2½ days of FUN!

Pacific Media Expo 2008
Veterans' Day
Holiday Weekend
November 7 to 9, 2008
Hilton Los Angeles Airport

Home Asian Cinema Asian Cinema Previews The Asian film program at Pacific Media Expo is organized and sponsored by Cine-East. Catch the latest and greatest in Asian cinema in PMX's video rooms. Martial arts films have been revitalized by computer effects but gripping thrillers like the American remakes of Dark Water, The Grudge, and The Ring are opening doors to a whole new world of innovative filmmaking from Asian producers. Hugely successful cult films like The Audition, Ichi the Killer, and Battle Royale keep pushing boundaries. See a mix of the hottest new films and modern genre classics. See below for a list of films screening at PMX08.   Coming Soon Machine Girl 2008 / Japan / 96 Minutes Ami (Minase Yashiro, in her film debut) is a tough but otherwise average high school girl, trying to lead a normal life. Her world comes crashing down when her brother and his friend are killed by ruthless bullies. As Ami tracks down the ringleader, she is surprised to discover the bullies' association with a sinister ninja yakuza family. When she goes after her revenge, she soon finds herself in over her head and minus her left arm. Barely surviving, Ami escapes and seeks out shelter from two kindly garage mechanics. They take pity on her, fitting her with a high-powered machine gun where her arm used to be. She then teams up with the chainsaw-wielding mother (Asami) of her brother's slain friend and together they unleash an unholy, non-stop, over-the-top kill fest against the equally creative machinery (drill bra, flying guillotine) of their relentless ninja enemies. http://www.media-blasters.com/ Lovely Complex 2006 / Japan / 100 Minutes Based on the bestselling comic by Aya Nakahara, Lovely Complex is a high-school romantic comedy centering on two students. Risa Koizumi is taller than the average girl, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otani, a shorter than average boy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo. But as their friendship develops, so do Risa's feelings toward Otani. http://www.viz-pictures.com/ Dragon Tiger Gate 2006 / Hong Kong / 94 minutes / Cantonese with English subtitles Super action star Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, Seven Swords) teams up with his Kill Zone/SPL director Wilson Yip again for this live action adaptation of Tony Wong's long-running and staggeringly popular comic book series! Dragon (Yen) used to belong to the righteous martial arts school Dragon Tiger Gate. A fallout with his master (Yuen Wah from Kung Fu Hustle) led to Dragon being kicked out of the school and leaving his younger brother Tiger (Nicholas Tse from The Promise) behind. Now the two brothers must unite and together with nunchaku expert Turbo Shek (Shawn Yu from Initial D), fight the savage and mysterious villain Shibumi, evil leader of the Lousha Gate. http://www.taiseng.com/ Nana 2006 / Japan / 114 minutes / Japanese with English subtitles The best selling manga by Ai Yazawa is brought to life by J-pop icon Mika Nakashima and popular actress Aoi Miyazaki, and directed by Kentaro Otani, with original theme song by J-Rock superstar HYDE (L'Arc -en-Ciel). Both Nanas are eager to chase their dreams and find their happiness in their new home Tokyo. http://www.viz-pictures.com/ Honey & Clover 2008 / Japan / 116 minutes / Japanese with English subtitles Based on a bestselling manga series created by Chica Umino, with 5,300,000 copies sold to date in Japan. In 2003, the series won the 27th Kodansha Manga haguAward, Japan's most prestigious comics award. The series was adapted into an anime series in 2005 and finally into a live action movie in 2006. http://www.viz-pictures.com/ Dororo 2007 / Japan / 138 minutes Adapted from Tezuka Osamu's popular manga, DORORO is a action-packed fantasy for all ages. With the land torn by feudal war, a vanquished samurai warlord Daigo Kagemitsu makes a desperate deal with the demons - victory in exchange for his unborn son. His wishes granted and Daigo triumphs on the battlefield, but his son is born barely human, his body having been separated into forty-eight parts and spread amongst the demons. Abandoned in a basket in a river, the infant is picked up by kind-hearted doctor Jukai who raises the boy like a son and builds him a new body, Frankenstein style. Impervious to pain and injury, the boy possesses unnatural powers and an uncommon will to live, but in order to become truly human, he must recover his body parts. And thus begins the quest of Hyakkimaru, as he roams the land hunting down the forty-eight demons. http://www.universalpictures.com/ Hana 2006 / Japan / 127 minutes What happens when those charged with taking life begin to cherish it? The year is 1702. Peace has settled over the squalor of Edo and the swords of the once-mighty samurai have been sheathed across Japan. In an era when dogs are more esteemed than the colorful peasants that inhabit the slums Soza a young warrior better with books than blades is on a quest to avenge his murdered father and restore honor to his family name. As the blood debt looms sensitive Soza must decide: to kill or not to kill? Amidst growing love shattered honor and the simple beauty of the cherry blossom Hana celebrates the joys of even the most difficult of lives. http://www.funimation.com/hana/ Shinobi 2005 / Japan / 92 minutes The year is 1614. Japan has been united under the Tokugawa Shoguns and the land is begining to feel at peace. Two remote ninja clans the Koga and the Iga are ancient enemies but have long been bound by a peace agreement forbidding them to fight. The heirs to the leadership of both clans have fallen in love but a tragic fate awaits them. A cruel plot is set by the Shogun to wipe these two clans from existence by breaking the peace agreement and forcing the two clans to battle. Five Ninjas of each the Koga and Iga clans will battle against each other to the death. As a great war begins it brings the two young heirs together again. But this time as enemies. http://www.funimation.com/shinobi/ Zebraman 2004 / Japan / 115 minutes / Japanese with English subtitles Being a failure as a teacher and a familyman, Shinichi tries to escape everyday live by dressing up as "Zebraman", the superhero. Although the TV series whas canceled after only 6 episodes, this cannot stop him from acting out his escape fantasy in a self made zebra-suit. He get's more then he could ever wish for, when his black-and-white dressed alter-ego seems to be the only thing to stand between absolute (green) evil and a happy ending. http://www.media-blasters.com/ Cromartie High 2006 / Japan / 85 minutes / Japanese with English subtitles Despite being a normal student Kamiyama finds himself in the most delinquent high school in Tokyo. He soon becomes the leader of the thugs and morons that populate the school and tries to improve the school Loaded with sketches in-jokes parodies and run-ins with all sorts of tough types who eventually are defeated through the sheer laziness and weirdness of the students. CROMARTIE HIGH began as a successful absurdist manga by Eiji Nonaka. http://www.media-blasters.com/ Train Man 2007 / Japan / 102 minutes/ Japanese with English subtitles "The movie's really a paean to the joy of busting out and taking a chance" — Village Voice Train Man: Densha Otoko is the film inspired by the phenomenal bestseller by Hitori Nakano that has taken Japan by storm. Based on true events that took place on a popular Internet BBS website in Japan called "2ch," this fairy-tale-like story of "a beauty and a geek" has become a media sensation and been adapted in book, comic, television drama, and movie formats. Released in 2005, the movie was an instant hit in its native Japan. http://www.viz-pictures.com/ Love & Honor 2006 / Japan / 112 minutes The third film in Yoji Yamada's Samurai Trilogy, which began with "Twilight Samurai" and "The Hidden Blade". It is only a short time after Shinnojo Mimura is appointed to the post of food taster that he goes blind after eating a shellfish. Until this time Shinnojo, as a lower-ranked samurai has lived a thrifty but happy life with his wife Kayo. However, the fact is that Shinnojo is unable to work in the castle any longer. Kayo is told to approach the domain's Head clerk, Toya Shimada, and ask him to use his good offices in having Shinnojo's stipend maintained. In return, he has demanded her body. Out of anger and despair, Shinnojo divorces her. Eventually Shinnojo learns the truth. Shimada merely took his pleasure with Kayo; not one word did he say about how Shinnojo was to be treated to the Lord. Shinnojo cannot stand it a moment longer. He challenges Shimada to a duel. http://www.funimation.com/loveandhonor/   [ Back ]