GREAT ORIENTAL EPICS TO CONCLUDE THE YEAR

LEGENDARY AMAZONS

“Legendary Amazons” which was formerly titled “Lady Generals of The Yang Family”, is based on a famous Chinese opera set in the Song Dynasty. When the men of the Yang Clan were massacred in battle, the women, from elderly grandmother to little sisters, put on armor and led the army to victory. A Yang family daughter-in-law, Mu Guiying, is a celebrated woman warrior in Chinese folklore. Directing the movie will be Frankie Chan (The prodigal Son, Outlaw Brothers) who has also worked on a few Jackie Chan movies back in the day, also Jackie is producing this movie. Plays Mu Guiying is Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung while

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GET READY FOR SOME ASIAN FALL MOVIE RELEASES

SEEDIQ BALE

Director Wei Te-sheng's epic “Seediq bale" aka "Warriors of the Rainbow” will represent Taiwan in the foreign-language film category at the 84th Academy Awards, and the most expensive film in Taiwan's history, which portray a 1930 uprising by aboriginal Seediq warriors against the Japanese when Taiwan was colonized, has just been premiered at Venice Film Festival.
The film, set in 1930s Formosa (now Taiwan) tells the true story of the Wushe Incident in which Seediq tribe warrior Mouna Rudo led his people to rebel against the Japanese occupation.

During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the Seediq were

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SUMMER REVIEWS: AUGUST MOVIE RECAPS II

THE CAT

There’s word of mouth that cats are extremely capable of being aware of what is happening within their environment. How many pet owners have witnessed their cat seeing something that frightens it? Almost every cat owner can tell the tale of their beloved kitty having its hair stand up on its back, while hissing and spitting at seemingly thin air. Ghost stories would indicate that cats are very perceptive of both

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A Reflection on the Great Value of Friendship from The Front Line

Towards the end of the Korean War an uneasy ceasefire is ordered, but out on the Eastern front line of the Aerok Hills fierce fighting continues. A race to capture a strategic point to determine a new border between the two Koreas is the ultimate prize. A bullet is then found in the body of dead company commander of the South Korean army. The bullet that killed the company commander belongs to the

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The Historical Account of Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon

South Korean filmmakers really like to portrait the era of Joseon (Chosun) Dinasty, the final ruling dynasty of Korea that lasting from 1392 until 1910, into both big screen feature and television series. Perhaps because the history of this dynasty is relatively better documented than those of older kingdoms, and Joseon is especially important in Korean history since it is the period when the Korean alphabet - Hangeul - was created. Joseon was also excellent in

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Summer Reviews: May Movies Recap

Kung Fu Panda 2
Score: 7,5/10

The trailer of “Kung Fu Panda 2″ claimed that the film comes with ‘double the awesomeness’. For a change, though suffers a bit from being familiar, it still manages to be full of fresh action and adventure. Also silly sight gags aren't going to be absent altogether in a film about a seriously weighty Kung Fu master, but “Kung Fu Panda 2” has more interesting things to say, and takes the time to say them. In this sequel, Director Jennifer Yuh who was responsible for some of the most thrilling scenes in the original film, has given the story a

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2011 Asian Packed Summer Tentpole Movies: Episode 2

My Kingdom


Called “Da Wu Sheng” in Chinese, the tale of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge in the heyday of Shanghai opera is a "multi-million dollar" co-production directed by Gao Xiaosong and produced by Hollywood and Hong Kong veterans Andre Morgan and Sammo Hung. The 1920s set film that blends martial arts onstage and offstage with a suspense-filled love story stars Taiwan-based actor-singer Wu Chun (14 Blades), Taiwan starlet Barbie Hsu (Reign of Assassins) and Chinese pop music sensation Han Geng in his film debut.
Here’s the synopsis: In the closing days of the 19th century, the Prince Regent of the crumbling Qing Dynasty orders

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2011 Asian Packed Summer Tentpole Movies: Episode 1

Summer is almost here. We can feel the heat of the sun again. But this season is now more than beaches and barbecues. It's also when Hollywood studios releases some of their biggest motion pictures, star-studded and full of sequels, also ranging from good to not-so-good to downright embarrassing. Though not as extravagance as Hollywood blockbuster, Asian also have their tradition to release some of the most anticipated films in summertime. They can be nice choices for some moviegoers who might want a different taste of Summer movies, or just getting a bit bored with those Hollywood dishes. Saying that, what do we have in store for 2011? Here are our choices for Asian summer films that should be entertaining enough to be worthy of your time driving off the beach and heading to the theater.

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Review Mix: Rio, Detective K, The Yellow Sea

Rio
Score: 8,5/10

Set in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforest of Brazil, the comedy-adventure centers on Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there's another - and that the other kind is a she - Blu then leaves the comforts of his cage in a small town in Minnesota and heads towards Rio. But it's far from love at first sight between the domesticated and flight challenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway). Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on an adventure of a lifetime, where they learn about friendship, love, courage, and being open to life's many wonders.
You won’t believe how incredibly fun it is when the crew of “Ice Age” finally decided to take a vacation from the freezing territory into the ‘much warmer’ tropical city of Rio de Janeiro. This latest 3D animation effort from

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Getting Up To Speed: I Am Number Four, Finding Mr. Destiny, Unknown

So many movies, so little time. I think I need to speed up with a few quick reviews on some movies I've seen since the last update. And here’s my opinion on three new films opening this weekend at the cinema. Roll it!

I Am Number Four
Director D.J. Caruso and mega-producer Michael Bay focus on teenage aliens and their assassin pursuants (sound familiar?) in the teen-friendly, sci-fi adventure “I Am Number Four”. If fighting an alien enemy isn't adequate, Caruso also surrounds his lead character, played by British actor Alex Pettyfer, with every imaginable teenage drama. The premise of the movie is that John Smith (Pettyfer) is one of nine alien kids from a planet called Lorien, which was destroyed by malicious enemy called the Mogadorians. They followed these nine alien kids to Earth and

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Witness the Resurrection of Sea Monstrosity in Sector 7

Korean writer-director Bong Joon-Ho has crafted a film that has changed the face of creature flicks in South Korea, and completely set a highest new standard that until now still very difficult to be approached by other wannabes. “The Host” not only succeeded in cutting loose from monster movie clichés by centering on the human characters of a dysfunctional family, it also confronts the genre by running in drama, humor, political satire, and presenting an overview of life in huge city of Seoul. Hailed by many critics as the much-welcome return of the good, old-fashioned monster movie, is there any Korean creature film that finally able to confront “The Host” in this era of 3D? After two years of pre-production, an oil rig monster flick called

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Romantic Movies You May Have Never Heard Of

Valentine's Day falls on a Monday this year, probably the least romantic day of the week. But whenever it's, Valentine always the most special time to expressing your love for your someone special, and there can be no better romantic idea than to spend quality time with your partner watching good valentine movies. You can easily find

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Haunters: Offers Something Different to Superhero Genre

South Korean film "Haunters" aka “Psychich”, directed by debutante filmmaker Kim Min-suk, features a unique and intriguing story about a duel between two men, one with a supernatural power who can control people with his eyes and another is the only person who can’t be affected

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A Better Tomorrow: Renewal Not Always Reinstate the Dignity

In 1986, Hong Kong crime action flick "A Better Tomorrow" has acquired international attention for director John Woo and redefined the Pearl of the Orient cinema. The story of a cruel twist of fate between two brothers later even initiating what

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Café’s 2010 Best of Eastern Cinema

Before the clock struck midnight, and we all screamed "Happy New Year" and gave each other best wishes, we've finalized our list of the 20 best movies of year. But let me be perfectly clear first. The list that follows may not represent the best movies of 2010 in everyone’s mind, but they certainly were our favorite. And coming foremost below in no particular order are the 10 Best of Eastern Cinema. By the way, since tomorrow is Christmas so I want to Wish you all a special Merry Christmas day and above is our sweet Merlion whishing card. Enjoy.

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I Saw the Devil: Yet Another Fine Revenge Flick of South

Why most of South Korean filmmakers were so fluent in tackling revenge theme movies? Is it because the country has been long suffered by the intimidation of ‘you-know-who’? From the ultimate collection of master revenge himself, Park Chan-Wook, which

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The Man From Nowhere: One of the Best South Korean Films This Year

South Korean film “The Man From Nowhere” (Ajeossi) directed by Lee Jeong-beom and starring Hallyu star Won Bin and child actress Kim Sae-ron, has outshined competition on the local box office throughout 2010, even

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Watch Out! Halloween is on the Menu

With Halloween getting close it is time to have some spooky fun with our watching list. In the special night every year when we all embrace our spooky sides and enjoy a little mystery, it’s just wonderful to take the opportunity to enjoy some suitable horror movies, especially if you’re a horror aficionado like me. And there’s nothing more exciting than having a new horror film brought to our attention that

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The Suspenseful Chasing Ride Sustained by The Murderer

The debut film from screenwriter and director Na Hong-jin “The Chaser” (2008) has been met with all sorts of critical acclaim, awards and box office success. With a refreshingly unconventional approach to its vital premise and managing to mis-step the usual cop-bad guy correlation cleverly, the film

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I Saw the Tale of Bittersweet Life Devil

South Korean director Kim Ji-woon has an impressive record of successfully tackling a wide range of film genres, acquiring a cult following among Asian films fans all over the world. Started out directing theater, Kim is growing significantly both as a director and a visual stylist as confirmed by two of his most popular films: the intelligent psychological horror “A Tale of Two Sisters” and the noir-inflected “A Bittersweet Life”, both of which were

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