All the details are now up on the website:
http://www.subwaycinema.com/frames/nyaff07films.htm

And check out the festival trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VqMSb5HtRqU

Looks like a terrific line-up this year!

I've been watching screeners from the fest in preparation for an article on it in GAY CITY NEWS, and I can really recommend NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (Tsukamoto's best film since TETUSO?) and DOG BITE DOG.

AFTER THIS OUR EXILE Hong Kong 2006
I saw the "short version" which seemed a bit disjointed, especially in its second half. If the long version is being shown, maybe this will make the film flow more smoothly. Any problems I had are comparatively minor, very worth seeing.
http://rozmon.blogspot.com/2007/03/watched...-5-11-2007.html

BANQUET, THE China 2006
I like Feng's prior work, but found this disappointing. Very lovely cinematography and art direction -- but dramatically this didn't work well for me.

DEATH NOTE Japan 2006
DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME Japan 2006
First seen, second awaiting viewing. Decent adaptation of the manga, I guess -- but overall so-so.
http://rozmon.blogspot.com/2007/02/watched...19-25-2007.html

EXILED Hong Kong 2006
Absolutely wonderful. Highest possible recommendation.
http://rozmon.blogspot.com/2007/01/watched...15-21-2007.html

HULA GIRLS Japan 2006
Not an art movie -- but a mass-market film that is generally quite well done.
http://rozmon.blogspot.com/2007/03/watched...19-25-2007.html

I should add that I also caught BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A and EXILED in Toronto last year, and they're well worth seeing, especially EXILED. The less said about I'M A CYBORG, BUT THAT'S OK, the better.

J-pop Alert!
YO YO GIRL COP (English release title for SUKEBAN DEKA: CODE NAME SAKI ASAMIYA) on Wed. July 4 at 1:00 PM - only show (why only one show for this masterpiece?)

Big mistake in the film's description on the website. They mistakenly identify the actress playing Reika, "the alpha mean girl at the school" as Yui Okada. Wrong! It's Rika Ishikawa, whose photo is the middle one to the right of the description (she's the one with the long brown hair, black hot pants and holding the blue yoyo). She's a former member of Morning Musume, former host of their discontinued (:() TV show, "Hello Morning," and current lead singer of the trio, V-U-Den. Her sidekicks in the trio, Yui Okada and Erika Miyoshi, appear in YO YO GIRL COP as the girls who are victims of Reika and her gang of bullies at school. They're the ones the "delinquent girl cop" of the title takes under her wing.

Below is a link to the video for the film's theme song, sung by GAM, a duo consisting of the film's lead actress, Aya Matsuura, and Miki Fujimoto. They also sing a song that's heard within the movie (a slower, more beautiful one). Miki was, until recently, the newly promoted group leader of Morning Musume, but resigned on May 31 after being photographed by a tabloid coming out of her comedian boyfriend's house after an overnight stay. (This after Nono's pregnancy and Aibon's alleged offer to do nude photos for 100 million yen--it's been quite a scandal-ridden season for my girls. The real world is finally infiltrating the idol world. :rolleyes:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYgEr0LS7A4

Here are my thoughts on some of the films in the programme

After this, our Exile I didn't really like the shorter version of this film but it is worth watching, especially if you are into art films.

The Banquet Like Mr.Kerpan, I think that this film is visually great but not engaging in the least - may induce some unintentional laughs. Waste of two great performances(of Zhang Ziyi and Lu Ye)

Big Bang Love Juvenile A I have seen this in 2006 HKIFF and loved it. But then again I respond to almost all Takeshi Miike films positively.

Dasepo Naughty Girls I can't understand why more people didn't respond to this film positively. It is weird in a nice way with a great cast and it contains lots of delights.

Death Note I liked it. It has strong rythym and an interesting concept.

Dog Bite Dog The film lost me somewhere during the dumpster scenes. Not only it was trying too hard but Edison Chen was a casting mistake - never once bought him as an assassin on the verge of starvation (I give kudos to the guy for genuinely trying but if you don't have talent, it is not known to suddenly come to you)

Exiled All the good things that have been said about this film is true. It is especially wonderful if you have seen and liked To's prior gangster films.

Hula Girls It was ok but nothing special.

Memories of Matsuko This director's style is too cluttered to my taste but this film will not make anyone regret the decision to view it. It is worth for the lead performance alone.


There are so many films I want to see The Show Must Go On, Nightmare Detective, Traces of Love , Death Note:The Last Name...

A new SUKEBAN DEKA? Wow. It's been some years since I've seen even the older films.

I knew I should have gone ahead with those New York vacation plans..."sigh'.


What a dopey retitling, though. I would think that retaining SUKEBAN DEKA would be better for attracting an audience.

Magnolia is releasing YO YO GIRL COP as a bilingual DVD on July 17, per DVD Empire.com.
(There was reportedly thought given to a U.S. theatrical release, but I guess they ultimately thought otherwise. Apparently it didn't do well in its Japan theatrical run last fall.)

ADDENDUM: the Subway Cinema website has corrected the citation for the actress playing Reika.

. . . just to add to the general praise, we watched Johnny To's EXILED/FANGSHU (2006) a couple of weeks ago at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) - the entire cast is in fine form, great visual style, excellent shootouts, with a nice bit of very black humor running through the entire film; this one is a must see if you get the chance . . .

Magnolia has EXILED for August, so a few more viewers should be able to enjoy it.