THE DEPARTED on location

In what may be the splashiest remake of a Hong Kong film yet, Martin Scorsese is directing THE DEPARTED on location in Boston.

Readers of The Boston Globe's web site are submitting photos, including this one of Matt Damon and a fan.

Check out the gallery to see a relaxed variety of snaps on set and off. Don't miss Jack Nicholson in a tiger robe.

With all the high-priced talent involved, it seems likely that the finished product will bear little resemblance to the superb original, INFERNAL AFFAIRS (directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak). But the original stands just fine on its own, so I favor the idea of an "inspired by" rather than some sort of shot by shot remake.

The film is scheduled to be released next year.

First Summer Friday

My home is in Los Angeles, but I haven't been there for a month.

A temp job took me to San Francisco for a few days and then to Dallas for a few weeks.

Curiosity and a job possibility took me to Chicago last weekend. And now I sit in Dallas, wondering what to recommend for cinema-goers, and I barely know what time zone it is.

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is playing here in Dallas, and it's still playing in Los Angeles and Chicago and, I imagine, other American cities, and I'm looking forward to finally seeing it this weekend.

SAVING FACE, a relationship comedy/drama by Alice Wu, is also playing locally, and deserves support. It's also in Los Angeles and Chicago.

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN is playing at the Los Angeles Film Festival tonight. Ann Hu's BEAUTY REMAINS plays tomorrow afternoon, as does, separately, the shorts program BEFORE ANIME: JAPANESE ANIMATION 1925-1946. The Korean SPYING CAM plays Saturday evening, and Wong Kar Wai's magnificent 2046 gets an advance screening also (it gets a repeat screening on Sunday afternoon).

Towering over the New York skyline, the New York Asian Film Festival continues its triumphant run. This weekend the festival splits into two venues, the downtown Anthology and the uptown ImaginAsian. If I could, I'd just park myself at one or the other and just see everything.

Wherever you live, I hope the weather is good to you this weekend. If not, the cinema beckons...

Face (2004)

Korea. 84 minutes.
Screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL.
Directed by Yu Sang-gon
With Shin Hyeon-jun, Song Yun-ah

Life takes some funny turns.

On short notice I found myself in Chicago last Saturday afternoon. Taking a walk to familiarize myself with the neighborhood, I stumbled across the Gene Siskel Film Center, a small triplex showing art and revival films.

As it happens, I missed the heralded GREEN CHAIR by an hour, but was in time to see FACE.

According to the program notes, this film came out in 2004, though I'd heard nothing about it. The Chicago Reader capsule summary by Fred Camper was not enthusiatic.

And...I'd have to say I'd agree.

A forensic examiner, exhausted from his work., turns in his resignation. His former boss, pressed because of a recent series of murders in which the killer disassembled the bones of the victim, sends a young and beautiful fledgling examiner to convince the reticient expert to return to his duties. The examiner, plagued by what appears to be the ghostly apparitions of the departed, finally returns to work, even as he is distracted by the serious illness of his young daughter, who is in need of a new heart.

The film never builds any real suspense. The first scene appears to be an outtake from the first scene of TELL ME SOMETHING (body on an examining table is brutally sliced open) and another liberally borrows from THE RING. The early spooks work well on a visceral level (eliciting at least one genuine "Oh s--!" from an audience member), but they don't really mean anything and it's difficult to relate them to the plot.

It feels like different horror elements are assembled in a straight line and depicted without any thought as to how they relate to the characters. So, in addition to the lack of suspense, we lose any interest in the people who are having a hard time. Who cares what happens to them?

Not to belabor the negativity, but here's another review by Kyu Hyun Kim for KoreaFilm.org.

Empty Shelves

No new Asian DVD releases in Region 1 this week.

You'll have to amuse yourselves.

I recommend catching up with all the news at Twitch.

'Howl' Box Office: Not Too Shabby

In its opening, limited engagement at 42 theaters, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE brought in a very respectable per-screen average of $11,720, tops among limited bows, for a total of $420,000.

That's not scorching hot, but it was the second highest per-screen total (below the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie action/comedy MR. & MRS. SMITH) of the past weekend.

HOWL'S wil expand into 200 theaters next weekend against competition that includes BATMAN BEGINS (starting on Wednesday) and THE PERFECT MAN (Hilary Duff-starring romantic comedy that focuses on her screen Mom Heather Locklear). So there's a window open for HOWL'S mixed appeal to both younger viewers and adult animation lovers.

Here's hoping that word of mouth spreads.

'Howl's Castle' Moves into LA/NY

Opening today in Los Angeles and New York: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE from director Hayao Miyazaki.

If you need more convincing, check out this page with links to clips and the US theatrical trailer.

Roger Ebert found it disappointing in comparison to the director's recent work, but most other critics have recommended it (92% "fresh" on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, which apparently is good).

As for Los Angeles critics, Ella Taylor of LA Weekly concluded: "For all his tragic vision of life . . . Miyazaki’s work is washed through with a fundamental decency and compassion that, to judge by his robust box office in Japan, has pierced even the leathery hides of underage anime fans. It certainly pierced mine."

Writing for LA Citybeat (scroll down), Luke Y. Thompson opines: "It’s a bit of a comedown from Spirited Away, but how could it not be?"

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times was awed: "We can have the excitement and joy of seeing new work by one of the greatest animators who ever lived just as soon as he creates it. Future generations will envy us our luck."

Because I am temporarily working in Dallas, Texas, I must wait another week before my opportunity to be enchanted comes. I am jealous!

Need 'Another Lonely Hitman'?

Rokuro Mochizuki’s ANOTHER LONELY HITMAN (Japan, 1995) is the featured new title on DVD shelves this week.

John Willis of DVD Talk writes that the film "bears all the emotional tones one expects of a new wave gangster picture while having a definite distinctive voice and style from it’s director."

Daniel Lee Fullmer of KFC Cinema concludes: "If you’re aching for a powerful piece of film noir, give this one a shot."

Andy McKeague of Monsters and Critics describes it thusly: "This is a moody character piece, which is carried along by the ever excellent Ryo Ishibashi."

Jason Morehead of Opus liked one of the opening scenes yet wasn't completely satisfied: "It's a shame the rest of the film couldn't quite measure up to that single scene, otherwise ANOTHER LONELY HITMAN could've become quite the underground classic."

Mark Pollard of Kung Fu Cinema gave it a mild recommendation: "As such films goes, ANOTHER LONELY HITMAN is effective as Mochizuki makes good use of the resources available to him, while not resorting to too much sensationalism."

The disk includes an interview with the director and an audio commentary by Tom Mes of Midnight Eye.