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

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…)

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

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…)

Celebrated director Wong Kar-Wai revisits his 1994 film Ashes Of Time, the Hong Kong filmmaker’s only entry into the martial arts genre. Based on the novel by Louis Cha, this film follows a lone swordsman (Leslie Cheung) as time passes. Ashes Of Time Redux also stars Tony Leung Ka-fai, Brigitte Lin, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and it features an appearance by Maggie Cheung.

Ashes Of Time Redux is released by Artificial Eye on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 January 2009.

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

Not the sequel to Come Drink with Me you might be expecting, but a damn fine tale of heroic chivalry from Zhang Che… (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 martial arts movie star famous for his stunts? Now who could Wong Jing be lampooning in this Jet Li vehicle?… (more…)

They don’t come much slicker than this – Tony Leung and Andy Lau shine in this classy thriller… (more…)

Wong Kar-wai’s recent tweak of his 1994 Swordplay epic, Ashes Of Time, is on limited release at the Renoir cinema London. The original version is typically Kar-wai, beautifully shot by cinematographer Chris Doyle but with a somewhat confusingly narrative. Though I’ve yet to hear the significant differences, his Redux version runs some seven minutes shorter so is unlikely to improve that.

Twitch film reports that Park Chan-wook’s next film, Thirst, will co-produced by a major Hollywood studio. An increasingly common trend, it seems one of the most successful ways studios have of entering the Asian market.

Meanwhile Wu-Jing reports that Jackie Chan will be involved in a TV update of The Shaolin Temple, and Zhau Wen Zhuo will be returning to his role as Beggar Su, with Yuen Woo-ping directing.

Third Window Films release The President’s Last Bang and Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers. As something of a belated catch-up, Artificial Eye have released several films from Wong Kar-wai’s production company Jet Tone. These include cinematographer Chris Doyle’s debut Away With Words, Jeff Lau’s The Eagle Shooting Heroes, based on the same novel as Ashes Of Time and with much of the same cast, and Eric Kot Man Fai’s First Love: The Litter On The Breeze. All are available seperately or together in one box set collection.

Hopefully I’ll be posting reviews of some the above soon – when I get over my jet lag!

Having gone all ‘Ridley Scott’ on us, Wong Kar-wai revisits his 1994 film Ashes Of Time, his entry ino the martial arts genre. Based on the novel by Louis Cha, this film follows a lone swordsman (Leslie Cheung) as time passes. Ashes Of Time Redux also stars Tony Leung Ka-fai, Brigitte Lin, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and it features an appearance by Maggie Cheung.

Ashes Of Time Redux is released by Artfical Eye on DVD and Blu-ray, who also re-release two other Wong Kar-wai classics, Chungking Express and Happy Together, on DVD today.

The 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival is now in full swing, after a gala premiere of Ashes Of Time Redux (yes, I know – well after the rest of the world?). There was a rare public appearance from Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, long retired from the film industry. Director Wong Kar-wai also attended, with Tony Leung and his wife Carina Lau, and Charlie Yueng.

Elsewhere, John Woo and Tsui Hark celebrated the 25th anniversary of the production company they set up, Film Workshop, best known for 80s classics A Better Tomorrow and Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain.

See the official 33rd HKIFF site »

Corey Yuen and Daniel Lai co-direct this superb comic book nonsense… (more…)

Shot back-to-back with Ashes Of Time and sharing much of the same cast, the stars get to let their hair down in a very different take on the same Louis Cha novel… (more…)

The bite size guide for those of you who loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but were too afraid to ask where to go next… these are the ten Hong Kong movies you MUST see! (more…)

Solid horror anthology with three very different takes on life after death from three different Asian countries and directors… (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…)