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This October Vietnamese cinema lovers will see a bunch musketeers, revolutionarists and boxing coaches hitting the screens nationwide.
Korea’s blockbuster “Quick” will open the month’s screenings with its thrilling action scenes. Considered an Asian version of the Hollywood’s classic “Speed” starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in the 90s, “Quick” features a break-up couple getting caught in a city bombing plot.
In the role of a delivery guy, young actor Lee Min-ki cannot stay more than 10 meters away from his ex-girlfriend, played by actress Kang Ye-won, or the micro-bomb installed in his helmet will set off.
The film reunited two film stars who had appeared in 2009’s Korean box-office hit “Haeundae” as a couple who suffered from a tragic ending.
“Quick” will premier on October 7.
Loyal fans of the “Twilight” saga will be enthralled with “Abduction,” starring the rising Hollywood heartthrob Taylor Lautner, who plays the handsome werewolf in the silver screen adaptation.
Leaving behind the romantic love story, Taylor becomes a suspicious Nathan, who always feels he is living the life of someone else. Once he comes across a child photo of himself on a “Missing People” website, the young man determines to find out the truth about himself and stumbles across many dark secrets.
“Abduction” will hit theatres across the country on October 7.
Vietnam’s “Lost in Paradise” or “Hot boy nổi loạn - Câu chuyện về thằng cười, cô gái điếm và con vịt” is the third film of the month. A much awaited film that touches upon homosexuality -- still a taboo subject in contemporary Vietnam, it promises to attract a huge audience to the theatre for its sensitive content.
The 100-minute film, which narrates the story of Khoa, an innocent young man who leaves his poor village for Sai Gon and falls in love with Lam, a male prostitute, was warmly received at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
The main actor, Luong Manh Hai, co-writes the film script with its director Vu Ngoc Dang.
Delving on the same sexuality topic, “Cam hung hoan hao” or “The perfect inspiration,” is another Vietnamese film that has stirred curiosity before it hits the screens.
Hai, an art student who lost his parents at a young age and grows up with 3 older sisters, has always struggled with his sexuality. When he can’t find inspiration for his graduation project, which is to paint a naked young female, his three sisters begin to roll up their sleeves to help the brother.
“Lost in Paradise” will be shown nationwide from October 14 while “The perfect inspiration” will premier on October 21.
“What’s your number” and “The help” are next on the list, whose feminine touch would make them wise choices for couples or female audiences.
Starring Anna Faris and Chris Evan, the romantic comedy “What’s your number” is based on the novel “20 Times a Lady” by Karyn Bosnak, in which a woman looks back on 20 men she has dated and wonders which one is her true love.
Set in 1960s America, “The help” centers on the relations and friendship of a white family and their black helpers in Mississippi.
The low-budget movie has been a worldwide phenomenon this year -- reaping handsome box-office profits of US$ 164.4 million out of a US$ 25 million original budget.
“What’s your number” will be screened from October 147 and “The help” will be released on October 20.
Male cinema-goers will not be disappointed, as they have a wide range of choices for “guy films,” of which “The Three Musketeers” and “Real Steel” will be well-chosen selections with their historical and science fiction elements.
Released in 3D version this time, the new adaptation of the 17th century novel by Alexandre Dumas is directed by Paul W. Anderson, most known for his “Resident Evil” sequel.
Starring Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Logan Lerman and Christopher Waltz, the film will be shown from October 21.
After “Snow flower and the secret fan” shown in local cinemas since September, Hugh Jackman comes back this month in “Real Steel,” a moving sci-fi flick about friendship and fatherhood.
Asian star Jackie Chan marks his 100th movie with “1911,” a historical drama depicting a chaotic period in Chinese history during which its thousand-year-old feudal dynasty, for the first time, was overthrown and democracy was established.
“Real steel” will be shown from October 21 and “1911” from October 28.
Premiering on the same day with “1911”, “Paranormal Activity 3” is the only horror movie to be screened this Halloween in Vietnam.
The third of a low-budget sequel that has reaped unexpected financial success worldwide in 2009, it now goes back in time to the childhood of Kristi, the main character of the two previous films.
Winners of 6th International Artistic Photo Contest announced
The forty winning entries to the sixth International Artistic Photo Contest and Exhibition in Vietnam 2011 (VN-1) were announced in Hanoi yesterday.
The photo competition was launched in May by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) under the sponsorship of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).
Over 10,500 entries, the record for a photo contest in Vietnam, were received from more than 1,600 photographers at home and abroad, including countries such as Germany, Hungary, Myanmar, Turkey, Slovenia, France, Australia, Spain, the US and the UK.
In the Open Colour category, the VAPA gold medal went to ‘Tam Tau’ (Trio) by Ha Van Dong from Vietnam.
Hungarian artists Levente Imre and Istvan Kerekes won VAPA silver medals for their works ‘Riders’ and ‘Yelena’.
Mikhail Bondar from Ukraine earned the FIAP gold medal in the category for his work entitled ‘Rising Planet – 10’ while the FIAP silver medal was presented to ‘Sa Pa Huyen Ao’ (Vaporous Sapa) by Vietnamese photographer Nguyen Minh Duoc.
In the Open Monochrome category, Tran Thiet Dung and Nguyen Quang Tuan were honoured with the VAPA and FIAP gold medals with ‘Ba Chi Em Nguoi Mong’ (Three Little H’mong Girls) and ‘Qua Khu Cua Mot Trieu Dai’ (Remnants of a Dynasty) while ‘Vuot Song’ (Crossing Waves) by Truong Vung was awarded the VAPA silver medal.
The FIAP silver medal went to ‘The Joy of Music’ by Elek Papp from Hungary.
Vietnamese French artist Tran Huu Tri earned the gold prize for the ‘Vietnam Through Your Lens’ category, which was for foreign photographers only, for his coloured picture entitled ‘Festival Tha Dieu Quoc Te O Vung Tau’ (International Kite Festival in Vung Tau).
An awards ceremony honouring the winners will be held in Hanoi at the end of November this year, along with an exhibition showcasing the best 542 entries.
Foreign-language book events this month
Two events on foreign-language books will be hosted in the city this month, one at Xuan Thu Bookstore and another at the student bookshop of HCMC Medicine and Pharmacy University.
Phuong Nam Culture Corp. on Thursday opens a one-week display of medical books at the student bookshop, aiming to meet the need for local medical reference and research.
Thousands of medical books have 10%-50% off and there are over 2,000 new books on sale with a total value of more than VND3 trillion.
The event runs until October 16 at 2A, Le Duan Boulevard, District 1.
Books published by Pearson will be on sale from Saturday to October 30 at Xuan Thu Bookstore at 391-391A, Tran Hung Dao Street, District1.
There is a 10% book discount on books. There are also seminars- Enjoy English learning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday. Effective learning skills in the 21st century from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Technological application in English teaching from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. both on October 15.
Culinary walk through France
Balade en France, the largest French food-related event in Viet Nam, will take place in HCM City on October 21-22.
Balade en France is a culinary and gustatory walk through seven French regions: Brittany, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Provence, Languedoc and Bordeaux.
French Consul-General in HCM City Fabrice Mauries said at a press conference yesterday (October 6) that all of the food items would be brought together in one place to offer visitors the chance to taste, learn, enjoy and discover.
Fabrice said the fair would expose French food and beverage products to the Vietnamese people.
After last year, success with more than 1,600 visitors, Balade en France returns with bigger and more exciting festival evenings at Equatorial Hotel, with food, wine, games, dance, lucky draw, animations and fun, according to Michael Gapin, the hotel's food and beverage manager.
Visitors will have a chance to dance to the rhythm of the Bigot Swing, a French band coming for the occasion, platy petanque, and try their luck at lucky draws. Animations for the children will be part of the excitement.
Tickets are pre-purchase until October 18 at VND490,000 (VND540,000 the day of the event) at partner shops: Equatorial Hotel, The Warehouse, Daloc, Le Tonneau, Bacchus Cornner, Red Apron, Les Trois Gourmands, la Taverne, Le Caprice, La Reunion des Marmites, Nippon Gold Pig JSC, Fanny, Annam Gourmet, Classic Fine Foods and Fanny.
A ticket allows seven glasses of wine and dishes from the seven regional booths, with an additional ice cream serving and coffee.
All the funds will be donated to the non-profit organisation Poussieres de Vie (Dust of Life), whose aim is to help street children in the city.
Huynh Minh Hiep - miniature liquor collector
Vietnamese collector Huynh Minh Hiep has been admitted as a member of the Club Internacional Coleccionistas Miniaturas de Licor (International club for collections of miniatures of liquor) by Mario Arancibia, the chairman of the club.
Hiep has become the first Asian member of the club.
The club has about 90 members, mostly from South America and Europe. “Each collector has at least 2,000 model bottles of liquor from many countries,” said Hiep who currently owns 3,500 bottles from 55 countries. Arancibia has 4,000 bottles.
“Collecting is a personal passion but I feel proud of the recognition from an international club,” added Hiep.
Members meet once a year in February in Chile or Peru, and Hiep will bring his collection then to show it off to other club members. This is a chance for him to introduce many old models that he has collected over the past 15 years.
Some Vietnamese models from Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi or Quang Duc pottery village in Phu Yen and many from feudal time will be part of his display. Some of his items are hundreds of years old.
“This is a chance for me to introduce Vietnamese cultural to foreigners and I feel very excited about this,” said Hiep.
Hiep has visited 12 countries in his bid to add to his collection. His collection has been displayed to the public in Vietnam.
Hiep has been also chosen as an antique expert council member of the UNESCO center for Vietnam Antiquity Preservation Research. Apart from working for a movie company, he also spends his spare time collecting antiques, money and miniatures.
He said: “I expect to build a mini museum to preserve and display my miniatures and money collections.”
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