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One of the key figures in Hong Kong cinema, Tsui Hark is a writer, actor, producer, and groundbreaking director. Born in Vietnam, he attended college in the US before working in Hong Kong television.

Hark directed his first features in the early 1980s. In 1984 he formed Film Workshop, a studio that helped boost the careers of John Woo, Chow Yun-fat, and Jet Li. Shanghai Blues, the first Film Workshop release, brought a revolutionary style and originality to Hong Kong filmmaking. Hark’s other films include the Once Upon a Time in China and Detective Dee franchises, Peking Opera Blues, and entry into the anthology film Septet.

I had the opportunity chat with the legendary filmmaker at this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, where he received the Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement, in addition to introducing restored versions of Shanghai Blues and Green Snake, Hark brought his latest film,...

Daredevil No Marvel Cameos(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Daredevil: Born Again just wrapped its first season with a bang, okay, more like a blackout and a bloodbath, but there’s one big question fans can’t stop asking: where the heck was everyone else? No Spidey, no Luke Cage, not even a surprise hallway punch from Jessica Jones. In the explosive finale, Matt Murdock goes full war general, assembling his own scrappy team to take on Mayor Fisk, who’s now less “Kingpin of crime” and more “Kingpin of City Hall.”

But despite the chaos, the cameos are nowhere to be found. Turns out, there’s a very specific reason Marvel’s usual crowd didn’t swing, smash, or sass their way into Hell’s Kitchen this time around, and the director is finally breaking it down. So before you rage-tweet about the absence of your favorite Marvel face, let’s...

In an interesting bit of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) news, Variety has exclusively reported that Hawkeye and Better Call Saul actor Tony Dalton will be making an appearance in Daredevil: Born Again as his character Jack Dusquene, better known as The Swordsman in Marvel Comics. Duquesne hasn’t been seen in the MCU since the end of the first season of Hawkeye on Disney+ in December 2021 during Phase Four of the MCU. Marvel Studios is no stranger to bringing back characters after long hiatuses, and Duquesne returning in Born Again makes sense, especially given the setting of the series.

Daredevil: Born Again is set to welcome viewers back to the street-level action of the MCU, bringing back grounded heroes like Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Newer heroes, such as White Tiger, have also been revealed to play a role in the upcoming series that...

The worlds of Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again are continuing to be brought closer together. After making his Marvel Cinematic Universe return in Hawkeye, Vincent D'Onofrio will be joined by a co-star of the 2021 Disney+ series in the first season of Born Again.

According to Variety, Tony Dalton will reprise his role as Jack Duquesne/The Swordsman in two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. The character was introduced in the MCU in Hawkeye, where he was revealed to be a wealthy socialite, talented swordsman, and fiancé of Eleanor Bishop, the mother of the female Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. While The Swordsman is often depicted as an enemy of Hawkeye and the Avengers in the comics, in a surprising twist, the MCU version ends up as an ally of the skilled archer. After his uncle Armand Duquesne III is murdered, Duquesne is framed for his death by Eleanor, who also pinned his...

Though once head-spinningly prolific, Tsui Hark hasn’t directed a solo feature since 2018’s Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings, the time between then and now seeing one short in the Septet omnibus and two co-helmed entries in China’s über-popular Battle at Lake Changjin series. Thus making notable Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants, a fantastical-looking epic he’s directed and scripted––based on a novel by Jin Yong, himself inspiration for Tsui’s The Swordsman and Swordsman II––which Sony will release on February 20, signaling his biggest stateside opening in decades. Ahead of this comes a U.S. trailer.

Here’s the official synopsis: “Under Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army pushes west to destroy the Jin Dynasty, setting its sights on the Song Dynasty next. Amid internal conflicts among martial arts schools, Guo Jing unites the Central Plains’ warriors to defend Xiangyang, embodying courage and loyalty in the fight for the nation.

Exclusive: Korean action star Jang Hyuk is set to make his directorial and writing debut with action film Stop Stop Dark Cold, alongside Stars Collective and Stars Entertainment.

Jang Hyuk has played roles in films like Volcano High, The Swordsman, The Killer and Iris 2 as well as shows like Slave Hunters and Bloody Heart.

Trained extensively in Jeet Kune Do, Jang will mark his directorial and writing debut with Stop Stop Dark Cold.

Stop Stop Dark Cold is currently in the script development phase and is slated to begin production in mid-2025.

Stars Collective and Stars Entertainment said that they have cross-industry ambitions for Stop Stop Dark Cold, which include extending the IP beyond the silver screen to immersive experiences, merchandise, anime and gaming.

“I am deeply committed to this project and eager to explore the future implications of technology through my artistic lens,” said Jang. “I look forward to connecting with audiences worldwide.

Prolific filmmaker Herman Yau is no stranger to Hong Kong cinema who has directed bold films that touched on sensitive themes since the 1990s. Films like the Category III rated “The Untold Story” and “Ebola Syndrome” are famously explicit in violence, sex and gore. Most of all, he tells the real stories of Hong Kong through his raw and complex characters. Nonetheless, Yau would move on to direct big budget action films mostly financed by China like “Shock Wave” (2017), “The White Storm” series and “Moscow Mission” (2023) during the last decade. Filmed in different locations, “Customs Frontline” is such a film.

A young hotshot but principled Chow Ching Lai (Nicholas Tse) works for the Hong Kong Customs Department as an assistant superintendent. Fortunately, he has a sympathetic boss Cheung Wan Nam (Jacky Cheung), a senior superintendent there who gives him guidance throughout his career. One day while on a routine patrol,...

Hk cinema had a tendency to employ many people during a film production, but “The Swordsman” must be a unique case. King Hu, Ching Siu-Tung, Tsui Hark, Raymond Lee, Ann Hui and Andrew Kam are referred as directors and Wong Ying, Edward leung, Tai Foo-ho, Lam Kee-to, Lau Tai-muk and Kwan Man-leung as scriptwriters. Btw, this is not an omnibus, just a compact movie based on a novel by Louis Cha titled “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer”. Of course, there is a story here, since King Hu was originally credited as the director, but allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. Ann Hui was also part of the team, although uncredited, and since we tend to be completionists here at Amp, we decided to include “The Swordsman” in her project.

Follow our Ann Hui Project by clicking on the image...

Ann Hui’s eclectic films are united by a consideration of the relationship between public and private worlds, of how the weight of history can be brought to bear on even the most intimate personal developments. The director’s beautiful 2002 drama July Rhapsody, now receiving its first stateside theatrical run courtesy of Cheng Cheng Films, both follows this thread and pulls it in a uniquely tender and thoughtful direction. Unlike much of her previous work, the histories excavated by the film are strictly personal, but they contribute to a far more wide-ranging treatise on the resonance of artistic expression across time and generations.

Another thread through Hui’s work is its kinship with Chinese literature, from the filmmaker’s three adaptations of Eileen Chang novels to last year’s Elegies, a documentary on Hong Kong poetry. That affinity is deeply felt in July Rhapsody, which follows a meek, middle-aged Chinese...

Funny deaths in movies can provide comic relief and subvert expectations about the meaning and dignity of death. Drama movies can have hilarious deaths that contrast with the overall tone of the film. These funny deaths offer a layer of detachment and can make tragedies seem hilarious, appealing to our sense of schadenfreude.

While some movie deaths can be tragic and heartbreaking, there are just as many which are actually funny. In a chaotic and uncaring universe, death is the only constant that people can hold on to, so it might as well be treated with a sense of humor. Comedy movies often find hilarious ways to kill characters off. This can happen in a sudden, shocking moment, or it can be drawn out to ridiculous lengths. In both cases, a lot of humor can come from the nonsensical approach to death. It's comforting to believe that the end of...

Myths and ancient legends have continuously served as a solid backbone to many historical dramas coming from Korea over the past few years. Similar to the brand of Hong Kong or Chinese features, the blend of a known historical backdrop, drama, martial arts and/ a murder mystery has fueled many stories, many of which have been commercially very successful in Korea, but not so much outside, where the majority has been released either digitally or physically. The directorial debut of Ahn Tae-jin falls into this particular category, with “The Night Owl” having won numerous awards in its home country, while it is now being released for home cinema in many countries. The foundation for the features is the mystery surrounding Crown Prince Sohyeon, who attempted to reform his home country but died before doing so.

The Night Owl Comes to VOD on September 26th, courtesy of Capelight Pictures

However, the...

Bruce Lee fights many memorable villains in his filmography, with many of them being incredible martial artists themselves. While Bruce Lee began as a child actor in Hong Kong, he began to rise to greater prominence in the late '60s with his role as Kato on The Green Hornet. Bruce Lee later achieved greater notoriety through his roles in movies like The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and The Way of the Dragon, though he sadly passed away before the release of 1973's Enter the Dragon, which launched him to worldwide fame.

Bruce Lee's five martial arts films have elevated him to become the greatest legend of the martial arts movie genre. Of course, achieving such status is impossible without overcoming some very challenging and formidable villains, and those faced by Bruce Lee are highly revered martial arts masters themselves. Here are the 13 martial artists who portray the villains of Bruce Lee's filmography.

Stars: Jang Hyuk, Lee Chae-young, Lee Seo-young, Bruce Khan, Lee Seung-joon | Written by Nam Ji-woong | Directed by Choi Jae-hun

Not to be confused with John Woo’s classic film of the same name, The Killer (Jugeodo Doeneun Ai) is the new film from Choi Jae-hun and written by Nam Ji-woong based on a novel and webcomic by Bang Jin-ho. The film made its Canadian debut as part of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

Eui-kang is a retired assassin, married and living a quiet life. When his wife goes on vacation with a friend he ends up, rather against his will, having to watch over the friend’s seventeen-year-old daughter Yoon-ji.

The first night she’s in his care however she becomes the victim of a ring of human traffickers specializing in underage girls. There’s only one thing he can do, come out of retirement to rescue her,...

A retired mercenary must free a kidnapped teen in this lurid and drum-tight thriller

Charismatic star Jang Hyuk plays Bang Ui-gang, a retired mercenary compelled to shoot, maim, slice and dice an assortment of adversaries in this extremely violent action thriller. At all times, Ui-gang also manages to keep his hair immaculately coiffed in a floppy K-pop-by-way-of-1990s-Hugh-Grant style. He’s so darn cool that at one point he arrives at one of the film’s many dens of iniquity with a large coffee in one hand and a gun in the other, and shoots his adversaries stone dead between dainty sips.

This would all seem faintly ridiculous if it weren’t that director Choi Jae-hoon and screenwriter Nam Ji-Woong have injected some biting social critique among all the bloody malarky – notably through the way the story reveals that the sex trafficking ring at the heart of the evildoing is...

Choi Jae-hoon is positioning himself as one of the new hopes of action-based Korean cinema. His track record consists of 3 features in as many years and as many genres. He gained some international attention with the historical spectacle “The Swordsman” (2020), and the horror-thriller “The Hypnosis” ensued the following year. His third film is a straight-up action thriller “The Killer” (2022) based on the somewhat popular web-novel “The Kid Deserves to Die” written by Bang Jin-ho. After the premiere at last year’s Udine Far East Film Festival and a tour of genre-friendly film festivals, such as Fantasia, it has landed on the streaming/video market.

The story revolves around Bang-ui (Jang Hyuk who already worked with the helmer on his debut feature), a semi-retired mob assassin willing to start a new life with his wife Hyeon-soo (Lee Chae-young) making money in the real estate sector. However, she plans a holiday with...

Korean filmmakers have produced some of today’s most cutting-edge movies by borrowing the best elements from Hollywood, Chinese, and Japanese cinema, and mixing them their own unique cultural vision. So when it comes to the action genre, K-films are all over the map. K-actioners range from irreverent comedies to gritty brutal ultraviolence. Story arcs move from funny to savage in the blink of an eye.

Always well-crafted, Korean action films are filled with clever plot twists, refreshing characters that are fully fleshed out, and superb cinematography, However, Korean cinema tends to defy being as easily pigeonholed into genre boxes as Western contemporaries.

For example, Park Chan-wook’s disturbing Cannes winner, Oldboy, is more of psychological thriller than an action film, and yet the brilliant one-er hallway hammer fight is consistently referenced as one of the top examples of fight choreography from that year. Snowpiercer, which spawned a TNT series,...

Stars: Jang Hyuk, Lee Chae-young, Lee Seo-young, Bruce Khan, Lee Seung-joon | Written by Nam Ji-woong | Directed by Choi Jae-hun

Not to be confused with John Woo’s classic film of the same name, The Killer (Jugeodo Doeneun Ai) is the new film from Choi Jae-hun and written by Nam Ji-woong based on a novel and webcomic by Bang Jin-ho. The film made its Canadian debut as part of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

Eui-kang is a retired assassin, married and living a quiet life. When his wife goes on vacation with a friend he ends up, rather against his will, having to watch over the friend’s seventeen-year-old daughter Yoon-ji.

The first night she’s in his care however she becomes the victim of a ring of human traffickers specializing in underage girls. There’s only one thing he can do, come out of retirement to rescue her,...

Another year, another bountiful crop of action filmmaking. The following article covers some of the best. Like with last year’s installment, the focus will be on action scenes—compact, heightened expressions of action filmmaking craft—rather than films as a whole, which means that some otherwise strong, action-adjacent pictures may be missing and a couple included films look fairly lackluster beyond their set pieces. For the sake of variety, I have limited myself to one scene per film, and all featured films made their official, non-festival, U.S. theatrical and/or streaming debut in 2021. The criterion of “official” excludes the Chinese direct-to-YouTube actioner One More Shot, which was removed after just a few days online. Whenever the film receives a more “legitimate” stateside debut, it will almost certainly be included in that year’s roundup. And now, to the action. The scenes have been organized into loose thematic...

Probably one of the best years for action/martial arts cinema lately, 2021 saw a number of truly impressive titles coming out, as China’s blockbusters seem to be getting better, followed by the Korean ones, Japanese manga adaptations continue to be on a very high-level, at least production level-wise and Asean countries keep on producing some of the most interesting in the category through the combination of social commentary and exploitation elements. Furthermore, a number of movies that do not fall in any of the aforementioned groups but are of equal quality, rounded up a truly great year for Asian genre.

Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.

15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)

On the other hand, the action element is top notch,...

Considering that it took up to five directors to finish filming the first “Swordsman” after King Hu left the project, it was indeed a miracle that it turned out to be a success and a trend setter for the many new wave wuxia movies to follow. This visually arresting sequel, again produced by Tsui Hark but now directed by Ching Siu Tung, it’s a different beast all together. However, the theme of swordsmen retiring from the jianghu (martial world) and live a peaceful life is still the main focus. The film went on to win William Cheung Suk Ping and Yu Ka On the Best Costume and Makeup Design award at the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards in 1993.

on Amazon

After roaming the jianghu for about a year, our swordsman hero Ling Hu Chung (played by Jet Li this time), and Yue Ling Shan, “Kiddo” (Michelle Reis...

Image Source: Getty / Amy Sussman / WireImage

The first four episodes of Disney+'s new Marvel series, Hawkeye, have aired, and they already have fans asking questions. The show is chock-full of new Marvel characters who have yet to reveal their real identities. While the focus is on Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the backstory of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), the story wouldn't be complete without supporting characters.

Jack Duquesne has become an important part of this series, and fans have a suspicion that he could turn out to be one of Hawkeye's most popular villains. So what does this mean for Kate, who turns out to be his soon-to-be step-daughter? Here's what we know about the character.

Who Is Jack Duquesne in the Comics?

Duquesne was first introduced in the comics in 1965 in The Avengers Vol. 1 #19 as an enemy of Hawkeye and the Avengers. He starts out as a performer at various circuses and carnivals,...

A project by producer Tsui Hark and director King Hu and a story taken from the wuxia novel “Xiao Ao Jiang Hu” which roughly translates as “Smiling Proudly in the Martial World” written by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Anyhow, be it creative differences or sickness, Hu left the production and it was the ensemble of Ching Siu Tung, Raymond Lee, Tsui Hark himself and Ann Hui (uncredited) working together as acting directors to finish the job. However, as seen in the opening credits, Hu was the only one listed as the original director nonetheless.

on Amazon

Although “Swordsman” has a plot which involves masses of characters, basically it’s about a happy-go-lucky young swordsman Ling Hu Chung (Sam Hu) from the Wah Mountain Clan who gets caught up in the pursuit of retaining a Sacred Scroll, wanted by numerous clans including his own greedy Master, Yue Bu...

International and indie film distributor Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Korean film Escape From Mogadishu. It will open in theaters in the U.S. and Canada August 6 following a July 28 release in Korea.

The film is based on true events and chronicles the harrowing experience of bitterly opposed North and South Korean diplomats trapped in the city of Mogadishu at the advent of the Somalian civil war in 1991. The dramatic years-long conflict, which exploded following the rebel-led ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, was introduced to American audiences through blockbuster film Black Hawk Down, which picks up the narrative in war-torn Mogadishu in 1993.

“The film portrays this almost unfathomable event that throws the horrors of war into sharp relief,” said Well Go CEO Doris Pfardrescher. She noted the production team’s careful study of surviving embassy records and historical accounts to create the most realistic possible depiction.

This week’s biggest home title doesn’t show on any VOD chart: It’s Marvel’s “Black Widow,” of course, exclusively available on Disney+ for $29.99. About 2 million of the platform’s subscribers paid for it, generating $60 million.

Unlike theater grosses, “Black Widow” PVOD revenues represent a 100 percent return to the studio. Rival studios suggest that the domestic portion ranged between 67-80 percent. On that basis, Disney would have so far earned more from PVOD than in theaters. A single weekend’s performance is not the final word for movies, theaters, or even Disney, but it suggests major implications for all concerned.

Another indication that PVOD remains a lucrative alternative to theaters is the strategy for home availability of “A Quiet Place Part II” which drops Tuesday — as planned, 45 days after its very successful theatrical release — on Paramount+. What’s surprising here is “A Quiet Place Part II” will also...

An intricate tapestry of 17th-century political intrigue and family feuding is bolstered by fabulous costumes as Chinese invaders are dealt with

The Swordsman, a pacy, crisply choreographed South Korean action film set in the 17th century handicaps itself by opting for such a bland, generic title. It’s like naming a Hollywood action movie The Gunman or The Cop. Debutant writer-director Choi Jae-Hoon could have been a little more specific about the protagonist Tae-yul (played by boy-band-beautiful star and sometime rapper Jang Hyuk) by calling it The Blind Swordsman, given the character’s vision impairment. But then that title has already been used several times. Also, Tae-yul is not quite blind yet, although the threat to his vision and his need to access an expensive medicine hang over the plot throughout.

As it happens, the intricate tapestry of action, family drama, political intrigue and period spectacle is anything but generic.

From us: In the end, “The Swordsman” is a very entertaining and captivating period/martial arts feature. Apart from the impressive fight choreographies, its ensemble and the depiction of one of the most difficult phases in Asian history make Choi Jae-hoon’s feature very impressive, thus recommending its director for other projects within the genre. (Rouven Linnarz)

Synopsis:After being partially blinded in a coup against the king, legendary swordsman Tae-yul goes into hiding, living a quiet, peaceful life with his daughter. However, when political unrest leads to traffickers kidnapping his daughter, Tae-yul has no choice but to take up arms once more. In a race against time, losing his sight and with innocent lives hanging in the balance, he must also face a dangerous new nemesis.

A visually stunning martial arts epic with truly exhilarating action, The Swordsman is a must-see for genre fans everywhere.

From Trinity CineAsia:

Pre-order from Amazon: http://www.

Mortal Kombat’s Joe Taslim (aka Sub-Zero) is one of the hottest martial artists on screen right now. It’s been a decade since his breakout film The Raid took the world by storm, and Taslim has consistently delivered high-octane action with dashing panache ever since. As movie martial arts masters go, few others are on Taslim’s level. While most action stars have some martial arts training in their bag of tricks, Taslim is more invested than most.

Prior to The Raid, Taslim was a professional Judo athlete and a member of Indonesia’s National Judo team from 1997 to 2009. He won gold medals at the Southeast Asia Judo Championships and the Indonesian National Games. No other actor can boast a competitive record like this. What’s more, Taslim is also trained in Wushu and Taekwondo, and he picked up Pencak Silat for The Raid, so his combative range goes...

Johannes “Joe” Taslim is an Indonesian actor known for his roles in action films such as Gareth Evans’ “The Raid” or Timo Tjahjanto’s “The Night Comes for Us”. Apart from being a performer, he is also a model and has starred in many commercials in his home country, and was also part of the Judo national team from 1997 to 2009. During his career as an actor he has also been part of international productions, such as “Fast & Furious 6” and also “Star Trek Beyond”, and will be playing the role of Sub-Zero in the much anticipated “Mortal Kombat”. In the period drama/ martial arts film “The Swordsman” he plays the role of Gurutai, a slave merchant closely connected to the Qing-dynasty.

On the occasion of the movie being released on physical media and VOD through German publisher Capelight in May 2021, we talked with Taslim about his character in “The Swordsman...

The history of the transition from the Ming- to the Qing-dynasty stands for one of the most turbulent periods within China’s past, a period of many territorial and political conflicts which would define the future for the nation as well as its culture. Its events have shaped the country and still shows its traces today as its duration, from 1618 to 1683, caused the death of around 25 million people. Considering the significance of the period, it sounds quite challenging for a director to approach this time as the background for his or her project, but then South Korean filmmaker Choi Jae-hoon does not seem to shy away from a task such as this. In his feature debut “The Swordsman” he tells the story of the fall of the Gwanghaegun, the fifteenth king of the Joseon dynasty, and its repercussions. The feature, which premiered in September 2020 in the director’s home country,...

This week, it’s all about awards and animation. Wherever you look — VOD charts (“The Croods: A New Age”), Netflix (“Bigfoot Family”), theaters (“Tom & Jerry”), and HBO Max (“Tom & Jerry”), cartoons are king. This weekend, Disney ups the ante with “Raya and the Last Dragon” on Disney+ and in theaters. Meanwhile, “Minari” was strong in its Premium VOD debut and “I Care a Lot” is thriving at Netflix.

No need for industry status to get screeners: Nearly all contenders are available with either platform subscription or VOD rental. Hulu has “Nomadland” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” Amazon Prime owns “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Netflix is the home of “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Life Ahead,” HBO Max has “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Disney+ has “Soul,” and as of March 2, “The Mauritanian” will be on PVOD March 2.

Showing success both on transactional and revenue charts,...

Two films dominated VOD rankings last week. “Monster Hunter,” Paul W.S. Anderson’s video-game adaptation with his muse and wife Milla Jovovich, debuted on Premium VOD and “Greenland” after breakout success as a PVOD exclusive (no theaters in the U.S.) over the last two months reduced its price to $5.99 and immediately rebounded to lead in some as well.

“Monster Hunter” spent nine weekends as a theatrical exclusive and grossed $13.4 million domestically, for about $25 million worldwide. The film took a hit when Chinese officials banned it for content offensive to local sensibilities. (It would have been Sony’s first post-covid release in China.) It leads FandangoNow’s chart (based on revenue earned) and spent five days as #1 on Apple TV. It’s now #2 at Apple TV and GooglePlay, which lists by rentals.

“Greenland” is now #1 at Apple TV and GooglePlay. Considering the word-of-mouth generated since its December 25 home-only release at...

UK festival recently moved online-only due to virus crisis.

The Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) has revealed the programme for its 2021 edition (Feb 24-March 7), which includes several award-winning festival favourites and a focus on South Korea.

The 17th edition of Gff, which recently announced it would shift online-only due to the ongoing virus crisis, includes six world premieres, two European premieres and 49 UK premieres – around a third of the event’s usual programme of 180 titles.

However, Gff co-directors Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter said the reduced number of slots had forced them to raise the bar for selection and produce a stronger programme as a result.

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...

“[A] gritty action film filled with spectacular sword-wielding stunt work” ~ Geek Culture “… the right blend of exciting sword-wielding action, drama, and warrior’s code to satisfy the appetites of more die-hard genre fans.” ~ The Swordsman The Classic, Over-the-Top Historical Swordplay Action Film Debuts on Digital, Blu-ray™ & DVD February 16 Includes a New …

The post The Swordsman on Blu-ray & digital 2/16, + an All-new Trailer! appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

"I've only tried to protect the nation from torment." Well Go USA has released an official US trailer for the Korean period action movie called The Swordsman, which already opened a few months back in South Korea. "Three different swordsmen meet each other for their own reasons." Tae Yul, a swordsman in his 30s goes out to find his only daughter after losing one of his eyes. Min Seung Ho, the Joseon Dynasty's best swordsman chooses an ordinary simple life after perceiving the transient nature of power. Gurutai, the best swordsman in Qing Dynasty aspires to become the best even in the Joseon Dynasty. After going into hiding, Tae-yul re-emerges to find and rescue his kidnapped daughter. "It's a film in which swordsmen fight one another for their own beliefs and creeds in the time of turmoil." Starring Jang Hyuk, Kim Hyeon-soo, Lee Na-kyung, and popular Indonesian actor, Joe Taslim.

Coming to Blu-ray and digital next year from comtemporary Asian cinema specialists, Well Go USA, is debutante director Choi Jae-Hoon's The Swordsman, starring Jang Hyuk. A veteran of the popular K-drama circuit, Jang Hyuk features here as the titular swordsman, an aging royal guard forced into retirement after a slip-up leads to the fall of a king. Driven into seclusion in the forest with his shame and failing eyesight, he's called back into action when the one thing he loves most, his young daughter, is captured by traffickers. We've been given your exclusive first look at the new trailer for this exciting action film that features Jang in the lead with a special appearance from Indonesian badass Joe Taslim (The Raid, The...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

With WandaVision on the way, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier nearly ready to drop, Marvel’s next Disney+ series, Hawkeye, has flown a bit under the radar since its announcement. That changed yesterday, with new set pictures and a massive casting drop. But who the heck are all these characters? And what might the cast tell us about the story? We have some guesses, and only a couple of them involve the Circus of Crime.

Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)

Probably the biggest news is the finally official confirmation that Kate Bishop would be a co-star of the show. Hailee Steinfield plays this possibly future Young Avenger as she joins her namesake hero (Jeremy Renner) on a quest through New York City.

Bishop was created in the comics by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung as part of the 2005 Young Avengers team. She’s the daughter of obscenely wealthy and inattentive Manhattanites,...

When A Chinese Ghost Story premiered in 1987, it was already part of a unique category – the fusion of horror, comedy, and Kung Fu. Asian horror films are known as jiangshi, which is the name of a specific spooky hopping ghost found in Chinese folklore that proliferates these films.

Part zombie, part vampire, jiangshi are corpses that are usually reanimated by demons or Daoist sorcerers. They hop along mindlessly with their arms outstretched like sleepwalkers, and feed on the life essence – or qi – of the living. Often a jiangshi is blind but can smell breath. This makes for great comic hijinks as hapless characters struggle to hold their breath while gruesome jiangshi shove their rotting noses close to their mouths trying to pick up the scent.

Comedy is a common horror film device. It releases tension and leaves the audience unguarded for the next jump scare. The addition of Kung Fu...

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...