All posts by James Mudge »
Truth or Dare (aka Truth or Die, 2012) Movie Review
Please, stop me if you’ve heard this one – a year after a college party game ends in humiliation for an unfortunate geek, the group of friends responsible are invited to another gathering, only...
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Nameless Gangster (2012) Movie Review
Choi Min Sik, one of Korea’s most respected and popular actors, stars in “Nameless Gangster”, a crime biopic that charts the rise of a customs official to the heights of the criminal underworld. Written...
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Over My Dead Body (2012) Movie Review
Korean cinema loves a good caper, and with “Over My Dead Body”, audiences get just that, as a wacky cast of oddballs try to get their hands on the corpse of a cheating company...
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The Arrival of Wang (2011) Movie Review
“The Arrival of Wang” is screening at Film4 Frightfest in London on Saturday 25th August with directors the Manetti brothers in attendance, and will be released via Saffron Hill Films on UK DVD 8th...
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Floating City (2012) Movie Review
It’s always good to keep an eye on the progressing careers of 1980s Hong Kong New Wave directors, and so “Floating City”, the 13th outing from helmer Yim Ho is likely to be of...
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The Kick (2011) Movie Review
Thai director Prachya Pinkaew and choreographer Panna Rittikrai return with more martial arts action in “The Kick”, which sees a family of Korean taekwondo masters taking on criminals in Thailand. The men who gave...
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First Time (2012) Movie Review
“First Time” is a Chinese youth romance offering and a remake of the 2003 Korean film “…ing”, helmed by Han Yan, whose part of the 2008 collection “Winds of September” ended up being refused...
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You’re My Pet (2011) Movie Review
“You’re My Pet” is a Korean romantic comedy with a rather odd premise, revolving around a woman who takes in a strange young man on the basis that he acts like her pet dog,...
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Fairy Tale Killer (2012) Movie Review
Danny Pang, still best known as one half of the brotherly directorial duo responsible for the 2002 hit “The Eye”, takes another shot at recapturing his past form with “Fairy Tale Killer”, which as...
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Guns and Roses (2012) Movie Review
“Crazy Stone” and “Crazy Racer” director Ning Hao returns with “Guns and Roses”, his biggest-budgeted and most ambitious film to date. Unsurprisingly, the film sees the Chinese sixth generation helmer sticking to the kind...
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Any Other Side (2012) Movie Review
Also known by the decidedly more fitting name “Nightclub Suspense Tale”, “Any Other Side” is another Chinese omnibus of ghostly tales of the weird and supernatural, marking the debut of writer director Fang Yaxi...
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I Against I (2012) Movie Review
The awkwardly titled “I Against I” is a new British thriller from writer director James Marquand, son of Richard Marquand, best known for helming “Return of the Jedi” and “Jagged Edge” back in the...
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Interview: Documentary Filmmaker Cao Dan
This interview took place over two sessions at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival in London, following the UK premiere of director Cao Dan’s feature documentary “Dragon Boat”. The interview was carried out in Chinese...
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Interview: Filmmaker/Writer Guo Xiaolou
Our London writer James Mudge recently interviewed Chinese writer/filmmaker Guo Xiaolou, whose film “Once Upon a Time Proletarian” just won the Audience Choice Award at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival (full list of winners...
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The Paranormal Incident (2011) Movie Review
Unsurprisingly, the cunningly titled “The Paranormal Incident” is yet another low budget found footage affair, in this case following a bunch of unfortunate lame-brains as they wander around the usual abandoned lunatic asylum. The...
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The Second Woman (2012) Movie Review
Hong Kong writer director Carol Lai returns with “The Second Woman”, a suspense drama revolving around the ever popular theme of sinister twins. The film receives a real boost from having popular and award...
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Gabi (aka Russian Coffee, 2012) Movie Review
Although coffee might not sound like the most obvious hook for a thriller, it’s very much at the heart of romantically tinged Korean espionage drama “Gabi”. Another period piece for “Hwang Jin Yi” director...
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Monster Brawl (2011) Movie Review
Arriving soon on region 2 DVD through Momentum is “Monster Brawl”, a film revolving around the wacky, though oddly logical concept of pitting 8 classic monster types against each other in a wrestling championship...
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Dark Mirror (2007) Movie Review
Originally unleashed back in 2007, “Dark Mirror” is a low key psychodrama horror, which now makes a belated arrival on UK region 2 DVD via Arrow Films. The film was directed by Pablo Proenza,...
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