I can spend my birthday at the movies.

Rooster´s Breakfast / Petelinji Zajtrk

After watching Johnny 316 on Monday, I went to see Rooster´s Breakfast at the filmfest. Rooster´s Breakfast is the most successful Slovenian movie of all time and premiered yesterday in Germany. Both the director Marko Naberšnik and main character Vlado Novak attended the premiere. They had a short talk with the audience and seem to be two very nice and humerous guys. If you have the chance, you should go and see the movie.

Watch the trailer and a wonderful song by Severina Vučković.

Filmfest Munich Premieres A Lynch Movie

Germany’s largest summer film festival is taking place for the 26th time, in Munich, from June 20 - 28, 2008. 237 films from 41 countries are shown on 15 screens – all German premieres.

I watched two movies last night. Surveillance by Jennifer Lynch and Small Gods by Dimitri Karakatsanis.
Surveillance is the story about two FBI agents who track a serial killer with the help of three of his would-be victims - all of whom have wildly different stories to tell. Watch the trailer here at YouTube.
Jennifer Lynch and Julia Ormond were both present and they seem to be very nice. Jennifer Lynch thanked the audience for coming (despite a soccer game and a film award celebration). She warned us, that the movie would be pretty "wacky" and that she was curious to see our reactions. Julia Ormond asked the audience to refrain from throwing stuff at them. :)
I did enjoy the movie. Unfortunately I couldn´t stay and listen to J. Lynch and J. Ormond answering the audiences´ questions, as I had tickets for another movie too.

The second movie Small Gods is told in flash backs. Elena tries to explain to her lawyer what has happened to her since she went missing from a hospital where she was being treated for the wounds caused by the car accident that killed her little boy.

I enjoyed this movie too, but still need to think about it. (The movie even featured a boxing match with God.)

Today I hope to see Johnny 316 as I´m a fan of Vincent Gallo.