Asian Movie News

Korean Superhero Movie Jeon Woo Chi

I’ve always said that the Koreans make some of the best looking movies in the world. Even when the action onscreen consists of silly slapstick or the type of humor only someone born and raised (or lived) in Asia could possibly fathom, their films have always looked incredible. So what do you get when you [...]

April 29th, 2008 | Nix | 0 comments | Read More

Le Grand chef (2007) Movie Review

Although cooking may not sound like the most exciting subject for a film, Stephen Chow’s hilarious “God of Cookery” aside, “Le Grand Chef” from director Jeon Yoon Soo (previously responsible for “My Girl And I” and “Besa Me Mucho”) proved to be a big hit at the Korean box office. The reasons for this soon [...]

April 28th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More

Cops and Robbers (1979) Movie Review

Originally released back in 1979, “Cops and Robbers” marked the debut of Hong Kong New Wave director Alex Cheung, who went on to helm other thrillers such as “Man on the Brink” and “Danger Has Two Faces”. A tough slice of police drama that was a big winner at the box office, the film was [...]

April 27th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More

Once Upon a Time in Corea (2008) Movie Review

“Once Upon a Time in Corea” sees the return of director Jeong Yong Ki, previously responsible for the second and third instalments of the hit comedy series “Marrying the Mafia” as well as the ghost story “The Doll Master”. Here, he tries his hand at period set action, with a tale of high adventure mixed [...]

April 23rd, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More

Punch Lady (2007) Movie Review

“Punch Lady” is the new film from Korean director Kang Hyo Jin, who previously worked on the script for the popular hit “My Wife is a Gangster”. Here, she returns to familiar feminist territory, though tackling the more serious topic of domestic violence. Taking a literally hard-hitting approach to the subject, she offers up the [...]

April 23rd, 2008 | James Mudge | 1 comment | Read More

Keanu Still Knows Kung Fu (and Tai Chi Tiger)?

Does Keanu Reeves still know kung fu post “The Matrix”? Maybe, maybe not, but word from the boys at Joblo.com is that the former The One may be itching to reclaim his former glory by appearing in a new Asian movie tentatively titled “Tai Chi Tiger”. The movie would boast the martial arts choreography of [...]

April 23rd, 2008 | Nix | 1 comment | Read More

New Set Images from The Storm Riders 2

The tricky thing about reporting on Asian movies, even one as high-profile and as highly anticipated as the Pang Brothers’ “Storm Riders 2″, is that finding information on them is like trying to find talent in Paris Hilton. It’s just gosh darn hard! But thankfully there are sites like TwitchFilm out there to fill us [...]

April 22nd, 2008 | Nix | 0 comments | Read More

Lee Byung-hun in Expensive Spy Drama Series IRIS

I don’t normally report on these limited-episode TV shows from Asia, but this one just happens to star Lee Byung-hun, is a spy thriller set in locations around the world, including the U.S., and it was developed by Kang Je-kyu, who knows a thing or two about action movies, having helmed major blockbusters like “Taegugki” [...]

April 18th, 2008 | Nix | 0 comments | Read More

Weinsteins Gear up Shanghai and Seven Samurai Remake

Remember a few months ago when the Weinsteins (pictured, left) announced that they were going to be putting close to $300 million into an “Asian fund” to make Asian-based movies with American and Asian stars? Well, they’ve now revealed two of their projects: “Shanghai” from “1408″ director Mikael Hafstrom, and a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s [...]

April 15th, 2008 | Nix | 2 comments | Read More

Yun-Fat, Neeson, and now Bloom for Johnnie To’s Red Circle

Okay, Chow Yun-Fat and Liam Neeson, I can get behind. But I’m not sure what Johnnie To needs Orlando Bloom (pictured, left) for. The film in question is called “Red Circle”, a remake of the 1970 French crime thriller by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Alain Delon. While Chow Yun-Fat and Liam Neeson are currently in [...]

April 15th, 2008 | Nix | 1 comment | Read More

New Images from Donnie Yen’s Painted Skin

Over at their Asian movie blog, Variety has two new images from the Donnie Yen period/martial arts/horror/drama “Painted Skin”, a $10 million dollar movie that has seen three (!) directors, two action choreographers, and other changes in the cast, including the coming, and then going, of Daniel Wu. The film is now scheduled for a [...]

April 10th, 2008 | Nix | 0 comments | Read More

More Storm Riders 2 Character Concept Artwork

The storm riders are coming — are you ready? Well, ready or not, they’re coming, so get used to it. I’m a fan of the original, which was so outrageous as to be insanely entertaining. (Consider this scene: when one of the main characters loses control of his arm, he decides to pull it loose [...]

March 26th, 2008 | Nix | 1 comment | Read More

Character Posters for John Woo’s Red Cliff

John Woo’s Asian epic, “Red Cliff” is one of my most anticipated films of 2008. Of all the Chinese historical epics currently coming out (and yes, there are a lot of them, more than I’ve ever seen in decades), “Red Cliff” is at the very top of my list for one reason: John Woo. This [...]

March 24th, 2008 | Nix | 1 comment | Read More

M (2007) Movie Review

“M” is the latest effort from critically acclaimed Korean director Lee Myung Se, who has won praise both at home and abroad for his highly stylised works that tend to overflow with cinematic flair. With this, his eighth film he seems to be in reflective mood, combing the themes of bittersweet love and loss seen [...]

March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More

Venus and Mars (2007) Movie Review

Korean director Han Ji Seung, previously known for “Too Beautiful To Lie” and “Fun Movie” tries to shake up the romantic comedy genre with his latest offering “Venus and Mars”. Here, he takes the battle between the sexes to its logical conclusion, casting aside all notions of civility and good behaviour in favour of aggression [...]

March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 1 comment | Read More

Going by the Book (2007) Movie Review

With Korean crime and detective dramas of late having been a fairly straight-faced and generic bunch, rarely diverting too far from the given formula, the determinedly off beat “Going by the Book” comes as a breath of fresh air. Directed by first time helmer Ra Hee Chan and written by award winning scribe Jang Jin, [...]

March 21st, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More

The Storm Riders are Back in a $12 Million Sequel

I had heard that the Pang Brothers had been inked to do “The Storm Riders 2″, sequel to the 1998 fantasy hit a while back, but hadn’t heard anything else since. There are plenty of news now, with Variety reporting that the film, budgeted at $12 million, will be shot almost exclusively on blue screen [...]

March 21st, 2008 | Nix | 0 comments | Read More

First Look at Donnie Yen’s Painted Skin

In the Asian horror movie “Painted Skin”, Donnie Yen has to fight off a vampire-like woman who eats the skins and hearts of her lovers. Ouch. The last time we heard anything about the film, director Wilson Yip had been replaced on the $15 million dollar picture by Gordon Chan, but other than that, not [...]

March 20th, 2008 | Nix | 1 comment | Read More

Jet Li and Jackie Chan to Work Together Again

Let’s face it, if I was a producer on “The Forbidden Kingdom”, I would dock Jackie Chan a thousand dollars every time this dope went out in public and badmouth the movie, which Chan has done regularly ever since starring in the Hollywood film alongside Jet Li. But nevermind all that. Chan apparently had so [...]

March 18th, 2008 | Nix | 6 comments | Read More

Our Town (2007) Movie Review

“Our Town” takes the tried and tested serial killer genre and gives it a bit of a shake up by offering the viewer not one, but two crazy murderers on the rampage. Although this may sound like a somewhat desperate gimmick, first time director Jung Gil Young uses this unusual premise to craft a taut, [...]

March 17th, 2008 | James Mudge | 0 comments | Read More