Sneak Peek at Ashes of Time Redux Bonus Features

Mark Pollard at Kung Fu Cinema just posted a handful of preview clips from the extras accompanying Sony Pictures Classics’ upcoming DVD release of Wong Kar-wai’s Ashes of Time Redux (I tried to include one here, but was having some trouble with embedding the clip so instead I’ve included the trailer). Some of you may be thinking, “I don’t really get into kung fu flicks, man…” but let’s not forget this is Wong Kar-wai (along with cinematographer Christopher Doyle) we’re talking about. While the film incorporates characters and situations adapted from Louis Cha’s wu xia novel “Legend of the Condor Heroes,” and does indeed contain scenes of swordplay, saying this film is about martial arts is like saying Hitchcock’s Psycho is about Marion Crane stealing a load of cash. Ashes of Time is a kind of tone poem on love, loss and memory, and the rare kind of film that’s so densely layered with tiny details of plot and character that it actually becomes richer with repeated viewings. And speaking of becoming richer, the Redux in the title refers to Wong’s loving overhaul of his 1994 classic. It’s been re-mastered, re-edited and color-adjusted, and none other than Yo-Yo Ma has added haunting cello solos to composer Frankie Chan’s original score. The result is a martial arts film unlike anything that came before, and unlike anything that’s likely to come after.

(via Kung Fu Cinema)

Trailer: S. Darko

Honestly… HONESTLY… was anyone clamoring for a direct-to-DVD sequel to Donnie Darko with absolutely none of the original cast and crew involved? I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’…

Trailer: Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel

There are two kinds of film fans in the world: those who think the phrase “Dr. Who meets Shaun of the Dead” sounds like a genius logline for a film and those who don’t. I fall well within the former category, and if you’re still reading I’m guessing you do too. Above is the trailer for the new British sci-fi comedy Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, which looks like it mixes elements of both of those two films, along with the speculative physics of Back to the Future, the Bill & Ted’s films, and possibly the ‘Lost In Time’ episode of Sealab 2021 thrown in for good measure. FAQATT centers around three geeky friends who are getting ‘faced in their local pub when they discover a rift in the space-time continuum… in the loo. They then have to jump back and forth between the present and a dystopian future while avoiding multiple versions of themselves to set things right. The film stars Irish comic Chris O’Dowd from Graham Linehan’s geek-centric Britcom The IT Crowd alongside Anna Faris as a hottie from the future. Wait…Anna Faris? Well yes, because “Turns out everybody in the future…American.” The film opens in the UK on April 24, but no word yet on an American release.

[Via Quiet Earth.]

This Just In: Shinjuku Incident Won’t Screen in Mainland China

The New York Times has picked up on reports of director Derek Yee’s refusal to trim scenes of violence in his latest film Shinjuku Incident, thus ensuring it won’t screen in the highly lucrative mainland Chinese market. The film, a dark tale of Chinese refugees dealing with the Yakuza in Japan, stars Jackie Chan and Daniel Wu among others, and supposedly marks Chan’s first non-martial arts/stunt-driven role in his modern career. Yee said he did attempt to cut the offending scenes (including stabbings and the amputation of a hand), but when he screened the truncated version for the film’s producers they simply felt it was “incomplete.” Chan, who is of course a huge draw in the mainland and is also a financial backer on the film, agreed with the director’s decision. Kudos to Yee for not rolling over for the sake of profit, though it will be interesting to see how this plays out both for the success of this film as well as for future releases with violent, political or otherwise controversial content. At any rate, I’m sure mainland sales of Shinjuku bootlegs will be huge.

Pop Culture is Cumulative

About a week ago I was pleasantly surprised to come across this post about legendary Hong Kong film comedian Stephen Chow over on Edwin Mak’s Faster Than Instant Noodles, which is one of the more entertaining blogs I’ve discovered recently. Just to give you an idea of his unique take on Chinese film, this particular post is part of a recurring series on, um… noodlemania, but features two clips from Wong Jing’s madcap God of Gamblers II and its equally zany sequel God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai. Aside from a ridiculous time travel plot, a cell phone that can place calls from 1937 Shanghai to present-day Hong Kong and the seeming stunt-casting of Gong Li as twin sisters (one of whom possesses the mental faculties of a 5 year-old), GoG III features the joyfully absurd musical number above, extolling the virtues of cha siu bao, or steamed pork buns. It was fun to watch this clip again as it’s been a while since I popped it in the DVD player, and it’s a great example of Chow at the absolute height of the mo lei tau period of his career.

I was even more pleasantly surprised when I came across this post on Durian Dave’s Soft Film: Vintage Chinese Cinema blog, which is where I learned that the steamed pork bun song was actually adapted from a version originally sung by Diana Chang Chung-wen in her 1957 film debut Three Sisters. Keep in mind my supposedly encyclopedic knowledge of Hong Kong cinema is woefully inadequate when it comes to names and titles prior to the sixties, so I had no idea that Stephen Chow’s song was itself a reference to an earlier work that would be well known to local audiences. Further proof that great comedy operates on multiple levels, so enjoyment is not dependent on getting every single element.

If you want to go even further down the rabbit hole, the Diana Chang version is itself a reworked version of the Rosemary Clooney song “Mambo Italiano,” which composer Bob Merrill supposedly adapted from an Italian folk song, etc etc etc… but I’m sure you have other things to do.

Support Your Local Celebrity!

Dr Schlock, aka Carl Cephas of the Washington Psychotronic Film Society.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Carl Cephas profiled in this week’s Washingtonian. The WPFS is a bit of an institution in the DC area, and has been spreading knowledge and appreciation of the freakiest, funkiest, sexiest, goofiest cinematic wonders the world has ever seen for over twenty years. Their Tuesday night screenings at the now-defunct Dr. Dremo’s were a weekly ritual for me for several years, and I have many fond memories of watching everything from cult classics to absolute turkeys (and everything in between) while leisurely sipping a pitcher of Blue Moon and downing a heaping plate of nachos. Ichi the Killer, Battle Royale, Wild Zero, Versus, Attack the Gas Station, I Love Maria, Blue Jean Monster, Ebola Virus, Meet the Feebles and the Dungeonmaster (“I reject your reality and substitute my own!”) are just a few of the flicks I saw for the very first time thanks to Carl’s passion for movies. Sadly, the WPFS is without a home at the moment. When Dremo’s closed, they moved to the tiny little restaurant inside of the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, but that just wasn’t a very good space for screening films. Then they were briefly at the Meeting Place in DC, but neither the clientele nor the management seemed to understand the concept of not screaming drunkenly while people are trying to watch a movie. Carl’s currently vetting new locations in the area, so hopefully it won’t be too long before he updates the WPFS blog with some good news for fans of way-outside-the-mainstream film.

(All apologies to my good friend SteadyB of Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa, as I shamelessly jacked the title and theme of this post from her recurring feature.)

Trailer: Tokyo!

Here’s the new trailer for Tokyo!, the “cinematic triptych” from directors Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-ho. The film premieres in New York on March 6, and then opens in the always cryptic “select cities” afterwards (DC’s E Street will be screening the film beginning March 27). You can also check out the English version of the film’s Web site, which, although awkwardly designed compared to its Japanese counterpart (naturally), does contain a wealth of info, including a downloadable clip from Michel Gondry’s segment, entitled “Interior Design,” and hints that more clips are forthcoming. Thanks to Big Screen Little Screen for the info.

UPDATE: Thanks to Chris from the Toronto J-Film Pow-wow for alerting me to the fact that the trailer is now available in Quicktime at Apple.