Best Directors Working Today (Asia List)

Picked from directors who are Asian or film mostly in Asia. In the languages of the country that they're filming in. Or Asian languages. So if Clint Eastwood had decided to film all future movies like letters From Iwo Jima he'd be here. To qualify I'm making it that the director has to release an excellent film (in my opinion) during the 21st century and I need to be able to find at least 3 excellent reference films

21.Wang Xiaoshuai -China

Directing Timespan : 1993- present

Reference Films: Beijing Bicycle (2001); Shanghai Dreams (2005); The Days (1993)

20.Lee Chang-Dong -South Korea

Directing Timespan : 1997-present

Reference Films: Poetry (2010); Oasis (2002); Peppermint Candy (1999)

19. Kim Ki-duk -South Korea

Directing Timespan : 1996-present

Reference Films: Spring,Summer,Fall,Winter...and Spring (2003); The Bow (2005); Birdcage Inn (1998);

18. Johnnie To - Hong Kong

Directing Timespan : 1990-present

Reference Films: Life Without Principle (2011); Mad Detective (2007); Election (2005); All About Ah-Long (1990)

17. Hirozaku Koreeda -Japan

Directing Timespan : 1991-present

Reference Films: Hana (2006); Nobody Knows (2004); Still Walking (2008);After Life (1998)

16. Bong Joon-ho -South Korea

Directing Timespan : 2000-present

Reference Films: Mother (2009); The Host (2006); Memories of a Murder (2003)

15. .Zhang Yuan - China

Directing Timespan : 1990- Present

Reference Films: Dada's Dance (2008); Seventeen years (1999); Sons (1996); East Palace, West Palace (1999)

14.Peter Chan -Hong Kong

Directing Timespan- 1991-present

Reference Films: He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994); Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996); Wu Xia (2011), Warlords (2007)

13. Stephen Chow - Hong Kong

Directing Timepsan : 1994-present

Reference Films: From Beijing with Love (1994); The God of Cookery (1996); King of Comedy (1999); Shaolin Soccer (2001); Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

12. Takashi Miike -Japan

Directing Timespan : 1991- present

Reference Films: Ichi the Killer (2001); Rainy Dog (1997); The Bird People in China (1998); 13 Assassins (2010)

11. Zhang Yimou -China

Directing Timespan : 1989-present

Reference Films: House of Flying Daggers (2004); Curse of the Golden Flower (2006); Raise The Red Lantern (1991); Red Sorghum (1989); Not One Less (1999)

10. Takeshi Kitano - Japan

Directing Timespan : 1989 - Present

Reference Films: Zatoichi (2003); Kikujiro (1999); Sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki (1989)

9. Tsai Ming-liang - Malaysia/ Taiwan

Directing Timepsan: 1989- present

Reference Films: Vive L'amour (1994); What Time is It There? (2001); Goodbye, Dragon Inn(2003)

8. Park Chan-wook -South Korea

Directing Timespan : 1992-present

Reference Films: Oldboy (2003); Joint Security Area (2000); Sympathy for Mr Vengeance(2002); I'm a Cyborg , But That's Ok (2006), Thirst (2009)

7. Hou Hsaio-Hsien - Taiwan

Directing Timespan : 1980-present

Reference Films: Cafe Lumiere (2003); Three Times (2005); A City Of Sadness (1989); The Puppetmaster(1993)

6.Jia Zhangke -China

Directing Timespan : 1997-present

Reference Films: Still Life (2006); Platform (2000); The World (2004); 24 City (2008)

5. John Woo - Hong Kong

Directing Timespan : 1968- present

Reference Films: A Better Tomorrow (1986); The Killer (1989); Red Cliff (2008);Bullet in the Head (1990)

4.Wong Kar-Wai - Hong Kong

Directing Timespan : 1982-present

Reference Films: Chunking Express (1994), Happy Together (1996), In the Mood for Love (2000), 2046 (2004)

3. Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Thailand

Directing Timepsan: 1993-present

Reference Films: Tropical Malady (2004); Syndromes and a Century (2006); Blissfully Yours (2001)

2.Ang Lee- Taiwan

Directing Timespan: 1992- present

Reference Films: The Wedding Banquet (1993); Eat Drink Man Woman (1994);Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001)

1. Hayao Miyazaki - Japan

Directing Timespan : 1979-present

Reference Films: My Neighbor Totoro(1988); Kiki's Delivery Service (1989); Princess Mononoke (1997); Spirited Away (2001); Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

My favorite films of 2011

Movies of the year- 2011

I'm late with this one. It's been in my head but I just got around to typing it.

15.Rango

14. Attack The Block

13. Shame

12. The Adventures of Tintin

11. 50/50

10. 13 Assasins

9.The Descendants

8.The Help

7.The Artist

6.Senna

5.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

4.Drive

3. Hugo

2. A Separation

1. Midnight In Paris

Oscar Predictions -2012- Acting Awards

• Best Actor

Most Likely Winner: George Clooney as Matt King in The Descendants. A complex role, Clooney plays a man dealing with his wife's coma and impending removal from life support, dealing with his two daughters he is not close with and finding out his wife is cheating on him. It involves doing so much its almost more than one role. Clooney pulls off a very difficult ask.

Backup Pick: Jean Dujardin as George Valentin in The Artist. And competing with Clooney is the man they call the French Clooney. A silent role as a falling movie star who refuses to enter into 'talkies'. It's very difficult to capture attention without talking and that alone is enough to warrant a prize.

Most Deserving (My Pick): Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I love Gary Oldman. I think its criminal he was never nominated before. For him to win for a spy movie adapted from a John Le Carre novel would be the coolest thing ever.

• Best Actress

Most Likely Winner: Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. This movie was super-dull and the only thing that keeps interest is Streep being amazing. As she always is. She is spot on as Thatcher, or at least what I imagine Thatcher is like, which is more difficult to portray than actuality.

Backup Pick: Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in The Help. I think she had to share attention a bit with Octavia Spencer otherwise she would have been first pick. Playing a black maid in Civil Rights era Mississippi, she manages to convey the slight hope mixed with heavy sadness of the time.

Most Deserving (My Pick): Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in The Help. As much as I like Michelle Williams as Marilyn Munroe, I'm guilty of picking drama over comedy in this respect.

• Best Supporting Actor

Most Likely Winner: Christopher Plummer as Hal Fields in Beginners. Sometimes you forget he's not the lead. Playing a man who comes out after the death of his wife and explores the gay lifestyle, then is diagnosed with cancers and succumbs to it. Its all about Hal.

Backup Pick: Jonah Hill as Peter Brand in Moneyball. I've heard Max Von Syndow in Extremely Loud and Extremely Close is the real backup, but I haven't seen that, so no idea. Hill was impressive as assistant GM, managing the perfect backup to Brad Pitt's Beane, which is much as I imagined the office at Oakland was in 2002.

Most deserving (My pick): Christopher Plummer as Hal Fields in Beginners. The best supporting actor award has been pretty much a sure award for years now because there's always an undisputed best of. This time is no different.

• Best Supporting Actress

Most Likely Winner: Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson in The Help. As I mentioned before, she stole all the scenes she was in with a dominating performance. Compelling and convincing in the role.

Backup Pick: Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller in The Artist. This is the other kind of supporting role, playing the perfect backdrop to the main performer. And Bejo facilitates the main performance perfectly allowing for memorable input without taking the attention.

Most Deserving (My Pick): Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson in The Help. Too good not to win

Albums of the year 2011

Recently started back listening to entire albums. It's cause they can fit onto the new phone. Didn't listen to much. So it's a limited sample size. Even more limited cause I usually check Pitchfork, NME and Rolling Stone a lot. But how else am I gonna find bands like Yuck and The Weeknd? Not on local radio, for sure.

15. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life

why: A rock opera about a love story set in 1970's and 1980's England. Winning concept. But even if you forget the concept, the energy and excitement of the music is enough to make this album an excellent listen.

14.Yuck - Yuck

why: Easy to listen to, a total throwback to the early 90's guitar rock. All the fans of the shoegazing era will be impressed.Loud and quiet alternating guitar effects give the high tech mixed with melody vibe.

13. Jay-Z/ Kanye West - Watch The Throne

why: A very eclectic album, each track is something else altogether. Kanye's superior musical ability with Jay's exceptional lyrics and delivery, it seems like they were made to go together. It's witty and over-the-top arrogant and very funny.

12. Adele - 21

why: No points for album name originality. Probably the most popular album on the list. Adele was everywhere this year. Her songs were amazing with poignant lyrics but with a voice like that she could sing a menu and make it sound meaningful.

11. Tyler The Creator - Goblin

why: Most people think Wiz should have won the VMA. Listen to Goblin and then consider. Vicious, dark, graphic threats of murder and rape; it isn't an album for the easily offended. It is also the most original rap album I've heard in a long time.

10. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

why: The album has an early 20th century feel, full of modernism and surrealism. So it's very beautiful but far less confusing and more direct and real portrait of the bloodshed of the last century and it's impact on her country.

9. James Blake - James Blake

why: I didn't even realize post-dubstep was a genre till this guy's album. The lyrics are brilliant and introspective. But the real star is the electronica and vocal manipulations. It's kind of like taking a folk album and unleashing all the tweaks possible.

8. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

why: I've been a M83 fan ever since I heard Kim& Jessie. There's nothing like the synth-electronica sound they have. It is enthralling and intoxicating to listen to this album. It really is a dream-fantasy world.

7. Drake - Take Care

why: The album is a lot of contrast. Rapping and singing; boasts about fame vs. the problems that come with success; wondering about leading a pointless life & love of wealth and success. The album consists of brilliant lyrics embedded in minimalist, laidback beats.

6. The Weeknd - House of Ballons

why: First really heard about them through Drake (they're featured on Crew Love). It's an album of R&B mixed with electronica, a raw and somewhat sad, scary sound. Kind of goes perfectly with concept lyrics set in a world of hurt and too much drugs.

5. The Roots - Undun

why: I love the Roots. I think they're one of the best live hip-hop bands around, always a great message. Undun reaches a level of brilliance you don't find in too much hip-hop albums. It's bleak but cohesive and complex, embodying existentialism.

4.Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

why: This band is criminally underrated. The follow up album manages to keep to the standard set by the debut, while also experimenting. It's deeper and darker and completely focused on grounded, real things instead of the usual indie-dreamworld escapist fantasies.

3. Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials

why: The harps, the booming drums, the gospel choirs and that voice. You know a Florence song when you hear it. Emotionally resonant and highly metaphoric (and imaginative), the album is cohesive to the point of fluidity, though sometimes the lyrics are a bit mystifying.

2. Frank Ocean - nostalgia, Ultra

why: Some dark and fun R&B. Melancholy, paranoid and dramatic with a background of original, sometimes distracting beats. There's enough in this to compare Ocean to legends like Marvin Gaye (Here, my Dear era) or Prince but with a surrealist feel.

1.Bon Iver - Bon Iver

why: Magically poetic lyrics that either mean lots or gibberish. It's got to be an art to have lyrics like that. Emotional sincerity carries on from the first album, with a widescale, encompassing sound that is wholly different from the stripped down feel of the debut. The album is an experience.

Coldplay- The setlist

I was thinking about going to see Coldplay live. And then, following from that, I was thinking of what songs I'd want to hear most (if I got to control the setlist). This is that list.

-Usually on the Viva La Vida Tour they did around 25 songs. So that's the number I'm going with. In order of Album release, not order to be played in

From Parachutes

1. Yellow

2. Shiver

From A Rush of Blood to the Head

3. The Scientist

4. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face

5. Clocks

6.Warning Sign

7. A Rush of Blood to the Head

From X&Y

8. What If

9.Fix You

10.A Message

11. The Hardest Part

12.Swallowed in the Sea

From Viva La Vida

13. 42

14. Lost !

15. Lovers in Japan

16. Viva La Vida

17. Violet Hill

From Mylo Xyloto

18.Hurts Like Heaven

19. Charlie Brown

20. Paradise

21. Don't Let it Break Your Heart

22. Us Against The World

Encore Set:

23. Wedding Bells (Non-Album)

24.Amsterdam ( from A Rush of Blood to the Head)

25. Glass of Water ( From Prospekt's March EP)

A list about books that are un-put-down-able

There are some books you can read in one sitting. The ones you don't feel like putting down and you can't wait to get back to. I'm not including novel series in this, because those are a whole other thing and if I did I'd be forced to fill the list with Ian Fleming and Tom Clancy Novels. I'm going with books published after 1960 as well. I'm only allowing books I managed to finish in a week. Only novels, no short stories and poetry, memoirs, non-fiction etc

in no particular order :

15. Portnoy's Complaint - Phillip Roth - 1969 - USA

Quick Summary: Comedy, sexual frustration and self-consciousness. Portnoy's Complaint is one long monologue to a therapist about different stages of his life. This could get depressing but thankfully his life is hilarious.

14. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 1989 - UK

Quick Summary: Mostly flashbacks of a butler from the time preceding World War II, in which his master was heavily involved in appeasement. The interactions with the household staff also play a major role.

13. Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee -1999- South Africa

Quick Summary : College professor loses his job and reputation. He moves out to the Eastern Cape onto his daughter's farm. Just when he's getting used to it and feeling familiar, events cause further necessary readaptation.

12. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie - 1981- UK

Quick Summary: An allegorical novel about India pre and post partition. Set up as a biography and also full of magical realism.

11. White Teeth - Zadie Smith - 2000- UK

Quick Summary : A story about two friends in London and their respective lives as well as a narration about the lives of their families. A humor-filled novel representing the immigrant life in multicultural London

10. Kafka On The Shore - Haruki Murakami - 2002- Japan

Quick Summary: Two separate but related plots, one involving a 15 year old boy who runs away from home and finds shelter in a private library. The other about an old man who can talk to cats and ends up on a road trip.

9. A Man of the People - Chinua Achebe - 1966 - Nigeria

Quick Summary: A novel about a young man who comes to work for the Minister of Culture. Really a satire of the political situation of Nigeria and applicable to the way many post-colonial politicians behave.

8. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez- 1967 - Colombia

Quick Summary: A story about several generations of the Buendia family as well as other residents of the village of Macondo. A magical realism novel where remarkable things happen and no one is surprised.

7.Catch -22 - Joseph Heller - USA -1961

Quick Summary: One of the funniest novels ever and a walk through of bureaucratic idiocy and the way in which logical reasoning can be twisted to make nonsense seem sensible.

6. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates - USA -1961

Quick Summary: Married life in the 1950's. A lot of the story really delves into marital difficulty and failed ambitions stemming from the inability to understand another's perspective.

5.Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger - India - 2008

Quick Summary: A tale of how the poor in India have it and how the narrator made it good by taking risks no one else would, or would even think to take for that matter

4. The Buddha Of Suburbia - Hanif Kureishi - 1990- UK

Quick Summary: A story about a teenager eager to leave the suburbs of 1970's London and start living. Said to be highly autobiographical.

3. Snow - Orhan Pamuk - Turkey -2002

Quick Summary: A journalist goes to a town to investigate a spate of suicides. He also hopes to (and meets) a woman from his past. The snow cuts off the city and he ends up in discussions with all the different groups in the city.

2. The Damned Utd - David Peace - UK- 2006

Quick Summary: A retelling of Brian Clough's days in charge of Leeds United. All 44 days of it

1.On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan - 2007 - UK

Quick Summary: The night of their wedding a couple reflect on their differences and how they came to be a couple

Bands I need to see live

I don't really rate bands unless they're great in concert. So I'm making a list of who I want to see in concert. Only rules are they must be still together and still touring (have had a tour in the last five years or one upcoming). Unusually, this list is in order. I'm not giving too much justification. Just one live video of the band.

15. Adele

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c753SCmy614

14. Muse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ggNOb2oFn8

13. Arcade Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtbrY6QrgPw

12.Mumford and Sons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsjo15AgTaU

11. The Kooks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iffz77kial4

10. Andrea Bocelli

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrfvP11Hbo

9.The Cure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkeDzUVq1BM

8. John Mayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzGtzGydtQ

7.Eric Clapton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtLhPeLB9bA

6. Elton John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EtCrHBq7Ds

5. U2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWBKBkEJQRk

4. Snow Patrol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od4vhtjeBqY

3. Radiohead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIklhgI-m2s&feature=related

2. Coldplay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zpi-iSGFaY

1. Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UuCXjr_PrI