A holy grail of restorations is premiering soon. As part of Film at Lincoln Center’s Desire/Expectations: The Films of Edward Yang the 4K restoration of the late, legendary director’s 1996 feature Mahjong will world-premiere.
Along with all of his features, the series also includes the anthology film In Our Time, which he contributed to, as well as The Winter of 1905, directed by Yu Wei-cheng and scripted by Yang, and nine minutes from Yang’s unfinished animated martial arts film The Wind (2002–2005), whose production was halted after his death.
Also featuring the recently restored A Confucian Confusion, a proper run of Yi Yi, A Brighter Summer Day, Taipei Story, That Day, on the Beach, and Terrorizers, see the lineup and schedule below, with tickets on sale Thursday, November 30 at noon and an Flc Members pre-sale starting Wednesday, November 29 at noon.
The Winter of 1905
Yu Wei-cheng, 1982, Taiwan, 90m
Mandarin with...
Along with all of his features, the series also includes the anthology film In Our Time, which he contributed to, as well as The Winter of 1905, directed by Yu Wei-cheng and scripted by Yang, and nine minutes from Yang’s unfinished animated martial arts film The Wind (2002–2005), whose production was halted after his death.
Also featuring the recently restored A Confucian Confusion, a proper run of Yi Yi, A Brighter Summer Day, Taipei Story, That Day, on the Beach, and Terrorizers, see the lineup and schedule below, with tickets on sale Thursday, November 30 at noon and an Flc Members pre-sale starting Wednesday, November 29 at noon.
The Winter of 1905
Yu Wei-cheng, 1982, Taiwan, 90m
Mandarin with...
- 11/28/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Why do we not talk about “The Adventurers?” To be fair, this could be asked about many of Ringo Lam's films. For a filmmaker widely considered to be one of the “Big Three” of Hong Kong action along with Tsui Hark and John Woo, only a few of Lam's films are discussed frequently outside of cinephile circles. His work tended to be jagged, foregoing Woo's elegance and Hark's epic scope in favor of open-wound intensity. A film like “School on Fire,” for example, functions more as social issue drama than action flick. This nervy, uncompromising style perhaps lacked the slick commercial appeal of his contemporaries, which would explain why some of his relatively minor B-Sides tend to be left out of the conversation. This is a shame, because “The Adventurers” is an admirably over-the-top revenge thriller that deserves to be seen.
On paper, the film sounds like...
On paper, the film sounds like...
- 11/27/2023
- by Henry McKeand
- AsianMoviePulse
Via Vision Entertainment is excited to announce its newest media distribution expansion with the launch of Imprint Asia.
Imprint Asia will deliver ongoing releases of contemporary & classic Asian cinema across film festival, multi digital platforms, and physical media including 4K & Blu-ray for Australia and New Zealand.
Already working with some of the biggest Asian licencing partners in the market, the new brand will be launching with a host of key properties including Rui Cui's 2023 box office megahit ‘Lost In The Stars', Larry Yang's 2023 action comedy ‘Ride On' starring Jackie Chan and the 2023 Sci-Fi epic ‘The Wandering Earth II‘ starring Andy Lau.
In addition to the new release slate there will be ongoing classic releases with new restorations and extras produced for physical media collectors including Chen Kaige's ‘The Emperor and The Assassin' (1998) & ‘Farewell My Concubine' (1992), Tsui Hark's ‘The Legend of Zu' (2001), Kei Kumai...
Imprint Asia will deliver ongoing releases of contemporary & classic Asian cinema across film festival, multi digital platforms, and physical media including 4K & Blu-ray for Australia and New Zealand.
Already working with some of the biggest Asian licencing partners in the market, the new brand will be launching with a host of key properties including Rui Cui's 2023 box office megahit ‘Lost In The Stars', Larry Yang's 2023 action comedy ‘Ride On' starring Jackie Chan and the 2023 Sci-Fi epic ‘The Wandering Earth II‘ starring Andy Lau.
In addition to the new release slate there will be ongoing classic releases with new restorations and extras produced for physical media collectors including Chen Kaige's ‘The Emperor and The Assassin' (1998) & ‘Farewell My Concubine' (1992), Tsui Hark's ‘The Legend of Zu' (2001), Kei Kumai...
- 11/1/2023
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Arvin Chen is to direct “Coolie,” a limited series featuring enslaved Chinese workers in 19th century Cuba.
The eight-part series is the first to emerge from Cathay Film Company, a recent production venture launched by Singapore-based industry veteran Meileen Choo.
In the mid-1800s, when the African slave trade was outlawed throughout the Americas, plantation owners in Cuba instead began trafficking indentured servants from China and other parts of Asia. These, so-called coolies were often treated as slaves, but some integrated into Cuban society and joined the country’s fight for independence from Spain. The provided a low-cost workforce for farms, restaurants, factories and were instrumental in setting up Chinatowns across the world.
With Hong Kong actor Louise Wong in the lead role as a young woman who departs from southern China to marry a political exile working on a sugarcane plantation in Cuba, the narrative sees her join forces...
The eight-part series is the first to emerge from Cathay Film Company, a recent production venture launched by Singapore-based industry veteran Meileen Choo.
In the mid-1800s, when the African slave trade was outlawed throughout the Americas, plantation owners in Cuba instead began trafficking indentured servants from China and other parts of Asia. These, so-called coolies were often treated as slaves, but some integrated into Cuban society and joined the country’s fight for independence from Spain. The provided a low-cost workforce for farms, restaurants, factories and were instrumental in setting up Chinatowns across the world.
With Hong Kong actor Louise Wong in the lead role as a young woman who departs from southern China to marry a political exile working on a sugarcane plantation in Cuba, the narrative sees her join forces...
- 10/19/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Before he became one of Shaw Brothers’ foremost fight choreographers, Lau Kar Leung used to work as an extra besides choreographing the old black and white Wong Fei Hung series. Together with fellow choreographer Tang Chia, he would spend many years working for director Chang Cheh until they had a fallout while doing “Marco Polo”. So it was only natural that he would eventually evolve into a director during the early 70s when the martial arts films were in full swing. Furthermore, after Shaw Brothers Studio stopped making films, he would continue to choreograph, direct and even act in films like “Drunken Master II” with Jackie Chan and Tsui Hark’s “Seven Swords” in 2005.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Filmed during the time when Chang Cheh was in Taiwan making films under his own Long Bow studio, “The Spiritual Boxer”, a comedy with kung...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Filmed during the time when Chang Cheh was in Taiwan making films under his own Long Bow studio, “The Spiritual Boxer”, a comedy with kung...
- 10/12/2023
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
Knock Off.Tsui Hark’s Knock Off (1998) begins with an amniotic scene: baby dolls underwater, suggesting birth or possibly rebirth. Submerged off the coast of Hong Kong, which passed from British to Chinese governance in the historic 1997 Handover, the dolls gesture toward new beginnings. But these aren’t flesh-and-blood infants: they’re products, manufactured imitations of the real thing and copies of each other. Detached from any sense of originality, these toys can be reproduced and distributed wherever the market leads. The movement of the dolls through the water evokes the global flow of goods under late capitalism, as well as the postmodernist shift away from reality into simulacra. Moreover, their synthetic nature complicates the birth allegory—in what sense was the Handover a “real” rebirth?This is a fitting prologue for a film obsessed with the ersatz. Delivering on its title, Knock Off tracks two expat businessmen in Hong...
- 9/28/2023
- MUBI
The latest film from the director of ‘Farewell My Concubine’ will be released in China in late September.
Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to Chinese war epic The Volunteers: To The War by Chen Kaige, the acclaimed director of Farewell My Concubine and The Battle At Lake Changjin.
The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will launch sales on the feature at the Asian Contents and Film Market in Busan next month, following its release in China on September 28. The international sales agreement excludes North America, Australia and New Zealand.
The film, previously known as The Great War, is the...
Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to Chinese war epic The Volunteers: To The War by Chen Kaige, the acclaimed director of Farewell My Concubine and The Battle At Lake Changjin.
The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will launch sales on the feature at the Asian Contents and Film Market in Busan next month, following its release in China on September 28. The international sales agreement excludes North America, Australia and New Zealand.
The film, previously known as The Great War, is the...
- 9/25/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Hong Kong cinema is associated with action films which most often bring to mind male protagonists. Most undeservedly so since, thanks to the characteristics of Hong Kong martial arts films, women have been successfully surmounting their male counterparts with training, agility, and wits in them for many decades. The masters, such as King Hu and Tsui Hark, were well-aware of it. They were among the ones who discovered outstanding artists whose roles were ahead of their times and set out new directions for the development of popular cinema.
Hong Kong is not just about action cinema, but also brilliant comedies and dramas, and sharp tales with social overtones, in which fascinating, complex female characters are also present. The Hong Kong Heroines section brings back strong heroines and the great roles of stars, including Cheng Pei-pei, Sylvia Chang, Cherry Ngan, and Maggie Cheung. The section presents Hong Kong cinema from the...
Hong Kong is not just about action cinema, but also brilliant comedies and dramas, and sharp tales with social overtones, in which fascinating, complex female characters are also present. The Hong Kong Heroines section brings back strong heroines and the great roles of stars, including Cheng Pei-pei, Sylvia Chang, Cherry Ngan, and Maggie Cheung. The section presents Hong Kong cinema from the...
- 9/22/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Hong Kong-based producer Tsui Hark has boarded the ship as partner and co-producer of the Chinese pirate epic Shih, Queen of the Sea. Hark will partner with Anthony McCarten, Dakota Group and Facing East.
McCarten, whose biopic scripts range from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, Darkest Hour and numerous others, has here written the script about Shih Yang, aka Cheng I Sao, who dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty. Born into poverty, she worked on a “flower boat” brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi, joining him at sea. Upon his death in 1807, she assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships and an estimated 80,000 pirates. By comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital...
McCarten, whose biopic scripts range from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, Darkest Hour and numerous others, has here written the script about Shih Yang, aka Cheng I Sao, who dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty. Born into poverty, she worked on a “flower boat” brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi, joining him at sea. Upon his death in 1807, she assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships and an estimated 80,000 pirates. By comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital...
- 8/23/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Ah Ying.On a recent flight back home to Hong Kong, I was browsing a playlist of “Hong Kong Classics” on the inflight entertainment. Expecting the same old Jackie Chan martial arts films or neon-drenched melancholia by Wong Kar-wai, I was surprised to see Ah Ying (1983) on the list; after all, it is not a popular film internationally, even though it did garner critical attention in Hong Kong for taking home the 1984 Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing. Unlike the regular commercially successful hot-blooded action films or postmodern and nostalgic arthouse films, Ah Ying is at the other end of the spectrum of Hong Kong cinema, quietly documenting facets of histories we very often omit to make space for more memorable, grand narratives of Hong Kong.Ah Ying revolves around the real-life story of its lead actress, Hui So-ying (playing Ah Ying), who divides...
- 8/22/2023
- MUBI
There are Kung Fu movies. Then there are Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. Starting in the ’70s, Hong Kong filmmakers dominated the martial arts genre with a unique brand of Hong Kong ballistic action, white-knuckle stunts, and exquisite fight choreography. Towering Hong Kong studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest were the prolific grindhouses that brought us Bruce Lee and so many other action movie stars at an astonishingly bounteous rate.
If you’re already familiar with Bruce Lee’s work in Hong Kong cinema and aren’t sure where to go next on your martial arts movie journey, or which stars’ filmographies you should be checking out, here are five pivotal Hong Kong martial arts films worthy of your attention. Each of these movie either launched or are part of venerated Hong Kong franchises, so you’ll have plenty to watch once you dive in!
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin a.
If you’re already familiar with Bruce Lee’s work in Hong Kong cinema and aren’t sure where to go next on your martial arts movie journey, or which stars’ filmographies you should be checking out, here are five pivotal Hong Kong martial arts films worthy of your attention. Each of these movie either launched or are part of venerated Hong Kong franchises, so you’ll have plenty to watch once you dive in!
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin a.
- 8/9/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Instead of an intro we urge you to read the following article
Hong Kong New Wave: A Debate
You can check the full reviews by clicking on the titles
Jumping Ash (1976) by Leong Po-chih
The realism in the presentation of both the criminal world and the way police worked at the time is also evident, with Leong highlighting the fact that a number of poor people were actually caught between the two. The punishment Callan's girlfriend receives in the hands of two men (despite the fact that one of them gets his share also) and the fate of the blind man, are the most indicatory of that comment. Furthermore, the combination of corruption (even Callan's mother gets a washing machine from a drug dealer at some point) and intense bureaucracy is presented as an obstacle (in Callan's effort) to dispense justice, which was frequently rather hard to overcome. This last aspect is what,...
Hong Kong New Wave: A Debate
You can check the full reviews by clicking on the titles
Jumping Ash (1976) by Leong Po-chih
The realism in the presentation of both the criminal world and the way police worked at the time is also evident, with Leong highlighting the fact that a number of poor people were actually caught between the two. The punishment Callan's girlfriend receives in the hands of two men (despite the fact that one of them gets his share also) and the fate of the blind man, are the most indicatory of that comment. Furthermore, the combination of corruption (even Callan's mother gets a washing machine from a drug dealer at some point) and intense bureaucracy is presented as an obstacle (in Callan's effort) to dispense justice, which was frequently rather hard to overcome. This last aspect is what,...
- 7/14/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The story behind the eventual release of “Where the Wind Blows” is a script in itself. Originally set for release at the end of 2018, its release was delayed due to trouble getting approved by the National Radio and Television Administration, probably due to the presentation of the true true-life stories of two of the “Four Great Sergeants” – the most notoriously corrupt police officers in 1960s and '70s Hong Kong and the impact the Kmz had in Hong Kong had after Chiang Kai-shek's defeat. The 144-minute epic was scheduled to make its world premiere and open the 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 1 April 2021, but was pulled from the lineup three days before. Eventually, it had its premiere the following year and opened the 46th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 15 August 2022 instead and was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 17 February 2023. It was also selected as the Hong...
- 7/12/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The story of Wong Fei Hung can best be summed up by the adage taken from John Ford's “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”. g”. For modern audiences this would apply to the seemingly endless variations on the life of Ip Man. Yet before him we had generations of audiences growing up to the feats of the master of the “No Shadow Kick” and member of the Ten Tigers of Canton, Wong Fei Hung. Over the years there have been numerous incarnations representing him at various aspects of his life. In addition, we have gained a supporting cast of familiar sidekicks, mentors, and comic relief. All alongside the familiar sound of the “General Marching Under Orders” theme that has become so associated with the character. It's not often we get to see a character grow up on screen and so here we present the life of Wong Fei Hung in several cinematic chapters.
- 6/1/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month, including the exclusive streaming premiere of Albert Serra’s extraordinary Pacifiction, a trio of films by Todd Haynes, two by Michael Haneke (Caché and Amour), plus works by David Cronenberg, Shin’ya Tsukamoto, and Derek Jarman.
Additional selections include Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo Celeste, Luchino Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers, Sean Baker’s early film Starlet, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s short Mekong Hotel.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Is This Fate?, directed by Helga Reidemeister | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
June 2 – Safe, directed by Todd Haynes | I Really Love You: Three by Todd Hayne
June 3 – Caché, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 4 – Amour, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 5 – Topology of Sirens, directed by Jonathan Davies
June 6 – Tetsuo, the Iron Man, directed by Shin’ya...
Additional selections include Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo Celeste, Luchino Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers, Sean Baker’s early film Starlet, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s short Mekong Hotel.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Is This Fate?, directed by Helga Reidemeister | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
June 2 – Safe, directed by Todd Haynes | I Really Love You: Three by Todd Hayne
June 3 – Caché, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 4 – Amour, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 5 – Topology of Sirens, directed by Jonathan Davies
June 6 – Tetsuo, the Iron Man, directed by Shin’ya...
- 5/23/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Leading Chinese film director Chen Kaige is poised to shoot historical epic “Swan Song” as his next feature movie. It will focus on 18th century classical music composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky through critical failure, persecution for his sexuality and a mysterious death during the strife of the soon-to-collapse Russian Empire.
Moonstone Entertainment will launch pre-sales on the film at Cannes later this month. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2024 and early 2025 in the Baltics.
“Swan Song” was written by Shahar Stroh, who will also produce alongside Moonstone principal Etchie Stroh. Corporate credits go Moonstone Entertainment and Strohberry Films.
“The story of ‘Swan Song’ goes beyond the music of one man. It is about the perpetual struggle of beauty and love against darkness and hate, and I am excited to be bringing it to a global audience,” said Chen in prepared comments. “Creating a visually stunning and compelling story, paired with Tchaikovsky’s timeless music,...
Moonstone Entertainment will launch pre-sales on the film at Cannes later this month. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2024 and early 2025 in the Baltics.
“Swan Song” was written by Shahar Stroh, who will also produce alongside Moonstone principal Etchie Stroh. Corporate credits go Moonstone Entertainment and Strohberry Films.
“The story of ‘Swan Song’ goes beyond the music of one man. It is about the perpetual struggle of beauty and love against darkness and hate, and I am excited to be bringing it to a global audience,” said Chen in prepared comments. “Creating a visually stunning and compelling story, paired with Tchaikovsky’s timeless music,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Patrick Frater and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The same year which would see the release of Tsui Hark's much celebrated wuxia outing “Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain” coincided with Chang Pang-yee's “The Night Orchid” arriving in cinemas. Even though the former is more known among cinephiles, both movies share a similar approach to their stories, a blend of martial arts and sword fighting, spiced with humour and fantasy. Also known as “Demon Fighter” or “Faster Blade Poisonous Darts”, the latter is an adaptation of Gu Long's novel of the same title, and typical for the kind of genre features the Taiwanese movie industry had been known for at the time. While Chang Peng-yi does not divert from the formula too much, perhaps “The Night Orchid” is worthwhile due to its visuals, which often border on being surreal or even going into horror territory.
The Night Orchid is screening at Old School Kung Fu Fest...
The Night Orchid is screening at Old School Kung Fu Fest...
- 4/16/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
John Wick: Chapter 4 is marking yet another chance for the West to get to know Donnie Yen, one of Asia’s top leading men. He has already been in several other major Hollywood franchises. He played the scene-stealing Force-sensitive blind master Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the lure for the Asian market role in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, and Commander Tung in the Disney live-action flop, Mulan. However, in that same period when these Hollywood films came out, Yen made 10 of his own Asian-produced films where he was the leading man.
Action films are Yen’s specialty, so Yen’s inclusion in John Wick is a perfect fit. His mother is Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark, a pioneer in the global dissemination of Wushu. Wushu is a flamboyant acrobatic style of Kung Fu, designed for competition. It’s the same style that produced Jet Li along...
Action films are Yen’s specialty, so Yen’s inclusion in John Wick is a perfect fit. His mother is Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark, a pioneer in the global dissemination of Wushu. Wushu is a flamboyant acrobatic style of Kung Fu, designed for competition. It’s the same style that produced Jet Li along...
- 4/2/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
With his presence in John Wick: Chapter 4, Donnie Yen is finally getting the English-language, international showcase he’s always deserved. Yen is a huge star in his motherland of China and is about to become a very bright draw for international audiences, finding himself new fans every time he’s seen in an American film. With this new one, he should no longer be “oh I know that guy from somewhere” and be quite well known as the badass that he is. To you get to know his work, here are ten of the best Donnie Yen movies (in no particular order):
Dragon (aka Wu Xia) (2011)
A big part of Yen’s career has been filled with period pieces in which martial arts have an important place (the Wuxia genre). Dragon is no different. Here, Yen plays a family man who is hiding a dark past, when this past catches up with him,...
Dragon (aka Wu Xia) (2011)
A big part of Yen’s career has been filled with period pieces in which martial arts have an important place (the Wuxia genre). Dragon is no different. Here, Yen plays a family man who is hiding a dark past, when this past catches up with him,...
- 3/25/2023
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
For better or worse, the strength of your name can substantially affect your prospects as an actor in Hollywood. If a producer can’t imagine your name at the top of a movie poster, you’ll have a tough time getting a lead role in mainstream movies. Jet Li understands this reality as well as anybody.
The same martial arts skills that made him an action star in the 1990s were apparent before his greatest hits. However, he might have never got those opportunities had he not been convinced to change his birth name to something easier for worldwide audiences to say.
Jet Li was a martial arts prodigy under a different name (L to R) Director Tsui Hark and Jet Li at a conference for ‘The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate’ | Str/Afp via Getty Images
As explained on Britannica, Jet Li’s original name is Li Lianjie. He...
The same martial arts skills that made him an action star in the 1990s were apparent before his greatest hits. However, he might have never got those opportunities had he not been convinced to change his birth name to something easier for worldwide audiences to say.
Jet Li was a martial arts prodigy under a different name (L to R) Director Tsui Hark and Jet Li at a conference for ‘The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate’ | Str/Afp via Getty Images
As explained on Britannica, Jet Li’s original name is Li Lianjie. He...
- 2/11/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Lunar New Year is a time of feasting and family gatherings. It’s also a time for new movies. China’s Lunar New Year film rush is on par with the holiday film rush in the West, with dozens of premieres jockeying to be the season’s number one blockbuster. In the Chinese queue for this year are films like Donnie Yen’s Kung Fu fantasy Sakra, The Wandering Earth II, the prequel to China’s visionary 2019 sci-fi, and the eagerly anticipated action comedy, Everything Under Control.
It often takes a few months for new Chinese films to cross the pond to the West, and they seldom get theatrical showings. However, Western theaters are becoming increasingly aware of the drawing power of the Lunar New Year and have begun to showcase some special releases in honor of the holiday. This year the U.S. market is treated to a...
It often takes a few months for new Chinese films to cross the pond to the West, and they seldom get theatrical showings. However, Western theaters are becoming increasingly aware of the drawing power of the Lunar New Year and have begun to showcase some special releases in honor of the holiday. This year the U.S. market is treated to a...
- 1/22/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
With its wooden script and earnest tone, Tsui Hark’s government-sanctioned Chinese war epic may not win many hearts and minds
War is hell and so is a certain type of war movie: bloated, self-important and glassy-eyed with solemn patriotism. Directed by action veteran Tsui Hark, The Battle at Water Gate Bridge is the giant follow-up to China’s colossal military epic and domestic box-office smash, The Battle at Lake Changjin. It revives the tale of how, during the Korean war in the unimaginably cold winter of 1950, the Chinese army took on the US forces in Changjin county in North Korea and forced Uncle Sam to retreat towards the 38th parallel, gleefully picking up artillery and ammo that the Americans had been forced to abandon.
The first film took us to the “Hungnam evacuation” – an event which was for America something between Dunkirk and a foretaste of Saigon – in which...
War is hell and so is a certain type of war movie: bloated, self-important and glassy-eyed with solemn patriotism. Directed by action veteran Tsui Hark, The Battle at Water Gate Bridge is the giant follow-up to China’s colossal military epic and domestic box-office smash, The Battle at Lake Changjin. It revives the tale of how, during the Korean war in the unimaginably cold winter of 1950, the Chinese army took on the US forces in Changjin county in North Korea and forced Uncle Sam to retreat towards the 38th parallel, gleefully picking up artillery and ammo that the Americans had been forced to abandon.
The first film took us to the “Hungnam evacuation” – an event which was for America something between Dunkirk and a foretaste of Saigon – in which...
- 12/20/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The Film
With Everything Everywhere All At Once looking a likely Best Picture Oscar nominee, starring roles in the new Witcher spin off at Netflix and American Born Chinese for Disney+ and the small matter of the Avatar sequels, Michelle Yeoh is having a banner year in 2022, in which she also turned 60.
Eureka’s new release of Yes, Madam (previously on UK DVD from Hong Kong Legends under the title Police Assassins) turns the clock back to the very beginning of Yeoh’s career, aged 23, in her first leading role.
Yeoh plays Inspector Ng. Her friend, also a cop, from the UK is murdered and the microfilm he was carrying unknowingly acquired by three bumbling thieves, who get wrapped up with the gangsters who want killed Ng’s friend for the film. Yeoh then teams up with Scotland Yard detective Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock in her film debut) to solve the murder,...
With Everything Everywhere All At Once looking a likely Best Picture Oscar nominee, starring roles in the new Witcher spin off at Netflix and American Born Chinese for Disney+ and the small matter of the Avatar sequels, Michelle Yeoh is having a banner year in 2022, in which she also turned 60.
Eureka’s new release of Yes, Madam (previously on UK DVD from Hong Kong Legends under the title Police Assassins) turns the clock back to the very beginning of Yeoh’s career, aged 23, in her first leading role.
Yeoh plays Inspector Ng. Her friend, also a cop, from the UK is murdered and the microfilm he was carrying unknowingly acquired by three bumbling thieves, who get wrapped up with the gangsters who want killed Ng’s friend for the film. Yeoh then teams up with Scotland Yard detective Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock in her film debut) to solve the murder,...
- 12/9/2022
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
There's no singular definition of a martial arts movie. They can be deadly serious, endlessly silly, and sometimes even feature anthropomorphic turtles named after classic Italian artists. The common thread is the presence of fights that go beyond boxing or brawls in their style and form. Action cinema is filled with talents who've made a career showcasing those skills such as Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan, and many more. You know them, you've seen them, and you love them, but for every well-known and celebrated film of theirs, there are four dozen more movies featuring equally great (or better) talents that don't get the same kind of love.
This brings us to this list of martial arts movies that only die-hard fans have probably seen. The number one reason why is straight-up unavailability. A precious few are "rediscovered" with new home video releases, but thousands more remain lost...
This brings us to this list of martial arts movies that only die-hard fans have probably seen. The number one reason why is straight-up unavailability. A precious few are "rediscovered" with new home video releases, but thousands more remain lost...
- 11/23/2022
- by Rob Hunter
- Slash Film
Chloe Bailey Boards AGC Studio’s Wall Street Drama ‘Midas Touch’
Musician and actor Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish) has signed on to star in the Wall Street drama Midas Touch from AGC Studios. The flick follows the true story of Lauren Simmons, the youngest equity trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and only the second African American woman to hold that position. Bailey will star as Simmons in the pic, which will be directed by Numa Perrier (The Perfect Find). Simmons is an executive producer on the film, as are AGC’s Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, and Glendon Palmer. CAA negotiated on behalf of Bailey and AGC’s SVP of Legal & Business Affairs, Anant Tamirisa, and Palmer negotiated on behalf of AGC.
‘The Pact’ Producer Little Door Expands With Drama Hires
The Welsh indie behind BBC drama The Pact, Little Door Productions, has hired Sherlock and Baker...
Musician and actor Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish) has signed on to star in the Wall Street drama Midas Touch from AGC Studios. The flick follows the true story of Lauren Simmons, the youngest equity trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and only the second African American woman to hold that position. Bailey will star as Simmons in the pic, which will be directed by Numa Perrier (The Perfect Find). Simmons is an executive producer on the film, as are AGC’s Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, and Glendon Palmer. CAA negotiated on behalf of Bailey and AGC’s SVP of Legal & Business Affairs, Anant Tamirisa, and Palmer negotiated on behalf of AGC.
‘The Pact’ Producer Little Door Expands With Drama Hires
The Welsh indie behind BBC drama The Pact, Little Door Productions, has hired Sherlock and Baker...
- 11/15/2022
- by Zac Ntim, Jesse Whittock and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
A city enjoying a spectacular growth spur and a metropolis dying out as we speak. A star looking for a way out from a deadly trap and a teenager determined to have a say in her own future. Japanese feel-good movies and terrifying horrors. As always, Five Flavours offers a full spectrum of moods, emotions, and themes. We announce the complete program of the Festival and kick off tickets sales!
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is the annual review of the best cinema from East, Southeast, and South Asia organized in Poland. Since 2006, it presents the premieres of the newest, carefully selected films from the region, the classics from Asian archives, retrospectives of selected filmmakers, and reviews of national cinemas.
This year’s selection includes 39 meticulously chosen films, 30 of which will be available online, on the territory of Poland only. After the success of last year’s hybrid edition, Five...
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is the annual review of the best cinema from East, Southeast, and South Asia organized in Poland. Since 2006, it presents the premieres of the newest, carefully selected films from the region, the classics from Asian archives, retrospectives of selected filmmakers, and reviews of national cinemas.
This year’s selection includes 39 meticulously chosen films, 30 of which will be available online, on the territory of Poland only. After the success of last year’s hybrid edition, Five...
- 10/26/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Chicago, Il – Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 15 concludes with an exclusive world premiere and first-ever programming partnerships with emerging short film platform Sorry Not Sorry (Sns) and Facets. The in-person festival runs through
November 6 with two closing night films, awards presentations, and Screenings with the Stars: Season 15 Finale, an inaugural reception benefitting the expansion of Asian Pop-Up Cinema. Tickets are on sale now at: www.asianpopupcinema.org/s15-finale
Making its world premiere, Deliverance tells a story of a fractured family of four brothers and one sister confronting haunting memories of their mother’s passing. Lead actress Summer Chan will receive the third Bright Star Award of this season and will be honored in person at the October 29, 4:30 pm screening at AMC Newcity 14. Director Kelvin Shum, screenwriter Kyle Shum, and producer Charlie Wong are also scheduled to appear for the introduction and post-film Q&A moderated by Hollywood Chicago’s Pat McDonald.
November 6 with two closing night films, awards presentations, and Screenings with the Stars: Season 15 Finale, an inaugural reception benefitting the expansion of Asian Pop-Up Cinema. Tickets are on sale now at: www.asianpopupcinema.org/s15-finale
Making its world premiere, Deliverance tells a story of a fractured family of four brothers and one sister confronting haunting memories of their mother’s passing. Lead actress Summer Chan will receive the third Bright Star Award of this season and will be honored in person at the October 29, 4:30 pm screening at AMC Newcity 14. Director Kelvin Shum, screenwriter Kyle Shum, and producer Charlie Wong are also scheduled to appear for the introduction and post-film Q&A moderated by Hollywood Chicago’s Pat McDonald.
- 9/29/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSKing Lear.Jean-Luc Godard, groundbreaking French-Swiss filmmaker across six decades, died last week at age 91. In the week since, a number of tributes have been shared: among them, Blair McClendon in n+1, J. Hoberman in The Nation, Manohla Dargis in the New York Times, and Richard Hell in Screen Slate. Alternatively, you can find a 2002 essay on Godard by filmmaker and theorist Peter Wollen on Verso's blog, watch a 1988 conversation between Godard and critic Serge Daney, or read this list Godard contributed to the British film journal Afterimage in 1970. Shadow and Act founder Tambay Obenson is fundraising to launch Akoroko, a new platform devoted to African film and television. The platform intends to combine film journalism with “consultation, cataloging, and curated film streaming.”Two posters (below) for the 61st New York Film Festival feature photographs taken by Nan Goldin.
- 9/20/2022
- MUBI
Between the pore-rich tightness of his close-ups and the mysterious, patient grandeur of his landscapes, Sergio Leone took the Hollywood-forged myths that enraptured him as a child and created one of cinema’s most influential oeuvres.
Considering Leone’s impact, from those sun-cooked, Ennio Morricone–scored westerns through the nostalgic sweep of his final film, “Once Upon a Time in America,” there’s never not a good time to enjoy a detailed, clip-rich tribute to the legendary Italian filmmaker, and now we have Francesco Zippel’s gratifying biographical appraisal “Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America,” making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Cineastes who watch it should start pulling those Leone DVDs from the shelf beforehand; you’ll want them handy when the parade of praised sequences and behind-the-scenes insight is over, and after interviewee-superfan Quentin Tarantino offers up an amusing post-credits anecdote built around the shorthand...
Considering Leone’s impact, from those sun-cooked, Ennio Morricone–scored westerns through the nostalgic sweep of his final film, “Once Upon a Time in America,” there’s never not a good time to enjoy a detailed, clip-rich tribute to the legendary Italian filmmaker, and now we have Francesco Zippel’s gratifying biographical appraisal “Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America,” making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Cineastes who watch it should start pulling those Leone DVDs from the shelf beforehand; you’ll want them handy when the parade of praised sequences and behind-the-scenes insight is over, and after interviewee-superfan Quentin Tarantino offers up an amusing post-credits anecdote built around the shorthand...
- 9/6/2022
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Asian Pop-Up Cinema today announces the spotlight Marquee films scheduled for the 15th Season, September 10 – November 6. The upcoming Fall festival will highlight the best animation from Asia with a diverse lineup of films from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Additionally announced is Jennifer Yu as the recipient of the festival’s Bright Star Award, who will come to Chicago specially for the award ceremony.
Season 15 kicks off with a pre-festival film event screening of Wei Jun-Zie’s documentary Kungfu Stuntmen, a behind-the-scenes look at Hong Kong action cinema and the contributions from martial artists. The film highlights the dedication of stuntmen, from prominent seniors to newcomers, throughout the profession’s 70-year history.. Tickets are General Admission (8/Adults with discounts for seniors & students); on sale at https://buytickets.at/Apuc.
Opening film, I Am What I Am is a lively action comedy telling the story of three...
Season 15 kicks off with a pre-festival film event screening of Wei Jun-Zie’s documentary Kungfu Stuntmen, a behind-the-scenes look at Hong Kong action cinema and the contributions from martial artists. The film highlights the dedication of stuntmen, from prominent seniors to newcomers, throughout the profession’s 70-year history.. Tickets are General Admission (8/Adults with discounts for seniors & students); on sale at https://buytickets.at/Apuc.
Opening film, I Am What I Am is a lively action comedy telling the story of three...
- 8/10/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Featuring a very large budget and some of the best Asian actors, Korea’s take on “Ocean’s Eleven” is mainstream cinema at its best, not to mention a title that is still holding its place as ninth highest-grossing film in Korean film history.
The Thieves is screening on New York Asian Film Festival
Popie, Yenicall, Chewinggum and Zampano are a team of professional thieves who are willing to do everything to achieve their goals. After a successful heist, Popie’s former “associate”, Macao Park contacts him and informs him of a very lucrative job that is to take place in Macau. At the same time, Pepsee, the third member of the previous team and Park’s ex-lover is released from prison. Popie’s current team agrees to take on the new job and they take along Pepsee, without informing Park. When they arrive in Hong Kong, a separate team awaits them,...
The Thieves is screening on New York Asian Film Festival
Popie, Yenicall, Chewinggum and Zampano are a team of professional thieves who are willing to do everything to achieve their goals. After a successful heist, Popie’s former “associate”, Macao Park contacts him and informs him of a very lucrative job that is to take place in Macau. At the same time, Pepsee, the third member of the previous team and Park’s ex-lover is released from prison. Popie’s current team agrees to take on the new job and they take along Pepsee, without informing Park. When they arrive in Hong Kong, a separate team awaits them,...
- 7/20/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
China’s latest war epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam, has rocketed to the top of China’s box office during the opening days of the country’s long National Day holiday period.
The film was released Thursday and had already earned approximately $82 million by 6 p.m. local time Friday, according to local ticketing app Maoyan, which projects the film will finish its run with a total of well over $500 million. China’s National Day holiday period stretches over the Oct. 1-7 period and is typically one ...
The film was released Thursday and had already earned approximately $82 million by 6 p.m. local time Friday, according to local ticketing app Maoyan, which projects the film will finish its run with a total of well over $500 million. China’s National Day holiday period stretches over the Oct. 1-7 period and is typically one ...
- 10/1/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
China’s latest war epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam, has rocketed to the top of China’s box office during the opening days of the country’s long National Day holiday period.
The film was released Thursday and had already earned approximately $82 million by 6 p.m. local time Friday, according to local ticketing app Maoyan, which projects the film will finish its run with a total of well over $500 million. China’s National Day holiday period stretches over the Oct. 1-7 period and is typically one ...
The film was released Thursday and had already earned approximately $82 million by 6 p.m. local time Friday, according to local ticketing app Maoyan, which projects the film will finish its run with a total of well over $500 million. China’s National Day holiday period stretches over the Oct. 1-7 period and is typically one ...
- 10/1/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Highly-anticipated mainland Chinese film “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” which was due to have been released later this month has been postponed to an unspecified date. The move, announced late on Thursday, was caused by a recent resurgence in Covid-19 cases in China.
The film is a Korean War epic that is co-directed by Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam and should have released on Aug. 12.
Its postponement will further undermine the Chinese box office, which started the year strongly but has been stagnating through the summer. Consultancy, Artisan Gateway this week reported that China’s year-to-date box office aggregate, at $4.65 billion, is running at 17% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
In many years, parts of July and August are reserved for Chinese-language movies in what is known as a film promotion month. This year has seen a particularly heavy crop of nationalist and propaganda titles reflecting the centenary of the founding...
The film is a Korean War epic that is co-directed by Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam and should have released on Aug. 12.
Its postponement will further undermine the Chinese box office, which started the year strongly but has been stagnating through the summer. Consultancy, Artisan Gateway this week reported that China’s year-to-date box office aggregate, at $4.65 billion, is running at 17% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
In many years, parts of July and August are reserved for Chinese-language movies in what is known as a film promotion month. This year has seen a particularly heavy crop of nationalist and propaganda titles reflecting the centenary of the founding...
- 8/6/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The biggest-budgeted Chinese film ever made is heading to the 2021 Cannes Marche du Film.
Bona Film Group’s Korean War epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam with a production budget of $200 million, will make its market debut on the Croisette with Taipei-based Distribution Workshop handling worldwide sales.
The project is notable both for its enormous $200 million budget — considerably more than recent Hollywood war epics like Sam Mendes’ 1917 ($95 million) and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk ($150 million), and even more impressive given how far production dollars tend ...
Bona Film Group’s Korean War epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam with a production budget of $200 million, will make its market debut on the Croisette with Taipei-based Distribution Workshop handling worldwide sales.
The project is notable both for its enormous $200 million budget — considerably more than recent Hollywood war epics like Sam Mendes’ 1917 ($95 million) and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk ($150 million), and even more impressive given how far production dollars tend ...
- 6/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The biggest-budgeted Chinese film ever made is heading to the 2021 Cannes Marche du Film.
Bona Film Group’s Korean War epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam with a production budget of $200 million, will make its market debut on the Croisette with Taipei-based Distribution Workshop handling worldwide sales.
The project is notable both for its enormous $200 million budget — considerably more than recent Hollywood war epics like Sam Mendes’ 1917 ($95 million) and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk ($150 million), and even more impressive given how far production dollars tend ...
Bona Film Group’s Korean War epic The Battle at Lake Changjin, co-directed by A-list Chinese filmmakers Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam with a production budget of $200 million, will make its market debut on the Croisette with Taipei-based Distribution Workshop handling worldwide sales.
The project is notable both for its enormous $200 million budget — considerably more than recent Hollywood war epics like Sam Mendes’ 1917 ($95 million) and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk ($150 million), and even more impressive given how far production dollars tend ...
- 6/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A documentary about the Wirecard financial scandal is in the works at Sky Studios. Gabriela Sperl is developing the project with producer Sffp, it will be directed by Benji and Jono Bergmann of Babka, who will also co-produce. The doc will chart the rise and fall of Wirecard, a financial payments firm once seen as the poster child for German tech innovation before it suddenly collapsed after the discovering of a €1.9Bn accounting black hole. Today, Wirecard’s CEO Markus Braun remains in custody with COO Jan Marsalek on the run, following the issuance of an international arrest warrant. In addition to the documentary, Sperl is also developing a fictional mini-series on the same topic for Sky Studios.
BBC Four has commissioned Brook Lapping, part of Zinc Media Group, to make a feature-length investigative documentary examining what became of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s huge wealth in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
BBC Four has commissioned Brook Lapping, part of Zinc Media Group, to make a feature-length investigative documentary examining what became of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s huge wealth in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
- 9/14/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The 25th edition of the Busan International Film Festival will shrink by a third and be presented in a hybrid in-person and offline format, due to the challenges posed by the coronavirus.
Running with newly announced dates of Oct. 21-30, the festival will present foreign titles as both opening and closing films.
It will open with “Septet: The Story of Hong Kong,” an omnibus film by filmmakers from Hong Kong: Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, and Hark Tsui, which was previously official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. The festival will close with animated Japanese film “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish,” directed by Tamaru Kotaro.
The reduced format means that most events involving human contact have been canceled. These include the opening and closing ceremonies, red carpet, receptions, and parties. On-stage greetings, the ‘Open Talk’ fan meetings and other guest meetings...
Running with newly announced dates of Oct. 21-30, the festival will present foreign titles as both opening and closing films.
It will open with “Septet: The Story of Hong Kong,” an omnibus film by filmmakers from Hong Kong: Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, and Hark Tsui, which was previously official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. The festival will close with animated Japanese film “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish,” directed by Tamaru Kotaro.
The reduced format means that most events involving human contact have been canceled. These include the opening and closing ceremonies, red carpet, receptions, and parties. On-stage greetings, the ‘Open Talk’ fan meetings and other guest meetings...
- 9/14/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Members of an ancient clan of do-gooders must retrieve an all-powerful magic orb in order to restore peace and order to the — well, you know the drill — in The Thousand Faces of Dunjia, a lively if very familiar-feeling fantasy adventure from writer/producer Tsui Hark and director Yuen Wo Ping. Those two names will ensure attention in the West to this aspiring franchise-starter; but Americans who know Yuen for his thrilling fight work in Kill Bill, The Grandmaster, Drunken Master and countless other films will not see his signature here. Viewers with a high tolerance for computer-generated fantasy are...
- 12/15/2017
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Contemporary Chinese Cinema is a column devoted to exploring contemporary Chinese-language cinema primarily as it is revealed to us at North American multiplexes.Over the last few years it has become increasingly easy to see mainstream Asian films in North America at the same time they are released in their home countries. Thanks to partnerships with small, international distributors, the major multiplex chains (AMC, Cinemark, Regal) have devoted a handful of screens in major markets to showing new releases from India, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Most of these titles fall under the radar of both critics and audiences outside the diasporic communities to which they are targeted. They play for a week or two and then disappear, outside of a handful of breakout titles. Last year Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid made headlines for its high per-screen averages in North America as it shattered domestic box office records in China.
- 12/4/2017
- MUBI
A prominent commercial filmmaker in Hong Kong since the mid-80s, the career path and status of Johnnie To is distinctive from contemporaries such as John Woo, Tsui Hark, and Wong Kar-wai. Solely committed to his national cinema, he made a point of never venturing to Hollywood and even formed his own production company, Milkyway Image, in 1996. Only in the mid-2000s when films like Breaking News (2005) and Election (2006) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival was Johnnie To given auteur consideration by Western critics and audiences. Even then, it was only his crime and action genre work, characterized by their elegant style and directorial control, that found critical success and was seen as commercially viable for international markets. With over 50 features under his belt, Johnnie To has a massive oeuvre not bound to any single mode and while he is one of contemporary cinema’s greatest formalist filmmakers, his fluency in visual storytelling transcends genre.
- 10/28/2017
- MUBI
Dear Kelley and Fern,We are all on the same page for John Woo's Manhunt, no doubt—a film that casts my mind back with wry, chuckling nostalgia to first discovering the action maestro's days of glory. Such backward glances have been common to me this week. I must admit, it's been more than a bit hard to be present at Toronto—my heart, mind and soul still feels battered aghast from last week’s devastating, gaping conclusion of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks: The Return. The 25 years that separate that series from the show’s second season are a gulf of time, a void of aging and loss that you feel in every shot—a span, the finale implies, that is ultimately impossible to surmount.This gap was very much in my mind watching Youth, a nostalgic re-envisioning of the Cultural Revolution in the...
- 9/10/2017
- MUBI
A series of porcelain figures stretch across the screen as the opening credits introduce S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The credits retell the story of Rajamouli’s 2015 film The Beginning through still frames, rendering key images in porcelain and marble, already reinforcing the colossal scale and linking myth to the film’s sense of historical significance before it begins in earnest. It’s an apt approach, for The Beginning stands as a mythopoeic origin story, but with the two years passed before The Conclusion, the film is almost being re-carved out of time immemorial. Launching a major Indian franchise which wasn’t funded by the Bollywood studio system, Baahubali: The Beginning was a stunning success story. While it may have only grossed $100 million around the world, it did so as a South Indian film not made in the dominant language of Indian cinema, Hindi, instead made in both Telugu and Tamil.
- 6/8/2017
- MUBI
Craig Lines Jun 7, 2017
Our latest delve into martial arts cinema looks at the movie that inspired a John Carpenter favourite...
I've had a few comments here on my martial arts features asking "Where's the best place to start with martial arts films?" and I always find myself struggling to answer. The genre's so broad that it's hard to know what to recommend - different people will respond to different films, of course - and yet all this time, the perfect answer for Den Of Geek readers has been staring me in the face. If you've grown up on the geek diet of comic books, Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, and the Diy SFX of Doctor Who, then the ideal martial arts starter movie for you is Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain (1983).
Zu was a significant film for the Hong Kong 'New Wave' movement that revolutionised the industry in the late 70s.
Our latest delve into martial arts cinema looks at the movie that inspired a John Carpenter favourite...
I've had a few comments here on my martial arts features asking "Where's the best place to start with martial arts films?" and I always find myself struggling to answer. The genre's so broad that it's hard to know what to recommend - different people will respond to different films, of course - and yet all this time, the perfect answer for Den Of Geek readers has been staring me in the face. If you've grown up on the geek diet of comic books, Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, and the Diy SFX of Doctor Who, then the ideal martial arts starter movie for you is Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain (1983).
Zu was a significant film for the Hong Kong 'New Wave' movement that revolutionised the industry in the late 70s.
- 6/5/2017
- Den of Geek
Us company will launch sales on Huayi Brothers titles at Cannes.
Im Global has revealed that it will handle international sales for Huayi Brothers titles Youth, directed by Feng Xiaogang [pictured], and Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings, directed by Tsui Hark.
Scripted by Yan Geling (The Flowers Of War), Youth is a coming-of-age story about a group of adolescents in a Chinese army cultural troupe in the 1970s. The cast is headed by Huang Xuan, Miao Miao and Zhong Chuxi.
The third installment in Huayi Brothers’ blockbuster Detective Dee series, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings is produced by Chen Kuo-Fu and Nansun Shi and stars Mark Zhao, Feng Shaofeng, Lin Gengxin and Carina Lau.
Currently in production, the film follows Detective Dee as he battles a surreal crime wave at the same time as defending himself against accusations of wrongdoing from his most formidable opponent, Empress Wu.
Im Global, which has an...
Im Global has revealed that it will handle international sales for Huayi Brothers titles Youth, directed by Feng Xiaogang [pictured], and Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings, directed by Tsui Hark.
Scripted by Yan Geling (The Flowers Of War), Youth is a coming-of-age story about a group of adolescents in a Chinese army cultural troupe in the 1970s. The cast is headed by Huang Xuan, Miao Miao and Zhong Chuxi.
The third installment in Huayi Brothers’ blockbuster Detective Dee series, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings is produced by Chen Kuo-Fu and Nansun Shi and stars Mark Zhao, Feng Shaofeng, Lin Gengxin and Carina Lau.
Currently in production, the film follows Detective Dee as he battles a surreal crime wave at the same time as defending himself against accusations of wrongdoing from his most formidable opponent, Empress Wu.
Im Global, which has an...
- 5/9/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Three
Stars: Louis Koo, Wei Zhao, Wallace Chung, Siu-Fai Cheung, Suet Lam, Hoi-Pang Lo, Michael Tse, Adrian Wong, Kathy Wu | Written by Ho Leung Lau, Tin Shu Mak | Directed by Johnnie To
When a cop, a wounded crime boss and a doctor are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground. Bullets fly in a when the crime boss’s gang turn up to try and rescue him, and the cop must prevent innocent lives from being caught in the crossfire.
Johnny To’s hospital-set thriller is a Die Hard-esque tale that instantly recalls the John Woo classic Hard Boiled and yet is in no way similar in story and action. Like a number of his films before this, To takes his time building his film – introducing his characters, exploring their motivations etc. – before finally getting...
Stars: Louis Koo, Wei Zhao, Wallace Chung, Siu-Fai Cheung, Suet Lam, Hoi-Pang Lo, Michael Tse, Adrian Wong, Kathy Wu | Written by Ho Leung Lau, Tin Shu Mak | Directed by Johnnie To
When a cop, a wounded crime boss and a doctor are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground. Bullets fly in a when the crime boss’s gang turn up to try and rescue him, and the cop must prevent innocent lives from being caught in the crossfire.
Johnny To’s hospital-set thriller is a Die Hard-esque tale that instantly recalls the John Woo classic Hard Boiled and yet is in no way similar in story and action. Like a number of his films before this, To takes his time building his film – introducing his characters, exploring their motivations etc. – before finally getting...
- 4/13/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I recently watched Derek Yee and Tsui Hark’s Sword Master, a remake of Death Duel (1977). Even though I have not seen the original, I loved this one. They put a spectacularly modern twist on an obvious classic. I also watched it dubbed. What was I thinking, right? I don’t know. Blame it on anime. Anyway, I am happy to say that not only were the dubs tolerable, they were as close to natural as dubs can get.
Sword Master is down right cool to me. The premise is about a war-weary swordsman whose fire is just about out. Somehow it became more about the guy that’s become his self-proclaimed nemesis. Too often the bad guys are just bad with very little substance, but not in Sword Master. Kenney Lin plays assassin Yen Shisan, who is also an arrogant jerk with unmatched martial arts skills. Despite being an absolute savage,...
Sword Master is down right cool to me. The premise is about a war-weary swordsman whose fire is just about out. Somehow it became more about the guy that’s become his self-proclaimed nemesis. Too often the bad guys are just bad with very little substance, but not in Sword Master. Kenney Lin plays assassin Yen Shisan, who is also an arrogant jerk with unmatched martial arts skills. Despite being an absolute savage,...
- 4/11/2017
- by CoolHappyMe P
- AsianMoviePulse
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveriesNEWSLam SuetThis year's Asian Film Awards are most notable for giving beloved Hong Kong character actor (and Johnnie To axiom) Lam Suet the award for Best Supporting Actor (for Trivisa). We were also happy to see that Tsui Hark (still madly inventive with this year's Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back) was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.Chinese actress Li Li-hua has died at the age of 92. While not very well known in the West—except perhaps in the obscure Frank Borzage film China Doll (1958)—Li's work for the Shaw Brothers studio and, later, Golden Harvest, minted many classics, including Li Han-hsiang's The Magnificent Concubine (1962), and Storm Over the Yangtse River (1969), as well as King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan (1975).For those who aren't able to travel to the Locarno Film Festival but are able to...
- 3/22/2017
- MUBI
In the beautifully shot wuxia epic Sword Master, a powerful swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his murderous past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves. Director Derek Yee joins forces with producer Tsui Hark to bring this classic story of a master swordsman to life.
Check out this exciting trailer for Sword Master:
Now, you can own the Sword Master Blu-ray. Wamg has three copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘Master’ in the title? (mine is Master Of The World...
Check out this exciting trailer for Sword Master:
Now, you can own the Sword Master Blu-ray. Wamg has three copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘Master’ in the title? (mine is Master Of The World...
- 3/21/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Feng Xiaogang’s comedy won best film, actress and cinematography, while The Handmaiden picked up four awards.Scroll down for full list of winners
Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary won best film, best actress for Fan Bingbing [pictured accepting her award] and best cinematography at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Tuesday night (March 21).
Fan plays a rural woman battling the authorities to restore her honour in the comedy-drama, produced by Feng’s Dongyang Mayla, Sparkle Roll Media and Huayi Brothers. Luo Pan was awarded best cinematography for the film, which was mostly shot in a circular frame.
Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden picked up the most awards of the evening – four in all, including best supporting actress for Moon So-ri and best newcomer for Kim Tae-ri. The erotic period drama was also awarded best production design (Ryu Seong-hie) and best costume design (Cho Sang-kyung).
Best director went to Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jing for supernatural horror...
Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary won best film, best actress for Fan Bingbing [pictured accepting her award] and best cinematography at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Tuesday night (March 21).
Fan plays a rural woman battling the authorities to restore her honour in the comedy-drama, produced by Feng’s Dongyang Mayla, Sparkle Roll Media and Huayi Brothers. Luo Pan was awarded best cinematography for the film, which was mostly shot in a circular frame.
Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden picked up the most awards of the evening – four in all, including best supporting actress for Moon So-ri and best newcomer for Kim Tae-ri. The erotic period drama was also awarded best production design (Ryu Seong-hie) and best costume design (Cho Sang-kyung).
Best director went to Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jing for supernatural horror...
- 3/21/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
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