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A young director with high aspirations, we talk to Lu Chuan exclusively about his second film Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, set in the Tibetan Plateau… (more…)

Action choreographer on Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, The Warlords and far too many others to mention, Tony Ching Siu-tung is back in the director’s chair for the first time in five years – but is this the triumphant return we were hoping for…? (more…)

A naff title but this potentially very interesting release sees action choreographer Ching Siu-tung return to the directors chair after many years of collaborations with Zhang Yimou (Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, The Curse Of The Golden Flower) and Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer). (No sign of a DVD with English subs yet!) Kelly Chan, Leon Lai and Donnie Yen star…

Asia House in partnership with Curzon Cinemas launches the inaugural Asia House Festival of Asian Film beginning 22 August. It will premiere films from Singapore, South Korea, Iran, Indonesia and China, including 881, Seven Days and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon. The festival celebrates the best in Asian cinema, showcasing films that have been critically acclaimed at recent film festivals and providing the first and possibly only opportunity to see these films in the UK.

All screenings take place at 6.30pm at the RENOIR Cinema, The Brunswick in London. See www.asiahouse.org for more details »

It’s the Chinese New Year on February 14, year of the Tiger, and to celebrate the BFI are showing a short season of Chinese movies starting this Thursday. These include Xie Jin’s Two Stage Sisters from 1964, Chen Kaige’s groundbreaking Yellow Earth, featuring cinematography by Zhang Yimou, and Yimou’s own The Road Home. (Which is free, but only for seniors!)

Find out more and book tickets online from the BFI’s website »

Gong Li stars in this moving drama about a mother bringing up her deaf child alone… (more…)

Yep, Asia’s biggest star has had another foot in mouth moment. Seemingly endorsing China’s strict censorship policy, Jackie Chan told an audience of business leaders at a high-profile conference that the ‘Chinese need to be controlled’. Unsurprisingly his comments have sparked anger, particularly in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where legislator Huang Wei-cher said: “He himself has enjoyed freedom and democracy and has reaped the economic benefits of capitalism. But he has yet to grasp the true meaning of freedom and democracy.”

Oh boy, here we go again…

Read the full story on the Guardian Online »

Chow Yun-fat, star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Killer and the upcoming live-action Dragonball: Evolution, is set to bring the historical character of Confucius to the screen, according to Times Online. (Well, he has rather become the Asian version of Morgan Freeman of late – the father stroke God figure dishing out advice and wisdom to the lead characters, hasn’t he?)

You can read the full article here, which also includes some pearls of wisdom from both men. (Including “Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten, but hot dog buns only come in packages of just eight?” from Chow Yun-Fat in Bulletproof Monk…

There’s something in the air all right… but Beijing Olympics or not, haven’t we seen it all before? (more…)

Nominated for an Oscar, Jet Li stars in director Zhang Yimou’s (Raise The Red Lantern, Not One Less) first foray into the swordplay genre, and it’s one of the most beautiful and offbeat yet… (more…)

A beautiful tale of romance and bitter betrayal, Zhang Yimou’s follow-up to Hero is even better… (more…)

The Fast and The Furious gets the Hong Kong treatment, but will this appeal to anyone other than boy racers?… (more…)

That’s the question Time journalist Tim Youngs asks in his well-informed article The China Syndrome. A Tim points out, the Hong Kong film industry has been in decline for many years now, not helped piracy, internet and shrunken local markets.

Under a 2003 trade pact, Chinese co-productions are recognized in mainland market as Chinese films, not as imports subject to tight quotas, but what concessions are directors ready to make towards strict censorship in order for a slice of that market?

Read Tim Youngs article, The China Syndrome, in full »

Happy New Year everyone – it’s the year of the Rat!!!

Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan hopes to make a film about the Chinese earthquake to raise money for survivors.

Read more on the BBC news online »

A thought provoking and beautiful movie, the second movie from Lu Chuan (The Missing Gun) is a real winner – and finally getting the release it deserves… (more…)

Director Ang Lee has criticised a reported Chinese media ban on the leading actress, Tang Wei, in his award-winning erotic spy thriller Lust, Caution.

Read more on this story on the BBC News Online »

Tsui Hark’s follow-up to the classic Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a spell blinding feast for the eyes. The special effects are equal anything Hollywood has to offer, but sadly it’s also just as hollow… (more…)

Lu Chuan’s latest film about the rape of Nanjing may be in black and white, but his characters most definitely are not… (more…)

Peter Chan’s take on the historical wuxia drama is far grittier and more grounded than we’re used to, with a fine performance by Jet Li that will surprise his critics – but do we really need another film like this? (more…)

Oh dear, Angelica Lee’s (The Eye, Re-cycle) seeing dead people again. Again. This time Tsui Hark’s at the helm in this rather convoluted psychological thriller… (more…)

A dazzling ode to neon lights, beautiful but as hollow as a glass tube… (more…)

Easily the most palatable Chinese historical drama in ages, John Woo’s Red Cliff comes to UK DVD and Blu-ray today courtesy of Entertainment in Video. Oh, and it’s the best film he’s done in a long time too, so if you’ve yet to catch it, this is a must!

(Shame it’s not all four hours plus??)

Director/action choreographer Ching Siu-tung’s solid if slightly disappointing movie An Empress and The Warriors is released on UK DVD today.

Starring an under-utilised Donnie Yen, Leon Li and Kelly Chen, it’s an historical melodrama. Yep, another one. And sadly it doesn’t delight in the way you might hope from the director of Hong Kong 80s and 90s classics like the Chinese Ghost Story and Swordsman series of films, or from his collaborations with Zhang Yimou – Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and Curse Of The Golden Flower.

You can read our full review of An Empress and The Warriors here »

Yet another historical drama, over blown, over acted and over long – but it’s still easily the best thing John Woo has done in a long time…! (more…)

Melodramatic over acting, sworn vengeance for the death of loved ones, scruffy looking tramps who kick arse, superfluous bucktoothed comedy characters and subtitles that don’t make sense… maybe things haven’t changed that much after all! (more…)

The latest Tsui Hark movie is more than a decent stab at a ‘wuxia’ movie in the wake of Zhang Yimou’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers – but does it fall short of being the epic he intended?… (more…)

Director Zhang Yimou’s latest swordplay inspired movie is a visual delight, but this one won’t please the martial arts fans… (more…)

Jet Li and Jackie Chan – together for the first time ever…! (more…)

Beautifully crafted, superbly told – surely this is one film that should always be in those ‘Top 100′ movie lists? If only people knew about it… (more…)

First Zhang Yimou made a film about the same subject as Chen Kaige had, now Kaige has followed Yimou by making a CGI led ‘wuxia pian’ movie – will these guys ever stop treading on each others toes?… (more…)

Michelle Yeoh both produces and stars in this good looking, enjoyable action film by Peter Pau, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But as possibly the first Hong Kong/Chinese production entirely in English, does it work?… (more…)

From the same novel that spawned John Woo’s Red Cliff comes Three Kingdoms, surrounding the legend of Zhao Zilong who became known as The Undefeated General. But do we need another hysterical – I mean historical – drama…? (more…)

Director Sun Zhou’s second collaboration with Gong Li after Breaking The Silence, a drama about a aspiring poet, a ceramic artist and a vet is not unlike a love poem itself – beautiful, fleeting and sometimes a little flowery… (more…)