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In the Films category...

2046

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

A spell binding and often perplexing vision – it’s Wong Kai-wai’s much anticipated sequel to In the Mood for Love… (more…)

Posted in Drama, Films, Hong Kong, Reviews | No Comments »

20th Century Boys

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Get ready for the next phenomenon as Nakoi Urasawa’s hit manga finally hits our screens as a live-action trilogy… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Anime, Films, Japan, Sci Fi / Fantasy | No Comments »

A Better Tomorrow II

Monday, August 28th, 2006

It’s John Woo all right, but turned all the way up to 11!… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Films, Hong Kong, Hong Kong classics, Reviews | No Comments »

A Bittersweet Life

Thursday, March 3rd, 2005

The latest from Kim Ji-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters, The Quiet Family), a slick tale of that revenge resounds with amazing style and wit, but ultimately do we really care?… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Films, Reviews, South Korea | No Comments »

A Tale of Two Sisters

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

Kim Ji-woon (The Foul King, The Quiet Family) directs this intelligent Asian shocker with more than a few surprises… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Films, Horror, Korean classics, Reviews, South Korea | 1 Comment »

Accident

Friday, March 5th, 2010

It’s no accident this has been causing such a stir! Intelligent with a fantastic premise, surely this one of the finest Hong Kong films of the last decade… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Films, Hong Kong, Hong Kong classics, Reviews, _Clips and trailers | No Comments »

An Empress and The Warriors

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

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…)

Posted in China, Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Ashes Of Time Redux

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Wong Kar-wai returns to his 1994 classic to produce a definite version – but is it really any better…? (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Drama, Films, Hong Kong, Hong Kong classics, Reviews, UK, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Ashura

Saturday, January 21st, 2006

Fantasy fun from director Yojiro Takita, but seriously, it’s no When The Last Sword is Drawn… (more…)

Posted in Films, Japan, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Bangkok Dangerous

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

This impressive debut by the Pang brothers is a heady mix of dazzling imagery and a violent tale of love, betrayal and redemption… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Films, Reviews, Thai classics, Thailand | No Comments »

Barking Dogs Never Bite

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

Biting social satire meets hilarious black comedy. Laugh or the dog gets it… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Comedy, Drama, Films, Korean classics, Reviews, South Korea | No Comments »

Beautiful Boxer

Thursday, December 29th, 2005

You couldn’t make it up! The bizarre true story of the man who became Thailand’s most famous kick-boxer to pay for an operation to become a woman… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Drama, Films, Martial arts, Reviews, Thai classics, Thailand | No Comments »

Bichunmoo

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

This Korean Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon styled epic may have been top dog in it’s homeland, but – with a liberal referencing of over thirty years of Hong Kong swordplay films – it’s really more of a mongrel… (more…)

Posted in Films, Reviews, South Korea, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Black Kiss

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

A solid horror/thriller with enjoyable nods to Hitchcock and Argento – it’s just a shame that ending is so unsatisfying… (more…)

Posted in Films, Horror, Japan, Reviews | No Comments »

Blood: The Last Vampire

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

A solid, good looking action film with great fight sequences by choreographer Corey Yuen, but plot inconsistencies and a baffling conclusion don’t make the best for Chris Nahon’s live-action adaption… (more…)

Posted in Anime, Films, Hong Kong, Horror, Japan, Martial arts, Reviews, Sci Fi / Fantasy, South Korea, UK | No Comments »

Blood: The Last Vampire – the original Anime

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

With the upcoming release of the live-action version, what better time to revisit the original that started it all… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Anime, Films, Horror, Japan, Reviews, _Clips and trailers | No Comments »

Breaking The Silence

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

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

Posted in China, Drama, Films, Reviews | No Comments »

Breathless

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

A breathtakingly impressive directorial debut, and one of the best Asian films of 2009… (more…)

Posted in Drama, Films, Reviews | No Comments »

Buddha’s Palm

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

A fun filled pantomime from the Shaw Brothers – with super extending legs that can deliver a kick from a distance, dwarfs that squirt Alien-like acid puss from their spots and pet dragons… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Butterfly & Sword

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Just another early 80s wire-fu movie – or at least it would be if not for the performances of leads Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh and some fine action from Ching Siu-tung… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Cello

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

Another solid horror from South Korea, but surely the lesson here is don’t give your daughter a scary haircut like that girl from The Ring?… (more…)

Posted in Films, Horror, Reviews, South Korea | No Comments »

Chihwaseon

Thursday, March 8th, 2007

A beautiful film by veteran filmmaker Im Kwon-taek with a fine performance by Oldboy’s Choi Min-sik, but suffers from covering far too long a period… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Drama, Films, Korean classics, Reviews, South Korea | No Comments »

Chocolate: UK preview

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

Director Prachya Pinkaew brings us a whole new female fighting sensation in the making, JeeJa Yanin, but is it another Ong-Bak or an overly earnest disappointment like Warrior King? (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Films, Martial arts, Reviews, Thailand | 1 Comment »

Citizen Dog

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005

Wisit Sasanatieng’s long awaited follow up to Tears of the Black Tiger is a charmingly naïve and beautiful fairytale for adults – think Amelie with smoking teddy bears and zombie taxi drivers… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Comedy, Films, Reviews, Sci Fi / Fantasy, Thai classics, Thailand | No Comments »

Come Drink With Me

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

If you ever wanted to know where Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon came from you only need to know one name, King Hu. This ground breaking film, possibly one of the greatest of the martial chivalry genre, started it all… (more…)

Posted in Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Directors, Filmmakers, Hong Kong, Hong Kong classics, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Cutie Honey

Monday, May 11th, 2009

A(nother) 21st century take on an anime fave from the past, former model Eriko Sato gets a flimsy excuse to run around in her underwear and skintight cat suit… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Anime, Comedy, Films, Japan, Reviews, Sci Fi / Fantasy | No Comments »

Days of Being Wild

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

Leslie Cheung leads an all-star cast in Wong Kar-wai’s sophomore film… (more…)

Posted in Drama, Films, Hong Kong, Reviews | No Comments »

Deadful Melody

Sunday, April 17th, 2005

Campy, explosive fun from the film that influenced the Lyre sequence in Kung Fu Hustle. Well, it’s not completely dreadful but… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Death Duel

Monday, May 7th, 2007

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

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Cinema Club – The finest in Asian film, Films, Hong Kong, Hong Kong classics, Japan, Releases, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Death Note

Monday, July 28th, 2008

A solid live-action version of a manga starring Battle Royale’s Tatsuya Fujiwara that thankfully doesn’t quite replicate the amoral tone of the original manga – but be prepared to wait for the sequel! (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Anime, Films, Horror, Japan, Reviews, Sci Fi / Fantasy | No Comments »

Death Note 2: The Last Name

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

A satisfying conclusion to the Death Note series, but did we really need this exercise in tediousness to get there…? (more…)

Posted in Anime, Films, Horror, Japan, Reviews, UK | 2 Comments »

Divergence

Thursday, December 29th, 2005

A super slick thriller from Benny Chan (Heroic Duo, Gen-X Cops, A Moment of Romance) – but easy on the melodrama!… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Films, Hong Kong, Reviews | No Comments »

Dororo

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Osamu Tezuka’s (Astro Boy) Dororo gets the live-action makeover, from director Akihiko Shiota, starring Memories Of Matsuko’s Kou Shibasaki, but spoiled a little by wishy-washy CGI and under-par action from legendary Ching Siu-Tung… (more…)

Posted in Films, Japan, Martial arts, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Double Vision

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

It’s Seven meets Ring in a supernatural horror from Peony Pavilion director Chen Kuo-fu – starring Hong Kong’s Tony Leung Ka-fai and America’s David Morse… (more…)

Posted in Films, Horror, Reviews, Taiwan | No Comments »

Dragon Tiger Gate

Saturday, May 5th, 2007

With brilliant fight scenes has Donnie Yen’s time in the spotlight finally come?… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews, Sci Fi / Fantasy | No Comments »

Dreadnaught

Monday, March 24th, 2008

Yuen Biao makes a martial art out of doing the laundry, but this mashup of genres goes too far for anyone to come out clean… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews | No Comments »

Duelist

Friday, July 20th, 2007

Over half a decade since making such an impact with Nowhere To Hide, director Lee Myung-se finally returns to our screens with Duelist – but has it been worth the wait?… (more…)

Posted in Films, Reviews, South Korea, Wuxia / Swordplay | No Comments »

Dumplings

Tuesday, June 6th, 2006

The secret of eternal youth lies within Aunt Mei’s dumplings, but be warned, they may be an acquired taste… (more…)

Posted in Films, Hong Kong, Horror, Reviews | No Comments »

DVD: An Empress And The Warriors

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

Veteran Hong Kong director Tony Siu-Tung Ching (director of classic “A Chinese Ghost Story” and the “Swordsman” trilogy and the action choreographer for “Curse Of The Golden Flower”, “Hero” and “House Of Flying Daggers”) makes a dazzling return to vintage form with the epic, AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS, starring Donnie Yen (Flashpoint; Dragon Tiger Gate; Seven Swords; Hero), Kelly Chen (the Infernal Affairs trilogy; Tokyo Raiders) and Leon Lai (Seven Swords; Infernal Affairs 3). You can read our review here »

AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS (cert. 15) will be released on DVD (£15.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by Cine Asia on 23rd March 2009. Special Features include: Making Of featurette; Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo audio options; theatrical trailer.

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Calendar, Hong Kong, Japan, News, Releases, South Korea, UK | No Comments »

Election

Thursday, November 10th, 2005

Johnnie To’s triad epic may not offer anything new to the gangster genre, but his ensemble cast are a delight to watch… (more…)

Posted in Action / Thrillers, Films, Hong Kong, Reviews | No Comments »
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