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VIZ announces Neon Alley anime streaming update for October

October 5, 2014, 1:30 am
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VIZ MEDIA DETAILS EXCITING OCTOBER UPDATE
FOR NEON ALLEY ANIME STREAMING PLATFORM

Enjoy Brand New SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL And NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
Subtitled Simulcast Episodes FOR FREE Along With Updates
For BLEACH, SAILOR MOON Classic And More!

VIZ Media opens October and the Fall 2014 anime season on its FREE Neon Alley media-streaming platform with the announcement of a new monthly update that will add more than 80 exciting episodes for a host of best-loved series to the programming roster throughout the month. Among these are several special simulcast premieres that will stream brand new first-run episodes domestically on the same days as their Japanese counterparts’ broadcast airdates.

Anime fans will not want to miss the subtitled simulcast premiere of two brand new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL episodes (subtitled) on October 4th and 18th, as well as a brand new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episode (subtitled) simulcast happening every Thursday. Also don’t miss the premiere of 8 classic uncut and remastered SAILOR MOON episodes (subtitled). Two exciting episodes launch each Monday (“Moonday”) throughout October.

Viewers can also look forward to enjoying newly added English dubbed episodes of NARUTO (original series) Season 1, BLEACH Season 16, and MORE Season 5 episodes of RANMA ½, in English dub.

All of the special simulcast premieres will be available in the U.S. via Neon Alley, Hulu and Hulu Plus. Please visit NeonAlley.com for details.

The latest Neon Alley monthly update features English dubbed as well subtitled episodes and anime feature film premieres from top-rated anime series, including:

BLEACH
• English dubbed Episodes 230 - 242 of the 16th Season of BLEACH will be added on October 1st to the current cache of 217 episodes of the popular supernatural action series.
• Fans also may catch the entire BLEACH anime series subtitled on Neon Alley (366 episodes total).

NARUTO
• Neon Alley welcomes the addition on October 1st of new English dubbed Episodes 39 - 52 of the original NARUTO Season 1 anime series.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
• Don’t miss special simulcasts of the latest subtitled episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN every Thursday in October, which continue to expand the massive library of 380 subtitled episodes. New simulcast episodes will be available to stream for a limited time only!
• Neon Alley also will launch NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Season 1, Episodes 1 – 12, English dubbed, on October 10th.

RANMA ½
• Catch 2 newly added English RANMA ½ English dubbed episodes each Friday throughout October, beginning on October 3rd with Episodes 101 – 102 and available for a limited time only.
• A total of 10 new English-dubbed episodes will debut throughout October.
• Enjoy the entire re-mastered series (161 episodes) subtitled on Neon Alley now.

SAILOR MOON
• Don’t miss the premiere this month of 8 new classic SAILOR MOON episodes. Two exciting episodes launch every Monday throughout the entire month, beginning with Episodes 43 & 44 on October 6th.

SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL
• Be sure to catch very special simulcast premiere of the newest SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL adventures with Episode 7’s debut on October 4th followed by Episode 8 on October 18th.

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. with over 3,300 subtitled and English dubbed episodes and movies from more than 36 series! Neon Alley also reaches an expansive on-demand U.S.-based audience on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service, which enables viewers to watch shows anytime, anywhere across devices including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) or PlayStation®4 (PS4™) systems Roku, Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu and Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.
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GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET will be available tomorrow

October 6, 2014, 12:30 am
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© oceanus / 2013 Gargantia on the verdurous Planet Committee
 VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA
RELEASE OF ANIME SCI-FI ADVENTURE SERIES 
GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET

Complete 13-Episode Animated Series Created
By Famed Production I.G. Studio Released In
Beautifully Packaged Blu-Ray/DVD Combo
Pack Editions Filled With Premium Extras

VIZ Media delivers to fans the home media release of the verdant animated sci-fi adventure – GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET – on a special Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a standard DVD edition tomorrow, October 7th.

The renowned anime studio Production I.G. created this 13-episode series that blends beautiful character and production design with a moving story about a young soldier’s adventures on a strange and mysterious planet.

VIZ Media gives GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET a collection-worthy treatment with a 16x9 widescreen presentation and the inclusion of 2 bonus OVA episodes. The home media releases feature premium packaging with an O-Card for the DVD edition and an illustrated chipboard box with a full-color 2-sided Amaray™ wrap and a special GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET art book included with the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Dialogue options include Japanese and English dubbed audio tracks along with English subtitles for both editions. Also included are clean opening and closing segments and the official promotional trailers and broadcast TV commercials. DVD MSRP: $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN; Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack MSRP: $69.99 U.S. / $81.99 CAN.

In the distant future, Ledo, a young soldier from space wakes up and finds himself marooned on an ocean planet. Growing up in space, and knowing nothing but battle, he is a stranger in a strange land, full of odd customs and a foreign language, but he’s not alone. Starting a new journey on this verdurous planet, Ledo must find a way to survive and reconcile the fact that he may never be able to return home.

“GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET is a gorgeous and thrilling series that will resonate with fans on every level,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “The characters are beautifully designed and rendered, and the lavish and imaginative animation brings humanity's long lost home world to life in a vivid way that is mesmerizing to watch and enjoy. GARGANTIA will make a wonderful addition to any collection, and we look forward to ardent fans as well as legions of new viewers enjoying this extraordinary anime adventure.”

For more information on GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET or other anime titles available from VIZ Media, visit: www.VIZ.com.
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Sentai Filmworks licenses MUV LUV ALTERNATIVE: TOTAL ECLIPSE

October 7, 2014, 11:30 pm
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Two brave souls will hold the fate of humanity in their hands as the world nations unite under the threat of alien invasion in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse. This sci-fi action adventure series is directed by Masaomi Ando (White Album 2, Re:Hamatora [assistant director]) and Takayuki Inagaki (Desert Punk, Indian Summer) with music by Seikou Nagaoka (Chaika –The Coffin Princess-, He Is My Master), art direction by Kei Ichikura (Dragonaut – The Resonance, Kurau: Phantom Memory) and animation production by ixtl and SATELIGHT (Bodacious Space Pirates, Log Horizon).

Synopsis: Since 1973, an invasion of aliens known as BETA have driven the human race into near extinction. Facing an enormous enemy force, mankind has responded by developing large humanoid arms called Tactical Surface Fighters, deploying them to its defensive lines throughout the world. All of their efforts, however, could only slow down the BETA: the people of Earth are forced to abandon major areas of the Eurasian continent. After 30 years, humanity is still bogged down in a back and forth war with the BETA with no end in sight…

In 2001, Imperial Japan faces great difficulties in developing a next generation TSF while also defending the frontline of the Far East. In response, the United Nations have proposed a joint development program between Imperial Japan and the United States as part of its new international initiative: The Prominence Project. Yui Takamura, a TSF pilot of the Imperial Royal Guards of Japan, is assigned to the project and sets off to Alaska. Meanwhile, Yuya Bridges, a US Army TSF pilot, also makes his way to the icy wilderness of Alaska. Neither know of each other, or how their fates will forever change when they meet. As humanity hangs in the balance, two souls will intertwine as the new age of Tactical Surface Fighters emerges to defeat the BETA in Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse.

Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.
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VIZ announces spotlight on Takeshi Obata and digital manga debuts & updates for October 2014

October 8, 2014, 12:30 am
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ALL YOU NEED IS KILL © 2014 by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Ryosuke Takeuchi,yoshitoshi ABe, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc.
 VIZ MEDIA SPOTLIGHTS TAKESHI OBATA AND DETAILS NEW
DIGITAL MANGA DEBUTS AND UPDATES FOR OCTOBER

Digital Premiere Of WORLD TRIGGER And Updates To More
Than 20 Other Series; Celebrate Takeshi Obata’s New York Comic Con
Appearance With A Sweepstakes And Special Digital Pricing

VIZ Media has announced a substantial digital manga update to open the Fall 2014 reading season with a host of new titles and a special promotion celebrating the work of artist Takeshi Obata for his first-ever U.S. appearance at New York Comic Con 2014.

VIZ Media highlights several updates this month including the digital debut of the sci-fi action series, WORLD TRIGGER, with the first two volumes available on October 7th, as well as more than 20 other VIZ Media series.

Takeshi Obata is the seminal artist/creator of smash hit manga (graphic novel) series such as DEATH NOTE, BAKUMAN｡, HIKARU NO GO, RALΩGRAD and ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. He is scheduled to appear at several events during New York Comic Con 2014, taking place October 9th- 12th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Full details on the East Coast's biggest pop culture convention are available at: www.newyorkcomiccon.com.

VIZ Media marks his appearance with a special Takeshi Obata Sweepstakes that runs from October 6th to 31st and offers fans two ways to enter. Visit the VIZ Media Booth #1944 during New York Comic Con and submit your email address to receive a FREE Takeshi Obata art poster and be automatically entered for a chance to win one of the fantastic prizes listed below. Or to submit your entry remotely and for more information including rules and regulations visit www.vizmanga.com/obata.

Takeshi Obata Sweepstakes Prizes Include:

   ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Omnibus Edition (Signed)
   DEATH NOTE Black Edition, Vol. 1 (Signed)
   DEATH NOTE Manga Poster (Signed)
   BAKUMAN。Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)
   HIKARU NO GO, Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)
   RALΩGRAD, Vol. 1 (Digital Edition)

VIZ Media will also highlight Takeshi Obata with special digital pricing available for a limited time between October 6thth and 31st on all of his aforementioned series available from VIZ Manga. Also check VIZ Media’s partner sites for promotional pricing on Takeshi Obata digital manga titles during October.

New Digital Manga Series Debut:

WORLD TRIGGER Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
DIGITAL MSRP: $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) • Available Now!
Destroy thy Neighbor! A gate to another dimension has burst open, and invincible monsters called Neighbors invade Earth. Osamu Mikumo may not be the best among the elite warriors who co-opt other-dimensional technology to fight back, but along with his Neighbor friend Yuma, he’ll do whatever it takes to defend life on Earth as we know it.

Additional notable October digital updates to several other popular continuing manga titles include the stunning series conclusion to the paranormal gothic drama, VAMPIRE KNIGHT (Vol. 19 available Oct. 7th), as well as the latest editions of MY LOVE STORY (Vol. 2), NARUTO (Vol. 67), DEADMAN WONDERLAND (Vol. 5), SUNNY (Vol. 4; MSRP: $14.99), TORIKO (Vol. 24) and an array of new updates to several titles from the VIZ Select imprint such as TRINITY BLOOD (Vol. 7), LUCKY STAR (Vol. 4), SUKI (Vol. 2), FUTURE DIARY (Vol. 7), TRINITY BLOOD (Vol. 8), LAGOON ENGINE (Vol. 4), and KYO KARA MAOH (Vol. 2).

Readers can enjoy these latest manga updates that are available on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod® touch, Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets. The titles may also be purchased through the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, ComiXology, iBooks and GooglePlay stores. These dynamic digital platforms offer fans the opportunity to explore and enjoy a massive catalog of new and classic manga titles that spans more than 2,300 volumes across over 200 different series.

Don’t miss special digital pricing on the following Takeshi Obata manga titles now through October 31st:

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Vols. 1-2 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $4.99 ea (U.S. / CAN)
When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his fifth iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?

BAKUMAN。Vols. 1-20 • Rated ‘T’ for Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-20 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

DEATH NOTE Vols. 1-12 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-12 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects – and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life?

HIKARU NO GO Vols. 1-23 • Rated ‘A’ for All Ages •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-23 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
After stumbling across a haunted go board, Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player named Fujiwara-no-Sai has taken up residence in his consciousness. Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed go prodigy Akira Toya!

RALΩGRAD Vols. 1-4 • Rated ‘M’ for All Ages •
Vols. 1-2 $1.99 ea (U.S. / CAN); Vols. 3-4 $4.99ea (U.S. / CAN)
In the midst of a war, a child is born during a bloody battle at the cost of his mother's life. From this baby comes forth a huge and powerful dragon born of Shadow. Within minutes the dragon lays waste to the landscape, but a quick-thinking knight locks the baby in a cage of darkness, where he grows to be a young man, knowing only the kindness of his young female tutor. Until the day the Shadows attack and he is set free...

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the comiXology, iBooks and GooglePlay Stores.

All manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and readers can also explore all titles with free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

To learn more about VIZ Manga, visit www.vizmanga.com.
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New restoration of HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR at NY Film Festival tomorrow

October 9, 2014, 8:30 am
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A Rialto Pictures release
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Directed by Alain Resnais
Screenplay and Dialogue by Marguerite Duras
Starring Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada
France/Japan, 1959, 92 minutes
Language: French, Japanese, and English with English subtitles
When: Friday, October 10, 2014 at 6:00 PM
Where: The Film Society of Lincoln Center's
Walter Reade Theater, 165 W 65th Street, NYC 

A new 4K restoration of Hiroshima Mon Amour, the 1959 film that marked director Alan Resnais' feature film debut, will have its U.S. premiere tomorrow, Friday, October 10th as part of the NYFF52 Revivals section of the 52nd New York Film Festival. The film opens in theaters next Friday, October 17th.

I saw the restoration at a press screening yesterday. While I just don't have the time right now to write a full review (that will have to wait until next week), let me say that it looked wonderful as projected in the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format. I never saw the original, so I can't make any comparison, but here the tonal range is slightly clipped. By that I mean the whites are not brilliantly white, even in direct sunlight, and the blacks are not a pure, dark black. For me this look was just right for the moody, mysterious and poetic nature of the film.

I think this new restoration is a "must-see" regardless of whether or not you've previously seen Hiroshima Mon Amour.

Here's what the Film Society of Lincoln Center says about this classic film:

"This modernist masterwork began as a documentary commission from Daiei Studios, secured for Alain Resnais by producer Anatole Dauman. Resnais decided that the bombing of Hiroshima and its impact needed fiction, brought Marguerite Duras onto the project, and worked with her to create a story—of a French film actress (Amour Oscar-nominated Emmanuelle Riva) who goes to Hiroshima to make a film and has an affair with a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada)—that would exist “in two tenses… the present and the past coexist.” Few films have had such a lasting, wide-ranging impact. Hiroshima, mon amour [sic] is a devastating experience on every level: visually, sonically, emotionally, intellectually."

The restoration was realized by Argos Films, Fondation Groupama Gan, Fondation Technicolor, and Cineteca Bologna, with support from the CNC.
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Free screening of THE DIVINE MOVE in NYC next Tuesday, Ocotober 14th

October 10, 2014, 12:30 am
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Korean Cultural Service New York
presents
Korean Movie Night 2014
Series Five: Blown Away by Korean Blockbusters!
The Divine Move
Directed by CHO Beom-gu
South Korea, 2014, 118 minutes
When: Tuesday October 14, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Doors open: 6:30 PM
Where: Tribeca Cinemas 54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal, NYC
Near the A, C, E @ #1 Canal Street subway stops
Admission: FREE!!!

After Tae-seok, a professional Baduk player, loses his brother to an infamous underground gambler and is framed for the murder, he becomes consumed by revenge. Imprisoned for seven years, his rage builds alongside his desire to strengthen his skills and train in martial arts. When he is finally released, Tae-seok is ready to make “The Divine Move!” Infiltrating the inner circle of the gambling lair, he eliminates those who wronged him and his family with cunning skill.

Don’t miss this brand new crime thriller that has been wowing audiences and breaking box office records across Asia.
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Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of TRIBE COOL CREW

October 10, 2014, 1:30 am
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Get ready to feel the rhythm as two future superstars dance to their own beat in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, Tribe Cool Crew. This action dance series is directed Masaya Fujimori (Pokemon: The First Movie, Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess), with series composition by Atsuhiro Tomioka (Blade & Soul, Hero Bank), sound direction by Katsuyoshi Kobayashi (Viewtiful Joe, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie), and animation production by SUNRISE (Inuyasha, Love Live! School Idol Project).

Synopsis: Haneru Tobitatsu is a junior high student who loves to dance. One day after class at a secret rehearsal space, Haneru meets Kanon Otosaki who is training to dance like him. The two of them experience the fun of having someone else to dance with for the first time and having someone to watch their own dance moves. They will then engage in dance battles with various rivals, and come to understand what it really means to express and connect to people through dancing.

Tribe Cool Crew will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.
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Happy Birthday wishes to Bae Doo-na

October 11, 2014, 12:30 am
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Bae Doo-na at the premiere of Cloud Atlas in October, 2012

Actress Bae Doo-na (sometimes spelled Doona or Doo Na) in Seoul, South Korea. Originally a model, she went on to star in both Japanese and Korean films. With her role in Cloud Atlas (2012), she joined Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, 2006, and Pacific Rim, 2013) as a contemporary Asian actress appearing in primarily English language international productions. There has been very positive buzz about her performance as a recent police academy graduate who has been punished for misconduct with a transfer to a small seaside village in July Jung's feature debut A Girl at My Door (2014).

Here is a sampling of screenshots some of my favorite of BAE Doo-na performances:

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)




Saving My Hubby (2002)

Linda Linda Linda (2005)

The Host (2006)

 Air Doll (2009)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

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Encore screening of HONG Sang-soo's HILL OF FREEDOM tomorrow

October 11, 2014, 1:00 am
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Kwon (Seo Young-hwa) and Mori (Ryo Kase)
Hill of Freedom/  Jayuui Eondeok
Directed by Hong Sang-soo
2014 South Korea, 2014, 66 minutes
Korean and English with English subtitles
When: Sunday, October 12 at 12:30 pm
Where: The Walter Reade Theater

Hill of Freedom, the most recent film from Korean director Hong Sang-soo, had its U.S. premiere at the 52nd New York Film Festival on Tuesday, September 30th and was also shown on Wednesday, October 8th, which was when I saw it. A third screening has been added as part of the NYFF52 Encore Screenings series. That screening will take place at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

With a 66 minute running time, the film is too short to qualify as a feature film (85 minutes or more), but too long to be a short (30 minutes or less). I'd be inclined to call it a featurette, but in our age of DVDs and Blu-rays, that term has come to refer to a short documentary film about the making of a feature-length film. And I don't think mini-film sounds right.

Youngsun (Moon So-ri), her boyfriend, and Mori

So, while I'm unsure how to technically characterize it in terms of its length, I will say it's a smart, well-made movie that departs from the kind of film for which Hong is typically known. Hong is frequently described as a director who makes the same film over and over, but with slight variations. Thus he can be regarded as a "one-trick pony," although this may or may not have a pejorative connotation, depending on the commentator's viewpoint. Most of his films rely heavily on repetition, of scenes and/or dialogue. What keeps his films interesting are the variations he employs.

Hill of Freedom for me was very different from the other films by Hong that I have seen, and I've seen a fair number of them. Here there really isn't much of the repetition for which he's known. In fact, the film is really a linear story -- no going back to visit the same scene from different perspectives -- although the elements of which it is comprised are not told in chronological order. (More on that in a moment.)

The film also employs the surprise of having the characters speak the vast majority of the dialogue in English. This device seems to have been used because one of the main characters is Japanese and doesn't speak any Korean, the language of all the other characters. English gives them a common language by which they can communicate.

Mori and his landlady

The story begins with Kwon (Seo Young-hwa), a young woman who has just returned to Seoul, being given a packet of letters left for her by Mori (Ryo Kase), a Japanese who fell in love with her during a previous visit and has returned after two years to see her again. The letters were written while Mori was trying to find her after he returned to Seoul.

While walking down a flight of stairs, Kwon drops the letters, destroying the order in which they were packaged. Since they apparently bear no dates, she can only read them in the random order in which she's picked them up. The film thus presents the various experiences Mori has had since his return in whatever order Kwon has arranged the letters. His experiences include his encounters with Youngsun (actress Moon So-ri) who works at the café whose name gives the film its title, as well as with the landlady of the guest house where he is staying and with other guests.

The viewer is thus left with the same challenge as Kwon: trying to figure out what happened when. Fortunately, this is a non-critical task; knowing the precise order of every event depicted is not crucial. It's sufficient to have a general sense of the order in which things probably took place.

I found Hill of Freedom to be one of the most enjoyable of the films by Hong that I've seen. And I've liked several of them a lot. It's funny, light-hearted and intriguing.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended.





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Sentai Filmworks announces acquisition of CROSS ANGE RONDO OF ANGEL AND DRAGON

October 11, 2014, 1:30 am
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A once powerful princess who had the world at her fingertips will join a group of warriors to defend it from destruction in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon. This fantasy adventure series is directed by Yoshiharu Ashino (Tweeny Witches, Thundercats [2011]), with series composition by Tatsuto Higuchi (Phi Brain Puzzle of God, Toradora!), mecha design by Junichi Akutsu (My-HiME, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), and animation production by SUNRISE (Gintama, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere).

Synopsis: Mankind has acquired a highly advanced information technology known as "Mana." Thanks to this almost magical force war, hunger, pollution, and every other problem on the face of the earth have been conquered. Finally the world is a utopia of peace and luxury.

Angelise is the First Princess of the Empire of Misurugi. She also lives a life of luxury, is celebrated by the citizens, and is expected to wear the crown. However, the truth becomes known that she herself is a "Norma."

A "Norma" is someone who cannot use Mana. They are called "Irregulars" and are considered anti-social "things."

With everything taken away from her, she is sent into isolation on a secluded island. There she meets Norma girls who know of nothing but fighting. They spend their days piloting transforming humanoid weapons called "Para-mails" to hunt giant aggressive life forms called "Dragons" which have invaded from another dimension.

Having lost her name, "Ange" becomes a warrior. But what will she see at the end of her battles?

What is to be trusted?

What is to be gained?

The story of one girl and her determination begins here.

CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.
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INFLATABLE SEX DOLL OF THE WASTELANDS to kick off Japan Society NY's latest film series

October 12, 2014, 12:30 am
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Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands (c) 1967 KOKUEI
 Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands / Koya no Datch Waifu
Directed by Atsushi Yamatoya
Japan, 1967, 85 minutes
When: Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Where: Japan Society NY
333 East 47th Street, NYC
(Between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema, Japan Society NY's new monthly film series, will begin this coming Saturday evening with a screening of Atsushi Yamatoya’s Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands.

Taking some hints from Ambrose Bierce’s celebrated short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” it's a deliciously delirious cult film about a hitman (Yuichi Minato) who is hired by a rich real estate agent to find an abducted woman (Noriko Tatsumi). This simple setup gives way to a hip and chaotic worldview full of hard-boiled characters, sexy action, and hallucinatory imagery.


A close collaborator with the likes of Koji Wakamatsu, Yamatoya was part of the group of anonymous writers who worked on Wakamatsu Productions and was also one of the anonymous writers on the script of Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill. Though considered a “pink film,” Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands has surprisingly few sex scenes. Nevertheless, the film remains incredibly sexy through creative montage and innuendo. In his book Behind the Pink Curtain, Jasper Sharp calls the film “probably the most idiosyncratic work the genre has ever produced.”

A feast for the eyes as well as the ears, the sparse and cool music was provided by jazz pianist and composer Yosuke Yamashita.

Commemorating the life of writer, producer, and director Koji Wakamatsu, who passed away on October 17, 2012, this screening of Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands will be followed by a reception..

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Free screening of Korean gambling movie THE DIVINE MOVE tomorrow

October 13, 2014, 12:30 am
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Korean Cultural Service New York
presents
Korean Movie Night 2014
Series Five: Blown Away by Korean Blockbusters!
The Divine Move
CHO (a.k.a. JO) Beom-gu
South Korea, 2014, 118 minutes
When: Tuesday October 14, 2014 @ 7:00 pm
Doors open: 6:30 PM
Where: Tribeca Cinemas 54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal, NYC
Near the A, C, E @ #1 Canal Street subway stops
Map
Admission: FREE!!!

The next film in Korean Cultural Service NY's free Korean Movie Night is The Divine Move, a really intelligent, sharp and well-paced action-thriller. It will be shown tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 14th at 7:00. As always, admission is free. These Korean Movie Night screenings are always very well-attended, so get there as early as you can to maximize your chance of being admitted and getting a seat.

SONG Tae-seok (JUNG Woo-sung) is a professional GO (a.k.a. baduk) player. SONG Woo-seok, his older brother, entices him into a "Guidance Game" whereby Tae-seok "guides" Woo-seok's play from a remote location by using a hidden camera and communications devices. Things go horribly wrong, Tae-seok is framed for a murder and sent to prison. Through a fellow convict, for whom he's done a "solid," Tae-seok learns how to fight like a highly trained martial artist.


Once released, Tae-seok seeks revenge. He enlists the aid of "Drinking Christ" (veteran actor AHN Sung-ki), a blind GO master, "Carpenter" (AN Kil-kang), a one-handed electronics expert, and Cheater (KIM In-kwon), another professional GO player.

Tae-seok (seated left) and "Drinking Christ" (seated right)

Tae-seok's target is Killer (LEE Bum-soo), the professional gambler who'd framed him. Among his gang are Player (CHOI Jin-hyuk), the manager of Killer's GO gambling house, and Kwon (actress LEE Si-young, the only female lead in the cast), a former professional GO player who runs the Goddess Bar and who is indebted to Killer.

Killer (LEE Bum-soo), left foreground, with cell phone

Certain terms pertaining to GO are explained on occasion throughout the film. I happen to know a bit about the game, but think that just about anyone can enjoy this movie even without any familiarity with it.

Kwon (LEE Si-young)

The director does a good job of keeping things interesting and moving along; I found myself really engrossed in the storyline and plot development. And the action scenes, of which there are several, are very well done.

Tae-seok in action

The director does a good job of keeping things interesting and moving along; I found myself really engrossed in the storyline and plot development. And the action scenes, of which there are several, are very well done.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended.
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Sentai Filmworks has acquired GUGURE! KOKKURI-SAN

October 14, 2014, 12:30 am
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A forgotten spirit goes from scare-maker to caretaker to an odd little girl with a serious love of junk food in Sentai Filmworks' latest acquisition, Gugure! Kokkuri-san. This dark comedy series from original creator Midori Endo is directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike (Wagnaria!!, AKB0048) with character designs by Miwa Oshima (Koihime Muso, Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts) and animation production by TMS Entertainment (Yowamushi Pedal, Hamtaro).

Enter Ichimatsu Kohina— an unusual young girl with an even more unusual diet. Living off of nothing but cup ramen, the emotionally-detached Kohina spends her spare time attempting to summon ghosts in her giant home. But when Kohina actually does manage to summon a spirit, she finds herself face-to-face with a handsome young fox ghost named Kokkuri. Although Kohina wants nothing to do with this white-haired weirdo, this determined ghost refuses to take “no” for an answer. And when Kokkuri witnesses Kohina’s deplorable dietary decisions, he has no choice but to go from haunting her to taking care of her!

But where there’s one ghost more are sure to follow, and soon Kohina goes from living alone to living with an assortment of handsome supernatural entities. Underestimating his powers and undermining his authority as her new caretaker, a new life is about to begin for a strange girl and a fox ghost in Gugure! Kokkuri-san.

Gugure! Kokkuri-san will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow.
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THE LAST SUPPER is available today

October 14, 2014, 12:30 am
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Cinedigm
and
Random Media
presents
 The Last Supper / Wang de Shengyan
Directed by Lu Chuan
China, 2012, 116 minutes
Mandarin with English 

The Last Supper is a Chinese historical drama from Lu Chuan, the director of City of Life and Death (2009). It becomes available today, Tuesday, September 14th, on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. This review is based on watching the Blu-ray version.

The film is an historical drama concerned with the founding of the Han Dynasty. It begins in 195 B.C. when Emperor Liu Bang (mainland actor Liu Ye), who founded the dynasty, is 61 years old and rather mentally enfeebled. In a flashback set fourteen years earlier, when Liu was forty-eight, we learn that he and Xin (Taiwan born Chen Chang), who would become a leading general, were just "street rats." At that time, Liu first saw Lord Yu (Daniel Wu), who was then twenty-four and leading the rebellion against the  Ziying, the Qin Emperor. Yu was of noble birth, but "blind to the ambitions of others." The film depicts the rivalries, shifting alliances and betrayals among these three characters.

A sub-theme concerns the jealousy of Liu's wife (actress Qin Lan, the director's wife) toward his concubines, particularly Qi, and their offspring.


Many of the scenes take place in Liu's dark, heavily draped quarters. There he recalls events from the past and is plagued with nightmares.

The film appears to have been made on a rather modest budget. There are references to armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands; however we usually see perhaps a few dozen soldiers at most. There is just one CGI scene depicting a large force, but the computer figures in the background are largely stationary. There is only one actual battle scene and it's rather limited in terms of the number of combatants involved.

There are no extras on the Blu-ray or DVD. The only option is watching the movie with English subtitles on or off.

The Last Supper, which was shown at the 2013 New York Asian Film Festival, may be short on action, but it is replete with intrigue.

AsianCineFest Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars. Give it 3 stars if you're after the drama, and the lack of action (and extras) doesn't concern you.
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Ann Hui's THE GOLDEN ERA opens tomorrow in the U.S. and Canada

October 16, 2014, 12:30 am
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The Golden Era/Huang jin shi dai
Directed by Ann Hui
China/Hong Kong, 2014, 177 minutes

The Golden Era is an epic biography of Xiao Hong, one of China’s most famous essayists and novelists. Helmed by the renowned Hong Kong director Ann Hui, it will open tomorrow, Friday, October 17th in the United States and Canada. (It opened today, September 16th, in Australia and New Zealand.) For cities and theaters, click here.


Mainland Chinese actress Tang Wei (who had the lead role in Ang Lee's Lust Caution and in last year's hit Finding Mr. Right, which was also released by China Lion) stars as female novelist Xiao Hong, whose given name was Zhang Naiying. In a brief opening monologue, Hong tells us that she was born on June 1, 1911 in Manchuria and died on January 22, 1942 in a makeshift hospital in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong.

Details of her short, unconventional and rather unhappy life are frequently recounted by such narratives, sometimes spoken by her, sometimes by the people -- mainly literary figures and others from the world of publishing -- who knew her. Thus the film's dramatic narrative is frequently broken by brief scenes of "talking heads." The author's own writings are also quoted to illustrate what was happening to her during this turbulent period.

Xjao Jun (Feng Shaofeng), left, and Xiao Hong (Tamg Wei)

Feng Shaofeng (Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon ) co-stars as Xiao Jun, the writer with whom Hong had a long and troubled relationship. It was his family name that Hong used in her nom de plume.

Personally, at a nearly three hour running time, I found The Golden Era to be a bit overlong. Compare its length with Center Stage (1991), Stanley Kwan's biographical film about Ruan Ling-yu, the actress (played by Maggie Cheung) who killed herself in 1935 at the age of 24. Both Ruan and Hong were unconventional figures and victims of gossip, but Kwan's multi-award winning film is a conventional 126 minutes long. I never thought I'd say this, but The Golden Era is an Asian film that might actually have benefited from some cuts mandated by Harvey "Scissorhands" Weinstein.

On the other hand, it is highly respected in Hong Kong, which has chosen it as the autonomous region's official selection for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its Best Foreign Language category.

AsianCIneFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended. Irregardless of its length, this film is well-worth seeing for its detailed depiction of a very talented woman whose free-thinking was most unconventional during the all-too-brief period of her life.
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INFLATABLE SEX DOLL OF THE WASTELANDS at Japan Society NY

October 18, 2014, 12:30 am
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Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands (c) 1967 KOKUEI
 Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands / Koya no Datch Waifu
Directed by Atsushi Yamatoya
Japan, 1967, 85 minutes
When: Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Where: Japan Society NY
333 East 47th Street, NYC
(Between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Tonight at 7:00 PM, Atsushi Yamatoya’s Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands will kick off Japan Society NY's new monthly film series, The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema. (For Mike Hale's overview article at the New York Times, click here.)  Tonight's screening will be followed by a reception.

At an isolated spot, a hitman named Sho (Yuichi Minato) meets with Naka (Masayoshi Nogami), a rich real estate agent. Naka had a minor misunderstanding with someone that escalated into the kidnapping of Sae (Noriko Tatsumi), who worked in Naka's office, several months earlier. Sae has been raped by her kidnappers, and Naka shows Sho the film of her being violated that he was sent. Naka hires Sho to get Sae back.

This job reminds Sho of the kidnapping and murder of Rie (Mari Nagisa), his girl, five year earlier by a man named Koh. Sho has dreamed -- or is it hallucinated? -- about shooting Koh every day since then, always at 3:00, the time Rie died.

There's some campy hard-boiled dialogue, such as "Cheap girls are a dime a dozen" and "Get outta Dodge." The compositions within the frame can be rather unusual at times; for example, a face being partially cropped in the upper left corner of the frame. Personally I think these "choices" may have been dictated by the size of the available sets and lenses. In any case, these strange croppings can be  unsettling. The often hand held and shaky camera work also contributes to a sense of unease.

There are a number of sex scenes, with quick flashes of bare female breasts. The film also has a cool jazz score by pianist and composer Yosuke Yamashita that's reminiscent of some contemporary works by John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.

The film also brings to mind Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill , which was released a few months earlier in 1967. This is not surprising in that director Yamatoya was one of the uncredited writers on the script of  Suzuki’s film.

Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands  has been selected as one of "The Best Old Movies on a Big Screen This Week" at The L Magazine.

Note that at IMDb the film is listed as Dutch Wife in the Desert, with Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands as an a.k.a.

AsianCineFest Rating: I'm going to have to go with a 3.5 out of 4 star rating; very highly recommended. For the film itself, I'd probably assign 3 out of 4 stars, solidly recommended. The extra 1/2 star is warranted because there simply aren't going to be many opportunities to see it, which makes tonight's screening a very special event. 
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VIZ Media to launch RESIDENT EVIL manga series on November 18, 2014

October 19, 2014, 12:30 am
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© CAPCOM © 2012 NAOKI SERIZAWA / AKITASHOTEN
VIZ MEDIA UNLEASHES THE TERRIFYING
RESIDENT EVIL MANGA SERIES AND OFFERS
A SPECIAL FREE PREVIEW FOR
HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2014

Discover The Source Of The Outbreak Of The Deadly
C-Virus In The Gritty Manga Prequel To CAPCOM’s
Popular Resident Evil® 6 Game Property

VIZ Media gives gamers and action fans a special FREE sneak preview of its forthcoming RESIDENT EVIL: THE MARHAWA DESIRE manga (graphic novel) series as part of the company’s participation in 2014 Halloween ComicFest.

The terrifying 5-volume apocalyptic action thriller was created by Naoki Serizawa and serves as a prequel to the storyline of CAPCOM’s bestselling Resident Evil® 6 game property. The manga series is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and will launch on November 18th under the VIZ Signature imprint. RESIDENT EVIL: THE MARHAWA DESIRE Vol. 1 will carry a print MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

Held each year, Halloween ComicFest is celebrated at scores of comic shops and retailers nationwide on the Saturday before Halloween. On this day, participating shops offer fans and visitors a special FREE Halloween ComicFest sampler filled with previews of scores of exciting upcoming titles. For additional information and a list of participating retailers, visit www.halloweencomicfest.com.

The highly virulent C-virus became a global disaster, but where did the outbreak start? In the series’ opening volume, at the prestigious and elite Marhawa Academy in Singapore, a female student suffers a horrifying transformation. Called in to investigate, Professor Doug Wright and his nephew Ricky find themselves caught up in a deadly and growing tragedy. As things get rapidly out of hand, Chris Redfield and his team from the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance arrive on the scene, while behind it all a mysterious figure looms.

“Discover the sinister beginnings of the Resident Evil story in the first-ever manga series based on the smash hit game property,” says Michael Montesa, Editor. “Along with tracing the source of the deadly viral outbreak, the manga series also presents the debut of Piers Nivans, who appears in the Resident Evil 6 video game as Chris Redfield's new partner. Readers will not want to miss a special advance preview of RESDIENT EVIL as part of Halloween ComicFest. Catch the full launch of this spine tingling new series from the VIZ Signature imprint next month!”

Since the landmark release of Resident Evil in 1996, the CAPCOM franchise has firmly established itself as a truly worldwide entertainment brand and mainstay of contemporary culture with a series of live action movies, CG anime, manga, novels and numerous merchandising lines. To date the Resident Evil series of videogames has achieved global sales of over 50 million units, while the live action movies starring Milla Jovovich have grossed in excess of $525 million dollars at the box office.

RESIDENT EVIL artist/author Naoki Serizawa is a multi-talented photographer and cinematographer as well as a manga artist and writer. His other series Saru Lock was developed into a TV drama in Japan in 2009.

For more information on RESIDENT EVIL: THE MARHAWA DESIRE or other manga and/or anime titles published by VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.
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KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT coming tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 21

October 20, 2014, 12:30 am
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KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT
Directed by Yun Jong-bin
Starring Ha Jung-woo, Kang Dong-won,
Lee Sung-min and Ma Dong-seok

KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT, the international box office hit and Asia’s answer to Robin Hood, debuts on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital tomorrow, Tuesday, October 21st from Well Go USA Entertainment. Set in mid-19th century, the tongue-in-cheek historical comedy-action film depicts a power struggle between the unjust wealthy noblemen who run society and a group of righteous outlaws who steal from corrupt officials to give to the downtrodden and starving.

Directed by Yun Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster:Rules of the Time), KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT stars Ha Jung-woo (The Berlin File), Kang Dong-won (Haunters), Lee Sung-min (The Good, the Bad, the Weird) and Ma Dong-seok (Quick). When the film opened this summer, it broke all existing opening day box office records in South Korea.

Synopsis: 1859. The last days of the Joseon Dynasty, where the wages of greed bring poverty and death. A pack of bandits – calling themselves KUNDO - rise against the tyrants, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. In an era where status is decided by birth, this band of thieves risks their lives for honor, in the name of the poor and oppressed. But for one man, a debt of bloody revenge is owed to the aristocrat who robbed him of his family and his name.

KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT has a runtime of approximately 138 minutes and is not rated.
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An Evening With JIMMY WONG YU at Lincoln Center on November 11

October 21, 2014, 12:30 am
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THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER and SUBWAY CINEMA
in association with
Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York
announce
WONG-YU (Photo courtesy Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival; photographer: Liang Su)
AN EVENING WITH JIMMY WONG YU
on November 11 with the presentation of the
New York Asian Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award
and screening of Wong Yu’s grindhouse masterpiece
MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE in 35mm

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema, in association with Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, announce An Evening with Jimmy Wong Yu on November 11 at the Walter Reade Theater. The legendary Taiwanese actor will be presented with the New York Asian Film Festival’s esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award and participate in an on-stage conversation prior to the screening of his 1977 grindhouse masterpiece Master of the Flying Guillotine, in glorious 35mm!

In the 1960s the Shaw Brothers were looking to expand from their more traditional dramas and romances to martial-arts films, and one of their hires was a former water polo champion, horse rider, and car racer: Jimmy Wong Yu. Appearing in films like Temple of the Red Lotus, Twin Swords, Magnificent Trio, and Tiger Boy at the beginning of his career, his true breakthrough came in Chang Chen’s landmark The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), the film that launched Wong Yu’s career as well as the martial-arts sword-fighting movie (wuxia pian) craze. With all the fury and intensity exploding from the screen, Jimmy Wong Yu became the prototype for the tough stoic masculine characters that this new wave of sword-fighting films brought to the screen.

WONG YU Tribute Poster by Jerry Ma

If The One-Armed Swordsman launched Wong Yu into stardom, it was The Chinese Boxer (1970) that cemented his legendary status by igniting the kung-fu fever that was to become a global phenomenon. Written and directed by and starring Wong Yu, The Chinese Boxer was the first major movie to devote itself entirely to the art of kung fu. It established the basic conventions, such as revenge as a motive, Chinese martial arts versus Japanese martial arts, and strong nationalistic feeling, all of which later found their way into the films of Bruce Lee. Following this movie, Wong Yu broke his contract with Shaw Brothers and started making films in Taiwan with Golden Harvest, including his masterpiece Beach of the War Gods (1973), described by scholar Stephen Teo as “the sword-fighting movie to end all sword-fighting movies.”

Wong Yu is currently enjoying an Indian Summer in his long career, with juicy roles in Peter Chan’s Wu Xia (aka Dragon, 2011), and Andrew Lau’s The Guillotines (2012). Most recently, he starred in Chung Mong-hong’s arty slasher Soul (2013), turning it into a showcase for his acting talent—with hardly a change in facial expression, he’s able to summon up a whole range of emotions (sadness, paternal love, madness).

With a career spanning over five decades, he has acted in over 80 films, directed 12, and left an indelible mark on the history of martial-arts cinema.

An Evening with Jimmy Wong Yu will be held at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (located at 165 West 65th Street, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway).

Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, October 23rd. Admission is $25; $20 for students, seniors, and Film Society members. For more information visit www.filmlinc.com.

Schedule
5:30pm Reception
7:00pm Master of the Flying Guillotine, preceded by Lifetime Achievement Award presentation and an on-stage conversation with Wong Yu

Master of the Flying Guillotine (Image courtesy-Pathfinder-Pictures)
MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE
aka THE ONE-ARMED BOXER VS. THE FLYING GUILLOTINE
1976, 93min, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles

Wong Yu writes, directs, and stars in this massively entertaining grindhouse masterpiece. A blind lama assassin employed by the Qing Emperor goes after the righteous “One-Armed Boxer” (Wong Yu). Intent on avenging his two disciples, whom Wong Yu killed, the imperial assassin packs his monk robes, his unbeatable flying guillotine, and soon he’s keeping the clashes coming, the blood flowing, and the heads rolling. His killer quest ends at a kung-fu tournament full of freaky martial artists who employ ponytail-strangling, yoga-magic-stretching, and kickboxing, but they’re no match for the killer lama and his one-armed foe! Featuring extravagant choreography by brothers Lau Kar-leung and Lau Kar-wing, Master of the Flying Guillotine set the ultimate template for martial-arts video games, and the fireworks of its final showdown (set in a booby-trapped coffin shop) have yet to be equaled.
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VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO, A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION coming October 28

October 22, 2014, 12:30 am
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™, ® and © WEP, LLC 
VIZ MEDIA’S PERFECT SQUARE ANNOUNCES SPECIAL
VOLTRON® 30th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE RELEASE

VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO – A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Charts The History And Impact of The Iconic Franchise On Pop Culture

VIZ Media takes readers on an exciting journey to explore the history and legacy of VOLTRON®, the legendary giant robot anime series that marks the 30th Anniversary of its original North American broadcast premiere.

VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO, A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION examines the entire VOLTRON universe and the property’s notable impact on pop culture and will be released in-print on October 28th from the company’s Perfect Square imprint. The hardcover oversized edition will carry an MSRP of $29.99 U.S. / $34.99 CAN.

A digital version of VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO, A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION also will launch on October 28th for $14.99 U.S. / CAN from the Perfect Square App, which has titles available for the Apple iPad® and iPad® Mini. The Perfect Square App is available from the iTunes store. Readers also will be able to find a digital version for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo eReaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores.

Thirty years ago, Voltron: Defender of the Universe hit the airwaves, and the world hasn't been the same. Now, VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO chronicles the story of VOLTRON and its cultural relevance, taking a detailed look at the story behind the show and the many related toy releases, the mythology of both Lion Force and Vehicle Voltron (with a nod to Albegas), and concludes the exciting Voltron Force saga. This new book is truly for fans, by fans: authored by Brian Smith, a former Marvel Comics editor and writer for Perfect Square's VOLTRON FORCE® series of original graphic novels, Marc Morrell, co-host of the official "Let's Voltron!" podcast, and Joshua Bernard, founder of CollectionDX, a popular website devoted to covering the world of Japanese toys, action figures and pop culture; with a bonus VOLTRON comic written by Smith and illustrated by Jacob Chabot, artist on the VOLTRON FORCE series; with a foreword by Jeremy Corray, former Creative Director of World Events Productions, the company behind the classic Voltron TV series.

“Voltron premiered on North American television in 1984 and the media landscape changed forever. There are so many VOLTRON fans, and we wanted to both honor their devotion and invite them to be a part of this project,” says Traci Todd, Senior Editor. “VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO, A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION offers fans a treasure trove of insights, history, and little-known facts about the evolution of the series and the show’s lasting pop culture impact.”

Additional information on VOLTRON FORCE and other titles published by Perfect Square is available at www.PerfectSquare.com.

For more information on manga and other titles from VIZ Media, visit www.VIZ.com.
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