Thursday, July 1, 2010

NYAFF Day 4 - It's all Live Tape

Its been a day. Who's insane idea was it to allow the premiere of The Last Air Bender on the same block as the NYAFF? I wouldn't care but they blocked off the street and sidewalks as they set up the red (and blue) carpet.

Notes I have notes...most of which will have to wait until it's not 130 in the morning of a work day.

Today's movies-the last of the triple features were:

TIAN AN MEN which is about the decorating the Tian an men gate for the founding ceremony of the Chinese Republic. It pure propaganda and strangely affecting. You'll like the guys.

ANNYONG YUMIKA is a WAY too long look at the life of a Japanese pink film and porn actress through a search to find out about a Korean co-production . Its one of the more self serving and least needed films I've seen. Actually the fact it stumbles around for two solid hours makes me think its utterly pointless. Cut the film down by at least a half an hour, but as it stands Tetsuaki Matsue has made one of the least films at this years NYAFF....

...which is really strange since he also made LIVE TAPE which is one of the best and one of the best films of the year not to mention one of the best concert films I've ever seen. I have to do a full review, but for now know this is a single 74 minute take of singer Kenta Maeno walking through Tokyo on New Years Day 2009 and singing. Trust me on this, its amazing- Let me put it this way we were applauding the film after each song as if it was a concert.

This screens at 345 today and I'm considering trying to see it again. There is also a mini-concert after the screening and Damn does Maeno rock. (Best of all I met Maeno at the screenings and he's a very funny approachable man. He willingly signed my CDs and he asked to have his picture taken with me. I don't know why, maybe I'm a crazy American who bought four of his CDs.)

Live Tape is probably the best of the films I've seen of the 12 films I've seen on the big screen (Even giving Bodyguards a run for its money) Just see this film.

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