ACF 1018: Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo on DVD & PBS tomorrow, May 17, 2011

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo on DVD 5.17.11 via Factory 25

Edited-for-TV version airs on PBS Independent Lens series
the same day as the DVD release

"A doorway to something huge and eternal." -- Time Out New York

"Bewitching" -- The Village Voice

"Finds insights and forges connections that transcend squeamishness"
-- Film Comment Magazine

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo delves into the mystery of Japan's age-old love affair with insects. From the fabled first emperor who dubbed Japan the "Isle of the Dragonflies," to the cricket-selling businesses of the 1800s, and finally to modern-day Tokyo where a beetle recently sold for $90,000, insects inspire an enthusiasm in Japan seen nowhere else in the world.

Interspersed with the philosophies of anatomist Dr. Takeshi Yoro, one of Japan's best-selling authors, and laced with poetry, literature, and art inspired by insects, the film is a quiet, rhythmic observation of traditional Japanese values and the intense appreciation of something so seemingly mundane. It challenges filmgoers to observe the world from an uncommon perspective that might change not only the way we think about bugs, but about life.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, won the Cinema Eye Spotlight Award, and was released theatrically in over 40 cities across the United States. The film will have its television premier on the PBS series Independent Lens on May 17, 2011, the same day as the DVD release.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo trailer.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo webpage

ACF 661: MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE to be released in October, limited theatrical run starts today in Brooklyn, NY

Factory 25 to release zombie love story MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE
DVD, Blu-ray & Limited LP/DVD combo out October 26th

Limited theatrical engagement begins August 27 at
the reRun Gastropub Theater in Brooklyn, NY

"One of the Top 10 films of 2009! It’s
the "American Graffiti" of Zombie love stories."
– Tim Anderson, Bloody-Disgusting.com

"One of the best Indie Films of the decade!
The zombie hottie of the year."
– Cinematical

As I do every so often, I'm running this post about a non-Asian film that I think will appeal to many AsianCineFest readers.While I haven't an opportunity to see the film yet, Jeannette Catsoulis's review in The New York Times can be read online here and Andre Schenker's strongly positive review the village VOICE can be read here. The film is a NYT Critics' Pick and Schenker's review also was strongly posititve.

Meanwhile, here's some info I received that I'd like to share:

MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE is a genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the dead. Set against the backdrop of a summer of cicadas and swimming pools, the film blends elements of up-beat teenage melodrama with the strange gravity of classic coming of age stories.

Twin brothers Patrick and Carol Darling are fresh graduates from high school and struggling to come to terms with the unexplained disappearance of their friend, the bright and beautiful Wendy Hearst. When a drive through the countryside surrounding their suburban community leads to the discovery of Wendy’s mysteriously animated corpse, the boys secretly transport the undead Wendy to an empty house in hopes of somehow bringing her back to life. As the sweltering summer pushes on, they must maintain the appearance of normalcy for their friends and family as they search for ways to revive the Wendy they once knew, or, failing that, to satisfy their own quests for love amongst the living and the dead.

The multiple film festival winner is making its New York theatrical run for one-week only beginning August 27th at the reRun Gastropub Theater in Brooklyn, NY.

MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE will be available on DVD, blu-ray, limited LP/DVD combo and digital download from the Factory 25 website beginning October 26th, 2010.

Theatrical Film Screening:
Brooklyn, NY- reRun Gastropub Theater, August 27 - September 2, 2010

In addition to MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE, indie film & vinyl label Factory 25 is releasing multiple titles this year including Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same and the Brock Enright/Kirsten Deirup album Torben, Until The Light Takes Us, Sir Henry At Rollinson End, Rio Breaks, NY Export: Opus Jazz, Wah Do Dem and You Wont Miss Me.