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.

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.

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 is over

Last Tuesday and Wednesday I watched the last 4 movies at the Fantasy Filmfest. Somehow I´ve got enough of blood and corpses for at least a few weeks (until the Asia Filmfest starts in October). ;)
If I had to favor one of these movies, I would recommend watching "Just another Love Story". The Danish movie was one of the highlights at the Fantasy Filmfest in Germany and I was pleasantly surprised. Different to many of the other movies, this one actually had a good story, surprising twists and good actors. And best of all: The ending is great!
So Casey, in case you want to watch a good suspenseful movie, then watch this one. (There isn´t too much blood involved either! ;) )


Just Another Love Story

Jonas´ life takes an unexpected twist when he inadvertently causes a woman to crash her car and go into a coma. When she comes out of her coma her memory has vanished. Due to a mix-up she and her family believe that Jonas is in fact Sebastian, her boyfriend. Jonas pretends to be Sebastian. But one day the truth comes knocking at the door.
“Developing into an obscene, twisted romance, the story remains powerful (...) turning into a shocking, nerve-racking riddle played out with a brutal relish for the grotesque in the final part.” (Electric Sheep)
Watch the trailer on YouTube.


The Midnight Meat Train

A New York photographer hunts down a serial killer. The movie is based on Clive Barker's short story "Midnight Meat Train".
“Director Ryuhei (VERSUS) Kitamura tackles Barker with blood-soaked bravado, making MEAT TRAIN the most visually-stunning horror film in years (...) Through a perfect marriage of prosthetics and CGI, Kitamura unleashes some of the most outrageous and inventive kills to ever hit the screen: Victims are sliced, diced, bludgeoned, hacked, and smashed in several shocking jump-out-of-your-seat moments (how this got away with an R-rating is mind-boggling).” (Dread Central)
Watch the trailer on YouTube.


Acolytes

Three teens blackmail a serial killer.
"In this dead serious chiller set in the suburbs and forest of Australian Queensland, three high school students are excited to stumble across a corpse and pinpoint the murderer: the perfect chance to get rid of that creep Gary Parker, who has bullied two of them over and over?! Blackmailing a killer into offing a bully? Unfortunately, serial killers’ minds usually operate differently from those of somewhat sane teenagers." (Fantasy Filmfest)
Watch the trailer YouTube.


The Chaser

Joong-ho is a former detective (now pimp) in financial trouble as several of his girls have disappeared without clearing their debts. While trying to track them down, he finds a clue that the vanished girls were all called up by the same client.
“What THE CHASER brings to the table is a potent combination of a “you gotta grab-your-armchair” like intense script and performances from the entire cast that is worthy of “encore!” chants. The movie is directed by newcomer Hong-jin Na, a name that will likely become much better known in the coming months.” (Lunapark 6)
Watch the trailer YouTube.

Eden Lake

I missed the opening movie of the Fantasy Filmfest (September 3 - 10, 2008) yesterday as it was sold out. At least they screened the movie late at night too.
In "Eden Lake" a couple gets harassed by local youths and the situation turns into a living nightmare. The movie keeps getting worse and I could have used someone sitting next to me, so I wouldn´t have had to jump at the unknown neighbor all the time. At one scene he even got up and said that he would get another beer and return after the horrible. He couldn´t take it anymore.

“EDEN LAKE lulls you in the beginning, then sends you through a complete nightmare before a totally unexpected ending. It’s horrifying and credible in a way few genre movies are.” James Watkins, director EDEN LAKE

I´m off to the next two movies tonight!

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.

European Filmfest- Big Nothing

Yesterday I went to see another (and probably my last) movie at the Europa Filmfest. I found out yesterday that it was the first European Filmfestival in Munich. Just another two days to go, so if you are in Munich check out some of their movies. They have a great collection for the fest.

So this time I saw the movie Big Nothing with David Schwimmer* and Simon Pegg. Big Nothing is the story of two nice losers who decide to blackmail a porn-addicted priest and everything goes wrong. The movie makes you laugh real hard and manages to shock you at the same time. And beware of Miss Teen Oklahoma!

* I didn´t know that David Schwimmer shot any movies or anything apart from Friends.

Europa Filmfest

"Europa Filmfest"
Munich

Nov 28 - Dec 5, 2007
@ Gloria Filmpalast!

I enjoyed the movie yesterday evening and maybe I´ll find the time to watch another few movies of the fest. Maybe on Monday? We´ll see...

You can download the time table and the programm for the fest here.




(Copyright for all images posted here by Europa Filmfest)

European Filmfest - Venus (2)

The movie yesterday was sad, lovely and funny too. Two aging actors and close friends lives are turned upside down when Ian´s niece's daughter Jessie moves in to his flat to care for him. The provincial girl turns out to be a nightmare for Ian. But Maurice develops a romantic love for the girl fifty years younger.

Maurice: I will die soon, Venus. Can I touch your hand?
Jessie: That's one chat-up line I haven't heard.
Maurice: I'm impotent, of course.
Jessie: Thank Christ.
Maurice: But I can still take a theoretical interest.
Jessie: Have you been thinking about me?
Maurice: All the time I was in hospital.
Jessie: What did you think about me?
Maurice: I saw your body.
Jessie: Which part?
Maurice: Your hair. Your feet. Your legs, your behind, your eyes.
Jessie: My eyes?
Maurice: Your elbows. Your cunt.
Jessie: Oh, shut up. You can touch my hand.
(He kisses her hand)
Jessie: Only with your fingers. Anything else will make me vomitous.
Maurice: Can I ask you, have you ever been in love before?
(She smiles)

European Filmfest - Venus

Yesterday was the first day of the Europa Filmfest in Munich. How could I possibly have missed the opening movie yesterday evening?
Anyway, I still prefer the Asia Filmfest and the Fantasy Filmfest. While I try to watch as many movies as possible at these fests, I´m pretty content with watching maybe only one of the movies at the European Filmfest tonight: Venus.

Asia Filmfest - Soo

After the two movies yesterday afternoon we went to get the kids from friends. Back home they were put to bed and off we went again. My mom and I went to watch the last blood-splattered movie of the Asia Filmfest: Soo.

About the movie:
"It's bloody and brutal, and harrowingly so. Japanese-born Korean director Choi Yang-il (Yoichi Sai) brings the Korean audience a hardboiled vengeance film with a slightly different flavor. When you think of blood-splattered retaliation, Park Chan-wook’s vengeance trilogy or Quentin Tarantino’s "Kill Bill" series may come to mind. But imagine such a film stripped of fancy cinematographic techniques and devoid of stylishly choreographed action sequences. Every gesture and grimace is meticulously planned, according to the director. But Choi keeps the camera at a certain distance to portray the no cut skirmishes. The product is heightened realism, and you believe in the brutal violence and the raw human instinct for survival." (The Korea Times)

Asia Filmfest - Dasepo Naughty Girls

Right after "Breath" we saw this crazy movie: Dasepo Naughty Girls, based on the popular Internet novel, "Multi-Cell Girl".

"Fun, sex and lunacy. All hell's been let loose at No Use High School! Director E. J-yong puts a whole new curriculum together for his brilliant adaptation of an internet comic. Whilst the couple that run this somewhat unusual boarding school indulge their sado-masochistic longings, their multi-confessional pupils are busy educating themselves primarily in all kinds of sexual practices. Just as unorthodox as the love life of this crew of bright young things is the colourful look of this bizarre teenage comedy, that takes the audience on a high-speed romp through a highly unpedagogical realm." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via Berlinale)

"Shot with a candy coated color scheme and leaping from a song and dance number featuring a fetching swarm of pink clad go-go dancers to a mass exodus for the doctor's office on news that a teacher has tested positive for syphilis to clandestine video game prostitution to ... well, you get the picture. "Dasepo Naughty Girls" begins as a rapid fire candy fluff spin on high school life that is every bit as absurd, high energy and sketch oriented as Cromartie High School, only this film boasts much higher production values." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via Twitchfilm.net)

Asia Filmfest - Breath

What a wonderful movie. This was the first one we (Benjamin, my mom and myself) enjoyed today. Right after that we watched a second one.

"Removing any pretence of reality for yet another of his existentialist essays on human nature, Kim Ki-duk’s bare-boned new film pairs a married woman with a man on death row, for an impossible love affair. But as this is, after all, Kim Ki-duk territory, the affair does materialise in a manner of speaking, even offering a deserved relief to two tormented souls, before it drops the curtains. Kim’s followers will embrace this and festivals couldn’t possibly miss exposing such a bemusing item. Kim, whose international reputation was based for many years on the excesses he indulged in films like "The Isle" or "Bad Guy", doesn't quite achieve the same heights he climbed in "Spring, Summer…", but he doesn't need to shock anymore and works wonders within the minimalist conditions he imposes on himself. Visually, this is as eye-catching as any of Kim's films, from the muted pastels of Yeon's home, to the stark realism of the prison cell, and down to the brilliantly sharp universe created by Yeon's vivid imagination inside a the prison room. Finally, there is effective use of incidental music, like the mechanical-sounding version of "Moonlight Sonata" played by Yeon's husband, or the ironically utilised "Tombe la Neige" which wraps up the entire picture." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via Screen Daily )

Asia Filmfest - Carved - The Slit-Mouthed Woman

The second movie was a horror movie called "Carved - The Slit-Mouthed Woman". Even though the movie was frightening at times it isn´t a movie which you have to have seen.

About the movie:
"Legend holds that thirty years ago, a suburban town was terrorized by the spirit of a woman whose beautiful face had been grotesquely disfigured by a jealous husband. Roaming the streets wearing a long coat and surgical mask, the spirit would approach young victims and, while removing her mask, ask "Am I pretty?" The victim's response would almost always lead to their violent death.
Now, one by one, children are disappearing again. As teachers and officials desperately begin to investigate, a panic begins to build as the woman's spirit returns for some unfinished business and the town's dark secrets are exposed. “Carved - The Slit-Mouthed Woman“ reminds me of Clive Barker’s “Candyman” in spirit with perhaps Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” thrown in for good." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via Twitchfilm.net)

Asia Filmfest - Flash Point

A few hours ago we watched the best movie of the Asian Filmfest so far: Flash Point. A great movie with mind-blowing action! One of the best action movies I have seen (though I have to admit that I haven´t seen too many of them).

About the movie:
"Flash Point" belongs in the new crop of Hong Kong films that have begun to take shape over the last few years and found a major following in International markets tired of the same stuff. It’s a genre with hardcore fighting that isn’t predicated on styles or even signature moves, where violence looms, threatens, and finally develops in a heated "debate" of fists and kicks. You probably wouldn’t have seen anything like "Flash Point" or "Sha Po Lang" ten or even five years ago, and it seems Yen has helped to usher in this new genre of Hong Kong action-crime films that combines grit, martial arts, and crime that has never been seen before." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via BeyondHollywood.com)

"Flash Point" is an awesome action movie when the time came for it to deliver the goods, highlighting that Hong Kong action films still have what it takes to innovate within the genre. The back half of the film is packed to the gills with fight and action sequences and they stand as the most diverse and punishing sequences of Yen’s career." (via Asia Filmfest 2007 via Twitchfilm.net)