Twilight: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

Here’s another behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming teen vampire/werewolves/supernatural movie “Twilight”. This was originally run by MTV, but some clever fellow with YouTube know-how managed to rip it and put it on YouTube for all to see. God Bless those YouTube kids. Catherine Hardwicke...

April 21st, 2008 | Read More

Breaking News (2004) DVD Review

With “Exiled” and the “Election” films winning Johnnie To a level of international popularity and respect rarely enjoyed by Hong Kong directors, it’s good to see another of his recent efforts finally being released on region 2 DVD through Tartan, namely the critically acclaimed...

October 6th, 2007 | Read More

Invisible Target (2007) Movie Review

Benny Chan’s “Invisible Target” is one of the few Hong Kong films I have been looking forward to seeing in 2007. It joins Donnie Yen’s “Flash Point” and the Johnnie To-Tsui Hark-Ringo Lam collaboration “Triangle” as films that I hope will rekindle my enthusiasm...

October 2nd, 2007 | Read More

Undercover (2007) Movie Review

Just in case there were any viewers left out there who hadn’t quite gotten the point that life for undercover cops in Hong Kong is hazardous and generally depressing comes the cunningly titled “Undercover”. All flippancy aside, the film certainly boasts an impressive pedigree, being...

September 1st, 2007 | Read More

Flash Point (2007) Movie Review

Hong Kong Police Inspector Jun Ma (Donnie Yen) is a baaaaad man. How bad? When we first see him, he’s gotten news that a suspect he has been looking for has resurfaced in a gym. Ma proceeds over to the gym, gets in the ring with the suspect, and beats the living Jesus out of him after verbally...

August 19th, 2007 | Read More

The Closet (2007) Movie Review

Aside from the odd on-form outing from the increasingly erratic Pang Brothers, it’s fair to say that the Hong Kong horror genre has for the past few years been in pretty bad shape, with the majority of releases being content to simply pick up the well-chewed scraps from the modern Asian ghost table....

July 28th, 2007 | Read More

Women (1985) Movie Review

Released back in 1985, the Shaw Brothers production “Women” marked the debut of acclaimed director Stanley Kwan, and was the first of his many films based around female characters, something which has seen him develop a reputation for being one of Hong Kong cinema’s chief feminist cinematic...

July 14th, 2007 | Read More

My Wife is a Gangster 3 (2006) Movie Review

“My Wife is a Gangster 3″ sees director Cho Jin Kyo returning to the popular Korean series, with Taiwanese actress Shu Qi taking over lead duties from original star Shin Eun Kyung and sparing viewers another non-performance from starlet Zhang Ziyi, who had previously been earmarked for the...

May 17th, 2007 | Read More

Twins Mission (2007) Movie Review

Although Hong Kong pixie popstrels Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi, known (or perhaps dreaded, depending on the viewer’s disposition) collectively as Twins, have individually been building up respectable bodies of acting work, their past cinematic collaborations have tended to be pretty shoddy...

April 14th, 2007 | Read More

Battle of Wits (2006) Movie Review

Andy Lau does epic in “Battle of Wits”, a mostly forgotten big-budget period film from China, utilizing a pan-Asian cast from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Like its Chinese epic brethrens of 2006, “Curse of the Golden Flower” and “The Banquet” to name...

January 22nd, 2007 | Read More

Wo Hu (2006) Movie Review

Right from the start, “Wo Hu” has two things counting against it, namely the fact that it is yet another Hong Kong crime film about undercover police infiltrating triad gangs, and perhaps even more seriously, it is produced by none other than the notorious Wong Jing, a man whose name conjures...

January 10th, 2007 | Read More

Confession of Pain (2006) Movie Review

“Confession of Pain” is the new, much hyped thriller from dynamic directing duo Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, best known for their work on the “Infernal Affairs” series. Unfortunately, the film has not fared too well at the hands of critics, though arguably this has been down not only...

January 7th, 2007 | Read More

Diary (2006) Movie Review

In spite of the fact that it is directed by Oxide Pang, who along with his brother Danny is one of Hong Kong’s most dynamic and talented film makers, “Diary” doesn’t exactly grab the viewer and scream ‘watch me’. This could be for a number of reasons, such as the film’s...

January 5th, 2007 | Read More

Exiled (2006) Movie Review

How can you call yourself a Hong Kong cinema enthusiast and not enjoy Johnnie To’s latest crime drama “Exiled”? It’s filled to the brim with unspoken pathos, tough men who let their action speak for them, and women who can’t possibly understand the ways of such men. It is,...

December 22nd, 2006 | Read More

Rob-B-Hood (2006) Movie Review

Possibly as a response to never ending jokes about the increasing age gap between him and his co-stars, Jackie Chan’s latest film “Rob-B-Hood” sees him featured alongside a young baby in a typical action packed comedy caper. The film is directed by Benny Chan (“Heroic Duo”),...

December 18th, 2006 | Read More

On the Edge (2006) Movie Review

Although viewers might be forgiven for an initial lack of excitement at the thought of yet another Hong Kong film revolving around the angst-ridden life of an undercover policeman, the fact that “On the Edge” sees actor Anthony Wong re-teaming with director Herman Yau should be enough to...

November 18th, 2006 | Read More

Dog Bite Dog (2006) Movie Review

Although many Hong Kong thrillers like to style themselves as being gritty and nihilistic, “Dog Bite Dog” is one of the few with the guts to actually follow through on such claims, being one of the darkest and brutal films of the last few years. As such, it marks a change for director Soi...

October 20th, 2006 | Read More

Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989) Movie Review

“The Canton Godfather” (also known as “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose” and “Miracles”) is another Hong Kong classic which has been digitally remastered on DVD by Joy Sales. The film, which was originally released back in 1989, was directed, written by and starred Jackie...

October 18th, 2006 | Read More

Duel to the Death (1982) Movie Review

“Duel to the Death” is another Hong Kong classic which has been remastered and re-released by Joy Sales, complete with extras including newly edited trailers and interviews. The original film was one of the last of the great Shaw Brothers style martial arts epics, and came out back in 1982,...

October 15th, 2006 | Read More

Dragon Tiger Gate (2006) Movie Review

Movies based on comic books aren’t expected to be deep on any level, but the extent to which “Dragon Tiger Gate” goes to excising any semblance of respectable storyline borders on impressive. Of course, if you’re only after groovy martial arts duels and half-baked melodrama, then...

September 24th, 2006 | Read More