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zesty_pintoAsian Film Fest! So far it's been more hit than miss. I think it's the fare I'm watching that's making me feel this way.
Kung Fu Chefs: Right off the bat, we were told this one was going to make no sense. They were right, I was confused at the plotholes. It's definitely classic shlocky Hong Kong fare.
Storm Lords: Touted for having a huge budget, it shows it through a huge acting cast, beautiful set design, and a 300-ish style of violence that is visually gorgeous and as vapid as the seinin comic it was pulling story from.
Bodyguards and Assassins: This film was a double feature that also had a documentary called Development Hell. It chronicled the many cursed misfortunes associated with the making of the film, from unexpected delays setting up to deaths of close people associated with the film. It was pretty entertaining.
This film was big budget and you could tell from the quality of the cinematography, some of the actors who were really showing good range of emotions, and... the story failed me. It wasn't a bad film, but it had holes and intentionally overemphasized melodrama and that made me dissociate with the film's otherwise wonderful visuals.
Cow: I saw this one first because I wanted to mention it last. Low-budget and relatively simple, Cow was the best of the lot. What was the film about? A village hick is the sole survivor of a Japanese raid, and his only other companion is a foreign milk cow. It's got range, depth, and a plot that actually has something going for it. I honestly felt like this was a Chinese Beckett play at times with the existentialist themes that seemed to run with the story flawlessly.
This week goes from the Hong Kong fare to the Japanese as well. There's one I want to see about an unmarried "older woman" (read: 25) who tries to get accustomed to the mediocrity of normal life. Another involves a failed Olympic cyclist who is framed for murder: it looks like utter ridiculous hilarity and actually stars the same guy who was in Cow. Finally, there's the latest Jackie Chan film (where he DOESN'T play some sort of wacky family-friendly character), the latest John Woo offering, and a Korean buddy film about two secret agents from the opposite sides of the DMZ.
Remember, this is for this week, so there's a lot of promise going on.
Photography
Didn't get the chance to go for two events. Bah. I do have a premiere screening to shoot for for a film featuring Mark Ruffalo! That I am looking very much forward to, especially if he comes in.
Speaking of wish, summer camp comes next week. No, I can't go because I'm too busy with work opportunities and balancing my budget (I'd argue the AFF is causing this, but all the films watched on the AFF would be equivalent to the cost of going to summer camp). We have one of the scouts willing to take photos for this trip so now I'm bargain hunting for a weatherproof camera. UGH, STOP MAKING ME SPEND MONEY!! >_<
On the bright side, I did also get an offer to shoot someone's wedding. Yes, it's paid. Yes, it's under my normal rate, which is ridiculously small for weddings but the client wanted it at a lower rate anyway since it's just a "renewal of vows" for her parents. Either way, it's still my normal rate, so it's good!
Miscellaneous
I wasted half a week logging data that I now found out was unnecessary. I'd feel bad about it if I didn't know that there was enough data in haphazard places to make this a grinding frustration-fest.
Kung Fu Chefs: Right off the bat, we were told this one was going to make no sense. They were right, I was confused at the plotholes. It's definitely classic shlocky Hong Kong fare.
Storm Lords: Touted for having a huge budget, it shows it through a huge acting cast, beautiful set design, and a 300-ish style of violence that is visually gorgeous and as vapid as the seinin comic it was pulling story from.
Bodyguards and Assassins: This film was a double feature that also had a documentary called Development Hell. It chronicled the many cursed misfortunes associated with the making of the film, from unexpected delays setting up to deaths of close people associated with the film. It was pretty entertaining.
This film was big budget and you could tell from the quality of the cinematography, some of the actors who were really showing good range of emotions, and... the story failed me. It wasn't a bad film, but it had holes and intentionally overemphasized melodrama and that made me dissociate with the film's otherwise wonderful visuals.
Cow: I saw this one first because I wanted to mention it last. Low-budget and relatively simple, Cow was the best of the lot. What was the film about? A village hick is the sole survivor of a Japanese raid, and his only other companion is a foreign milk cow. It's got range, depth, and a plot that actually has something going for it. I honestly felt like this was a Chinese Beckett play at times with the existentialist themes that seemed to run with the story flawlessly.
This week goes from the Hong Kong fare to the Japanese as well. There's one I want to see about an unmarried "older woman" (read: 25) who tries to get accustomed to the mediocrity of normal life. Another involves a failed Olympic cyclist who is framed for murder: it looks like utter ridiculous hilarity and actually stars the same guy who was in Cow. Finally, there's the latest Jackie Chan film (where he DOESN'T play some sort of wacky family-friendly character), the latest John Woo offering, and a Korean buddy film about two secret agents from the opposite sides of the DMZ.
Remember, this is for this week, so there's a lot of promise going on.
Photography
Didn't get the chance to go for two events. Bah. I do have a premiere screening to shoot for for a film featuring Mark Ruffalo! That I am looking very much forward to, especially if he comes in.
Speaking of wish, summer camp comes next week. No, I can't go because I'm too busy with work opportunities and balancing my budget (I'd argue the AFF is causing this, but all the films watched on the AFF would be equivalent to the cost of going to summer camp). We have one of the scouts willing to take photos for this trip so now I'm bargain hunting for a weatherproof camera. UGH, STOP MAKING ME SPEND MONEY!! >_<
On the bright side, I did also get an offer to shoot someone's wedding. Yes, it's paid. Yes, it's under my normal rate, which is ridiculously small for weddings but the client wanted it at a lower rate anyway since it's just a "renewal of vows" for her parents. Either way, it's still my normal rate, so it's good!
Miscellaneous
I wasted half a week logging data that I now found out was unnecessary. I'd feel bad about it if I didn't know that there was enough data in haphazard places to make this a grinding frustration-fest.
