“Red Cliff” is John Woo’s first Chinese movie since 1991’s “Once a Thief.” His new film triumphs over the cutting of the footage which is almost as cruel as the cuttings of so many characters over the film’s running time. Conceived as a four-hour epic in two parts, it reaches the United States as a single film that runs two and a half hours.
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“Horse Boy” touching, if a little uninformed
Before leaving his home in Texas for Mongolia with his wife and autistic son, author and horse trainer Rupert Isaacson seems eager for the trip as he calls it a “gateway to adventure, a gateway to healing.”
Filipino movie director dishes on his project: A grim horror film
Norbert Caoili admits, with a smile, that his last name is pronounced “cow-wheelie.” In fact, he does almost everything with a smile. Sitting in a Seattle coffee shop, dressed smartly with a sweater and crisp jeans, he radiates confidence and warmth. He hardly seems like one of the masterminds behind a grim horror picture which opens with a woman who is slowly and savagely beaten to death.
Action-packed “Ong-Bak 2” doesn’t disappoint
At age 33, Thailand’s Tony Jaa seems poised to replace Jackie Chan in the world of Asian martial arts film. Like Jackie Chan, Jaa’s movies emphasize all-natural fights and stunts. They avoid the use of computer graphics and stuntman substitutions for the leading man.
“Ponyo” is not just underwater fun for kids, but for all ages
“Ponyo,” the new film from Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, opens with a shot of the sky on a sunny day. It’s only a short shot. Unlike Miyazaki’s earlier film “Porco Rosso,” “Ponyo” concerns itself with the sea, not the sky.
Sparkly vampires where?
“Thirst” is a new film directed by controversial South Korean director Chan-wook Park. The film begins with a fat man wheezing in his hospital bed. Between wheezes, he explains how he once held the world’s greatest sponge cake. He longed for nothing more than a private place to devour this cake. However, he came across two hungry sisters and gave the cake to them instead.
‘Evangelion’ film a good addition to anime
“Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone” (a film adapted from the Japanese science fiction anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion”) is set in the not-too-distant future, in a city called Tokyo-3. The buildings shimmer in a heat wave. The streets are suspiciously empty. A huge spray suddely sprouts out over the water.
Northwest Asian Weekly at SIFF
Week 2: Film reviews of those with a message “Kabei — Our Mother,” Japan Reviewed by Andrew Hamlin Japanese director Yoji Yamada’s 74th film abandons the samurai storylines he’s previously […]
Northwest Asian Weekly at SIFF!
Film reviews of the good, the great, and the ones you absolutely can’t miss “Daytime Drinking,” South Korea Reviewed by James Tabafunda
‘24 City’ falters when fiction appears
Directed by Zhang-ke Jia, “24 City” is a Chinese film that blends documentary and fiction. It opens with a grim tone: Factory workers heat and hammer metal, and shots reveal people lingering alone and in smaller groups. The film follows individuals as they recount the story of how a factory turned into an apartment complex, a reflection of how China modernized.