Tokyo Sonata

Tokyo Sonata (IMDb), depressing -> uplifting = amazing.

SYNOPSIS

Set in contemporary Tokyo, TOKYO SONATA is a story of an ordinary Japanese family of four. The father, Ryuhei Sasaki, like any other Japanese businessman, is faithfully devoted to his work. His wife, Megumi, left on her own to manage the house, struggles to retain a bond with her oldest son in college, Takashi, and the youngest, Kenji, a sensitive boy in elementary school. From the exterior the family is seemingly normal, save for the tiny schisms that exist within.

The quiet unraveling of the family begins when Ryuhei loses his job unexpectedly. Facing completely unfamiliar circumstances, he decides not to tell his family and begins his lonely sojourn into the world of the secretly unemployed. Along with many other businessmen who save face by concealing their shameful reality from family and friends, Ryuhei begins to depart each day for work, when, in fact, he kills time in libraries and parks. His lies and torment go unnoticed by Takashi, who becomes increasingly despondent and alienated from his family, and Megumi, who can no longer summon the will to keep her family together.

Meanwhile, Kenji’s journey begins to mirror his father’s solitary plight. While Ryuhei vehemently refuses to allow Kenji to play the piano, he nevertheless finds a way to take clandestine piano lessons by using his school lunch money for lesson fees. What began as lies created as means to survive in a society increasingly unable to communicate, gradually lead the family into unforeseeable destruction.

In the hands of world famous director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, known for his thrillers and movies of suspense, this story probes the dark side of human nature and the social problems that confront contemporary Japan. Kurosawa’s portrayal of the breakdown and redemption of Japan’s “ordinary family” is every bit as gripping as his previous works.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

This film portrays a very ordinary family in modern Japan. I started from a point where lies, suspicion and a complete breakdown of communication already have established themselves within the family. Without a doubt, this is “modern” and this is also “Japan.” However, I would like to show a glimmer of hope in the end. Can I do that? Even if I could do so, would that be something that saves a conventional family?

周立波上海海派清口《我为财狂》

差不多有将近70%的内容与《笑侃30年》重复。看过的就当消遣……再下面的是一段比较有意思的模仿。估计很快会被和谐……

周立波上海海派清口《笑侃三十年》

下面的这个是完整版，看完起码我是一直在笑，很多东西还是点到精髓了，不过在这边有些东西还是不能口无遮拦的，尽管周立波已经非常奔放了。如果喜欢周立波的这种类似于单口相声的风格，不妨去还可以去看看黄子华的栋笃笑。只不过从上海话变成了粤语，讽刺搞笑程度绝不比这个差=。=

许久没有更新，今天想上youtube来着，结果证实了youtube是彻底被这边封掉了，为了遏制极小部分视频就全盘封掉应该也是不得已的事情，毕竟这边还是有这边的政策……也就是说很多视频就无法直接看，trailer什么的国内很多视频网站上面是肯定找不到的。

也罢，挂代理吧，起码封的不是blogspot。再说了，说不定哪天解禁了你还不知道呢……阿Q一回。

周立波，1981年进入上海滑稽剧团，成名于80年代末，其表演风格独树一帜，融各派冷面滑稽于一体，又不失人文才情的调侃和嘲讽。这些年，周立波为了拓展自我局限，下过海、经过商、出过国，但始终牵挂着表演艺术。他在接受采访时说，我这么些年的生活积累，社会阅历一直在促使我寻找全新的，能表现现代海派演艺文化的突破点，机缘到了，我会重新站上舞台。果然，2008年底，由周立波创作的海派清口《笑侃三十年》在上海引起了强烈的轰动，一票难求。

《笑侃三十年周立波海派清口专场演出》是一个人、一张嘴、一台戏、一百五十分钟，盘点改革开放30年·衣·住·行！一票难求，连演三十场欲罢不能的火爆演出，余秋雨评价：一人之夜，一百年才出一个周立波！

三十年之诸多变数，小人可以变成大人，大人可以变成老人，老人可以变成先人，亲人可以变成仇人。好人可以变成坏人，坏人可以变成恶人。前苏联可以变成独联体，萨达姆可以变成吊死鬼。无产阶级可以变成有产阶级，有产阶级可以变成五保特困。散户可以变成大户，大户可以变成消户。980点可以变成6400点，6400点可以变成1200点。赤佬可以变成模子，模子可以变成赤佬。

Crayon Physics Deluxe

Independent Games Festival评出的2008 Independent Games Festival Winners里面，除了之前介绍过的AudioSurf之外，最有创意的应该就是由Kloonigames独立开发的Crayon Physics Deluxe了。

Crayon Physics Deluxe is a 2D physics puzzle / sandbox game, in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings would be magically transformed into real physical objects. Solve puzzles with your artistic vision and creative use of physics.

Kalafina

2007年12月1日开始上映的七个章节连作剧场版《空之境界》的主题曲，将通过选拔新人女歌手来决定，并把此项活动命名为“Kalafina (Wiki) Project”。


Wakana
FictionJunction WAKANAとして梶浦由记に见出される。
伸びがあり清凉感あふれる歌声の歌姫。

Keiko
FictionJunction KEIKOとして梶浦由记に见出される。
魅惑的な低音の歌声の歌姫。

Maya
SonyMusicオーディション3万人の中から梶浦由记に见出された一人。
リズム感あふれる力强い歌声の歌姫。

Hikaru
SonyMusicオーディション3万人の中から梶浦由记に见出された一人。
透明感と紧张感をあわせ持つ歌声の歌姫。

其实在之前的『Revo＆梶浦由记Presents Dream Port 2008』的演出中，梶浦大神就有公开发表过：「Kalafina将会是一个无固定成员的团体。」而今后将会起用多位女性歌手！(就有点类似FictionJunction那样的形式。)

Doubt

"Doubt (IMDb) can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty."

"There is no evidence. There are no witnesses. But for one, there is no doubt."

台词没话说，表演没话说，对手戏更没话说。不过就故事本身而言稍微有点单薄，说服力还是欠点，毕竟是改编自话剧。

幕后制作

经典话剧的银幕翻拍

《虐童疑云》改编自约翰·帕特里克·斯坦利导演的百老汇戏剧，这部戏剧曾经拿下了普利策奖，一时间风光无限。这次将经典戏剧搬上银幕的，仍然是戏剧的导演。对于这部电影，约翰·帕特里克·斯坦利说：“将这部话剧拍成电影，最初的想法要简单得多，在话剧公映后，很多看过话剧的朋友都对我说，这个故事应该让更多人看到，而话剧的受众群毕竟要小得多，所以拍成电影是一个最简单的途径。而电影的展现力的确要比话剧更大，大家最关注的自然是几位演员的表演，而我还有另一个更重要的任务，就是和布景师商量，如何营造一个适合电影的氛围。因为1960年代的纽约，和现在有着比较大的区别，而这部戏的时代感有如此强烈，所以众多像模像样的布景就显得相当重要。这可经过了精心的准备，而最后出来的效果也令我很满意，真的很有那个时代的感觉，虽然我自己无时不刻都在提醒着，这些都只是布景而已，但那些家具和摆设，都的确是上了年纪的东西。电影版本还有一个最大的改动，就是要根据电影的特性，对故事和对白做相应的变化，毕竟不能让观众在影院觉得，他是在看一出舞台剧，这样的感觉会非常不好。”

提及本片的故事，约翰·帕特里克·斯坦利说：“ 话剧版本曾经引起过一定的争议，大家对这个故事都有着自己不同的看法。有人说，这个故事是在玷污宗教，我想这样说是不太客观的。我本人也是一个信教的人，不过这并不妨碍我思考与宗教有关的一些问题。影片中发生的故事来自于一个真实的案例，而这样的事件现在揭露得越来越多，但奇怪的是，过去为什么如此少呢？我想很大一部分原因是过去的教会在刻意隐瞒这些事情。这种做法显然是相当不公的，但是我拍摄本片的意图，也并非批判教会的做法有什么问题，毕竟事情已经过去很久了。在这个故事里，我想和观众探讨的是更深层次的东西，有关宗教的信仰等等各个方面。而在这个年代，再回过头去看当年那段历史，大家应该更有自己的看法。”


影帝影后的银幕对决

《虐童疑云》的主演阵容可谓相当强大，扮演追查真凶的修女和劣迹斑斑的神父，分别由奥斯卡影后梅丽尔·斯特里普与影帝菲利普·塞默·霍夫曼所担任主演。而《虐童疑云》选择在12月公映，电影公司对奥斯卡的野心显然也暴露无疑。对于本片中的修女角色，梅丽尔·斯特里普说：“ 这个角色的故事很有张力，同时能够出演一位修女也是让我很感兴趣的事，尤其当这部电影还是改编自那么出名的百老汇戏剧之时。导演是一个工作一丝不苟的人，每场戏开拍之前，我们都会坐在一起分析整个故事的发展，对剧情和对白提出相应的意见。我们也参考了话剧中几位演员的演出，他们演得真的很好，所以希望大家对于电影版本也一样的抱着期待去欣赏吧。”

菲利普·塞默·霍夫曼凭借《卡波特》拿下了奥斯卡的小金人，这次出演的是具有相当大争议的角色，他认为：“这个角色的确不是什么‘好人’，他有着种种劣行，这也是梅丽尔·斯特里普的角色在片中一直追查的真相。在影片里我和梅丽尔·斯特里普有很多场对手戏，我和她的角色一个是正面积极的，一个则是反面，显得很阴暗。这种对立感在整部电影里从头到尾都存在着，我们也在努力营造这种氛围。可以说我和梅丽尔·斯特里普在片场没少发脾气，不过仅限于戏内！（笑）观众肯定不会喜欢我扮演的这个角色，不过大家应该能够感受到这个角色在那个时代所赋予的更多特殊的意义。”


花絮

·《虐童疑云》的话剧剧本在2005年获得了普利策剧本奖。

·本片是导演约翰·帕特里克·斯坦利在十八年后再次执导电影，并且同话剧版本一样，依然由他自编自导。

·《虐童疑云》的戏剧版本在百老汇持续上演了一年多，演出了525场。

·原版的舞台出演名单为:：切莉·琼斯(梅丽尔·斯特里普的角色)、 布莱恩·F·奥博恩 (菲利普·塞默·霍夫曼的角色)、 海瑟·戈尔登赫什(艾米·亚当斯的角色)以及安德莱内·列诺斯(维奥拉·戴维斯的角色) 。

·话剧版《虐童疑云》获得当年戏剧界最高奖项托尼奖的4项提名并全部最终获奖：最佳戏剧、最佳导演、最佳女演员和最佳女配角。

Oscar 2009

Oscars' winners announced on Sunday, February 22nd.

Best Motion Picture of the Year


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

Other Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008/I): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role


WINNER
Sean Penn for Milk (2008/I)

Other Nominees:
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role


WINNER
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Other Nominees:
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)


Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role


WINNER
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)

Other Nominees:
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008/I)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)


Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role


WINNER
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Other Nominees:
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)


Best Achievement in Directing


WINNER
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Other Nominees:
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008/I)


Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen


WINNER
Milk (2008/I): Dustin Lance Black

Other Nominees:
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon


Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Other Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare


Best Achievement in Cinematography


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Other Nominees:
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges


Best Achievement in Editing


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Other Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008/I): Elliot Graham


Best Achievement in Art Direction


WINNER
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo

Other Nominees:
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt


Best Achievement in Costume Design


WINNER
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor

Other Nominees:
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
Milk (2008/I): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky


Best Achievement in Makeup


WINNER
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom

Other Nominees:
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz


Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman

Other Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008/I): Danny Elfman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman


Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Sampooran Singh Gulzar("Jai Ho")

Other Nominees:
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")


Best Achievement in Sound


WINNER
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty

Other Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt


Best Achievement in Sound Editing


WINNER
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King

Other Nominees:
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman


Best Achievement in Visual Effects


WINNER
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron

Other Nominees:
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan


Best Animated Feature Film of the Year


WINNER
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

Other Nominees:
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne


Best Foreign Language Film of the Year


WINNER
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)



Other Nominees:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)


Best Documentary, Features


WINNER
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn

Other Nominees:
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal


Best Documentary, Short Subjects


WINNER
Smile Pinki (2008): Megan Mylan

Other Nominees:
The Conscience of Nhem En (2008): Steven Okazaki
The Final Inch (2009): Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306 (2008): Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde


Best Short Film, Animated


WINNER
Maison en petits cubes, La (2008): Kunio Katô

Other Nominees:
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes


Best Short Film, Live Action


WINNER
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank

Other Nominees:
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh

NHK Ani Kuri 15

NHK Ani Kuri 15

Ani Kuri 15是由创作《攻壳机动队剧场版 无罪》的押井守，《红辣椒》的今敏，《恶童》的Michael L.Arias等，日本在世界上引以为傲的动画创作者们与NHK共同制作的1分钟原创动画的企画。

自手冢治虫的名作《铁臂阿童木》以来，动画创作者们不断地继续着新的挑战。最终日本“动画”带着与众不同的多样性和创造性,开拓了新“映象文化”的境地。并且如今“Anime”已经成为了世界的共通语。

NHK在这之前也挑战过1分钟电视剧《EL POPO TOWN》等各种各样新的企画，但这次组织了由资深到新锐的15组动画创作者,挑战名为1分钟动画的电视界新流派。

Ani Kuri 15是以综合电视为中心， 5组连续在1年间，分3季度播放（节目和节目间的1分钟范围）。在什么时间，会撞到哪一位创作者的作品是不是要取决于观众的运气了呢?享受邂逅也是Ani Kuri 15值得期待的一面。 网站也会阶段性地充，电视播放与网络成为一个整体，提供15组创作者富有创意、充满刺激的世界。

Watch More?

Lie to Me

Lie to Me (IMDb)

The average person tells three lies in ten minutes of conversation.

DR. CAL LIGHTMAN (Tim Roth, "The Incredible Hulk," "Reservoir Dogs") can detect the truth by analyzing a person's face, body, voice and speech. When someone shrugs his shoulder, rotates his hand or raises his lower lip, Lightman knows he's lying. By analyzing facial expressions, he can read feelings - from hidden resentment to sexual attraction to jealousy. But as Lightman well knows, his scientific ability is both a blessing and a curse in his personal life, where family and friends deceive each other as readily as criminals and strangers do. Lightman is the world's leading deception expert, a scientist who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover not only if you are lying but why.

From writer Samuel Baum ("The Evidence") and the executive producers of 24 and "Arrested Development" comes LIE TO ME, a compelling new drama series inspired by the scientific discoveries of Dr. Paul Ekman, a real-life specialist who can read clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose both the truth and lies in criminal investigations.

Lightman heads a team of experts at The Lightman Group who assist federal law enforcement, government agencies and local police with their most difficult cases. DR. GILLIAN FOSTER (Kelli Williams, "The Practice") is a gifted psychologist and Lightman's professional partner who brings balance to the partnership by looking at the bigger picture while Lightman focuses on the details. He needs her guidance and insight into human behavior, whether he knows it or not. ELI LOKER (Brendan Hines, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES) is Lightman's lead researcher, who is so uncomfortable with the human tendency to lie that he's decided to practice what he calls "radical honesty." He says everything on his mind at all times and often pays the price. RIA TORRES (Monica Raymund, "Law and Order: SVU") is the newest member of the agency, and one of the few "naturals" in the field of deception detection. She has a raw, untrained ability to read people that makes her a force to be reckoned with.

Samuel Baum, Brian Grazer, David Nevins and Steven Maeda serve as executive producers on the series, which is produced by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television. Robert Schwentke directed the pilot.