Composer Iwashiro Taro - Red Cliff, Blood & Bones

I just watched part one (2008) of the great Hong Kong and Hollywood filmmaker John Woo's (吳宇森; Wú Yǔsēn) two-part epic, Red Cliff (赤壁; Chìbì), on a HDTV on Blu-ray DVD. The two parts -- part two to be released this month (January 2009) -- are, reportedly, collectively, the most expensive-ever Asian-financed motion pictures. The story encompasses the epic "Battle of Red Cliff and events during the end of the Han Dynasty and immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China". Red Cliff is well acted by such Asian cinema luminaries as Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (梁朝偉; Liáng Cháowěi), Kaneshiro Takeshi (金城 武; Jīnchéng Wǔ), Zhang Fengyi (张丰毅; of Farewell My Concubine [霸王別姬; Bàwáng Bié Jī] and The Emperor and the Assassin [荊柯刺秦王; Jīng Kē cì Qín Wáng] fame), Chang Chen (張震; Zhāng Zhèn of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [臥虎藏龍; Wòhǔ Cánglóng]), the, IMHO, always wonderful -- and kind of "MIA" for a while -- Zhao Wei (趙薇; Vicky Zhao Wei) and other important stars.

Asian-American International Film Festival (New York) - July 10 - 19, 2008

June and July are chock-full of ground-breaking Asian and Asian-American cultural and other related events.

Yet another important cinema series, the now 30+ year-old Asian-American International Film Festival (a co-production of Asian Cinevision and the Asia Society) is being held in New York from July 10-19. This festival has brought to the American fore the likes of master filmmakers, Mira Nair, Ang Lee (李安 Lǐ Ān), Wayne Wang (王穎 Wáng Yǐng), Park Chan-wook (박찬욱) and Justin Lin (林詣彬 Lín Yìbīn) with the U.S. and New York premieres of some of their seminal cinematic works.

Be sure to check it out!

The intro. video from the 2007 festival appears below (from YouTube).

New York Asian Film Festival - June 20 - July 6

Subway Cinema is presenting its annual film event, the 2008 New York Asian Film Festival, June 20-July 6. This year's festival is a co-production between Subway Cinema and the Japan Society.

Films in the series have grown this year to 43, along with 2 short film programs. Be sure to check it out!

Donnie Yen - The Master

When Jet Li or Jackie Chan are said to be -- following the tragic death of the inimitable Bruce Lee -- the greatest martial arts stars of the last three decades, I bring up the name of the one who, IMHO, surpasses their remarkable gifts: Donnie Yen.

Born in Guangzhou, China, and raised in Boston, MA and Hong Kong, Donnie Yen Chi Dan (Zhēn Zǐdān, 甄子丹), is the son of a martial arts master, his mother, Bow Sim Mark (麥寶嬋), founder of the Boston-based Chinese Wushu Research Institute. He has studied classical martial arts and modern fighting techniques since childhood. He is also a fine actor of great gravitas.

His earlier films such as Tsui Hark's (徐克) Once Upon a Time in China II (黃飛鴻之二男兒當自強) -- where he is pitted against Jet Li in a magnificent fight -- and the very fine Iron Monkey (少年黃飛鴻之鐵馬騮), directed by master martial arts choreographer, Yuen Woo Ping (袁和平), show great range both in his fighting skills and dramatic range. Later, one finds Donnie Yen as Jet Li's first opponent in Zhang Yimou's (張藝謀) wonderful, Oscar-nominated cinematic "opera", Hero (英雄) in a highly-stylized fight scene, and other popular hits. Among the very best of his films is Sha Po Lang (殺破狼 or "Kill Zone"), where a fight scene with Chinese actor Wu Jing (吳京) is among the most exciting I've ever seen on-screen, and he is also up against the legendary Sammo Hung (洪金寶).

Despite Donnie Yen's many career achievements -- now including, in addition to his acting, a lot of work both in Hong Kong and Hollywood cinema as an action choreographer -- I feel he has never really received the "star treatment" that should have been accorded to him. I'm not sure why. Still, his legacy is well-recorded for generations to come.

Here (below) is that astonishing fight scene with Wu Jing from "SPL"--Donnie is in black. The power, speed and excitement of the action choreography raises the bar for all martial arts performances. I hope that if you do not already know Donnie Yen's work, watching it will inspire you to see more.

Hula Girls - Don't Miss It!

I can't recommend more enthusiastically the adorable Japanese comedy, Hula Girls (フラガール Hura Gāru). It is directed by Korean director, Sang-il Lee, and features a wonderful ensemble of Japanese actors. Hula Girls is the story, set in 1965, of the people of the economically depressed mining town of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. When unemployment became rampant in the town -- because coal was being replaced by fuel and mines were progressively shut down -- the mine owners turned to new sources of revenue. In this case, they decide to build, in this cold, northern Japanese prefecture, a Hawaiian theme park and recruit local girls to learn to dance the Hula (and a feisty dance teacher from the big city to teach them) at the park and on tour. I won't reveal much more, but suffice to say that what occurs is the stuff of great, sometimes hillarious, sometimes sentimental humor.

Among the film's greatest virtues is the musical score by the
Japanese-American ukulele virtuoso (!), Jake Shimabukuro. An example of his incredible gifts can be found in the video clip below. Very special.

Sir Run Run Shaw - Big News for the Legend

Living legend, Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫), the cinema pioneer (an understatement!) who turned 100 last October, is still actively making news.

First, as "the most generous individual Hong Kong donor to relief efforts in earthquake-devastated Sichuan when he pledged HK$100 million for rebuilding schools in the province" (from The Standard, May 15, 2008).

Second, within the same week, with the announcement that he plans to sell his stake in TVB, the television network that he and the other Shaw Brothers founded--see this article, also from the 5/15 online issue of The Standard. This news has the Asian markets buzzing.

Sir Run Run, Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, would continue to be one of the wealthiest people in the world had he not given away a great deal of his vast fortune throughout his life. He's left an extraordinary legacy.

Kundun

One of my top 10 favorite films of all time is Martin Scorsese's Kundun. It is Scorsese's brilliant telling of the story of the early life, and escape to freedom from Chinese oppression, of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

For me, among the most important elements of the film is the inimitable, Oscar®-nominated score by the other of, IMHO, the greatest late 20th Century classical and cinematic music composers, Philip Glass. I feel the score to Kundun is Glass's finest film work--this even considering his majestic music for The Hours, Mishima and the "Qatsi" Trilogy.

I cry every time I hear the music from the final part of the film--represented in the YouTube clip below.

Midnight Eye - AWESOME Resource

Midnight Eye is one of the best online resources for those interested in Japanese Cinema. It features hundreds of articles, reviews and interviews about, and with, the great Japanese masters in all cinematic genres.

If you love Japanese movies, don't miss it. You'll always learn something new and interesting! :-)

First Personal Blog Entry

Welcome to the first entry of my personal Blog. For a long time, I've wanted a forum for my own words... to write about subjects such as opera and classical music, cinema (esp. Asian cinema), other music, arts, culture, theater, pop-culture, food, travel, trends, politics, life in general and more. I look forward to providing many entries in the months and years ahead!

Note that this first entry comes while I am recuperating from an illness that caused my first-ever (in my life) hospital stay. 6 days of IV antibiotics to fight an infection. Yuck! I'm home now, still too weak to do anything particularly constructive but my mind is going a million miles a minute so I'm climbing the walls.

Again, more to come... :-)