jsa Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Unfortunately, David S. Goyer doesn't have a lot to tell us about any of the many projects he's working on, but most of us will no doubt settle for even the tiniest updates. So, just as I was, you'll probably be satisfied with the little interview he gave to Wizard magazine, in which he was asked about the hottest things he's got in the pipeline. First up is Magneto, the X-Men spin-off/prequel that he scripted and will soon be directing. All he could say is that he's been scouting locations and right now it looks like he'll be primarily filming in Europe and Argentina. He also hinted that he's going to have to budget wisely to get the thing in for a cheap enough price (meaning he wrote some expensive-to-do scenes or Fox doesn't see good reason to spend too much on this one).

Of further interest to comic geeks, Goyer shared that his script for Super Max (aka the Green Lantern Arrow prison movie*) features a number of obscure, "third-tier" super villains, including Icicle from the comic JSA. He says that he gave DC a list of villains he wanted to use and then the comic publisher weeded out the ones it didn't want appearing in the movie. Speaking of DC, Goyer also told Wizard that he's returning to comic books soon with his JSA writing partner Geoff Johns. All he could reveal is that it takes place following the upcoming Final Crisis series.

Goyer isn't all comics, though. He shared with Wizard his inspiration and basic idea for The Invisible Man, which he sees as sort of a sequel to H.G. Wells' novel, and mentioned that he also played loose with the young adult books that Jumper is based upon. The most exciting thing he had to say, at least for Heroes fans, is that he's really interested in scripting an episode of Heroes: Origins. I don't know how he has the time to tackle all of these things right now -- all I can think of is that his real name must be Jamie Madrox -- but I'll just have to patiently await each one in due time.

[ Thanks to ComingSoon.net for the tip. ]

*You know, I think if I had actually been a DC fan, I still would have confused the two Green characters. Apologies to the fans and readers.

When I first started to closely follow the release of Asian films on DVD, it was the summer of 2000. I'd built up a nice little library of Hollywood action films and had a hankering to add some Jackie Chan and Jet Li titles to my collection for variety. As I researched what was available, I discovered that some Region 1 DVD releases featuring those stars had been tampered with; eventually my eyes were opened to the incredibly rich variety of cinematic delights available from Asia and I was condemned to a lifetime of poverty as every available entertainment dollar was poured into the search for more, more, more.

What I've tried to list here are a few pictures you may not realize are readily available on DVD in the US and Canada. I restricted the list to more recent films -- with one exception -- and have not included historical martial arts epics, which have already received plenty of attention, or comedies, which are criminally under-represented on Region 1 DVD. What are your favorite, lesser-known Asian films? Please share your discoveries by leaving a comment.

1. 6ixtynin9 (Thailand; 1999)

Stop sniggering about the title, you perverts! The film, available on DVD from Palm Pictures, has nothing to do with sexual positions and everything to do with social and economic standing. Lalita Panyopas stars as Tum, a young woman who loses her job due to factors beyond her control. Immediately contemplating suicide, salvation appears on her doorstep in the form of a cardboard box jammed with thousands of dollars. Of course, it's mob money, and dead bodies are soon filling every available space in Tum's tiny apartment (#6, marked with a nailed-on number which sometimes turns upside down, explaining the tile).