lifestyle WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Music & Movies Busan Festival selection puts emphasis on greater China

his year’s Busan International Film Festival has set unveiled a selection of 314 titles from 79 countries. They Taiwanese director Chen-Zer ‘Doze’ Niu’s “Paradise in said that 98 are world premieres and a further 36 films will TService” as its opening film. Putting the emphasis get their international premieres in the southern port city. strongly on Greater China, the South Korean festival (Oct 3- The New Currents competition section, which focuses 11, 2014) will close with “Gangster Pay Day,” a Hong Kong on finding new Asian directorial talent, will highlight 12 comedy actioner directed by Lee Po-Cheung. “Paradise” is a titles from 10 countries. At the press conference, BIFF romantic drama about a group of people trapped on an organizers enthused about the inclusion of two countries, island in the 1960s preparing for a war that may never hap- Bangladesh and Lebanon, nations not previously featured pen. While location scouting for the picture, Niu was for- in the section. Judging the New Currents winner is a jury mally indicted for breaking Taiwan’s military laws by bring- headed by Iran’s Asghar Farhadi. Other juror include ing his mainland Chinese cinematographer Cao Yu into a Korean director Bong Joon-ho, British film academic Dina restricted naval area. Iordanova, Indian actress Suhasini Maniratnam and French Two of the festival’s four gala presentations also hail philosopher Jacques Ranciere.—Reuters from the Chinese-speaking world: Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” which had its debut in Cannes in May, and the pre- viously announced “The Golden Era” by Ann Hui. Other galas go to veteran Korean helmer Im Kwon-taek’s Lee Yong-Kwan, director of the “Revivre,” recently screened at Venice, and Iranian director Busan International Film Festival Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s “The President.” In the first leg of a (BIFF), speaks during a press confer- two-location press conference, Busan organizers yesterday ence in Seoul yesterday. — AFP San Sebastian Film Festival to Fete Benicio del Toro

enicio del Toro will receive a Donostia career achieve- de Aranoa’s drama-thriller “A Perfect Day,” which is in post-pro- ment award at this month’s San Sebastian Film Festival, duction. The festival, which runs Sept 19-27, will also honor Bthe highest-profile movie event in the Spanish-language Denzel Washington with a Donostia Lifetime Achievement world. The actor will attend the fest to present his latest film, Award, as previously announced. — Reuters Andrea di Stefano’s “Escobar: Paradise Lost,” which will close the Pearls section. Born in Puerto Rico, the actor grew up in Pennsylvania, and has spent most of his acting career in Hollywood. He has won plaudits for taking on complex roles, and for humanizing anti-heroes such as the cop Javier Rodriguez in Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic.” This performance as a Tijuana- based policeman who navigates hazardous legal and moral ‘Apes’ reefs led him to win the Oscar for best supporting actor and a China box office: Golden Globe in 2001. Del Toro also snagged an Oscar nomina- tion in 2004, portraying a reformed alcoholic who struggles to change course in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “21 Grams.” demonstrates natural selection He re-teamed with Soderbergh to star in 2008’s Spanish- language Che Guevara biopic “Che,” which earned him the awn of the Planet of the Apes” estate comedy “Temporary Family” also held up actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. As the Colombian drug swung straight to the top of the well, also shedding only 19% as it dropped lord Pablo Escobar in “Escobar: Paradise Lost,” Del Toro gives a “DChinese box office this weekend, from third to fourth place. Weekend takings “fascinating performance,” according to Variety’s chief film crit- taking more than a 50% market share. With a were $6.91 million, for an 11 day cumulative of ic Scott Foundas. “Appearing bearded, heavy and disheveled, wide release of over 7,000 screens it amassed $15.7 million. keeping his voice in the low, menacing register of someone $45.1 million over the weekend from Friday to Franco-Belgian animation, “Minuscule: who doesn’t have to speak loudly to be heard, Del Toro plays Sunday (Aug 29-31), according to data from Valley of the Lost Ants” improved ranking and the part as a kind of gun-toting Lear-in life and in art, a man local researcher Entgroup. “How To Train Your gross receipts in its second frame. It added who cannot so easily be relegated to the sidelines,” Foundas Dragon 2,” last week’s winner, saw earnings $2.38 million as it climbed from eighth to fifth wrote. plummet 50% to $11.9 million and the picture spot, for a 10-day score of $4.18 million. In Pic is being sold in international territories by Pathe Intl., drop to third place, on an 18 day cumulative sixth place, Hong Kong-Chinese actioner “Z- and is distributed Stateside by Radius/TWC. It will also be pre- score of $63.2 million. Storm” was the only other picture to take more sented in San Sebastian by Di Stefano, American thesp Josh That left Hong Kong-China martial arts epic than $2 million on the week. It now stands on a Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”), and Spanish actor Carlos “The Four 3” unchanged in second place with a total of $15.2 million after 16 days. — Reuters Bardem. strong hold. Weekend takings were $113.3 mil- Del Toro’s most recent projects include Paul Thomas File photo shows Benicio Del Toro poses for the photogra- lion, down just 19%. That gives it a 10 day Anderson’s “Inherent Vice,” which plays at the New York Film phers during a ‘A Perfect Day’ film photo call at the Casa cumulative of $30.1 million. Hong Kong real Festival later this month, and Spanish helmer Fernando Leon de America in Madrid, Spain. — AP

Placido Domingo , closing act at lead singer of London festival Survivor, dies at 63 lacido Domingo will be the closing act imi Jamison, known for serving as lead vocalist for rock bands at this year’s iTunes Festival in London. Survivor and Cobra, died Sunday night. He was 63. Survivor PThe famed Spanish tenor will perform confirmed the news on Monday on its Facebook page. Sept 30 at the Roundhouse - the last perform- J Jamison’s booking manager Sally Irwin told TMZ, which broke the ance of a month-long, starry line-up, festival news, that a heart attack was the cause of death. The singer/song- organizers announced. Deadmau5 kicks off writer was about to embark on a tour with Survivor starting Sept the concerts on Monday night, followed by 12 in Parker, Colo, according to the band’s website. headline sets from pop names like Pharrell Survivor may be best known for “Rocky III” theme song “Eye of Williams, Calvin Harris, The Script and Ed the Tiger.” Jamison joined the group after the dissolution of his Sheeran. band Cobra in 1984, two years after the hit single was released, Kylie Minogue, Kasabian, Mary J Blige, and original Survivor vocalist Dave Bickler was forced to leave due Blondie, Maroon 5 and Robert Plant are also to polyps on his vocal chords. Jamison provided vocals for the playing the festival. The organizers quoted band’s “,” “Is This Love” and “The Moment of Domingo as saying he was thrilled to appear Truth” and “Burning Heart” from “” and “Rocky IV,” and for “the recognition that this brings to the respectively. unique and magnificent world of opera and of Jamison also co-wrote and sang on the “” theme classical music.” Tickets are for competition song “I’m Always Here.” His “” parody for a 2004 winners, but gigs can be streamed live in Starbucks commercial earned him an Emmy nomination. Jamison more than 100 countries or watched on- previously left Survivor in 2006 to focus on a solo career, but demand. — AP returned in Nov 2011. The Memphis-native did release a solo Placido Domingo titled “Never Too Late” in 2012.—Reuters Jimi Jamison Children’s poems by Chris Brown pleads guilty to assault in Washington Cannon due in March hris Brown pleaded guilty yesterday to hitting a was also charged in the same Washington scuffle. He New York and was accused man outside a Washington hotel, an assault that was accused of being the second person after Brown of snatching a woman’s cellphone in Miami after ick Cannon has been keeping a combine poetry and hip-hop. Coccurred while the singer was on probation for to strike Parker Adams outside the W hotel. Hollosy she tried to snap pictures of the singer. He was also notebook for much of his life, and Cannon said in a statement issued attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown pleaded was convicted of misdemeanor assault in April. He has slightly injured in a New York nightclub brawl and, ear- next year we’ll get to see some of through Scholastic that he has been writ- guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to not yet been sentenced. lier this year, was accused of being involved in a fist- N time served. He spent two days in a District of Brown, 24, had a squeaky clean image before his fight with Frank Ocean’s entourage over a parking the entries. The entertainer and record ing poems and stories since he was 8. producer is working on a book of poems Cannon also has a children’s book sched- Columbia jail in this case. attack on Rihanna, but since then he has had several spot at a West Hollywood recording studio.—AP for children. Scholastic announced yester- uled for October, “Roc and Roe’s Twelve The Grammy-winning singer was arrested in flare-ups that have been reported to authorities and day that Cannon’s “Neon Aliens Ate My Days of Christmas,” inspired by the twins October. The victim told police Brown hit him after he noted by Los Angeles prosecutors. Brown broke a win- Homework and Other Poems” will be pub- he had with his wife, Mariah Carey. The tried to get in a picture the singer was taking with two dow after a 2011 “Good Morning America” interview in lished in March 2015. According to the couple is reportedly estranged. — AP women. Brown had previously pleaded not guilty in publisher, “Neon Aliens” will feature black- the case. His trial had been set for April, but it was and-white illustrations from several street delayed. At the time of his Washington arrest, Brown artists and will reflect Cannon’s desire to was on probation in a felony assault case in California for attacking his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, hours before the 2009 Grammy Awards. Because Brown was still on probation, the outcome of his Washington case had potential repercussions in California. During a court hearing in May, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Brown to serve an addition- al 131 days in jail. He was released in June. Brown’s attorney, Danny Onorato, argued that Brown had already been punished extensively for the assault, noting the time he spent in jail in California and four months he spent receiving inpatient counsel- ing after his probation was revoked. “To say that he’s been punished severely in this matter is an under- statement,” Onorato said. He said Brown’s career has been on hold for nearly a year and he wanted to take responsibility for his actions so he could go back to work, including a tour in support of a new album. Brown spoke only briefly, saying: “I would like to File photo shows host Nick Cannon arrives at the ‘America’s Got Talent’ pre- say to the court that I’m sorry.” He did not comment as show red carpet at Radio City Music Hall, in New York. — AP he left court, swarmed by photographers and a hand- Chris Brown, center, leaves District of Columbia Superior Court in Washington, yesterday after ful of fans. Brown’s bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, pleading guilty on a misdemeanor assault. — AP