It was my great uncle’s funeral this weekend. I know I must have met him a few times, but only fleetingly. The last time must easily have been 20 years ago or more. Families are funny things at the best of times, and my direct family has always been a bit too insular for it’s own good.
It was a touching ceremony on such beautiful sunny day – which my UK based readers will realise how lucky we were! – so it seemed a fitting send off. But a real surprise was finding out one of the things that lightened up his later years, other than endless CSI repeats, was Jackie Chan films! From all accounts they’d have him roaring with laughter.
Who knew?
Well, I wish I had. For one thing, I could have been keeping him supplied with all the latest. Maybe he could even have done the odd review for the site? Perhaps there’s something in our genetic make up, pulling us towards Jackie’s on-screen antics. Or maybe he just knew quality when he saw it?
So Bud, this one’s for you…
What, again…? Yes, just a few days to go now and here’s another exclusive clip to let you know what’s in store with the release of The Raid. Unmissable for for fans of proper, old school action movies…
Even easternKicks has gone a bit Raid-mad, with a new pic on our Twitter page, and a new Iko Uwais themed icon for our header and Facebook profile.
It’s out at cinemas Friday, with various advance screenings before (if you’re lucky enough to still get a seat). Book your tickets now!
Get your hands on an epic martial art adventure produced by Jackie Chan, we have three to give away!… Read more »
With Mitsuko Delivers hitting UK screens this Friday, seems like a good time to rundown some of the very exciting releases Third Window Films have coming up…
There’s hardly moments rest with the DVD release of Keralino Sandrovich’s Crime or Punishment?!? on DVD Monday 14 May. Sandrovich worked with Miki Satoshi (Adrift in Tokyo, Turtles are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers) on the comedy TV show Jikou Keisatsu. (Monday also sees the next Asian Movies Meetup Group, where this month the Secret Japanese Movie Meetup also turns Third Window Anniversary Party.)
Of course all eyes will be on the UK theatrical release of Himizu, the award-winning film from Japanese director Sion Sono, which opens on 1 June. Like Cold Fish, it stars the rather lovely Denden in a supporting role. Sono’s epic Love Exposure will also be released on Blu-ray on 6 August. (Meaning you’ll be able to watch all four hours in one go without swapping discs!)
The really exciting news came that Third Window have acquired Shinya Tsukamoto’s Tetsuo: The Iron man and Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer for Blu-ray release to accompany their DVD & Blu-ray release of his latest film Kotoko in late September/October.
They’ve also acquired Sogo Ishii’s first film in ten years, Isn’t Anyone Alive? From a director who has been bringing us strange and surreal films for 30 years such as Burst City, Crazy Thunder Road, Crazy Family, Angel Dust and Electric Dragon 80000V it stars Himizu‘s Shota Sometani.
Wow! It’s shaping up for one hell of a year for Third Window…
A few months back it was announced that the Korean Film Archive was going to begin putting classic and often rare (mostly very hard to get hold of) films online via YouTube. The good news is that after a little stopping and starting (and a worrying couple of days were everything became ‘private’) we’re very happy to say the Archive is up in force with 70 films!
There’s a wealth of Korean film history, with films from the 1940s to the 90s, with special sections devoted to Kim Ki-young, Im Kwon-taek and Shin Sang-ok. Amongst the films there’s Hong Sang-soo’s (Hahaha, The Day He Arrives) debut The Day a Pig Fell into the Well, and Park Kwang-su’s breakthrough film Chil-su and Man-su, which formed part of the Korean Cultural Centre UK’s Year of the 12 Directors retrospective. And much more besides!
Better yet, all are provided with English subtitles for us to enjoy…
For more, head on over to www.youtube.com/koreanfilm…
(With any luck one day this will beat my Free kung fu movies! post in popularity. Now all I need is the time to watch them all!;))
With just 10 days to go before The Raid is released in UK cinemas, here’s another exclusive clip that gives you a much better idea of what to expect.
(i.e. It’s got all that machete action you’ve been hearing about!)
Enjoy!…
It was sad to see the news on HanCinema the other that Lee Myung-se has been replaced as the director on the upcoming spy comedy Mr.K. When we interviewed Lee earlier in the year as part of the KCCUK’s Year Of The 12 Directors he was obviously very excited about the project. HanCinema attributed a falling out (or ‘disharmony’ as they put it) between Lee and writer/producer Yoon Je-kyoon (Haeundae). Lee has been replaced by Lee Seung-joon-I, assistant director on Yoon produced Quick.
It seems rather pertinent that a recurring theme has been of the Year Of The 12 Directors events has been the changing film scene in Korea, and the increasing involvement of big company investors. It’s pushed the market towards ‘event’ movies (something which has happened globally), limiting the sort of films that can be made towards ‘crowd pleasers’, where investors can be sure of their return.
With an estimated budget of 10 billion Won, there was a lot of stake on Mr.K. But I for one would have loved to have seen what Lee Myung-se would have made of it.
Welsh born director Gareth Evans, will bring his hit Indonesian action film The Raid, back to Wales for a special event premiere involving 11 simultaneous screenings across the country on Wednesday 16th May.
Already touted as 2012′s best action film and receiving rave reviews from the press, The Raid has wowed audiences across the globe and introduced legions of action fans to the newest martial arts superstar, Iko Uwais.
The Raid is the winner of the 2011 Midnight Madness People’s Choice Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, the Audience and Critics’ Choice Awards at the 2012 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and was a sold out hit at the 2012 Sundance and SXSW Festivals. The Raid also features an original score by Linkin Parks’ Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese (Tron: Legacy).
The film will receive its red carpet Welsh premiere at the Cardiff, Cineworld on the evening of Wednesday 16th May and simultaneous preview screenings will be held across Wales at these venues: Bridgend, Odeon; Cardiff, Odeon; Cardiff, Showcase; Cardiff, Vue; Carmarthen, Apollo; Cwmbran, Vue; Llandudno, Cineworld; Merthyr Tydfil, Vue; Newport Gwent, Cineworld; Swansea, Odeon. Contact cinemas for exact start times.
Bit of a slow builder this, but it’s actually the only breather you get through the entire movie! 
