"Yokai Ningen Bem" - 妖怪人間ベム

4 Potatoes

There are not many good Japanese TV dramas this season.
So far one of my a few favorites is "Yokai Ningen Bem" (2011) - 「妖怪人間ベム」. It is based on the Japanese animation by the same title which was aired on TV in Japan from 1968-1969. I remember the partial story, I am not sure if I watched the re-run or saw or heard about the story...

Yokai Ningen Bem - Animation

This live-action version is played by Kazuya Kamenashi (Bem), Anne Watanabe (Bela) - the daughter of actor Ken Watanabe, and Fuku Suzuki (Bero).

By remembering the animation, this is a perfect casting! Fuku Suzuki is a great child actor while all of Japan is obsessed about another child actress who I think is not the great, not natural...

Anyway, I am looking forward to watch it every week and I am very curious to see how it will end. As for the original animation, I read it somewhere, they will die at the end. But initially it ended that way because they were creating the sequel which never had a chance to air on TV.

Well we will see...

Official Site & Trailers: http://www.ntv.co.jp/bem/


USA: It is Available on Pandora.TV
JAPAN: On TV Now

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

3 Potatoes

Last night's screening was a double featured. After watching the film "E.T.", I also watched "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) by Steven Spielberg. I didn't remember much of the film except the tune, and it was hard for me to follow the film at the beginning. Then slowly I got sucked in to it.

Still, it wasn't too memorable as "E.T.", but once again, it was very enjoyable to see it again on the big screen.



DVD Available Everywhere 

"E.T." come home!

5 Potatoes

I just saw "E.T." (1982) by Steven Spielberg again tonight, but on the big screen at Aero Theater. What an amazing film it is! This time it was a different cut, some new scene was added and some deleted, but the great quality was still there.

©1982 & 2002 - Universal Studios

Everyone is looking so young, especially Peter Coyote! And the amazing performance of the little Henry Thomas still touches your heart. He surely turned out to be a one fine actor. Not to mention, how big of a star Drew Barrymore became. Even though this film ruined her life in a way, she overcame the obstacle and became very successful and one of the most likable actress in Hollywood.

Did you know? Most of the grown ups' faces are not shown through out the film except the mother and Peter Coyote? Finally towards the end of the film, you will see some of the faces, inevitable I guess...

©1982 & 2002 - Universal Studios

I wish Spielberg didn't produce the film "Super 8" and made "E.T." now and after instead...

Oh the children's fantasy is the grown ups tearjerker!!!

P.S. There is a great behind scene on DVD, a footage from the casting scene with Henry Thomas. This is a must see, it blows your mind!



DVD Available Everywhere

Super 8 Not So Super

1.5 Potatoes

So finally I saw the movie "Super 8" (2011) by J.J. Abrams. Not to mention this film is produced by none other than Mr. Steven Spielberg. The man who created the unforgettable movie "E.T." (1982) and he sort of helped creating this conspiracy theory revealing movie.

The train crash in Ohio was based on the real event which was suspected of transporting something very confidential: Alliance, Ohio Train wreck of 1972

Overall, the movie was kind of the Goonies meets the Alien who ends up as a E.T.. None of the actors were too convincing and none of the kids except the main boy will be a star. And the kid's film at the end was so unnecessary.

↓↓↓SPOILER↓↓↓
The story was so identical to the movie "E.T.": a single parent home kid encounters something mysterious and cruises around town on bike... including the ending with the all of the sudden so adorable alien with the boy saying 'go home'...
↑↑↑SPOILER↑↑↑

Alliance, Ohio Train Crash 1972

The only good part of the film was the amazing train crash as my friend already told me about it beforehand, and the soundtrack. That was about it.

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.super8-movie.com/#

USA: Showing In Theater Now

"Another Earth"

When I was about to give up on the summer movies...
Here it is, a cool and mysterious preview I saw at the theater the other day: "Another Earth" (2011) by Mike Cahill, seemingly a new director.
The preview looked good. I didn't know anything about this film so it was even better!

It seems like there will be many movies about the end of the world this year including the film "Melancholia" (2011) by Lars von Trier.

So excited. Can't wait to see it  and hope it will be a good one.

Synopsis: In another Earth, Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. (Fox Searchlight)

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/anotherearth/


USA: In Select Theaters July 22, 2011

"The Tree of Life" Part 2

3.5 Potatoes

I finally saw the movie "The Tree of Life" (2011) by Terrence Malick yesterday. It is the winner of Palm d'Or at the Cannes 2011.

The cinematography was amazing, very beautiful movie. Though there was a bit of Net Geo-esque touch to it. At the beginning I almost felt like watching "Atlantis" (1991) but after that, the story moves onto remembering the character's childhood that somehow links to your own childhood even though my childhood was nothing like the O'Briens.

I really loved the fact that the movie had minimum dialogue and it was beautifully done.
I took one potato out for the Net Geo being too long at the beginning, that makes my rating for this movie to be 3.5 Potatoes.

Just be patient at the beginning and you would totally appreciate the movie at the end.

Synopsis: The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. (IMDb)


USA: Now Playing in Theaters

"Super 8"

It is almost one month away, the new film by J.J. Abrams "Super 8" will be released in the USA.


It looks like another mysterious monster visit. But by watching the trailer, I don't think we will get any motion sickness this time.


I am sure it will be a fun Summer movie and love the poster.


Synopsis: After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.super8-movie.com/



Coming Soon to Theater near you on June 10th, 2011

"Melancholia"

Here is another film showing at the Cannes 2011.

"Melancholia" (2011) by Lars von Trier. His last film "Antichrist" (2009) was quite shocking for some people (not for me) and much talked about. Anyway this year's film "Melancholia" has a bit of Sci-Fi touch, and surprising to me Hollywood actors Kirsten Dunst and Kiefer Sutherland are among the main casts... Hmmm

The trailer looks good. Charlotte Gainsbourg is getting better and better as an actress, and Charlotte Rampling is adding the mysterious mood to the movie and is great as always.

I can't wait to see it!

Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/

US Release Date: November 4, 2011

Summer Movies

I saw some interesting previews tonight. Here are two movies I am interested in seeing this summer.

"Apollo 18" (2011) by Gonzalo López-Gallego. It is an Hollywood movie directed by a Spanish filmmaker. Story line is about the real space mission in 1970s which was cancelled by NASA... I love the tag line "THERE'S A REASON WE'VE NEVER GONE BACK TO THE MOON". The preview looked good.

Official Site & Trailer: http://apollo18movie.net/

US Release Date: Aug 26, 2011

The second one is "One Day" (2011) by Lone Scherfig. This is also an Hollywood movie, but directed by a Danish filmmaker and filmed in UK... This director is known for the movie "An Education" (2009) which was a good film.

My question is about the main character choice... was Anne Hathaway really the best choice for this movie? She is faking the British accent! Wasn't there a better British actress for her part? I am so sure there was...

Love the poster though!

Official Site & Trailer: http://focusfeatures.com/one_day

US Release Date: Aug 19, 2011

"Source Code"

4 Potatoes

"Source Code" (2011) by Duncan Jones is an Hollywood movie which was released in the US about 2 months ago. The story is about a guy Colter Stevens who finds himself waking up on the Chicago commuter train and a girl in front of him calls him Sean, 8 minutes later the train blows up.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed it. The beginning wasn't too slow at all as some reviews have commented. It seems like he is fairly new director but the movie was pretty well directed and edited. Bravo for him.

Also it was nice to see the city of Chicago where I used  to live :)




Still Playing in some Theaters

DVD Availability Unknown