Review: "Taxi to the Dark Side" Chases the Truth

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 90 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing images, and content involving torture and graphic nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Alex Gibney
PRODUCERS: Alex Gibney, Eva Orner, and Susannah Shipman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Maryse Alberti and Greg Andracke
EDITOR: Sloane Klevin
Academy Award winner

DOCUMENTARY

Starring: Alex Gibney (narrator), Moazzam Begg, Pfc. Willie Brand, Pfc. Jack Cloonan, Damien M. Corsetti, Sgt. Thomas Curtis Carlotta Gall, Tim Golden, Tony Lagouranis, Sen. Carl Levin, Anthony Morden, Dan Mori, Spc. Glendale C. Wallis, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, John Yoo, and George W. Bush (archival footage)

Taxi to the Dark Side is a 2007 documentary film from director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room). It won the “Best Documentary, Features” Oscar at the 2008 Academy Awards. Taxi to the Dark Side takes an in-depth look at the torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. The focal point for this film is the 2002 death of Dilawar, a 22-year-old Afghan taxi driver from the village of Yakubi.

More than a year after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, Dilawar and his three passengers were taken into custody at a checkpoint on a U.S. base. On December 5, 2002, Dilawar arrived at the prison facility at Bagram Air Base. He was declared dead five days later, and he turned out not to be an enemy combatant or terrorist. An investigation would also uncover that Dilawar was tortured and that his death was the result of assaults and attacks visited upon him by U.S. interrogators at Bagram.

From Dilawar’s death, Taxi to the Dark Side examines changes in U.S. policy toward detainees and suspects after 9/11, America’s policy on torture and interrogation (with a specific look at the CIA’s roll), and research into torture and sensory deprivation used by the CIA and the U.S. military. Gibney interviews numerous players, political figures, experts, military officials and personnel for this film. That includes the soldiers involved in Dilawar’s death, their attorneys, and military experts. The director also interviews Moazzam Begg; he is a British citizen held at Bagram during the time of Dilawar’s detention and death, who was also later held at Guantanamo Bay, before being released.

For all the area that it covers, Taxi to the Dark Side tries to get at the heart of America’s use of torture and how it interrogates detainees during the Global War on Terror. This movie has a central question. Was Dilawar’s death the result of a few “bad apples,” as in low-ranking officers and ground level soldiers, or was his death the result of the implementation of a new worldwide system of interrogation. Gibney argues that whatever the “bad apples” did, they were following orders that came down the chain of command, beginning at highest levels of the U.S. government and military.

Gibney does not only focus on the tragedy and crime of Dilawar’s death. He is like a journalist, asking who, what, when, why, and how. Gibney searches long and hard so that he can tell us everything about torture. How is torture defined? What acts constitute torture? What are the recent techniques in interrogation of prisoners and what are their origins? Who are the players that make the decisions? Who is to blame – the interrogator or the one who gives the orders to torture and to abuse?

Taxi to the Dark Side is both a piece of complex journalism and the kind of great documentary that captures the imagination. It is smart, almost scholarly, but it is also hot and passionate. Alex Gibney’s films are usually smart, but they can own your attention and imagination just as well as any Hollywood event movie. And Taxi to the Dark Side needs our attention – for our own good.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Documentary, Features” (Alex Gibney and Eva Orner)

Saturday, November 06, 2010

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"Bush's Brain" Chronicles a Rasputin

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bush’s Brain (2004)
Running time: 80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for brief strong language
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS: Joseph Mealey and Michael Shoob
WRITERS: James C. Moore and Wayne Slater (based upon their book Bush’s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Joseph Mealey
EDITOR: Tom Siiter

DOCUMENTARY

Starring: Jacques Vroom (narrator), James C. Moore, Wayne Slater, Max Cleland, Richard Edgeworth, Bill Miller, Molly Ivins, Richard Leiby, Dave McNeely, and Glenn Smith

Joseph Mealey and Michael Shoob’s 2004 documentary, Bush’s Brain, takes a hard look at Karl Rove, President George W. Bush’s closest advisor, who has almost single-handedly shaped the policies of our nation under President Bush.  Rove perhaps has been the leading mind behind the “Republican revolution” since the mid-1990’s, and who has certainly changed the way the Republican Party runs its campaigns both nationally and locally.

However, Rove’s extremely close relationship to President Bush (who has called Rove his “boy genius”) has raised a question that disturbs some Americans, particularly those on the left of the political spectrum: Who really runs this country? Is Bush an hand puppet and Rove the hand, or to put it nicely, is Bush a not too bright a mouthpiece for Rove’s political agenda. Bush’s Brain features interviews with a number of journalists, reporters, and political pundits – many from Rove’s former base of operations, Texas. A few of Rove’s former colleagues and opponents also weigh in on the man, and the directors also include much archival footage and material of Rove – who declined to be part of this film.

While Bush’s Brain does explore Rove’s political journey to the top of the heap as the presidential advisor (mostly through interviews of people who have worked for and against him), the film is soft on coverage of Rove’s part in the rise of George W. Bush from a man who frequently bankrupted the companies he began as a young businessman to a two-term governor of Texas and a two-term President of the United States. This film, at 80 minutes, is probably about 40 minutes too short. In order for Bush’s Brain to really explore Rove and his influence on President Bush, the film not only had to talk about the controversial 2000 Presidential elections, but also Rove’s influence on policy during Bush’s first term. The film actually spends a little time on the Iraq War – not enough, but there is a lot more to Bush’s first term than a war. Quite a bit of domestic policy changed – some of it at the behest of Bush’s religious supporters, some of it for corporate donors, and others for individual wealthy supporters. Much of that likely had Rove’s fingerprints on it.

This film’s obsession with Iraq (which it shares with other film and TV about Bush) overshadows the social and political changes that the country has undergone since George W. Bush became President. Rove’s fingerprints are also all over that. Perhaps, the next Bush’s Brain could turn away from war and Rove’s alleged dirty tricks election campaigning and take a deeper look at national policy – post election scandal. Still, what is here is quite good. The talking heads that directors Mealy and Shoob parade before us are intelligent, engaging, and have some damn good Rove stories to tell – some sad and others quite pitiful and tragic.

7 of 10
B+

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Zac Efron in New Nicholas Sparks Adaptation

Press release:

Scott Hicks Directs Zac Efron in New Romantic Drama

Film is based on the Nicholas Sparks novel The Lucky One

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ romantic drama based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestseller The Lucky One, starring Zac Efron (“17 Again,” “Charlie St. Cloud”), Taylor Schilling (upcoming “Atlas Shrugged”) and Blythe Danner (“Meet the Parents,” “Meet the Fockers”).

The film is being directed by Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Scott Hicks (“Shine,” “No Reservations”). Hicks directs from a screenplay by Will Fetters (“Remember Me”), adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel The Lucky One. The producers are Denise Di Novi, who previously produced Nicolas Sparks novel-to-film adaptations of “A Walk To Remember,” “Nights In Rodanthe” and “Message in a Bottle,” and Kevin McCormick (upcoming “Arthur”). Ravi D. Mehta, Alison Greenspan and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers, and Kerry Heysen is co-producer.

Rounding out the cast are Riley Thomas Stewart (TV’s “90210”), Jay R. Ferguson (TV’s “Mad Men”) and Adam Lefevre (“The Bounty Hunter”).

U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

The production’s creative team also includes cinematographer Alar Kivilo (“The Blind Side”), production designer Barbara Ling (“No Reservations”), costume designer Dayna Pink (“Bruno,”) and editor Scott Gray (“The Boys Are Back”).

The film is being shot in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, notably in the surrounding communities of St. Bernard Parish, Covington, Abita Springs, Burnside, Ponchatoula and Madisonville. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Review: "The Hangover" is Simply Fantastic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hangover (2009)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material
DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips
WRITERS: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
PRODUCERS: Daniel Goldberg and Todd Phillips
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Lawrence Sher
EDITOR: Debra Neil-Fisher
Golden Globe winner

COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Sasha Barrese, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Rachel Harris, Mike Tyson, Jernard Burks, Rob Riggle, and Cleo King

It may be a cliché in movies and television series to send characters to Las Vegas for a bit of hedonism. Now, it is also a city where families can have fun and where businessmen can get down to business. Still, Las Vegas has long been the go-to place for many pleasure-seeking men.

The new film, The Hangover, from director Todd Phillips (Old School), takes a quartet of middleclass guys to Vegas for a bachelor party. While their plan for an evening of nightmarish debauchery eventually becomes a waking nightmare, their distress and torment are comedy gold for movie audiences.

Two days before his wedding to his bride-to-be, Tracy Garner (Sasha Barrese), Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) and three pals leave Los Angeles and drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party that will be so crazy (they hope) they’ll never forget it. Doug’s friends are Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), a good-looking, junior high school teacher, who puts on that married life is killing him. Dentist Stu Price (Ed Helms) is an uptight dweeb, who is made all the more anxious by his controlling girlfriend, Melissa (Rachel Harris). Melissa treats Stu like a slave, and he has to lie to her about the Vegas trip. Finally, there’s Tracy’s deranged brother, Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis); pudgy, bearded, and dumber than a bag of hammers, Alan may be as dangerous as he is clueless.

After offering a toast to their diabolical plans on the roof of their Caesar’s Palace, the guys head out for an evening of ritualized Vegas fun (gambling, drinking, whoring, etc.). But the next morning, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up and discover they can’t remember the events of the previous evening. For unknown reasons, they now share their Caesar’s Palace suite with a tiger (in the bathroom) and a six-month-old baby (in the closet). And they can’t find Doug. With no memories of what transpired and only a day before the wedding, the three hung-over men must retrace their hazy steps, follow a handful of clues, and sift through all their bad decisions in order to find Doug and get him back to L.A. in time for his wedding.

In The Hangover, the surprises are everything, and those surprises are the strange people with which our heroes interacted, the shocking places they’ve been, and the outrageous things they’ve done. Some of those specific surprises involve Mike Tyson, a Vegas wedding chapel, and flamboyantly gay Asian gangster (Ken Jeong), and delightful performances given by Heather Graham and Mike Epps in small roles. That’s to say nothing about the riot that is the end-credit montage.

A lot of the fun in this movie is recognizing that the boys, especially Phil, Stu, and Alan, are types as much as they are characters, and that while each often acts as we would expect him to, it’s when they do something out of character that The Hangover hits a high point. Still, it would have been good to have richer character interplay, but there’s isn’t much time for soul searching when all a scene requires is that the character put his face in a hooker’s lap. It’s satisfying that Cooper, Helms, and Galifianakis are so good at making these character types at least seem like great characters.

The fun in this movie is getting the surprises, and The Hangover is all about shocking the viewer. Considering that one expects shocking things to happen when four ordinary guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party, the genius of The Hangover is that it finds a way to make the predictable always unpredictable.

8 of 10
A

Friday, June 19, 2009

NOTES:
2010 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Screenplay – Original” (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore)

2010 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy”

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VIZ Cinema to Screen "Live from Tokyo" for One Night Only

VIZ CINEMA TAKES AUDIENCES ON A SONIC TRIP TO EXPLORE TOKYO’S UNDERGROUND MUSIC CULTURE IN LIVE FROM TOKYO – PLAYING FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Documentary Blends Live Performances And Interviews To Offer New Insights On Unique Music Culture; VIZ Cinema Screening Event To Feature A Live Simulcast Of Performances By Saijanu, Kirihito, And Others From The Forest Limit Club In Tokyo

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, takes audiences on a sonic tour through Tokyo’s vibrant and varied underground music culture in LIVE FROM TOKYO, a new documentary directed by Lewis Rapkin. After a sold out premiere at the Asia Society in New York City, LIVE FROM TOKYO’s San Francisco premiere opens at VIZ Cinema for a one-night-only showing and special event beginning at 7:15pm. Tickets, trailers and more information are available at: www.vizcinema.com.

Immediately following the screening, VIZ Cinema and goforaloop Gallery are proud to present a special simulcast of performances from the bands Kirihito, Sajjanu, Yudaya Jazz, and Onnacodomo (all featured in the film), streamed live from the Forest Limit club in Tokyo.

Tokyo’s reputation as a media-saturated hub for global information and cutting-edge innovation makes it the perfect setting for addressing a new outlook on music culture. LIVE FROM TOKYO takes the viewer through the back streets in Shinjuku, the intersections of Shibuya, narrow alleys in Koenji, and all over the city, as it highlights the innovative musicians who create this multi-faceted artistic culture. The film features interviews and live performances by DMBQ, Tenniscoats, Shugo Tokumaru, Nisennenmondai, PARA (ex-Boredoms members), Kirihito, d.v.d., and many more.


Bands and artists featured in Live From Tokyo include:

Saijunu
Sajjanu is a ripping new unit from Tokyo that performs incredibly complex through-composed compositions with few if any repetition. Combining the intensity of the Ruins with the quirkiness of the Boredoms and the compositional integrity of Zappa, Zorn and more, Sajjanu is creating a new Japanese music of infinite possibilities. In addition to releases in Japan, Sajjanu’s album Pechiku!! was released in 2009 on John Zorn’s New York-based Tzadik label.

Kirihito:
"With a reputation for furious, hypnotic live performances, and a sound that evades all attempts to pin it down with the usual genre clichés, Tokyo-based duo Kirihito have gradually carved themselves a position as legends in the underground-music scene." - The Japan Times

Yudaya Jazz:
As a video artist, Yudaya Jazz, juxtaposes multi-media in a way most people cannot imagine. He synchronizes the images and sounds on an audio/visual platform outfitted with a set of turntables, a laptop, video camera, microphone, multiple projectors and sometimes a piano.

Onnacodomo:
"DJ Codomo, Yasuko Seki and Ruka Noguchi perform in real time using a video camera to capture their spontaneous creations. Shimmering projections are created using water, mirrors and an array of lights, while a world of fantastic images is constructed with found photos, kitchen utensils, toys, stationary, and improvised artwork. Kaleidoscopic, absurd and unreal, Onnacodomo takes you into a slightly-unhinged world that is absolutely original in its conception."

d.v.d
This electronic art trio blends Japanese technology and artistic innovation in a band. Visual artist Ymg was a CG game developer for Namco, Itoken has provided soundtracks for popular Playstation video games and Jimanica has been a professional drummer in both Tokyo and New York City. Their interactive “live installation” blurs the borders of visual art and music, leaving audiences wondering if they are at a concert, video arcade or art exhibit.

Shugo Tokumaru
Shugo Tokumaru is a multi-instrumentalist claiming to play over 100 instruments on his most recent release and one of today’s most talked-about Japanese musicians. With three albums under his belt, Shugo made his US debut in September of 2009, touring with the Magnetic Fields and performing with members of the National and Beirut. Shugo has also been featured twice on NPR in an in-studio performance and on the World Café.

NISENNENMONDAI
This all-female rock trio from Tokyo has been making noisy, technically challenging, experimental rock for the past decade. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, as reputable American bands such as Prefuse 73, Lightning Bolt, Battles, and No Age have all shared the stage and spoken outwardly of their admiration for Nisennenmondai.

DMBQ
Drawing heavily from Western rock and roll, garage and noise influences, DMBQ’s high-energy performances and several international tours have made them one of Tokyo’s most lauded underground acts. They have also appeared in SPIN magazine.

Tenniscoats
Tenniscoats is an avant-garde folk duo made up of Saya and Takashi Ueno. Since 2000, Tenniscoats have released albums and also collaborated with a variety of other artists, both Japanese and foreign. In 2008, Tenniscoats collaborated with US-based Indie band Deerhoof in a project called OneOne. Most recently, Tenniscoats collaborated with long-running Scottish band The Pastels on an album called Two Suns.

Tokyo Pinsalocks
Tokyo Pinsalocks is an all-female electro-pop trio who has toured the UK and US including the 2009 US Anime Fest in Boston. They curate and headline Spoon Market, an event series that features “the coolest of female artists – be they musicians, fashion designers, visual artists, or cooks.”

Other featured acts include: Kuruucrew, PARA, The Lady Spade, Makoto Oshiro, Sexy-Synthesizer, Umi No Yeah!, Samm Bennett, Shintaro Miyazaki, W. David Marx, Dr. Jennifer Matsue, Suishou no Fune, Plugdead + Yudaya Jazz, Secai, Nu Clear Classmate, Kelly Churko, Cal Lyall, Kenichi Fumoto, The Muzenji Monk, Taguchi Fumihito, Tayutau, My Pal Foot Foot, Elevation, The Lady Spade, Makoto Oshiro, Henrytennis, Mahiruno, ECD & DJ Illicit Tsuboi, Uhnellys, The Fadeaways and more...


VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.

Review: "The Incredibles" the Best 3D Animated Superheroes... So Far

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 218 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Incredibles (2004)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG for action violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Brad Bird
PRODUCER: John Walker
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Janet Lucroy
EDITOR: Stephen Schaffer
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Elizabeth Peña, Wallace Shawn, and Brad Bird

Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are two superheroes that fall in love and eventually marry. Not long after their nuptials, the government forces superheroes into retirement because the citizens that the heroes rescue start suing the government for property damages and personal injuries. Thus Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl assume their civilian or secret identities as husband and wife, Bob and Helen Parr. They go on to have three children together, the shy Violet (Sarah Vowell), the energetic scamp Dashiell or “Dash” (Spencer Fox) and baby Jack Jack.

Bob, however, sorely missed his superhero life, so at night he sneaks outs with his buddy Lucius Best (Samuel L. Jackson), formerly known as Frozone. They done ski masks to hide their identities and rescue citizens from burning buildings and such. Bob soon catches the interest of a sexy female operative named Mirage (Elizabeth Peña). She summons him to a mysterious island and offers him a job paying him three times what he makes an insurance adjuster. The job also allows him to dress up in a superhero uniform and be Mr. Incredible again. However, a mysterious and sinister villain, Syndrome (Jason Lee), with a link to Mr. Incredible’s past arrives on the scene, and his actions bring the whole Parr family from undercover. Elastigirl assumes her old identity, but the eldest Incredible children also have powers. Dash becomes…well, Dash, the boy who can move at incredible speed. Violet becomes Shrinking Violet who can become invisible and generate force field bubbles. Dash and Violet don costumes like mommy and race off to save Daddy, but will The Incredibles and Frozone be able to save the world from the menace of Syndrome.

The Incredibles is the sixth collaboration between Pixar, the gold standard in computer animation studios, and Disney, and it is by no means their best work. However, in terms of the quality of the computer animation, The Incredibles is, to date, technically the best feature length computer animated film. In fact, there is never a moment in the film where The Incredibles really looks like the typical computer animated film. The animation is a cross between hand drawn three-dimensional art, claymation, stop-motion, and marionettes, the characters move with fluidity that is as good as the best second-tier hand drawn animation.

As for the story contents of the film: the super action is as about as good as the action in X2: X-Men United and Spider-Man 2, and that is a testament to the skill of the computer techs and artists at Pixar. It is something of a miracle to get a computer to render dramatic action on that level.

However, The Incredibles lacks the heart of classic Pixar films like the Toy Story series, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. The drama, the emotional conflicts, the plot, and the poignancy are missing. The Parr family dynamics are a bit cold, about what we’d get from an average TV family sitcom. Elastigirl, although ostensibly the co-lead, feels like a supporting character; writer/director Brad Bird dropped the ball there. The daughter Violet is vague and more of a caricature than a character.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that Patrick Warburton (who played the title character in Fox’s short-lived TV series, “The Tick” and provided the voice for an animated Superman in a Jerry Seinfeld American Express commercial) should have provided the voice for Mr. Incredible, but Craig T. Nelson is really good. He gives the character extraordinary life and individuality. Nelson truly makes Mr. Incredible one of the top screen superheroes.

My favorite characters in the film were Dash and Frozone. Frozone is sadly too relegated to the sidelines, but he has enough onscreen time to make it clear that Sam Jackson should do more animated voiceover work. Dash is an absolute delight. The quintessential hyperactive kid, he is a bold, confident, and brash young hero that could be the star of his own film. Spencer Fox’s performance and the Pixar artistry make Dash a charming scene-stealer. I wouldn’t mind an all-guys line up of Dash, Mr. Incredible, and Frozone in a follow-up.

On the strength of the high quality of the computer animation art in this film, I’ll call The Incredibles the best animated film of the year. It’s a sheer delight with the suspense, thrills, and action of a good family action film. Too bad the soft drama keeps it from being a truly great film.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year (Brad Bird) and “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Michael Silvers and Randy Thom); 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Randy Thom, Gary Rizzo, and Doc Kane) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Brad Bird)

2005 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film” (John Walker and Brad Bird)

2005 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy”

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VIZ Cinema is Passionate This Fall

THE THEMES OF PASSION & PROWESS USHER IN THE FALL SEASON AT VIZ CINEMA

Passion For Spirituality, Food, Music, Love And More Among The Topics Featured In New Films At NEW PEOPLE Movie Theatre This Month

VIZ Cinema makes November’s cinema programming about the theme of prowess. Passion turns into expertise as one's art and expression matures. It could simply save a soul, become a powerful weapon, or even lead a popular movement. Tickets, screening times and complete details for each film are available at: http://www.vizcinema.com/.

The month begins as the theatre proudly presents the opening night of the San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival 2010 on November 3rd with the premiere of Journey from Zanskar, a new film from the producers of Hoop Dreams that follows a group of monks and children across the breath-taking and dangerous Himalayas. Heavy metal comedy is up next with a special one-night-only show on November 4th of Detroit Metal City, to celebrate the film’s brand new DVD release from VIZ Pictures. The New Media Film Festival and S.F. Bay Area Market & Forum will be held this month at the venue, featuring work from innovative creators using the latest technology to develop visionary content.

Then work up an appetite for the premiere of Chef of the South Polar, based on the hilarious autobiographical essay of a chef on an Antarctic research team who brings gourmet cuisine to one of the most inhospitable place on earth. Live From Tokyo next takes audiences to the backstreets of Japan’s capital to sample the city’s burgeoning underground music scene. This screening will be complemented by a simulcast of a live set from the band Sajjunu (also featured in the film) broadcast from the Super Deluxe club in Tokyo. Anime fans won’t want to miss special screenings of Patlabor The Movie, and Patlabor The Movie 2, presented in partnership with Bandai Entertainment, and also a premiere showing of Kamui Gaidan, based on the legendary 1970’s Japanese comic book by Sampei Shirato.

Director Yuki Tanada’s Electric Button then brings erotic flavors to audiences and manages to be as sweet as it is unsentimental, while effortlessly dancing across the lines of comedy, drama, romance and eroticism. And don’t miss the return of the TokyoScope Talk film discussion series as it holds a special Saturday afternoon session on ninja cinema! The month wraps up with a special film retrospective on removed Japanese actor and author Yukio Mishima.

Journey from Zanskar, Wednesday, 11/3 at 7:20pm San Francisco Premiere!
(Directed by Frederick Marx, 2009, 90mins, English, Tibetan, and Hindi with English subtitles)

Oscar-winning filmmaker Frederick Marx follows a group of monks and children across the breath-taking and dangerous Himalayas as they journey from Zanskar, one of the most isolated places on earth, to a Buddhist school in Manali (India).

Detroit Metal City, November 4th 7:00pm, One Night Only!!!
(Directed by Toshio Lee, 2008, 104min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Detroit Metal City takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like Spinal Tap to hilarious new extremes in this story, based on a popular manga comic created by Kiminori Wakasugi that has sold more than 4.5 million copies in Japan and features notable appearances by Gene Simmons from the legendary band, KISS, and Marty Friedman of Megadeth.

In the film, Soichi Negishi (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the devil worshiping death metal band “Detroit Metal City” (DMC). In full stage make-up and costume, he transforms into Johannes Krauser II the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist of the band. Against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. Things get even more complicated when the legendary king of death metal, Jack IL Dark (played by Gene Simmons), challenges DMC to a duel in the film’s climatic finale. What will be the fate of innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world?

NEW MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL SF BAY AREA MARKET & FORUM
Friday, 11/5 & Saturday 11/6

Join as VIZ Cinema brings together several leaders and content creators in film, TV, games, publishing, web, mobile technology and screen mobile, webisodes and mobile series, shorts, animation, and much more. Film screenings include selections from Sundance, Cannes, Los Angeles Film Festival premieres as well as work by the best local Bay Area talent working in New Media. Competition Judges are industry professionals from Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Summit Entertainment, Creative Convergence and United Talent Agency.

More details and tickets are available at: www.newmediafilmfestival.com/newmediatickets.php

The Chef of South Polar Monday, 11/ 7 – Thursday, 11/12
(Directed by Shuichi Okita, 2009, 125mins, Japanese with English subtitles)

Based on the hilarious autobiography by the chef of an Antarctic research team!

Eight men join a research expedition to the Dome Fuji Station in Antarctica – an environment so cold that even viruses cannot exist, let alone living creatures. Jun Nishimura’s job is to cook for the members every day. He prepares the meals with the greatest care, sometimes with fine delicacies, and takes pleasure in watching everyone sitting down together and enjoying his food. In far away Japan, Nishimura has a family including a new-born son. The assignment lasts a year and a half and while his thoughts are with his family 14,000 kilometers away, the ultimate mission away from home must continue. Antarctic life is unlike anything in Japan. But as long as there is good food, it gives the team the strength to go on. Though the film is set in the coldest climate in the world, The Chef of South Polar will warm viewers up from the center of their hearts. Good food and human drama, full of laughter and love.

Live From Tokyo; Friday, 11/12 at 7:15pm
(Directed by Lewis Rapkin, 2010, 79min, HDCam, Japanese with English Subtitles,)

“Live From Tokyo” is a documentary film about underground music culture in Tokyo. The city’s reputation as a media-saturated hub for global information and cutting-edge innovation makes it the perfect setting for addressing a new outlook on music culture. This documentary takes the viewer through the back streets in Shinjuku, the intersections in Shibuya, the alleys in Koenji, and all over Tokyo, as it highlights the innovative musicians who create this multi-faceted artistic culture. The film features interviews and performances by DMBQ, Tenniscoats, Shugo Tokumaru, Nisennenmondai, PARA (ex-Boredoms members), Kirihito, d.v.d., and many more.

After the film screening, the band Sajjanu (featured in the film) will simulcast a live performance from Tokyo!

Sajjanu is a ripping new unit from Tokyo that performs incredibly complex through-composed compositions with few if any repetition. Combining the intensity of the Ruins with the quirkiness of the Boredoms and the compositional integrity of Zappa, Zorn and more, Sajjanu is creating a new Japanese music of infinite possibilities. In addition to releases in Japan, Sajjanu’s album Pechiku!! was released in 2009 on John Zorn’s New York-based Tzadik label.

Patlabor The Movie, November 13th (Subtitled) & 14th (Dubbed)
(Directed by Mamoru Oshii, 1989, 99min, Digital, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Set in an alternate 1999 in Tokyo where advanced robotic vehicles called Labors are heavily relied on to reshape the city, a maverick team of the Metropolitan Police force tries to uncover and thwart a devilish computer crime aimed at the heart of the Labor industry. As a powerful typhoon approaches the city and the schemes of a mad genius start to take full effect, time is running out for the team of Special Vehicles Section 2 to act on the offensive, or risk citywide devastation by eight thousand Labors gone berserk!

Patlabor The Movie 2, November 13th (Subtitled) & 14th (Dubbed)
(Directed by Mamoru Oshii, 1993, 113min, Digital, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Set three years after the first film, PATLABOR 2 draws police commanders Ki'ichi Gotoh and Shinobu Nagumo into the hunt for Tsuge, a rogue officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces connected with an escalating wave of terrorist attacks. But the investigation into the plot is guarded by secrets both personal and political, as the awakening fear of terror in Tokyo is slowly answered by the dream-like fade of democracy into martial law... Ominous, beautiful, suspenseful, and poetic, Patlabor 2 deserves the term visionary in every sense of the word.

Electric Button (Moon & Cherry), Saturday, 11/13 – Thursday, 11/18, San Francisco Premiere!

Recalling the traditional “Pink Film” in form – but radically different in the particulars, Yuki Tanada’s ELECTRIC BUTTON manages to be as sweet as it is unsentimental, while effortlessly dancing across the lines of comedy, drama, romance and eroticism.

21 year-old Kenichi Tadokoro (Tasuku Nagaoka) has finally been accepted into a university after his third try at the entrance exam. One day he is virtually shanghaied into joining an erotic fiction writing club by an odd character who seems much too old to be a proper student (veteran film actor Akira Emoto). The club is populated by an odd assortment of characters, including the sole female member, Hazuki Mayama (Noriko Eguchi), who, under a male nom de porn, is also the club’s only published member. When the group engages in a sexually explicit round of shop talk, Tadokoro regales them with his expertise. Mayama, however, to Tadakoro’s horror, easily identifies him as a virgin – out loud, casually, and in front of everyone.

Kamui Gaidan, Friday, 11/19 – Wednesday, 12/1, San Francisco Premiere!
(Directed by Yoichi Sai, 2009, 120min, Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

Based on the legendary 1970’s Japanese comic book by Sampei Shirato, Kamui Gaidan boasts one of the largest budgets in the history of Japanese film history. Taking you on a journey by land and by sea, Kamui Gaidan is sure to capture the attention of audiences world-wide with its amazing action and colorful story. Set in 17th Century Japan, Kamui Gaidan tells the story of Kamui, an outcast from society who dreams of someday escaping his miserable existence. Feeling that he is left with no alternative, Kamui trains to become a deadly Ninja, killing just to survive. A life of that revolves around kill after kill starts to get to the warrior. Kamui grows to despise the lethal rules that govern the Ninja, prompting him to leave the only world he knows. Now a fugitive from his former clan, Kamui goes on the run towards an uncertain future. The Ninja’s view on life changes after an incident brings him to a fisherman’s family. It is there he finally starts to open up to other people. Meanwhile, those hunting him are setting their trap.

TokyoScope Talk, Vol. 7 – NINJA ATTACK! Saturday, 11/20 at 12:15pm

The ninja – Japan’s famed shadow warriors of legend – are the subject of the next TokyoScope Talk film event.

Presented by host Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA) and produced in association with Matt Alt, co-author of the new book Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws (published by Kodansha International), this presentation will explore the historical and pop culture legacy of the original men (and women!) in black.

Gasp in amazement as rare clips from assorted movies, anime, and TV programs such as Shinobi no Mono, Red Mask, Shogun Assassin, Dagger of Kamui, and Alien vs. Ninja reveal the over-the-top skills, weapons, and deadly techniques of these fearsome martial artists!

All attendees will be entered into a raffle to win free copies of the Ninja Attack! book!

Mishima Retrospective: 11/26 Fri – 12/1 Wed
To honor the 40th anniversary of the death of renowned actor Yukio Mishima on November 25th, 1970, VIZ Cinema proudly presents the Mishima Retrospective which showcases three films inspired by his novel, his life and his work as an actor.

Ken
Directed by Kenji Misumi, 1964, 94min, Japanese with English subtitles)

Based on Yukio Mishima's short story published in 1963, the story revolves around the story of the captain of a university kendo club – Kokubu – and his relationships with other members of the club, his family, women, and modern society in general.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
(Directed by Paul Schrader, 1985, 120min, Japanese with English subtitles)

A visually stunning, collage-like portrait of acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata), this film investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted an impossible harmony between self, art, and society. Taking place on Mishima’s last day, when he famously committed public seppuku, the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s life as well as by gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works.

Afraid to Die
(Directed by Yasuzo Masumura, 1960, 96min, Japanese with English subtitles)

Yukio Mishima stars in this New Wave cult film playing the role of Takeo, a youthful yakuza who turns back to his criminal ways after leaving prison. Takeo finds himself embroiled in the business of assassinations, revenge and violence, and must struggle to keep alive for the love of his family and girlfriend, Yoshie.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.


About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.