Spain’s Academy Award-winning director Pedro Almodóvar is back with his first full-on comedy since Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown in 1988. His new offering, I’m So Excited! is definitely less subtle and presents itself as more of a farce. It’s packed with extreme characters, giving it an overall tone that feels more theatrical than cinematic. And while you might miss his somber and refined storytelling, Almodóvar retains his signature vivid colors in a film that touches on a variety of taboos.
What are you working on at the moment?
We just finished a DJ mix compilation for NY-based house label King Street Sound. It’s coming out this year. We are also working on the next Kyoto Jazz Massive album.
What are you listening to nowadays?
Any kind of good music, like always.
You’ll be playing at two different venues, what have you got planned?
Friday I will be spinning jazzy dancefloor music but on Saturday I think I will bring in more soul, boogie, Brazilian and organic sounds.
We heard you recently worked with French singer Bembe Sege, what came out of that collaboration?
We ended up releasing two tracks with her, one called “Mystery Of Ages” for a compilation CD called Tokyo Crossover Night 2012 and another called “Karmapa Chenno” for another compilation called Black Finger. Both came out in Japan late last year.
Did you notice any difference to how people party in Bangkok compared to Japan on your last visit?
Last time was so nice. I didn’t feel any difference, though. Bangkok people know good music and have an open mind for new sounds. I also think they are now getting that same rebellious streak as is found in Japan.
What has kept you in the music business for so many years?
What can I say... I just love music!
After Bangkok, where are you heading next?
Back to Japan! Back to reality!
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With Byzantium, director Neil Jordan breathes a few shallow breaths of life into the familiar vampire narrative that’s all but been sucked dry by the Twilight series and its lusty legion of followers. Thankfully, the latest film from the man behind Interview with the Vampire (1994) doesn’t feature any silver bullet shoot-outs, wars with wolves, or even a single fang—but instead tries to take a more wistful and down-to-earth view of the undead as fugitives who’ve been on the run for a long, long time. Still, it wouldn’t be a vampire flick without a little blood.
The Cop is the debut effort of online TV channel’s Fukduk founder MR Chalermchatri “Adam” Yukon (who also happens to be the son of director MC Chatrichalerm Yukon of Suriyothai and King Naresuan fame). But while Chalermchatri’s cinematography is already very self-assured, the script is full of plot holes and poorly written dialogue.
