| The one you've been waiting for - SHA PO LANG!!! |
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The film that dominated all the hype on the HK action movie scene in 2005 was Sha Po Lang. A blend of new and old, this was Donnie Yen dragging the action movie genre into the 21st century. This will appeal to fans of taught crime dramas like Infernal Affairs and those who like some quality kung fu action built into the story.
We are awaiting a UK cinema / DVD release for the movie, but many fans will sort themselves out with the Region 3 disc (click here for Region 3 DVD retailers)
Sha Po Lang review - click here
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| New UK based DVD store - Asian Cult Cinema |
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If you are looking for a decent site for a range of Asian DVDs from around the world, then check out Asian Cult Cinema. It has a massive catalogue, including Region 3 Shaw Brothers releases and international shipping is £1.50 per DVD!
To visit Asian Cult Cinema - click here
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| DVD Review - Yuen Woo Ping's Dreadnaught - out now on DVD! |
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Dreadnaught has suffered over the years, living in the shadow of towering kung fu classics like Warriors Two and Magnificent Butcher. Few people realise that Dreadnaught comfortably outperformed these classics at the box office. Boasting Yuen Biao, Kwan Tak Hing and most of the Yuen Clan (Yuen Woo Ping, Sunny and Brandy Yuen), this is another worthwhile effort from Golden Harvest.
We look at the just released superb Hong Kong Legends disc - 7th Aug 2006
Dreadnaught DVD review - click here
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| DVD Review - Takashi Miike's Silver |
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Ladies and Gents, welcome to the bizarre and disturbing world of Takashi Miike's 'straight-to-video' back catalogue. As a general rule these tend to vary significantly in terms of quality, but all contain his hunger for extreme and challenging cinema.
Silver considers the manga inspired world of undercover wrestling. Throw in a healthy dose of Yakuza, a dominatrix and some hitmen and you are getting close.
Ross takes a look at this budget release from Film 2000 in Sept 05
Silver DVD review - click here
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| DVD Review - The Little Norse Prince |
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Isao Takahata (of Studio Ghibli fame) has been in the business for a long time. The Little Norse Prince is a Nordic adventure that dates back to 1968, yet it still manages to look as vivid and enigmatic as many modern productions.
Ross takes a look at the Optimum disc released in October last year.
The Little Norse Prince DVD review - click here
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| Competition Winners - Warrior King |
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Congratulations to Patrick Wass for winning the Warrior King give-away competition. The three runners up were Mary Williams, Anthony Coates and Lee Costello. Bad luck to everyone else and come back soon!
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| DVD Review - Hell'z Windstaff |
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Hwang Jang Lee is widely regarded as the finest on-screen baddie of his generation. Famous names like Jackie Chan, John Liu and Conan Lee would no doubt agree. His sustained run in independent martial arts flicks produced a number of gems in the late seventies. Hell'z Windstaff features Hwang at his magnificent best against the more than able Meng Hoi and Meng Yuen Man.
We take a look at the mediocre Eastern Heroes disc released in Jan 2003
Hell'z Windstaff DVD review - click here
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| Warrior King - UK Cinematic release and exclusive HKCinema competition |
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We reviewed Tony Jaa's upcoming release - The Warrior King earlier this month, and it was superb - Hong Kong Cinema review
To celebrate the UK release on Friday 28th July, we have exclusive Tony Jaa memorabilia to give away. One lucky winner will receive a Tony Jaa Hoodie, T-Shirt, Shoulder Bag and set of badges. We have three sets of badges for runners-up.
To win simply enter the Warrior King competition - click here
There is a Tony Jaa game and trailer at the official site - Warrior King
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| Competition Winners - Heroes Shed No Tears |
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We had three copies of John Woo's Heroes Shed No Tears to give away. Congratulations to Jas Mahli, Ankush Shah and Faheem Iqbal, who have each won the Hong Kong Legends DVD which was released nationwide on Jul 17 2006
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| DVD Review - Tiger on the Beat |
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Tiger on the Beat may be one of Lau Kar Leung's most formulaic works, but it was also one of his most successful. In 1988, anything involving Chow Yun Fat was going to be popular, but a decent support cast in Conan Lee, Gordon Liu and Ti Lung ensure that Tiger on the Beat is a cut above the average HK action flick.
We take a look at the excellent Hong Kong Legends disc released in Jan 2005
Tiger on the Beat DVD review - click here
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| Competition and DVD Review - Heroes Shed No Tears |
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Just before blowing away Hong Kong with 'A Better Tomorrow' in 1986, John Woo directed Heroes Shed No Tears. Hong Kong Legends have done the A-list remastering job on this title and it is out for release in the UK on Mon 17 July.
We have three copies to give away in our Heroes Shed No Tears Competition!
Heroes Shed No Tears DVD review - click here
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| DVD Review - As Tears Go By |
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Wong Kar Wai has been behind some of Hong Kong cinema's most spectacular releases of the past two decades (see In the Mood for Love, 2046). His directorial debut, As Tears Go By, is a gritty affair giving brief glimpses of what was to follow.
Ross takes a look at the 2005 Tartan UK DVD release (although this is slated for re-release in Sept 2006 - any improvement will beat this stinker of a disc!)
As Tears Go By review - click here
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| DVD Review - Hiruko: The Goblin |
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We stopped exclusively reviewing Hong Kong cinema a long time ago and branched out into all areas of Asian cinema. One particularly popular genre is 'straight to video' Japanese Horror. Hiruko: The Goblin is an excellent example of the charms of budget 'tongue-in-cheek' horror in the early nineties.
Ross takes a look at the 2003 Artsmagic UK DVD release
Hiruko: The Goblin review - click here
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| Competition Winners - Chow Yun Fat DVDs |
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Thank you to everyone who entered the Chow Yun Fat competition to win copies of Peace Hotel and A Better Tomorrow (Ultimate Edition). The lucky winners were Luke Andrews and Darren Emery! - Come back for more competitions soon!
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| Upcoming DVDs |
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We have refreshed our upcoming DVDs section for both UK and Shaw Brothers
UK DVD Release Schedule - click here
Shaw Brother Release Schedule - click here
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| DVD Review - A Better Tomorrow (released 26 Jun 2006) |
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In the beginning there was a film, and the film was called A Better Tomorrow. Without John Woo and Chow Yun Fat there would be no film and without this film there would be no heroic bloodshed genre
It is that simple...
A Better Tomorrow review - click here
Win a copy of A Better Tomorrow and Peace Hotel - click here
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| DVD Review - Chow Yun Fat goes Western in Peace Hotel (released 26 Jun 2006) |
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Peace Hotel - Just before departing for the US of A, Chow Yun Fat starred in this gunplay Western reviving his persona from The Killer.
Optimum Asia have just released this title in the UK (26 Jun 2006) and Ross takes a look at Chow's pistol blazing effort.
Peace Hotel review - click here
Win a copy of Peace Hotel - click here
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| Theatrical Release - Luc Besson's District 13 (Friday 7th July) |
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Hot on the heels of Fearless comes District 13 - (Banlieue 13) the 'Free Running Movie'. Produced by Luc Besson, this 'Escape from New York' inspired fight-fest blends free running with some outstanding action sequences. This is one not to be missed and it will be hitting screens nationwide on Friday 7th July.
District 13 theatrical review - click here
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| Theatrical Release - Jet Li's Fearless (released 23rd June) |
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Busy this weekend? Well if you can, make sure you clear some space between the World Cup games to pop down the cinema to watch Jet Li's Fearless
In what has been vaguely billed as his 'last martial arts epic' you can sit back and enjoy some vintage Jet under the steady helm of Ronny Yu and the always excellent choreography of Yuen Woo Ping. This is one to definitely catch on the big screen!!!
Fearless theatrical review - click here
Clips (Windows Media Player) - 1 - 2 - 3 Real Player - 1 - 2 - 3
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| Competition - A Better Tomorrow and Peace Hotel |
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We have another competition folks. The guys at Optimum Asia are giving away two copies of A Better Tomorrow (a two disc special edition of the John Woo classic) and Peace Hotel (Chow Yun Fat's final film before leaving for Hollywood).
The titles will be released in the UK on 26th June 2006
Enter Competition - click here (Winners will be notified on Friday 7th July)
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| Bak with a Vengeance - Tony Jaa in Warrior King (Tom Yum Goong) |
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Unless you have been living in a closet for the past 12 months, every self-respecting martial arts fans will have caught the jaw-dropping muay thai extravaganza that was Ong-Bak. Two years later the same team have completed a follow up with more money, more action and more broken bones!
Read more for Ross's exclusive preview of Warrior King - click here
UK Theatrical Release Date is 28th July
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| End of Competition - Screening Tickets for Jet Li's Fearless |
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Congratulations to
Shahed Choudhury,
Federico Iskandar
and
Andrew Cruickshank
. All three of them have won a pair of tickets to an exclusive preview screening of Jet Li's Fearless on 20th June. That was the most popular competition EVER at Hong Kong Cinema. Come back for more competitions in the coming weeks and commiserations to all other entrants!
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| DVD News - John Woo and Chow Yun Fat double bill! (June 26th) |
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After a well received batch of Studio Ghibli titles from Optimum Releasing, we now return to the crazy world of late 1980's / early 1990's Hong Kong Action.
Optimum are treating us with a two disc Better Tomorrow DVD. Not only will there be a decent video / audio presentation, but the bonus second disc will feature a Bey Logan commentary and interviews with John Woo and Chow Yun Fat
Peace Hotel was Chow Yun Fat's last movie before packing his bags and heading off to Hollywood, which was produced by John Woo.
Both will be released on June 26th - reviews to follow shortly!!! |
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| DVD Review - The Peacock King |
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What do you get if you mix Yuen Biao, Gordon Liu, 80's style claymation, kung fu and Japanese / Hong Kong fantasy?
The answer is The Peacock King (1988). This latest release from Hong Kong Legends is probably not to everyone's taste!
DVD review The Peacock King- click here (released Jun 19th)
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| DVD Review - She Shoots Straight |
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Corey Yuen - erm.... Did some great films in the 80's and 90's (Righting Wrongs, All for the Winner, Fong Sai Yuk) and then lost his mojo.
Fortunately, Hong Kong Legends have released one of his lesser known outings with She Shoots Straight (1990), featuring Sammo Hung's ex-wife Joyce Godenzi
DVD review She Shoots Straight - click here (released 15th May 2006)
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| Competition Closed |
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Thank you to everyone who entered our competition for Seven Swords and Donnie Yen box-set DVDs. The two winners were Stephen Moore and Roger Fradera
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| DVD Review - We've gone Ghibli crazy!!! |
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Following on from the major release of the Studio Ghibli back catalogue by Optimum Asia, we take a look at another two releases from April 2006.
Whisper of the Heart is a classic romance by the late director Yoshifumi Kondo, whom many tipped as the natural successor to Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli
My Neighbours the Yamadas is one of Ghibli's more eclectic titles, delivering a series of sketches around the Yamada family, using a distinct 'watercolour' style that stands out from standard Ghibli animation.
Both discs were released in April 2006 on a DVD R2 PAL format by Optimum Asia and reviewed by anime expert Ross Taylor
Whisper of the Heart review - click here
My Neighbours the Yamadas review - click here
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| Theatrical Preview - Fearless / Jet Li on 23rd June |
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This film tells the story of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910), depicted by Jet Li in what is rumoured to be his last ever martial arts film!!!
Hitting cinemas on June 23rd, this promises to be a memorable experience, teaming Jet Li with choreographer Yuen Woo Ping (see Once Upon a Time in China 2 and Fist of Legend).
Trailers - Windows - Real Player- Quick Time Official Site - click here
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| Theatrical Preview - Dumplings at the ICA (16 - 24 Jun) |
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"A sly and subversive horror film from Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, graced by sumptuous visuals from ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle and an especially slinky performance from Bai Ling"
Does this sound interesting?
Oh, and it also won Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards!
Dumplings at the ICA between Fri 16 Jun - Sat 24 Jun 2006 - click here
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| DVD Review - Seven Swords comes to DVD on 29th May |
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Tsui Hark returns to the world of wuxia (swordplay) with the much hyped 'Seven Swords' in 2006. With an illustrious career (Zu, Once Upon a Time in China, Swordsman) any big budget Tsui Hark film will come burdened with expectation. This only increases further when you add Donnie Yen and Lau Kar Leung to the cast-list!
To read Seven Swords review (29th May) - click here
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| Film Festival - Free Korean Film Festival at Prince Charles Theatre (20-26th May) |
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The Prince Charles Cinema has put together a fantastic line up of Korean Film which easily shows why the Korean Film market is the fastest growing in the world today. Free Film festivals don't come along all that often but with the help of our kind sponsors CJ Entertainment, we have again been able to offer you a weeks worth of free screenings at London's coolest cinema.
See details and film times (20th - 26th May) - click here
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| Theatrical Preview - District 13 /
Banlieue 13
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The season of Summer blockbusters is now upon us. Amongst the likes of X-Men 3, Mission Impossible 3, Poseidon, Superman Returns and other sequels / remakes there are a few gems hitting the cinemas.
District 13 combines the dare-devil antics of free running with some of French cinema's best action to date. After proving a massive hit in France in 2004, Momentum will be releasing this in the UK and US this summer!
Theatrical Review - District 13 - released 21st July 2006 - click here
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| DVD Review - Full Contact |
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Ringo Lam and Chow Yun-Fat seem like a pretty awesome combination for Full Contact after their earlier success in City on Fire.
Oh, and did I mention there is also Simon Yam and Anthony Wong and lots and lots of gun fights! Our review looks at one of the most excessive action movies to come out of Hong Kong in the nineties.
DVD Review - Full Contact - available from Hong Kong Legends - click here
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| DVD Review - Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 |
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Finally it's the battle we've all been waiting for as an army of tanks and helicopter gunships travel back in time to take on Samurai warriors for the mother of all battles in the deliriously enjoyable Japanese sci-fi action blockbuster Samurai Commando, out 15th May from Momentum Asia and yes it's a remake of the Sonny Chiba classic!!!
DVD Review - Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 (out 15th May) - click here
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| Competition Winners - Samurai Commando |
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The competition for the DVD collection featuring Samurai Commando and several other Momentum Titles is now closed. Congratulations to the following winners:
Main Winner (Momentum DVD Set): Ralph McCann
Runners Up (Copy of Samurai Commando): Shezan Hirjee, Karam Ezzideen
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| DVD Review - My Kung Fu 12 Kicks |
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My Kung Fu 12 Kicks comes from the recently emerging 55th Chamber collection. Featuring the prolific old school performer Lee Hoi-San, this is a late seventies independent take on kung fu comedy. Read on to see if this cuts the mustard against its more illustrious peers.
55th Chambers recent DVD release hit the shelves on Apr 24 2006
My Kung Fu 12 Kicks DVD review- click here
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| DVD Review - Kiki's Delivery Service |
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Kiki's Delivery Service is one of the earlier productions from Japan's Studio Ghibli (famed for titles such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princes Mononoke). Director Hayao Miyazaki takes you on a journey to 1950's Europe, where young witch Kiki and her cat Jiji start a delivery service for the town of Koriko.
Optimum Asia's recent DVD release hit the shelves on Feb 27 2006
Kiki's Delivery Service DVD review- click here
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For old news - please visit the NEWS ARCHIVE
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