Tag: History

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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Three Chinese Films to be on the Lookout For! (And The Fantastic Umbrella Girl Too)

Quite often, Chinese New Year is when new films will be played to audiences worldwide, and what’s offered here are four selections we hope will begin production or play in 2024!

The Journey of Flower 2024 Movie Poster - Three Chinese Films to Look Out For in 2024Although Chinese New Year is two months away, the question of what movies will get released is likely to at least include The Journey of Flower. The other three Chinese films include Chang’An, Kung Fu Hustle 2 and Umbrella Girl.  While one is technically not even started production, I have hope that some news will be offered. As for the the former getting a wider distribution, it’d make sense to re-release this work during this holiday!

Chang’An was released in China over the Summer. As for why international distributors didn’t want to market it, the reason may well lie in the fact it’s not like a typical movie. Those who managed to see this work said it’s presented as vignettes with the characters reciting poetry. As for whether its like attending one of Shakespeare’s plays, I need to get my hands on a copy!

Even though Light Chaser Animation has been on a huge winning streak ever since White Snake, not every film gets the love it deserves. Tea Pets got tucked away on Tubi under a different title (Toys and Pets), and it’s a wonderful love story cum adventure. As for this studio’s latest, it apparently got a weekend screening at select cities during the month of October; I assume GKIDS holds the rights, and they will eventually deliver this movie to home video.

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Once Within a Time – A Captivating Art House Film for the Ages!

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Once Within a Time is with the casting of Mike Tyson as “a prophet.”

Once Within A Time Movie PosterRelease Date: Oct 20, 2023
Please visit the official website
for screenings near you.

Godfrey Reggio is not your typical filmmaker. He makes movies that are experiences. After watching his doomsday-fable Once Within a Time, I feel that he’s trying to show to audiences where he thinks humanity is headed by using collages of varying images to express it. Nearly every technique that was developed during the early age of film is used here.

That’s because his visual narrative begins with us staring at an audience looking at a stage, and the curtain opens with Yggdrasill (Sussan Deyhim) singing to us like that opera singer Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element. To note, this film is neither a truly fantasy and nor is it really fully science fiction.

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Chronicling American: An Odyssey to 1947 and its Influence Upon the World

Not only are a few key figures well represented during this era, but also we see how certain historical moments rose during American: An Odyssey to 1947.

American An Odyssey to 1947 PosterNow Playing on VOD
Gravitas Ventures

The late 40’s is well represented in Danny Wu‘s American: An Odyssey to 1947. Not only is the socio-political climate expertly explored but also we see who the movers and shakers were for the time. That also includes how they affected each other. From the entertainment scene to the White House, the influence feels like something I would watch in a high school Social Studies class.

The reason I was drawn to this work is that I’m a huge fan of Orson Welles. His early life is well accounted for, and while I’m not expecting a complete biography, what’s told covers all the basics and perhaps a little bit more!

David Walsh, writing for the World Socialist Web Site, best sums up the entire film in the press release: “In a short period of time, [Wu] has developed an important understanding of some of the most vexing problems of the mid-20th century.” He also added that this film is evidence that “a new generation of artists, free from the cynicism and many of the prejudices of the past several decades, is emerging.”

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A Passage Beyond Fortune and Chinese Way of Life in Moosejaw. An Interview with Weiye Su.

The reason why this director made A Passage Beyond Fortune is because of the false information being spread for the sake of bringing in the money.

Now available to stream on TheNFB.caA Passage Beyond Fortune's filmmaker Weiye Su

Weiye Su is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker with a goal, and that’s to dispel the myths concerning the underground tunnels that exist underneath the city of Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. What’s offered is a falsehood. After his family relocated here many years ago, what he wanted to discover about the past concerning fellow Chinese as this country was being built is important. He knew very early on their stories aren’t as well known, and he’s given one family a chance to be heard in A Passage Beyond Fortune.

Ultimately, this mini-documentary is about the legacies that those Asians crafted with their own hands. Although the United States is considered a land of opportunities more so than Canada, both have an important place in history. As most scholars know, in those early settlement years and even throughout the Depression, not everyone treated foreigners kindly. This filmmaker’s goal is to explore the proper cultural contexts and reverence, than to present stigmatized notions on what life was like back then. He also recommends reading Brian S. Osborne’s essay, Moose Jaw’s Tunnel Vision: Mystery, History, and the Construction of ‘Canada’s Most Notorious City.’

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A Geek’s Guide to the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

We offer our list of must sees at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and they include a mix of short animated works along with three features!

39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film FestivalAll hands are on deck for the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and it’s resumed being a mostly in-person event. A small selection of works will be made available online and what attendees should check out are its shorts program! All the fantasy and genre works are found here, and what I offer as a highlight of what to look for those attending.

Although some pieces are tough to group according to the name of the program, what I offer will be by genre tag. Thus, in the animated category, I’m particularly excited for Colorville, Rem Koolhaus’ Music Video Kajo, The Old Young Crow, Tala’s Bedtime Story, and Māui Adventures: Capturing The Sun.

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