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Independent film and movie articles and reviews |
House Of Flying Daggers
House Of Flying Daggers, veteran Chinese master Zhang Yimou's followup to Hero, is not strictly a sequel but it is a glorious companion piece.
Like Hero, Daggers plays in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. Set in different eras and physical landscapes, each with unique characters and a remarkably different socio-political message embedded in the slim yet elegant stories, the two films can be watched back-to-back to great effect. Hero was recently released on DVD so the double screening is viable, and the order of viewing is irrelevant.
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Twilight Samurai
Author Shuhei Fujisawa writes period-piece novels, but rather than focus on political leaders, war heroes, etc., his stories revolve around common men and unknown figures. "Twilight Samurai" is a moving film based on his best selling novel which features a samurai of low rank who dreams of living the peaceful simple life of a farmer and being home to watch his children grow. more
Kill Bill Volume 2
It’s so great to see someone loved by such a wide audience point Americans to the wonderful world of Asian cinema. Tarantino manages to reach a vast audience that includes action fans and indie film fans alike, and uses this force for good. In Kill Bill Volumes one and two, Tarantino nods to Asian directors like Kenji Misumi, whose film Shogun Assassin was the main influence for the Tokyo bloodbath in volume one, and many other Asian filmmakers including Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer). Along with the Asian references are many classic western ones, including a Charles Bronson poster in the background of one scene; the casting of David Carradine, famous for his Asian and western roles (and he plays the bamboo flute, no less!); and a healthy dose of Mexican music.
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
There was a time when I refused to see anything with Jim Carrey in it, and I thank my lucky stars that I've become more open-minded since. To get an overall picture of things, let's start with the writers, Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry. Kaufman is the same man that helped create such intricate movies as "Being John Malkovich" and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," and you can expect just as many clever twists and weavings in this story, you can also expect to be just as drawn to the characters. Then we have Michel Gondry, who among other videos, produced many of Bjork's, and who brings that wide imaginative spectrum of scenes to the film. The series of visuals are erratic and stunning, just like the story.
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Lost in Translation
Oscar winner for best screenplay and our movie pick for 2003, it's Sofia Coppola's latest film starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson about a movie star doing a whiskey ad in Tokyo and lack of communication.
The movie starts with you and Bill Murray’s character, Bob Harris, slowly rolling down the sleepless streets of Tokyo, set to dreamy music that complements all the twinkling lights. And it seems like it is a dream for Bob, like he’s walking mechanically through a world completely foreign to him, a world where he can’t understand or comply with the language or manners and mannerisms. His ethereal cab ride ends at the main setting of the movie, the hotel, wherein lies the more namely setting, the hotel bar.
Dada Changed My Life
Wins second at the Nihilist Film Festival. Follow this documentary's footsteps.
At its most recent screening at the Nihilist Film Festival in Santa Monica, Dada Changed My Life received 2nd Prize. This is the 4th award it has received: Best Documentary at the DV Awards in Park City, Utah; 1st Prize at Brave Destiny:Master Surrealist Exhibition and Film Festival in New York City; as well as a Special mention at Foc Cimema in Castellon, Spain.
Artists' efforts rescue Cabaret Voltaire and Dada from oblivion... Read the article on Dada Changed My Life.
The Scent of Green Papaya
I really think Anh Hung Tran is one of the most underrated directors of our time, because when people talk about films in which every frame of a film is beautiful, I never hear his name mentioned - and it should be. His directorial debut set in pre-war Vietnam, "The Scent of Green Papaya" is one of the most visually stimulating movies I have ever seen, the way he incorporates light and water into his movies is nothing less than stunning, each scene is a celebration of life. I recently heard a Zen Master say that he sees miracles daily; saying when he's hungry, he eats, when he's tired, he sleeps. And it's this type of philosophy that embodies the film, it teaches us through the main character, Mui (played by Man San Lu at ten and Tran Nu Yên-Khê at twenty), to appreciate everyday minutae in nature and to excel at everything we do. more
Donnie Darko re-released
Director's Cut Premiere.
Dada Changed My Life
Another New York screening.
Zhang Yimou on our Shore
Article, stills, trailers.
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