Away We Go to 500 Days of Summer

First of all, I want to give props to Tim Prichard from HK mag for completely thrashing and trashing Transformers 2 in his HK review. He even got to use the F-word! To be able to drop F-bombs in print....ah one can only dream eh? Beats doesn't let me do it and it's haunted me for the past two years.

Seriously though, it's good he calls it like he sees it because Transformers is a horrible film in every way possible.

Last summer, I wrote a completely scathing review of Mummy 3, one that actually got the film distributors upset. And to think the Editor had already made serious edits to it: my original version spoke out to the distributors directly with me questioning their selection choices for which to distribute.

Every summer, the HK distributors will release movies that have been widely accepted as trash by critics, filmgoers, those in the industry, and even grandmas, sometimes months after the movie had already hit in US (thus the shit-status has already been established). I understand the release of something like Transformers because it's a moneymaker. But what about movies like Land of the Lost or a shitty by-the-book horror film like The Haunting in Connecticut? Those won't make much money anyways.

Film distribution is an interesting business in Hong Kong. Due to factors such as piracy, the short turnaround for DVD releases, and the general "now now now" attitude of HK, theaters get super impatient with movies. If they don't draw in the first day, the movie is in danger of being pulled or having its run shortened. There isn't time for word of mouth to get around.

Muse magazine recently did a story on this, and they interviewed the two girls from Golden Scene. Damn wish I'd thoght of that story angle before.

Anyway, here are a few films that looks very good but have slim chance of seeing a release in Hong Kong.

500 Days of Summer.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsD0NpFSADM

Away We Go.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEp3NKG2U5U

Both of these films remind me of Nick and Noras Infinite Playlist, small indie films that initially caught my attention only because of film poster and title. Then I look deeper and am thoroughly intrigued.

I still haven't seen Nick and Nora because it was never released in HK, and I can't find the DVD to rent anywhere.

That's another thing... the lack of a proper place to rent in HK and lack of selection. I been looking for Do The Right Thing in HK for two years. I've accepted the fact that I'll never find it.

Ironically, a few days ago I saw Driving Miss Daisy at a DVD shop in Wanchai, and we all remember what Spike Lee said last year now.

I dunno why Spike gotta mention them Knicks. I mean the Knicks don't matter right now. The last time they were releveant was when LJ hit that four point play in 99 (the entire garden stood as one at that exact moment). The Knicks won't be relevant until Lebron gets there next summer about the need to mention the fact he loves the Knicks. The Knicks don't matter no more, not until Lebron gets there next summer anyways. But he has a point, nobody watches motherfucking Driving Miss Daisy, but it's on sale here in HK!

Do The Right Thing was a seminal work on racial polarization in NYC yet I can't find it anywhere!