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The 2010 Tokyo International Film Festival will commemorate the life and enduring influence of Bruce Lee with a special tribute at the festival’s Winds of Asia Middle-East section, entitled The 70th Anniversary: Bruce LEE to the Future.

Screenings will include the film that finally catapulted him into the mass populace, Enter The Dragon, sadly released just after his death, and a rare chance to see the Japanese version of Game Of Death, distributed in 1978. There will also be exciting new films that pay homage to Lee nearly 30 years after his death, including Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng’s Gallants and Luu Huynh Luu’s The Legend Is Alive.

The 23rd TIFF will be held from October 23-31, 2010 at Roppongi Hills and other venues in Tokyo.

Find out more from their official website »

Jet Li’s classic martial art film Fist Of Legend, a stunning reinterpretation of the events that Bruce Lee’s Fist Of Fury was based on, finally gets released on UK DVD and Blu-ray in an unbutchered form.

Directed by Gordon Chan with action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, this Dragon Dynasty edition is packed with extras…

(Review coming soon…!)

Martial art supremo Tony Jaa’s Ong Bak: The Beginning (aka Ong Bak 2) comes to DVD and Blu-ray today. This troubled production is much darker in tone to Jaa’s previous efforts, and despite some standout fight scenes its inconclusive ending now makes it seem like of a prologue to the upcoming release of Ong Bak 3 (to be called Ong Bak what???? in the UK?)…

…there are some great fight scenes though, particularly in the 20 minute-odd end sequence!

The highly enjoyable Ip Man – based on the life story of the man who taught Bruce Lee kung fu – is released on Blu-ray and DVD today courtesy of Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment. We spoke to star Donnie Yen, director Wilson Yip and action choreographer Sammo Hung last week about martial art films, Bruce Lee, Wing Chun and much more besides…

Also out today…

Palisades Tartan continue to reissue their back catalogue with gusto. Today sees two box sets released: Asian Horror – Essential Collection, featuring Takashi Miike’s Audition, ‘Ring‘ Director Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water And The Pang Brothers’ The Eye. A second box set, Korean Horror – Essential Collection, collects Kim Sung-Ho’s Into The Mirror, Park Ki-Hyung’s Acacia And Won Shin-Yeon’s The Wig. They also release Blood Rain today, an inventive thriller set in the 19th century starring Cha Seung-won (Eye For An Eye, Kick The Moon).

4Digital release Cyborg She, lighthearted sci-fi love story about a lonely young man and his female cyborg from the future starring Haruka Ayase (Ichi).

In the last of our series of exclusive interviews, we chat to Sammo Hung about collaborating with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen on Ip Man and the upcoming sequel, ask his personal favourite films in his long career, and ask about… Martial Law! (more…)

In the second of a series of exclusive interviews, we chat to director Wilson Yip about working with Donnie Yen, making a sequel for the first time and being in front of the camera… (more…)

In the first of a series of interviews, we chat exclusively to Donnie Yen about Ip Man, the sequel, the weight of inevitable comparisons to Bruce Lee, and much much more… (more…)

Out in cinemas across the UK today, not one but two major releases for Asian film fans. Ong Bak: The Beginning, courtesy of Revolver Entertainment, and Thirst, courtesy of Metrodome/Palisades Tartan.

Here’s just a taster of that epic finale scene Ong Bak: The Beginning to keep you going…

Tony Jaa’s back with one heck of a finale fight scene – but will this film finally put him back on the martial arts map? (more…)

The highly enjoyable Ip Man, the latest collaboration from director Wilson Yip and action star Donnie Yen, gets released by Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment at selected UK cinemas from today, and will be released on will be released as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) on 26 October 2009. Catch it on the big screen if you can!

» Read our review of Ip Man here

Donnie Yen and Wilson Yip (S.P.L., Flashpoint, Dragon Tiger Gate) are at it again, this time recounting the life of the famous Wing Chun master who first taught Bruce Lee kung fu… (more…)

WINNER OF BEST PICTURE AND BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY AT THE 2009 HONG KONG FILM AWARDS

Directed by Wilson Yip (Flash Point; Dragon Tiger Gate; SPL) and starring Donnie Yen (An Empress And The Warriors) in the title role, the award-winning wartime period action-drama IP MAN brings to the screen the fascinating life of the celebrated Chinese martial artist who famously became martial arts master to Bruce Lee and was the first person to teach the close range combat techniques of Wing Chun openly.

Providing a dream role for Yen, who has always been an outspoken Bruce Lee fan and has gone on record hailing him as one of the greatest Chinese figures in history, the story of IP MAN and his importance in the development of modern martial arts cannot be overstated. In fact, Bruce Lee was so devoted to his master that he would often sit outside the dojo before classes started looking sullen, pretending that lessons had been cancelled so that, once the other students had gone home, he could enjoy personal one-on-one training sessions with Master Ip.

The year is 1935 and Foshan in Guangdong province is a hive of martial arts schools each competing against each other for superiority. The area’s undisputed Wing Chun master is Ip Man (Yen), an independently wealthy and unassuming character who refuses to give classes and only fights behind closed doors in order to protect his challengers from the embarrassment of defeat.

Several years later, invasion by Japanese military forces sees Ip Man and his family destitute and hungry. In desperation, Ip takes a job working at the local coal plant alongside many of his fellow martial artists, where employees are offered bags of rice to take part in bouts fighting against the Japanese soldiers in the commander’s private dojo. Following the death of one of his former peers in the dojo, Ip volunteers to take on ten Japanese fighters at once, an act which arouses the interest of the Japanese commander, Miura. Meanwhile, on hearing they are being harassed by local bandits, Ip agrees to teach Wing Chun to the workers at his friend’s cotton mill so they may defend themselves. Hearing news of this development, Miura demands that Ip Man also instructs his troops in martial arts. Refusing to cooperate, Ip Man instead challenges Miura to a public fight in which he intends to prove the superiority of Chinese over Japanese martial arts once and for all.

The fourth movie collaboration between director Wilson Yip (Flash Point; Dragon Tiger Gate; SPL) and action star Donnie Yen (An Empress And The Warriors), IP MAN boasts incredible fight choreography and action direction by Sammo Hung (Three Kingdoms; Kung Fu Hustle; The Medallion) and Tony Leung Siu Hung (The Legend Of Drunken Master; The Three Swordsmen). Nominated for 12 honours at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2009 and eventual winner of the Best Picture and Best Action Choreography Awards, the film took the number one spot at the Hong Kong box office during its initial domestic theatrical release keeping both “Twilight” and ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” off the top of the charts.

A sequel to IP MAN is already in production and is scheduled for release in May 2010, while a biopic of Bruce Lee, produced with the cooperation of Lee’s family, is being planned for release to coincide with the 70th anniversary of his birth on 27th November 2010.

IP MAN (cert. 15) will be released as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) by Cine Asia on 26th October 2009. Special Features include: Trailer Gallery; Interview Gallery (Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, Lam Ka-tung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ip Chun, Fan Sui-wong, Xiong Dai-lin, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam); “Making Of” Gallery (Making Of, Pre-production, Shooting Diary); Location/Set Design Gallery (The Foshan Cotton Mill, Foshan’s Main Street and Mo Goon Street, Ip Man’s Residence); Gala Premiere footage; Deleted Scenes Gallery; Cantonese 2.0 and 5.1 (with English subtitles) audio options; Cine Asia trailers.

WINNER OF BEST PICTURE AND BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY AT THE 2009 HONG KONG FILM AWARDS

Directed by Wilson Yip (Flash Point; Dragon Tiger Gate; SPL) and starring Donnie Yen (An Empress And The Warriors) in the title role, the award-winning wartime period action-drama IP MAN brings to the screen the fascinating life of the celebrated Chinese martial artist who famously became martial arts master to Bruce Lee and was the first person to teach the close range combat techniques of Wing Chun openly.

Providing a dream role for Yen, who has always been an outspoken Bruce Lee fan and has gone on record hailing him as one of the greatest Chinese figures in history, the story of IP MAN and his importance in the development of modern martial arts cannot be overstated. In fact, Bruce Lee was so devoted to his master that he would often sit outside the dojo before classes started looking sullen, pretending that lessons had been cancelled so that, once the other students had gone home, he could enjoy personal one-on-one training sessions with Master Ip.

The year is 1935 and Foshan in Guangdong province is a hive of martial arts schools each competing against each other for superiority. The area’s undisputed Wing Chun master is Ip Man (Yen), an independently wealthy and unassuming character who refuses to give classes and only fights behind closed doors in order to protect his challengers from the embarrassment of defeat.

Several years later, invasion by Japanese military forces sees Ip Man and his family destitute and hungry. In desperation, Ip takes a job working at the local coal plant alongside many of his fellow martial artists, where employees are offered bags of rice to take part in bouts fighting against the Japanese soldiers in the commander’s private dojo. Following the death of one of his former peers in the dojo, Ip volunteers to take on ten Japanese fighters at once, an act which arouses the interest of the Japanese commander, Miura. Meanwhile, on hearing they are being harassed by local bandits, Ip agrees to teach Wing Chun to the workers at his friend’s cotton mill so they may defend themselves. Hearing news of this development, Miura demands that Ip Man also instructs his troops in martial arts. Refusing to cooperate, Ip Man instead challenges Miura to a public fight in which he intends to prove the superiority of Chinese over Japanese martial arts once and for all.

The fourth movie collaboration between director Wilson Yip (Flash Point; Dragon Tiger Gate; SPL) and action star Donnie Yen (An Empress And The Warriors), IP MAN boasts incredible fight choreography and action direction by Sammo Hung (Three Kingdoms; Kung Fu Hustle; The Medallion) and Tony Leung Siu Hung (The Legend Of Drunken Master; The Three Swordsmen). Nominated for 12 honours at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2009 and eventual winner of the Best Picture and Best Action Choreography Awards, the film took the number one spot at the Hong Kong box office during its initial domestic theatrical release keeping both “Twilight” and ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” off the top of the charts.

A sequel to IP MAN is already in production and is scheduled for release in May 2010, while a biopic of Bruce Lee, produced with the cooperation of Lee’s family, is being planned for release to coincide with the 70th anniversary of his birth on 27th November 2010.

IP MAN (cert. 15) is released by Showbox Entertainment and will open at selected UK cinemas on 2nd October 2009.

Yep, just the other day we were wondering when Ponyo (aka Ponyo on the Cliff), the latest film from Studio Ghibli, would get a UK release, seeing as it opens in US cinemas in a couple of weeks. Now, according to a quick look at Launchingfilms.com, the film has just been slated for UK release by Optimum Releasing…

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who seems to have given up suggesting he’s ever going to retire now, the film marks a return to form after Ghibli’s release of the disappointing Tales From Earthsea adaption by Hayao’s son Goro Miyazaki.

Now the bad news: according to Launchingfilms, we’re going to have to wait till 5 February 2010! Say what?

Perhaps this is part of the arrangement they have with Disney over licensing, or maybe they’re hoping for some good news in next years Oscars, but once again this seems a great way to bury a film. I mean, the DVD and Blu-ray are already widely available from Asia, and by the time this gets released the Walt Disney DVDs and Blu-rays will have been out for a while too – so will anyone want to see this in a cinema?

Whether this will be released in the original language or the ‘all-star’ Disney dub (or both – not uncommon for Optimum releases of Ghibli films) remains to be seen.

While we’re looking ahead to next year (!) a couple of other releases in the calendar that may be of interest include the remake of Karate Kid, Kung Fu Kid, directed by Harald Zwart (who? Agent Cody Banks, Pink Pather 2? Oh dear…) and starring Jackie Chan and Will’s boy Jayden Smith (no doubt gettin’ jiggy wit it) – due for release on 16 July 2010.

A week later, on the 23 July, the series that brought Bruce Lee to the attention of America and the West (even though most of us then prompty forgot) The Green Hornet is finally due to make it to the big screen. After countless aborted projects, the latest production has not been without problems. Stephen Chow was due to direct and star as Kato, but left after creative differences. (Ah, that old chesnut!) Now director Michel Gondry (fresh from his Flight Of The Conchords episode) is attached to the project, with Seth Rogan (oh please!) to star alongside Nicholas Cage and Cameron Diaz, but no-one cast in the Kato role as yet. (Though rumours abound that Kwone Sang-woo, who starred in Once Upon a Time in High School, itself a nice take on the Bruce Lee mania in Korea in the 70s, might get the role.) Could we be looking along the same lines as when Burton did Batman?

Of course, they’ve actually got to make the thing first, so don’t be surprised if dates change – a lot!

Just a few days after the death of David Carradine, star of the Bruce Lee conceived Kung Fu, was announced, now the death of Lee’s co-star in Enter The Dragon has been announced.

Shih Kien (also known as Sek Kin) may be best remembered as Lee’s one-handed arch-rival in Enter The Dragon, but with a career stretching back to 1940 appeared in hundreds of movies. These included appearing alongside Chow Yun-fat in A Better Tomorrow III, and many Shaw Brothers productions including Buddha’s Palm. 

Shih died on Wednesday at a Hong Kong hospital with his children by his side, the Ming Pao Daily News reported.

Read more about Shih Kien on BBC News Online »

Better known under its deliriously exploitative US title Five Fingers Of Death, another kung fu bona fide classic finally makes its way onto UK DVD – bring it on…! (more…)