Well, Father Geek is once again posting Darius25's regular Thursday morning report on the state of Asian film. Even with some of his reporters on vacation he has put together a fine column for you all this week. Check it all out below...
Asia-AICN #23
Hey all. We have an packed report for you this week, filled with all
sorts of news and info. However for various reasons, "Pigmon" and
"AznFob55" were unable to report any new items this week, but they will
be back soon. Anyway, here's the latest news from Asia.
INDIA
Hey all. We have an packed report for you this week, filled with all
sorts of news and info. However for various reasons, "Pigmon" and
"AznFob55" were unable to report any new items this week, but they will
be back soon. Anyway, here's the latest news from Asia.
INDIA
- Producer A.G. Nadiadwala has launched his latest film, an action film titled Awara Paagal Deewaana (The Punk, The Fool, And The Romantic). The film, to be directed by Vikram Bhatt, will star Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Aaftab Shivdasani, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal and Om Puri. No heroines have been finalized yet. The film will be shot primarily in USA and Egypt, with two its songs being choreographed by Micheal Flatley aka Lord of the Dance. However I have saved the best detail for last as its action scenes are being choreographed by the same action coordinators from Hong Kong and Hollywood who have worked on "Lethal Weapon 4" and "The Matrix". Now my question is that could this person be none other than Yuen Woo Ping ? Akshay Kumar is the closest thing to an Indian martial-arts hero, so if Woo Ping does work on this then the film has SERIOUS potential!!
- Director Mahesh Manjrekar has just set a Bollywood record by completing his latest film, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain (The Land in which Ganga lives), in just 35 days! (Well, actually it's not a real record but still pretty damn quick!) The film, produced by actor Jackie Shroff, stars Govinda, Rinke Khanna, and Sonali Bendre. The film is scheduled to open on September 29 but may be postponed by a week due to competition from Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (Two and a Half Words of Love), which is scheduled to open on the same day. The latter film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.
- Mahesh Manjrekar has also finished principal photography on his next film, Kurukshetra (Battlefield). The film stars Sanjay Dutt and Mahima Choudhary, and is supposedly a modern-day retelling of the Mahabharata. Dutt plays an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Bombay who has to fight against crime and corruption in his own department. (I don't know how this relates to the Mahabharata!) After post photography on Kurukshetra is complete, Manjrekar will rush to start on two more projects. One of the projects will be the film Tera Mera Saath Rahe (We Will Be Together) starring Ajay Devgan, Sushmita Sen, and Namrata Shirodkar. No details have released on the second film yet, other than it being produced by Time Movies.
- Farheen Akhtar (son of lyricist Javed Akhtar)'s directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai (Heart's Desire) has already begin principal photography and is scheduled to wrap by this Christmas. The film stars Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta (I think she has like fifty movies out this year!).
- Speaking of Govinda, another one of his upcoming releases, Shikari (Hunter), is scheduled to release on October 6. However if Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain (The Land in which Ganga Lives) releases on that day, it is very likely that Shikari may be postponed. The action-thriller, which supposedly features the comic actor in a negative role, also stars Karisma Kapoor, Tabu and Nirmal Pandey. The film is directed by N. Chandra.
- The latest word on producer Yash Chopra's Mohabbatein (Love Affairs) is that its running time is, wait for it, 3 hours and 38 minutes long!!!! This for a romantic comedy/drama is quite a friggin surprise. The film is about three parallel love stories. The three young couples (all played by newcomers) are opposed by a stern man (Amitabh Bachchan) and are aided by their professor (Shahrukh Khan). Aishwarya Rai also figures into this story somehow, but is said that her role is small and plays a vital part in the background story of the professor. Mohabbatein will be released on October 27. You can check out its official website atThis Spot
- The website for another highly anticipated film, Mission Kashmir, has opened up. You can visit it by Clicking Here. The film, also being released on October 27, stars Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Jackie Shroff and Preity Zinta. It is a kick-ass ACTION film about a duel between a father and his son. Terrorists, cops, politicians, and a whole lot of gunfire also figure prominently in the plot. Don't take my word for it, look at this picture from the movie (with Sanjay Dutt at left, Jackie Shroff in the middle, and Hrithik Roshan holding a BIG ASS rocket laucher-type thingie):
- Last week's new release is Karobaar (Industry), a film which has been in the making for almost 12 years. Director Raakesh Roshan initially started work on this project in the late 80s and kept postponing it due to technical problems and the hostility between its main heroes, Anil Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor. The film was finally shelved a couple years ago when Roshan decided to launch his son Hrithik in the recent blockbuster Kaho Naa Pyar Hai (Say That You Love Me). After that film clicked with the audience BIG time, the producers decided to touch-up Karobaar and release it ASAP, in order to cash in on director Raakesh Roshan's name. Roshan himself doesn't want his name on this picture. Nonetheless it is finally here and (according to reviews and box-office reports) will quickly disappear from the theatres very soon. I'll just inform you that I have not seen this film (and have no intention to either) so I'll have no idea whether or not the film is a hidden gem or something like that. I have heard the songs, and except for one song in particular, none of them are particularly interesting.
The film is yet another rehash of "Indecent Proposal" with actress Juhi Chawla being the object of everybody's affections. Anil Kapoor is the wealthy tycoon and Rishi Kapoor is Juhi's husband. From what I've heard, Anil Kapoor is the only one who does any justice to his role with both Juhi and Rishi turning in lifeless performances. So there you have it. If you think this sounds interesting then go ahead and see it, or if not, wait for its video release.
- Since I'm really hyped about seeing Mission Kashmir after looking at its site, allow me to recommend another one of Sanjay Dutt's action movies, Khalnayak (The Villain). Directed by Subhash Ghai, it also stars Jackie Shroff and Madhuri Dixit. Khalnayak focuses on a vicious gangster (Sanjay Dutt) who is willing to do anything for his boss. The film begins as he's captured by a cop, Ram Sinha (Jackie Shroff). Dutt escapes rather quickly setting the cops on a hot pursuit. Ram's fiancee, Ganga (Madhuri Dixit), also a police officer, infiltrates Dutt's gang. Of course Dutt falls in love with her, setting the whole plot for a whole lot of gunfire and bloodshed.
In a movie like this, people don't really go for a good acting or a good story. They just go for an enjoyable time and some killer action. With this movie, you do get all that, but you also get some really good acting. Of course it's Dutt's movie all the way and he kicks major ass. From the incredible beginning to the final shootout and (spoiler) court scene, Sanjay rules all the way! Jackie turns in a good supporting performance as the heroic cop. (It'll be interesting to see them switch roles in Mission Kashmir.) The film is well directed and very tightly-edited. It never seems to lag and manages to hold our attention till the very final scene. All in all, if you're looking for a good entertainer, with great action scenes, be sure to see Khalnayak.
Sanjay Dutt as The Villain
CHINA / HK
The following was reported by "The Accidental Spy":
- Director Johnnie To has confirmed that Chinastar will release "Running Out of Time 2", the sequel to the 1999 action blockbuster, early next year. At this time only Sean Lau Ching-Wan is confirmed to reprise his role from the original. Johnnie To is still thinking about how to put Andy Lau (who won Best Actor for the original) into the sequel, since his character in the original was a cancer patient about to die within two weeks.
- Columbia Pictures is happy with the results of their first HK movie, Tsui Hark's "Time & Tide" (KICK-ASS film -D25), and have decided to finance another HK movie titled "108+". The film is being directed by Benny Chan ("Gen-X Cops", "Jackie Chan's Who Am I") and stars Aaron Kwok ("2000 A.D.", the now-shooting "China Strike Force"). The film will start shooting next summer.
- Namco is going to sue Stareastnet.com for using the character names and title in "The Legend of Tekken(lit. title)" from the popular video game "Tekken" without their permission. The movie's producer Wong Jing has explained that the movie has nothing to do with the video game and has already been renamed as "God of Fist's Style (lit. title)".
- Louis Koo has officially walked away from "Black Mask 2". Director Tsui Hark has already cast a never-heard-before Asian-American actor to step in for the title role, but his name has not yet been announced. The first name confirmed to attach to the project is Kelly Lin ("Conman in Vegas", the upcoming "Zu Warriors 2"), and her character is nicknamed "snakegirl" ;p
- Tony Leung will be competing against himself in early October. Two movies starring the actor, Wong Kar-Wai's long-awaited "In the Mood for Love" and the hospital drama "Healing Hearts" (previously mentioned as "Healing Hands") will both be released in October. Here's a still from each movie.
Tony Leung as a newspaper editor in "In the Mood for Love"(with Maggie Cheung):
Tony as a doctor in "Healing Hearts"(with Michelle Reis as his patient):
- Last weekend at the HKBO, "Hollow Man" and "The Iron Ladies" remained at no.1 and no.2 spots, respectively. "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" jumped two positions to no.3. Francis Ng's "A War named Desire" has been surviving with the help of the critics' warm support and audiences' word-of-mouth, resulting in the film jumping two spots to no.4. "Coyote Ugly" opened at no.5.
JAPAN
Sorry but there is no Japanese news for this week as "Pigmon" is on
vacation. But fear not, he will be back soon with lots more news and
rumours.
KOREA
The following was reported by "matrix1966":
KOREA
The following was reported by "matrix1966":
- The 57th Venice International Film Festival had an unexpected incident on September 1st. Two females fainted while watching a scene from Korean director Kim Ki-Duk's sadomasochistic love drama "The Isle". It was due to the scene where the actress attempted suicide by placing fishing hooks in her intimate body parts.
- Japanese teen star Misato Dachibana will appear in Korean-Japanese co-production. This 19-year old TV and CF star was attached to 'Soonaebo'(A Love Story), which will open next January both in Korea and Japan. She debuted back in 1997 as a Shiseido cosmetics spokesperson and became famous by starring in several Japanese TV dramas. QN film (Korea) and Shochiku (Japan) will co-produce this project and Korean director Jaeyong Lee will be in charge of directing and writing.
