Like You Know It All (2009) Movie Review

The cinematic medium can make for a fascinating subject, especially in the hands of a director willing to explore it through personal insights. This is certainly the case with “Like You Know it All” from Hong Sang Soo, one of the current champions of the Korean independent film scene, whose previous...

October 24th, 2009 | Read More

Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells (2008) Movie Review

“Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells” is the latest effort from noted Korean independent director Jeon Soo Il, who previously won praise and prizes for his “With a Girl of Black Soil”. This time, he heads to the wilds of Nepal for a minimalist, yet grand tale featuring some truly breathtaking scenery...

October 24th, 2009 | Read More

Red Cliff Clip: The Final Siege Begins…

Apple has a new clip from John Woo’s mega epic “Red Cliff”, which features, if I recall correctly, a one-hour siege at the end of the movie that features a series of elaborate, bloody battles as the good guys march to the bad guys’ final last stand. It’s an insane amount...

October 23rd, 2009 | Read More

The Girls of Vanquisher Gets a Subtitled English Trailer

In “The Vanquisher”, our heroine must go up against the International Organization of Assassins because, well, she’s a good girl and they’re bad for killing people and stuff. Or at least that’s what I got from this questionable English subtitled trailer (via Wise Kwai) for...

October 22nd, 2009 | Read More

Full Trailer for 14 Blades Slashes Online

Whatsammata, that teaser trailer for “14 Blades” we posted yesterday not enough for ya? You say you want more Donnie Yen killing people with all manner of blades and Sammo Hung being Sammo Hung? Well dang, ain’t you the lucky one, cause a 3-minute trailer for Daniel Lee’s “14...

October 22nd, 2009 | Read More

Chow Yun Fat to Let the Bullets Fly

You know what I love about announcements of a new Chinese movie? If they say the movie is coming out in 2010, then by God, chances are it’s coming out in 2010. You won’t get that kind of certainly with a Hollywood project, where a movie usually misses the release date by a couple of years....

October 22nd, 2009 | Read More

Andy Lau and Jackie Chan Enlist in the Shaolin Temple

Can’t get enough epic martial arts movies? Well neither can the Chinese, with China continuing to roll out the big-budget kung fu movies at a fast clip. The latest is “Shaolin Temple”, which boasts a $29 million budget and stars Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse. Also joining them...

October 21st, 2009 | Read More

14 Blades Teaser Trailer is Teasingly Awesome

A teaser trailer for Donnie Yen’s latest Chinese costume martial arts epic “14 Blades” has landed online, and oh boy does it look good. I mean really, really good. It looks like the movie that “An Empress and the Warriors” should have been. The focus of the film seems to...

October 21st, 2009 | Read More

Blood Soaked Trailer For Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl

Call me crazy if it makes you sleep better at night, but I simply cannot get enough of this new wave of extreme Japanese cinema that is currently making the rounds as of late. “Tokyo Gore Police” and “The Machine Girl” are incredible films, mostly because they pack more arterial...

October 21st, 2009 | Read More

Subtitled Trailer For Danny Pang’s Upcoming Seven 2 One

Hong Kong director Danny Pang’s cinematic output is certainly a mixed bag. Sometimes he can knock one out of the proverbial park — 2006’s “Re-cycle” immediately springs to mind — though this is usually followed up with something along the lines of “The Eye 10″...

October 20th, 2009 | Read More

More Crazy CGI Martial Arts in New Storm Warriors Trailer

Like CGI martial arts? You’re in luck, because another trailer for The Pang Brothers’ “The Storm Warriors” (aka “The Storm Riders 2″) has landed online. Let’s face it, “The Storm Warriors” is one of those movies where you know exactly where you stand...

October 19th, 2009 | Read More

Michelle Yeoh in Romantic Kung Fu Thriller Jianyu Jianghu

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” star Michelle Yeoh in a kung fu movie described as “‘Face/Off’ meets ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ set in the Ming Dynasty”? Oh hell yeah. I’m a fan of Yeoh, and in the right movies, she’s quite the “do everything”...

October 19th, 2009 | Read More

On His Majesty’s Secret Service (2009) Movie Review

Wong Jing goes back to the old school with “On his Majesty’s Secret Service” a truly madcap period set comedy in the classic early 1990s style. Although the master of the form himself, Stephen Chow, isn’t starring in such films anymore, there’s certainly no reason to stop making them, and in...

October 12th, 2009 | Read More

Tracing Shadow (2009) Movie Review

“Tracing Shadow” marks the fourth directorial outing for popular Hong Kong Star Francis Ng, and sees him again co-helming with Marco Mak, who he previously worked with on “Dancing Lion”. The film itself is somewhat of a throwback to the glory days of Hong Kong cinema, being a wacky martial arts...

October 12th, 2009 | Read More

Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg (2009) Movie Review

With so many Chinese films still being called ‘Kung Fu’ something or other, and with the continuing global success of Michael Bay’s blockbuster “Transformer” franchise, “Kung Fu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction” was pretty much inevitable. The Hong Kong director getting in on the act is none...

October 9th, 2009 | Read More

Secret Couple (aka My Girlfriend is an Agent, 2009) Movie Review

“Secret Couple” (a far better title than the rather familiar and misleading “My Girlfriend is an Agent”) is basically a Korean take on the recent Hollywood action couple comedy thriller “Mr and Mrs Smith”. Strangely enough, the film was directed by Shin Tae Ra, whose previous efforts were...

October 9th, 2009 | Read More

First Footages from the King of Fighters Movie

Are we dealing with a “Dragonball” situation here? I don’t know, that’s up to you kids to decide. But here’s your first look at some behind-the-scenes footage from Gordon Chan’s upcoming “King of Fighters” (via YouTube). The movie is based on the popular...

October 8th, 2009 | Read More

Tony Jaa and Ong Bak 3 Set to Rattle Skulls in 2010

I have to admit, as much as I like Tony Jaa and the “Ong Bak” franchise, part two left me a little … cold. To be sure, there were plenty of ass kickery going on. Okay, not plenty, there were LOTS of jaws being broken, heads being cracked, knees being put to faces, and poor Thai stuntmen...

October 8th, 2009 | Read More

Tony Jaa: King of the Ass Kickers in any Era

You want plot? How’s this for plot: Tony Jaa plays an orphan who gets involved with some martial arts masters who teaches him everything he knows and then Tony Jaa goes around beating the living beJesus out of everyone and anyone. How’s that for plot? Check out some ass-kicking clips form...

October 6th, 2009 | Read More

Quick Bits: Edison Chen is Back in Movies, Liam Neeson in Three Days

For some reason Edison Chen (pictured, left) has been blackballed from Hong Kong cinema, where he’s made his living for the last decade or two. The reason? He slept with some actresses. And we’re not talking about Edison Chen going all Roman Polanski on them here. He didn’t drug them,...

October 5th, 2009 | Read More