easternKicks.com – how do you get yours?

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…

…and some old ones too! (Finally) embracing the social networks… (more…)

…so it looks like this is finally happening for real? Really hoping we don’t get the the whole Scorsese Departed debacle again…

I mean, as with Martin, I love Spike and his movies, but are we gonna get another shot for shot cover version, compounded by an (admittedly deserved, but not for that!) Oscar?

» View the rumours on the Guardian

Interesting piece on the Guardian today about the loosening of their film quota – but will it really make a difference?

» View the story on the Guardian

New logo, new dates, same great festival!… (more…)

Maybe a little late for an article, Tony Myers looks at the rise of smartphones in filmmaking, with particular reference to Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong’s Night Fishing (Paranmanjang)

» ‘Lights, action… iPhone?’ on the Guardian site…

We welcome dakkar as a regular reviewer to our site, specialising in Anime. Enough: let’s just allow the fella to introduce himself… (more…)

Yep, easternKicks is going to be in print (again) and on shelves very soon, this time in Jade Screen magazine.

Turns out Steve Rivers, boss of fan fave label Cine-Asia, is an even harder man to pin down than he let on – so our friends over at Jade Screen magazine will be representing our interview with him in their next issue (which will also feature a brand new look on the cover courtesy of a fab graphic designer not so far away…)

To celebrate this exciting tie-in, we’ll be offering something very special to easternKicks readers in the next few days…

That’s what Guardian journalist Stuart Heritage wonders in an editorial, in light of the UK release of 3D Sex And Zen: Extreme Ecstasy on 2 September, distributed by Metronome in key cities around the UK.

(Our review of the original Sex And Zen is one of our most popular pages, though somehow I don’t think most readers get what they were looking for… sorry, it’s not that sort of site!)

The film has out-grossed Avatar and Titanic in Hong Kong, and made over a million dollars on it’s Australian release, despite only being shown on six screens. Perhaps as enthralled by 3D as we are here at easternKicks.com, Stuart surmises that rather than invest in Glee Live! In 3D! or even Tintin, if producers really want audiences to get excited about 3D  it should involve a lot more animal penises…

(Read it and you’ll understand!)

…he might be right!!!

That’s what Andrew Lowry of The Guardian seems to think. With the upcoming release of Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw The Devil (what again? Yes, I know!) Lowry takes a look at some recent blood-soaked revenge thrillers from Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy to Lee Myung-se’s Nowhere to Hide and Na Hong-jin’s The Chaser and beyond. You can read the full article here.

Of course, this rather feels the way Korean cinema is perceived in the West. When I put this to Jang Cheol-soo, director of the very violent (but only in the last half hour) Bedevilled, he said he felt Korean films were a lot less hypocritical than those of Hollywood, but admitted that the history and geopolitical status of this country has meant it’s been more exposed to violence.

So what do you think? Drop us a comment and let us know…

The legendary UK label, world-reknowned for great DVD releases with superb restoration, is back from the grave… (more…)

…well, you will if you pop down to the shops and pick up this DVD!

Yep, Cine Asia release their budget DVD on Monday, including the feature length Jackie Chan movie The Myth, trailers of just about every film they’ve put out and that Introduction documentary featuring contributions from critics and pundits such as Kim Newman, Jessica Mellor, and yes, me! Look, there’s my face and everything…! This is just a clip of me in action.

There’s been lots of opportunities to interview actors and directors recently, but if I’m really honest it’s still the chance to chat to some of Hong Kong stars who got me here in the first place, Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung. So any excuse to rabbit on about ‘em.

Surely the BBC Four series can only be a matter of time now…?

The Introduction to Cine-Asia DVD is released on Monday, 28 February, and available from HMV, Amazon, Play.com and other popular stockists. And it’s real cheap too… did I mention that? Go on, you know you want to…

It’s not even due to be out till May, and already I’m getting excited about the UK theatrical release of Kim Jee-Woon’s I Saw The Devil… (more…)

Can it really be that time again? Time to put together film lists and top tens? Well, I guess it is. And The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw has put together his list for the year, including a nod to Kim Hye-ja for her outstanding performance in Mother and (of course?) an obligatory mention of Cannes Palm d’Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethaku’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives…

Read Peter Bradshaw’s best films of 2010 »

That’s the question raised by Anne Billson of The Guardian about the Pang Ho-Cheung’s latest Dream Home, starring Josie Ho, name checking Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water in the process. And a good one it is too… exactly why not? What can be spookier than what’s going on with your immediate neighbours?

Of course, the East where flats and apartments are far more common, these are often the backdrops for very spooky movies indeed. It’s something that’s been explored in sequels to Takeshi Shimizu’s Ju-On: The Grudge series, been previously explored by the Pang brothers (no relation) and even found it’s way into Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic manga Domu: A Child’s Dream.

Dream Home is released today in UK cinemas by Network and will play at Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue, Showcase Newham, Vue Shepherds Bush & key cities around the UK.

Read the full article on The Guardian »

Yeah, that’s right, just list the cast. Nice one Empire, glad to see you’re keeping on top of quality reviews. All this time I’ve fretted when PR companies asked me for a quote for a cover, tried to come up with something witty and clever, worried that I couldn’t come up with the goods. (And usually don’t, but that’s more to do with the films I get asked about.) And all I needed to do was list the cast….

Mind you, to be fair for some reason the releasing company have seen fit to cut the original quote down from ‘The most awesome action cast assembled ever…’

…Better, but listing the cast? Really? Come on guys, even in a full review that’s a bit lame.