All articles by Mark Schilling – Page 4
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News
Miyazaki's Howl breaks Japanese box office record
Howl's Moving Castle, the new animation by Hayao Miyazaki, earned $14.2m(Y1.48bn) on 1.1 million admissions in its first two days on release - a newrecord for a Japanese film.The previous record holderwas Bayside Shakedown 2, which was released in 2003. The figures alsorepresented a 40% gain over Spirited Away, Miyazaki's ...
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Reviews
The Hidden Blade
Dir/Scr Yoji Yamada.Jap. 2004. 131 mins. Best known in Japan for his 48 Tora-san films about a wandering peddler who is forever falling inlove, Yamada has scripted or directed several other successful series for theShochiku studio -- and single-handedly saved it from the financial brink. Two years ago Yamada released ...
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Sci-fi spoof set for blast off in Turkey
One million tickets have been sold in advancefor the first ever Turkish sci-fi comedy G.O.R.A. which is released byWarner Bros. in 460 cinemas - almost half of the available screens - throughoutTurkey on November 12 (Friday).Speaking to ScreenDaily.com, BirolAkbaba, head of international sales for the film's production company BesiktasKultur Merkezi ...
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Japan set for epic Miyazaki vs Pixar box office clash
It'snow official -- the big match-up of the coming Christmas season will be HayaoMiyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, scheduled to open on November 20,versus Pixar's The Incredibles, set for release on December 4.Thissort of big head-to-head box office battle is a first between the two animationheavyweights - and is sure to ...
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Japan's Gaga bought by Usen Corp.
Japan's Usen Corp. has announced the purchase of GagaCommunications, a leading independent film distributor.Usen, a major supplier of broadband services in Japan, plansto acquire a 57.6% stake, amounting to $94.3m (Y10 billion) and operate Gaga asa subsidiary. It will invest the funds in two share issues that Gaga isplanning for ...
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Reviews
Infection/Premonition (Kansen/Yogen)
Infection Dir: MasayukiOchiai. Jap. 2004. 98mins.PremonitionDir: Norio Tsuruta. Jap. 2004. 95 mins.In January 1998 twohorror films, both based on novels by Koji Suzuki, were released as a doublebill in Japan. The Ring (in Japanese: Ringu) and The Spiral (Rasen)became hits: the former especially launched the worldwide "J Horror" boom and ...
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Shochiku launches animation division
Shochiku, a major Japanesefilm company with interests in production, distribution and exhibition, hasannounced the launch of a new division to produce animated features and TVshows.Headed by General Manager ofFilmed Entertainment Ichiro Seki, the division plans to release its firstfeature in 2005. Director, budget and story have yet to be announced. ...
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Shochiku launches fund for ninja action feature
Shochiku, one of Japan's leading film producers anddistributors, is to launch a film fund to underwrite the production of Shinobi,a ninja action film starring Joe Odagiri (Bright Future) and YukieNakama (Game, Trick).The film, which is directed by Ten Shimoyama (Muscle Heat),will begin principal photography on October 18, with release in ...
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Kadokawa Pictures launches film fund for local product
Japan's Kadokawa Pictures, together with its corporatepartners, has launched a film fund expected to raise as much as Y3.5 billion($32m) for the production of Kadokawa films.The total investment period is for seven years, thoughpartners may opt to withdraw after five. Including Kadokawa, the partners areKadokawa Shuppan Kikin, Konami, Imagica, Development ...
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Tokyo unveils 17th edition line-up
The Tokyo International Film Festival has announced itslineup for its 17th edition, which will be held from October 23 to 31 in theBunkamura and Roppongi Hills complexes.The two opening films are Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and Yoji Yamada's The Hidden Blade -- the latter afollow-up to Yamada's Oscar-nominated TheTwilight ...
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Japan readies World War II dramas
Japanese studios are readying a spate of action filmscentred on World War II.Back in the mid-1990s Japanese studios also released anumber of films commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.Many were produced or directed by members of the war generation and looked backon the fallen much ...
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...as Japanese enfant terrible aims to rival Potter
Japan's Kadokawa Pictures is to remake the 1968 YoshiyukiKuroda hit The Big Spook War (Yokai Daisenso) with director TakashiMiike at the helm.Announcing the film at the Kadokawa Daei Studio, Kadokawapresident Tsuguhiko Kadokawa said it was the first instalment in a series thatwill "rival Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings ...
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Japanese studio, broadcaster team for film acquisition
In the first deal of its kind in Japan, Fuji TelevisionNetwork and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan (SPEJ) are joining forces toacquire Japanese rights for Kung FuHustle, the latest action comedy by Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Chow.The partners will buy theatrical, broadcast and home entertainment rights tothe film - the first-ever ...
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Japanese horror hit to get sequel
Kadokawa Pictures has announced the production of One Missed Call 2, a sequel to theTakashi Miike horror hit that grossed $13.6m in Japan earlier this year and hassince been screened in nearly 30 countries around the world.The new film, however, will have a new director, TV veteranRenpei Tsukamoto, and a ...
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GERMANY 18 August
Michael 'Bully' Herbig allowed Alex Proyas' I, Robot only one week at pole positionbefore returning to the top spot with his sci-fi spoof (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1 registering another $5.1m grossfrom 980 screens for a total gross of over $50m. With a total of over 7.2madmissions, (T)Raumschiff is now ...
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Kadokawa stages comeback with WWII epic
Disgraced Japanese mega-producer Haruki Kadokawa is makinghis come-back in typical splashy fashion, with the announcement of a major newproduction commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.Titled Otokotachi NoYamato (Yamato), the film will be based on a non-fiction book by Jun Henmiabout the sinking of the Yamato, ...
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Warner Japan launches Spicy Asia DVD label
Warner Entertainment Japan has announced the launch of a newDVD label specialising in Asian films.Called Spicy Asia, the label will be overseen by the WarnerHome Video division.The first two titles, Kim Sung-su's 2001 period drama MusaThe Warrior and Chung Ji Woo's 1999 romantic drama Happy End, willbe released on August ...
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Japanese filmmakers turn to the past
It's not surprising that Japanese producers are making morefilms with the aid of digital technology, from DG cameras to animation paintprograms. Much of it is developed in Japan, even if its products are no longermade there. (The Japanese are almost as eager to outsource manufacturing andtech jobs as the Americans ...
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Japanese megahit crosses box office milestone
Isao Yukisada's mega-hitromantic drama Crying Out For Love In The Center Of The World recordedits five millionth admission in Japan on June 30, its 54th day of release,while its box office totalled $62.3m (Y6.73bn).After seven weeks in thetheatres, Crying Out For Love was still ranked number two on the KogyoTsushin ...
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Toho-Towa appoints US buying agent
Leading Japanese independent distributor Toho-Towa hascontracted with Los-Angeles- based Action 5 to be its sole US representative.The company will buy films for Toho-Towa to distribute in Japan, as well asproviding marketing support.Action 5 is a new agency headed by Yoko Asakura, the formerCEO for Gaga America. While at Gaga, Asakura ...