DEAR APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB:
HOT SUMMER EDITION - JULY 23, 2006
CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONALCINEMA TODAY - GO SEE A MOVIE!
We apologize if you got this more than once. We know we are on so many different lists. Please pass this information on to other people who are interested in Asian American and Asian international cinema. We try very hard to keep you always updated as to films that are popping up in your area. Please note that you are a part of over 12,000 people who are on this list nationwide and it is published on www.asianamericanfilm.com!
Note: To subscribe - send an email that says "please subscribe" to apafirstweekend@aol.com
For those of you who are first timers here, the mission of this email newsletter blast to keep everyone aware of Asian American and Asian international films that will be coming out so that we can go out and support them. Print this out - it could get long!!!
First weekend box office receipts are very important to Hollywood and to our films because these reports will make or break a film. If the films does well on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the "first" weekend it comes out, theater owners and distributors will make their decisions on Monday mornings about a film's life.
So, we encourage each and every one of you to go out there and support our Asian American and Asian international filmmakers. It is at the box office where we can show our strength and our power for our films and and filmmakers. Even if you don't have the time to sit through the film on the first weekend - go to the theater and purchase a ticket so that we can show box office $$$ numbers. It is extremely important. At the end of the day.. the color in Hollywood is GREEN! Show up and vote for yourself at the box office!
IN THIS ISSUE: JULY 23 2006 - SUMMER IS HERE!
This edition is gonna be quick and to the point because it's hot out here. From LA to NY - sweltering heat is hitting every city. So, the best place to be is in a cool cool cool air conditioned movie theater catching latest films from Asian American filmmakerks and Asian international filmmakers. Look what you have to choose from this weekend - It's an Asian American Summer at the movies!
1. M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S "LADY IN THE WATER"
2. JUSTIN LIN'S "FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT"
3. MICHAEL KANG'S "THE MOTEL"
4. DEEPHA MEHTA'S "WATER"
5. GREG HATANAKA'S "MAD COW GIRL"
6. ACV's Asian American International Film festival
7... and more!!!
So get out there and see a film this weekend! Beat the heat!
Here we go:
1. M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S "LADY IN THE WATER" OPENS WIDE THIS WEEKEND
2. JUSTIN LIN'S "FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT" STILL BLAZING IN THEATERS AND WORLDWIDE TOO
3. MICHAEL KANG'S "THE MOTEL" REPEATS NEW YORK JULY 21 - JULY 25 AND OPENS LOS ANGELES ON JULY 28
4. DEEPHA MEHTA'S "WATER" - HIGHEST GROSSING FILM IN HINDI LANGUAGE IN NORTH AMERICA
5. GREG HATANAKA'S "MAD COW GIRL" OPENS NEW YORK JULY 21 AT TOO BOOTS PIONEER
6. ACV's Asian American International Film Festival wraps it up
7... and more!!!
********************************************************************************
1. M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S "LADY IN THE WATER" OPENS WIDE THIS WEEKEND
What more can we say - our favorite scary guy - M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN is back with a sure fire hit 'LADY IN THE WATER" hitting over 3200 theaters. Starring Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter), M. Night is looking to hit gold again as he did with THE SIXTH SENSE, SIGNS, UNBREAKABLE and THE VILLAGE. All of which he wrote and directed serving as the true auteur for our Asian American filmmakers!! Check it out but don't go alone and stay away from apartment complex swimming pools.
2. JUSTIN LIN'S "FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT" STILL BLAZING IN THEATERS AND WORLDWIDE TOO
A true summer fun action packed film that if that's what you are looking for you will definitely be pleased. Great street racing scenes and awesome "drifting" scenes coupled with an equally outstanding soundtrack with lots o' eye candy - TOKYO DRIFT - is much fun. Already hitting over $100,000,000 (that's $100 million) worldwide, Justin Lin has proven he can definitely knock it out the park with the studios. If you haven't seen it yet - make sure you see it on the big screen and bring lots of popcorn. Congrats to you Justin Lin on hitting the $100,000,000 mark worldwide (approx $60 million US and $42 million worldwide and still climbing)!!!!
3. MICHAEL KANG'S "THE MOTEL" REPEATS NEW YORK JULY 21 - JULY 25 AND OPENS LOS ANGELES ON JULY 28
If you live in NYC or close to it - you are in luck. MICHAEL KANG's "THE MOTEL" is playing again this week at the IMAGINASIAN THEATER on 62nd Street - make sure you see it - beginning July 21 - July 25 only. If you live in LA, save the date for the Los Angeles opening on July 28 at the Laemmle Fairfax and the Pasadena Playhouse. Check out http://www.themotel-film.com or http://www.palmpictures.com for more info. Make sure you see this brilliant film written and directed by Michael Kang and starring Sung Kang and Jade Wu! Don't miss it this film!
OTHER CITIES COMING UP INCLUDE:
Fri Jul 28 Los Angeles CA Fairfax Cinema
Fri Jul 28 Pasadena CA Pasadena Playhouse
Fri Aug 18 Newburgh NY Downing Film Center
Fri Aug 18 Ft. Lauderdale FL Cinema Paradiso
Fri Aug 18 Lake Worth FL Duncan Theatre
Fri Aug 18 Wilmington DE Theatre N at Nemours
Fri Aug 18 Buffalo NY Market Arcade
Fri Aug 18 Palm Desert CA Cinemas Palm d'Or
Sun Aug 20 Peekskill NY Paramount Center
Fri Aug 25 Salt Lake City UT Tower Theatre
Fri Sep 01 Seattle WA Northwest Film Forum
4. DEEPHA MEHTA'S "WATER" - HIGHEST GROSSING FILM IN HINDI LANGUAGE IN NORTH AMERICA
If you have not yet seen this beautiful film taking place in 1938 India and starring LISA RAY, JOHN ABRAHAM and the amazing child actor SARALA, then make sure you see it this weekend. It is now the highest grossing Hindi language film released in 2006 in North America.
WATER will blow you away with its quiet sensibility and heart wrenchingstory of the plight of widowed women in India. Performances arebrilliant and the film is so beautiful to watch. LISA RAY and JOHNABRAHAM have such stunning presence that they melt the screen wheneverthey are on and SARALA is fantastic in the lead role as a young widowdestined to a life as an outsider. The film is playing in most cities -so check local listings for times and theaters. Don't miss it!!!
5. GREG HATANAKA'S "MAD COW GIRL" OPENS NEW YORK JULY 21 AT TOO BOOTS PIONEER
Wild and wacky and scary is one of many ways to describe Asian American filmmaker GREG HATANAKA's latest film "MAD COW GIRL." A huge success at the recent Silver Lake Film Festival in Los Angeles, MAD COW GIRL takes you on a wild ride with a girl suffering from Mad Cow Disease. It's kinda TAKESHI MIIKE meets DAVID LYNCH meets MIDNIGHT MADNESS.
Here's the synopsis from SF INDIE FEST:
Sarah Lassez (NOWHERE, THE BLACKOUT, UNTIL THE NIGHT) delivers a star-making performance as Therese, an ass-kicking health inspector with a failed marriage, an on-going affair with a creepy televangelist, nymphomania, and an obsession with old kung-fu movies. Further complicating her life is a very questionable relationship with her brother Thierry (James Duval from THE DOOM GENERATION and DONNIE DARKO), a meat importer who may (or may not) have infected her with mad cow disease.MAD COWGIRL is practically impossible to describe, but it's a Narrative - Experimental - Art - Comedy - Horror - Tragedy - Kung Fu epic that features multiple languages, a little hardcore porn, a flying guillotine, the old ultraviolence and Walter Koenig (Cmdr. Pavel Chekov) as a slimy sex-addicted preacher. Great Scott!It could also be described as a film about a woman who is dying of a brain disorder, and her surreal journey which descends into violence; or perhaps, it's about a woman who hates her job, and the men in her life, so she is driven to kill the Ten Tigers From Kwangtung.
So, if you are in the mood for something on the different side - this is your movie!!! Look what critics are saying about MAD COW GIRL
"Five Stars (highest rating)! The Ultimate Wild Ride!" -- Phil Hall, Film Threat
"An impressive weirdness!" -- Variety
"A demented jag of blasphemy, multicultural weirdness, splatter-movie tropes and inchoate meat metaphors" -- New York Times
"Wildly unpredictable!" -- Village Voice
"It's got 'midnight cult movie' written all over it!" -- amNewYork
"Wickedly funny!" -- New York Post
"Apocalyptic carnal horror with a strong Alejandro Jodorowsky vibe..." -- TV Guide
"A freaky female empowerment flick!" -- Kam Williams, syndicated reviewer
To buy tickets go to:http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer/madcowgirl.htm
Coming soon to LA! You have been warned!
6. ACV's Asian American International Film Festival wraps it up!
Coming to a close this week is ACV's New York Asian American International Film Festival. Congratulations to Diana Lee, Risa Morimoto and their crew at Asian Cinevision and the multi outstanding volunteers and interns on a successful festival. Kicking off the festival with the amazing "JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" from Ham Tran, audiences packed the theaters during the festival to take in screenings of COLMA: THE MUSICAL, EVE & THE FIRE HORSE, AMERICAN FUSION and many others. http://www.asiancinevision.org
7... and more!!!
Hmmm.. more - you want more? Here's a bit more:
A. Congratulations to Aureaus Solito on winning the audience award at Outfest for THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS. If you have not seen this film - don't miss it when it comes around to your city. Rumor has it that it will be a fall release. It wins awards everywhere it goes.
B. Ang Lee cast newcomer TANG WEI in his new film "LUST, CAUTION" based on a short story by Eileen Chang who also wrote EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN. Also starring TONY LEUNG! Filming begins this year. TANG beat out some heavy hitters including Zhang ZiYi! Go on Tang!
Watch for this coming from Focus Features hopefully next year.
Congratulations to Ang Lee for going back to his roots and making this film.
C. JET LI's FEARLESS is getting ready for the US run on September 22! It's his final martial arts epic and it's totally amazing - it will make you proud to be Asian American!!!
D. THE KING AND THE CLOWN from Korea is now banned in China because of its supposedly gay content. A huge box office hit this year in Korea - we can only hope that CJ Entertainment will bring it to the US for all of us to experience. Over 12.5 million admissions were sold in South Korea earlier this year - which means about 1/4 of South Korea saw this great film.
E. Don't forget to catch Kal Penn in SUPERMAN RETURNS - which was also produced by Chris Lee.... And don't forget to catch WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR - which was produced by Dean Devlin... and for all of you crossword puzzleheads - you must see WORDPLAY from Patrick Creadon (he's not Asian - but many of us puzzleheads are) - you will have a great time!
Ok that's it! See you at the movies and next time!
APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB
