Just read about Kenta Fukasaku's new flick X-CROSS, a crazed semi-slasher movie in which Fukasaku finally delivers on the promise of his family name, and I'm giddy with pleasure (and I'm one of four people on earth who actually liked YO-YO GIRL COP). Fun fun!

Hot damn - word from Twitch is that Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya), once he's done with post on the thriller he's just finished, is going to film Haruki Murakami's NORWEGIAN WOOD. This is an ideal match of filmmaker to novel (apparently Murakami agrees). Moo ha!

oo! norwegian wood is a great book - can't wait to see the movie! (i LOVVED! tony takitani)

i'm a godzilla fan too - kind of interested to see how FINAL WARS director kitamura does in THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, his hollywood debut. think it opens friday.

and i'm with you - KING SHOT's gonna be awesome, if it actually gets made.

is there word on the street yet for the next rodriguez film? planet terror just wasnt enough - so want more.

Well, yes....

I thought that Rose McGowan wasn't going to be in this film- so martial dispute with the director? No? Nonetheless WICKED poster!

The breakup rumor circulated in early July. But McGowan and Rodriguez were at Comic-Con together a couple of weeks later, both plugging the film.

More info here, including another poster that I don't have the temerity to post here.

-I'm looking forward to THE HOBBIT (it's a very long way off, but still!). I loved the book when I was younger, and think Del Toro will do amazing things with the film version.

-I'm excited about/dreading the upcoming THE WOMEN remake. I'm skeptical, to say the least, that they can pull it off (I love the '39 version so)...but will reserve final judgment until I've seen it.

-LUNAR PARK is another project that's on my 'very, very excited' radar. It could be amazing, or really really bad if it's not adapted well. Terby, anyone?

-HAMLET 2 was completely sold out at Sundance when I went this year, and I'm a little bit obsessed with Steve Coogan, so that's on the 'very, very excited' list for next weekend.

PS Red Sonja is 'presented by' Robert Rodriguez...I think someone else is directing...so probably less opportunity for director/talent post break-up problems than Barbarella would have posed.

Alrighty - just saw Bottle Shock - what a sweet and charming film about the history of California wine. Kind of the perfect thing to take pals to for a nice night out. I would be so curious to know what some French film fans thought of it.

i would like to see THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC. A bollywood movie

http://www.bronsonthemovie.com BRONSON is the evolutionary journey of Mickey Peterson into Britain’s most notorious and dangerous living prisoner CHARLES BRONSON. Originally sentenced to 7 years in prison for burglary, Charles Bronson has been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. Charlie has forged an outrageous reputation through violence, hostage taking and rooftop protests to become a notorious figure in the British public’s conscious. Taking the title role of BRONSON will be Bafta nominated actor Tom Hardy (Black Hawk Down, WAZ, RocknRolla) who has been described by critics as one of the most promising young actors today. Nicholas Winding Refn will direct the movie. His previous films include the highly controversial and acclaimed PUSHER Trilogy and Fear X with John Turroro. Vertigo Films will release the movie in Spring 2009.

Hello 2009! Everything from Red Sonja redux (I can hear the cha-ching on e-Bay for the posters right now) to Ashes of Time (never could contain my passion for Wong Kar-Wai). And Murakami on FILM? This is exactly the destiny I wished upon After Dark, his strange nocturnal vision of adult-less adolescents.

If you can't wait till 2009, here's a cheatsheet for the upcoming fall season (from the New York Times):

http://movies.nytimes.com/movies/comingsoon.html

Report back if you hear anything scintillating about any of the listed titles!

Oh my yes, that is a poster...

Meanwhile, pennygrean thanks for the info on BRONSON! Missed where it was Nicolas Winding Refn's next film - I adore the PUSHER trilogy, and FEAR X is one of my favorites, though others who've seen it are...rare.

GHOST IN THE SHELL director Mamoru Oshii is developing a samurai animation about the great warrior/writer Musashi Miyamoto. Details in the link (including the names of the film's powerhouse creative team). Moo ha!