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The first of Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s three-part adaption of Nakoi Urasawa’s 20 million copy selling 2oth Century Boys is released today – check it out! (Sorry, no English Subs!)

You can read our review of 2oth Century Boys here »

Next Monday quite possibly the best martial arts/kung fu film ever finally makes its way on to DVD in UK! (more…)

Director Shin-Yun Won’s darkly comic thriller, described as ‘A heady blend of Deliverance and Old Boy’ is showing at the ICA cinema, London. Click here for more details and to book screenings.

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…

Bit slow bringing you this news, but the Tartan label – whose responsible Asia Extreme label was responsible for exposing many of us to Asian classics such as Ring, Audition and Happiness of the Katakuris – has closed as of the end of last month… (more…)

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 »

Yes yes, surely we all know that by now? Could this be just another excuse to play our exclusive trailer intro by the lovely Jamie Chung?

(Ahem, well what do you think?)

How terrible does this look? The Pang Brothers get to remake their classic original success – with Nicholas Cage in the lead? Oh, and is it just me, or have they remade John Woo’s The Killer by accident?

Let’s hope their sequel to The Storm Riders, Storm Warriors, delivers…

Bangkok Dangerous gets released in the US on 5 September after being ‘tried out’ in Europe for a bit.

Long regarded as one of the best examples of Anime, Blood: The Last Vampire is set to ignite screens alight with a whole new live-action version. Directed by Chris Nahon, responsible for the only decent Jet Li US vehicle Kiss Of The Dragon and featuring fight choreography by Li favourite Corey Yuen (So Close, Fong Sai Yuk), the film has a seriously good pedigree making it one of the most anticipated live-action adaptations of any anime ever produced.

Check out the trailer and see what you think!

We were just talking about that subway scene from the original Anime, weren’t we? And here is the new version – the opening clip from Chris Nahon’s live-action remake starring Gianna Jun. As you can’t have missed, Blood: The Last Vampire opens in UK cinemas tomorrow… Check it out, pretty close, but with a new twist. Enjoy!

(I promise – next week I won’t mention Blood. Not once…honest!)

But don’t forget the DVD and t-shirt Competition!

More clips and trailers coming soon…!

From Su-chang Kong, director of the critically acclaimed Korean shocker R-Point, comes The Guard Post (aka GP506), a similarly genre-bending foray into the cinema of fear that further cements his reputation as one of the most original filmmakers working in Asian cinema today.

The Guard Post is released on Blu-ray in the UK on 28 December from Cine Asia.

Read our review here »

With two more Hollywood remakes of Asian Horror’s to (ahem) look forward to, The Eye and One Missed Call, the Guardian’s Joe Queenan looks at the genre, and why American gets it so wrong…

Read the article on the Guardian Online »

This year at Cannes sees the real heavy hitters come out to play, as the world’s greatest auteur directors gather to compete for the coverted Palme d’Or. As well as the latest films from Pedro Almodóvar, Ken Loach, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Campion, Lars von Trier, Michael Haneke, and Terry Gilliam, there’s a strong Asian presence. Highlights include Park Chan-wook’s new vampire flick Thirst; Lou Ye’s Tiananmen Square-themed Summer Palace, which has incensed authorities to the point of them slapping a five-year ban on him; Tsai Ming-Liang’s film within a film Face; Johnnie To’s Vengeance; and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock. Other films screening include Kore-eda Hirokaz’s Air Doll; the latest from The Host and Memories Of Murder director Bong Joon-Ho, Mother; and Petiton by Zhao Liang.

See the Guardian’s gallery guide to directors vying for the Palme d’Or »

As the UK gears up for the release of Chocolate, Showbox / Cine-Asia have released a new clip where the filmmakers pay affectionate tribute to the icehouse scene in Bruce Lee’s The Big Boss. The film will make its official London theatrical debut on 24th October, before being launched on DVD and Blu-Ray on 3rd November.

You can read our review of Chocolate here »

At last! After the increasing interest in Thai action film Chocolate, starring martial arts star in the making JeeJa Yanin, is on limited release in London today at the ICA Cinema, ahead of the DVD and Blu-ray release on Monday 3 November. You can see details of the screenings and book here.

Read our review of Chocolate here »

The UK release for Ong-Bak director Prachya Pinkaew’s latest have finally been officially announced. Following a couple of festival engagements during the next few weeks, the film will make its official London theatrical debut on 24th October, before being launched on DVD and Blu-Ray on 3rd November.

Chocolate introduces the latest female Muay Thai sensation, JeeJa Yanin, and is a non-stop martial arts action extravaganza about a young girl whose uncanny ability to mimic the combat skills of her heroes Tony Jaa, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee has made her an unlikely but awesome fighting force.

You can read our review of Chocolate here »

It’s been creating a buzz of anticipation since its production was first announced in late-2006, and now the Japanese movie event of the decade, 20TH CENTURY BOYS, is finally here.

Based on the hugely successful, award winning manga series created by Naoki Urasawa (Yawara; Monster), 20TH CENTURY BOYS is the first instalment of the mind-blowing, three-part live-action adaptation of the epic sci-fi fantasy adventure originally inspired by the T. Rex song of the same name.

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi (Sushi King Goes To New York; Happily Ever After; Keizoku: The Movie) and starring Toshiaki Karasawa (Casshern), 20TH CENTURY BOYS’ epic storyline spans 50 years and several continents, factors that necessitated a budget of 6 billion yen for the trilogy – an unprecedented figure for the Japan film industry.

Japan, 1973. Elementary school kid Kenji Endo (Toshiaki Karasawa) and his small gang of young friends pass the long, boring summer days fantasizing about fighting world-threatening super villains and then recording their fictional crime-fighting exploits in their own ‘Book of Prophecies’.

Almost thirty years later, and now adults with families, jobs and responsibilities that have caused them to drift apart, their lives are turned upside down when one of the former friends dies mysteriously and an entire family from Kenji’s local neighbourhood goes missing. Further afield, a bizarre religious cult is growing in popularity and appears to be connected to a strange chain of catastrophic events that unbelievably appear to be duplicating the imaginary events recorded in the ‘Book of Prophecies’ decades earlier. Disturbed by what he initially believes could only be a coincidence, Kenji reunites the group of childhood friends and attempts to unravel the mystery. The investigation reveals a shocking and sinister conspiracy that seeks to fulfil a doomsday prophecy on the eve of the new millennium. As their renewed friendship is tested in a world gripped by global terrorism and hysteria, Kenji and his companions find themselves involved in a spectacular showdown as a giant robotic machine threatens the city of Shinjuku!

And that’s merely the start of the compelling three-part saga in what has become one of the most highly anticipated, must-see sci-fi movie trilogies since “The Matrix” series.

A national phenomenon in Japan and a huge hit internationally, Urasawa’s 24-volume sci-fi fantasy manga has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, with the film attaining similar success by becoming one of the country’s biggest box office hits of 2008.

20TH CENTURY BOYS (cert. 15) will open at selected UK cinemas on 20th February 2009.

Director Shin-Yun Won’s darkly comic thriller, described as ‘A heady blend of Deliverance and Old Boy’ is showing at the ICA cinema, London. Click here for more details and to book screenings.

Long regarded as one of the best examples of Anime, Blood: The Last Vampire is set to ignite screens alight with a whole new live-action version. Directed by Chris Nahon, responsible for the only decent Jet Li US vehicle Kiss Of The Dragon and featuring fight choreography by Li favourite Corey Yuen (So Close, Fong Sai Yuk), the film has a seriously good pedigree making it one of the most anticipated live-action adaptations of any anime ever produced.

Blood: The Last Vampire is released in UK cinemas on 26 June 2009 by Pathe.

Enter our cometition and win a DVD and t-shirt!

The much-anticipated Chocolate, from Ong-Bak director Prachya Pinkaew and starring martial arts star in the making JeeJa Yanin, is on limited release in London cinemas today.

You can read our review of Chocolate here »

Dragonball: Evolution is the long-awaited, live-action motion picture based on the popular Japanese manga created by Akira Toriyama. Toriyama’s work spawned best selling graphic novels, videogames and a phenomenally successful television series.

The live action adventure centers on the heroic Goku (Justin Chatwin – War of the Worlds), a powerful warrior who discovers his inner strength and protects the Earth from an evil rogue bent on dominating the Universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.

Dragonball: Evolution will be released in cinemas around the UK on 8 April.

Nominated for Best Film at the 2008 Sitges International Fantasy Film Festival, Yim Phil-Sung’s Hansel And Gretel is a visually stunning and truly affecting fable about the destruction of childhood dreams, the loss of innocence and the power of the imagination to overcome life’s horrors will released by Terracotta Distribution at selected UK cinemas on 16th January 2008.

You can read our review here »

Park Chan-wook’s I’m A Cyborg, But’s It’s Okay is finally on release in the UK.

Read our review of the film here »

From Fumihiko Sori, the director of Vexille and Ping Pong, comes the period martial arts action saga, ICHI, a bold, gender-bending reimagining of the classic Zatoichi series of films and TV shows. Originally created by novelist Kan Shimozawa, the eponymous hero – a blind masseur and master swordsman – has traditionally been a male character (previously played by stars such as Shintaro Katsu, Takeshi Kitano and, in Blind Fury, by Rutger Hauer). In a refreshing break from tradition that adds an intriguing twist to the story, Sori’s ICHI stars actress Haruka Ayase (Hero) in the title role playing a young and beautiful blind musician who also happens to be an adept swordswoman.

Travelling the country in search of the blind swordsman who raised her as a child and passed on his fighting skills to her before mysteriously leaving her life, Ichi is constantly struggling to deal with those eager to take advantage of her disability. During her quest she encounters and is threatened by a brutal gang of bandits. Another passing wanderer, Toma (Takao Osawa), steps in to rescue Ichi but finds he is the one being saved when she reveals a samurai sword hidden inside her walking stick and effortlessly despatches their attackers. The slaying of the bandits brings the wrath of their leader, Banki (Shido Nakamura), down upon Ichi and Toma and they reluctantly become embroiled in a battle for control of a village between Banki’s gang and the local yakuza. However, Ichi’s initial feelings about her involvement changes when she discovers Banki may know the whereabouts of the man she is seeking.

Co-starring Shido Nakamura (Red Cliff; Letters From Iwo Jima), Yosuke Kubozuka (Ping Pong) and Takao Osawa (Sky High), and with fight choreography by Hiroshi Kuze (responsible for the amazing sword fights in many of Akira Kurosawa’s epics, including Ran) and a superb musical score by award winning composer Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator), ICHI is a sublime and welcome addition to the Zatoichi movie canon.

ICHI (cert. 15 tbc) is released by Manga Entertainment and opens at ICA London from 7 July, and selected UK cinemas on 10 July 2009.

Johnnie To and Wong Ka-fai’s Mad Detective, starring Lau Ching Wan, is on a limited theatrical release around the UK from 18 July, beginning at the ICA, London.

UK cinema release, Optimum Releasing.

Wong Kar-wai’s first English language film, My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones, gets a UK release on 22 February 2008.

The official site can be found here:
http://www.myblueberrynightsmovie.co.uk/

Origin: Spirits Of The Past is released by Manga and begins a limited cinema release on 12 July 2008.

Directed by Keiichi Sugiyama (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Origin: Spirits Of The Past is the first full-length animated feature film made by Studio Gonzo, the Japanese anime studio responsible for the likes of Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Hellsing and She, The Ultimate Weapon.

The new film by director Derek Yee (One Night In Mongkok) and starring Andy Lau and Daniel Wu is released by Liberation Entertainment in the UK.

Read our review of the film here »

With a cast including Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhao Wei, Zhang Fengyi and Chen Chang, Red Cliff looks like a real return to form for director John Woo, whose last Chinese movie was Hard Boiled. Originally released in China as two movies, the Western version has been edited down into a more concise, two and a half hour version that hopefully gets rid of the slow start to the original without losing integral plots or characterisation (here’s hoping!).

Red Cliff is released by Entertainment Films at the Vue West End and nationwide around the UK on 12 June 2009.

The Forbidden Kingdom, starring Jakie Chan and Jet Li, is released in UK cinemas on 9 July* 2008 by Lionsgate.

(*Originally Friday, 11 July.)

Based on one of the most popular and most frequently adapted modern stories in Japanese literature (‘Paprika’ author Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1965 novel ‘Toki o Kakeru Shojo’), the award winning, feature-length anime The Girl Who Leapt Through Time comes to the UK boasting an unrivalled pedigree of creative talent.

Produced by Madhouse Studio (Paprika; Millennium Actress; Perfect Blue), directed by Studio Ghibli veteran Mamoru Hosoda (director of Digimon: The Movie and the originally intended director of Howl’s Moving Castle before Hayao Miyazaki took the reins), with art direction by longtime Ghibli art director Nizou Yamamoto (Princess Mononoke; Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland) and character design by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was the first ever recipient of the Japanese Academy’s newly formed Best Animation Film Award in 2007.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (cert. PG) is released by Manga Entertainment and will open at selected UK cinemas on 19th September 2008.

Kim Jee-woon’s fun-packed The Good, The Bad, The Weird – starring Song Kang-Ho, Lee Byung-Hun, Jung Woo-Sung and Uhm Ji-won – will be released in UK cinema’s on 6 February 2009.

You can read our review here »

Peter Chan’s The Warlords, which premieres at this years London Film Festival on Monday 20 October, will be released by Metrodome in UK cinemas on 7 November. The film stars Jet Li and Andy Lau.

Triangle, featuring the combined directing talents of Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnny To, is released Manga Entertainment at selected cinemas on 29 August.

Here’s a clip from the new Fumihiko Sori (director of Ping Pong and Vexille) reimaging of the infamous Zatoichi character, this time as a female blind musician who also happens to be a master swordsman. Haruka Ayase (Hero) stars in the title role, with support from Shido Nakamura (Red Cliff; Letters From Iwo Jima), Yosuke Kubozuka (Ping Pong) and Takao Osawa (Sky High). Fight choreography is by Hiroshi Kuze, resonsible swords fights on many of Akira Kurosawa’s later films, including Ran, so expect some old school action.

Ichi will be released by Manga Entertainment and opens at ICA London from 7 July, and selected UK cinemas on 10th July 2009.

Well done to three lucky entrants to our 2oth Century Boys competition are going to receive a fab prize in the post: the full limited edition 2-disc DVD, a poster AND t-shirt!

And if you’re jealous now – well, you gotta be in it to win it, as they used to say on those Lotto commercials. Stay tuned for some very exciting competitions coming soon…

The competition is now over and the winners will be receiving their package in the post soon. Thanks to everyone else that entered, we’ll be hosting other competitions in the future so you might be luckier next time!

Chor Yuan directs Derek Yee in this classic Wuxia tale from Shaw Brothers… (more…)

Derek Yee’s follow up to One Night in Mongkok, Protégé, is released on DVD today by Liberation Entertainment. You can read out review here »

And there’s still a chance to enter our giveaway competition to win one of three copies – but hurry, there’s just a few more days to go! Enter here »