Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
The cardiac kids of Asian cinema in the USA are still going after ten years. Every year there’s more directors, what seems like more films, and definitely more press. Congrats to the New York Asian Film Festival. It starts in just a few days. There’s a lot going on in July, and it looks to be an action packed month. (WSJ – Martial Art-House) (NYAFF site)
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Put it up on the glass: Surrogate Valentine poster framed and hanging in Brooklyn Academy of Music’s cinema.
Surrogate Valentine debuted in New York last Thursday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music‘s BAMCinemaFest of new films. The film’s stars came out and shone along with all the East Coast Asian Pacific American stars.
Director Dave Boyle (left) and star Goh Nakamura (right) introduce the film, explain they’ll be drinking during the screening but will return after for a Q&A.
The film’s over and they’re back, joined by co-executive producer, Michael Lerman.
The women of Surrogate Valentine step up: left to right, Di Quon, Mary Cavett and Lynn Chen. Co-writer Joel Clark has snuck in on the far right.
Di gets goofy.
Goh is the best. He’s like when Beyonce is both the guest star and the musical guest on SNL.
Apes Will Rise? Remember the blogging I did about going to the Rise of the Apes summit? Here’s a few videos that are of interest. The idea is that, a) the 2001 film that was a remake of the film should just be wiped from your memories. b) The upcoming film releasing August 5th will be something more “real”. The Peter Jackson WETA team, the folks who brought you Avatar, went into overdrive and now had to create something that looks believable. Remember these apes won’t be talking, it’s all about gestures. The research done by the WETA team and director, Rupert Wyatt, include some of these videos. They’re releasing them to show that apes are closer to humans in some abilities that we may think. [youtube]ya7IhijXYUQ[/youtube] This chimp is playing Far Cry 2, a first person shooter that has an open world. Yeah, I’m sure the chimp isn’t very good at it, but at least he looks into it. [youtube]cVQRoF0W84o[/youtube] Here’s footage of a gorilla who decided to stand up and walk. His name is Ambam and is at a zoo in Kent, England. [youtube]28Z_D9Grh18[/youtube] Here’s the Planet of the Apes Trailer. The PR person himself said that the word rise and apes is used twice but it still works. I also wouldn’t promote it if I didn’t think it’s interesting. Yes, I did get to attend the summit at their expense, I ate some of their food, and got to sit through interesting lectures, and I can also say this looks like crap, but there’s no need. It looks like fun.
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First these folks aren’t on the jury. That’s DJ on the left. Doug Jones. He’s eternally young but has been at the film for a while. Cinema keep him young. That’s Mike Plante on the right. I met him ages and ages ago via mail from the zine days. We used to write long form and kept in touch since. He did a zine called Cinemad out of Arizona. I remember the details pretty well. It’s great to see him involved in what he loves. Film. Daniel Waters. Seriously hilarious and guess what? He wrote Heathers and a bunch of flicks that are classics. Ford Fairlane with Dice Clay? Batman Returns? He lives in LA and doesn’t drive and he can sell a script tomorrow. That’s David Ansen the artistic director of the festival and Lynn Shelton at right. Look her up. She’s a director and an actress. I didn’t catch her at her best second, but she looks ready to be on screen at all moments. I get to sit next to her in movies. That’s not bad. So far I’ve seen, You Hurt My Feelings, How to Cheat, The Dynamiter, Sawdust City, Familiar Grounds, and The Fatherless.
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Los Angeles Film Festival Opening Night. Independent Film? Hardly. This is as serious and professional that Hollywood can be. It’s a monster. It’s at LA Live which is a film food complex next to the Staples Center, which actually improves the stature of the festival from it’s days in Westwood Village. I’ll admit I thought Westwood Village was a great idea and the perfect venue but for a heavily industry infused event, LA Live is the spot. The opening film was Bernie by Richard Linklater. I’ve been a fan of his work from the get go, even pre-Slacker. What sold me on his work was Dazed and Confused, Suburbia, Before Sunrise, and even some of his more recent work that are part of box office game. His biggest hit is probably School of Rock. But what I like most, he’s a survivor of the early wave of 90s, talky, indie films. The bad dude from “Lost”. He’s now the number two on the island with Hurley. Flash sideways! He’s at the LA Film Festival doing something sinister. Yeah, I can’t separate the fiction. Ayako Fujitani gets the red carpet treatment. That’s Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black. Two stars of Bernie. The movie is a strange one as Linklater uses what feels like real interviews and intercuts it with the fiction. It’s based on true events which makes the film even more strange. We’ll see where this “passion project” ends up. It’s not a “hit” type of film, but it’s not indie either. A bit out of focus, it’s Matthew McConaughey… (his name is hard to spell) It’s obvious where he’s from, and he and Richard Linklater grew up together in East Texas. He too is in Bernie, but his best? Dazed and Confused. The food is where it’s at. It was Southern themed and not bad. The after party was gigantic. Luckily we got there early and I doubt that food or drinks could have run out. Maybe the parrot dress helped out the press line.
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