Volume 04, Number 14
Movies
Movie News
By Bill Hersey
Prior to the highly acclaimed film 300's opening here, Warner Bros. hosted an exciting and colorful premier at Meiji Memorial Museum in Meiji Park. There was a wide and long red carpet that led in front of the historic museum building and up the steps, between the pillars, and into the building. Huge red letters said "300". Once the special guests arrived they spent considerable time signing autographs and talking with the many fans who had arrived much earlier and were eagerly anticipating the arrival of actor Gerard Butler, graphic novelist Frank Miller, director Zach Snydeer, producers Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari, and writers Debbie Snyder and Kurt Johnstad.
During all this some thirty men, mostly body builders, and all with six packs and fully clad in the costumes the 300 Spartans had worn in the film, made a dramatic entrance and lined up on the top of the stairway. Once the film celebs lined up on the stage at the entrance, they and everyone there got a big surprise. Huge fountains were turned on in the park area in front of the venue, and the film's title "300", as well as pictures of the stars, was beautifully projected on the water.
The screening itself took place in a huge modern tent behind the museum. All in all, it was quite spectacular. The press conference at the Mandarin Oriental the next day was also fun. All the VIP guests had nothing but raves about Japan—and the magnificent premier: "The scale, scope, and creativity of the premier here even topped the big event for us in Brazil," said director Zach Snyder.
In regards to getting into shape for the film, Gerard said he really worked out daily—"just like a Spartan". "After my workouts I looked in the mirror and said "wow." Eight-pack not six-pack abs. It looked like my head on someone else's body."
Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by Marie Teather
It's not often a film series makes it past even the third episode without losing some of its original wizardry. But not for Harry Potter, who now at the fifth chapter of the heptology came broom bolting back and stopped briefly in Tokyo earlier this month to launch the world premier of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
This is Tokyo's third world premier in as many months hoping to cash in on the loyal turnout from Japan's headline making fans. Box-office bosses have, however, no cause for alarm as this fast-paced, intricately woven story, moving from one entrancingly composed action scene to another, is a cinematic delight and not going to disappoint even the most critical of J.K.Rowling's readers.
After a hearing at the Ministry of Magic for performing magic outside of school, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson), return to Hogwarts to find new teacher Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) appointed as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Staunton's impeccable performance as the sickly sweet, pink loving, and chintzy schoolmistress with physically abusive ‘medieval teaching methods,' is delightfully detestable and binds sub-plots and the equally complex characters that intertwine throughout the movie.
Not compromising the darker forces that continue to menace over Hogwarts, director David Yates allows his movie a certain quirkiness that previous Potter films may have lacked. Cutting-edge camera work and the tongue-in-cheek imagery that frames Professor Umbridge are to be marveled at; a contrast to the grim issues a growing Harry must now face.
Helena Bonham Carter excels in her cameo as the sadistically insane Bellatrix Lestrange, as does 15-yearold Evanna Lynch who was handpicked from a line of 15,000 hopefuls to play Luna Lovegood—the new spooky addition to Harry's circle of friends. Ralph Fiennes, although not quite chilling enough, is virtually unrecognizable as Harry's nose-less archnemesis Lord Voldermort, and Gary Oldman as Harry's doomed godfather are just a few appearances to bedazzle in this best of British acting brigade. As always, the enchanting soundtrack adds a melodic suspense, only this time composer Nicholas Hooper's introduction of a taiko drum emphasizes the story's progression into something deeper and more sinister.
The final scene, a showdown of wand magicary, is a spectacular display of visual effects and, true to the novel, ends leaving much still to be discovered by both Harry and fans alike.
DVDs To Rent
by M. Halliday
For a cinematic experience quite unlike any other have a look at Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1964 masterpiece Woman in the Dunes (Suna no Onna). Based on the novel by Kôbô Abe (who wrote the script), WITD is the story of an amateur entomologist, played by Eiji Okada, stranded in a strange village by the sea. He is tricked into staying overnight in the house of the woman of the film's title. What follows is a haunting, erotic, existential study that will stay with you for a long, long time. In an incredible, career defining performance, Kyôko Kishida, who sadly died recently, plays the mysterious unnamed woman; a cinematic character quite unlike any other.
Everything is striking about this film: the acting, the way it looks, the story. Despite being shot in black and white it remains vivid long after the memory of flashier, Technicolor extravaganzas has faded.
Although nothing can quite match the originality of the Woman in the Dunes (and you may not want to watch anything else of any kind for a few days!), for an equally intriguing experience track down a copy of Andrei Tarkovsky's wonderful 1972 classic Solaris.
The term 'thought provoking' doesn't really come close as Tarkovsky trains his eye on the enigma of human existence with dazzling results. With its deliberate pace and 165-minute running time, Solaris may not be everyone's cup of tea. It is, however, always beautiful to look at with some of the most stunning images of any film ever.
Originally conceived as a Soviet response to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and based on the novel by the science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem, Solaris examines the human condition and the cosmic riddle inherently attached to it, in an exquisite and original way.
Playing the leads, Donatas Banionis, and the gorgeous Natalya Bondarchuk perfectly capture the beautiful, absurd, doomed dance of life, love, and death that is an intrinsic part of all our existences.