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So What Are 2024’s Chinese New Year Movies? (And Where to Find Them)

In part two of our look at the newest Chinese New Year Movies will be a list of animated films that should one day see an American release.

Outside the Rice Bowl of the World, the number of Chinese New Year movies available to view worldwide are based on what is being offered by Cineplex’s SilverCity Riverport operation in Richmond, BC. That’s because in all my years of tracking films from this market always head to this metroplex than any other operation in my neck of the woods.

True to form, just where these motion pictures get played depends on just how big of a Chinese-Canadian or American population exists per region. Others include Seattle, San Francisco, and New York (to name a few). Strangely, YOLO and Article 20 do not make the list. The good news is that the former will eventually see a hopefully fast release, as Variety broke the news about it being acquired by Sony Pictures.

The following list of works to enjoy are:

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It’s a Retro Kickass Wuxia A Go-Go with Shaw Brothers Classics Volumes 2 & 3 in Review.

Yes, another Shaw Brothers Classics set is coming, and in volume four, it’s sure to mirror what the prior release offers, and we look back at those!

Shaw Brothers Classics Vol 4 Box — **Volume 4 available to preorder on Amazon USA**

The Shaw Brothers Studios are well known for being able to pump out kung fu movies faster than I can say Hi-Yah! And early this year, Shout! Studios has been releasing the best of them to celebrate this company’s legacy! Although their founding and 100th anniversary is two years away, I’m glad fans worldwide are getting something to whet appetites sooner than later. There are three volumes of the Shaw Brothers Classics one can now buy, and with a fourth along the way, I definitely want to own them all!

I’m liking this release over Shawscope, an unwieldy set which I think is tough to store because it’s a book! What the cube offers can easily be filed side by side with regular blu-rays on the shelf. The main reason I’m excited for this set is because of the new material that’s included–audio commentaries and short documentaries–do a great job to explain why that selected film or performer matters! Also, for a few titles, an English and Cantonese dub is also offered.

As for the packaging, not only do we get reproductions of the original posters in the case, but also, I’m not as concerned whether the films are using past remasters or this American side distributor has done further work.

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All’s Not Well When Trading an Eye for an Eye, The Blind Swordman In This Wuxia Epic!

The fight is not over and Blind Cheng’s next adventure after Eye for Eye: The Blind Swordsman won’t be coming soon. He’ll need to rest after this film!

Eye for an Eye The Blind Swordsman Blu-ray Case — **Available to stream on** **Hi-Yah** **or purchase on** **Amazon**

Well GO USA

Blind Cheng (Miao Xie) is a bounty hunter by trade, and is known as a knife-catcher by his peers. In Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman, this warrior gets taken in by a pretty face who wants to hire him to enact some revenge. Her family got assassinated and she wants revenge! Although Ni Yan (Weiman Gao) gets by working at a way stop, a diner, she wants some justice and hires this tacker.

Although this setup feels more like a story set in the wild west, what’s presented in this Tang dynasty tale works just as well. The only difference lies in adding in a layer of political turmoil in the mix. And as for why it matters here, the common folk are at ends meet.

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When Alls Not Well in Heaven and We Need Jiang Ziya. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms, A Movie Review

Fans of the Chinese high fantasy will like Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms despite its long running time and overuse of weak CGI.

Well GO USA
Coming to Theatres Sept 22
(Please check local listings)

When considering a lot of films have been made based on some part of the epic Chinese novel, Investiture of the Gods, it should not surprise me that one day, someone would attempt to adapt the entire text. Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms attempts to tell the entire story and when there’s a total of 100 chapters, to bring it all to screen will require more than one film!

I’m glad director/co-writer Wuershan is attempting this project. I’m rather fond of his work in Mojin: The Lost Legend, and he’s on the right track. Hopefully the advice he got from James Schamus‘ (who gets credit as script consultant) isn’t for naught. He is best known for being one of the co-writers of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Even though I know bits and pieces through the various animated films released in prior years, it’s cool to see how it all comes to head in this magnum opus. There’s Jiang Ziya (Bo Huang) working with two other immortals to stop the Great Curse that’s threatening the Shang dynasty.

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Tian Xiaopeng’s Deep Sea is More Than A Study on Depression

This latest import from China arrives just in time for the summer season, and Tian Xiaopeng’s Deep Sea does not dissapoint!

Deep Sea Poster Main Theatrical Release — © 2023 October Media. All Rights Reserved.

Screening at Fantasia Film Festival 2023 on Aug 6
Please click here to purchase tickets

Potential Spoiler Alert

Shenxiu (Tingwen Wang) is not a happy young girl in Tian Xiaopeng’s movie, Deep Sea. That’s because she’s not being loved; not only is she neglected by her dad and step-mom, making her feel very depressed, but also the relationship with her biological one is deteriorating. Because the film didn’t translate all those text conversations that blitzed by in the opening act, I’m thankful I understood enough to notice.

But to comprehend everything this motion picture presents requires a few more viewings and an updated subtitle file to play along with this movie. Although I had an electronic press kit to help reveal some other details, I’d rather want to discover these facts on my own.

Thankfully, more screenings after Tribecca and Fantasia Film Fest are planned, and I would love to see this on the big screen as the filmmaker intended. Xiaopeng is best known for Monkey King: The Hero is Back (movie review), and while that tale delivers more in the humour department, I believe his sophomore work is darker.

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