Mourn For The Passing Of Kon Ichikawa

One of the greatest humanitarian directors ever to grace the lands, Kon Ichikawa sadly passed away yesterday. For those who have never seen his work, he can easily be classed alongside Ozu or Kurosawa. Following is a brief biography of the (sadly-gone) great man!

Kon Ichikawa has been influenced by artists as diverse as Walt Disney and Jean Renoir, and his films cover a wide spectrum of moods, from the comic to the overwhelmingly ironic and even the perverse. Ichikawa began his career as a cartoonist, and this influence is apparent in his skillful use of the widescreen, and in the strong, angular patterns seen in many of his compositions. He has directed Pu-san (1953), a popular film based on Junichi Yokoyama's "Mr. Pu" comic strip. At various points in his career Ichikawa has shown that he is capable of appealing to a popular audience without compromising his artistry. A great visual stylist and perfectionist, Ichikawa excels at screen adaptations of literary masterpieces, including Soseki Natsume's Kokoro (1955), Yukio Mishima's Enjo (1958), Junichirô Tanizaki's Kagi (1959) and Wagahai wa neko de aru (1975) and Toson Shimazaki's Hakai (1962). He has also remade film classics, such as Yutaka Abe's Ashi ni sawatta onna (1926) (Ichikawa's version: 1952) and Teinosuke Kinugasa's Yukinojo henge (1935) (Ichikawa's version: 1963), transposing them to contemporary settings.

The West was first introduced to Ichikawa when his Biruma no tategoto (1956) won the San Giorgio Prize at the 1956 Venice Film Festival. His epic documentary Tôkyô orimpikku (1965) (released the following year) and Taiheiyo hitori-botchi (1963) explore, with dignity and imagination, the limits of human endurance. He has also worked in the thriller genre, with Ana (1957), Inugamike no ichizoku (1976) and Gokumon-to (1977). Ichikawa tends to present strongly etched, complex characters: the stuttering acolyte who desires to preserve the "purity" of the Golden Pavilion (ENJO); the elderly husband who resorts to injections and voyeurism in order to remain sexually active (KAGI); the member of a pariah class who tries to deny his identity and to "pass" in regular society (HAKAI). More recently, Eiga joyu (1987) is a tribute to the fiercely independent Japanese actress Kinuyo Tanaka, who starred in many of Kenji Mizoguchi's films and was herself a director in later life. On the lighter side, Ichikawa's characters also include a 19th-century cat; a good-hearted, hapless teacher; and a baby who narrates how the world looks from his vantage point. He is especially adept at mixing comedy and tragedy within the same story. Until 1965, Ichikawa's close collaborator was his wife, screenwriter Natto Wada, with whom he produced most of his finest films.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Daniel Yates

BANGKOK DANGEROUS: PANG BROTHERS GALORE - NEW BLOG PROMISES!

Well, hello, Firecracker readers, I know it's been so bloody long since there has been an update but it is finally back: I'd like to send my millions of apolgies and start the month of February with a promise: Firecracker will be updated from now on every day even if it is one piece of news! Please come back and start re-reading and I'll make sure that promise is kept!
Today's news is that tholse stalwarts of style over content Pang Brothers are re-making their own Bangkok Dangerous for American Audiences with Nic Cage in the lead. A poster has just leaked out as well as a Spanish-dubbed trailer (don't bloody well ask me! : Cage looks ridicilous with a long, awful haircut and I get the feeling that in no way will this be the film that changes the atittude towards the relentless duo of Pang.

Stare at the poster until you go blind here: http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com/2008/02/remakes-posters-for-bangkok-dangerous.html

or watch the spanish beauty trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBM06yb_JvI

Come back tomorrow for more Asian madness - a review of Korean horror-beauty 'Epitaph' as well as a look at the upcoming releases

D-WARS or How Not To Make A Succesful Movie In Ten Infinte Steps

Ahhhh- D-War, a film which has, to date, made so much money, it has become Korea's most successful film ever! Cha-chinging a very respectable 20.3$ million in its first five days over 689 cinema screen, it went to make a further $44 million in Korea, another $10 million in the world and grossing $5 million in USA on its' opening weekend.
However the reason why the hell D-War , a Z-Grade, painful exercise in non-involving movie making, is something I will never understand or at least hope to never understand. For I am sure if I figured it out, there'd be no saving me from this hell either.
You see ,. dear readers, I watched 'D-War' last weekend. All I knew about it was that:
1) There was a snake coiling around a building in the trailer which looked cool
2) My friend was really excited about it.

There may be one or two more little minor points that I perhaps somehow subconsciously were aware of but these did not play an important role in my approach to the movie.

Saturday Night; the height of the weekend. Dinner has been dealt with, a crap film watched to set the mood, the time for the most amazing, the pinnacle movie has come. Bear in mind that at this point I am an recovering man. A chest infection means I cough up damn near everything except blood and it feels as if I have chestburster playing fiddles with my rib, ribcage and lungs.

And then it starts : Within five minutes , I find myself in the company of the most inept, amateurish, illogical film I've seen for maybe the past five years.

I mean look here, i sit through everything and there are times at which i really would like to stop myself from ever having to see another film. But 'D-War' is beyond this. It is so spectacularly bad that it moves into a genre, a realm of its' own.
Point in question: The film has absolutely no idea what a linear structure is. In theory and on paper it follows a story from beginning to the end but it absolutely never adheres to any reason to explain the movement of the story. Near the end of the film the main character and the girl find themselves in what looks like a cheap-ass version of Mordor. And no one, not the bad guy, not Robert Forster, hell not even an ancient legend explains how the sweet Jesus they go from being in the city, getting knocked out and waking up in Mordor. No one even comments on it! Now I don't know you but if I was to get knocked out tonight on the 'Central Line' and wake up say in Tijuana in the middle of a drugs and prostitute shoot-out, i would not just assume that these things happen and join in. A person either needs to have been lobotomised or a heavy user of hallucinogenic drugs in order to be not to be shocked waking up in strange lands which they have never before encountered. But as I say, we don't really know whether the main guy is an addict or not so perhaps this is a subtle hint at the inhibition and danger-risk assessment destroying powers of drug addiction from director Shim Hyung-Rae
Point number two: Was this film written in Korean and then translated perhaps with the help of that unmistakeably intelligent and verbose and witty tool BabelFish? Because the film feels Korean, acts Korean , hell even the little humorous vignettes are Korean but goddammit it actually isn't. Maybe in the original language every word used was exposition and each syllable served a purpose, however listening to in English it is just non-sensical. i don't know about you but I did not see many movies where each dialogue made me more confused than the last. Someone, during the screening of 'Savage Grace' , complained about the banality of the dialogue there: well , he should see this! I'm sure he'd go back to 'Savage Grace' with new, deep, admiring feelings.
And I could go on: there are so many levels on which the film fails that it becomes a sort of sport spotting them. Even my friends were confused by the film's callous, innovative method of if it does not make sense then it must work - scenes following each other as they should but not together - as if a blind madman with a pair of scissors just attacked the 400 reels of film and whatever he cut they sellotaped together to create this film.
However credit where it's due as the CGI does not look atrociously bad - again none of it makes sense (why the hell do those soldiers suddenly appear at the cave? Why is Robert Forster a woman? why doesn't he just help them? Why does the bad guy look after Robert Forster's store when he can't find him? And perhaps the most amazing series of questions: Why does the lead keep abandoning his token best black friend? and why does the best friend keep coming back to help him? I'm sure there is some deep, homosexual , homoerotic, relationship twist there in the original language but once again BabelFish just loses it somewhere between helicopter and across the street.
That's not it. However I'm out of steam and out of breath. Do yourself a favor: miss this. Then i won't have to deal with your therapy later on.

Yours truly
Evrim Ersoy

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL AT THE BARBICAN! THURSDAY 2 TO FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER! FULL PROGRAMMw!

A dazzling showcase of Korean cinema, The London Korean Film Festival 07 spotlights the quality and diversity of Korean film and offers a cinematic insight into contemporary Korean culture.

Opening with Cannes 2007 favourite Breath (Soom) from acclaimed director Kim Ki-duk, the festival includes classics from the Korean Film Archive, a day of Korean Animation for all the family, the best Korean films of recent years plus a retrospective of the work of superstar director Park Chan-wook who will be attending the festival.

Highlights of this year’s festival will then be screened as the London Korean Film Festival 07 on Tour, visiting Warwick from 9 to 11 November and then Oxford from 12 to 14 November. Visit www.koreanfilm.co.uk for details.

Friday 2 November

7.30pm - Opening Gala Special Preview - Breath (Soom) (cert TBC) (Korea 2007 Dir. Kim Ki-duk 84 min) with introduction from special guest (TBC)

The latest film from the acclaimed director of Spring Summer Autumn Winter and Spring, Palm d’Or nominee Breath garnered a 10 minute standing ovation on its premiere in Cannes. This gentle, offbeat love story centres on the quirky relationship between bored housewife and budding interior decorator Yeon and her unusual new best friend, suicidal death row prisoner Jang Jin. A beautiful and touching film that cements Kim Ki-duk’s status as a master filmmaker. With thanks to Tartan Films

Saturday 3 November

Korean Animation Day!

A fun-filled family day of animated movies, activities and themed workshops for children, focusing on Korean Animation.

11:00am - Family Film Club - The Great Pig Pirate MATEO (Nal-eu-neun daejee Hae-jeok MATEO) (U) (Korea 2004 Dir. Song Geun-Sik 85 min) preceded by drop-in workshop 10.30am

In a world where pigs really can fly and pirates rule the air, Mateo follows the Pirate Code to the letter. Trouble is, he’s not very good at being bad! When a renegade princess with a map to royal treasure crosses his path, Mateo and his gang must decide what’s more important – being famous pirates or saving their world! Korean with English Subtitles – subtitles will be read aloud by an actor.

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1.00pm - Yeuwoobi (Yobi The Five Tailed Fox) (PG) (Korea 2007 Dir. Lee Seong-gang 85 min) preceded by a special performance of music from Yeuwoobi by Korean artists from 12.45pm (TBC)

This imaginative feature from award winning director Lee Seong-gang is a beautiful study of the trials of growing up and fitting in. When 10-year-old Yeuwoobi discovers that she is actually a five tailed fox spirit and not a young girl at all, she begins a quest to become a real human. But with the evil ‘Shadow’ trying to capture her, she doesn’t have much time! Korean with English subtitles.

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3.00pm - Empress Chung (Wang-hoo sim-cheong) (PG) (Korea 2005 Dir. Nelson Shin 85 min)

This vivid musical animation looks like a cross between Anime and the best of Disney. In it, a secret empress living as a country girl tries everything to save her father’s eyesight, even allowing a sea monster to take her captive in his submarine castle. This gorgeous fairy-tale is the first joint cinematic success from South and North Korea, and has enchanted audiences worldwide. Korean with English subtitles.

Saturday 3 November

6.15pm - Family Ties (Gajokeui tansaeng) (12A) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Kim Tae-yong 113 min)

In Family Ties, award winner Kim Tae-yong tells three intertwining stories from members of the same dysfunctional family. Mira’s quiet and orderly life gets turned upside-down by a series of unexpected house guests, including her troubled brother and his new wife. Meanwhile Sunkyung is having trouble coming to terms with her estranged mother’s terminal illness. In the final act, both strands intersect with dramatic results for this bittersweet observation of suburban family life.

Saturday 3 November

8.45pm - Time (Shi gan) (15) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Kim Ki-duk 97 min)

In this pervasive film, a desperately insecure young woman undergoes radical plastic surgery in an attempt to transform herself into what she assumes is her partner’s ideal woman. However, her shocking metamorphosis takes a sinister turn when she begins to alter more than just her looks. Director Kim Ki-duk’s fascinating study of personal neuroses will haunt audiences long after the final credits roll.

Sunday 4 November

6.00pm - Forbidden Quest (Eumranseosaeng) (18) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Kim Dae-woo 139 min)

Intrigued by an erotic novel, aristocrat Kim Yoon-Suh decides to write his own, based on the torrid affair he is having with Jeong-bin, the King’s favourite concubine. The author commissions voyeuristic illustrations from the police chief Gwang-heon which guarantees the salacious tome’s popularity. However, it’s not long before Jeong Bin sees it and, scandalised, plots a fitting revenge on her deceitful lover. A witty, provocative directorial debut.

Sunday 4 November

8.45pm - The King and The Clown (Wang-ui namja) (15) (South Korea 2005 Dir. Lee Joon-ik 119 min)

Set in the early 16^th century, Lee Joon-ik’s stunning film follows two acrobatic clowns, who find themselves in dire trouble after staging a play that satires the current monarchy. Summoned to the court to perform, their situation becomes more dangerous when the tyrannical King develops and obsessive attraction to one of the pair. With Kam Woo-Seong and rising star Lee Joon-ki.

Monday 5 November

Korean Film Archive Screenings

Two classics of Korean Cinema, rarely seen in the UK, screened with kind permission from the Korean Film Archive.

6.30pm - My Mother & Her Guest (Sarangbang sonnimgwa eomeoni) (South Korea 1961 Dir. Shin Sang-ok 103 min)

Shin Sang-ok’s masterpiece centres around young girl Oak-hee and her extended family. Moments of poignancy cut through quirky humour when Shin’s focus is the socially taboo attraction between Oak-hee’s widow mother (Shin’s wife Choi Eun-hee) and their artist lodger. In 1978 Shin and his wife were kidnapped by Kim Jong-il to revitalise North Korea’s film industry, but escaped while in Vienna in 1986.

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8.45pm - Madame Freedom (Jayubuin) (South Korea 1956. Dir. Han Hyeong-mo 125 min)

Highly controversial but extremely popular, Han Hyeong-mo’s classic is one of the great landmark films of South Korea, providing a template for the melodramas for which Korea has become so widely known. Based on a series published in the 1954 Seoul Shinmun newspaper, Madame Freedom explores society’s reactions to a conservative middle-class couple who begin to see different people as their lives become more westernised.

Tuesday 6 November

6.00pm - A Dirty Carnival (Biyeolhan geori) (18) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Yoo Ha 141 min)

This noirish thriller follows young hood Byung-doo, forced to enter a life of organised crime to provide support for his family. When boss Hwang offers him a job that would give his family financial independence, Byung-doo wrestles with his need to make fast money and his desire for an honest life. A mesmerising performance from one of Korea’s leading actors Jo In-Seong, and superb direction from Yoo Ha.

Tuesday 6 November

8.45pm - War of the Flower (Tajja) (15) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Choi Dong-hoon 139 min)

When hard-core gambler Go-nee (Cho Seung-woo) is swindled out of his sister’s savings by group of fraudulent gamblers, he persuades retired master Mr. Pyeong to train him to be the best slicker in the business to get the money back. Arguably one of the most sophisticated and stylish recent Korean films, War of the Flower became an instant hit with home audiences.

Wednesday 7 November

Retrospective: Park Chan-wook

A celebration of the work of the renowned Korean filmmaker, with films specially chosen for the festival by Park Chan-wook, who will also be in attendance at the screenings.

6.15pm - Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (Boksuneun naui geot) (18) (South Korea 2002 Dir. Park Chan-wook 121 min)

Unable to provide a kidney for his gravely ill sister, deaf mute Ryu makes an horrific black market deal that sets him on a brutal path of violence and revenge which leaves no one connected untouched. This emotionally complex tale of good intentions gone wrong is a brilliant, emotionally resonant study of desperate actions and their devastating repercussions.

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8.45pm - Lady Vengeance (Chinjeolhan geumjassi) (18) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Park Chan-wook 112 min)

After 13 years in prison, notorious teen- killer Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) sets out to confront the man who framed her, but unearths a more horrific truth whilst searching for atonement for her part in the death of a kidnapped boy. As lady Vengeance’s brilliantly conceived flashbacks play out, this spellbinding thriller keeps us guessing right up until its stomach-churning conclusion.

Thursday 8 November

7.30pm - Closing Gala Special Preview - I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK (Saibogujiman kwenchana) (12) (South Korea 2006 Dir. Park Chan-wook 105 min) plus Barbican ScreenTalk with Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook’s newest film is a departure in style from the vengeance trilogy that made him both a household name and a critical success. Im Soo-jeong (A Tale of Two Sisters) and Asian mega-star Rain star in this visually delightful musical romance, which flits neatly between fantasy and reality as it charts the touching relationship between oddball residents of a Korean mental hospital. Barbican Film delighted to welcome Park Chan-wook for a special Barbican ScreenTalk following the gala screening of his new film. With thanks to Tartan Films

MADE IN HONG KONG SEASON AT THE ICA - WIN TICKETS!

In conjunction with ICA, Firecracker is proud to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to Ringo Lam's explosive 'Full Alert' showing at 8.45 on the 12th October and 'Perhaps Love' a Bob Fosse style musical which will be showing on at 9.00 on the 16th October.

And all you have to do to enter is answer a simple question:

Ringo Lam recently co-directed a film with two other masters of Asian Cinema. What were their names?

All answers must be sent to : competitions@ica.org.uk

More information about the season can be found at: www.ica.org.uk and our previous post!

Good luck!

MADE IN HONG KONG OVER AT THE ICA!

ICA presents:

MADE IN HONG KONG

A season of seven Hong Kong movies from 1997-2007

12 – 16 October, ICA, The Mall, SW1

FULL ALERT / MY LIFE AS MCDULL / PERHAPS LOVE /

MADE IN HONG KONG / AFTER THIS OUR EXILE / GOLDEN CHICKEN /

ORDINARY HEROES

For five days in October the ICA will host a season of films made in Hong Kong over the past 10 years; from the 1997 handover to China to the present day. This decade has seen the film industry in Hong Kong go from strength to strength, creating a new identity while looking back at the area’s history. Among these films, gangland thrillers, a lush musical and a bittersweet piece of animation tackle such issues as identity, the legacy of colonialism and how Hong Kong reacts to mainland China.

Full Alert

12 October: cinema 1

An explosive action thriller featuring starring Ching-wan Lau and Francis Ng, rich on characterisation and punctuated with exciting chase scenes and gunfights. Full Alert was Ringo Lam’s return to Hong Kong movies following his stint making Hollywood-set action films, and his guerrilla film-making style wonderfully captures the sense of the Hong Kong streets. [Dir Ringo Lam, Hong Kong 1997, 99 mins]

My Life as McDull

13, 15 October: cinema 1 & 2

A rare screening of this HK animated classic, a beguiling film about good-natured piglet McDull, who epitomises the spirit of post-1997 Hong Kong. The film follows his life growing up in the slums of Sham Shui Po and features swooping shots of the bustling Kowloon streets, greasy cafes and local characters, fusing animation, photography and computer graphics. [Dir Toe Yuen, Hong Kong 2002, 75 mins]

Perhaps Love

13, 16 October: cinema 1 & 2

This beautifully shot Hollywood-style musical was one of the biggest recent hits in Hong Kong, spinning a delightful love triangle between three of the film’s megastar performers, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhou Xun and Jacky Cheung, with set pieces that are wonderfully staged and on a par with such films as Moulin Rouge. [Dir Peter Chan, Hong Kong 2005, 107 mins]

Made in Hong Kong

14 October: cinema 1

This cult Hong Kong gangster film chronicles three teenagers trying to escape their lives. Fruit Chan’s Hong Kong is more brutal than that presented by the likes of Ringo Lam or John Woo – there are no straightforward gunfights here, instead a menacing cityscape and a backdrop of run-down housing projects. A hit on the festival circuit and previously at the ICA, starring Sam Lee, Neiky Yim and Wenbers Li. [Dir Fruit Chan, Hong Kong 1997, 108 mins]

After This Our Exile

14th, 15th October, Cinema 1 & 2

The director’s cut of this elegantly paced Malaysian-set drama following a debt-ridden father and a heartbreaking father-son relationships. The film marks the return of new-wave luminary Patrick Tam after a 17 year break from film-making. Stars Aaron Kwok and newcomer King-to Ng. [Dir Patrick Tam, Hong Kong 2006, 160 mins]

Golden Chicken

15, 16 October: cinema 1 & 2

Sandra Ng gives a brilliant performance as ‘Golden Chicken’ Ah Kam (“chicken” is slang for a prostitute) in this moving and charming film about a woman’s life story, which also acts as a mirror to the history of Hong Kong over the last 20 years. Terrific supporting cast includes superstars such as Andy Lau and Tony Leung. [Dir Samson Chiu, Hong Kong 2002, 106 mins]

Ordinary Heroes

16 October: cinema 1

Few films have captured Hong Kong’s social movements as vividly as Ann Hui’s award-winning film as it follows a group of ordinary characters – ranging from a fishergirl through to a councilman – as they show courage and resilience against all odds, detailing their unfulfilled dreams and personal disenchantment. Cast includes Anthony Wong, so impressive in Johnny To’s stunning 2006 crime epic Exiled. [Dir Ann Hui, Hong Kong 1999, 128 mins]

Notes to editors:

With thanks to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (www.hketolondon.gov.hk) and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society for their co-operation in making the films available, and to Applause, Panorama Distributions, Celestial, MVP, Man 5 Productions, Golden Scene, Wide Vision, Universe, BMA and HK Film Archive for their support.

This London season at the ICA forms part of a Europe wide programme of film festivals celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997. The HK Film Panorama was set up to present films produced between 1997 and 2007, demonstrating the key role of Hong Kong in the world film industry. HK is the third largest film production centre in the world, and HK actors and directors have been successful Hollywood - and some Hollywood directors are inspired by the work of HK directors. The HK Film Panorama comprises a mix of some old favourites and recent productions. It has already visited Graz, Hamburg, Brussels, Antwerp, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Geneva, Vienna and Berlin, and will also visit Madrid (Oct 07) and Munich (Feb 08).

For further information on the screenings including times and prices please visit: www.ica.org.uk

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL! UPDATE SOON!

Barbican will be hosting 'The Korean Film Festival' this year between Friday 2nd to Thursday 8th November.

THE LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 07 Friday 2 to Thursday 8 November
Barbican Film is delighted to present this year's London Korean Film Festival in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, through the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korea Culture and Content Agency. A dazzling showcase of Korean cinema, this week-long festival highlights the quality and diversity of Korean film and offers a cinematic insight into contemporary Korean culture. This year's festival includes Cannes 2007 favourite Breath (Soom) from acclaimed filmmaker Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring); films from the Korean Film Archive and a day of Korean Animation for all the family, where young viewers can take part in themed workshops and costume play activities. The festival is also delighted to welcome the director Park Chan-wook (Old Boy) who will present a retrospective of his work including his latest film I'm a Cyborg but that's OK (Saibogujiman kwenchana). The London Korean Film Festival also includes the best Korean films of recent years including A Dirty Carnival (2006 Dir. Yoo Ha) and The War of Flower (2006 Dir. Choi Dong-hoon). The full programme will be available in October.