Sin City Looks very cool. I still need to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

I got my DVD of the 2004 hit Japanese movie Casshern last week.

I had an ordering snafu and ended up with an extra unreturnable copy.

Anyone who wants it and has a DVD player that can play all regions email me at candyb_three@yahoo.com

It's the official HK release, not a bootleg, still shrink-wrapped. All my asian movie friends have seen it or have it already or can't play all-regions.

Casshern made a huge splash when the super-exciting unsubtitled trailer and images hit the internet last year. It's based on some old anime show and was almost entirely shot on a "digital backlot" like Sky Captain and Sin City.

First film by Kazuaki Kiriya, a music video director and husband of J-Pop star Utada Hikaru.

I think its a pretty but frustrating movie with a gorgeous cast. Has interesting elaborate & cool visual design. Some effects could've been better but what was done with a hard to believe budget of just US$6 million is astounding. Thought the first half was good, second half gets messier and not so good, maybe even bad. Too long and completely humor-free. Also too ambitious and melodramatic with lots of trite & pretentious exposition anvils like: "war only perpetuates a never-ending cycle of violence and hatred" and "man only exists to annihilate each other". Kazuaki Kiriya has some WWII issues he had to make us all work through with him in this movie.

But I'd still go see it in the theater if Dreamworks ever gets around to releasing it in the US.

Why does the IMDb front page have "Passion of the Christ" under the 'opening this week' column? I didn't want to see it the first time. Yeesh.

Is it wrong the previews kind of make me want to watch the new Joan Allen/Kevin Costner rom-com? The one in which he's playing a retired ball player to boot, and she's got four perfect-looking blond daughters? (But I *like* Joan Allen, damnit.)

Under 'coming soon' column: "Oldboy" seems to be getting a limited release in US--I only know of this film because it was apparently a blockbuster in Korea and is supposed to be an incredibly intense psychological thriller. I actually have a DivX copy of the movie, courtesy of my brother who's more in tune with Asian cinema than I am, but I've heard it compared to Fincher's "Se7en", which makes me hesistant to watch it. I found Fincher's film incredibly hard to stomach. I don't suppose anyone around here has seen the film...

Saw Infernal Affairs last night. Andy Lau is teh hott. Bedhead + $1000 suit = nice. (Tony Leung is always teh hott, so I needn't mention it, except that wearing his hair in his eyes makes him look a decade younger than he is.)

The movie itself, being 1/3 of a trilogy, didn't make very much sense, but it swanned about beautifully in its preposterously angsty storyline. Perfect use of cellphones and codes as plot devices; pity about the melodrama.

Why does the IMDb front page have "Passion of the Christ" under the 'opening this week' column? I didn't want to see it the first time. Yeesh.

It's being re-released in a "special" edition (which is unrated). I guess Mel's trying to start an Easter tradition.

"special" edition (which is unrated)

What else can they possibly do to Jesus Christ? Electrical torture?

Kathy, I forgot to mention, I adore the movie Avalon. Mostly because of the opening scenes, at Thanksgiving. I love that family storytelling they do over the enormously long table.

It's being re-released in a "special" edition (which is unrated)

So, more buckets of blood and gruesome torture? I'm not particularly religious, but the whole thing is making me vaguely queasy.

I have "Infernal Affairs" DVD at home--can't wait to watch it. Plus, "Strayed", "The Barbarian Invasions", and "Time of the Wolf". It's like my own little foreign-film festival! God love the Netflix.

I thought this version was LESS violent, which means it will make even more money.

It's being re-released in a "special" edition (which is unrated). I guess Mel's trying to start an Easter tradition.

I linked to it a few days ago. "The Passion Recut". Another way to milk more money from the Moral Moronity.

Bon's right:

HOLLYWOOD, February 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) ? Mel Gibson has decided to re-release The Passion of the Christ in theatres in time for Good Friday.

The new cut tones down the more violent scenes, such as the scourging and some scenes from the crucifixion, in order to avoid a restricted rating. Daily Variety reported Thursday that Gibson plans to trim five to six minutes from the film, for re-release in US theatres March 11.

?There has been quite a demand by the religious community to bring (the film) back for Easter,? Gibson's partner at Icon Productions, Bruce Davey, told Variety, as reported by the Turkish Press.

?And there has been a lot of discussion about the violence,? Davey said. ?Mel wanted to try and accommodate those people by making a version that is softer and gentler.?

?There are no new scenes, and the cuts are limited to the more violent aspects of the film, if that's the right term. The scourging scene in particular has been substantially adjusted.?

Multiple versions of a movie are the new black.

But now Jesus gets to paint his face, scream "Freeeeeedooommmmm" from the cross, and get revenge on Judas for killing Peter on the eve of his retirement.