Daily Archives: October 7, 2008

Wong Kar Wai Talks Ashes of Time, Naked Cinematographers

Sporting his trademark silver-rimmed sunglasses (even indoors) and a staccato laugh that pops out when a particular reminiscence strikes him as amusing, Wong Kar Wai exudes a quiet yet immediately graspable warmth somewhat at odds with the interpersonal emotional coolness often explored in his films. He made his English-language debut with 2007’s My Blueberry Nights, and followed it up this year in mold-breaking fashion with an out-of-competition Cannes presentation and commercial re-release of a redux version of his abstruse 1994 samurai epic Ashes of Time, the film that first helped earn him a reputation for long shooting schedules. Never officially released outside of Asia, the ruminative, desert-set movie features a new score, swapped-out takes and other tweaks. I spoke with Wong recently about the unique perils of Hong Kong storage houses, the just completed Olympic games, and what to do when your cinematographer gets drunk and naked. For the full Q&A interview, from New York Magazine‘s Vulture, click here.

Jamaican Gold

From the heart of Hollywood to the breezy island vibe of its namesake island, Jamaican Gold seduces through music. Well known throughout the state, Jamaican Gold is the longest-running reggae club in California, and possibly the world. It continually plays host to performances from the hottest names in reggae and dancehall, and now there’s a concert DVD to celebrate and cement its status.

This solid, region-free concert disc, recorded from July 2006 through the summer of last year, features all sorts of sub-genre superstars, from known commercial commodities like Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Damian Marley to even lesser known artists like Cham, Lady Saw, Luciano, Spragga Benz, Jr Reid, Richie Spice, Cecile and Mad Cobra. In addition to live performances, these artists discuss their music, culture, rastafari inspirations and love, all while of course paying homage to musical trailblazer Bob Marley, who paved the way and remains a staple of many hazy college dorm rooms courtesy of greatest hits compendium Legend. There’s some sideshow entertainment value, too — a legend is crowned “King of the Dancehall” by his peers, while a beautiful, sexy dancer is hailed as the “Dancehall Queen.” Certainly this is a treat to hardcore reggae fans, and all in all it’s not a bad introduction for newbies either. Packaged in a regular Amray plastic case that comes with an attractively sketched group watercolor-portrait cover, Jamaican Gold is presented in 1.33:1 full screen, and runs just a nip under two hours. There are unfortunately no supplemental bonus features, like extra interviews or the like. To purchase the DVD via Amazon, click here. B (Concert) C- (Disc)

Hollywood Film Festival Announces More Honorees

The 12th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards, co-chaired by Paul Haggis and presented by Starz, announced yesterday the honorees who will be recognized for their achievements at the festival’s gala ceremony, which will take place on October 27, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Fresh off the success of Tropic Thunder, multi-talented actor, director and producer Ben Stiller will be honored with the “Hollywood Comedy of the Year Award,” Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei with the “Hollywood Supporting Actress of the Year Award,” the cast of
Fox Searchlight’s forthcoming The Secret Life of Bees with the “Hollywood
Ensemble Acting of the Year Award” and newcomer Robert Pattinson with
the “New Hollywood Award.” For more information, click here.