Asian Movie Reviews »
Using (2007) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Using” was Chinese documentary director Zhou Hao’s follow up to his much loved and critically praised high school doc “Senior Year”, and is a very different proposition...
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Million Dollar Crocodile (2012) Movie Review
“Million Dollar Crocodile” is a genuine cinematic milestone, marking China’s first proper foray into the CGI creature feature genre. As the title suggests, director Lin Li Sheng’s film follows the exploits and adventures of...
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Bachelor Mountain (2011) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Director Yu Guangyi completes his ‘Hometown Trilogy’ with “Bachelor Mountain”, following up on the documentaries “Timber Gang” (2006) and “Survival Song” (2008). The film is another set...
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Senior Year (2005) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. Although high school students in the West may think they have it tough, the pressure and hardships they face are simply nothing when compared to the trials...
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My Way (2011) Movie Review
“My Way” has been one of the most eagerly anticipated Korean blockbusters for some time, marking the return of writer director Kang Je Gyu a long 7 years after his massive hit “Taegukgi: The...
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Dancing Queen (2012) Movie Review
Korean comedy “Dancing Queen” has already emerged as one of the year’s biggest hits, following popular film and television actress Uhm Jung Hwa (“Seducing Mr. Perfect”) as a housewife who gets the chance to...
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Dragon Boat (2010) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Dragon Boat” is the latest film from acclaimed Chinese director and artist Cao Dan, a feature documentary which charts the effects of modernisation on the tradition of...
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SIFF ’12 Review: Countdown (2011)
Tae Gun-ho (Jeong Jae-yeong) is a badass in the classic tough guy vein. Watching him in South Korean director Huh Jong-ho’s thriller “Countdown”, you can’t help but be reminded of guys like Steve McQueen...
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Double Trouble (2012) Movie Review
Taiwanese director David Chang’s 2011 Jaycee Chan vehicle “Double Trouble” is what I like to call a lightly-carbonated action/comedy. This, of course, indicates that the film in question offers very conservative portions of both...
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Encapsulated Cinema: The Raid Redemption, Stash House, and Wild 7
The Raid: Redemption (2011) During several of the numerous nerve-shredding, head-splitting fight scenes spread throughout writer/director Gareth Evans’ 2012 action masterpiece “The Raid: Redemption”, I had no idea I was holding my breath until...
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SIFF ’12 Review: Remington And The Curse Of The Zombadings (2011)
When I first came across “Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings” a few years ago, part of me assumed I would never, ever hear that name again. However, I also knew another part...
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The Spin Kid (2011) Movie Review
Screened at Taiwan Cinefest 2012. Popular Taiwanese star Blue Lan follows up domestic box office smash “Night Market Hero” with “The Spin Kid”, a fusion of modern and traditional culture with the actor as...
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A Reason to Live (2011) Movie Review
“A Reason to Live” is the latest film from acclaimed though not particularly prolific Korean writer director Lee Jeong Hyang, following on from his popular 1999 comedy “Art Museum by the Zoo” and 2002...
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Pacemaker (2011) Movie Review
“Pacemaker” is a Korean underdog sports story, this time revolving around the titular runner, a support athlete who helps to set the pace in long distance events during the first section of the race....
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Spellbound (2011) Movie Review #2
Romantic comedy gets a ghostly twist with the Korean film “Spellbound” (aka “Chilling Romance”), which marks the directorial debut of “Love Phobia” and “Two Faces of My Girlfriend” writer Hwang In Ho. Mixing laughs,...
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Love On-Air (2012) Movie Review
aka “Wonderful Radio” As its title suggests, “Love On-Air” is a radio themed Korean romantic comedy, which revolves around popular actress Lee Min Jung (“Cyrano Agency”) as a DJ and former pop star juggling...
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The Magicians (2005) Movie Review
Originally released back in 2005, “The Magicians” was the 4th film from Korean indie director Song Il Gon, known for artistic and offbeat genre offerings such as “Feathers in the Wind”, “Spider Forest”, and...
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Speed Angels (2011) Movie Review
Hong Kong director Jingle Ma follows up “Love You You” and “Mulan” with more cinematic popcorn in the glossy form of “Speed Angels”. In this latest bid for commercial success and mass appeal, Ma...
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New Posters for Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3, and Inseparable
A collection of groovy posters for three movies for ya this Monday. The first is a very nice, battle-hardened look at Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man”, which is definitely going for that whole gritty...
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Mutant Girls Squad (2010) Movie Review
Fans of Japanese splatter have reason to celebrate with the arrival on DVD of Sushi Typhoon’s “Mutant Girls Squad”, a film which combines the talents of three of the finest (and craziest) directors working...
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