…

The New York Times has just unveiled its selections of the year’s best books. I’m looking forward to reading Denis Johnson’s Tree of Smoke, which also won this year’s National Book Award. Roberto Bolano has received tremendous posthumous acclaim, so I’ll be buying his book as well. I don’t like reading hardcovers, so I’ll just have to wait until they are released in paperback before I can get at them.

Update: The editor of the excellent NYT’s book blog, Paper Cuts, explains the process of how the top ten books were chosen. Seems like a fair and democratic process (albeit inevitably subjective!):

…the arguments can get intense, in a big way. The Book Review’s top editors choose the 10 from the list of 100 Notable Books we compile each year. First we read and re-read, for many weeks. We sit in a room and argue it out, first to pick those 100 … and then, more agonizingly, to whittle it down to the 10. Frequently, one of us would hand a book to a colleague and say: “Here, go read X again overnight and tell me it’s not better than Y.” Not all of my personal X’s made this list - but then, all of no one’s did. I am happy about some of the dark horses here, like the funny, flinty “Little Heathens.” Where did *that* come from? What a joy.

– Dwight Garner

Her name is Amy, and she works the counter at Hamilton Deli on 116th and Amsterdam. Since it’s the only 24-hour deli near Columbia, I’ve been visiting regularly to get my dose of caffeine while working at the school’s editing lab.

When I walked in tonight, she recognized me, and asked if I wanted my “usual.” Her gesture was friendly, but unexpected given how rare it is in New York to find service staff who make eye contact with you, let alone acknowledge your patronage.

The exchange reminded me of small towns where waitresses ask their regular customers if they wanted their usual (or is that found only in a Richard Russo novel?).

Amy must come from a small town.

…

Labor Day hasn’t even arrived, but I’m already thinking of Christmas.

One of the items I’ll covet this holiday season is the highly anticipated new translation of War and Peace by my favorite Russian translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.

Over the years, this husband-and-wife team has introduced many new English readers to the glorious storytelling of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov. Although these giants should be read in Russian, I’ll stick with English for now.

The new Tolstoy book is expected to be in stores on October 16th, just in time for the parents of baby Susan Sontags (and Oprah) to help propel it to bestseller status.

…

Leave it to the esteemed reviewers over at the New York Times to take out their chef’s knife and go tantojutsu on two recent subjects.

Last week, Manohla Dargis called Rush Hour 3 “junky, clunky, [and] grimly unfunny.” I haven’t seen the film yet, so I can’t comment.

I definitely applaud her last-graph suggestion for Jackie Chan to choose something other than a “sexual neuter” for his next role though. I hope Jackie Chan’s manager is reading!

Then today, Dargis’s colleague Ben Brantley goes to the moon with his review of Grease. He sums up the Broadway revival, which cast two unknowns through a reality-show last winter, as “limp” and high-school grade.

The thing is, as much fun as it is to read a negative review, it’s like rubber-necking. You stare, and hope that it’ll never be you on the receiving end one day.

…

Criterion Collection will be releasing Fassbinder’s epic fifteen-hour-plus drama (made originally for German television) on DVD this November! The maxi-series screened at MOMA earlier this year, and unfortunately I missed it. If you haven’t seen a Fassbinder film before, rush out and get a copy of Veronika Voss (also from Criterion), and you’ll understand why many American film lovers are jumping up and down right now.

…

For the past month, I’ve been working nights at the Columbia University editing lab trying to get to a final cut of The Years Flow Like Water.

I’m happy to report that I’ve made significant progress and hope to have a picture lock by the end of this week. Special thanks go out to the friends and collaborators who have visited me in my cell during this period and have given me their valuable notes on the film.

Because I’ve been so busy, I haven’t been able to blog about many of the events that transpired in recent weeks, such as the sudden departure of Antonioni and Bergman.

I’ll make up for it in September.

…

Edward Yang, apogee of the Taiwanese New Wave, has passed away. His last film, Yi Yi (A One and a Two), which secured for him the Best Director prize at Cannes in 2000, remains his most well-known work outside of his native country.

The film is one of my favorites of the last decade. In its subtle and calm storytelling, Yi Yi painted a beautiful portrait of a family in crisis and in transition. Sadly, it is also the only film of Yang’s available on DVD.

Here’s hoping that a New York programmer will compile a full retrospective of his work in the next year, so we can all experience this filmmaker’s artistry.

…

‘China’s Mona Lisa’ Makes a Rare Appearance in Hong Kong [NY Times]

National Treasures Exhibition Held in Hong Kong [Xinhua]

Zhang Zeduan [Wikipedia]

…

Congratulations to Qian Yi, our lead actress for The Years Flow Like Water! Her new film, Triple 8 Palace, has been selected for competition at this year’s Cannes Cinefondation. The film was written and directed by Alexander Ku. Best wishes to both for a successful screening at Cannes!

…

Frameline’s beautiful new website has just launched, and with it, details about the world premiere of my film Dissolution of Bodies.

The film will accompany the Taiwanese feature Eternal Summer and will screen in San Francisco on June 16th and Oakland on June 20th. Please go to the festival page for more details and to purchase tickets.

Also, check out the press release Frameline has issued regarding this year’s stellar queer Asian programming.