This Thanksgiving weekend, I saw Satoshi Kon's new film Paprika in the only theater it was showing in LA for an Oscar qualifying run. Unlike last year when I saw Hayao Miyazaki's film Howl's Moving Castle at the landmark El Capitan Theater, I saw Paprika in a run-down arthouse theater located below a hotel in the middle of downtown LA. For those of you not familiar with Kon, he is the man behind thought-provoking anime like Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and the TV series Paranoia Agent. Next to Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Kon is probably the best living Japanese animator right now. However, his works are more relegated in the art house circuit, leaving him criminally underrated both in his native Japan and here in the United States except for some few devoted followers.

As for the movie itself, no words can describe what I saw as I was continually struck with awe at the complexities, eccentricities, and even the perversities of the film. Right now, I'm still absorbing the entire film in my mind. Paprika is probably the most defining film of Kon's emerging career. Kon manages to combine elements that made his previous works great into one satisfying blend (the humor of Tokyo Godfathers, the epic beauty of Millennium Actress, the psychological thrills of Perfect Blue, plus the eerie suspense and beautiful confusion of Paranoia Agent) while continuing to explore the themes of blurring the line between reality and fantasy, and the pervading influence of pop culture in Japan. Like in Millennium Actress, Kon also finds time to experiment with the storytelling structure where dreams go back and forth to reality to the point where the audience could no longer distinguish which is which, culminating in chaotic madness within the film when both worlds collide. Add some movie in-jokes, a catchy score by Susumu Hirasawa (early reviews have noted how the opening sent some of the moviegoers near tears) and lots of fantastic surreal imagery, and you've got an esoterotic sensation in your brain!

This is the tricky part of the film, and I'm not talking about the plot itself. In the case of Kung Fu Hustle and Howl's Moving Castle, those films were released in their respective countries in 2004 and released theatrically in the US a year later. I designated those films as one of the best of 2005 on account that they were just shown on the US that year. This is what makes Paprika an interesting case. Despite making the rounds in the Venice and New York film festivals, Paprika won't be released in Japan until January, followed by a limited release in the US during the spring. Its inclusion in the Oscar shortlist for this year's best animated feature took me by surprise as I was expecting to root for it for next year's race alongside Persepolis, The Simpsons Movie, Ratatouille, and the third Shrek film. This marks the first instance that I saw a film before it officially premiered in its native country, and the closest thing I've been to a test screening. Which is way I'm now torn in deciding whether to designate this as one of the best films of 2006 or the first great film of 2007.

Still, I plan on rewatching it during its limited release to analyze it thoroughly, though the director himself advised the audience planning to see the film not to analyze what they're watching while still in the theater for doing so will only ruin the experience.

Midnight Eye interview with Satoshi Kon

An early review of the film

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Later I saw The Light in the Piazza at the Ahmanson (first time I've been to that venue), wherein seated close to the orchestra. The score is truly spellbinding, giving the musical a sensual mood. Since some of the songs are sung in Italian (the setting is 1950's Florence, Italy), it was the closest thing I've been to an opera. Can't wait for Adam Guettel's musical adaptation of The Princess Bride.

Went to REDCAT at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last Monday with most of my improv classmates. Our teacher Heidi Carlsen had directed a short play that was part of a series of performances that night. Let's just say we had a really great time there.

A shot of my classmates in the lobby:

With our teacher Heidi after the show:

Kristin and Amber:

Ernesto:

Yours truly:

Close-up:

Walt Disney Concert Hall at night (not quite a clear image):

R.I.P. Robert Altman 1925-2006

And to think I just The Player in our film class last week, one of the best films about Hollywood. His last film A Prairie Home Companion was a fitting swan song to his long illustrious career.

In honor of Mr. Altman, I bring you a clip from his 1980 film adaptation of Popeye. It's Shelley Duvall (as Olive Oyl to Robin Williams' Popeye) singing "He Needs Me" as composed by the underrated Harry Nilsson. That song was later prominently used as a musical motif in P.T. Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love. Altman had been such an influence in Anderson's films, he even cast Altman regulars like Michael Murphy and Philip Baker Hall.

Just saw Stranger Than Fiction this weekend, and I must say it's probably the best Charlie Kaufman film not written by Charlie Kaufman. It was actually written by newcomer Zach Helm and directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland). Will Ferrell gives his best performance to date as Harold Crick, a milquetoast obsessive-compulsive IRS tax auditor who one day begins hearing a voice who narrates every single humdrum aspect of his life. That voice is Kay Eiffel (played by Emma Thompson), a reclusive and cynical novelist trying to finish her novel about a man named... Harold Crick. Meanwhile, as the voice begins to disrupt his usual routines, Harold seeks help from an eccentric literature professor (wonderfully played by Dustin Hoffman) in trying to find out if his whole life will end up as a comedy or a tragedy, while finding love with the anti-establishment baker he's trying to audit (Maggie Gyllenhaal). But just as his life seems to get much better, Kay finally emerges from her writer's block and has found a way to kill off Harold Crick, just like the main characters in her past books.

Aside from the Kaufman and Pirandello influences in storytelling, the film also borrows elements from Joe Versus the Volcano (male protagonist becomes a hero in facing his own impending death), Harold and Maude (a person with a fascination for death and gloom rediscovers the passion for life from another person), Groundhog Day (protagonist goes through a period of self-improvement and finds a newfound appreciation in life brought about by a strange disturbance) and even Brazil (bureaucrat escapes from his humdrum existence and undergoes a series of surreal misadventures). The music in the film is also worth listening, a mixture of the old and the new. Check out the scene with Will's character playing Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World" on the guitar.

Also would like to add the fact that Tom Hulce was almost unrecognizable in his first film role in years.

Move over Republican Revolution, the DEMOCRATIC DOMINATION has just begun. After 12 years in the wilderness, the Democrats finally regained all houses of Congress from the GOP. They gained at least 30 seats in the House of Representatives, bringing them a majority of at least 232 seats (with only a few races yet to be called). In the Senate, Jim Webb's close victory over incumbent George Allen of Virginia gave the Democrats a slim majority of 51-49 in the chamber (the number includes 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats: Vermont's Bernie Sanders and Connecticut's Joe Lieberman, who had lost the Democratic primary for his support of the Iraqi conflict but subsequently defeated Democratic challenger Ned Lamont). Other than Virginia, the Democrats won the Senate seats previously held by the GOP in Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island (ironically, the incumbent Lincoln Chafee was one of the few Republicans who opposed the Iraqi conflict and Bush's policies) while holding on to open seats previously held by Democrats in Maryland, Minnesota, and New Jersey. The Democrats were in control of nearly every congressional district in New England (comprising the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) with the exception of Christopher Shays of Connecticut, thus making him the only Republican from that area. In the gubernatorial elections, the two parties switched numbers with the 28 states now in control by Democratic governors and 22 still with GOP governors, a difference of 6 governorships. Ted Strickland became Ohio's first Democratic governor in about 16 years. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts became not only the state's first Democratic governor since Michael Dukakis, he was also the state's first black governor and only the second in the nation (after L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia). And Eliot Spitzer, the state attorney general well known for his crackdowns on corporate crime, won a landslide to replace Republican George Pataki as the governor of New York.

Despite the victories, the Democrats also suffered a few setbacks. Here in California, which has generally been a blue state (especially with 2 Jewish female Democratic senators representing it), Arnold Schwarzenegger easily defeated the Democratic challenger, state treasurer Phil Angelides. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. of Tennessee lost his bid to replace Republican Sen. Bill Frist (then the Majority Leader) and become the first black senator from the South since the Reconstruction in light of a negative ad run by his opponent, deemed racially insensitive by many. And Tammy Duckworth, a decorated Iraq veteran who lost both legs in combat, lost in a close House race in Illinois, though there might be a possibility of a 2008 rematch.

The election produced lots of political firsts: Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, formerly the House minority leader, became the first female Speaker of the House in US history. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada became the first Mormon Senate Majority Leader. Keith Ellison of Minnesota became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress, while Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Hank Johnson of Georgia became the first Buddhists elected to a US governing body. By the time the 110th US Congress convenes next year, there will be 16 female senators (a record number), 13 Jewish senators, 1 black senator (Barack Obama of Illinois, elected in 2004), 3 Hispanic senators, 2 Asian senators (both representing Hawaii), 71 female representatives (including new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi), 42 black representatives (non-voting delegates included), 30 Jewish representatives (Eric Cantor of Virginia is the lone Republican), 27 Hispanic representatives, 4 Asian/Pacific Islander representatives (including Fil-Am Robert C. Scott of Virginia), and one Native American representative (Tom Cole of Oklahoma).

Not every single Democratic incumbent lost their seat, not every single open seat left by the Democrats was taken over by the GOP, and not every single Republican candidate won (except for some open seats previously held by Republicans), as evidenced by this map showing the results of the Senate and gubernatorial races (SENATE- Light red= Republican hold, Blue green= Democrat hold, Dark blue= Democrat pickup, Light yellow= Independent hold, Bright yellow= Independent pickup/GOVERNORS- Dark red= Republican hold, Dark blue= Democratic hold, Light blue= Democratic pickup):

The new House composition (Blue= Democrat, Red= Republican):


The new Senate composition (Blue= 2 Democrats, Red= 2 Republicans, Purple = 1 from each party):


Hawaii currently has 2 Democratic senators and Alaska has 2 Republican senators.

The new party control of the state governors (Blue= Democrat, Red= Republican):

Also of interesting note, the incumbent congressmen Stephen Colbert personally interviewed for his popular "Better Know A District" segment in The Colbert Report all won re-election with the exception of Major Owens of New York, who had retired his seat this year. This also includes non-voting representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington D.C. (subject of one of the great BKAD segments) and Donna Christian-Christensen of the US Virgin Islands. Norton, along with another BKAD subject, Robert Wexler of Florida (who had ran unopposed and "admitted" to enjoying cocaine & hookers on the show), later appeared in the special midterm episode. When some congressmen refused to appear on the segment in the midst of the campaign season, Colbert interviewed their respective challengers instead. Unlike the incumbents, only one of the challengers won, former Orleans lead singer John Hall who now represents New York's 19th district. Hall re-appeared on the show after his victory and sang an a cappela rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner with Colbert.

Colbert, in his "Stephen Colbert" mode, launches into a brilliant absurd rant in reaction to the Democratic victories before walking out (but later coming back) from his show:

His first "Word" segment on the first day of the Democratic Domination:

And to cap it all off, a special In Memoriam video for the Republican majority:

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To "celebrate" the Democratic victories, I was finally able to catch the new film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhtan (check the first 4 minutes here). It had been sold out due to its limited release but has since expanded to many theaters. The film stars Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for his wannabe-gangsta rapper character Ali G and as gay French race car driver Jean Girard in the Will Ferrell film Talladega Nights, as Borat Sagdiyev, a naive, bigoted yet affable journalist from Kazakhtan who journeys across America and along the way encounters many people who in the process obliviously express their prejudices on film.

OK, so what if many of the people who appeared in the film are filing lawsuits against him, not to mention that he duped an entire Romanian village. Was it mean spirited? Yes. Was it offensive? Yes, but to prove a point like South Park. Was it hilarious? Did it satisfy me? Was it worth the price of admission? You're goddamn right it was! This is hands down one of the funniest films of the year, no wait... make it the decade... no! the 21st century! Hmmm... let's just make it of all time! Baron Cohen delivered with his semi-improvised performance and is definitely up there with the likes of Andy Kaufman, The Marx Brothers, the Termite Terrace gang, John Waters, and Joe Dante as a master in comic anarchy.

Today is midterm elections in the United States. All 435 US House seats and 1/3 of the US Senate plus 36 state governorships are up for grabs. The Democrats need a net gain of 15 seats to regain control of the House (currently controlled by the GOP 232-202-1) over the Republicans and at least 6 in the Senate (also GOP-controlled 55-44-1). While the House victory seems assured, they face a tough battle in the Senate with the GOP in 5 key seats, with 3 being considered very close to call (Montana, Missouri, and Virginia).

The 2004 maps of presidential electoral votes and popular votes by county (Blue= Kerry, Red= Bush):

NY Times 2006 Election Guide

Let's just hope for a miracle of change in the political horizon.

What do you do after you made up with the guy who won an Emmy for which you were heavily favored and deserved to win?

You sing a duet with him, as in the case of Stephen Colbert and Barry Manilow (complete with misty camera effects and split screen):



Plus, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann offers his thoughts on John Kerry's recent joke controversy. Powerful stuff that deserves to be spread all over the Web in light of the close midterm elections here. (Backup link in case it gets pulled off of YouTube)

2 clips from The Colbert Report:

Randy Newman performing his song "Political Science" on the show. What was once composed as an ironic satire of American foreign policy in the '70s has become a reflection of the current perception of the rest of the world to American power, just as the film Network was way ahead of its time in skewering the state of television entertainment.




This next clip has Stephen Colbert commenting on the YouTube purge of Daily Show/Colbert Report clips via his "Word" segment. It was then recently reported that Viacom (parent company of Comedy Central, which airs those programs) has since reinstated those clips.