Archive for 'Hong Kong, Chinese, Taiwanese' Category
The Pirate by Chang Cheh, Pah Hsueh Li and Wu Ma (1973)
12 August 2008A classic Ti Lung and David Chiang epic, this one about a Robin Hood like pirate, the corrupt people he is fighting and an honorable general sent to stop him. Some great at sea fighting, with good character. Enjoyable all the way around. A classic Shaw and Chang Cheh film, and the Region 3 DVD [...]
The Lady is Boss by Lau Kar Leung (1983)
18 July 2008An absolute classic, the form that Jackie Chan would soon take in his modernizing Kung Fu into current times, done just 2 years before Police Story, Lau Kar Leung shows what a master he is. It is a role i would love to see Jackie take, to be a character in his films, as well [...]
Godfather of Canton by Kuei Chih Hung (1982)
18 July 2008Certainly not as good as when Gordon Liu partnered with his adopted brother Lau Kar Leung, but you can’t go wrong with any movie that starts with him posing in a suit with a Thompson Submachine Gun. Not too much character development, but bloody violence with fake machine guns throughout make this film worth checking [...]
Fatal Move written and directed by Dennis Law Sau Yin (2008)
7 July 2008This movie has some great fight scenes, and so much damn potential, with a fans wet dream of a cast, and a huge epic triad drama, but it suffers a bit from having too many characters, so you don’t get enough from any one, and from and ending that has typified many mainstream triad films [...]
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon by Daniel Lee Yan Kong (2008)
2 July 2008I went into this not expecting much, and while this film does not hew too closely to the original material, I actually enjoyed this epic popcorn film. I thought they even did a good job with Maggie’s Q’s makeup so you could almost believe that she is 100 Chinese. Nothing too deep here, but an [...]
An Empress and the Warriors by Ching Siu-Tung (2008)
1 July 2008A gorgeous if overall vapid popcorn action film set as a period drama piece. Not a horrible, and not a bad watch, but overall disappointing in it’s story and even battles, though the production design and particularly the armor is absolute eye candy. A film set in a fantasy China that never existed, between unknown [...]
Loving You by Johnnie To Kei-Fung (1995)
9 June 2008A decent though not amazing Johnnie To thriller with shades of REGARDING HENRY. My favorite To leading manning Lau Ching Wan is excellent as always and Carman Lee is good too, and actually the film only suffers because the action is only mediocre. An opening stunt falling off a roof looks ridiculous, and the action [...]
The Tigress of Shaolin by Lo Chi (1979)
13 May 2008I am a huge fan of Shaw brothers Martial arts films, but this one just felt like it fell fell a little flap. It has enjoyable action set pieces, but the story is really flat, and there is so little character development that many characters aren’t even named (at least in the English subtitles). I [...]
The Delightful Forest by Chang Cheh and Pao Hseuh-li (1972)
5 May 2008A wonderful Shaw martial arts romp, staring the ever amazing Ti Lung. This film is enjoyable and totally bad ass. Really a must see. Great martial arts and an enjoyable story and amazing martial arts by the great Lau Kar Lung. And the character of Wu Sung which Ti Lung so expertly plays is memorable [...]
My Blueberry Nights by Wong Kar Wai (2007)
3 March 2008I have been so excited to see Wong Kar Wai’s American Feature Debut, and have to say I was a bit disappointed. While this film is ostensibly a single film, it feels more like 3 films stuck together with an actress without the chops to make it one film. In fact Nora Jones acting, while [...]
The Warlords 投名狀 by Peter Chan Ho Sun (2007)
15 February 2008A gorgeous and moving remake of Chang Cheh’s classic BLOOD BROTHERS (which was a better title for this film) about 3 sworn brothers who are torn apart by infidelity and want of power. The film also features some intense and nasty battles, but that is not what the film is about. And I just loved [...]
The Mad Detective by Johnnie To Kei Fung and Wai Ka Fei (2007)
14 February 2008I have been waiting for another team of Johnnie To, Wai Ka Fai and Lau Ching Wan for so long, it is ridiculous, and this film does not disappoint. In fact this one has you rethinking the whole film by the time you get to the end, and thinking about it for days later. This [...]
Bullet and Brain by Keung Kwok-Man (2007)
22 January 2008You have to be wary of any film with Wong Jing attached, and since he wrote and produced this one, I should have known that it might be time to stay away, but having Anthony Wong and Francis Ng in the leads with Eric Tsang in a supporting role made me buy it. This was [...]
Comrades, Almost a Love Story by Peter Chan Ho-Sun (1996)
5 January 2008I originally saw this at the now defunct Garfield theater in San Gabriel in a double feature with the amazing 8 1/2 send up Viva Erotica. This is one of my top 10 movies, and certainly one of my favorite love stories, and it doesn’t hurt that it features my favorite actress, the lovely Maggie [...]
Lady of Steel by Mo Meng Hua (1969)
28 December 2007Another overly complex martial arts film, with some pretty cheesy special effects. Cheng Pei is as great as always, but the film is a little much, and certainly not one of the Shaw’s best films. Only go for it if you are a huge Cheng Pei Pei fan. This is of course another Region 3 [...]
Ju Dou by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang (1991)
18 December 2007The first Chinese language film to be nominated for an academy award, and is of course a partnership with Gong Li, who really makes the film with her amazing performance. This is a horrible tragedy, but an an amazing film about that time in Chinese history and what it could be like for women.
Ju Dou [...]
Interpol 009 by Yang Shu Hsi (1967)
18 December 2007Another swinging 60’s James Bond rip, and with a quick cameo by Ho Li Li, so I am of course there. Not the best film certainly, but still fun overall in a ridiculous over the top way. And amazingly the music is not a bond rip-off and is actually good. This film is silly fun.
Tang [...]
Contract Lover by Alfred Cheung Kin Ting (2007)
18 December 2007I have to admit I only saw this for Fan Bing Bing after seeing her in Flash Point, and she is certainly cute here. This is a stupid romantic comedy all the way around, but I have to admit i did laugh. It is pretty funny, and I actually liked the ending. And of course [...]
Duel of Fists by Chang Cheh (1971)
17 December 2007I am a huge Ti Lung and David Chiang Dai Wei fan and also Chang Cheh, but for being the number 2 to Bruce Lee’s the Big Boss, this could have been a better film. Sure the action is great, but there is too much use of shaky camera moves and zooms, that do detract [...]
Blood Brothers by Alexi Tan (2007)
9 December 2007The curse of the music video director’s, this is a gorgeous, even sumptuous film, but even with an all star cast, action by Phillip Kwok Chun Fung, and not only an adaption of John Woo’s A Bullet In the Head (but moved to 1930’s Shanghai), but with John Woo attacked as an extecutive producer, but [...]
Going Home by Yang Zhang (2007)
15 November 2007A lovely mainland Chinese film about a man doing all he can to bring his friend’s body home from the city to the family in the North East who he can’t find. It is all about loyalty, and the people one meets when going on such an adventure, and it really is a lovely little [...]
King Drummer by Inoue Umetsugu (1967)
15 November 2007I am a big fan of not only Lily Ho Li Li, but also of Inoue Umetsugu and his swinging sixties musicals. I love this ridiculous ideal world with bad ass and suave boys who are also musicians and the beautiful women that love them. And this fun romp with a battle for the best [...]
Simply Actors by Ching Hing Kai and Patrick LEung Pak Kin (2007)
13 November 2007Another ridiculous Hong Kong comedy, and starting one of the twins, that being Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin (who is actually very good in the film, too bad everything else is bad). The movie has a ton of great Cameos, but they don’t really elevate the material, nor does the fact that they put a silly [...]
Mr. Cinema by Samson Chiu Leung Chun (2007)
6 November 2007A decent enough little love story, that purports to follow 40 years of Hong Kong history as seen by a die hard communist sympathizer, and it’s effects on his family who are best friends with some Taiwanese who have diametrically opposed viewpoints. It is cute, and comes out as a nice love story, but it [...]
Lady with A Sword by Kao Pau Shu (1971)
2 November 2007Any Lily Ho Li Li film I will certainly see, and especially another martial arts film, and this one does not disappoint. This is another fun Shaw classic. This is a classic tail of revenge, though with a female martial arts protagonist, and the fight being with the intersection of two families, and the downfall [...]