Buy your tickets now. Buy one for every screening. I'm not kidding. Sure, sure, you're already planning on picking them up on DVD but believe me when I say that Katsuhito Ishii's films, particularly the absurdly sublime Funky Forest, are best experienced on the big screen with an appreciative crowd. We love Funky Forest so much around these parts that there were serious discussions around buying a print and hosting regular monthly screenings of the film, a la The Rocky Horror, after it screened at Toronto After Dark. It's just not as much fun screaming "Home room!" at your television set at home ...
As you've no doubt gathered Ishii's most recent two pictures are screening at New York's ImaginAsian theater - 239 E 59th St - in advance of Funky's local DVD release. One daily matinee of Taste of Tea followed by three screenings of Funky Forest every day from March 7 - 12th, with a slightly reduced schedule on the 13th. Just go. But first watch the trailers, embedded below the break.
I've been lucky enough to see both on the big screen at AFFD and Funky Forest certainly loses something in the translation to TV. I do wish I could see them again, though.
Two of the greatest films of all time. Like nothing else. Taste Of Tea is so intimate, beautiful and funny. Funky Forest is the very definition of cool. I love Twitch for parading Katsuhito Ishii’s films. The fact that Tadanobu Asano is in each of his four live action films just further cements Ishii’s perfection as an artist!
(cough)may be coming to Toronto very soon(cough) - through a certain Free Friday Film series (cough)
Funky Forest will be playing at the Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle sometime soon also..
Hooray!
Todd, I'm good for at least... say... $20- NO! make that THIRTY dollars towards getting that print!
Free...Friday...Film? How the heck have I never heard of this before? *readies himself for next weeks showing*