Australian Adaptation
The BBC has acquired the Australian version of hit gameshow “The Traitors” for broadcast and streaming this summer.
“The Traitors Australia,” which sees contestants compete for a prize of Aus $250,000 in a luxury hotel in the Southern Highlands, is set to drop on BBC Three and iPlayer on July 9. It is hosted by Rodger Corser.
“’The Traitors’ is an addictively fiendish format and I am so pleased that viewers can get their summer fix of treachery and suspicion as we head Down Under for the Australian version of the show on BBC Three and iPlayer,” said Nasfim Haque, head of content for BBC Three.
The Australian version follows the U.K. and U.S. adaptations of the Dutch series, which have both been a hit for the broadcaster. All3Media International reps global rights to “The Traitors.”
Documentary
Sky News is set to release the second in its three-part series “Women at War.
The BBC has acquired the Australian version of hit gameshow “The Traitors” for broadcast and streaming this summer.
“The Traitors Australia,” which sees contestants compete for a prize of Aus $250,000 in a luxury hotel in the Southern Highlands, is set to drop on BBC Three and iPlayer on July 9. It is hosted by Rodger Corser.
“’The Traitors’ is an addictively fiendish format and I am so pleased that viewers can get their summer fix of treachery and suspicion as we head Down Under for the Australian version of the show on BBC Three and iPlayer,” said Nasfim Haque, head of content for BBC Three.
The Australian version follows the U.K. and U.S. adaptations of the Dutch series, which have both been a hit for the broadcaster. All3Media International reps global rights to “The Traitors.”
Documentary
Sky News is set to release the second in its three-part series “Women at War.
- 6/23/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Wong Kar-wai isn't a filmmaker particularly known for his sense of humour. His work is many things: romantic, sumptuous, sensual, atmospheric. When he does attempt comedy, it's often tied to one character, an oddball outlier who provides a humorous foil to one of his stony-faced protagonists. The last thing you would expect his name attached to is a wacky parody wuxia movie less in line with King Hu and more on the same page as a Zucker Brothers production, and yet, from the spare change of the enormously expensive and troubled production behind his own “Ashes of Time”, “The Eagle Shooting Heroes” exists.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Jet Tone Films was established after the release of Wong's first two sensitive tough guy movies (“As Tears Go By” and “Days of Being Wild”), and its initial efforts went towards adapting Jin Yong's classic wuxia novel,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Jet Tone Films was established after the release of Wong's first two sensitive tough guy movies (“As Tears Go By” and “Days of Being Wild”), and its initial efforts went towards adapting Jin Yong's classic wuxia novel,...
- 4/2/2023
- by Simon Ramshaw
- AsianMoviePulse
Racing
Sky and Channel 4 in the U.K. are partnering to bring Sky Sports’ coverage of this season’s F1 final to the entirety of the territory on both networks simultaneously. It looks to be an historic night for F1 and the U.K.’s highest-profile racer Lewis Hamilton, who could clinch his eighth world title cementing his place at the top of the sport’s all-time winningest drivers. At present, the seven-time world chimp is tied on points with Belgian driver Max Verstappen, meaning that whoever finishes higher at Yas Marina will walk away with this year’s title. The historic race is being billed as Lewis v Max: Decider in the Desert.
“Sunday’s Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events in the last decade, and could be an historic moment for British sport,” said Sky executive VP and CEO for Europe and the U.
Sky and Channel 4 in the U.K. are partnering to bring Sky Sports’ coverage of this season’s F1 final to the entirety of the territory on both networks simultaneously. It looks to be an historic night for F1 and the U.K.’s highest-profile racer Lewis Hamilton, who could clinch his eighth world title cementing his place at the top of the sport’s all-time winningest drivers. At present, the seven-time world chimp is tied on points with Belgian driver Max Verstappen, meaning that whoever finishes higher at Yas Marina will walk away with this year’s title. The historic race is being billed as Lewis v Max: Decider in the Desert.
“Sunday’s Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events in the last decade, and could be an historic moment for British sport,” said Sky executive VP and CEO for Europe and the U.
- 12/9/2021
- by Jamie Lang and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In a spectacular Marvel twist, the first Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer confirms a rumor that the film’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton dropped last year: the Mandarin is Shang-Chi’s father.
Typical for the MCU’s shared universe, this plays out well on multiple levels. In the original comics, Shang-Chi’s father was none other than Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu was created by Englishman Sax Rohmer with his pulp fiction book The Mystery of Doctor Fu-Manchu in 1913. It was a stark, racist portrayal of Asians, and Rohmer capitalized upon the ‘Yellow Peril’ xenophobia of the time by milking his Fu Manchu character for a long running serial of over a dozen books. Fu Manchu became the West’s preeminent orientalist villain, a ruthless mad scientist evil genius with a signature mustache. The character was depicted in dozens of films, always portrayed by Caucasian actors with...
Typical for the MCU’s shared universe, this plays out well on multiple levels. In the original comics, Shang-Chi’s father was none other than Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu was created by Englishman Sax Rohmer with his pulp fiction book The Mystery of Doctor Fu-Manchu in 1913. It was a stark, racist portrayal of Asians, and Rohmer capitalized upon the ‘Yellow Peril’ xenophobia of the time by milking his Fu Manchu character for a long running serial of over a dozen books. Fu Manchu became the West’s preeminent orientalist villain, a ruthless mad scientist evil genius with a signature mustache. The character was depicted in dozens of films, always portrayed by Caucasian actors with...
- 4/19/2021
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
One of cinema’s great collaborations is that between director Wong Kar-wai and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, together responsible for Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, and 2046—the majority of which were restored for Criterion’s new box set. With Wong retooling his films in varying capacities, we’ve wondered if Doyle was involved in this process and what he thinks about the changes. When we caught up with the cinematographer about a year ago, he didn’t seem greatly interested in revisiting his acclaimed work with the Hong Kong legend, but he’s since opened up in a recent interview.
“I think that we should not be so sensitive with our works. You have to let go, let them go. No need to masturbate over creations. I was not firmly involved in the restorations, although I gave my...
“I think that we should not be so sensitive with our works. You have to let go, let them go. No need to masturbate over creations. I was not firmly involved in the restorations, although I gave my...
- 4/19/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Wong Kar-Wai’s production firm Jet Tone Films has released the documentary short “One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart,” which gathers together new behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes that narrowly missed the auteur’s final cuts.
Wong narrates the 30-minute film, which premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival Friday after a screening of a 4K-restored version of his 1997 film “Happy Together.” The doc was developed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Jet Tone, which Wong founded in 1991 for the production of 1994’s “Ashes of Time.” The company has produced all of his feature films since then.
The movie tells the stories behind particular shots and scenes that hit the cutting room floor across all of his films since Jet Tone was established.
“We give our regards to all that is past and was possible. At their closest, they would have been part of these films, but for one-tenth of a millimeter,...
Wong narrates the 30-minute film, which premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival Friday after a screening of a 4K-restored version of his 1997 film “Happy Together.” The doc was developed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Jet Tone, which Wong founded in 1991 for the production of 1994’s “Ashes of Time.” The company has produced all of his feature films since then.
The movie tells the stories behind particular shots and scenes that hit the cutting room floor across all of his films since Jet Tone was established.
“We give our regards to all that is past and was possible. At their closest, they would have been part of these films, but for one-tenth of a millimeter,...
- 4/5/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
With the arrival of every cinephile’s must-have this year, The Criterion Collection’s long-awaited Wong Kar Wai box set, the legendary director has discussed the changes he’s made to his most beloved films. While he was in the editing room, another project emerged, which finds him digging up footage that was left on the cutting room floor. To celebrate their 30th anniversary, his production company Jet Tone Films created a surprise new 30-minute documentary titled One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart.
Premiering on the night of their 30th anniversary, this past Friday, April 2, at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the short screened after the new restoration of Happy Together. Tracing the beginnings of Jet Tone Films, which was founded in 1991 by Wong Kar Wai for the production of Ashes of Time (1994), the film features never-before-seen materials, including deleted scenes, behind-the-scene footage, and selected narration by Wong Kar Wai.
Premiering on the night of their 30th anniversary, this past Friday, April 2, at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the short screened after the new restoration of Happy Together. Tracing the beginnings of Jet Tone Films, which was founded in 1991 by Wong Kar Wai for the production of Ashes of Time (1994), the film features never-before-seen materials, including deleted scenes, behind-the-scene footage, and selected narration by Wong Kar Wai.
- 4/5/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
5 March 2021 (Hong Kong) – The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival is proud to present four newly-restored masterpieces by Wong Kar Wai, marking the 30th anniversary of Jet Tone Films.
Featured in this unique programme, entitled Starting Afresh: 30th Anniversary of Jet Tone Films, are Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000), and 2046 (2004) – all digitally restored in 4K to the version initially envisioned by Wong. Just like the 2008 transformation of Ashes of Time (1994) into a Redux version, these new restorations are testimony of Wong’s uncompromising quest for perfection, often applying the latest technology to achieve the optimal sound and vision that were unattainable in the past.
For the first time, Wong will present Fallen Angels in CinemaScope, an aspect ratio that he had intended for the film initially, exaggerating the distance between characters with extreme wide-angle cinematography and intensifying the sense of alienation. In the new version of Happy Together,...
Featured in this unique programme, entitled Starting Afresh: 30th Anniversary of Jet Tone Films, are Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000), and 2046 (2004) – all digitally restored in 4K to the version initially envisioned by Wong. Just like the 2008 transformation of Ashes of Time (1994) into a Redux version, these new restorations are testimony of Wong’s uncompromising quest for perfection, often applying the latest technology to achieve the optimal sound and vision that were unattainable in the past.
For the first time, Wong will present Fallen Angels in CinemaScope, an aspect ratio that he had intended for the film initially, exaggerating the distance between characters with extreme wide-angle cinematography and intensifying the sense of alienation. In the new version of Happy Together,...
- 3/5/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
“Love is all a matter of timing” – Wong Kar Wai
The BFI and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (Ica), in partnership with Janus Films, today announces the World Of Wong Kar Wai, screening on BFI Player and through the Ica’s newly launched online platform ‘Cinema 3’ during February 2021. With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar-wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of contemporary cinema. This retrospective of the Hong Kong master filmmaker, including 7 brand-new 4K restorations, 5 of which have been overseen by Wong Kar Wai himself (full credits of which can be found in the notes to editors), will be available via the Ica’s digital programme platform Cinema 3 (from 1 February) and BFI Player (from 8 February). Titles will include offbeat love story Chungking Express (1994), breathtaking romance In The Mood For Love (2000), alluring period drama 2046 (2004), thrilling historical biopic The Grandmaster (2013) and many more.
The BFI and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (Ica), in partnership with Janus Films, today announces the World Of Wong Kar Wai, screening on BFI Player and through the Ica’s newly launched online platform ‘Cinema 3’ during February 2021. With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar-wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of contemporary cinema. This retrospective of the Hong Kong master filmmaker, including 7 brand-new 4K restorations, 5 of which have been overseen by Wong Kar Wai himself (full credits of which can be found in the notes to editors), will be available via the Ica’s digital programme platform Cinema 3 (from 1 February) and BFI Player (from 8 February). Titles will include offbeat love story Chungking Express (1994), breathtaking romance In The Mood For Love (2000), alluring period drama 2046 (2004), thrilling historical biopic The Grandmaster (2013) and many more.
- 2/3/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Chinese streaming giant iQIYI reports that it has started production on “Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain,” a film adapted from the classic novel of the same name by Louis Cha (aka Jin Yong), a renowned Hong Kong novelist who was one of the most read Chinese-language authors of the 20th century.
Cha, who also co-founded the Ming Pao newspaper, and directed two films, is best known for his wuxia (chivalric martial arts) novels that with one exception stretch in time from the 11th to the 18th century. He died in October 2018 and received a celebrity memorial with Alibaba founder Jack Ma in attendance.
An estimated 90 films and TV series have been made as adaptations of Cha’s 15 wuxia novels, though iQIYI says that “Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain” is not one of them. Its “Fox Volant” film is pitched as a fantasy adventure that tells a tale of...
Cha, who also co-founded the Ming Pao newspaper, and directed two films, is best known for his wuxia (chivalric martial arts) novels that with one exception stretch in time from the 11th to the 18th century. He died in October 2018 and received a celebrity memorial with Alibaba founder Jack Ma in attendance.
An estimated 90 films and TV series have been made as adaptations of Cha’s 15 wuxia novels, though iQIYI says that “Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain” is not one of them. Its “Fox Volant” film is pitched as a fantasy adventure that tells a tale of...
- 1/13/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Soderbergh, Ridley Scott, and the list goes on when it comes to directors who have revisited their past work and made new edits while undergoing the restoration process. Hong Kong master Wong Kar-wai now joins the club as the long-awaited 4K restorations of his most beloved films have now arrived virtually ahead of a likely Criterion release next year.
If you don’t want to opt for a side-by-side analysis, the director himself has provided an overview of the editing changes he made during the restoration work. Most notably, Fallen Angels is now presented in cinemascope, which was his original intention for the film, while Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love are now back to their original aspect ratios of 1.66:1. He also had to cut a bit from Happy Together due to negatives getting lost. Summing it up, he says, “I...
If you don’t want to opt for a side-by-side analysis, the director himself has provided an overview of the editing changes he made during the restoration work. Most notably, Fallen Angels is now presented in cinemascope, which was his original intention for the film, while Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love are now back to their original aspect ratios of 1.66:1. He also had to cut a bit from Happy Together due to negatives getting lost. Summing it up, he says, “I...
- 12/7/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Search ‘Martial Arts Movies’ on Amazon Prime and you’ll get over a thousand results ranging from the classics to the campy, to the critically acclaimed. It’s an overwhelming library for the uninitiated and the mother lode for stalwart fans of the genre. There are so many gems buried in Amazon Prime that digging out the favorites is dirty challenging work but extremely rewarding.
When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu...
When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu...
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai’s new film “Blossoms” is set to start shooting in mainland China’s Hengdian World Studios from July. The production has reportedly rented space at the sprawling studio in coastal Zhejiang province for 11 months, from May of this year to March 2021.
The news is the latest indication that film production in mainland China is revving back up again after coronavirus closures, far ahead of the rest of the world.
“Blossoms” will be Wong’s first film since 2013’s “The Grandmaster,” and only his eleventh in more than three decades. It is an adaptation of the eponymous 2012 novel by Jin Yucheng, one of the few authors writing directly in the local dialect of Shanghainese, and tells the story of a young man looking for status and romance in the boom years of 1990s China.
Wong has previously called the film a deeply personal return to his hometown of Shanghai,...
The news is the latest indication that film production in mainland China is revving back up again after coronavirus closures, far ahead of the rest of the world.
“Blossoms” will be Wong’s first film since 2013’s “The Grandmaster,” and only his eleventh in more than three decades. It is an adaptation of the eponymous 2012 novel by Jin Yucheng, one of the few authors writing directly in the local dialect of Shanghainese, and tells the story of a young man looking for status and romance in the boom years of 1990s China.
Wong has previously called the film a deeply personal return to his hometown of Shanghai,...
- 5/13/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Synopsis
In this visually arresting action drama from acclaimed director Johnnie To, legendary Judo fighter Szeto Bo unexpectedly gave up the sport and now lives the life of an alcoholic gambler who runs a pub. However, cocky Judo newcomer Tony (Aaron Kwok) wants to challenge him, while old foe Kong demands Szeto to finish the match that never took place, Soon Szeto’s pub becomes the ultimate arena where the greatest Judo fighters challenge one another.
Filled with brutal, no-holds-barred Judo fight scenes, “Throw Down“ is director To’s ultra-stylish homage to the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and is an emotional tale of one man’s determination to rediscover himself and win at all costs. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present “Throw Down” in its UK debut from a 4K restoration.
Special Features
Limited Edition O-card Slipcase [2000 units]
1080p presentation on Blu-ray, from a...
In this visually arresting action drama from acclaimed director Johnnie To, legendary Judo fighter Szeto Bo unexpectedly gave up the sport and now lives the life of an alcoholic gambler who runs a pub. However, cocky Judo newcomer Tony (Aaron Kwok) wants to challenge him, while old foe Kong demands Szeto to finish the match that never took place, Soon Szeto’s pub becomes the ultimate arena where the greatest Judo fighters challenge one another.
Filled with brutal, no-holds-barred Judo fight scenes, “Throw Down“ is director To’s ultra-stylish homage to the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and is an emotional tale of one man’s determination to rediscover himself and win at all costs. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present “Throw Down” in its UK debut from a 4K restoration.
Special Features
Limited Edition O-card Slipcase [2000 units]
1080p presentation on Blu-ray, from a...
- 3/1/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
After a ten-year hiatus where he produced the films of other directors in the U.S. and Latin America, Rodrigo Bellott returned to directing with gay drama “Tu Me Manques,” which trumped other local contenders to represent Bolivia at the Academy Awards and Spain’s Goyas.
He confesses that the experience nearly broke him. “It was a very personal drama that took over eight weeks of production, 56 actors and 18 months to edit,” he said. It was such a painful experience, he thought he’d never direct again.
Advised to take a break, Bellott instead pulled a Wong Kar Wai, who while shooting “Ashes of Time,” allegedly took two weeks off to make “Chungking Express” before restarting his dramedy.
Bellott opted to do the same, directing his Blood Window entry “Blood Red Ox” from a screenplay he co-wrote with American genre writer Nate Atkins. Shot on location in Bolivia and upstate...
He confesses that the experience nearly broke him. “It was a very personal drama that took over eight weeks of production, 56 actors and 18 months to edit,” he said. It was such a painful experience, he thought he’d never direct again.
Advised to take a break, Bellott instead pulled a Wong Kar Wai, who while shooting “Ashes of Time,” allegedly took two weeks off to make “Chungking Express” before restarting his dramedy.
Bellott opted to do the same, directing his Blood Window entry “Blood Red Ox” from a screenplay he co-wrote with American genre writer Nate Atkins. Shot on location in Bolivia and upstate...
- 12/2/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Asian cinema has always had a degree of popularity in Western culture, but all too often they were done a huge disservice by being remade instead of shown in their original state.
That trend is changing drastically, with films such as Crazy Rich Asians finding success and leading viewers down the exciting pathway towards genuine Asian films. A post by Time reported that it was the first film by a major Hollywood studio that featured a majority cast of Asian descent in a modern setting since 1993 and that it had the potential to change Hollywood.
BFI suggest it was hard to find East Asian films in UK cinemas a couple of years ago, but that is a situation that’s now rapidly evolving. The Climbers is a recent release which our article explains was shown in cinemas across the United Kingdom.
The thirst for Asian movies has increased dramatically, but...
That trend is changing drastically, with films such as Crazy Rich Asians finding success and leading viewers down the exciting pathway towards genuine Asian films. A post by Time reported that it was the first film by a major Hollywood studio that featured a majority cast of Asian descent in a modern setting since 1993 and that it had the potential to change Hollywood.
BFI suggest it was hard to find East Asian films in UK cinemas a couple of years ago, but that is a situation that’s now rapidly evolving. The Climbers is a recent release which our article explains was shown in cinemas across the United Kingdom.
The thirst for Asian movies has increased dramatically, but...
- 10/15/2019
- by AMP Training
- AsianMoviePulse
Wai Ka-fai is no stranger to Hong Kong cinema and is best known for his collaboration with Johnnie To. Together they formed the very successful Milkyway Image independent film studio producing films like “Needing You”, “Fulltime Killer”, “Mad Detective” and so on. However, “Peace Hotel” is his first as a film director.
After making “Peace Hotel”, Chow Yun-fat said goodbye to Hong Kong and headed west to Hollywood. He also shares writing credits with director Wai Ka-fai whereas John Woo is credited as the producer. So there is a bit of film history associated with this film, interestingly, the Chinese title translates it as “Peace Restaurant” rather than “Peace Hotel”.
Chow Yun-fat plays a man with no name, but everyone knows him as ‘King of Killers’. Throughout the beautifully shot opening, we learn that his wife is killed and he’s killing off bandits from floor to...
After making “Peace Hotel”, Chow Yun-fat said goodbye to Hong Kong and headed west to Hollywood. He also shares writing credits with director Wai Ka-fai whereas John Woo is credited as the producer. So there is a bit of film history associated with this film, interestingly, the Chinese title translates it as “Peace Restaurant” rather than “Peace Hotel”.
Chow Yun-fat plays a man with no name, but everyone knows him as ‘King of Killers’. Throughout the beautifully shot opening, we learn that his wife is killed and he’s killing off bandits from floor to...
- 9/18/2019
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
Jeffrey Lau's A Chinese Odyssey - Part One: Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey - Part Two: Cinderella (2015) are showing August and September on Mubi in the United States.During the last Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, the period between the 1984 Joint Declaration and the 1997 Handover, generic cycles moved with lightning rapidity. The speed and sheer volume of production, combined with the relatively small group of creative professionals, meant that a genre could be born, reach its peak, and die out within a few short years. The Heroic Bloodshed cycle, for example, can be said to have started in 1986 with A Better Tomorrow, reached its peak with The Killer and A Better Tomorrow III in 1989, and had its last gonzo gasps in 1992 with Hard-Boiled and Full Contact. By the time of the genre’s decline, Chow Yun-fat’s stardom in the colony had been eclipsed by Stephen Chow,...
- 8/9/2019
- MUBI
This last week in April has seen, with Avengers: Endgame and the Battle of Winterfell episode of Game of Thrones, the culmination on the largest scale possible in our fractured culture of a long-simmering trend in American action filmmaking away from color in favor of a grim, murky, monochrome darkness. The TV show was immediately criticized for being nigh unwatchable on a normal television, its images being so dark and cluttered with digital artifacts, while the Marvel movie chose to stage its splash page final battle, the climax of a decade of franchise-building, not as a triumph of four-color majesty but as a dull smear of muddy gray. I’m not sure where exactly the trend started, it might have been when Tim Burton’s shadowy Batman movies outpaced Warren Beatty’s lively Dick Tracy, or it might have been when the pseudo-realism of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan...
- 5/11/2019
- MUBI
Wong Kar-wai has announced his 10 feature films will all be getting 4K restorations. The director recently told Filmmaker Magazine (via The Film Stage) that his plan is to have the restorations ready for a theatrical tour in 2020 to mark the 20th anniversary of “In the Mood for Love.” Wong’s feature films include “As Tears Go By” (1988), “Days of Being Wild” (1990), “Chungking Express” (1994), “Ashes of Time” (1994), “Fallen Angels” (1995), “Happy Together” (1997), “In the Mood for Love” (2000), “2046” (2004), “My Blueberry Nights” (2007), and “The Grandmaster” (2013).
“We’ve been working on these restorations for a long time,” the director told Filmmaker. “A few years ago I watched my film somewhere, looked at the monitor, and said, ‘Why does it look so messy?’ They said, ‘Now we are used to 4K projections, so you have to upgrade it, otherwise you will have those kind of feelings.’ We have been working on it. Last year in Lyon,...
“We’ve been working on these restorations for a long time,” the director told Filmmaker. “A few years ago I watched my film somewhere, looked at the monitor, and said, ‘Why does it look so messy?’ They said, ‘Now we are used to 4K projections, so you have to upgrade it, otherwise you will have those kind of feelings.’ We have been working on it. Last year in Lyon,...
- 5/6/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The upcoming Beijing International Film Festival will give space to high-profile Hollywood franchise movies with screenings of all films in both the “Mad Max” and “Bourne Identity” series. Classic Hollywood fare will also feature prominently in a lineup that, as usual, features an eclectic grab-bag of titles.
The local government-backed festival opens April 13 and runs through April 20.
The list of films nominated in the festival’s competition section, and jury members has not yet been released. Winners of the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Award will be announced at the closing ceremony.
Since this year is the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the theme of both the opening and closing ceremonies will be “home and country,” the festival said on its website, so as to make the event “a birthday blessing for the motherland.”
This benediction is so far scheduled to include “Mad Max” (1979), “Mad Max 2” (1981), “Mad Max:...
The local government-backed festival opens April 13 and runs through April 20.
The list of films nominated in the festival’s competition section, and jury members has not yet been released. Winners of the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Award will be announced at the closing ceremony.
Since this year is the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the theme of both the opening and closing ceremonies will be “home and country,” the festival said on its website, so as to make the event “a birthday blessing for the motherland.”
This benediction is so far scheduled to include “Mad Max” (1979), “Mad Max 2” (1981), “Mad Max:...
- 3/22/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
This is an all-star cast remake of King Hu’s 1967 classic “Dragon Inn”. The story is basically the same, but with a macabre, dark twist and a love triangle thrown in.
Tsao Siu-yan is a powerful eunuch, the ruthless leader of the East Chamber, a security agency of the Ming Dynasty Emperor. The movie kicks off with him overseeing the butchering of some officers by his army. Yang is one of them being executed, meanwhile his two children are exiled and escorted to the desert border. This is actually Tsoa’s cunning plot to lure out Yang’s trusted general Chow Wai-on. However, it is Yau Mo-yan, a rebel swordswoman who rescues the children and guarding them across the desert to safety. Consequently, they take refuge in Dragon Gate Inn while waiting for Chow to join them. However, Tsao and his army are not far behind and...
Tsao Siu-yan is a powerful eunuch, the ruthless leader of the East Chamber, a security agency of the Ming Dynasty Emperor. The movie kicks off with him overseeing the butchering of some officers by his army. Yang is one of them being executed, meanwhile his two children are exiled and escorted to the desert border. This is actually Tsoa’s cunning plot to lure out Yang’s trusted general Chow Wai-on. However, it is Yau Mo-yan, a rebel swordswoman who rescues the children and guarding them across the desert to safety. Consequently, they take refuge in Dragon Gate Inn while waiting for Chow to join them. However, Tsao and his army are not far behind and...
- 1/17/2019
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSLouis Cha, 1924 - 2018Louis Cha, widely regarded as the most influential Chinese martial arts novelist of the 20th century, has died at the age of 94. Notably, several of Cha's best-selling wuxia novels—written under the pen name Jin Yong—have been adapted into films, including King Hu's The Swordsman and Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time. Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's follow-up to Okja, has finished shooting ahead of its 2019 release. Bong has stated that "despite the title, the film does not include either parasites or alien creatures," though these stills certainly point to creeping tensions.Here is a first look at Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik & Park So-dam that wrapped last month!! #기생충 pic.twitter.com/C9jjkjoWhK— Jason Bechervaise (@Jasebechervaise) October 23, 2018 We're naturally saddened to hear...
- 10/31/2018
- MUBI
The romantic dramas from Taiwan in the 1970s should be remembered as an integral chapter of the history of Chinese language cinema. They were the by-products of the unique socio-political climate at the time, says screen icon Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia.
“People thought that the films we made back then were bad. But it was an important period of time from a historical perspective,” Lin told Variety. Taiwan was under martial law and cinema censorship was tight. “Romantic dramas became the most sought-after entertainment because of that.”
Lin went on to star in Wong Kar-wai’s “Ashes of Time” and “Chungking Express,” but was away from the screen until recently. In March, Lin was the focus of a retrospective at the Hong Kong Int’l Film Festival and this month at the Festival of Far East Film in Udine, Italy.
Taiwan-born, Lin rose to stardom in 1973 when she was still a teenager with “Outside the Window,...
“People thought that the films we made back then were bad. But it was an important period of time from a historical perspective,” Lin told Variety. Taiwan was under martial law and cinema censorship was tight. “Romantic dramas became the most sought-after entertainment because of that.”
Lin went on to star in Wong Kar-wai’s “Ashes of Time” and “Chungking Express,” but was away from the screen until recently. In March, Lin was the focus of a retrospective at the Hong Kong Int’l Film Festival and this month at the Festival of Far East Film in Udine, Italy.
Taiwan-born, Lin rose to stardom in 1973 when she was still a teenager with “Outside the Window,...
- 4/30/2018
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Many actresses have taken on gender-bending roles in adaptations of classic Chinese literature, but none have done it with the grace, fluidity and respect of Taiwanese superstar Brigitte Lin. Whether as Invincible Asia in The Swordsman II, revolutionary Tsao Wan in Peking Opera Blues or twins Yin and Yang in Ashes of Time, Lin brought gravity, thoughtful ambiguity and a diffuse but distinct sexuality to her challenging performances, which have yet to be topped since her retirement in 1994.
Lin’s first foray into gender-bending came in her first collaboration with Hong Kong studio Shaw Brothers on an opulent musical adaptation...
Lin’s first foray into gender-bending came in her first collaboration with Hong Kong studio Shaw Brothers on an opulent musical adaptation...
- 3/21/2018
- by Elizabeth Kerr
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Orlando -- Ay, "Chihuahua!"
Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" was top dog in the domestic boxoffice for a second straight weekend, making a mutt out of the pre-frame favorite for No. 1 -- Warner Bros.' star-studded Middle East thriller "Body of Lies."
"Chihuahua" fetched an estimated $17.5 million this session, as a miniature weekend-over-weekend drop of just 40% groomed a 10-day cumulative boxoffice of $52.5 million. "Lies" truly underperformed expectations with a shocking $13.1 million bow good only for a third-place showing.
Sony Screen Gem's horror thriller "Quarantine" scared up a healthy $14.2 million to open in second place, while Universal's pigskin pic "The Express" registered a disappointing $4.7 million in a sixth-place debut. And the Fox-distributed family fantasy "City of Ember" crashed and burned over its first frame with only $3.2 million in 10th place.
Warners execs blamed the prevailing dour mood of the country for moviegoers' rejecting the dark subject matter of "Lies," a Ridley Scott...
Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" was top dog in the domestic boxoffice for a second straight weekend, making a mutt out of the pre-frame favorite for No. 1 -- Warner Bros.' star-studded Middle East thriller "Body of Lies."
"Chihuahua" fetched an estimated $17.5 million this session, as a miniature weekend-over-weekend drop of just 40% groomed a 10-day cumulative boxoffice of $52.5 million. "Lies" truly underperformed expectations with a shocking $13.1 million bow good only for a third-place showing.
Sony Screen Gem's horror thriller "Quarantine" scared up a healthy $14.2 million to open in second place, while Universal's pigskin pic "The Express" registered a disappointing $4.7 million in a sixth-place debut. And the Fox-distributed family fantasy "City of Ember" crashed and burned over its first frame with only $3.2 million in 10th place.
Warners execs blamed the prevailing dour mood of the country for moviegoers' rejecting the dark subject matter of "Lies," a Ridley Scott...
- 10/12/2008
- by By Carl DiOrio
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- Veteran Hong Kong director Patrick Tam Ka-Ming has emerged from his own self-imposed exile to helm the $3 million After This Our Exile. Tam, one of Hong Kong's top "new wave" directors of the 1970s, has not directed a film since 1989's My Heart Is That Eternal Rose. An assistant professor of creative studies at a local university, Tam also is one of Hong Kong's leading film editors and has won editing awards for his work on Wong Kar Wai's Days of Being Wild and Ashes of Time. Exile, which is in production in Malaysia, is a coming-of-age story about the tumultuous relationship between a young boy and his abusive father and comes from a script that Tam had been working on with one of his students for six years.
- 3/21/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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