This Just in ... 4.5.11

This week’s DVDs & Blue-ray. If we can’t watch ‘em in the theater, we’ll watch ‘em at home. Look for them at Amazon, Netlfix, RedBox, Blockbuster.

Arabesque (1966)
Sophia Loren (Actress), Gregory Peck (Actor), Alan Badel (Actor) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
Product Description
Filmies says: There’s a reason this sounds like “Charade.”
Legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren joins actor Gregory Peck in this 1966 film. Enter the world of Arabesque – a high-speed high-class tale of international intrigue. In this exciting romantic thriller an American hieroglyphics professor (Peck) is hired by a mysterious Arab oil magnate to decipher a secret message. When the hidden meaning is revealed the chase is on as he and the oil magnate’s exotic yet unpredictable companion (Loren) find themselves caught in the middle of an assassination plot. Produced and directed by Stanley Donen (Charade) and filled with the stylish music of Henry Mancini Arabesque is an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004I1K066

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985)
Richard Chamberlain (Actor), Kenneth Colley (Actor) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
Product Description
Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story is an incredibly riveting, Emmy award winning fact based story about a hero who helped over 100,000 Hungarian Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004KL0OVU

Hero Tales: Part One (Limited Edition)
Directed by Tyler Walker
Product Description
For citizens of the Xian Empire, justice is a myth. Lord Keiro, the deranged Shogun of the Imperial Army, blazes a trail of terror across the countryside in search of the sacred sword that will make him a god. Standing in his way is Taito, an omnipotent star reborn in human form – a young hero who vows to use his celestial strength to avenge those slaughtered by the villainous Shogun. Taito’s mystical powers steer him toward a violent showdown with Keiro, and if used recklessly, his newfound abilities could shred the very fabric of his being. To master the art of control and become a heroic martial artist, Taito must seek the guidance of others like him: the seven star-born warriors with the strength to shatter a corrupt empire.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B004GZZH9Y

Hero Tales: Part Two
Directed by Tyler Walker
Product Description
Darkness settles over the Xian Empire, and Taito – an omnipotent star reborn in human form – is drawn into a cosmic clash with Lord Keiro, Shogun of the Imperial Army. Though blessed with the celestial strength to extract vengeance upon the Shogun, Taito’s heroic journey is wrought with peril. The undead minions of a villainous demon haunt his every step, and a shocking betrayal shakes the fellowship of noble star-warriors to its very core. As Keiro’s lust for power transforms him into a bloodthirsty monster, Taito will realize that his strength alone is not great enough to defeat the Shogun. With the prophesized final showdown between good and evil looming, Taito must draw upon the combined powers of his star-born comrades to defeat Keiro and shatter a corrupt empire!
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B004GZZH6C

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Part 4 [Blu-ray]
Directed by Yasuhiro Irie
Product Description
Edward and Alphonse Elric’s reckless disregard for alchemy’s fundamental laws ripped half of Ed’s limbs from his body and left Al’s soul clinging to a cold suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers scour a war-torn land for the Philosopher’s Stone, a fabled relic which grants the ability to perform alchemy in impossible ways.

The Elrics are not alone in their search; the corrupt State Military is eager to harness the artifact’s power. So too are the strange Homunculi and their shadowy creator. The mythical Stone lures exotic alchemists from distant kingdoms, scarring some deeply enough to inspire murder. As the Elrics find their course altered by these enemies and allies, their purpose remains unchanged – and their bond unbreakable.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B004GZZGVI

Dragon Ball: Season One
From Funimation
Product Description
The greatest adventure of all time begins now! pGoku may be small, but this fearless warrior packs a punch as powerful as any on the planet. Left alone after his grandfather’s death, this unusual boy is happy to spend his days hunting and eating and eating some more. But everything changes on the day he meets Bulma – a bossy, blue-haired beauty with boys on the brain. Together, they set out to track down the seven magic Dragon Balls and make the wish that will change their lives forever.

And that’s just the beginning! Goku also spends some time on Turtle Island where he and Krillin study martial arts under the legendary Master Roshi. The old hermit may not look like much, but if his new pupils can find him a woman, he’ll make sure they’re ready to rumble at the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament!
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B002FOQXTQ

The Secret of the Urn (1966) Tange Sazen: Hien iaigiri (original title)
Director: Hideo Gosha
Product Description
Loyal samurai Samanosuke is attacked, mutilated, and left for dead while carrying out a mission for his clan. He recovers but has lost an eye and an arm. Taking a new identity as Tange Sazen, he searches for a stolen urn which has hidden significance to his clan. But Tange Sazen has his own reasons for seeking the urn.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=The+Secret+of+the+Urn+

Done Deal? Boneta may take 'Rock of Ages' lead

Actor Diego González Boneta is slated to audition for the coveted role of Drew Bowie in Adam Shankman's film version of "Rock of Ages." Many media outlets are saying it's a done deal, but Shankman tweeted that Boneta "is auditioning" and for everyone to hold their horses.

The film is based on the Broadway musical, which starred Constantine Maroulis and features music by classic '80s rock bands like Journey, Whitesnake, Styx and Bon Jovi.

According to Playbill.com, "The film will also feature Alec Baldwin as Dennis, Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, Julianne Hough as Sherrie Christian, Mary J. Blige as Justice, Russell Brand as Lonnie and Paul Giamatti as the manager of the rock band."

The movie is slated for a June 2012 release.

Boneta was born in Mexico City in 1990 and after appearing in a Mexican music competition he shot to fame. He's appeared in American productions of the new "Beverly Hills 90210," "Mean Girls 2" and "Pretty Little Liars." In Mexico, the teen heart throb has appeared in "Rebelde," "Don Darvelio's Secret" and "Misión S.O.S. aventura y amor."

Dallas International Film Festival

The Dallas International Film Festival runs March 31 – April 10 and features films from four of our Sister City countries -- Mexico, Indonesia, Japan and Germany. Check the schedule for locations and times.

Adiós Mundo Cruel (Goodbye Cruel World) (Mexico)
Director: Jack Zagha
When a hard-working accountant is let go from his job because of the economic slump, he finds a new way of earning a living: becoming part of a criminal gang. ADIÓS MUNDO CRUEL is a creative comedy from Mexico that finds humor in a series of unfortunate events. Starring Carlos Alberto Orozco, Mónica Bejarano, José Montini, Lourdes Villarreal, Sandra Sánchez Cantú, Carlos Aragón, Justo Martínez and Pedro Gámez.
http://www.adiosmundocruel.com

Blood of Eagles (Darah garuda – Merah putih II) (Indonesia) – US PREMIERE
Director: Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn
An epic, action-packed intrigue thriller set in Java during Indonesia's War of Independence in 1947, BLOOD OF EAGLES follows a heroic band of guerrilla soldiers recruited to halt the construction of an enemy’s key airfield. The cast includes Doni Alamsyah, Ario Bayu and Atiqah Hasiholan.
http://bloodofeagles.com

13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) World Cinema (Japan) 2010, 141 mins, 35mm)
Directed By: Takashi Miike
Cast: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yûsuke Iseya
In feudal Japan, a group of unemployed samurai are enjoined to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into war. 13 ASSASSINS is a gritty, old-school samurai film that pulls no punches and isn’t shy about spilling blood.
http://www.13assassins.com

She Deserved It (Sie hat es verdient)(Germany) 2010, 89 mins, Digital Betacam)
In German with English subtitles
Directed By: Thomas Stiller
Cast: Renate Delfs, Martin Feifel, Veronica Ferres
Susanne, a protected, spoiled girl, has a crush on one of her classmates. Linda, however, is jealous and comes up with a plan for revenge. Thomas Stiller’s film is based on the real story of young adults who, for no obvious reasons, turn into cold-blooded killers.

By Day and By Night (De dia y de noche) Latino Showcase (Mexico) 2010, 95 mins, 35mm)
In Spanish with English subtitles
Directed By: Alejandro Molina
Cast: Sandra Echeverria, Manuel Balbi, Marius Biegai, Richie Mestre
After kissing a stranger in a bar, Jenna wakes up the next day to discover a nasty lesion has appeared on her lip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxeR0v4S4JE

The Future (Germany) 2011, 91 mins)
Directed By: Miranda July
Cast: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky
Sophie and Jason live in a small apartment, have jobs they hate, and in one month they'll adopt a stray cat. He'll need around-the-clock care — he may die in six months, or it may take five years. Despite their good intentions, the couple is terrified of their looming loss of freedom, so they quit their jobs, and the internet, to pursue their dreams.

Royal Wedding

I'm taking a leap here and am assuming that actor and Swaziland native Richard E. Grant will be attending the wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William on April 29. Grant was one of the few in attendance at the wedding between Camilla Parker-Bowles and Prince Charles in 2005.

Free Films for Fast Responders

The Global Film Initiative is offering films for schools to be shown during World Cinema Week 2011, April 11-15, but you must apply online by March 31.

The Chinese film "Dooman River" from Director Zhang Lu is one of the offerings. "Dooman River" takes us to rural China rural. GFI says, "The story revolves around 12-year-old Chang-ho, living with his grandfather and mute sister along the frozen river-border with North Korea. Although fraught with unemployment and other tensions, his community seems sympathetic toward the Korean refugees fleeing famine and misery; Chang-ho even bonds over soccer with one young border-crosser who comes scavenging food for a sibling. But he soon turns on his new friend as suspicions mount against the illegal immigrants and his sister reels from unexpected aggression, provoking a quandary over his loyalties in an exquisitely detailed story of compassion and strife across an uneasy geopolitical border."

Click here for full details and registration.

Indonesian Casting Call Girls

The New York Times has an interesting article on a controversial casting practice in Indonesia. Apparently Japanese porn stars, such as Sora Aoi, are being cast in Indonesian films to draw larger audiences. The public is paying top dollar to see these clothed actresses in hooror flicks.

Indonesia has one of the largest Muslim populations in Asia, and the government often takes a conservative stance on film industry issues. Obviously not all directors follow the practice.

Read the full story via the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/world/asia/29indonesia.html?_r=1.

This Just in ... 3.29.11

This week’s DVDs. If we can’t watch ‘em in the theater, we’ll watch ‘em at home. Look for them at Amazon, Netlfix, RedBox, Blockbuster.

The Vanquished (I Vinti) (1953)
Anna-Maria Ferrero (Actor), Franco Interlenghi (Actor), Michelangelo Antonioni (Director) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
Product DescriptionDirector Michelangelo Antonioni's unique triptych film features three murders, one taking place in Paris, another in Rome, and another in London. All of the perpetrators are affluent youths, each killing for his own dubious motive. In the France segment, a group of adolescents kill for money, even though they don't need it. In the London segment, a poet uncovers a woman's body and tries to profit from the discovery. And in the Italian segment, a student becomes caught up in a smuggling ring, with deadly results. Though each crime is investigated, the guilty are rarely singled out for their actions.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004H0M2WI/comingsoon

Silent Naruse
A five-film collection from Japanese director Mikio Naruse released by Criterion Collection. The collection includes “Flunky, Work Hard” (1931); “No Blood Relation” (1932); “Apart From You” (1933); “Every-Night Dreams” (1933); and “Street Without End” (1934).
Product DescriptionMikio Naruse is one of the most popular directors in the history of Japanese cinema, a crafter of heartrending melodramas often compared with the work of Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi. From the outset of his career, with his silent films of the early thirties, Naruse focused on characters, mostly women—geisha, housewives, waitresses—carrying on despite the compromises and disappointments of confined daily lives, a subject that would continue to fascinate him for the next three decades. Though he made two dozen silent films, only five are known to exist today; these works—poignant, brilliantly photographed and edited dramas all—are collected here, on DVD for the first time and featuring new scores by noted musicians Robin Holcomb and Wayne Horvitz.
http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/789-eclipse-series-26-silent-naruse

Sgt. Frog: Season One
Directed by Jamie Marchi
Product DescriptionKeroro is Sergeant Frog - the leader of a platoon of warriors sent to conquer planet Earth. But when the amphibious invaders discovered how much humans enjoy dissecting their comrades, the troops were scattered, the mission was aborted, and Keroro was abandoned. Now, this once proud soldier spends more time wielding a vacuum than he does the weapons of war. It's a far cry from the glory of battle, but hey, at least he's got his own room. And though the invasion may have slowed to a hop, Sergeant Frog still occasionally yearns to overcome his karaoke addiction and reassemble his troops. Watch out world, the frogs are taking over. 26 episodes on 4 dvds.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B0049TC8DA

Linebarrels of Iron: The Complete Series (Seasons 1, 2 and OVA) Directed by Caitlin Glass
Product DescriptionKouichi dreams of being a hero, but in reality, he’s a punching bag for every bully on the block. His life flatlines when the mysteriously naked Emi crash lands on his pitiful existence, thrusting Kouichi into the middle of an intergalactic showdown between rival races of self-regenerating Machinas. Through his death-bed partnership with the Linebarrel mecha, Kouichi gains the strength to stand up to his tormentors and crush the alien invasion force that’s determined to conquer Earth. There’s just one problem. All this newfound power and special attention from nearly-naked babes is turning Kouichi into a jerk. His friends can’t stand him, he makes his dream girl sick, and those aliens want to kill him extra dead! Kouichi may have the mechanized muscle to save the world, but he has much to learn about being a true “Hero of Justice”.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B004GZZH8K

Evangelion: 1.11 You Are Not Alone
Directed by Hideaki Anno
Product DescriptionThe stunning rebuild of the anime masterpiece is now extended and enhanced with never before seen new animation and 266 visual and audio improvements. Tokyo-3 still stands after most of civilization was decimated in the Second Impact. Now the city endures the ceaseless onslaught of the deadly Angels, bizarre creatures bent on eradicating the human race. To combat this strange and ruthless enemy, the government agency NERV constructs a fleet of towering humanoid machines – the Evas – and Shinji Ikari is called into action, reluctantly taking his place at the controls of Eva Unit 01. Living a life of loneliness and questioning his existence, Shinji struggles to accept responsibility for mankind’s battle for survival in this visually striking rebuild of one of the most important anime of all time. Shinji will fight the Angels alongside the only person who might understand his plight – Rei Ayanami, the elusive and frail pilot of Eva Unit 00. In this film experience not to be missed, Shinji and Rei will struggle to learn a simple truth: when carrying the burden of humanity’s survival on your shoulders, you are not alone.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B0030ZOYJ0

Evangelion: 2.22 You Can [Not] Advance
Directed by Mike McFarland, Hideaki Anno Product DescriptionThe landmark anime Evangelion evolves, reaching new heights of intensity in the feature film: Evangelion 2.22. In this explosive new story, brutal action and primal emotion clash as a group of young pilots maneuver their towering cyborg Eva Units into combat against a deadly and disturbing enemy. In the battle to prevent the apocalyptic Third Impact, Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity's hopes on their shoulders. Now, as the onslaught of the bizarre, monstrous Angels escalates, they find their burden shared by two new Eva pilots, the fiery Asuka and the mysterious Mari. In this thrilling experience for fans of giant robot destruction, the young pilots fight desperately to save mankind - and struggle to save themselves.
http://astore.amazon.com/funreleaseschedule-20/detail/B004EC5I