HOTEL UCHOTEN OPENS STRONG

HOTEL UCHOTEN or ECSTASY HOTEL (or, ugh, SUITE DREAMS, which seems to be its international title) opened big in Japan last weekend, scooping up US$4.9 million over the weekend - which is a bigger opening than either NANA or THE NEGOTIATOR, two of Japan's top domestic films in 2005.

Bonus Fun Fact: read about director/writer Koki Mitani's big stage hit, THE GENTLE TWELVE, a Japanese take on 12 ANGRY MEN which is based on the fact that during the 15 year period when Japan had a jury system most of the cases that came to trial resulted in acquitals.