Man, am I late on my update. But suffice to say I am here so you better listen up. Chiaki and I caught Hostel Part 2 over the weekend. I suppose all you naysayers can stay the same but I will say that it is quite an enjoyable sequel. Where most sequels retread, this film only add more to the first film. I honestly believe if you are a fan of horror you should really give these films a chance. They really impress the hell out of me. With the first Hostel, the ingenious Thanksgiving trailer, and now this - Eli Roth is on one bad ass roll. I am actually dying to see what he does with Stephen King's novel Cell, which is set to be his next film. And I will stop there with Hostel talk cause for some reason everyone hates em.

On to the latest Tsai Ming-Liang film I Dont Want To Sleep Alone, which I oddly enough went to see for myself. Chiaki was deep into Summer classes and the rest of my friends I know would not like the film so I traveled to Cleveland on my own. God, am I so glad I took the trip. The thing is a masterwork. Clearly his strongest film since What Time Is It There?, the film was just spellbinding to watch. If you have never caught a Tsai Ming-Liang film before then it is a damn travesty. His shots are as static and non-moblie as can be but the beauty lies in what takes place with the view. I could not due it justice trying to explain you must simply see it for yourself. His shooting style is all about composition and I really think only a true film buff can really understand the beauty of his craft. As always Lee Kang-Sheng and Chen Siang-Chyi fill the leads with just the right substance to their characters. Just amazing. In the next two months it makes its way around the US from New York to LA and a little in between including Austin, Washington DC, Chicago, and Boston. Please go and see it! Check here for complete schedule of times and places.

So I was skimming a recent issue of the Daily Variety and they were discussing the smaller studios fall/winter hopefuls which got me a little excited. Films I was hoping to see before the year are still scheduled to arrive by Christmas including two of my most anticipated films of the year the latest from Wes Anderson The Darjeeling Limited and Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. Throw in Ang Lee's Lust, Caution; David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises; and Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights and you have one hell of a year end film list. Man, I can't wait.

I leave you with a link to the Le Doulos trailer, the latest Jean Pierre Melville film to get the royal reissue treatment here in the US courtesy of the wonderful Rialto Pictures.