By Katrina Romero
Bruce Lee's death attributed to epilepsy, a juggernaut at the Japanese Oscars, "The King and the Clown" dethrones "Tae Guk Gi" from the Korean box office record books. This and much more in the latest edition of News From Abroad.
Possible epilepsy could have caused Bruce Lee's death
Decades after king of kung-fu Bruce Lee's death, recent studies have found that a condition known as "sudden unexpected death in epilepsy" -- or SUDEP -- might have been the cause of Bruce Lee's 1973 demise. The epilepsy, which was only recently recognized in 1995, involves a seizure which stops the heart or lungs and can be brought on by sleep or stress. If SUDEP is indeed the case, it would better explain why Lee died at such a young age and in such top physical condition. His autopsy report cites cerebral edema, or a brain swelling, as his official cause of death.
Iraqis to adopt Japanese cartoon character
The Japan Foundation will soon be donating one of its popular cartoons to an Iraqi TV station in the hopes of inspiring the country's children. "Captain Tsubasa," known as "Captain Majed" in the Middle East, is a young boy who aims at becoming a professional soccer player and winning the World Cup. The cartoon is part of the Japan Foundation's efforts to promote cultural understanding between Japan and other countries around the world.
Always -- Sunset on Third Street Sweeps Oscars
Takashi Yamazaki's 2005 manga-based nostalgic film Always -- Sunset on Third Street, or "Always -- Sanchome no Yuhi" in Japanese, won 12 out of the 13 awards it was nominated for at the March 3rd Japanese Oscars. The film lost in the Best Actress category to Year One in the North, but won awards in the following categories: best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor, best supporting actor and actress, best music, best cinematography, best lighting, best art direction, best sound recording and best film editing.
The King and the Clown becomes highest grossing Korean film
The gay-themed morality movie The King and the Clown, a historical comedy/ drama, sold 11.74 million show tickets as of March 7, the equivalence of one out of every four South Koreans. The low-budget film cost $4.5 million to make and centers on Chosun dynasty king Yonsan, his concubine and a moralizing court jester. The previously highest grossing film in South Korea was 2004's Tae guk gi: Brotherhood of War.
Taiwan's Central Motion Picture Corp. shuts down
Taiwan's biggest and oldest film studio, the Central Motion Picture Corp, is in the process of being shut down after it was acquired by the China Times Group last December. Investigation is currently underway to see if a fair market value was charged, but speculation claims that the China Times wanted the studio solely as real estate profit. The China Times group, one of the biggest newspapers in Taiwan, has already closed the printing lab and soundstages, with the production unit likely to follow.
Published: Thursday, March 9, 2006
