Words By Khalid Strickland

My DVD collection is a conversation piece when folks visit my crib. Not just because it’s deeper than the Gangster Disciples, but more because it consists mostly of flicks from overseas, mainly Asia. After witnessing the climactic 30-minute shootout in John Woo’s masterpiece, Hard Boiled, I was done with Hollywood action movies; even the ones Woo directed (Face Off was tight, though). Fresh out of new ideas, Hollywood has been re-making Asian movies for some time. The Departed, The Ring and The Grudge are just a few, with more on the way. Most of these clones are inferior but if they keep another Beverly Hills Chihuahua from being green-lit, it’s all good. I’ve been to Japan three times; droppin’ stacks of yen on anime and Yakuza flicks (hope the American dollar is worth more than Confederate money by the next trip). So, imagine my glee when I was invited to the 2008 New York-Tokyo Film Grand Prix.

Finally the thankless, low-paying task of journalism bore some fruit. The Japanese have the animation game on lock Read the rest of this entry »