Paid-members only Ching Siu-tung The Heroic Trio and Executioners (Johnnie To & Ching Siu-tung, 1993)
Kimi Takesue Onlookers (Kimi Takesue, 2023) Onlookers is an observational documentary by American filmmaker Kimi Takesue. Over a quick 72 minutes in a series of static shots almost entirely lacking in dialogue, she paints a portrait of a small Laotian village, one whose gorgeous riverside landscapes and picturesque monasteries serve to attract tourists from around the
Jason Kwan I Did It My Way (Jason Kwan, 2023) I didn’t see the Andy Lau crime movie with a title borrowed from a hit 1960s American pop song that came out a couple of weeks ago, but I did see the one that comes out this week. I skipped The Goldfinger, despite the promise of an Andy Lau-Tony
Sammo Hung Glory to the Fat Dragon! Since today is Sammo Hung's birthday, I figure it's a good time to repost this look at his career, originally posted on the now-defunct website Frame.land back in the summer of 2017. There were originally several video clips interspersed throughout the essay, but they seem
The Odd One Dies The Shaolin Cinematic Universe This was originally commissioned by the Vulgar Cinema website in July 2014, and was published in December 2015. Then, after that site disappeared, it was revised and republished at Frame.land in May 2019. Now that site too appears to be defunct, so I'm posting it once again
John Woo Silent Night (John Woo, 2023) It’s been a rough decade for John Woo. After his triumphant return to Chinese language cinema in 2008 with the excellent two-part war epic Red Cliff, he spent years attempting another big historical film. The first part of The Crossing was released in 2014 and, despite the fact that
Japan Japan Cuts 2023 - Part Two One of the fun things about a smaller festival like Japan Cuts is that most of the movies playing there are ones I haven’t heard anything about before hand. I’ve got to pick and choose what I watch based on a brief synopsis and a list of filmmakers.
Devils on the Doorstep Slices of Life - Japan Cuts 2023 Every year these midsummer weeks of late July and early August see the best showcases for East Asian film in North America arrive in New York City and, by the miracle of online screeners, in my inbox. While the New York Asian Film Festival (follow the link to see my
Strange Tales 2023 Spring Festival Compilation As I put together last year, here is a collection of the reviews I wrote for InReview Online's coverage of various film festivals from around the world so far this year. Check out the rest of the festival coverage at the site, they've got a lot