Kubrador Maximo Oliveros

Green Lip Mussels

Behold, a perfectly crafted entree by my favorite Italian bistro. Green lip mussels in garlic butter sauce. Doesn't this look heavenly? Instead of my usual order of pasta and chicken, I decided to have nothing but appetizers for dinner. I made quick work of these mussels plus a basket of cheesy garlic bread. Throw in balsamic vinegar and oil and it's the perfect meal Everyone else ordered enormous plates of pasta and ravioli. After the meal, everyone had tummies full of pasta and wine but they were too full to drive. I didn't feel quite full but I was pleased with my meal. I suddenly feel like watching The Sopranos. The last time I did, I got hooked on zupa di mussels.

X-Ray Gogs

When I was 10-years-old, I ordered this from the Johnson Smith Company. That was a mail order company that specialized in gag gifts. Guess what? These don't actually work. It was the biggest disappointment of my life.

Press Conference

Hot Chicks With Sticks

I'm a huge fan of Japanese cuisine. After all, this is Hawaii. It seems half the population loves Japanese food or enjoys some aspect of its style of cooking. Recently, food experts in Tokyo launched a campaign to crack down on foreign restaurants that
claim to serve authentic Japanese cuisine but actually don't. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a panel of experts has been appointed and is currently working on a certification system. I wonder if my favorite Japanese restaurants will make the grade. I'm crossing my fingers.

Eccentricity In The Dark

Here is a little known fact. The only way I can fully enjoy a movie is if the theater is completely empty. What is it about sitting alone in a dark, empty room with nothing but a bag of greasy popcorn and a soda? Perhaps it is that moment when the house lights fade and the previews begin, and I know that no one is going to walk in and ruin my suspension of disbelief for the next two hours. What happens when I want to see a box office hit? Well, that's hard for me. I rarely ever see a blockbuster on its opening weekend. I just can't bear sitting in a jam-packed movie house. I'm a magnet for discourteous moviegoers who easily distract me and ruin my fun. Why is it that wherever I sit, the person behind me insists on kicking the back of my chair or resting his dirty sneakers on the back of my armrest? For these reasons, I’ll wait several weeks to see a blockbuster. If I wait long enough, great films show up at the Restaurant Row 9 Theatres (Ala Moana Boulevard) or the Keolu Center Cinemas (Keolu Drive) and the tickets cost only $1.00!

VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, VOL 2

Boy, you know, I really get excited when classic cartoons from my childhood get released on DVD. I still find it incredible that I can purchase entire seasons of Thundercats and He-Man at the local Best Buy or Suncoast. This week, another childhod cartoon I still cherish has found immortality on DVD. On Tuesday, retailers begin selling VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, VOL 2 (1984). Say, that's for me!

Media Blasters synopsis - From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend… the legend of Voltron: a mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. As Voltron’s legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy and a galaxy alliance was formed on planet Earth. Together with the good planets of the solar system, they maintained peace throughout the universe until a new horrible menace threatened the galaxy. Voltron was needed once more. This is the story of the super force of space explorers, specially trained and sent by the Alliance to bring back Voltron: Defender of the Universe. VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, VOL 2 is a three-disc collection of episodes 16-30 (each with fully restored video and 5.1 sound), original character sketches, designs, promos, TV ads, news footage, and other extra features. VOLTRON will be released on Media Blasters’ Anime Works imprint.

Tsutaya Nights

How I miss those Friday movie rental nights in Japan. Especially during the winter. I would ride my enormous Japanese bicycle (complete with bell ringer and wire basket) along the train tracks and several blocks up the main street. I rode to Tsutaya, a local movie rental store in the little town I lived in. There I'd find a modest and mostly outdated selection of American movies on VHS. This was before DVDs became the standard format. All of the films had Japanese subtitles. That was a fantastic way to learn Kanji. I used to have a complete list of all the movies I had ever rented there. I kept a log on a crumpled piece of ruled paper and kept that in the china cabinet of my house. Unfortunately, that list is gone. Most of the films I had rented were several years old. Some were from the 80s. I only recall a few of the movies I rented. Why is it the only filmI recall seeing is Lexx (the original 4-part mini series)? Those were desperate times. I didn't enjoy Japanese television very much. They rarely played American programs. However, they sometimes played early episodes of Ally McBeal. Only thing it was called sometthing like "Ari My Rabu." On certain nights, they would play a U.S. action film like Point Break or Batman. But I really can't remember which movies. Sometimes, it was just nice to hear English voices in my apartment. Looking back now, I really was pretty lucky. My family often sent me VHS recordings of Saturday Night Live Seinfeld and Friends. I had a friend who would send me movies he taped off HBO like Disturbing Behavior. I should also mention that my predecessor left a few tapes behind for me to watch. I remember these two tapes. Delta Force and Grumpy Old Men. Did I leave my successor anything? How about a mountain of NBC's Must-See Television. That's worth it's weight in gold.

Ride The Hallyu Hawaiian Style

KFEST2 was huge success in August. As you may already know, KFEST is HIFF's mini-festival of contemporary Korean cinema. People can’t get enough of hallyu (wave of Korean pop culture) and KFEST2 was a perfect opportunity for them to catch up with their favorite idols and rising stars. With seven films over three days, there was something there for everyone. The following is taken from a post I made on August 22, 2006 to promote KFEST2.

BAREFOOT KI-BONG boasts a stellar cast of highly-respected perfomers such as Shin Hyun-jun, Kim Soo-mi and Tak Jae-hoon, all of whom appeared in the 2005 hit MARRYING THE MAFIA 2 – arguably the most successful comedy in the history of Korean film. Film critics are buzzing about Shin Hyun-jun’s touching portrayal of the title character in BAREFOOT KI-BONG. The role is a daring departure for the handsome actor who is well-known for playing romantic leads and hard-hitting gangsters. It's a heartwarming story that KFEST2 audiences will love.

Cinephiles in the mood for laughs will love the high school comedy SEE YOU AFTER SCHOOL. Critics credit much of the film’s success to actor Bong Tae-gyu, a rising star recently featured in this summer’s Family Ties as well as the 2005 comedy sensation (and HIFF 2005 film) WHEN ROMANCE MEETS DESIRE. Korean critics praise Bong for flawlessly balancing comedy and drama and are already calling him the spiritual successor to Song Kang-ho and Ryoo Seung-beom — the heavyweights of Korean comedy-drama. It’s said that a talent scout actually discovered Bong Tae-Gyu on the street. He first appeared in the movie TEARS (2000) starring a teenage troublemaker. He went on to star in the comedies NO MANNERS (2002) and A GOOD LAWYER'S WIFE (2003). Local K-drama fans will recognize Bong from CAT IN THE ROOFTOP ROOM and NON-STOP 4.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE is directed by prolific director Park Jin-pyo. Known for a string of successful TV documentaries in Korea, Park also directed TOO YOUNG TO DIE, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and proclaimed an international hit. However, it was also a controversial because it featured a South Korean couple in their 70s having sex! After this uproar, Park moved on to romantic comedies and directed IF YOU WERE ME (Yeosutgaeui Sisun) in 2003 and SUNSHINE. He won the “Best Director” of 2005 at the 26th Blue Dragon Awards in Seoul.

Strangeness That Defies Analysis

My DVD pick of the week is the Katsuhito Ishii film CHA NO AJI (THE TASTE OF TEA). That is a film I wish I had seen on a 100-foot IMAX screen instead of my portable DVD player’s 9-inch display. My regret has nothing to do with the film’s special effects. Of course, since this is a Katsuhito Ishii film, there are some creepy images that completely defy analysis and will positively haunt me for weeks. I might also mention the film is sprinkled with computer-generated oddities that enchant the eyes and simultaneously boggle the brain. For instance, a train emerges from a schoolboy’s forehead and glides toward an azure sky. A nine–year-old girl is haunted by her own 60-foot doppelganger. A giant sunflower expands and swallows up the girl, Japan and then the entire solar system before it dissolves into nothingness. That’s worth the price of a ticket for some moviegoers, but what do these images really mean? Isn’t this a movie about family? According to Ishii, in a rare Q&A session at a past Hawaii International Film Festival, if you don’t understand The Taste of Tea in all its bewildering, psychotropic glory, don’t worry. You were never supposed to. So, don’t be too puzzled when the occasional giant ascends into the frame. The truth is, even without the FX, there is plenty here to enchant the eyes of Japanophiles and independent film audiences.

"Naisu No Mori" Now On DVD!

NAISU NO MORI: THE FIRST CONTACT is finally out on DVD. At least I think it is. I saw a copy of this film on someone's desk at work. The case is beautiful. It features all the main characters including Tadanobu Asano and his Snicker-munching little "Guitar Brother." I would really love to see this movie again. I should ask him where he got his copy. However, I'm pretty sure that DVD is Japanese language only.

YOU TUBE Named Invention of the Year

I love YOU TUBE! I'm not surprised that TIME magazine has named it "Invention of the Year" for 2006. In case you didn't know, YOU TUBE is a free online video streaming service that allows users to upload, view and share video clips. Its applications seem endless. I'm most impressed by the way it has changed the way people can communicate with family and friends, not to mention complete strangers. For instance, it has given American soldiers in Iraq another way to connect with loved ones back home. All they need is a video camera and a laptop. I think we can all agree the Internet cannot replace the charisma or the magic of a handwritten letter. But isn't it a wonderful thing when a soldier doesn't have to completely miss out on special moments like his baby's first steps? He can see it on YOU TUBE the very same day instead of waiting two weeks for a VHS tape in the mail. I realize there are some very silly applications. Like that famous video clip of the monkey on a branch that smells its own rear and then passes out. Yes, there's a constant flood of inane, useless videos on YOU TUBE. However, as a cinephile, I like it because it gives me a chance to sample clips from movies that I can't find at the video store and and television shows that will never air again on television. For example, I'm a huge fan of Halloween. The holiday, not the film (although I love the John Carpenter film, too). I really look forward to Halloween month because AMC has a scary movie marathon called "Monster Fest" and BRAVO usually has programs like "Top 100 Scariest Movies." A few years ago, there was a program on television called Clive Barker's Short Screamers. It was a collection of frightening short films created by talented first-time filmmakers from all over the U.S.A. It was hosted by the master of gothic horror himself, Clive Barker. He would explain how some of these shorts cost almost nothing to make but it was all right because the storytelling was absolutely ingenious. I really miss that show. They haven't played this in a few years and I doubt they ever will. But thanks to the magic of YOU TUBE, I can always get a little taste of this wonderful showcase of horror. Now you can, too. Check out the two shorts below!

Monster Stocking Stuffers

It's Friday, 3:30 PM. I have nothing else to publish. Here's an idea. Would you like to see the Christmas list that I'm sending to Santa Claus? If you glance at my list you'll see I'm only asking for DVDs. The best things come in small packages, right? Each of these is a cinematic treasure!

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)
Last Life in the Universe (2003)
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
The Ugly (1997)
Slither (2006)
Bad Taste (1988)
Cemetary Man (1996)
Ju-On: The Grudge (2003)
Spacehunter (1983)
Scanners (1981)
Freaked (1993)
They Call Me Bruce (1982)
Strangers With Candy (2005)
Brain Candy (1996)
Dead or Alive (2006)
Vermilion Pleasure Night: Vol. 1: Optic Erotica (2006)
Vermilion Pleasure Night: Vol. 3: Creme de la Crème (2006)
Vermilion Pleasure Night: Vol. 2: Vox Stimuli (2006)
Ichi The Killer (2001)
Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero (2002)
Oldboy (2003)
Appleseed (2004)
Wicked City (1989)
The Last Unicorn (1982)
Masters of Horror: Dario Argento: Jenifer (2005)
Masters of Horror: Takashi Miike (2005)
Nacho Libre (2006)
The Doom Generation (1995)
Profit: Season 1 (1996)
Trancers (1985)
The Tick: The Entire Series (2001)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1992)
Testso 2: Body Hammer (1992)

Check out this trailer for Vermilion Pleasure Night.

Baby The Stars Shine Bright Is Born

Aloha! Welcome to Baby The Stars Shine Bright! My name is Jason. I work at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival as a programming assistant. The LVHIFF is an organization that exists to promote the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film. To learn more about this organization, please visit our website at http://www.hiff.org/

Here are a few synopses I wrote that were published in this year's gorgeous LVHIFF Program Book:


NA KAMALEI: MEN OF HULA
Dir: Lisette Marie Flanary
Robert Cazimero is the kumu hula for Na Kamalei (“the lei of children”) – Hawaii’s only hula academy strictly for men. He has mentored male students for 30 years, bringing the masculine aspect back to hula and overcoming gender stereotypes. In NA KAMALEI, the role of men in hula is explored through interviews with Cazimero and his contemporaries. They discuss Hawaiian man’s disconnection with the hula (that can be traced back to American Protestant missionaries who denounced the hula as a heathen dance) and the renaissance of the 1970s when men overcame stereotypes to live the proverb “dare to hula, leave your shame at home.” Personal stories from Cazimero’s students – who range in age from 18 to 55 - are amusing, emotional, and demonstrate the lasting positive impact the hula has on the lives of Hawaiian men. Director Lisette Marie Flanary’s documentary is fortuitously timed. Her cameras capture Cazimero on his 30th anniversary of teaching, as he prepares his students for the Merrie Monarch Festival – the most prestigious hula competition in the world – and follows him to the exciting, pahu-pounding finale where his students dance not to win, but to continue a proud legacy of Hawaiian men.


MADE OF MUSIC: THE STORY OF JOHN CRUZ
Dir: Leslie Truglio
Islanders who crank up the radio on the drive to work know these John Cruz lyrics by heart: “On the island, we do it island
style, from the mountain to the ocean, from the windward to leeward side.” That is, of course, the unofficial anthem for many
island residents. What most of us may not identify with is the actual man behind the music. Director Leslie Truglio goes beyond those formulaic made-for-television documentaries on VH1. Cruz’s life story has its share of downward spirals to be sure, however, MADE OF MUSIC explores issues locals folks can really identify with. Cruz offers genuine and thought provoking anecdotes, from hanabata days in Palolo Valley to twelve years of struggle on the East Coast to ultimately achieving personal and professional equilibrium back in the islands he loves. Instead of emphasizing his status as a two-time Na Hoku Hanohano award winner or that he’s the first musician ever to receive a Grammy award for Hawaiian music, Truglio explores the soulful inspiration behind the personal style that Cruz refers to as “acoustic soul.” The film features rare concert footage and unexpected interviews with Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne and Kelly Slater. The Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival is honored to host the world premiere of MADE OF MUSIC.



APT
Dir: Ahn Byeong-ki
If there's one thing we should have learned from the animated horror MONSTER HOUSE, it's this: you're only asking for suffering when you peep at the creepy old man across the street. If that movie made you afraid to live across from a haunted house, Ahn Byeong-ki's APT will make you want to move out of the city! Sejin (Ko So-young, DOUBLE AGENT) is a young woman who moves into a high-rise apartment in Seoul. It's a quiet old place so she amuses herself by watching the apartments across from her balcony. Eventually she discovers something unusual. Every night at 9:56 p.m., the lights mysteriously flicker on and off but none of the residents seem to notice. Somehow, each of these blackouts results in a gruesome death. Sejin investigates the spine-chilling connection and finds there is no turning back...This terrifying tale is based on a comic by Kang Pool.



Nightmare Detective
Dir: Tsukamoto Shinya
A supernatural thriller by director Shinya Tsukamoto. Keiko Kirishima is a highly skilled detective baffled by the mysterious deaths of two people who died shortly after dialing 0 on their cellular phones. Forget Hideo Nakata's RINGU and Takashi Miike's ONE MISSED CALL or the myriad knockoffs these films have spawned. Tsukamoto's film offers a brilliant twist on the worn-out dead-meat-in-7-days premise. In Tsukamoto's film, the protagonists get proactive and send in their own spook - the Nightmare Detective! After all, why loaf around until the gruesome end when you can dive into the grisly nightmare and get the answers yourself? Then again, what happens when even a supernatural detective can't help? In that case, it may be time to dial 0 yourself... Singer-songwriter and J-pop sensation hitomi (her nom de plume really is lowercase and minus the family name) plays Detective Keiko. Ryuhei Matsuda (GOHATTO, LVHIFF 2000) plays the paranormal P.I.

Silk
Dir: Su Chao-pin
Director Su Chao-bin takes a deep spiritual route in this supernatural thriller. A scientist named Hashimoto (Yosuke Eguchi), seeks immortality by researching the dead. One day, his team captures the energy of a ghost child using a new anti-gravitational device called the Menger Sponge. The child, isolated in an empty Taipei flat, seems to be saying something, but his lips are mouthing words that no one understands. Hashimoto believes the child has the answers to life after death so he enlists the help of Ye Chi-Tung (Chang Chen from CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, LVHIFF 2000), a police sharpshooter who can read lips. When the ghost reveals nothing about the afterlife, the cop frantically follows clues that will lead him to the terrifying answers behind the child's death. SILK, which had its world premiere in Cannes this year, is an inventive, modern sci-fi look at Asian spiritualism and the paranormal.


Lump of Sugar
Dir: Lee Hwan-Gyeong
Has overindulgence in Korean gangster and horror films left you frazzled? Perhaps the cure is a...LUMP OF SUGAR! This heartwarming tale stars Lim Soo-jung (SAD MOVIE, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS) as Si-eun, a young woman who dreams of becoming a jockey like her late mother (who died in a racing accident). Young Si-eun adopts an orphaned pony and names it Chundung – Korean for "thunder." All is well until the day her father – fearing Si-eun will suffer the same tragedy as her mother – sells Chundung without saying a word. Years later, Si-eun becomes a jockey despite her father's feelings (and the gender discrimination she encounters). One day in the city streets, she comes across a familiar horse pulling a wagon. Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be her beloved horse Chundung! What follows is inspiring, uplifting and sure to please anyone who enjoyed NATIONAL VELVET!


Marrying the Mafia 3: Rebirth of the Family
Dir: Jeong Yong-ki
Mrs. Hong and her boys are back! In the third installment of this ultra-successful MAFIA franchise, In-Jae, Mrs. Hong's eldest son, and his gorgeous lawyer-wife Jin-Kyoung are happily married. The family has gone legit and Mrs. Hong's food company is growing like gangbusters. Life is good, but can it really last? As most hallyu fans know, happiness is fleeting in Korean comedies. Just when these gangsters think they’re out, they pull 'em back in! This time around, the enemy is Myoung-Phil, a disgraced former prosecutor who was jailed for corruption and whose sole purpose is to the Jang family. What the legal weasel doesn't know is that Mama Jang has family members all over the country and like THE WARRIORS, they're ready to come out and play. Can Mama Jang and the boys overcome their latest enemy and restore the family's glory?


Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Dir: Tommy Yune, Dong-Wook Lee
Praise Harmony Gold, it’s finally here! The animated sequel to the Robotech TV series of 1985. Back in the day – long before it was fashionable for gaijin to become anime addicts – legions of children in Hawaii and across the U.S. raced home after school to see Rick Hunter charge into battle in a fully-loaded Veritech that transformed from fighter to guardian to battloid mode! Kids didn’t even know what anime was or that Robotech was actually three completely unrelated Japanese series jammed into one franchise. Fast forward twenty-one years later and fans are still ravenous for a sequel to the series. This is precisely why the LVHIFF is proud to present THE SHADOW CHRONICLES, a direct continuation to the unresolved conclusion of the third series (The New Generation). This long-awaited follow-up takes us to 2044 AD where Scott Bernard and the Robotech Expeditionary Force have fought hard to end the decades-long struggle the alien race known as the Invid. Now that war is over and the people of Earth have been liberated, it’s time to send out an expedition to find Admiral Rick Hunter. However, in the search for the admiral’s missing fleet, a new mystery unfolds that threatens to wipe out mankind for good!Hard-core Robotech fans should take note. Several of the original voice actors have reprised their roles for characters including Rick Hunter, Scott Bernard and Vince Grant and the Invid Regess. The cast even includes Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). That’s enough to make even fans in their 30s giddy with excitement! And why not? The Robotech series was part of the genesis of American anime fandom as we know it today. So, dust off your Lynn Minmei doll – you know you have it - Robotech is back!