This year, Miramax distributed four asia movies. HERO is hugely successfully in US. "Shaolin Soccer" and "Infernal Affairs" and "Zatoichi" earned amazing reviews in US, but all of them became box office bombs in US. It make me very disappointed, I thought that they have very strong international appeal .
"Zatoichi" performence is the most disappointed for me. Most of the films, which won Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award, has became box office hits in US (Such as Whale Rider, Amelie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, American Beauty and Life is Beautiful....) In fact, "Zatoichi" US opening weekend gross was very strong, but the leg was very weak........ I still can't figure out why this movie became a box office bombs in US.
(Anyway, "HERO ", "Shaolin Soccer" , "Infernal Affairs" and "Zatoichi" earned amazing reviews in US; it proved that Miramax does truly have an eye for Asia movies.)


This year is very good for South Korea's movie. Sony Pictures Classics' "Spring Summer Fall Winter...and Spring" became highest-grossing South Korea movie in the United States of all time . "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of the War", which is released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony's Destination Films, has also became second-highest-grossing South Korea movie in the United States of all time. The success of "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of the War" is a good surprise for me. (I personally like "Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of the War" , but I thought that the story of this movie may not have enough international appeal.

Although I personally hate "House of Flying Daggers", I am still happy that this movie movie's US opening weekend gross was very strong.


US opening weekend gross of GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE was very strong, but the leg is weak because of mixed reviews it received in US.............This movie's US final gross is $941,344, but this movie would do well on DVD market.


US opening weekend gross of JU-ON: THE GRUDGE was also respectful, but the leg is weak because of mixed reviews it received in US......... Over 16 weeks, the pic has scared up $325,661 at the US box office. But this film is still playing in theaters. (By the way, this movie's remake version became a blockbuster in US.)

I didn't realize Zatoichi was the Toronto film festival winner? Nor did anyone else. Part of its failure could have been marketing. Part of it could have been its intelligence level. While the past TO fesitval winners you mentioned, Whale Rider, American Beauty, Life is Beautiful, had a bit of social commentary and and adressed depression and trauma (in some cases), We like our Martial Arts movies here a bit, how to say it, dumber. Don't get me wrong, Crouching Tiger was an excellent film, but it was just a Chinese Romeo and Juliet story. We don't really like to get too much more cerebral than that when "fight scenes" find their way into a movie. Did you like Zatoichi? It was about a blind martial arts master right?




"Spring, Summer..." did fairly well here (I think something upwards of 3 million). Not bad for a movie about buddhist contemplations of regeneration. I've never heard of Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of the War. What did you like about it?



Grrrrr. Yimou has taken a turn for the worst. My heart has been ripped from my chest and stepped upon by Hero...there is no feeling left in me for Flying Daggers. Why dud you hate it?



I disagree. I don't think it will get much in the ways of purchase, and probably even less than the original in rentals. Ghist in the Shell has too big a cult following. They'll look at the second one once if their curiosity has been piqued, but that's about it.



Its horro right? What was the remake?

Thanks for the review, I have to say, the Asian market in the U.S. is pretty much the only one with any sign of a pulse. I was just thinking about what other foreign movies made over 5 million this year and their sure as hell aren't many. I Think Swimming Pool and Amerlie were the French box office height, and 8 Women, while receiving some critical love, didn't rack in too much. Since then France has faded, Italy has been Nowhere, Germany has been quiet since Nowhere in Africa (and even that barely broke 5 million) and Australia hasn't had a Luhrman release in awhile. It seems like the only market right now is the China and South Asian, so they are definately important to keep an eye on.

Thanks

Sorry, I haven't seen Zatoichi.


But I love Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of the War. It is a very powerful anti-war movie.

What was its angle? Was it explicitly activist oriented? A Personal narrative? I've never heard of the movie before you mentioned it.

It is a story about two brothers.


This movie had so many "flashback" scenes, but not "Personal narrative".

Maybe you can see the trailer and website
http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/taeguk ... r_high.asx

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/taegukgi/

I personally didn't like Zatôichi. I thought it was endlessly repetative and lacked rhythm. The fight scenes were rather boring (I thought The Last Samurai and Kill Bill, American films, were better than this one) and the CG bloodspray didn't look creative or make the film look any bloodier, it just took me out of the film more and more and more and more....

This, for me, hasn't been a great year in Asian cinema (at least, Asian cinema that has made it to the US) and seeing as how Steamboy, 2046, and Howl's Moving Castle failed to make it here in 2004, 2005 could concievably be a lot better.

I haven't found a lot I liked. Hero lacked a great story, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter failed to do anything for me after being talked up so much by my friends and co-workers. It's so flat, the cinematography is tired, ehh....

I like Shaolin Soccer a lot, but it's not brilliant.

Ju-on is not Ringu. Not even close to that good.

I have yet to see Infernal Affairs, which is the one I really wanted to see.

There is no real big thrust for me to see Ghost in the Shell 2, I don't really like the first one that much (it's kind of a mess).

Hmmm, i didnt get to see this when it was out in the UK. But i still want to see it. It looks good, like a film with a proper story, rather than just using effects and hoping for it to win big, like most films nowadays.

You obviously seem like the person that doesnt like decent foriegn films from there native countries, because you liked Kill Bill, but not this, if anybody knows how to make a Japanese Sword film, its the Japanese (or whoever made it, cant remember)...

Its horro right? What was the remake?[/quote]

The Grudge, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Opened to something like 39.1 million, and the last time I looked its gross was 110 in America alone. Sequel already on the way.

Algren, you shouldn't post in the indie section with your flaming ignorance of how films are made.

Yes, and people like Kurosawa mastered it years, and years, and years, and years ago and it and many of the more b-movie styles have filtered into fight choreographers in movies like Kill Bill, The Matrix, and The Last Samurai. Some of these big fancy American pictures even hire the best in the business to make their fight scenes better!

Case in point: Kill Bill's fight choeographer is not Quentin Tarantino, it is none other than Sonny Chiba, who is... get this... Japanese!

It's also silly to think that just because I didn't like the current incarnation of Zatoichi that I lack an appreciation for a good samurai movie.

Go back to your hole.