TOKYO FILM FEST LINE-UP

The Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct. 22 - 30) has Zhang Yimou and Koji Suzuki on the jury, a new mandate to focus on indie flicks and not so many red carpet premieres and as a consequence it's loaded down with movies I've never heard of.

SAIKANO - a live action version of this popular anime and manga series. Not interested? It's the story of a schoolgirl who's actually a government created cybernetic war machine. Saikano is played by Aki Maeda (BATTLE ROYALE). Interested now? (thanks to Anime News Service for the info). It looks like the title it's under at the festival is THE LAST LOVE SONG ON THIS LITTLE PLANET.

MASKED RIDER THE FIRST - the live action Kamen Rider movie. Masked superhero on a motorcycle! With music by Da Pump!

REINCARNATION - the new Takashi Shimizu (JUON) horror movie.

SKI JUMPING PAIRS: ROAD TO TORINO 2006 - a mockumentary about Japanese ski jumping that has had several incarnations, from animation to short student film. This time it's a live action feature directed by Masaki Kobayashi of HARAKIRI and THE HUMAN CONDITION. That can't be right.

TAIWAN BLACK MOVIES - this looks like a documentary about Taiwanese "black movies" which were social realist sex and violence flicks from the 1980's that have since fallen out of favor. Chu Yen-ping features in the cast - he's the director of all those SHAOLIN POPEYE movies about kiddie kung fu fighters from back in the day.

CHOCOLATE RAP - a hip hop dance contest in Taiwan, with music by Takeshi Kaneshiro's mentor.

TRIO - an early film by Park Chan-Wook.

MONDAY MORNING GLORY - a Malaysian flick about the investigation of a terrorist bombing in an unnamed SE Asian country.

JONI'S PROMISE - a Sabu-style Indonesian film about a film print delivery man.

MIDNIGHT MY LOVE - Thai comedian Mum Jukmok stars in this change of pace about a taxi driver trying to save a prostitute from her life.

CURSE OF LOLA - Li Hong comes out with a horror movie about a dance troupe.