Posts from — April 2008

Artist David Scheirer has some excellent “traditional” artwork on Studio Tuesday, his online portfolio and gallery space, where he posts drawings, watercolors, paintings, comics, and photographs.

He paints primarily with watercolors and likes to paint realistic, quirky still lives. Here’s one of a fortune cookie and below that, a photo of a Bruce Lee poster.

See more on StudioTuesday.com

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: art, Bruce Lee, David Scheirer, fortune cookie, watercolours

The Japan Film Festival is an annual event presenting you with cutting-edge films from Japan.

They have brought Japan’s most exciting movies to show you how vibrant current Japanese movie scenes are. You will also be presented with events, symposium and performances that are related to the selected films.

The festival happens between the 11th April until the 20th April, 2008.

For more details check out the Japan Film Festival website.

Technorati Tags: film, Japan Film Festival, Japanese

We were lucky enough to get a preview copy of Donnie Yen’s latest film Flashpoint, which has just been released on DVD.

We mentioned it previously here and you can catch a trailer of it here.

This film is the third teaming of director Wilson Yip and action director, fight choreographer and star Donnie Yen (following their previous collaborations on Dragon Tiger Gate and S.P.L.).

Flashpoint brings the thrill of ‘back to basics‘ realism and full contact combat to the martial arts genre with Yen fully exploiting his recently developed interest in Mixed Martial Arts, the fighting style pioneered by the late, great Bruce Lee.

Its been awhile since I’ve seen a decent martial arts flick and this is one I can recommend. The pace seems to be enhanced by Wilson Yip’s camera direction which provides a bit more clarity and innovation than usually seen in films like this.

Used similarly in Dragon Tiger Gate for instance, is the overhead shot, beginning with the camera following the triads in a field full of tall grass, at ground level, and then suddenly shooting upwards to reveal their relative positions.

The rawness and energy also reminds me of Tony Jaa’s Ong Bak, albeit set in  almost modern Hong Kong.

The film is packed from the start with nail-biting tension, full-on contact Mixed Martial Arts fight sequences and plenty of cool John Woo-style gunplay.

Flashpoint builds to a breathtaking 20-minute hand-to-hand combat set piece involving Donnie Yen and Collin Chou (The Matrix Revolutions; The Matrix Reloaded; Jet Li’s Fearless). Lots of raw impact and dusty explosions!

Flashpoint (cert. 15) was released as a Special Collector’s Double Disc Edition (£16.99) by Showbox Home Entertainment/Cine Asia on 31st March 2008.

Special Features include: original language Cantonese version with English subtitles; Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio tracks; making of feature; interview gallery; shooting diary; Ultimate Fighters (Mixed Martial Arts) feature; Hong Kong Gala Premiere feature; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer and teaser; TV spots and including an exclusive extended interview with Donnie Yen.

Technorati Tags: Donnie Yen, film, Flash Point, martial arts, mixed martial arts, Wilson Yip

I’ve seen this idea of making someone’s eyes follow your cursor around the screen, but this one has been done quite well, adding subtle facial expressions (very Japanese I thought) and head movement. Check it out, its pretty amazing!

Interact with Creepy girl

You can see how something like this is used on the Motion Portrait website to attempt a more human welcome for visitors (and their cursors).

MotionPortrait.com

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: cursor following, 3D portraits, Motion Portrait

“Beyond the traditional sports such as Taijiquan exercises in the morning, there are many work-out parcours in parks or estates in Hong Kong and Macau.”

“While it seems to be possible to grow older and remain an active lifestyle in China, being elderly in western society at the same time predetermines you to be totally passive.”

From PSFK via SwissMiss

Technorati Tags: Hong Kong, Macau, sport, work-out parcours

A stunning new residential development is planned for the Putrajaya waterfront just 30km south of Kuala Lumpur. The design is refreshing and original with unique, marine-inspired structures - which also draw from traditional Islamic designs - arranged in a permeable, radiating block of bioclimatic architecture.

The winner of a recent contest, the design for comes from Studio Nicoletti Associati and Malaysian architects Hijjas Kasturi Associates, who provided the masterplan of Putrajaya.

The goal of the designers was to provide a model for sustainable residential design that was inspired by the city’s unique landscape which includes an expansive artificial lake. The biggest inspiration came from the sea and the entire development resembles a fleet of ships.

The buildings will source from alternative energy and are expected to produce 50% less CO2 emissions than similar residential projects.

More on Inhabitat

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: architecture, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Putrajaya waterfront

Here’s the mini Yuto Miyazawa, an eight-year-old Japanese kid who can really shred - on a full sized guitar!

He joins the mini Chinese DJ scratchers we mentioned before..

Via men.style.com

Technorati Tags: Japan, music, Yuto Miyazawa

This is Head On by Cai Guo-Qiang. I wasn’t sure what this was when I first saw it, but after scrutinising the photos, I wish this was an exhibition piece that I could have seen in real life.  It looks like a really awe-inspiring piece to stand next to..

From Cai’s website:

“With few wolves scattered in the front gallery, all ninety-nine wolves run, gallop, and jump toward the far end of the exhibition hall, where a wall stands. The bravery of the wolves is met head on by the unyielding wall. As the leading wolves go down, many more follow with force and determination. As those in the front fall and pile up, those behind take up their positions. ”

See more on caiguoqiang.com

Via LostAtEMinor

Technorati Tags: art, Cai Guo-Qiang, China, Head On