Edward Yang's Family Epic, One Of The Most Acclaimed Movies Of The Decade. The extraordinary, internationally embraced Yi Yi (A One and a Two . . .), directed by the late Taiwanese master EDWARD YANG (A Brighter Summer Day), follows a middleclass family in Taipei over the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. Whether chronicling middleage father NJ's tentative flirtations with an old flame or precocious young son YangYang's attempts at capturing reality with his beloved camera, the filmmaker deftly imbues every gorgeous frame with a compassionate clarity. Warm, sprawling, and dazzling, this intimate epic is one of the undisputed masterworks of the new century. Features: Newly restored digital transfer, with DTSHD Master Audio soundtrack. Audio commentary by writerdirector Edward Yang and Asiancinema critic Tony Rayns. Video interview with Rayns about Yang and the New Taiwan Cinema movement. Theatrical trailer
Many legends have arisen surrounding the mysterious and untimely death of martial arts king Bruce Lee. Was he murdered? Was he involved in drugs and crime? Why did he leave the cryptic message If I die find out why? Whatever the reason fellow martial arts master Bruce Li determines to find the answers. With the assistance of Lee's former mistress Suzy he penetrates the dangerous underworld of Hong Kong. Captured by the criminals Suzy uncovers firm evidence about her lover's death. Bruce is forced to confront the gangsters in a final showdown with such superb fighting skill that he earns the accolade of Bruce Lee's successor...
One of world cinema's most dynamic and highly regarded auteurs, Hou Hsiao-hsien has influenced entire generations of filmmakers and was once dubbed one of the three directors most crucial to the future of cinema. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present three films from early in his career, Cute Girl, The Green, Green Grass of Home and The Boys from Fengkuei, all making their worldwide debut on Blu-ray. Cute Girl (1980) A young bride-to-be falls for a laid-back land surveyor whilst visiting her family in the countryside. Conceived as a commercial vehicle for popular Hong Kong singer Kenny Bee, this romantic comedy was Hou Hsiao-hsien's debut feature. The Green, Green Grass of Home (1982) A substitute teacher (again played by Kenny Bee) moves to a remote village, where he falls in love with another teacher at the local school. The Boys from Fengkuei (1983) Three young men leave their fishing village for the city to look for work, where they face some harsh realities about growing up. The film which established Hou Hsiao-hsien as a leading figure of the Taiwanese New Wave, The Boys from Fengkuei was rapturously received in Europe and is often considered the director's first mature masterwork. Features: Limited Edition O-card [2000 copies First Print Run Only] In a 1988 worldwide critics' poll, Multi Award Winning Chinese Director HOU HSIAO-HSIEN was championed as one of the three directors most crucial to the future of cinema The Boys From Fengkuei Won the Golden Montgolfiere Award at the 1984 Nantes Three Continents Festival The Green, Green Grass Of Home Won the Golden Horse Award for Best Child Star (Pin-chun Chou) at the 1982 Golden Horse Film Festival Available for the first time in the UK and for the first time on Blu-ray anywhere in the world
Manic martial arts action.
A subtitled three-hour saga of an ordinary middle-class urban family in modern-day Taiwan, at first glance, A One and a Two might not seem the most appealing of prospects. But don't be misled: this is a film that draws you in with all the warmth and density of a good novel, and once you are past the surface unfamiliarity of Taipei society, there's nothing in this tale of a troubled family that would seem alien anywhere in the world. Romantic stories often end with a wedding. Realistic stories are as likely to begin with one. Writer-director Edward Yang's film starts in a mass of floaty white dresses and heart-shaped pink balloons, but the smiles seem a little too effusive, the jollity feels forced. And sure enough, disaster is lurking. The seeming simplicity of Yang's narrative style conceals a subtle, intricate design. His camera moves obliquely, often holding its distance from the action, letting us take in all the elements of a scene and draw our own conclusions. Wider social implications--about modern society, about international business ethics--are hinted at, but never rammed home. By the end we realise we've been watching a microcosm of human life, with all its humour and tragedy. For all the apparent narrowness of its canvas, A One and a Two makes most British and American films feel hopelessly parochial. The Best Director Prize at Cannes was rarely more richly deserved. On the DVD: A One and a Two comes to disc with a generous helping of extras. The original theatrical trailer, wordless and intriguing; numerous cast and crew biographies; a brief stills gallery; and, best of all, a full three-hour commentary track of Edward Yang in conversation with Tony Rayns, UK expert on Chinese-language cinema. Their discussion is relaxed and illuminating. The print, and the SR Dolby Digital sound, are clean and crisp, and we get the full 1.85:1 ratio of the original release. --Philip Kemp
During the 1970's Cultural Revolution two bourgeois young men from the city are sent to a remote culturally barren mountain village for re-education in Maoist principles. Discovering a hidden cache of books by western writers including Balzac the pair transmit their love of art and literature to the knowledge-hungry local seamstress (Xun Zhou) with whom they promptly both fall in love... Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film 'Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstr
The One (Dir. James Wong 2001): In order to save the universe he will have to fight the fiercest enemy he has ever faced: himself! A sheriff's deputy fights a diabolical and deadly mirror image of himself that has escaped from an alternate and parallel universe. Sometimes the difference between good and evil is only a matter of degrees... Legend Of The Red Dragon (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): The epic story of a man who challenged the limits of courage and fought for the heart of a nation. When his wife and entire village are brutally murdered by evil Manchu soldiers the master warrior Kwun (Jet Li) sets out on a mission of vengeance with the only survivor of the massacre - his son Ting. For seven years the two journey across ancient China on their quest for revenge always staying one step ahead of the deadly army. But Kwun is forced to face the past when they come across a wealthy benefactor with five young Shaolin masters in his charge who unbeknownst to Kwun have the detailed map to a priceless treasure trove tattooed on their backs. It is not long before Manchu officials find out about the maps and deadly soldiers came after the masters. Now in an ancient battle that will pit Kwun against one of the very soldiers who helped to kill his family he and Ting will unite with the young masters of Shaolin for a fight to the death. Get ready for an ancient martial arts battle with the world's most masterful warriors! Meltdown (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): After failing to save his wife from 'The Doctor' Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal the jewels Kit is the only thing standing in their way. Will Frankie regain his courage? Will romance blossom between Kit and the nosy reporter? Who has the best Kung-Fu?
The fourth feature by internationally acclaimed auteur Jia Zhangke was also his breakout success, an epic with a canvas as vast, and intimate, as its title suggests: a state-of-the-modern-world address, and a look at the insular world of a troupe of Chinese stage-performers dreaming of freedom… Zhao Tao, Jia’s muse, is one of these troupers. For Tao and the larger ensemble of pageant performers at Beijing’s real-life World Park (a sprawling hyper-pastiche of global landmarks — “famous sites from five continents”), love is respite from work, work is respite from love, and the line that extends from the past to the future loses all definition beyond the present. A testament to the wisdom of this young filmmaker who arrived in the late 1990s with Xiao Wu and, in 2000, Platform (regarded by many to be the greatest film of the 2000s), Shijie / The World provides an image of globalisation as a paradox: at once a phenomenon rooted in social control, and a network that allows connection across individual people and populations. Special Dual Format Edition: 1080p Blu-Ray transfer English subtitles Tony Rayns on The World: New and exclusive video introduction to the film Made in China: A 65 minute documentary on the making of The World The World according to Jia Zhangke: A 24 minute interview 40 page booklet
The Stormriders transplants Macbeth into a medieval China in director Andy Lau's reinvention of classical tragedy as CGI-laden blockbuster. Officially the source material is a best-selling Manga, and the flying heroes with magical powers and the wild camera angles do indeed have a real graphic-novel flair. As the warlord Sonny Chiba is a commanding presence, while Ekin Cheng as Wind and Aaron Kwok as Cloud are perfect contrasting comic-book warriors. Kristy Yeung is a suitably lovely heroine, while Shi Qi provides irritating comic relief. There is style to burn, with beautiful imagery bearing the influence of Ridley Scott and, in the "blur-motion" duel in a bamboo forest, Wong Kar-Wai; indeed, Lau has served as Kar-Wai's cinematographer. Spectacular yet laden with symbolism The Stormriders is a film to bridge the appeal of Ashes of Time (1994) and The Bride with White Hair (1993) with the Superman (1978) and Mummy (1999) movies. The fights and a romantic flying sequence pay homage to the former, the computer effects update the groundbreaking Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (1983) with the technology of the latter. Sometimes overly ambitious or just plain bizarre The Stormriders is an emotionally charged darkly romantic adventure which outclasses any comic-book adaptation Hollywood has made in years.On the DVD: The first disc presents the 127-minute director's cut in its original 2.35:1 ratio with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. While the sound is clean, dynamic and makes great use of all the channels the picture is presented non-anamorphically, so that while well-focused, with strong colours and little sign of artefacting, it is not as solid or detailed as it could be. The main special features are two documentaries, a general "making-of" running 22 minutes, and a 20-minute "featurette" on the special effects. Both are promotional pieces made at the time of the film's release. The second disc features the US trailer and an object lesson in how to ruin a film, i.e. the "international" version ofThe Stormriders. Cut by 38 minutes, horribly panned and scanned and dubbed, this is a travesty that destroys all the beauty and atmosphere and renders the story incomprehensible. Why anyone would watch it when they have the complete film on the first disc is a mystery. The sound is again Dolby Digital 5.1 and the 4:3 image is fair. --Gary S Dalkin
A triple bill of Hong Kong action classics from director Andrew Lau (Wai Keung Lau). The Stormriders: The most eagerly awaited Hong Kong movie event boasting Hong Kong's highest ever production budget and box office take. It is a visually stunning epic blend of swordplay explosive martial arts and breathtaking special effects to create the ultimate final fantasy. A Man Called Hero: Based on the comic book series by Ma Wing Shing 'A Man Called Hero' is a spectacular
During the Republican Era in China the country became divided by warlords and there was constant bloodshed. Needing able-bodied men to join their factions warlords paid a hefty price. However the one man that they all wanted could not be bought. This action-packed film stars action legend Chow Yun-Fat and is directed by acclaimed helmer Ronny Yu. Fight choreography is by Yuen Chun-yeung action director of 'Charlies Angels'.
Jim Kelly is back as Black Belt Jones ex-CIA and lethal. 'The North Star' is a priceless diamond. Its theft from an American courier leads Lucas - Black Belt Jones - into a seedy world of strippers and hookers. Fists fly as he smashes his way through the heart of a den of thieves.
Lin Yuezhen is in love with swimming star and school heart-throb Zhang Shihao. She's far too shy to approach him and instead asks her best friend Meng Kerou to act as a go-between. Kerou reluctantly agrees but whenever Shihao appears Yuezhen flees. Shihao can only conclude that Kerou is using an imaginary character to court him but she has her sights set elsewhere... Winner of the special jury prize at the Bratislava International Film Festival Yee's film of adolescent longing touc
A peaceful town turns into a living hell when friction on the Indian Ocean plate triggers a devastating earthquake causing buildings to tumble and sinkholes to open. A retired railway soldier and his son, an explosive demolition engineer, go deep into a solution cave to rescue trapped survivors. But a second quake is due to follow in a few hours.... To save the whole town from being buried by landslide, the only way out is to blast the tunnel that they have built for 10 years.
This box set features a collection of titles from the master of modern-day action choreography Yuen Woo-Ping. Iron Monkey - Platinum Edition: One of the most visually spectacular films ever produced by a Hong Kong studio this is a traditional epic style movie boasting fight choreography by Yuen Woo Ping action director of ""The Matrix"" ""Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"" and ""Kill Bill vol 1"" and soon-to-be Hollywood star Donnie Yen. This film is credited by fans and critics a
An example of Hong Kong action cinema at its most mainstream, A Man Called Hero owes perhaps more to the films of Steven Segal than it does those of John Woo. The tale of a mythical hero who borders on the status of superhero, the film is stripped of any potential credibility by some of the most appalling dubbing ever seen at the cinema. While the original Chinese cast may inject the movie with passion, their American voice-over replacements obviously never made it past the sincere section of acting class. Each line is delivered with such false earnestness that the film sounds like a cross between Days of Our Lives and an episode of Pokémon. No cinematic cliché is left untouched, suggesting that this is not just a case of something lost in the translation but just a bad film... in anybody's language. The world-wide success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has proved that there is a huge market for original Eastern cinema, even more reason to avoid the pointless rehashing of the worst of Hollywood that A Man Called Hero undoubtedly is. --Phil Udell
In the largest engineering project since the Great Wall China has set out to harness the power of the Yangtze an endevour that provides the epic and unsettling backdrop for a dramatic and disquieting film on life inside the Chinese dream. Among the two million losing their livelihood to the dam the Yu family must send their daughter off to work. In a bitter irony she's been hired into a strange apocalyptic tourist trade that thrives along the river offering a glimpse of a legendary world before it disappears forever. Stunningly photographed and beautifully composed Up the Yangtze juxtaposes the poignant and sharply observed details of Yu Shui's story against the monumental and ominous forces at work all around her. Where Western passengers take in the spectral views consuming entertainment on the spacious upper decks while Yu Shui toils in the galley down below vying with workmates for the few permanent positions. All the while the ship charts a course towards its controversial destination traveling upriver through a landscape of unprecedented upheaval as ancient and revered sites give way to the burgeoning candy-coloured towers of China's neon future. Back at the river's edge far from the bright lights Yu Shui's parents assemble their humble possessions as the floodwaters rise.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Dir. Ang Lee 2000): Amazing martial arts fighting sequences (choreographed by Yuen wo Ping - The Matrix) stunning special effects action adventure and romance have made Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon the most talked about movie of the year. Martial arts masters Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) battle against evil forces to recover their stolen sword the legendary Green Destiny. Warriors Of Heaven & Earth (Dir. Ping Lee 2003): China 700AD: the Tang Dynasty assumes far-reaching political influence culminating in battle against the Turks. Wen Zhu (Zhao Wei) the daughter of a top Chinese general spearheading the forces massed against the Turkish enemy is entrusted to the care of Lai Xi (Kiichi Nakai) the Japanese emissary and feared imperial bounty hunter who hunts down rebels in the Western Frontier who is ordered take her back to the capital city of Changan. Lai Xi longs for a return to his beloved Japanese homeland but his assignment is hijacked by the command to hunt down rebel Li (Jiang Wen) a lieutenant condemned to death for disobeying a direct order to murder innocent women and children in the name of war. However as dedicated to carrying out his duty as Lai Xi is when he tracks down Li he is surprised to find his foe transporting a sacred Buddhist relic across the Gobi desert to its rightful resting place. As Turkish forces mass to attack in an effort to steal the relic Lai Xi must question his loyalty to his superiors and his Buddhist faith... Likened to the multi-Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Zhang Yimou's No.1 U.S. box office hit Hero China's official entry for the Best Foreign language Academy award Warriors Of Heaven And Earth is epic entertainment! Legend Of The Red Dragon (Dir. Wong Jing 2001): The epic story of a man who challenged the limits of courage and fought for the heart of a nation. When his wife and entire village are brutally murdered by evil Manchu soldiers the master warrior Kwun (Jet Li) sets out on a mission of vengeance with the only survivor of the massacre - his son Ting. For seven years the two journey across ancient China on their quest for revenge always staying one step ahead of the deadly army. But Kwun is forced to face the past when they come across a wealthy benefactor with five young Shaolin masters in his charge who unbeknownst to Kwun have the detailed map to a priceless treasure trove tattooed on their backs. It is not long before Manchu officials find out about the maps and deadly soldiers came after the masters. Now in an ancient battle that will pit Kwun against one of the very soldiers who helped to kill his family he and Ting will unite with the young masters of Shaolin for a fight to the death. Get ready for an ancient martial arts battle with the world's most masterful warriors!
The One (Dir. James Wong 2001): In order to save the universe he will have to fight the fiercest enemy he has ever faced: himself! A sheriff's deputy fights a diabolical and deadly mirror image of himself that has escaped from an alternate and parallel universe. Sometimes the difference between good and evil is only a matter of degrees... Legend Of The Red Dragon (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): The epic story of a man who challenged the limits of courage and fought for the heart of a nation. When his wife and entire village are brutally murdered by evil Manchu soldiers the master warrior Kwun (Jet Li) sets out on a mission of vengeance with the only survivor of the massacre - his son Ting. For seven years the two journey across ancient China on their quest for revenge always staying one step ahead of the deadly army. But Kwun is forced to face the past when they come across a wealthy benefactor with five young Shaolin masters in his charge who unbeknownst to Kwun have the detailed map to a priceless treasure trove tattooed on their backs. It is not long before Manchu officials find out about the maps and deadly soldiers came after the masters. Now in an ancient battle that will pit Kwun against one of the very soldiers who helped to kill his family he and Ting will unite with the young masters of Shaolin for a fight to the death. Get ready for an ancient martial arts battle with the world's most masterful warriors! Meltdown (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): After failing to save his wife from 'The Doctor' Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal the jewels Kit is the only thing standing in their way. Will Frankie regain his courage? Will romance blossom between Kit and the nosy reporter? Who has the best Kung-Fu?
A peaceful town turns into a living hell when friction on the Indian Ocean plate triggers a devastating earthquake causing buildings to tumble and sinkholes to open. A retired railway soldier and his son, an explosive demolition engineer, go deep into a solution cave to rescue trapped survivors. But a second quake is due to follow in a few hours.... To save the whole town from being buried by landslide, the only way out is to blast the tunnel that they have built for 10 years.
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