Enriched by cinematography as remarkable as the filmmaker's work on Zaynê Akyol's Rojek, this documentary by director Arshia Shakiba situates viewers amid the oil refineries in Syria's war-ravaged north, a landscape that may seem post-apocalyptic but lives in our ever-more alarming present.

Enriched by cinematography as remarkable as the filmmaker's work on Zaynê Akyol's Rojek, this documentary by director Arshia Shakiba situates viewers amid the oil refineries in Syria's war-ravaged north, a landscape that may seem post-apocalyptic but lives in our ever-more alarming present.

The story appears simple on the surface, but is revealed, especially after multiple viewings, as more multi-layered and textured than Cassavetes at his best. Ostensibly it concerns a 14-year old Catholic girl, Wynne (Agutter) growing up in this post-modern wasteland, who develops a crush on her much older adoptive brother (Marshall)- a crush which perversely deepens and grows into infatuation once she starts to believe he is the local sex killer. This is in itself an idea that makes you sit up and jolt, but as the narrative develops, it continues not necessarily along a linear path but in several confusing and fascinating directions: the family's history, (detailed effectively in chilling flashback during an improvised seance) is a chequered one, and has suffered at least one major relocation and upheaval in the last ten years. 　　At the crux, however, it's the depiction of socialal changes that make I Start Counting so fascinating and elevate its language far beyond the confines of the standard horror film. The major subtext- that teenage girls were maturing more quickly than before, and developing full sexual and romantic appetites (even if in thought rather than deed) but were not possessed of enough discretion to make the right choices- was a step forward for a genre in which its young females had previously been portrayed as bimbo victims (Cover Girl Killer and The Night Caller spring to mind), but not one that all viewers would necessarily agree with. 　　But most striking of all, and possibly the most enduring image which the viewer will take away with them, is of the masterful symbolism with which director Greene invests every shot. Every inch of the Kinch family's world- their house, their walls, their TV, Agutters underwear, bedroom furniture and toys, Sutcliffe's clothes, Marshalls van, the local Catholic church, their town centre, their record shop) - is painted a bright, scintillating white- a white which, by inference, is slowly becoming smudged and corrupted with the dirt of the outside world. White also symbolises, of course, purity and innocence (two qualities Catholic schoolgirls are supposed to hold dear), and it is into this world of innocence that the ever-present red bus (a symbol of violation and penetration), conducted by the lecherous yet similarly juvenile Simon Ward, makes regular journeys. The allegory is further expanded in one scene where Agutter believes she sees the Christ figure in church weeping blood: by the time we acknowledge it, its gone, but the seed has already been planted. Rarely in a genre production has the use of colour and background been so important or effective in creating a uniformity of mood. 　　I Start Counting is as near-perfect an end to a decade as one could hope for, and exactly the kind of film people should be making now- which is, of course, exactly why they never will. A genre essential. 　　by D.R. [email protected]

In an attic full of discarded junk, a pretty doll called Buttercup lives in an old trunk together with her friends, the marionette Sir Handsome, the lovable Teddy Bear, a Mechanical Mouse and the plasticine creature, Laurent. When Buttercup is snatched and taken off to the Land of Evil, her pals set out on a wondrous and daring adventure to rescue her from the all-powerful Head of State.

「型子」瑣事人人理，「宅男」心事又有誰知？紀錄片一分為二。上集主角加賀，廿三歲大好青年，卻害怕與人溝通，又怕接觸女兒家，於是長年潛藏家中，與世隔絕，閒時對剪報女星幻想幻想，連面對心儀女孩也羞於表白，失禮失禮。導演決定幫他壯壯膽，逼他參與AV拍攝，要他「痛失」處子身，做個真正男子漢？！下集主角梅澤，人如其名，還要更「宅」，家徒四壁，四壁卻盡是漫畫和明星海報，但原來情根深種，自小暗戀一過氣女明星。導演再作馮婦，迫令梅澤自拍生活點滴，小小「宅男」只望影片首映時偶像能抽空出席，有幸一睹偶像芳容．．．瘋狂「劇情」、爆笑「演繹」。喂喂喂，各位型男索女，你們之前沒有這麼「宅」過嗎？ 　　*2008英國倫敦Raindance電影節參展電影 　　香港亞洲獨立電影節2008 　　A young yet acclaimed documentary director best known for his Annyong-Kimchi, Tetsuaki Matsue documents the dim-witted stories of two Otaku (people isolated themselves from society with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, and video games) in his latest documentary The Virgin Wildsides. Kaga, Matsue’s friend who is still a cherry boy at the age of 23, is his first “victim”. Having no physical touch with any girls at all in his life and being afraid of confessing to his dream girl, he is persuaded by Matsue to star in a pornographic video in order to relieve him of his virginity and to step into adulthood…… In Volume 2, Kaga the victim turns himself into an “accomplice” entrapping his friend Umezawa into another hilarious documentary of Otaku. A manga lunatic and pop-star follower, Umezawa has built a shrine in his bedroom, walled by nothing but comic books, to a retired celebrity, and was convinced by Matsue to film a film of himself in order to see his obsession face to face in reality. However dealing with a dim and serious topic, The Virgin Wildsides is certainly in a light and enlightening approach, entertaining enough to make you burst into laughter. 　　*Official Selection, Raindance Film Festival 2008 　　Hong Kong Asia Independent Film Festival 2008 　　http://www.spopro.net/virgin_wildsides/

远嫁的虞瑾春节想回娘家，却遭婆婆阻拦，婆婆不仅让她当免费保姆、忽视其饮食禁忌，还因觊觎她的 30 万陪嫁怕她一去不返。陈勇初期懦弱，纵容家人对虞瑾的苛待，期间舅舅刘云东家暴、图谋不轨。虞瑾遭非法囚禁、险些被侵犯，还意外流产。娘家父母和哥哥及时赶到解救。事后虞瑾决心离婚，陈家母女企图绑架勒索，陈勇幡然醒悟揭发刘云东，与家人决裂。最终，在关键证人证言支持下，陈家相关人员因非法囚禁等罪名落网，虞瑾成功离婚并追回陪嫁，彻底摆脱不幸婚姻。

纳兰容若（纳兰性德）一生用情极深，对生命中先后出现的三名女性倾尽了所有的爱，最后她们为何却又纷纷离他远去？留给纳兰的只有彻骨之痛。人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。面对大喜大悲的坎坷经历，纳兰的心就像是一碗黄连熬成的苦汁，苦不堪言，并最终为情所累，生命在三十一岁这年戛然而止，犹如苍穹中划过的流星，短暂而震撼。 　　节目播出目录： 　　《百家讲坛》 20120428 纳兰心事有谁知（一）我是人间惆怅客 　　《百家讲坛》 20120429 纳兰心事有谁知（二）多情自古原多病 　　《百家讲坛》 20120430 纳兰心事有谁知（三）一生一代一双人 　　《百家讲坛》 20120501 纳兰心事有谁知（四）当时只道是寻常 　　《百家讲坛》 20120502 纳兰心事有谁知（五）不是人间富贵花 　　《百家讲坛》 20120503 纳兰心事有谁知（六）幽怨从前何处诉 　　《百家讲坛》 20120504 纳兰心事有谁知（七）身世悠悠何足问 　　《百家讲坛》 20120505 纳兰心事有谁知（八）而今才道当时错

纳兰容若（纳兰性德）一生用情极深，对生命中先后出现的三名女性倾尽了所有的爱，最后她们为何却又纷纷离他远去？留给纳兰的只有彻骨之痛。人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。面对大喜大悲的坎坷经历，纳兰的心就像是一碗黄连熬成的苦汁，苦不堪言，并最终为情所累，生命在三十一岁这年戛然而止，犹如苍穹中划过的流星，短暂而震撼。 　　节目播出目录： 　　《百家讲坛》 20120428 纳兰心事有谁知（一）我是人间惆怅客 　　《百家讲坛》 20120429 纳兰心事有谁知（二）多情自古原多病 　　《百家讲坛》 20120430 纳兰心事有谁知（三）一生一代一双人 　　《百家讲坛》 20120501 纳兰心事有谁知（四）当时只道是寻常 　　《百家讲坛》 20120502 纳兰心事有谁知（五）不是人间富贵花 　　《百家讲坛》 20120503 纳兰心事有谁知（六）幽怨从前何处诉 　　《百家讲坛》 20120504 纳兰心事有谁知（七）身世悠悠何足问 　　《百家讲坛》 20120505 纳兰心事有谁知（八）而今才道当时错

一部每集时长一小时的浪漫剧情剧，围绕着莉莉和豪尔赫迪亚兹兄妹和他们的家人展开，在一年中最重要的日子，各种节日的框架下讲述他们的故事。迪亚兹一家会在看似无关的人寻找爱情的过程中穿插出现。

称霸一方的土匪头子潘好（尤勇 饰）看上了穷苦的农妇油油（张瑜 饰），一路尾随至油油家中，让油油没有想到的是，丈夫非但没有保护自己，还为了利益将自己送给了潘好。虽然愤怒和委屈，但逆来顺受的油油还是跟着潘好回了家，可潘好并没有像油油所预料的那样羞辱欺侮自己，而是对自己百般照拂呵护有加，随着时间的推移，油油渐渐的爱上了潘好。 　　潘好虽然对女人温柔，但本质上却还是一个丧心病狂的土匪，他绑架了一批无辜的百姓，以他们的性命为筹码要挟政府。油油请求潘好放走那些手无寸铁的可怜人，潘好虽然表面答应，但转身就大开杀戒。绝望的油油贯彻了自己的正义，杀死了潘好。