Category: Cinema

Top Three Choices to Hail In the Chinese New Year (2025 Edition)

Chinese New Year is almost here, and I offer my list on what I expect to be the top three films that’ll be big! And all the movie trailers I could find are also assembled here:

Creation of the Gods 2 Well GO USA Poster for Chinese New YearChinese New Year is coming! And for those folks who want to enjoy part of that day at the movies, five ‘official’ films are being released January 29th! What I offer here are my top three choices. Although I mentioned the sequel for Crazy Alien is coming in my review, it’s not a mandatory must-see.

And what I offer here are nearly every trailer for each of these films to get a sense of what’s going to be presented.

Creation of the Gods II:
Demonic Confrontation

This continuation of the epic fight between clans can spell disaster for all of China, if all parties aren’t careful. That’s because, after the ascension of the last ruler of the Shang dynasty, the transition is not quiet. When the fox-spirit Daji has a dastardly role to play, all will not be well.

As part two of a trilogy, what’s expected will be like Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings–to break the narratives down to smaller pieces. Part three is titled Creation Under Heaven. and that’s scheduled for release next year. As for this middle release,  Well GO USA has IMAX screenings available at select cities (please visit link) on Jan 29th, and will get a wider release at the end of the month.

Trailer 1 (International Release)

Trailer 2 (Chinese)

Behind the Scenes

Continued on page 2

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

The Deets on The Shaw Brothers Classics, Volume 6 and Why This Release Is A Must-See

The love for Shaw Brothers continues as I offer thoughts in the next Shaw Brothers Classics release!

Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 6
Pre-order now on Amazon USA

What’s next for Shout! Studio‘s continued release of films from China is Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 6. Fans can now pre-order this upcoming March release, and according to the marketing, this package will focus on the really hard to find films to watch. Since then, a quick check online shows that some of them are available on Amazon Prime (select countries) as individual works or on YouTube.

This week, the distributor also revealed all the new featurettes included in this set. The titles I’m excited to see are Finger of Doom, Na Cha And The Seven Devils, and The Young Avenger. The primary reason is that I haven’t watched these particular films yet. IUn a few entries will be some added notes (or an included trailer)

SWORDSWOMEN THREE
(1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono / 100 min.)

SWORDSWOMEN THREE Movie PosterAlthough this title may seem misleading, that is because it’s not really about these three ladies. Instead, it’s concerned about Lo Lieh, who will stop at nothing to claim victory at a tournament between clans. And by the time these ladies are dealing out the hurt, the question of who is the best is hardly the plot.

Although these sisters–played by Essie Lin Chia, Shen Yi and Violet Pan Ying-Zi–do their best, the question is when will they challenge the patriarchy?

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All Shaw Brothers All The Time! Volume 5 Quick Thoughts

Fans of the works from Shaw Brothers Studios will be happy to learn volume 5 is out now, and there’s a sixth too!

Shaw Brothers Classics Volume FiveShout! Studios

Just when fans thought they couldn’t get enough of the movies from The Shaw Brothers, one of two new collections is here! Volume Six is slated for, and I’ll have a separate article outlining what’s coming in that set. I really appreciate the fact Shout! Studios is keeping the love for wuxia alive.

Volume 5 is now available for purchase on their website (or on Amazon). While I have yet to process this volume myself (I’m still working through the last two volumes before committing to this year’s offerings), this release continues to offer titles from the 60s and 70s.

There’s a bit of a sword theme going on in this release and when I can pick up this set, I’m looking forward to seeing Mission Impossible over all others! You’ll have to visit this entry to see the reason why. Another work is Rape of the Sword, that’s based on the novel of the same name. This book supposedly inspired Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Also, when this studio rarely does sequels, A Taste of Cold Steel is one of those rare titles I have to check out. And when this collection includes all new content to go with each title, it’s a must have for any committed nostalgia enthusiast. Also included are some personal thoughts on a few films.

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Top 10 Animated Movies to Look Forward to in 2025

To decide on which animated movies are a must isn’t too hard to decide on. When pickings can be somewhat limited in the cinematic front, we’re diving into streaming and direct to video offerings too.

Aztec Batman- Clash of Empires - Animated MoviesInstead of looking at the animated movies coming to cinemas, what I offer is a list of works expected to be released this year from abroad and in America. There are some wonderful works that should be great, and the big question will concern whether the two major distributors, GKIDS or Well GO USA, will pick them up. They’re still working through last year’s catalogue of releases. Trailers are provided where possible:

Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires

This Elseworlds take on Batman lore promises to be good because it’s also connected to a bit of Mesoamerican folklore concerning the bat. Both Aztec and Mayan cultures hold this creature sacred, representing various Underworld aspects. Here, instead of focusing on the Wayne family, another clan’s parents are killed, and Yohualli Coatl enacts swift revenge!

Here, the conquistadors are not the only threat. No Batman adaptation is complete without The Joker! As for how he got reimagined, much has been spoiled in other reports, and it’s better to be surprised.

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Which Yule Movies Are Authentic, According To Tradition?

Not even I can fully answer that, but in what I present is a list of yule movies that honour the season rather than commercialise it.

Klaus, Yule Movie or Christmas?
Yule Movies – Klaus

After watching Red One, which went the wrong way with a great idea regarding an Icelandic holiday witch wanting revenge, I had to look for better films to cleanse the palette. To seek what others haven’t researched well enough meant deciding what works who are true to what Yule movies should represent. I feel in what’s key is that it has to be set in Northern Europe. Although they don’t have to be scary, that’s the secondary theme I’m going for.

Not every film can make the grade. As much as I’d love to include Winterstilte, that was a movie I didn’t really get into. As for other ancient figures from this region, there’s plenty to choose from! There’s Frau Perchta, who preys on innocent souls in the movie, The Twelve Days before Christmas, and curiously, there aren’t any more featuring her.

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A Quick Retrospective on Philip J. Cook, Filmmaker-at-large!

One thing that’s for certain is that everyone in one of Philip J. Cook’s film projects are passionate about what they do and are invested from start to end!

Phillip J Cook at WorkThe big difference between one of Philip J. Cook‘s early films, like Despiser, to a recent one, namely Ghost Planet, is in how well he can blend in the special effects. He uses a blue/green screen for most of his wide angle shots, and these days, they’re in those closeups too! With modern-age computer technology, he can truly create those exotic worlds, and while his skills as a storyteller haven’t changed much, what makes his films unique is that he will micromanage. That is, he’s an auteur.

Although most of his tales are populated with characters in familiar roles, I can’t fault him for his choices after watching more than these two works. He wants to make his works accessible. What I’m recognising from Despiser reminds me of Buckaroo Banzai and I had to check out the bonus features first before attempting to watch the film. They’re quite good at getting me primed at what to expect instead of tuning it out.

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