Posted on Wednesday, 30 July 2008 at 10:23 am
As mentioned here last week, Taguchi Tomorowo’s second directorial effort “Shikisoku Zenereishon” is currently shooting in Kyoto and on Tuesday Stylejam held a press conference to introduce the rest of the cast. Lead character Jun is to be played by minor punk band Kuroneko Chelsea vocalist Watanabe Daichi, who auditioned successfully from a field of 2000. He’ll be joined by fellow warblers Kishida Shigeru of the band Quruli (who supplied the soundtracks for Inudo Isshin’s “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” and Yamashita Nobuhiro’s “Ramblers”) and Gingnang Boyz’ Mineta Kazunobu, who played protagonist Nakajima in “Iden & Tity”, as well as model/actress Usuda Asami. Cinematopics also has Ishibashi Anna (”Your Friend“) listed, although no mention was made of her on Stylejam’s blog.
Photo: back row - Usada, Lily Franky, Hori Chiemi, Kishida, Mineta
front row - Miura Jun, Watanabe, Taguchi
Posted on Monday, 28 July 2008 at 1:03 pm
While the governments of South Korea and Japan continue to engage in petty squabbles over the Liancourt Rocks, the Mainichi reports that filmmakers from both countries are uniting to combat a far more sanguine issue: vampires.
“Higanjima” is a manga currently being serialized in Young Magazine about a high school boy named Akira and his friends searching for his lost brother on an island ruled by bloodsuckers and populated by various other monsters.
Only director Kim Tae-gyun and screenwriter Oishi Tetsuya (also the script perpetrator for Fukasaku Kenta’s “X-Cross”) have been announced so far for the adaptation, but Bunka Tsushin say the rest of the cast and crew will be Japanese. Due in summer of 2009.
You can read the first instalment of the manga by clicking on the link at the bottom left of this page.
Posted on Friday, 25 July 2008 at 3:42 pm
Although the leads don’t exactly fill me with the spirit of Christmas, “Heaven’s Door” is still an intriguing prospect as the first foray into live action features by “Tekkon Kinkreet” director Michael Arias. Now it has an official site, with a teaser that doesn’t appear to be working yet.
Omori Mika (”Install”, “Detroit Metal City”) has mucked around with the original script of 1997 German action comedy “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, and UK techno group Plaid bring the noise for the soundtrack. Nagase Tomoya (”Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims”) and Fukuda Mayuko (”L: Change the WorLD”) head a cast that also features Nagatsuka Keishi, Okura Koji, Wada Soko, Kikawada Masaya, Miura Tomokazu and legendary dancer and choreographer Tanaka Min. Coming to a theater near me in spring next year.
