arthouse monster

METAL SAMURAI Now Available on Amazon Japan

2008-11-21T09:21:00Z

Here is fantastic news for fans of METAL SAMURAI. It recently was released on DVD in Japan. According to Chie Gondo at Toei Kyoto Studios, METAL SAMURAI DVD Vol. 1 is #82 at Amazon.co.jp (sales ranking), and is #3 on their Movers and Shakers list! See for yourself at Amazon.

If you haven't seen METAL SAMURAI, read more about it here!

You can even check out the trailer on YouTube.

ALL FOR MELISSA on DVD!

2008-11-10T08:48:00Z

Hey, guys! I just heard some incredible news direct from Gerard Elmore! His smash hit ALL FOR MELISSA is finally available on DVD. You can buy the movie on Tuesday. According to Elmore, the DVD will be loaded with goodies including deleted scenes, commentary, storyboards, and other terrific extras. And guess what, if you want to meet Elmore and have him sign your DVD, he'll be appearing at Borders, Barnes and Nobles and Diamond Head Video locations throughout the state. Don't miss this opportunity because you'll also get to meet the cast and crew of ALL FOR MELISSA. Check out the cast and crew page of the official site and you'll see that so many fantastic people worked on this movie. Of course, there's our "boy wonder" Gerard Elmore, but check it out. The cast and crew also includes the ubiquitous filmmaker Titus Chong (executive producer), the multitalented and drop-dead gorgeous Christina Simpkins (executive producer and actress), Shawn Hiatt (executive producer and camera operator) and actor Milan Tresnak, a rising star in the Hawaii film industry. I know I'm leaving out lots of fine people. My apologies. But anyway, if you missed ALL FOR MELISSA at the 2007 Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival, make sure you get a copy of the fantastic film. We've been waiting a long time for this one ...

Here is a schedule of Elmore's signings:

1/11/08 Waikele Borders 12pm-2pm
11/11/08 Ward Borders 5pm-8pm
11/28/08 Ala Moana Barnes and Noble 11am-2pm
11/28/08 Windward Mall Borders 4pm-6pm
12/06/08 Waikele Borders 11am-1pm
12/13/08 Diamond Head Video 4pm-6pm
12/20/08 Windward Mall Borders 12pm-2pm

Thank you very much for the great news, Gerard. I can't wait to see you at the signing!

Gerard Elmore, director of ALL FOR MELISSA

LVHIFF28 On Flickr

2008-10-24T19:01:00Z

Aloha, everyone! I'm sorry I didn't post any blog entries during the festival. I was preoccupied with writing the Q&As for hiff.org and videotaping lobby interviews with this year's filmmakers.

To make up for it, I've posted a handful of photographs taken at the 28th Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival. Anyone can browse my photographs and leave comments. I plan to post more photographs soon. I still have tons of memory cards to look through.

To see my images click here.

Or copy and paste this URL:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31610811@N02/

By the way, if you didn't have a chance to read my Q&As with the filmmakers, don't worry.

Chris Hall of LVHIFF made it easy for you. Click here.

Or copy and paste this URL:

http://www.hiff.org/filmmakers/interviews-2008.php

I'd like to send a huge mahalo to everyone who made the 28th Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival such a success. I especially want to thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to chat with Arthouse Monster and LVHIFF News. I can't thank you enough! Until we meet again!

LVHIFF Strikes Back!

2008-10-05T06:55:00Z

Hey, everyone!

October is my favorite time of year. There are so many things to look forward to. The search for the perfect Halloween costume. Scary movie marathons on television. Technicolored piles of fun-size candy bars at Longs. But what's the best thing about October? For me, it has to be the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival!

The festival is only a week away. Are you ready? Check out the HIFF Web site for more information.

I am pleased to report that I'm an LVHIFF News correspondent this year. For the past several weeks, I've been conducting interviews with filmmakers and actors who are attending the film festival. My exclusive interviews will appear on the HIFF Web site. In fact, you will find a new one every day starting from today. If you want to know more about the films at the 28th LVHIFF, check out my interviews. It's a great place to start!

The comments in these interview are fun, fascinating and gives you plenty of insight into each director's filmmaking process. I highly recommend reading these interviews before you see the film. By the way, don't worry about spoilers because there are non whatsoever.

Be sure to check out the survey after each interview. This year, I decided to ask each filmmaker a set of questions that focus on LVHIFF, personal likes and dislikes and thoughts about the joys of Hawaii. The answers they gave me were amazing! Some of them really blew my mind. Some of that stuff was really surprising and way too honest. I truly hope you enjoy the interviews and surveys because I had so much fun to putting these together for Arthouse Monster and LVHIFF.

My first interview is already on the LVHIFF Web site. It features Singaporean filmmaker Li Lin Wee, director of GONE SHOPPING. What a talented young filmmaker she is. In the interview, she tells me what it was like being a director, screenwriter and producer all rolled into one, the challenge of shooting on a shoestring budget and why shopping is Singapore's national pastime. I can't wait to meet her at the fest.

Now I have to send a huge mahalo to LVHIFF Web master Chris Hall for making that happen. He has been such an amazing help to me. He's the one who makes sure the LVHIFF Web site is informative, interactive and easy to navigate. Check it out right now. It's all glammed up for this year's festival and that's his doing. Mahalo, Chris!

LVHIFF 2009 Coming Soon

2008-08-30T20:05:00Z

Aloha, film fans! When is the last time you checked the Web site for the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival? If not, make sure you have that page bookmarked. The folks at LVHIFF have lots of terrific information about the upcoming festival. Check out the latest press releases and browse through some film synopses.

By the way, if you haven't signed up for HIFF member yet, what in the world are you waiting for? The festival is only several weeks away. Sign up now and become a member of the HIFF Ohana. The film festival is a wonderful experience. And it is so much more rewarding when you join!

Check out the Web site for the membership option that is right for you.

I can't wait to see you at the movies!

Arthouse Monster Is Back!

2008-08-30T09:11:00Z

Aloha! It has been a year since my last entry. I am happy to be back. I've been busy doing my 9-5 job, but that is a poor excuse. I'm going to try to make up for that. And just in time, too. You know what time of year it is? Of course, you do. It's time for the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival! It's back and I'm happy to say that I'm still involved with the festival. Right now, I'm writing synopses for the program book. As a matter of fact, I'm on deadline. So I really need to get back to that. I just wanted to post this entry and make it official ... Arthouse Monster is back! So stay tuned ...

Arthouse Monster Recommends:

2008-08-30T08:51:00Z

Tokyo Gore Police

Judging by the rousing applause and cheers during the Hawaii premiere of THE MACHINE GIRL at the HIFF Spring Showcase 2008, there is no question that fans of Japanese splatter and body horror films will worship the blood-spurting violence, the inconceivable depravity and the sexual weirdness of TOKYO GORE POLICE.

What else would you expect from the creative team behind TGP? Director Yoshihiro Nishimura was the special effects master behind the berserk splatterfest that is THE MACHINE GIRL. He has also worked with Sion Sono on several horror and ero guro (erotic grotesque nonsense) hits including SUICIDE CLUB, STRANGE CIRCUS and EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS.

Now factor in the writer of TGP, Kengo Kaji, who co-wrote the mind-bending horror film UZUMAKI. And Tak Sakaguchi, the star of VERSUS and DEATH TRANCE, who handled the film’s fight choreography.

The lead character of TGP is played by Eihi Shiina, who is internationally known for her role as the twisted Asami Yamazaki in Takashi Miike’s AUDITION. Shiina plays Ruka, a beautiful and beguiling police officer bent on exterminating a host of freaky mutants genetically engineered by a mad scientist known only as “The Key Man.” The sexy but extremely deadly Ruka is determined to avenge the death of a family member. And she’ll have to cut a bloody swath through a freaky crew of monsters and misfits!

Factor in a few gimp masks, sera-fuku (sailor suit uniforms), and hot mutant chicks with tentacle eyes (including one with a certain male appendage for a nose) and things are bound to get pretty weird. We don’t want to ruin the fun for you. Suffice it to say, the film’s cartoonish violence and grotesqueries could only come from the darkest corners of Yoshihiro Nishimura’s psyche. HIFF is proud to present TOKYO GORE POLICE, one of the goriest, craziest and whacked-out films to ever come out of Japan!

— Jason Soeda

Arthouse Monster Recommends:

2008-08-30T08:46:00Z

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Jee-woon Kim’s THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD is what happens when the Wild West collides with Korean wave cinema! It has thrilled audiences since its premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. This eccentric film is set in the 1930s, a time when the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule. During that time, many Koreans fled to the wilderness of Manchuria to seek refuge. Some became gunslinging outlaws and train robbers. Others followed the path of justice. This film follows the adventures of three such men — The Good, The Bad and The Weird!

The Weird, played by leading South Korean actor Song Kang-Ho (THE HOST, LVHIFF 2006), has just robbed a Japanese train and made off with a priceless treasure map. However, The Bad, a vicious gang leader (played by South Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun whose film BITTERSWEET LIFE was nominated for the First Hawaiian Bank Golden Maile Award at LVHIFF 2005), also wants the map and he’ll kill anyone to get a hold of it. Luckily, THE GOOD (Jung Woo-sung), is a bounty hunter who also happens to be on the train, and his mission is to capture THE BAD. What should be a simple take down is complicated when the Japanese army, Korean independence fighters and Chinese bandits get involved in the fight over the treasure map. Who will prevail? The Good, The Bad or The Ugly?

— Jason Soeda

Arthouse Monster Recommends:

2008-08-30T08:36:00Z

Dance of the Dragon

The Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival is pleased to present the Hawaii premiere of DANCE OF THE DRAGON. Produced and filmed entirely inSingapore, this is a cross-cultural tale of love, obsession, bravery and hope. Tae (Korean heartthrob Jang Hyuk) has always fantasized about becoming a famous ballroom dancer. Since he could not attend a dance school, he taught himself by watching dance videos. He has trained himself well, but eventually he realizes there’s only one way to take his dancing to the next level — he has to leave Korea.

His lifelong dream takes him to Singapore where begins taking lessons from Emi Lim (Fann Wong, one of Singapore’s hottest and most bankable stars), a former ballroom dancing champion who can no longer compete due to a career-ending injury. Emi, however, is highly renowned for her ability to take dancers to great heights. Before long, Tae falls deeplyin love with Emi. The circumstances just aren’t right for romance. Emi is focused on training all her students for the upcoming national ballroom dancing championships. What’s more, Emi’s boyfriend Cheng (Hawaii’s very own Jason Scott Lee) is the crazy-eyed jealous type, and a former martial arts champion.

As Tae and Emi become closer, Cheng becomes more possessive and will stop at nothing to quash their budding romance ...

— Jason Soeda

Arthouse Monster Recommends:

2008-08-30T08:28:00Z

Cafe Isobe

Café Isobe is a Japanese comedy about Yujiro, a dim-witted tradesman, who, after inheriting a small fortune, quits his job and imprudently decides to open his very own cafe. His teenage daughter Sakiko, who has been caring for the poor schlub since her mother left the picture, is mortified by the idea of her well-meaning but clueless father trying to set up a trendy café.

While Sakiko protests in vain, Yujiro gleefully renovates an old shop space, splurges on garish décor, installs a karaoke machine and forces his waitresses — including his own daughter — to wear ridiculously tarty uniforms. In the days following the café’s dismal grand opening, Yujiro can’t seem to understand why his café business isn’t booming. His only customers are senior citizens, perverts and other weirdos.

Things turn around the day he hires and instantly falls in love with an alluring but air headed part-time worker named Motoko. Could a new romance be the key to Café Isobe’s success? Perhaps, but this strange state of affairs worries Sakiko, who has no choice but to keep dear dad out of trouble!

— Jason Soeda

Arthouse Monster Recommends:

2008-08-30T08:08:00Z

Not Quite Hollywood

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD is the wild, shocking and massively entertaining chronicle of Australian genre cinema of the 70s and 80s! This documentary will delight film connoisseurs who fancy extra large helpings of over-the-top violence, low-budget gore and antisocial behavior. It will certainly enchant moviegoers who had no idea that Australians were capable of producing such explicit, violent and extremely entertaining films. Sure, MAD MAX gave American viewers a taste of this phenomenon, but it doesn’t even begin to cover what the Aussies were into.

Mark Hartley, the writer, director and co-editor of NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, admitsthat he’s a member of Generation X who never got to experience 70s Australian genre cinema in the theaters or drive-inns in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Instead, he discovered it late night on television. As a kid, he was captivated by after-dark TV screenings of films such as THE MAN FROM HONG KONG (1975), PATRICK (1978) and SNAPSHOT (1979). He’s had a love affair with “Ozploitation” films ever since. Hartley's documentary pays homage to an overlooked and neglected corner of film history and examines the maverick directors who paved the way for today’s crop of filmmakers.

Although documentary plays like a mix tape of the craziest action, martial arts and splatter movies from Down Under, it’s also a careful examination of Australia’s censorship regime and howit went from repressive to progressive overnight. The film also feature astonishing anecdotes and comments from Ozploitation’s most prolific filmmakersand performers. Arthouse Monster highly recommends this one!

— Jason Soeda

Arthouse Monster also recommends the following films:

Kung Fu Kun

Kung Fu (played by 8-year-old Chinese martial artist Zhang Zhuang) is a Shaolin monk on the cusp of completing his training. He’s defeated a series of enemies and there’s only one left. According to his aging master Pin Ko (Pinko Izumi), his final opponent resides in Japan and he’ll need to beat him to earn his expert license. For this reason, Pin Ko sends the tiny warrior to Japan, “the land of the samurai.” There, he befriends Izumi, the proprietress of a Chinese restaurant. Their friendship seems destined. After all, Izumi is a martial artist herself, using her uncanny skills to prepare the noodles. Before long, Kung Fu and Izumi will have to confront an evil force corrupting the Japanese educational system. Can the brave and baldheaded boy save Japan? Guaranteed fun and excitement for the whole family!

— Jason Soeda

A Christmas Tale

Abel and Junon Vuillard have never recovered from their son’s Joseph’s death. The victim of a rare genetic disorder, the Joseph’s only hope was a bone marrow transplant. Neither his parents nor his sister Elizabeth was a compatible donor. In a desperate final effort to save their son, the couple conceived a third child, Henri. Unfortunately, Henri also could not save his brother and Joseph died at the age of seven. A CHRISTMAS TALE follows the aftermath of this tragedy, many years in the future, and explores the tense relationships of the Vuillard family. Many years have passed, and the family’s relationships are tremendously strained, particularly those between authoritative Elizabeth and the Henri, now a hopeless ne’er-do-well. Arnaud Desplechin’s film, arguably his finest, is a bittersweet, gripping and poignant cinematic experience not to be missed.

— Jason Soeda

Sparrow

In Hong Kong vernacular, a “sparrow” is a pickpocket. It’s the perfect term for Kei (Simon Yam), a gentleman thief who can easily lift your wallet and disappear without a trace. Kei and his partners make a good living doing this. It’s sweet life for Kei, who spends his free time whizzing around the city on his bicycle, snapping photos with his vintage camera. One day, an alluring woman named Chun Lei (Kelly Lin) appears in his viewfinder and utterly captivates him. In fact, his entire team falls for her. However, in time, they realize that Chun Lei’s a woman on the run, and she has deliberately lured them in for one reason — to take advantage of the their skills! Have the sparrows finally met their match?

— Jason Soeda

Sailfish

Set against the social turmoil of China’s Cultural Revolution, SAILFISH is the story of 12-year-old champion swimmer Yue Haiyang. His father, a kindhearted intellectual, always encouraged the young boy’s dream of becoming China’s greatest swimmer. But his dreams are abruptly shattered when his father is killed, his family’s house is confiscated and he and his mother are forced to live in the countryside. Six years later, with the help of his childhood friend, Gao Ming, and the love of his life, Bai Ling, he is able to rejoin the swimming team. Does he still have what it takes to win? In a quest to fulfil a lifelong dream, friendship and loyalty are tested as the three friends wade through the waters of personal struggle and political unrest.

— Jason Soeda