ASIAN BO DOWN - ASIAN MOVIES UP

There's been some media discussion that box office takings are down 5% - 15% across Asia. The numbers are reported by Motion Picture Association Distributor's Associations in each country and everyone is blaming the fact that this year's movies aren't so good.

What goes uncommented on is the fact that in every country, except China, local films are holding the top box office spot over films by foreign devils.

In Hong Kong the car racing flick, INITIAL D, holds the top spot (and this week, Tsui Hark's SEVEN SWORDS and MOB SISTER hold the number two and number one spots respectively).

In Korea it's autistic runners (MARATHON) and angry cops (ANOTHER PUBLIC ENEMY) that hold the top two spots.

In Japan, BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN spin-off film THE NEGOTIATOR holds the number one spot for the year, and with another SHAKEDOWN spin-off, THE SUSPECT, coming out at the end of August local films are looking strong in Japan. The huge number of BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN movies would be worrying if they weren't all so much fun.

Only two Thai films are in that country's box office top ten, but comedy THE HOLY MAN is in the number one spot, and the RAHTREE RETURNS is in number five.

Only Mainland China has seen an American film, REVENGE OF THE SITH, take the number one spot. Imagine that the little children in the poster on the right are taunting you with how much corn they can buy with the money their movies are making.

Go, Asia. Go!