The world news round-up, Bangalore rioting aside.

IFC.com > Blogs > Indie Eye > The world news round-up, Bangalore rioting aside.

By Alison Willmore on 04/13/2006

But when will we be able to smell Colin's historically accurate unwashed locks? Yes, yes (via BBC):

Screenings of Colin Farrell's latest film will be accompanied by a series of smells at a cinema in Japan.

Seven fragrances will waft from machines under back row seats during historical adventure "The New World."

A floral smell will accompany love scenes, with a mixture of peppermint and rosemary for tear-jerking moments.

Damn you, Japan, and your cultural dissonance â€” everyone knows Malick's latest should be accompanied only by cinephilic rapture.

The AP reports that a Swedish court has ruled in favor of two filmmakers, Vilgot Sjoman (who passed away on Sunday) and Claes Eriksson, who together sued a TV station for violated the artistic integrity of their films by interrupting them with commercial breaks.

Rachel Scheier at the Christian Science Monitor files an interesting report on Uganda's circuit of veejays, who do live and often colorful translations of Western movies at the makeshift video halls that are the country's primary venue for cinemagoing, and who achieve a sort of celebrity for their work.

Well-known names include VJ Ron, who is known for his intricate translations of detective thrillers, and the Love Doctor, who specializes in romantic dramas and comedies.

Jingo, as his public knows him, is most noted for his cheeky renditions of American action films in Luganda, the local tongue. Hand grenades might become passion fruits in a Jingo translation; characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis evoke proverbs about crocodiles and chickens.

"He is not the most precise, but he is certainly the most colorful," says Lee Ellickson, the American codirector of the Amakula Film Festival, an annual event in Kampala.

And in the UK, a download-to-own service opens big with its initial offering: "King Kong." In the London Times, Burhan Wazir wonders what it will all mean for the industry, while Kevin Maher test-drives the service and gives it a qualified thumbs-up, while his fellow writers check in on other venues for film on the web.

+ 'Smellovision' for Japan cinema (BBC)
+ Swedish Court Rules Against Commercials (AP)
+ Uganda's veejays give Western films a home-grown spin (CS Monitor)
+ Getting to grips with the film download sites (London Times)
+ Even a monkey can do it (London Times)

W. Cameron

Smell'o'vision? Nice.

Bazin would have been all about something like this.

Jerry Lentz

Going back to M:i:III since the big day in NYC is coming up!

From this new M:i:III Trailer they seem to be playing the "arthouse" "indie" card to get us in...

I for one have things to do on 05.05.06

...like there's a Thai-Chicken Pizza at CPK that has my name on it!

Jerry

Alison

I don't have a problem with the film, which I'm sure will occupy a hungover Sunday morning of mine someday when it hits cable (though I don't know why this franchise, like so many of the others in this wave of TV-to-big-screen adaptations — "Charlie's Angels," "The Avengers," even "The Mod Squad" — set up the world of the show it was based on and immediately crumpled it to bits...why bother?). But I am turned off by the fact by the goofy stunt they've attached to it (see Tom Cruise...ride the subway!) and the fact that it's going to be at Tribeca — the festival is a scattershot mess, identity-wise.

Jerry Lentz

Well, if he rides On Top of the subway car, THAT would be cool! I'm sure I'll see it... Maybe on 06.06.06, I'm sure the DVD will be out by then.