Yellow Sheep River (黃羊川)
This unorthodox Taiwanese documentary about remote Chinese rural villages is screening until next Friday at Cinema7 (formerly known as Spring Cinema Galaxy) in Ximending after earning a good reputation at the Taipei Film Festival. Impressionistic rather than narrative-driven, the director has assembled a series of vignettes of humanity and geographical beauty — all linked together by a wandering blind musician. Screening without subtitles in any language, the politics of it all, if any, is in the eye of the beholder.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
For most kids growing up decades ago, G.I. Joe was a straightforward action figure. The protagonist of this effects-laden sequel seems to bear little resemblance to the macho grunt, though there’s still plenty of action and plenty of macho traipsing around, even if the futuristic setting dilutes the classic Rambo aesthetic. In this one, our heroes are intercepted by agents belonging to Quantum, er, “Cobra,” as they transport powerful weapons from A to B. Anyone still reeling from the Transformers sequel (whose action figures are owned by the same company that peddles G.I. Joe and friends) might want to pass on this one, but if you’re into watching French national landmarks bite the dust and can’t get enough of the sandy expanses of Egypt, then this is the film for you. From the director of The Mummy.
Mia and the Migou
Mia is a little girl who must battle dastardly developers with their eyes on prime forest and rescue her father from a mining accident. Never fear: There is a strange creature — a migou — that will help her in her quest. This animated film from a pro-environment French film studio was apparently six years in the making, and some may wonder where all the time and money was spent. The migou, by the way, appears to be a European take on the yeti, or Abominable Snowman.
Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend
Our best blue friend returns in this entry that was released in Japan early last year. Doraemon’s buddy Nobita manages to turn a sapling into a smart little boy, which is splendid for all the family — until a threat to all Earth’s trees emerges from another planet. There’s more credible action than the G.I. Joe sequel, more environmental credibility than Mia and the Migou and, for kids, more laughs than Bruno.
7eventy 5ive
The tired gimmicks start with the alphanumeric title and continue with a weirdo offing a bunch of “college students” who look even older than the balding lechers of Porky’s Revenge. Dork graduate friends think prank calls are a fun way of wasting time until one of the recipients turns out to have a psychopathic urge. Cue the domino effect of “teen” slaughter. That fine Dutch actor Rutger Hauer, who must have needed the work, is not even top billed here as a cop who cleans up after some messy conversations. Starts tomorrow.
Pixar: 20 Years of Animation
Last week, one of animation studio Pixar’s best offerings, Up, opened in Taipei. From today, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum hosts a traveling exhibition devoted to the history of Pixar, including drawings, digital paintings, sculptures, sketches, installations and — of course — short films. This is a treat for kids and movie/animation lovers of all ages — and a milestone in the history of a studio that set new standards for not just animation but movies in general. For more details see the museum’s Web site at www.tfam.museum, and don’t miss Noah Buchan’s article in Thursday’s edition of the Taipei Times, which includes an interview with the exhibition’s curator, Elyse Klaidman.
Cobalt Blue
This beautifully titled and filmed Japanese feature crept into a single Taipei theater last week with no fanfare. Set in Okinawa, this is the story of three friends who grow up together, only for the dynamics between them to change when romance enters the frame. If you loved Cape No. 7, then this one might be of interest.
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
In a stark demonstration of how award-winning breakthroughs can come from the most unlikely directions, researchers have won an Ig Nobel prize for discovering that mammals can breathe through their anuses. After a series of tests on mice, rats and pigs, Japanese scientists found the animals absorb oxygen delivered through the rectum, work that underpins a clinical trial to see whether the procedure can treat respiratory failure. The team is among 10 recognized in this year’s Ig Nobel awards (see below for more), the irreverent accolades given for achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” They are not
This Qing Dynasty trail takes hikers from renowned hot springs in the East Rift Valley, up to the top of the Coastal Mountain Range, and down to the Pacific Short vacations to eastern Taiwan often require choosing between the Rift Valley with its pineapple fields, rice paddies and broader range of amenities, or the less populated coastal route for its ocean scenery. For those who can’t decide, why not try both? The Antong Traversing Trail (安通越嶺道) provides just such an opportunity. Built 149 years ago, the trail linked up these two formerly isolated parts of the island by crossing over the Coastal Mountain Range. After decades of serving as a convenient path for local Amis, Han settlers, missionaries and smugglers, the trail fell into disuse once modern roadways were built