Forum > Non-Gaming Discussion > The Movie Hype Thread - what films you should be looking forward to, Young Grasshopper
The Movie Hype Thread - what films you should be looking forward to, Young Grasshopper
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Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:17:32

GALLANTS wins Best Film at HK Film Awards, DETECTIVE DEE scoops six

Low budget martial arts comedy GALLANTS was the surprise Best Picture winner at tonight's 30th Hong Kong Film Awards, also garnering Best Supporting gongs for Teddy Robin and Susan Shaw, as well as Best Score. In a rare display of good taste, the awards jury showered love upon Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng's love letter to classic kung-fu, as well as handing the Best Screenplay award to Pang Ho Cheung and Heiward Mak for LOVE IN A PUFF and favouring Tetsuya Nakashima's CONFESSIONS over Feng Xiao Gang's earthquake weepie AFTERSHOCK as Best Asian Movie of the year.


The biggest winner of the evening, however, was Tsui Hark's superb medieval

adventure DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, with 6 awards,

including Best Director and Best Actress for Carina Lau. Nicolas Tse snapped up the Best Actor statuette for his role as a reluctant police snitch in Dante Lam's THE STOOL PIGEON, and Sammo Hung picked up the Best Action award for IP MAN 2 in perhaps the best looking list of winners in years.




Here's the full list of winners:


Best Picture:

GALLANTS


DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

IP MAN 2

REIGN OF ASSASSINS

THE STOOL PIGEON


Best Director:

Tsui Hark - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


Derek Kwok, Clement Cheng - GALLANTS

Wilson Yip - IP MAN 2

Su Chao Bin - REIGN OF ASSASSINS

Dante Lam - THE STOOL PIGEON


Best Actor:

Nicolas Tse - THE STOOL PIGEON


Tony Leung Ka Fai - BRUCE LEE, MY BROTHER

Chow Yun Fat - CONFUCIUS

Jacky Cheung - CROSSING HENNESSY

Nick Cheung - THE STOOL PIGEON


Best Actress:

Carina Lau - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


Fiona Sit - THE BREAK-UP CLUB

Tang Wei - CROSSING HENNESSY

Josie Ho - DREAM HOME

Miriam Yeung - LOVE IN A PUFF


Best Supporting Actor:

Teddy Robin - GALLANTS


Deng Chao - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Tony Leung Ka Fai - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Wang Xueqi - REIGN OF ASSASSINS

Liu Kai Chi - THE STOOL PIGEON


Best Supporting Actress:

Susan Shaw - GALLANTS


Bau Hei Jing - CROSSING HENNESSY

Mimi Chu - CROSSING HENNESSY

Candy Yu - ONCE A GANGSTER

Zhang Jingchu - CITY UNDER SIEGE


Best Screenplay:

Pang Ho Cheung, Heiward Mak - LOVE IN A PUFF


Lawrence Cheng, Barbara Wong - BREAK-UP CLUB

Ivy Ho - CROSSING HENNESSY

Derek Kwok, Clement Cheng - GALLANTS

Jack Ng - THE STOOL PIGEON


Best New Artist:

Hanjin Tan - BRUCE LEE, MY BROTHER


Byron Pang - AMPHETAMINE

Jing Boran - HOT SUMMER DAYS

Dennis To - IP MAN 2

Dennis To - THE LEGEND IS BORN - IP MAN


Best Cinematography:

Peter Pau - CONFUCIUS


Chan Chi Ying, Chan Chor Keung - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Poon Hang Sang - IP MAN 2

Jason Kwan - MERRY-GO-ROUND

Horace Wong - REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Editing:

Cheung Ka Fai - IP MAN 2


Yau Chi Wai - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Cheung Ka Fai - REIGN OF ASSASSINS

Chan Ki Hop, Matthew Hui - THE STOOL PIGEON

Kong Chi Leung - TRIPLE TAP


Best Art Direction:

DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


BRUCE LEE, MY BROTHER

CONFUCIUS

IP MAN 2

REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Costume Design & Make-Up:

DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


BRUCE LEE, MY BROTHER

CONFUCIUS

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Action Direction:

Sammo Hung - IP MAN 2


Sammo Hung - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Yuen Tak - GALLANTS

Donnie Yen - LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

Stephen Tung - REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Score:

Teddy Robin - GALLANTS


Mak Chun Hung - BREAK-UP CLUB

Peter Kam - DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME

Kenji Kawai - IP MAN 2

Peter Kam - REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Song:

"Here To Stay" - MERRY-GO-ROUND


" 幽蘭操" - CONFUCIUS

"Hot Summer Days" - HOT SUMMER DAYS

" 劍雨浮生" - REIGN OF ASSASSINS

"Have A Good Life" - LOVER'S DISCOURSE


Best Sound:

DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


DREAM HOME

IP MAN 2

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

THE STOOL PIGEON


Best Visual effects:

DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME


IP MAN 2

DREAM HOME

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

REIGN OF ASSASSINS


Best Asian Film:

CONFESSIONS (Japan)


AFTERSHOCK (China)

MONGA (Taiwan)

SEVEN DAYS IN HEAVEN (Taiwan)

UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE (China)


Best New Director:

Felix Chong - ONCE A GANGSTER


Ivy Ho - CROSSING HENNESSY

Freddie Wong - THE DRUNKARD


Professional Achievement Award:

Willie Chan Chi-Keung


Lifetime Achievement Award:

Terry Lai Siu-Ping

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Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:21:31

16th LoveHKFilm Award Winners

Best Picture

Winner:

- Gallants

Nominees:

- Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

- Little Big Soldier

- Love in a Puff

- Reign of Assassins



Best Director

Winner:

- Derek Kwok Chi-Kin, Clement Cheng Sze-Kit (Gallants)

Nominees:

- Tsui Hark (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame)

- Pang Ho-Cheung (Love in a Puff)

- Su Chao-Bin (Reign of Assassins)

- Dante Lam Chiu-Yin (The Stool Pigeon)



Best Actor

Winner:

- Wen Zhang (Ocean Heaven)

Nominees:

- Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau (Crossing Hennessy)

- Simon Yam Tat-Wah (Echoes of the Rainbow)

- Jet Li (Ocean Heaven)

- Nick Cheung Ka-Fai (The Stool Pigeon)

top


Best Actress

Winner:

- Josie Ho Chiu-Yi (Dream Home)

Nominees:

- Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu (All About Love)

- Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei (Break Up Club)

- Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu (Echoes of the Rainbow)

- Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah (Love in a Puff)



Best Supporting Actor

Winner:

-Teddy Robin (Gallants)

Nominees:

- Deng Chao (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame)

- Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Ip Man 2)

- Leon Dai (Reign of Assassins)

- Wang Xueqi (Reign of Assassins)



Best Supporting Actress

Winner:

- Carina Lau Ka-Ling (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame)

Nominees:

- Siu Yam-Yam (Gallants)

- Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei (La Comedie Humaine)

- Barbie Hsu (Reign of Assassins)

- Karen Mok Man-Wai (The Road Less Travelled)

top


Best Screenplay

Winner:

- Pang Ho-Cheung, Heiward Mak Hei-Yan (Love in a Puff)

Nominees:

- Derek Kwok Chi-Kin, Clement Cheng Sze-Kit, Frankie Tam (Gallants)

- Felix Chong Man-Keung, Lau Ho-Leung, Chapman To Man-Chat (Once a Gangster)

- Su Chao-Bin (Reign of Assassins)

- Jack Ng Wai-Lun, Dante Lam Chiu-Yin (The Stool Pigeon)



Best New Artist

Winner:

- Aarif Lee (Echoes of the Rainbow)

Nominees:

- Aarif Lee (Bruce Lee, My Brother)

- Buzz Chung Shiu-To (Echoes of the Rainbow)

- Jing Boran (Hot Summer Days)

- Dennis To Yue-Hong (The Legend is Born - Ip Man)



Best Action

Winner:

- Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Ip Man 2)

Nominees:

- Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame)

- Yuen Tak (Gallants)

- Stephen Tung Wai (Reign of Assassins)

- Chin Kar-Lok, Wong Wai-Fai (The Stool Pigeon)

top

All the Rest


Worst Film

Here Comes Fortune

Lunar New Year films are usually excused for poor filmmaking, but it's hard to cut Here Comes Fortune any extra slack. It's not that funny, plus it has gross product placement and it wastes actors like nobody's business. Miriam Yeung? Sandrine Pinna? Chang Chen? All have seen better days. Alan Tam, however, is largely in his element.


Runner Up: Vampire Warriors



Most Underrated Film

Once a Gangster

Despite questionable production values and numerous esoteric gags, Felix Chong's triad film satire hits the mark more often than not. Having quintessential 90s triad boyz Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan on board is a huge, huge plus. Young and Dangerous? More like Old, Silly but Still Pretty Cool.


Runner Up: Ocean Heaven



Most Overrated Film

Echoes of the Rainbow

Hong Kong loved it and so did some kids in Germany, but some of our jury members were less enchanted by Echoes of the Rainbow. Maybe it was the conventional plot twists or the questionable cultural detail. Or maybe they just thought young Buzz Chung was annoying. You'll have to ask one of them.


Runner Up: Break Up Club

top


Most Bizarre Film

City Under Siege

It's a battle in Hong Kong between super-strong, super-tough mutants - and they choose to fight with throwing knives? Also featuring an annoying and possibly mentally-handicapped Aaron Kwok and Collin Chou as a mutated bad guy who just wants to be loved. If you can make sense of this film, then you win the Internet.


Runner Up: Like a Dream



Most Disappointing Film

Triple Tap

Director Derek Yee usually equals quality, but Triple Tap was boring and underwhelming, with wasted performances by a number of award-winning actors. Louis Koo's sweaty overacting and some disingenous narrative trickery seal the deal: Triple Tap blows.


Runner Up: Bruce Lee, My Brother



Funniest Performer

Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung (Once a Gangster)

More a victim of comic cruelty than an actual comedian, Wilfred Lau nonetheless stole the show in Once a Gangster with his parody performance on Tony Leung Chiu-Wai's Infernal Affairs character, who he plays as the worst and most obtuse undercover cop in history.


Runner Up: Teddy Robin (Gallants)

top


Most Annoying

Janice Vidal (Frozen)

Patrick Tang's bothersome and insufferable best pal in Break Up Club was trumped by singer Janice Vidal in Frozen. Vidal barely registers in the film, but her flat English is what raises her acting from poor to annoying. Her hats were fab though.


Runner Up: Patrick Tang Kin-Won (Break Up Club)



Most Awesome

Teddy Robin (Gallants)

If you saw Gallants, you'd automatically get why Teddy Robin is the Most Awesome person and/or entity found in Hong Kong Cinema in 2010. He beat an old lady and a dog, both of whom were pretty damn awesome too.


Runners Up: Candy Hau Woon-Ling (Bad Blood), Little Huang the ghost-seeing dog (The Child's Eye)



Most Underrated Performer

Jet Li (Ocean Heaven)

He won acting awards for Warlords, but Jet Li received comparatively little notice for his landmark "non-action" role in the drama Ocean Heaven. Audiences didn't pay much attention either. Too bad, the movie was good and so was Jet.


Runner Up: Shawn Yue (Love in a Puff)

top


The Liu Kai-Chi Overacting Award (three-way tie)

Collin Chou (City Under Siege)

Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2)

Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (City Under Siege)


Collin Chou deserves notice for his all-out gusto as a devolving circus performer slowly turning into a clone of the Toxic Avenger. Meanwhile, he cries (That's right - cries!) because his "dream lover" Angel (Shu Qi) won't find him attractive. Thanks to Collin Chou, grotesque Chinese mutants can now be considered cute.


Darren Shahlavi overacted so egregiously in Ip Man 2 that his cinematic shouting was likely heard in three adjacent galaxies. Shahlavi probably shouldn't be sharing this award - his vein-bursting role as the racist Mr. Twister was that impressive. But China demands that a foreigner not win, so we're giving it to two other guys too.


Overacting isn't always bad; it can be funny and entertaining too. Sadly, that's not what happened with Aaron Kwok's childlike and possibly mentally-addled performance in City Under Siege. Perhaps Kwok was aiming for cute or winsome with his dopey mutant hero, but the result was more bizarre and idiotic than anything else. If actors had to give back acting awards for bad performances, Kwok would be at minus 3 and counting.




Taking Up Space

Janice Vidal (Frozen)

Poor Janice. Frozen was Janice Vidal's screen debut (unless you count the 2006 "music movie" A Melody Looking) and she spent the entire film enabling other characters and reciting her lines in poorly-enunciated Cantonese and English. We look forward to her second film because there's nowhere to go but up.


Runner Up: Jennifer Tse Ting-Ting (Bruce Lee, My Brother)

top


Career Suicide

Foreigners in Hong Kong Movies

In 2010, nobody in Hong Kong Cinema saw their stock drop more than foreigners. Take your pick of nationality and they were used by some Chinese filmmaker as a tool to invite scorn, hatred or just plain disapproval. Granted, this isn't really a suicide because it's not like foreign actors were doing this to themselves. Then again, western fest audiences cheered, so maybe the shoe does fit.


Runner Up: Wong Ching-Po (Revenge: A Love Story)



Best Use of Housewares

Dream Home

Pang Ho-Cheung's social drama cum slasher featured a number of gratuitously gory kills, but the genius here was in the use of common household fixtures - vacuum cleaners, toilet bowls, bed frame slats, that damn wooden step - to off the populace of the film's too-expensive housing estate. When we buy our own place, we're remodeling the whole thing into one big pillow.



Best Dance Moves (click image to enlarge)

Leon Lai Ming (Frozen)

Frozen had many things - time travel, family drama, Cantopop nostalgia, bad hair - but the thing it may be most remembered for years from now is the cringeworthy and also genuinely entertaining dance sequence where Leon Lai aped the King of Pop and sent half his fan base screaming for the cinema exits. Okay, half his fans is probably an exaggeration. Maybe more like 37%.

top


Subtitle of the Year (click image to enlarge)

"Karma really is a bitch." (said by King Shih-Chieh in Reign of Assassins)

Reign of Assassins is an excellent swordplay film with a fine mix of new and old genre tropes. That said, it's doubtful that a mixture of new and old is what this line was aiming for. The character who said this was gravely pointing out an instance of heavenly irony, and not righteously copping a 'tude about messin' with the man upstairs. Why not just call the movie All Men are Bros?



The Hand of China Award

Triple Tap

Director Derek Yee stated he was making a film to appeal to the China market - and did this after nixing that same market with the dark Shinjuku Incident. The result of his money-chasing move? Triple Tap, a snoozeworthy action film and quite possibly the worst film of Derek Yee's storied directorial career. The positive to this story? We'll let you know if we ever figure one out.



The Dynasty Award

Black Ransom

Unintentional entertainment is still entertainment, which is why we give out the Dynasty Award to a Hong Kong film that gets laughs or cheers despite being quality-impaired. Black Ransom featured over-the-top action, homoerotic cop vs. criminal conversations and Simon Yam as a Jedi Cop who uses "the feeling" to become an instakill police warrior. The man curves bullets, for chrissakes.

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The Respect the Elderly Award

Candy Hau Woon-Ling (Bad Blood)

Ubiquitous granny Candy Hau wins this special award for being old and deceptive, so you'd better respect her. The photo to the left is from Hollywood film Push, and not from the Hong Kong flick Bad Blood but the point remains: this woman is old, adorable and dangerous. She can pack heat and she can still drive. Add those together and you have a pint-sized package of flaming death. You have been warned.



The Ed Wood Award

Dennis S.Y. Law (Bad Blood, Womb Ghosts and Vampire Warriors)

Dennis S.Y. Law loves to make movies. Too bad he's not very good at it. In 2010, Law attempted to fill Hong Kong's genre film void with a trio of features, but the results were so inept that it's hard to figure out who to blame: the director, screenwriter or the producer. Whoops, Law wears all three hats. If Law insists on directing, he should hire a better producer or screenwriter. We suggest he buy a mirror, too.


The Team Player Award

Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung (Frozen, Merry-Go-Round, Fire of Conscience, Once a Gangster and Bruce Lee, My Brother)

The Team Player award is given to a performer who sacrifices his ego to support his co-stars. In 2010, Wilfred Lau was kicked down some stairs, got his arm blown off and was thrown from a roof. He also appeared as a traitor to his people, the dumbest cop in the universe and a materialistic yuppie with diarrhea. If a man is owed some self-respect, that man is Wilfred Lau.

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The Andy Lau Product Placement Award

The Jade and the Pearl

Jade and the Pearl contained comparatively less product placement than TVB's other productions (Perfect Wedding and 72 Tenants of Prosperity), but no film was more deserving of an award celebrating crass commercialism. Not only did the filmmakers cram product placement into a period comedy, but the film's title itself pushes TVB broadcast channels Jade and Pearl. TVB, you never cease to amaze.


The Official LoveHKFilm Apology

Hong Kong Cinema

If a film is labeled as "Hong Kong" based on its setting, then many films still qualify as Hong Kong Cinema. But based on target? Sorry, they're targeted for China. Based on content? Sorry, it's been altered to appeal to China or foreign genre labels. Based on stars? Hello co-stars from China, Japan or Korea. Based on money? Hey China, you funded this film. We're sorry, Hong Kong Cinema, but you're pretty much dead. Our deepest apologies.

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Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:22:56

BLOOD SIMPLE BEYOND HOLLYWOOD REVIEW

By Zhang Yimou, director of Hero, House of Flying Daggers et al

“Blood Simple” is not only a great remake, but a very entertaining film in its own right, tightly scripted, amusing and tense. On top of that, it stands as a very interesting and effective career move from Zhang Yimou, and one which suggests that he is a far more flexible and creative film maker than might previously have been suspected."

US Trailer And Three Clips Showcase Donnie Yen In LEGEND OF THE FIST

Edited: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:32:53

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Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:01:31

BATMAN: YEAR ONE News! Voice Casting! Rating! Pics!




We reported last week in our DARK KNIGHT RETURNS article that BATMAN: YEAR ONE was being made by DC Animation for release later in the year. Well, Hollywood Reporter has exclusive additional information on the project, and right now it's sounding more and more impressive.


According to HR, we're getting a pretty terrific cast for the animated film - Bryan Cranston (BREAKING BAD) for Gordon, Ben McKenzie (SOUTHLAND) as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Eliza Dushku (BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) as Catwoman, and Katee Sackhoff (BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA) as Detective Sarah Essen.

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's YEAR ONE is considered pretty much the definitive Batman origin story, and you can see its influences all over Christopher Nolan's films as well as the other animated Batman shows. It's beloved by Batman fans the world over, and considered one of Miller's best works. Bruce Timm, who executive produced, said, "The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it's a pretty straight forward literal retelling. Mazzucchelli's artwork is beautifully composed and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups." So it's sounding like a very loyal interpretation of the source material, which should make fans very happy.


Something else that should make fans happy - it'll be PG-13, and it looks like it will be premiering at ComicCon in July before being released on DVD and Blu-Ray this fall. I'd imagine those tickets will be hot property this year.

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Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:12:55

"it'll be PG-13"

Hardcore.

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Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:32:34
Foolz said:

"it'll be PG-13"

Hardcore.

You'd be suprised at what the new rating allows compared to standard toons. Check out the PG 13 Wonder Woman movie. It's badss decapitations and stuff.

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Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:20:50

Plus I suppose latex superhero suits deserve a hefty rating by default.

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Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:22:41

New Trailer For Prachya Pinkaew’s English Language Debut Elephant White



Prachya Pinkaew, the Thai filmmaker behind a slew of martial arts extravaganzas like “Ong Bak” and “Chocolate”, is about to release his English-language debut, “Elephant White”, starring Kevin Bacon and Djimon Hounsou. A new trailer has hit the metaphorical airwaves, and while it promises.

One Trailer and Three Posters for the South Korean Action Comedy The Apprehenders



Two rival police chiefs try to top one another for the most arrests in director Lim Chan-ik’s action/comedy “The Apprehenders”. Despite the inherent silliness of it all, I’m really digging the trailer for the flick.

What Does the Future of the Marvel Movie Universe Hold? Kevin Feige Knows.

More Mutants In The UK Trailer For X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

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Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:08:39

Why does X-Men look so good?!?!?! WHY?!

What is going on, GG hold me.

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Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:50:48

No. I'm saving my hugs for Emma Frost.

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Sat, 23 Apr 2011 07:27:40

I actually saw Detective D and the mystery of the Phantom Flame. Awesome movie.

The VG Press
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Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:21:54

I am listening to the commentary on the unrated version of Anchorman.  I cannot remember when I laughed so much.

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Sat, 23 Apr 2011 11:23:15
Iga_Bobovic said:

I actually saw Detective D and the mystery of the Phantom Flame. Awesome movie.

Fuck yeah.

So entertaining and inventive. Best Tsui Hark film IMO. It won the bulk of the awards at the HK film awards.

"The biggest winner of the evening, however, was Tsui Hark's superb medieval


adventure DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, with 6 awards,


including Best Director and Best Actress for Carina Lau."

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Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:25:15

Son of a b****!

Is Teddy Chen’s The Guillotines Dead in the Cinematic Water?

Unfortunately for us, it appears so. Although the project was scheduled to begin shooting this month, it would seem that a plethora of troubles have beset the entire production. According to We Pictures — who insists that the film is not a remake of the 1975 kung fu classic — “The Guillotines” has been suspended indefinitely due to scripting issues, which is odd, really, given that they’ve had two years to get this thing together. Additionally, rumors are also circulating that Chen has replaced Andrew Lau in the lead role, though this particular rumor was not properly addressed.


This is sad news, as I’d love to see the “Bodyguards and Assassins” director tackle a film featuring the titular weapon. Out of all the martial arts films I’ve seen — and let me just say that I’ve seen more than my fair share — the flying guillotine is easily one of my favorite gimmicks. Watching people decapitate their enemies with this device never grows old, even when the picture that features it is less than spectacular. Will “The Guillotines” ever get off the ground? I’m really not sure. I suppose we’ll just have to cross our fingers and see what fate has in store for this troubled production.

Bodyguards and Assasins was a very good movie, I was really looking forward to his next project. Damnit to hell.

Tribeca 2011: LET THE BULLETS FLY Review

"a rip-roaring comedy thriller committed to delivering smart dialogue through great performances and almost entirely free of any underlying political agenda."

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:13:28

I saw the preview for Super 8 and it looked awesome.  Bonus points for having James Horner's theme for Cocoon in the trailer.

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:28:27

TWITCHFILM REVIEWS

IP MAN 2

"The acting of the British will probably appal you, the cameos of characters from the first film don't really bring much to this sequel (Simon Yam is incredibly underused) and the schism between both parts is a little too obvious, but all of these critiques fade away when Yen and Hung are battling on a single table top, playing a game of full contact chess.


Ip Man 2 is pretty much what I expected from it, and I just couldn't have asked for more. Visually a little better than the first film, awesome fight sequences where Yen is allowed to shine and a fully satisfying finale where the final blow caused a big fat inner "Yeah!". This is as far as Wilson Yip needs to take the Yip Man saga though, something he seems to realize as well as he's now doing his own take on A Chinese Ghost Story. Good stuff"

THE LOST BLADESMAN Review

"an emotionally-charged, high-octane adventure that remains consistently entertaining throughout."

" a couple of hours of rip-roaring entertainment in the company of one of history's greatest badasses. Between the pair of them, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen divide the acting responsibilities up pretty evenly, Jiang downplaying Cao Cao's notorious villainy while Donnie...well, does Donnie, albeit with some stick-on facial hair that he plucks at dramatically from time to time. The rest of the cast are present either to fall under Donnie's blade or yearn for a forbidden love, and provided you don't ask any more than that, THE LOST BLADESMAN proves a surprising yet welcome success.  "

NEWS:

Tony Jaa And Prachya Pinkaew Reunite For TOM YUM GOONG 2

Tony Jaa is taking another very big step towards reclaiming his position as the top martial arts screen fighter in the world. And this one is more than a little bit surprising on a great number of levels.


We brought word earlier this month of a new Hong Kong based project that would match Jaa with fight choreographer Sammo Hung and now Thailand's Sahamongkol Film have announced that Jaa will reunite with director Prachya Pinkaew and fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai for Tom Yum Goong 2.


Missing elephant jokes aside, this is big news for Jaa with the original Tom Yum Goong - released as The Protector in North America - marking both his last true hit and the beginnings of his troubles. It was immediately after Tom Yum Goong that Jaa essentially declared Pinkaew unnecessary and unwanted, announcing that he would direct his next film himself. Pinkaew was deeply insulted and the relationship between the star and the director who built his career degraded to the point where they weren't even on speaking terms. Pinkaew would go on to groom Jija Yanin in Chocolate while Jaa would crumble badly under the pressure of directing Ong Bak 2 himself, eventually losing control of the badly over budget and over schedule project.


But Tom Yum Goong 2 will reunite the entire Tom Yum Goong / Ong Bak team with Jaa in the lead, Pinkaew directing, Rittikrai handling fight choreography and Chocolate star Jija Yanin also handed a significant role - the first time Jaa has ever shared the stage with another marquee fighter. Like the upcoming Chocolate 2, this film will be shot in digital 3D.


The big surprises in this are twofold. First, Jaa and Pinkaew have patched things up and are working together again. This can only be viewed as a good thing because, frankly, neither has been as good without the other. The bigger surprise, though, is that Jaa is once again in the Sahamongkol fold, which I would never, ever have expected to happen. Jaa's original ten year contract with the company will have expired before this film goes in to production, meaning that they have struck a new deal. Consider that at the peak of the Ong Bak 2 debacle Jaa took refuge in a police station claiming that the studio had sent gangsters after him and, well ... the prospect of the star willingly signing up with the studio again seemed unlikely to say the least. Whether there was any basis to the gangster story isn't even the point - if Jaa believed there was enough truth to it that he sought police protection that says something about how incredibly bad the situation between star and company had gotten and I'm amazed that they've gotten back together.


Pinkaew's Chocolate 2 is scheduled to go in to production in May and will need to be completed before this can begin, so don't expect Tom Yum Goong 2 any time soon. But fans should be happy to know it's coming

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Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:19:42

Fast and Furious director to make Terminator 5 with Arnie?

New Images for Captain America, Conan, X-Men First Class, More

BHW Thor movie review

"Unlike some other recent comic book films, “Thor” gives an impression of having been genuinely crafted rather than having been rushed to the screen for the start of the money spinning holiday season. Although not particularly advancing the genre or offering anything unpredictable, Branagh does an excellent job of adding weight to the characters, while at the same time serving up plenty of big budget thrills and popcorn enjoyment."

Thor directed by Branagh, Hulk Directed by Ang Lee. Is it just me or do Marvel make some weird decisions?

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Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:38:36

Final X-men First Class trailer

A CHINESE GHOST STORY (2011) Review

We all understand, Wilson, that Donnie Yen isn't the easiest man in this town to work with, and that the pressures of success and public expectation can be suffocating, but A CHINESE GHOST STORY is the cinematic equivalent of dashing out of a board meeting, ripping your clothes off and screaming naked at the traffic. It represents everything that his previous couple of films deliberately stayed away from, in terms of narrative, aesthetics and entertainment value. One can only hope that Yip has now gotten all of whatever it was out of his system and is ready to go back to making quality films that fans around the world have been lapping up. However, by the sounds of MODEL MUM, his upcoming romantic comedy, in which identical twins (one a super model, one a single mother) trade places, no doubt with hilarious consequences, we may have a little while longer to wait.

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Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:10:15

Transformers 3 trailer

X-men first class internation trailer

Detective K hits Korean dvd

KD Media have announced the Korean DVD release of 'Detective K' for the 17th May, 2011. Based on a novel by Kim Tak Hwan, the film is a stylish fusion period piece that follows the adventures of the eponymous 18th century detective portrayed by acclaimed actor Kim Myung Min ('Closer to Heaven').


Synopsis


Troubled by a series of mysterious murders, King Jeonjo orders Detective K (Kim Myung Min) onto the case. While secretly investigating the deaths, he befriends crafty sidekick Seo Pil (Oh Dal Soo), and barely escapes becoming a murder suspect himself. As Detective K and Seo Pil dig deeper into the seemingly unrelated murders, they cross paths with the powerful female merchant Kaek Ju (Han Ji Min), and uncover a great conspiracy that affects the fate of the entire country!


Features

Audio commentary

Making Of

Special effects

Deleted scenes

Press conference

Premiere

Gallery




Artwork and trailer are below, and you can preorder the DVD now from YesAsia.com.

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Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:08:27

Teaser Trailer for Takashi Miike’s Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

Director of critically acclaimed 13 Assasins

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