Asian Film Library Bulletin No.2

[Stephen Cremin]

If you've received this newsletter, then you probably work in a professional 
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ASIAN FILM LIBRARY BULLETIN #2, 4 February 2000

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BOX OFFICE STATISTICS

HONG KONG (27-30 January 2000)
------------------------------
01. Tokyo Raiders (NEW: 28/1/2000)
02. Winner Takes All (NEW: 29/1/2000)
03. Crying Heart (15/1/2000)
04. The Bone Collector (6/1/2000)
05. All About My Mother (20/1/2000)
06. Anna and the King (23/12/1999)
07. Joan of Arc (20/1/2000)
08. Double Jeopardy (13/1/2000)
09. Bringing Out the Dead (20/1/2000)
10. The Muse (20/1/2000)

JAPAN (29-30 January 2000)
--------------------------
01. The Blair Witch Project (23/12/1999)
02. Shiri (aka Shuri) (22/1/2000)
03. End of Days (25/12/1999)
04. When the Rain Stops (22/1/2000)
05. The Legend of 1900 (18/12/1999)
06. For Love of the Game (NEW: 29/1/2000)
07. Ring 0: Birthday + Isola (22/1/2000)
08. The Sixth Sense (30/10/1999)
09. Tarzan (18/12/1999)
10. Fight Club (11/12/1999)

KOREA (21-26 January 2000)
--------------------------
01. Stuart Little (8/1/2000)
02. Peppermint Candy (1/1/2000)
03. Fly Me to Polaris (15/1/2000)
04. Pushing Tin (NEW: 22/1/2000)

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ON RELEASE

HONG KONG
Out this weekend: Gordon CHAN's actioner "2000AD", Andrew LAU's riotous 
comedy "The Duel" and a belated release for FENG Xiaogang's "Party A, Party 
B".  Still on release: Jingle MA's "Tokyo Raiders", Clifton KO's "Winner 
Takes All" and ZHANG Yimou's "Not One Less".  Coming soon: Stanley KWAN's 
"The Island Tales" (17/2/2000), NAKATA Hideo's "Don't Look Up" (17/2/2000), 
Aman CHANG's "My Name is Nobody" and Wilson YIP's "Juliet in Love" (aka 
"Butterfly Lovers").

JAPAN
Out this weekend: 3D CG animation "A*LI*CE" and MOTOKI Katsuhide's "Free and 
Easy Eleven".  Still on release: NAKATA Hideo's "Sleeping Bride", MORIMOTO 
Isao's "The First Timers", Jacky KANG's "Shiri", IM Sang-soo's "Girls' Night 
Out", YIP Ying's "A Time to Remember", KOIZUMI Takashi's "When the Rain 
Stops" (Ame Agaru), and TSURUTA Norio's "Ring 0: Birthday" in a double-bill 
with MIZUTANI Toshiyuki's "Isola".  Coming soon: HIGUCHINSKY's "Uzumaki" in 
a double-bill with MITSUISHI Tomijiro's "Tomie: Replay" (11/2/2000).

KOREA
Out this weekend: KIM Ji-woon's wrestling comedy "The Foul King" and 
FURUHATA Yasuo's "Poppoya: Railroad Man".  Still on release: IM Kwon-taek's 
"Chunhyang", LEE Chang-dong's "Peppermint Candy", JANG Sun-woo's "Lies", 
PARK Heon-su's "Love Bakery" and Jingle MA's "Fly Me To Polaris".  Coming 
soon: NAKANO Hiroyuki's "Samurai Fiction" and HIGASHI Yoichi's "Village of 
Dreams".

======================
NEW RELEASES IN DETAIL

>A*LI*CE (Japan)
Director: MAEJIMA Ken'ichi; producer: FUJIMURA Norichika; script: YOSHIMOTO 
Masahiro; voices: SHIMIZU Kaori (Alice), KOUDA Mariko (Maria), SUZUKI 
Chihiro (Ewan).  Released: Japan on 5/2/2000.  Festivals: None.
Sales: Gaga Communications (tai at gaga.co.jp).

This 3D computer graphics science fiction animation, titled after its 
16-year-old heroine, has an exclusive presentation at the Shinjuku Joy 
Cinema which has been equipped with digital projection, a Japanese first.

>THE DUEL (Hong Kong)
Director, photo: Andrew LAU; producer, script: WONG Jing, Manfred WONG; 
cast: Nick CHEUNG (Dragon 9), Andy LAU (Yeh Cool-Son), Ekin CHENG (Simon the 
Snow Blower), Vicky CHIU (Princess Phoenix), Kristy YANG (Ye Ziqing), 
Patrick TAM (Emperor).  Released: Hong Kong on 3/2/2000.  Festivals: None.  
105 mins.
Sales: China Star Entertainment (ann at chinastar.com.hk).

Imperial Agent Dragon 9 is in charge of distributing eight passes to attend 
the duel of the century between righteous swordsman Yeh Cool-San and Simon 
the Snow Blower.  What he unravels is a plot to usurp the Emperor in a tale 
of a love-sick princess, photo-fit clay statuettes, terracotta warriors who 
come to life and an umbrella that even 007 would be proud of.  PS: Comedy.

>THE FOUL KING (Korea)
Director, script: KIM Ji-woon; producer: OH Jung-wan; cast: SONG Kang-ho, 
CHANG Jin-young, PARK Sang-myun.  Released: Korea on 4/2/2000.  Festivals: 
None.  111 mins.
Sales: BOM Films (ojungwan at shinbiro.com).

Bullied bank clerk Dae-ho is sent to recruit a former pro-wrestler for his 
company's latest promotional drive.  He soon finds himself attracted to both 
the sport and the former wrestler's daughter, Min-young, becoming a regular 
at the gym.  Min-young decides to resurrect the wrestling persona of her 
father, the masked villain The Foul King and Dae-ho is a natural in the role 
inventing imaginative new ways of cheating ... until one day he decided to 
win a fight fairly.

>FREE AND EASY ELEVEN (Japan)
Director: MOTOKI Katsuhide; producers: NAKAGAWA Shigehiro; script: YAMADA 
Yoji, ASAMA Yoshitaka; original manga: YAMASAKI Juzo, KITAMI Ken'ichi; cast: 
NISHIDA Toshiyuki, MIKUNI Rentaro, ASADA Miyoko, TANI Kei.  Released: Japan 
on 5/2/2000.  Festivals: None.
Sales: Shochiku (mkoga02 at ibm.net).

Latest instalment of Shochiku's long-running series about the friendship 
between a company president and his lowly fishing partner after a historical 
detour in the last episode.

>POPPOYA: RAILROAD MAN (Japan)
Director, script: FURUHATA Yasuo; producers: TAKAIWA Tan, SAKAGAMI Sanuo; 
original novel: ASADA Jiro; script: IWAMA Yoshiki; cast: TAKAKURA Ken (Sato 
Otomatsu), HIROSUE Ryoko (Sato Yukiko), OTAKE Shinobu (SATO Shizue), ANDO 
Masanobu (Toshi).  Released: Japan on 5/6/1999; Hong Kong on 24/9/1999; 
Korea on 4/2/2000.  Festivals: Montreal, Pusan, Shanghai, Palm Springs.  111 
mins.
Sales: Toei (international at toei.co.jp).

At the end of his working life as a station master, a job to which he has 
dedicated his life, Sato Otomatsu reflects upon the past and is visited by 
the spirit of his daughter Yukiko who died as a child.  Japan's Oscar bid.

>2000AD (Hong Kong)
Director, script: Gordon CHAN; producer: Thomas CHUNG, Daniel YUN, Willie 
CHAN; script: Stu ZICHERMAN; cast: Aaron KWOK (Peter), Daniel WU (Benny), 
Gigi CHOI (Janet), Francis NG (Ronald), Ray LUI (Greg), Phyllis QUEK 
(Salina).  Released: Hong Kong on 3/2/2000.  Festivals: None.  103 mins.
Sales: Media Asia (peter_poon at mediaasia.com)

When Peter's brother Greg is assassinated after his arrest for computer 
espionage, he doesn't know who to trust: cop Ronald with his personality 
bypass, slimy CIA agent Kelvin with his cowboy fetish, his street-wise 
car-jacking sister-in-law Salina, or Singaporean sharp-shooter Eric who 
keeps rescuing him at opportune moments.

===============================
OTHER FILMS ON RELEASE IN BRIEF

>GIRLS' NIGHT OUT (Korea)
Director, script: IM Sang-soo; producer: TCHA Sung-Jai; cast: KANG Soo-yeon 
(Ho-jeong), JIN Hee-kyung (Yeon), KIM Yeo-jin (Sun).  Released: Korea on 
3/10/1998; Japan on 29/1/2000.  Festivals: Pusan, Neo-Korea (Tokyo), 
Toronto, Hawaii, Rotterdam, Goteborg.  101 mins.
Sales: Paul YI (pyi at ix.netcom.com)

Three Korean women about to hit 30 with very different takes on love and sex 
in this hit of the 1998 Pusan International Film Festival.  IM Sang-soo is 
currently preparing his second feature, MY WILD LIFE.

>LOVE BAKERY (aka JUNOMYUNG BAKERY) (Korea)
Director, Script: Park Heon-su; Producer: Kang Woo-suk; Cast: CHOI Min-su, 
HWANG Shin-hye, LEE Mi-yeon, YEO Kyun-dong. Released: Korea on 15/1/2000.  
Festivals: None.
Sales: Mirovision (mirovision at channeli.net).

Romantic comedy about an ace baker who'll do anything to see his wife smile 
again, even encouraging an affair with a customer.  But then he himself 
falls in love with the customer's wife...

>MOVIE STORM 1: TSUKA TO KINPATSU (lit. "Cash and Blonde") (Japan)
Director, script: MOCHIZUKI Rokuro; producer: ITO Hideyuki; cast: SUWA Taro, 
KIMURA Eri, Russell ISHII.  Released: Japan on 22/1/2000.  Festivals: None.  
84 mins.
Sales: Gaga Communications (tai at gaga.co.jp).

A new series of films with a sexual theme, with later episodes directed by 
NAKAHARA Shun, ITO Hideyuki, actress HIROTA Reona and comeback kid HAYASHI 
Kaizo.  Mochizuki's wild episode about a stripper, a blonde and a mysterious 
suitcase looks more than a little like a homage to Kumashiro's 1972 
FOLLOWING DESIRE...

>SHIRI (released as SHURI in Japan) (Korea)
Director, script, producer: Jacky Kang; Cast: Han Suk-kyu, Kim Yoon-jin, 
Song Kang-ho, CHOI Min-shik. Released: Korea on 13/2/1999; Hong Kong on 
4/11/1999; Japan on 22/1/2000.  Festivals: Fantasia, Pusan, Tokyo, 
Asia-Pacific (Bangkok).  128 mins.
European Sales: Mirovision (mirovision at channeli.net).

Blockbuster action-romance about North Korean agents attempting to set off 
another Korean civil war to bring reunification.  South Korean secret 
intelligence agent Ryu investigates the timely assassination of an arms 
dealer and resurface of feared North Korean agent Hee.

>A TIME TO REMEMBER (China/Hong Kong)
Director: YIP Ying; producer: ZHANG Heping; script: Mark KAPLAN; cast: Todd 
BABCOCK (Robert Payne), Leslie CHEUNG (Jin), MEI Ting (Qiu Qiu).  Festivals: 
Shanghai.  Released: Hong Kong on 18/11/1999; Japan on 29/1/2000.  96 mins.
Sales: Golden Network (goldnet at netvigator.com).

American doctor Robert Payne is one of the foreigners living the high life 
in 1930s Shanghai.  When a beautiful Chinese woman, Qiu Qiu, visits his home 
one night and asks him to visit her sick husband Jin, he finds himself 
caught up in a world of politics and political persecution.

>WINNER TAKES ALL (Hong Kong)
Director: Clifton KO, producers: Raymond WONG, Peter CHAN; cast: Michael HUI 
(Swindler Wong), Nicholas TSE (Ferrari), Joey YUNG (Pauline Wu), SO Yau-pang 
(Bastardly Sze), Karl MAKA (Inspector Stupid).  Released: Hong Kong on 
29/1/2000.  Festivals: None.  90 mins.
Sales: Mandarin Films (Fax: +852 2579 1712).

Pauline Wu flies to Singapore to seek revenge on legendary Swindler Wong.  
She teams up with small-time swindler Ferrari and private-eye temp Bastardly 
Sze to track him down before he's arrested by Inspector Stupid, who's been 
chasing him for twenty years.  Can they outswindle the king of swindlers?

===========================
OTHER LINKS: OFFICIAL SITES

>A*LI*CE (Japanese language)
http://www.franken.ne.jp/ALICE/

>THE DUEL (English language)
http://www.chinastar.com.hk/english/movies/duel.html

>THE FOUL KING (Korean language)
http://www.foul.co.kr

>FREE AND EASY ELEVEN (Japanese language)
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/tsuribaka11/index.html

>ISOLA (Japanese language)
http://www.isola13.com

>LIES (Korean and English language)
http://www.shincine.com

>LOVE BAKERY (Korean language)
http://www.bbangzib.co.kr

>MOVIE STORM (Japanese language)
http://www.gaga.co.jp/moviestorm/index.html

>PEPPERMINT CANDY (Korean language)
http://www.peppermintcandy.co.kr

>POPPOYA: RAILROAD MAN (Korean language)
http://www.poppoya.co.kr

>RING 0: BIRTHDAY (Japanese language)
http://www.ring-zero.net

>SLEEPING BRIDE (Japanese language)
http://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/mov_ga01.html

>TOKYO RAIDERS (English language)
http://www.goldenharvest.com/tokyoraiders/eng-mainpage.htm

>TOMIE: REPLAY (Japanese language)
http://www.tomie.net

>2000AD (English language)
http://www.y2000ad.com.hk/

>UZUMAKI (Japanese language)
http://www.uzumaki.to

>WINNER TAKES ALL (Chinese language)
http://www.mandarinnet.com

============================
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS

2000 BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (9-20 February 2000)
http://www.berlinale.de

Many of the most interesting screenings at Berlin this year will be in the 
market.  Highlights include the international premieres of MEMENTO MORI, 
TELL ME SOMETHING, ATTACK THE GAS STATION!, SECRET and KINO.  There will 
also be promo reels for Clara LAW's Cannes-contender THE GODDESS OF 1967 and 
Edward Berger's FRAU 2 UND HAPPY END, the official German remake of CHANG 
Yoon-hyun's 1997 hit THE CONTACT.

Features:
China       - Breaking the Silence (SUN Zhou) SPECIAL SCREENING
China       - The Road Home (ZHANG Yimou) COMPETITION
Hong Kong   - Bullets over Summer (Wilson YIP)
Hong Kong   - Cross Harbour Tunnel (Lawrence WONG)
Hong Kong   - The Island Tales (Stanley KWAN)
Hong Kong   - The Litter on the Breeze: First Love (Erik KOT)
Hong Kong   - The Mission (Johnnie TO)
Hong Kong   - Running Out of Time (Johnnie TO)
Hong Kong   - Tempting Heart (Sylvia CHANG) PANORAMA
Hong Kong   - Where a Good Man Goes (Johnnie TO)
Japan       - Across a Gold Prairie (INUDO Isshin)
Japan       - Boy's Choir (OGATA Akira) COMPETITION
Japan       - The Crossing (HIGASHI Yoichi) PANORAMA
Japan       - Dora Heita (ICHIKAWA Kon) SPECIAL SCREENING
Japan       - Homesick (MITO Hineki)
Japan       - Jubaku (HARADA Masato) PANORAMA
Japan       - Monday (SABU)
Japan       - Nabbie's Love (NAKAE Yuji)
Japan       - One Piece! (SUZUKI Takuji & YAGUCHI Shinobu)
Japan       - Rendezvous (YAMAMOTO Kosuke)
Japan       - Truths: A Stream (TSUCHIHASHI Masahiro)
Philippines - Burlesk King (Mel CHIONGLO) PANORAMA
Philippines - Toro (Jose Javier REYES) PANORAMA
Philippines - Naked under the Moon (Lav DIAZ)
Thailand    - 6ixtynin9 (Penek RATANARUANG)

Documentaries:
China       - Jiang Hu: Life on the Road (WU Wenguang)
China       - There's a Strong Wind in Beijing (JU An-xi)
Hong Kong   - Buenos Aires Zero Degree (Amos LEE & KWAN Pun-leung)
Japan       - The New God (TSUCHIYA Yutaka)
Japan       - The White (HIRANO Katsuyuki)
Korea       - Shoot the Sun by Lyric (CHO Jai-hong)
Korea       - Making Sun-Dried Red Peppers (JANG Hee-Sun)

Additional Market Screenings:
China       - Seventeen Years (ZHANG Yuan)
China       - So Close to Paradise (WANG Xiaoshuai)
China       - Spicy Love Soup (ZHANG Yang)
China       - Suzhou River (LOU Ye)
Japan       - Away with Words (Christopher DOYLE)
Japan       - The Black House (MORITA Yoshimitsu)
Japan       - Box Lunch (KAJI Shungo)
Japan       - The Frame (ISAKA Satoshi)
Japan       - Gemini (TSUKAMOTO Shin'ya)
Japan       - Himitsu (TAKITA Yojiro)
Japan       - I.K.U. (Shu Lea CHANG)
Japan       - Kino (SUZUKI Masahiko)
Japan       - Kiss Me So Long I Can't Breathe (KIM Taegwan)
Japan       - M/Other (SUWA Nobuhiro)
Japan       - Shabondama Elegy (Ian KERKHOF)
Korea       - Attack the Gas Station! (KIM Sang-jin)
Korea       - Memento Mori (MIN Kyu-dong & KIM Tae-yong)
Korea       - Shiri (Jacky KANG)
Korea       - Tell Me Something (CHANG Yoon-hyun)
Korea       - The Uprising (PARK Kwang-su)
Taiwan      - Darkness and Light (CHANG Tso-chi)
Taiwan      - The Personals (CHEN Kuo-fu)

Note: TSUKAMOTO Shin'ya's classic TETSUO and OSHII Mamoru's animated GHOST 
IN THE SHELL will screen in the "Artificial Beings, Manic Machines, 
Controlled Bodies" retrospective.

===============================================
ASIAN FILMS AT THE HONG KONG BOX OFFICE IN 1999

CHINESE FILMS:
01. Not One Less (ZHANG Yimou)
02. Be There or Be Square (FENG Xiaogang)
03. The Emperor and the Assasin (CHEN Kaige)
04. National Anthem (WU Ziniu)
05. Going to School with Dad on My Back (ZHOU Youchao)
06. A Beautiful New World (SHI Runjiu)

HONG KONG FILMS (TOP 20):
01. The King of Comedy (Stephen CHIAU & LEE Lik-Chi)
02. Gorgeous (Vincent KOK)
03. A Man Called Hero (Andrew LAU)
04. The Tricky Master (WONG Jing)
05. The Legend of Speed (Andrew LAU)
06. The Conmen in Vegas (WONG Jing)
07. Gen-X Cops (Benny CHAN)
08. Prince Charming (Aman CHANG)
09. Running Out of Time (Johnnie TO)
10. Tempting Heart (Sylvia CHANG)
11. Fly Me to Polaris (Jingle MA)
12. Purple Storm (Teddy CHEN)
13. Fascination Amour (Herman YAU)
14. Century of the Dragon (Clarence FOK)
15. Metade Fumaca (IP Kam-hung)
16. The HK Triad (Aman CHANG)
17. Moonlight Express (Daniel LEE)
18. The Truth About Jane and Sam (Derek YEE)
19. The Mission (Jonnie TO)
20. He is My Enemy, Partner & Father-in-Law (Herman YAU)

JAPANESE FILMS:
01. The Ring (NAKATA Hideo)
02. The Ring 2 (NAKATA Hideo)
03. GTO (SUZUKI Masayuki)
04. Hypnosis (OCHIAI Masayuki)
05. Bayside Shakedown (MOTOHIRO Katsuyuki)
06. School Mystery / Hanako (TSUTSUMI Yukihiko)
07. Poppoya: Railroad Man (FURUHATA Yasuo)
08. Haunted School 4 (HIRAYAMA Hideyuki)
09. The Exam (TAKITA Yojiro)
10. Shikoku (NAGASAKI Shun'ichi)
11. The Spiral (IIDA Joji)
12. Welcome Back Mr McDonald (MITANI Koki)
13. Messengers (BABA Yasuo)
14. Himitsu (TAKITA Yojiro)
15. After Life (KORE-EDA Hirokazu)
16. Give it All (ISOMURA Itsumichi)
17. Abnormal Family (SUO Masayuki)
18. Gonin (ISHII Takashi)
19. To Love (KUMAI Kei)
20. MARKS (SAI Yoichi)
21. Cure (KUROSAWA Kiyoshi)
22. Ping Pong Bath Station (YAMAKAWA Gen)
23. Away with Words (Christopher DOYLE)
24. Dangan Runner (SABU)
25. Gamera 2 (KANEKO Shusuke)
26. Beat (MIYAMOTO Amon)
27. You Alone Can't See (AKAISHI Tomoyuki)

KOREAN FILMS:
01. Shiri (Jacky KANG)
02. Christmas in August (HUR Jin-ho)
03. Soul Guardians (PARK Kwang-chun)

ASIAN FILMS RECENTLY RELEASED ON VCD:
China/HK    - A Time to Remember (YIP Ying) [E]
Hong Kong   - He is My Enemy, Partner & Father-in-Law (Herman YAU)
Hong Kong   - The Lord of Amusement (LEE Bing-kwong) [E]
Hong Kong   - A Man Called Hero (Andrew LAU) [E]
Hong Kong   - The Masked Prosecutor (Herman YAU) [E]
Hong Kong   - The Mission (Johnnie TO) [E]
Hong Kong   - My Loving Trouble 7 (James YUEN) [E]
Hong Kong   - Never Compromise (Bosco LAM) [E]
Japan       - Give it All (ISOMURA Itsumichi) [E]
Japan       - GTO (SUZUKI Masayuki)
Japan       - Himitsu (TAKITA Yojiro)
Japan       - Messengers (BABA Yasuo) [E]
Japan       - Poppoya (FURUHATA Yasuo) [E]
Korea       - Shiri (Jacky KANG) [E]
Korea       - Soul Guardians (PARK Kwang-chun)
Philippines - Nank Nak (Nonzee NIMIBUTR) [E] - Singapore VCD

[E] indicates English in addition to Chinese subtitles.

=====================
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES

>Bulletin No. 1

MOMENTO MORI is of course MEMENTO MORI, excuse my Latin; FREE AND EASY 
ELEVEN directed by MOTOKI Katsuhide was rescheduled from a 29/1/2000 release 
date to this week; and note that SHIRI was retitled SHURI for the Japanese 
market since the original title roughly translates as "ass".

If you have suggestions to improve the newsletter, please don't hesitate to 
contact me.

Regards,

Stephen Cremin
aflbulletin at hotmail.com

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