...the story of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuan Jia (1869-1910), the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.
Jet Li´s "Huo Yuan Jin" (Fearless) hits 2 at USA Box Office.
see all about the film at the official site:
http://www.jetlisfearless.com
VENEZIA 63
The Venezia 63 Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, chaired by Catherine Deneuve an comprised of José Juan Bigas Luna, Paulo Branco, Cameron Crowe, Chulpan Khamatova, Park Chan-wook and Michele Placido, having viewed all twenty-two films in competition, has decided as follows GOLDEN LION for Best Film:
Sanxia Haoren (Still Life) by Jia Zhang-Ke
Congratulations to Jia Zhang-Ke
HORIZONS
The Horizons Jury of the 63. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, comprised of Philip Gröning (President), Carlo Carlei, Yousri Nasrallah, Giuseppe Genna and Kusakabe Keiko, has decided to award...
... HORIZONS PRIZE to:
Mabei shang de fating by Liu Ji
63rd Venice Film Festival (launched 30 August 2006)
Venezia 63 – Asian Films In Competition...
Paprika (Japan - 90’)
Director: Kon Satoshi (anime).
Mushishi (Japan - 131’)
Director: Otomo Katsuhiro
Starring: Joe Odagiri, Makiko Esumi, Nao Omori.
Fangzhu (Exiled) (Hong Kong, China - 98’)
Director: Johnnie To
Starring: Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Simon Yam.
Hei yanquan (I don’t want to sleep alone)
(Taiwan, France, Austria - 115’)
Director: Tsai Ming-Liang
Starring: Lee Kang-Sheng, Chen Shiang-Chyi, Norman Atun.
Sang sattawat (Syndromes And Century) (Thailand, France, Austria - 105’)
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Starring: Nantarat Sawaddikul, Jaruchai Iamaram, Sophon Pukanok,
Jenjira Pongpas.
Asian Cine News
The next project of Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai (Election) will be "The Blue Ocean and A Brave Heart”. Based on a true story, the film tells of a canoeist (Huang Jue) who overcomes difficulties to finally snatch the gold medal in the Olympic Games. Tony Leung will play his coach. Producer Li Xiaowan and screenwriter Chi Shao'ai teamed up for the project.
Director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is wrapping up´his latest project, "I'm A Cyborg (But That's Ok)", film about a girl who believes she´s a robot, starring actress Lim Su-Jeong (A Tale of Two Sisters) and pop singer Rain.
Speaking of sci-fi flicks, the new film of director/actor/writer Stephen Chow apparently will be titled “LONG RIVER 7” , refering to a satellite.
Asian Cine News
the last samurai - Another remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (1954), is supposedly in preproduction. This good, or very bad news, depending on the point of view, was announced by Donnie Yen. The chinese actor was invited by the Weinstein brothers to be part of the future hollywood project.
Golden Boy - The “Oldboy” director Park Chan-wook was invited to joint the jury of the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. The jury president will be french veteran actress Catherine Deneuve. Last year, Park’s film "Sympathy For Lady Vengeance" won the CinemAvvenire (Cinema of the Future) award in Venice, the Little Golden Lion and the Best Innovated Film award. Next Park´s project, "Cyborg Girl", will be released at the end of year.
"Operation Condor" Trilogy - The Hua Shang Bao newspaper reported that Hong Kong star Jackie Chan is making preparations to film the third installment of his "Operation Condor" (1987) and "Armor of God" (1991) series. Chan plans to direct and cast mainland Chinese actors, returning to his leading role of treasure hunter Asian Hawk.
Fist and Fun – before we can see another chapter of the “Operation Condor”,Chan and Jet Li will be working together for the first time on planned project "Monkey King" by Hollywood director Rob Minkoff.
Korean Blockbuster - "The Host" directed by Bong Joon-ho stomped past the 10 million viewer mark, already. The movie about a monster from Seoul's Han River became only the fourth Korean film to surpass that milestone after "Silmido”, "Taegukgi" and "The King and the Clown." But “The Host” set the record for the shortest period in reaching the milestone just 21 days after its release. (http://english.chosun.com/)
Shutter (DVD/ Thailand, 2004, 105 min.)
Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom
Screenplay: Banjong Pisanthanakun; Sopon Sukdapisit
With: Ananda Everingham (Thun), Natthaweeranuch Thongmee (Jane),
Achita Sikamana (Natre), Unnop Chanpaibool (Tonn).
One night, a young photographer (Thun) and his student girlfriend (Jane) accidentally run down a woman. They had been drinking hard at a party, so they run away of the crime scene. Some time later, strange shadows appear at some Thun´s photos and, tormented by guilt, he and Jane start investigating the possible link between the photographs and avenging spirits.
This is a very well done film, a hit at its home Thailand, good actings, impecable production, but don´t expect Pang Brothers or Shimizu brillancy, it´s more like “I´d follow the manual of asian thriller movie step by step” with sucess. And you won´t enjoy it less, for sure!
Telegraphic News
Adaptation - The names of some cast members of director Ang Lee's new project Lust, Caution were released after much speculation. The lead actress will be Tang Wei, a new film star in China's mainland. Based on a short story by Eileen Chang, the story of "Lust, Caution" is set in the Japanese occupied Shanghai during the Japanese aggression in the 1940s.
Painful Affairs – the new production of the HK directors team Andrew Lau and Alan Mak is a police thriller, entitled Confession of Pain. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai (as Lau, a police officer) and Takeshi Kaneshiro (as ex-cop, alcoholic private detective Yau). Aditional casting include actresses Xu Jinglei and Shu Qi.
It´s all true - Yuanmingyuan is the new documentary film of the awarded chinese director Jin Tiemu. The modern digital production tells the story of Yuanmingyuan; full of exquisite landscapes, the Old Summer Palace was once the world's largest and most luxuriant royal garden. Its construction began in 1707 during the Qing Dynasty and took more than 100 years to finish. "Yuanmingyuan" is set to be screened in China this September.
“And the winner is...” - The Hong Kong Film Critics Association announced the winners of the 11th Golden Bauhinia Awards last Sunday. The musical “Perhaps, Love” won six awards, including best director (Peter Chan), best actress (Zhou Xun), and best music. Johnny To´s “Election” received the top award of best film, and Simon Yam was crowned best actor.
Golden Lion - Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's martial arts epic The Banquet, starring incensed young actress Zhang Ziyi, will have its world premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3. The 20 million U.S. dollars film, coproduced by Huayi Brothers and the Hong Kong Media Asia Films Company, will be released across Asia on Sept. 15.
Danny the Dog (DVD, 2003, 102 min.)
by Louis Leterrier; screenwriter: Luc Besson
martial arts coreography by Yuen Wo Ping; music by Massive Attack
with Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon.
Even if you disapprove Mr. Li playing such a medodramatic role (being nursed by an old blind musician and his naive teen stepdaughter), can´t miss the excellent action, the always brilliant martial arts coreography by the master Yuen Ping. And only french Luc Besson to come up with such a crazy funny story.
The Eye 10 (DVD, Hong Kong-Thailand, 2005)
by Pang Brothers; with Chen Po Lin (Ted), Isabella Leung (April), Kate Yeung (May), Kris Gu (Gofey), Ray McDonald (Chongkwai).
Pang Brother´s last film inside this kind of “trilogy of the spirits”, The Eye 10 turns back to its sucessors, The Eye 1 and 2, with a revisionist but, at the same time, ironic and openly comic looks. You can count on the frighting moments, anyway. This film has the flavor of the classic american teen horror movies, enjoying the group histeria factor, but keeping an eastern vision of the spirits world, in contraposition to the usual psicokiller plus urban legend staged until the exaustion it the hollywood productions. It´s a must see for the genre´s fans. With all the theme´s recycling one must wait to see what´s next in the filmography of this creative chinese directors. (see the post of june 29)
News: The Pang Brothers took home the Most Creative Award, at the 11th Golden Bauhinia Awards, for their box office hit, the horror flick "Re-Cycle"; the brothers will do the remake of their 1999 action thriller "Bangkok Dangerous", with Hong Kong actress Charlie Young and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage.
Coming soon...
aChinese Hamlet: veteran "master of humor" director Feng Xiaogang´s latest movie "The Banquet" is an epic drama, a big budget movie (150 million yuan), staring Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Zhou Xun, Huang Xiao Ming and Daniel Wu. It centers on the royal power struggle in ancient China, a tragic and romantic story.
aThe romantic Johnnie: Johnnie To's new film is an art house love story! Writed by awarded An Xi , the untitled film will star Chinese mainland actress Li Bingbing and Taiwan actor Zhou Yumin . Shooting will begin this August.
aChinese Wall: choreography master Yuen Wo-Ping will return to the director's chair for "The Great Wall". The story is set between the Qin and Han Dynasties and is about fighting the nomadic invaders from the north, the Xiongnu, known as the Huns in the West. The director has invited Jet Li to be the leading man, yet to be confirmed.
aFunny Alien: Stephen Chow will start directing and staring in his new film, working-titled Wai Xing Ren (The Aliens) next month in Ningbo city (director´s hometown). In the sci-fi flick, Chow will play an astronaut who accidentally lands on an alien planet, where he becomes some sort of father figure of an alien boy, with help from a female translator android (Zhang Yu Qi). The film has a budget of $12.5 million US, and it is expected to have a lot of CGI.
aZhang Yimou will shoot his new film "The City of Golden Armor" (or "Curse of the Golden Flower"?) at Tiankeng, a famous scenic spot in Chongqing. A Tang dynasty inn has been built for the shoot as well as other facilities. Chow Yun Fat stars as the emperor and Jay Chou as a rebellious prince.
aAn adapation of the novel “Lust, Caution”, by Zhang Ai Ling is Ang Lee's new project. Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") is currently in preproduction of the film. The leading male role will be Ge You, and the leading woman role is yet to be determined.
aA live-action version of "Mulan" is set to begin shooting in October. Director Stanley Tong announced the new film’s schedule in Beijing, noting that the crew will travel to Yunnan province for its first shoot this October. Mulan is a traditional chinese story that has been told for centuries , about a young woman who disguised herself as a man to take her father's place in battle some 1,500 years ago. The film, with its 200 million yuan budget, has yet to reveal the lead actress.
"Hide and Seek"
1.The Eye (DVD, Hong Kong/ 2002)
Director: Pang Brothers
Actors: Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou
A blind young woman gets her vision back after a surgery and, with a very creepy bonus, starts to see evil spirits.
2.The Eye 2 (DVD/ Hong Kong/ 2004)
Director: Pang Brothers
Actors: Shu Qi, Jesdaporn Pholdee
As the first “The Eye”, the malevolent spirits are all around, frigthening the living ones. A girl is dumped by her boyfriend and, after a failed suicide attempt, starts to see spirits that, aparently, are trying to make harm to her unborn child.
3.Dark Water (DVD/ Japan/ 101 min.)
Director: Hideo Nakata
Actors: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno
A divorced young woman struggle to raise alone her daughter. They move to a suburbian building, were strange things happen, like growing stains on walls, and visions of a child´s angry ghost. It´s a very dark and sad tale, and a very interesting study of the women position in the opressive niponic society.
3 Action-Fantasy Films:
Moyuru Tsuki: The Legend of Gingko(“Danjeogbiyeonsu”: South Korea, 2000, 117 min.)
Director: Je-hyeon Park
Actors: Jin-shil Choi, Kyung-gu Sol, Mi-suk Lee, Seok-hun Kim, Yoon-jin Kim.
A not so well mixed pack of period action flick and fantasy melodrama. A fashion this days in the east cinema, this “genre” has better examples inside the japanese cinema. Two primitive tribes in war, a lot of bloddy fights, enchanted swords, tearful romances, make this a very uneven story. It´s worth to rent it if you´re curious about the previous movie career of the fine actress Yoonjin Kim, made a star to the west with the Lost TV series.
Shinobi (Heart Under Blade) (DVD/ Japan, 2005)
by Shimoyama Ten; with Yukie Nakama, Jô Odarigi, Tomoka Kurotani, Erika Sawajiri, Kippei Shiina, Takeshi Masu, Mitsuki Koga.
Imagine Romeo and Juliet having the X-Men powers, and living inside of a japanese epic. A good example of anime turned sucessfully into live-action film.
Azumi (DVD, Japan, 2003)
by Ryuhei Kitamura
with Aya Ueto; Kenji Kohashi; Takatoshi Kaneko; Yuma Ishigaki; Yoshio Harada; Yasutaka Sano; Tak Sakaguchi; Shinji Suzuki.
Inspired by the original manga and playstation 2 videogame, it´s a very well done and fun fantasy/adventure movie. Azumi is a teenage swordswoman trained, with the company of some skilled young men, to kill the insurgents of the empire. The director Kitamura manages to balance with great sensibility the action scenes and the storytelling, making a very enjoyable film to watch.
Joint Security Area (DVD/ South Korea, 2000, 109 min.)
By Chan-wook Park; with Byung-hun Lee, Young-aeh Lee, Kang-ho Song.
The unexpected friendship between army soldiers, at the border of the divided Koreas, and it´s tragic consequences. Park directed the fantastic “Oldboy”.
(if you like JSA, don´t miss Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War)
Kekexili (Mountain Patrol )(DVD/ China, HK, 2004, 95 min.)
By Lu Chuan; with Duo Bujie (Ritai) and Zhang Lei (the reporter Ga Yu).
Awards: Golden Horse at the Taiwan´s Film Festival (Best Picture and Cinematography, Best Asian Film at Hong Kong Film Awards, Special Prize at the Berlin Film Festival.
The true story of a group of courageous men that, as volunteers, had tried to protect the tibetan antelopes from the skin hunters, in the mid 90´s. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful, the characters have great empathy; true heroes, the kind we don´t see a lot this days. Oh, and for the girls, be careful with that Zhang Lee guy, that smile could kill you!
Jackie Chan´s
The Myth (DVD/ Hong Kong, 2005)
by Stanley Tong
with Jackie Chan, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Kim Hee-Sun, Yu Rong-Gaung, Ken Lo
If you´re a Jackie Chan fan like myself, you´ll see this and all of his films, even if the critics are bad. Well, I did expect a lot more from The Myth, but the looks of “big budget production” were just an allurement, a fine bait. It´s lacking heart, and not money to Mr. Chan´s movies, this days.
New Police Story (DVD/ Hong Kong, 2005)
by Benny Chan Muk-Sing; with Jackie Chan, Charlie Yeung , Nicholas Tse, Daniel Wu, Francis Ng, Charlene Choi.
After watching with disappointment the dvd of The Myth, it would be easy to disqualify this one. But looking with a certain dispassionate feeling, It wasn´t so bad, after all. New Police Story is a mix of “GenX Cops” and “Time and Tide”, but with the Jackie Chan extra special bonus! Only that I still prefer the old Police Story franchise.
Only for the brave ones (warning: crazy editing, dubious acting skills and a lot of fun!)
Wheels on Meals (DVD/ Hong Kong, 104 min.)
by Sammo Hung; with Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung
“The horror, the horror!” Seriously, only for die hard Jackie´s fans. The 80´s clothes and hairdos can make you sick.
The Evil Cult or Kung Fu Cult Master (DVD/ Hong Kong, 1993, 90 min.)
by Wong Jing; with Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Sharla Sheung.
Again, only for kung fu fanatics, or if you bought it for five bucks, like myself. The director wasn´t present at the footage, or the editor is nuts, or both; Sammo Hung is crazy fun; we wait too much to see Jet Li do something, like fight (the sex jokes would be better at Stephen Chow´s lips). Oh, and the story doesn´t end, so look for the next chapter, if you dare.
The Twins Efect (DVD/ Hong Kong, 2003)
by Dante Lam & Donnie Yen
with Ekin Cheng, Charlene Choi , Gillian Chung, Anthony Wong, Jackie Chan
This is the “so bad that is good” kind of film. If you don´t resist the kuteness of the new generation of HK movie stars, you´re in heaven, baby!
The White Dragon (DVD, China, 2004, 92 min.)
by Wilson Yip; with Cecilia Cheung, Francis Ng, Andy On
By the dvd´s cover picture, you may wrongly think that it´s another subproduct of the chinese epic-romance movie fashion. Actually it´s just another example of the Hong Kong´s new generation talent, a silly mix, at least to the west, of satire and melodrama, epic and teen movie flick (oddly, films like Clueless and Crouching Tiger... were reminded through the screening) . The film has it´s moments, specialy for the cantonese pop culture fans, so if your´re not a teen girl, don´t bother watching it.
CANNES, France (Reuters)
Director Ken Loach's "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" , a moving drama about the Irish struggle for independence in 1920, won the "Palme d'Or" at the Cannes film festival on Sunday.
The Golden Palm, the highest cinema award outside the Oscars in the United States, went to one of Britain's most highly respected and socially active film makers, and was a fitting choice for a festival were political pictures stole much of the limelight.
The 69-year-old film maker told Reuters in an interview earlier in the festival that the Irish fight for independence against an empire imposing its will on a foreign people had resonances with the U.S. occupation of Iraq today.
The Grand Prix, or runner up prize, was awarded to "Flanders" directed by France's Bruno Dumont. The movie is an examination of war and its effect on those who fight and those left behind told through the story of the young and taciturn farmhand Demester, who is called up to fight a war in an unspecified country.
While Dumont does not define the cause of the conflict, brutal images of desert landscapes, troops under fire from Arab snipers and executions of soldiers caught by the enemy will be seen by audiences as a clear reference to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The ensemble female cast of Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" including Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura, won the best actress prize.
The best actor category also went to a cast, in this case that of "Indigenes" screening as "Days of Glory" in English, about the role North African troops played in defending France during World War Two. The cast includes Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri and Sami Bouajila.
Almodovar won best screenplay for Volver, his bitter-sweet tale of abuse, abandonment and reconciliation which was the critics' favorite to take the Palme d'Or before the awards were announced.
Best director went to Mexico's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for "Babel", a sweeping portrayal of barriers -- personal, cultural and national -- which was shot on three continents and stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
The Jury Prize went to Britain's Andrea Arnold, who was in Cannes with her first feature film "Red Road", about a woman whose job is to monitor the grim streets of Glasgow through security cameras that seem to be on every corner.
(http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/)Hong Kong actor and director Stephen Chow has laid aside his sequel to Kung Fu Hustle and has recently turned to preparing for a sci-fi movie. The untitled project will involve a lot of kid actors and according to an earlier report, Chow will play an astronaut somehow falls in love with a girl in space. Casting and location scouting have already began for the new project. Recently, Chow went to eastern China's Ningbo to scout for locations and cast children actors. The title and plot of the movie has yet to be revealed, while the shooting is expected to begin this May.
While we´re waiting for Chow´s next film, we can watch on dvd some old sci-fi movies. Thinking about it there isn´t so many good films in the genre, not counting the classics like Star Wars. The sci-fi literature can be brilliant, but the movies about space...
The Fifth Element (USA/FR, 1997, 150 min.)
Directed by Luc Besson
Starring: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker
In a futuristic planet earth a taxi driver helps an alien babe to save the world. It´s funny, has a beautiful art direction, and stylish clothes by J.P. Gautier).
Red Planet (USA, 2000, 120 min.)
Directed by Antony Hoffman
Starring: Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Carrie-Ann Moss, Benjamin Bratt, Terence Stamp.
In a close future, humans decide to colonize Mars, as a last resourse of salvation to the mankind . They send astronauts in a mission to prepare the land of the red planet for a future mass migration.
Lost in Space (USA)
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Starring: Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc.
The cult tv series of the 60´s gets a much darker version in this film. It´s a nice homage.
Spaceballs (USA, 1987, 97 min.)
Directed by Mel brooks
Starring: Mel brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga.
Parody of the Star Wars movie. Sometimes I think that this hillarious comedy is best than the original SW.
Total Recall (USA, 1990, 120 min.)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, Ronny Cox.
A man who´s memories may be false, search for his identity in Mars. The film didn´t grow old well, but the story (original from sci-fi autor Philip K. Dick) is great.
Football World Cup Countdown : 30 days left!
