Actor who was considered the first female action hero, best known for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The title of the first female action star is hotly contested, but the Hong Kong actor Cheng Pei-pei is often cited as one of the contenders, for her role in 1966 martial arts epic Come Drink With Me. Cheng, who has died aged 78 of a rare neurodegenerative condition, indisputably opened doors for women in martial arts cinema.
In practice, this meant opening windows, as on Golden Swallow, the 1968 sequel to Come Drink With Me. “[The director Chang Cheh] asked [the male actors] to jump out of a window, and me to walk through a door,” Cheng told the South China Morning Post. “I refused – I said I wanted to do the same thing. But he said: ‘You’re a lady, and ladies should be more refined.’ I insisted that I jump out of the window, or I would leave.
The title of the first female action star is hotly contested, but the Hong Kong actor Cheng Pei-pei is often cited as one of the contenders, for her role in 1966 martial arts epic Come Drink With Me. Cheng, who has died aged 78 of a rare neurodegenerative condition, indisputably opened doors for women in martial arts cinema.
In practice, this meant opening windows, as on Golden Swallow, the 1968 sequel to Come Drink With Me. “[The director Chang Cheh] asked [the male actors] to jump out of a window, and me to walk through a door,” Cheng told the South China Morning Post. “I refused – I said I wanted to do the same thing. But he said: ‘You’re a lady, and ladies should be more refined.’ I insisted that I jump out of the window, or I would leave.
- 8/1/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSMy Life as a Dog.Amid concerns over new provisions for AI, IATSE members have voted to ratify their new three-year contract with AMPTP, which includes a historic 40 percent raise for television and theatrical costume designers.Meanwhile, Teamsters Local 399 “remain far apart” on terms after five weeks of bargaining, reporting that “this was the first week in which we saw the employers take this process seriously.” Their current contract will expire on July 31, after which the union could strike.The Swedish motion-picture industry is calling for a change to the state’s “first-come, first-served” funding process, which most recently distributed all available funds in one minute and seven seconds.Germany plans to nearly double its national film funding...
- 7/24/2024
- MUBI
Cheng Pei Pei, the pioneering “Queen of Martial Arts” who starred in dozens of wuxia films in Hong Kong before reaching a global audience with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died at the age of 78.
Cheng’s family revealed the actress died Wednesday in San Francisco after she was first diagnosed with atypical Parkinsonian disorder, which she battled privately since 2019. “Our mom Cheng Pei Pei wanted to be remembered for who she was: the legendary ‘Queen of Martial Arts,’” the family said in a statement (via the New York Times...
Cheng’s family revealed the actress died Wednesday in San Francisco after she was first diagnosed with atypical Parkinsonian disorder, which she battled privately since 2019. “Our mom Cheng Pei Pei wanted to be remembered for who she was: the legendary ‘Queen of Martial Arts,’” the family said in a statement (via the New York Times...
- 7/19/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Cheng Pei-pei, the Chinese-born actress best known for her role in Ang Lee‘s Oscar-nominated film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died. She was 78. According to Variety, Cheng passed away on Thursday, July 18, in the San Francisco Bay Area from a degenerative brain disease. She has donated her brain to medical research. Born on January 6, 1946, in Shanghai, China, Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962 at the age of 16 and began training at Shaw Brothers Studio, which helped popularize kung-fu movies. Being able to speak Mandarin and having a background in ballet and dance, Cheng made her feature film debut in the 1964 film Lovers’ Rock and soon became a major star in martial arts and action movies. Her breakout role came in the 1966 action film Come Drink With Me, directed by King Hu. The movie was named as Hong Kong’s submission for the international feature Oscar but was not nominated.
- 7/19/2024
- TV Insider
Cheng Pei-Pei, the iconic action star known for films such as Come Drink With Me and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died. According to Variety, she had been privately battling a degenerative brain disease since 2019. She was 78 years old. “To all her friends, colleagues, and fans, thank you for all...
- 7/19/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr
- avclub.com
Cheng Pei-pei, the pioneering Chinese actress dubbed the “Queen of Swords” and considered among the first female action stars who made her name in the Shaw Brothers classic Come Drink With Me and later had a memorable turn as the villain Jade Fox in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died. She was 78.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the rumors are true. Our mother, Cheng Pei-pei, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on July 17,” Cheng’s family said in a statement posted to Facebook. “In 2019, our mom was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative, atypical parkinsonism syndrome – unofficially, corticobasal degeneration (CBD). It is a rare disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, however, current treatments cannot slow the progression. She chose not to make this news public so that she could deal with her condition in private and spend her...
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the rumors are true. Our mother, Cheng Pei-pei, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on July 17,” Cheng’s family said in a statement posted to Facebook. “In 2019, our mom was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative, atypical parkinsonism syndrome – unofficially, corticobasal degeneration (CBD). It is a rare disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, however, current treatments cannot slow the progression. She chose not to make this news public so that she could deal with her condition in private and spend her...
- 7/19/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cheng Pei-pei, who memorably starred in Ang Lee’s Oscar-nominated film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, died Thursday at 78 in the San Francisco Bay Area from a degenerative brain disease.
Cheng was born in Shanghai in 1946, moving to Hong Kong in 1962. There she began working with the iconic Shaw Brothers studio, which is widely acknowledged as popularizing kung-fu movies. Her feature debut was drama film Lovers’ Rock, and using her training in ballet and dance, she soon became a major star in martial arts, action, and swordplay movies .
The 1966 action film Come Drink With Me, directed by King Hu, was her breakout role. It was named as Hong Kong’s contender for the Oscars, but not nominated.
Cheng moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, attending business school at the University of California Irvine while raising four children. The children went on to their own show business careers.
Deadline Related Video:...
Cheng was born in Shanghai in 1946, moving to Hong Kong in 1962. There she began working with the iconic Shaw Brothers studio, which is widely acknowledged as popularizing kung-fu movies. Her feature debut was drama film Lovers’ Rock, and using her training in ballet and dance, she soon became a major star in martial arts, action, and swordplay movies .
The 1966 action film Come Drink With Me, directed by King Hu, was her breakout role. It was named as Hong Kong’s contender for the Oscars, but not nominated.
Cheng moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, attending business school at the University of California Irvine while raising four children. The children went on to their own show business careers.
Deadline Related Video:...
- 7/19/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Cheng Pei-pei, the Chinese-born action film icon who starred in Ang Lee’s Oscar-nominated “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and King Hu’s seminal wuxia feature “Come Drink With Me,” has died. She was 78.
Cheng, considered a pioneer of martial arts roles for female actors, died in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday. She had long suffered from a degenerative brain disease and has donated her brain to medical research.
Born in Shanghai on Jan. 6, 1946, Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962. With her ballet and dance training, she was soon working with the iconic Shaw Brothers studio. While her feature debut was drama film “Lovers’ Rock,” she became a major star in martial arts, action and swordplay movies following her breakout role in 1966’s “Come Drink With Me,” directed by King Hu. The film set the tone for a sequel (“Golden Swallow” in 1968), an unrealized remake by Quentin Tarantino and...
Cheng, considered a pioneer of martial arts roles for female actors, died in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday. She had long suffered from a degenerative brain disease and has donated her brain to medical research.
Born in Shanghai on Jan. 6, 1946, Cheng moved to Hong Kong in 1962. With her ballet and dance training, she was soon working with the iconic Shaw Brothers studio. While her feature debut was drama film “Lovers’ Rock,” she became a major star in martial arts, action and swordplay movies following her breakout role in 1966’s “Come Drink With Me,” directed by King Hu. The film set the tone for a sequel (“Golden Swallow” in 1968), an unrealized remake by Quentin Tarantino and...
- 7/19/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The latest “Star Wars” series, “The Acolyte,” continues the franchise’s long-standing tradition of drawing inspiration from classic martial arts films. However, in a surprising twist, the influence extends beyond fight choreography to a pivotal character reveal.
Series creator Leslye Headland recently disclosed that the mysterious character known as the Stranger, played by Manny Jacinto, was inspired by the 1966 martial arts film “Come Drink With Me.” In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Headland explained how this classic movie influenced the character’s development and the mystery surrounding his identity.
In “Come Drink With Me,” a character initially presented as a quirky street beggar later reveals himself to be a powerful Shaolin master. Similarly, in “The Acolyte,” Jacinto’s character Qimir is introduced as a seemingly clumsy drifter before his true identity as a formidable Sith Lord is unveiled.
This revelation, which occurs in the episode titled “Night,” marks a significant turning point in the series.
Series creator Leslye Headland recently disclosed that the mysterious character known as the Stranger, played by Manny Jacinto, was inspired by the 1966 martial arts film “Come Drink With Me.” In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Headland explained how this classic movie influenced the character’s development and the mystery surrounding his identity.
In “Come Drink With Me,” a character initially presented as a quirky street beggar later reveals himself to be a powerful Shaolin master. Similarly, in “The Acolyte,” Jacinto’s character Qimir is introduced as a seemingly clumsy drifter before his true identity as a formidable Sith Lord is unveiled.
This revelation, which occurs in the episode titled “Night,” marks a significant turning point in the series.
- 7/1/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
Shaw Brothers Studio left an indelible mark on the landscape of Kung Fu cinema. Founded in 1925 by the Shaw brothers, Runje, Runme, and Run Run, the studio became synonymous with high-quality martial arts films during the 1960s and 1970s. Their meticulous attention to choreography, intricate fight scenes, and dramatic storytelling revolutionized the genre, setting new standards for action-packed entertainment. Through iconic films like “The One-Armed Swordsman” and “Come Drink with Me,” Shaw Brothers Studio not only popularized Kung Fu cinema globally but also shaped the artistic direction of future martial arts films. Their legacy continues to inspire filmmakers and enthusiasts, underscoring their enduring impact on the world of cinema. In this list, we present 50 of the most iconic titles the company produced, in alphabetical order.
1. Bloody Parrot (1981) by Hua Shan
One of the better elements found here is the fact that the film manages to work in plenty of fun from its two main components.
1. Bloody Parrot (1981) by Hua Shan
One of the better elements found here is the fact that the film manages to work in plenty of fun from its two main components.
- 4/7/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Rom-coms often follow straightforward narrative structures, and one classic pattern involves the introduction of a prince or princess, charming or not, who disrupts the peace of a regimented or constrained life. This storytelling form inevitably strikes a chord with us, the majority of audiences, to varying degrees. Let's face it, whether casually scrolling through Insta or Tinder, getting dressed for yoga class or a night out, everyone seeks an unexpected twist in their lives, in 1977 as well as today. Furthermore, such pivotal moments often lead to a Cornelian choice, between reason and chance, wisdom and whimsy. This is precisely where Tuan Wan-lu finds herself.
Follow our tribute to Taiwanese by clicking on the image below
Everything started when Wan-lu, a young and carefree student crashed into journalist Meng-chiao. Love at first sight, end of the story. But that was without reckoning on Ku Yu-lan, her childhood sweetheart and prospective husband seemingly approved by her family,...
Follow our tribute to Taiwanese by clicking on the image below
Everything started when Wan-lu, a young and carefree student crashed into journalist Meng-chiao. Love at first sight, end of the story. But that was without reckoning on Ku Yu-lan, her childhood sweetheart and prospective husband seemingly approved by her family,...
- 4/5/2024
- by Jean Claude
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi has unveiled their December 2023 lineup, featuring notable new releases such as Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, Argentina’s Oscar this year; the Lily Gladstone-led drama The Unknown Country; Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts; and the José González documentary A Tiger in Paradise. Additional highlights include films from Olivier Assayas, Takeshi Kitano, Jean-Luc Godard, Kelly Reichardt, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, the Shaw Browers, Lars von Trier, Arnaud Desplechin, and more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
December 1st
The House that Jack Built, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Breaking the Waves, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
The Element of Crime, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Europa, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Epidemic, directed...
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
December 1st
The House that Jack Built, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Breaking the Waves, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
The Element of Crime, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Europa, directed by Lars von Trier | Chaos Reigns: The Films of Lars von Trier
Epidemic, directed...
- 11/29/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Perhaps one of the most legendary titles in the genre, King Hu's iconic martial arts epic “Come Drink with Me” was a revelation when it first premiered in the mid-60s. Being one of the first films to adapt a stylish bent to the martial arts scenes while still keeping it's artistic touch, the film essentially launched Shaw Brothers as a studio for adrenaline-charged, hard-hitting action films.
Come Drink With Me is screening at Five Flavours
In the middle of the countryside, a group of bandits takes the imperial envoy Chang hostage in order to demand the return of their leader. Although she is really a girl, the renowned fighter Golden Swallow who claims to be Chang's brother, arrives to secure his release. Tracking them down, she takes on the bandits in their hideout at a Buddhist temple, massacring dozens before she's wounded by a poison dart. Subsequently, she...
Come Drink With Me is screening at Five Flavours
In the middle of the countryside, a group of bandits takes the imperial envoy Chang hostage in order to demand the return of their leader. Although she is really a girl, the renowned fighter Golden Swallow who claims to be Chang's brother, arrives to secure his release. Tracking them down, she takes on the bandits in their hideout at a Buddhist temple, massacring dozens before she's wounded by a poison dart. Subsequently, she...
- 11/16/2023
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
After “Come Drink With Me” Hong Kong director King Hu probably could have stayed with Shaw Brothers Studio, but instead left the country for Taiwan where he would form his own company and in the years to come, make some of the best movies of his career. While the budget and conditions had certainly changed, Hu continued exploring the themes of his last feature in “Dragon Inn”, arguably his most popular movie aside from “A Touch of Zen”. As one of the most referred to entry in the wuxia genre, it not only provided cinephiles with great fight choreographies, great performances and a wonderful setting, with the architecture of the inn itself being the star of the show, “Dragon Inn” also proved how the genre would blend a highly entertaining formula with a very interesting and (after all these years) still quite appealing social commentary about the relationship of subject and ruler.
- 11/16/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
by Yann Benarrous
Is it really worthwhile for me to comment further? Just imagine throwing into a defective Thermomix in no particular order Bruce Lee's early classics, (not-the-best) Blaxploitation undercover stories, few OSS177 and other cheap cold war spy fictions with just a drop of Nunsploitation to spice it up. Tempting, isn't it? No surprise to see the B-movies undisputed ruler Quentin Tarantino resurrecting this underground piece for an interview to the Straight Times while promoting “Kill Bill”.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Obviously, the name Cleopatra Wong is directly inspired form Jack Starrett's “Cleopatra Jones” (1973), just like the introductive “They call her… “ is a common pattern of the Exploitation scene, the most famous probably being the Spaghetti Western “They Call Me Trinity” (1970). Moreover seeing the coming-from-nowhere-soon-returning-to-nowhere leading actress Doris Young getting renamed Marrie Lee is certainly making her a sibling of King Bruce,...
Is it really worthwhile for me to comment further? Just imagine throwing into a defective Thermomix in no particular order Bruce Lee's early classics, (not-the-best) Blaxploitation undercover stories, few OSS177 and other cheap cold war spy fictions with just a drop of Nunsploitation to spice it up. Tempting, isn't it? No surprise to see the B-movies undisputed ruler Quentin Tarantino resurrecting this underground piece for an interview to the Straight Times while promoting “Kill Bill”.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Obviously, the name Cleopatra Wong is directly inspired form Jack Starrett's “Cleopatra Jones” (1973), just like the introductive “They call her… “ is a common pattern of the Exploitation scene, the most famous probably being the Spaghetti Western “They Call Me Trinity” (1970). Moreover seeing the coming-from-nowhere-soon-returning-to-nowhere leading actress Doris Young getting renamed Marrie Lee is certainly making her a sibling of King Bruce,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Hong Kong cinema is associated with action films which most often bring to mind male protagonists. Most undeservedly so since, thanks to the characteristics of Hong Kong martial arts films, women have been successfully surmounting their male counterparts with training, agility, and wits in them for many decades. The masters, such as King Hu and Tsui Hark, were well-aware of it. They were among the ones who discovered outstanding artists whose roles were ahead of their times and set out new directions for the development of popular cinema.
Hong Kong is not just about action cinema, but also brilliant comedies and dramas, and sharp tales with social overtones, in which fascinating, complex female characters are also present. The Hong Kong Heroines section brings back strong heroines and the great roles of stars, including Cheng Pei-pei, Sylvia Chang, Cherry Ngan, and Maggie Cheung. The section presents Hong Kong cinema from the...
Hong Kong is not just about action cinema, but also brilliant comedies and dramas, and sharp tales with social overtones, in which fascinating, complex female characters are also present. The Hong Kong Heroines section brings back strong heroines and the great roles of stars, including Cheng Pei-pei, Sylvia Chang, Cherry Ngan, and Maggie Cheung. The section presents Hong Kong cinema from the...
- 9/22/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Hot on the heels of their first collection of Shaw Brothers movies, Shout! Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics Vol. 2 continues the ongoing, multi-label effort to restore and release notable entries in the Hong Kong studio’s vast catalog. As it did with their previous collection, Shout! limits the selections for this second box set to a concentrated period of the studio’s productions. Whereas the 1967-69 range of the first box showed the studio frantically capitalizing on the breakout success of The One-Armed Swordsmen with a slew of like-minded wuxia films, the broader selection here among the first half of the ’70s finds Shaw Brothers both setting and chasing after trends.
Shout!’s first volume demonstrated how the Shaw Brothers studio made so many functionally identical movies, between the revenge-based plots, sword-based action, and reused sets, that within two years of The One-Armed Swordsmen’s paradigm shift, the house brand was already getting stale.
Shout!’s first volume demonstrated how the Shaw Brothers studio made so many functionally identical movies, between the revenge-based plots, sword-based action, and reused sets, that within two years of The One-Armed Swordsmen’s paradigm shift, the house brand was already getting stale.
- 8/31/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
Arrow’s recent box sets Shawscope Volume One and Volume Two highlighted the golden age of Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers studio, spanning roughly from the mid-1970s to their pivot toward TV in 1986. Now, Shout! Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics: Volume 1 focuses on the studio’s rapid commercial ascendency at the end of the ’60s with their then-new, harder-edged take on martial arts cinema.
The earliest film in the set is, fittingly, Chang Cheh’s The Assassin, from 1967. Made hot on the heels of Chang’s (and the studio’s) breakout feature The One-Armed Swordsman from the same year, The Assassin furthers the filmmaker’s interest in moving the martial arts film away from its erstwhile emphasis on female heroes who are prone to musical outbursts and flowery romances as they are violence and toward the sort of male-centric revenge narratives that dominate the titles collected here.
One-Armed Swordsman...
The earliest film in the set is, fittingly, Chang Cheh’s The Assassin, from 1967. Made hot on the heels of Chang’s (and the studio’s) breakout feature The One-Armed Swordsman from the same year, The Assassin furthers the filmmaker’s interest in moving the martial arts film away from its erstwhile emphasis on female heroes who are prone to musical outbursts and flowery romances as they are violence and toward the sort of male-centric revenge narratives that dominate the titles collected here.
One-Armed Swordsman...
- 6/26/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
The concept of action movies starring female protagonists was quite prevalent in East Asian cinema during the 70s and 80s but toned significantly down after that. However, lately, and as the epicenter of action movies moved towards Asean countries, it surfaced once more, as the fact that women can also can add an element of sex appeal to the action worked for a number of filmmakers. At the same time, the concept was not restricted to action movies, but also extended to art ones, as a couple of the movies in the following list will eloquently highlight.
Without further ado, here are 40 Asian movies where the action mostly derives from women, in chronological order.
1. Come Drink With Me
That also comes from the story storyline. Co-written by director Hu and Ting Shan-hsi, ‘Come Drink’ includes poignant drama into the mix as well as the action. Each of the characters has...
Without further ado, here are 40 Asian movies where the action mostly derives from women, in chronological order.
1. Come Drink With Me
That also comes from the story storyline. Co-written by director Hu and Ting Shan-hsi, ‘Come Drink’ includes poignant drama into the mix as well as the action. Each of the characters has...
- 5/10/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Having been one of the contributors to the script for King Hu's “Come Drink With Me” while also serving as an assistant director for Hu himself, it should come perhaps as no surprise Taiwanese filmmaker Ting Shan-hsi would follow in the same tradition as his mentor. In the busy 1970s world of wuxia, he created several entries within the genre, with an astonishing nine feature films under his belt three years after his debut. As it also became obvious, the genre needed to explore further territories, with some of its conventions feeling stale and predictable, Shan-hsi decided it was about time to venture into fantasy and other genres. “The Ghost Hill” is the result of this tendency to spice up the wuxia conventions, with some elements indeed working to its advantage, while others not working quite as well.
The Ghost Hill is screening at Old School Kung Fu Fest
For twenty years,...
The Ghost Hill is screening at Old School Kung Fu Fest
For twenty years,...
- 4/15/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Star Wars Celebration is happening right now in the U.K. and we are learning an awful lot about the future of a galaxy far, far away, both on the big and small screen. The opening day panel was all about the future of "Star Wars," and those in attendance were treated to a first look at the upcoming series "The Acolyte," which is set in The High Republic era, long before the beginning of the prequels. We're going back hundreds of years in the timeline, and the furthest back we've ever seen in live-action.
/Film was in attendance at the panel, and we've got all the details shared by the cast and crew, as well as a description of the footage that was shown. Showrunner Leslye Headland stepped out on stage to share what she could about what they're cooking up. "This is when the bad guys are outnumbered,...
/Film was in attendance at the panel, and we've got all the details shared by the cast and crew, as well as a description of the footage that was shown. Showrunner Leslye Headland stepped out on stage to share what she could about what they're cooking up. "This is when the bad guys are outnumbered,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
You could argue that no one has done more for cinema in Asia, and more for global cinema from Asia, than Sammo Hung.
There was proof of that on display at the Asian Film Awards on Sunday night (Hong Kong time) when the veteran filmmaker and martial arts master was handed a lifetime achievement award and a highlight reel traced his 200-plus film career back to the 1960s and showed the audience flashes of the genius that has driven Hung’s career ever since.
From child star to getting bashed by Bruce Lee in the opening scenes of Enter the Dragon; from an assistant to the great Hong Kong action director King Hu to the stunt director who help guide Jackie Chan and helped invent the action comedy genre and on to the star and director of a string of hits of his own, Hung has helped shape the action...
There was proof of that on display at the Asian Film Awards on Sunday night (Hong Kong time) when the veteran filmmaker and martial arts master was handed a lifetime achievement award and a highlight reel traced his 200-plus film career back to the 1960s and showed the audience flashes of the genius that has driven Hung’s career ever since.
From child star to getting bashed by Bruce Lee in the opening scenes of Enter the Dragon; from an assistant to the great Hong Kong action director King Hu to the stunt director who help guide Jackie Chan and helped invent the action comedy genre and on to the star and director of a string of hits of his own, Hung has helped shape the action...
- 3/14/2023
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before the Shaw Brothers burst onto the Hong Kong film scene with "Come Drink With Me" in 1966, there wasn't a lot of leeway through which martial arts could be portrayed on film. The most popular films in the genre up to that point leaned heavily on melodrama and the superhuman feats of their heroes, often with the help of special effects or animation. They were certainly fun, but they lacked the gravity to carry the genre into the modern age.
All that changed, however, with "Come Drink With Me." The film, which marked the legendary King Hu's second time in the director's chair,...
The post Come Drink With Me Was a Major Step For the Martial Arts Genre appeared first on /Film.
All that changed, however, with "Come Drink With Me." The film, which marked the legendary King Hu's second time in the director's chair,...
The post Come Drink With Me Was a Major Step For the Martial Arts Genre appeared first on /Film.
- 5/24/2022
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
On April 5th, 2022, the martial arts world lost one of its very first cinematic heroes. Jimmy Wang Yu passed away peacefully at the Taipei Zhenxing Hospital at the age of 80 after a six-year battle with declining health. Upon hearing the news, Jackie Chan posted on his blog, “The contributions you’ve made to kung fu movies, and the support and wisdom you’ve given to the younger generations will always be remembered in the industry.”
By younger generations, Jackie was referring to himself. Wang helped Jackie get a foothold in Kung Fu movies. In 1976, Wang faced Chan in one of Chan’s earliest Kung Fu films, Killer Meteors. Wang co-directed the film with Hong Kong movie mogul Lo Wei, and after Chan and Wei clashed, Wang helped young Jackie get things sorted out.
Wang starred in nearly 90 films most of which were Wuxia films, the genre of chivalrous martial arts masters.
By younger generations, Jackie was referring to himself. Wang helped Jackie get a foothold in Kung Fu movies. In 1976, Wang faced Chan in one of Chan’s earliest Kung Fu films, Killer Meteors. Wang co-directed the film with Hong Kong movie mogul Lo Wei, and after Chan and Wei clashed, Wang helped young Jackie get things sorted out.
Wang starred in nearly 90 films most of which were Wuxia films, the genre of chivalrous martial arts masters.
- 4/7/2022
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
New from Arrow Video US An American Werewolf In London [Limited Edition] [4K Uhd] (3/15) Come Drink With Me [Blu-ray] (3/22) To Sleep So As To Dream [Blu-ray] Hop into Spring With 3 New Releases from Arrow Video This Spring, Arrow is proud to wow fans of cinema with two new titles making their Blu-ray …
The post Arrow Video US – March Release Schedule appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Arrow Video US – March Release Schedule appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 3/13/2022
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
“Winter Vacation” is a Chinese Independent film, an absurdist comedy, with a stark streak of pessimism. Winter Vacation is an extremely arty film too, with long static visuals punctuated with explosions of intelligent humour that can be laughed out loud. All the generations feature in this mini odyssey into perplexed ennui of an Inner Mongolian town. Children, teenagers, middle-aged adults and the elderly are all in a state of existential angst, all going nowhere with nothing to do; they’re all bored out of their minds. Traditionally, the Chinese winter vacation is a time of the year when families get together for a big celebration. With the itinerant nature of migrant work in China, family members can travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles to re-join their families for this celebration. Li Hongqi deconstructs this celebration and family relations, where in this mysterious town, the celebration seems to be occurring at some unknowable distance.
- 2/24/2022
- by Jonathan Wilson
- AsianMoviePulse
“They call me Drunken Cat”
King Hu’s Come Drink With Me (1966) will be available on Blu-ray March 22nd from Arrow Video. It can be pre-ordered Here
Years before Shaw Brothers’ kung fu films made them the biggest film studio in Hong Kong, local audiences flocked to their wuxia pian films: mythic tales of swordfighting (and often gravity-defying) heroes fighting for honor. In his final film for the studio, Come Drink With Me, director King Hu (A Touch of Zen) broke fresh new ground in martial arts storytelling, and catapulted fresh-faced lead actress Cheng Pei-pei to stardom in the process.
When the Governor’s son is taken hostage by bandits, a mysterious swordsman named Golden Swallow (Cheng) is hot on their trail to ensure the son’s release. What the bandits don’t realize, however, is that Golden Swallow is actually a woman, and that the hostage is her brother.
King Hu’s Come Drink With Me (1966) will be available on Blu-ray March 22nd from Arrow Video. It can be pre-ordered Here
Years before Shaw Brothers’ kung fu films made them the biggest film studio in Hong Kong, local audiences flocked to their wuxia pian films: mythic tales of swordfighting (and often gravity-defying) heroes fighting for honor. In his final film for the studio, Come Drink With Me, director King Hu (A Touch of Zen) broke fresh new ground in martial arts storytelling, and catapulted fresh-faced lead actress Cheng Pei-pei to stardom in the process.
When the Governor’s son is taken hostage by bandits, a mysterious swordsman named Golden Swallow (Cheng) is hot on their trail to ensure the son’s release. What the bandits don’t realize, however, is that Golden Swallow is actually a woman, and that the hostage is her brother.
- 2/10/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Golden Swallow” is, technically, a follow-up to King Hu’s 1996 gem “Come Drink With Me” in which Chang Pei Pei played Xie Ru Yan, nicknamed Golden Swallow. Two years later, Chang Cheh cast her in the titular movie, which was named after her character, although Xiao Pang, the Silver Roc (Jimmy Wang Yu) is now the main focus. However, she still gets a fair share of screen time and there is even a love triangle among her, Xiao Pang and the righteous swordsman Han Tao.
on Amazon
Poisoned by a dart during a combat at the start of the movie, Xie Ru Yan is lucky to escape death as Han Tao, the Golden Whip, comes to her rescue and nurses her back to life in his mountain hideout and he even teaches her a few swordplay moves. One day, Han’s best friend Flying Fox, Hu Zhen...
on Amazon
Poisoned by a dart during a combat at the start of the movie, Xie Ru Yan is lucky to escape death as Han Tao, the Golden Whip, comes to her rescue and nurses her back to life in his mountain hideout and he even teaches her a few swordplay moves. One day, Han’s best friend Flying Fox, Hu Zhen...
- 12/28/2021
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
Arrow Video goes from strength to strength next March with long-requested Uhd upgrades and some several other amazing offerings in yet another stunning lineup announcement. Paul Verhoeven's Robocop makes its 4K Uhd debut across the US/UK/CA with this new limited edition upgrade of Arrow's already stellar limited edition package. An American Werewolf in London also receives a Uhd upgrade this month, along with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, directed by Kenneth Branagh, also gets the 4K Uhd treatment across all territories. King Hu's wu xia classic Come Drink With Me, starring the legendary Cheng Pei-pei gets its first North American Blu-ray release. Hayashi Kaizo's cult film, To Sleep So As To Dream also makes its Blu-ray debut across the US/UK/CA territories. Both Robocop and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/17/2021
- Screen Anarchy
After “Come Drink With Me” Hong Kong director King Hu probably could have stayed with Shaw Brothers Studio, but instead left the country for Taiwan where he would form his own company and in the years to come, make some of the best movies of his career. While the budget and conditions had certainly changed, Hu continued exploring the themes of his last feature in “Dragon Inn”, arguably his most popular movie aside from “A Touch of Zen”. As one of the most referred to entry in the wuxia genre, it not only provided cinephiles with great fight choreographies, great performances and a wonderful setting, with the architecture of the inn itself being the star of the show, “Dragon Inn” also proved how the genre would blend a highly entertaining formula with a very interesting and (after all these years) still quite appealing social commentary about the relationship of subject and ruler.
- 9/20/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Another in a string of restorations that in recent years have benefitted fans of wuxia legend King Hu, Raining in the Mountain is one of two pictures the late Hong Kong- and Taiwan-based auteur (most famous for Come Drink with Me and the Cannes favorite A Touch of Zen) made in South Korea. Considerably shorter and more direct than the other Korean project (Legend of the Mountain, which got its first U.S. run in 2018), this 1979 film focuses on mortal ambition and corruption instead of witchcraft, and again, is not for viewers who expect a high ratio of action to dialogue....
- 10/29/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Another in a string of restorations that in recent years have benefitted fans of wuxia legend King Hu, Raining in the Mountain is one of two pictures the late Hong Kong- and Taiwan-based auteur (most famous for Come Drink with Me and the Cannes favorite A Touch of Zen) made in South Korea. Considerably shorter and more direct than the other Korean project (Legend of the Mountain, which got its first U.S. run in 2018), this 1979 film focuses on mortal ambition and corruption instead of witchcraft, and again, is not for viewers who expect a high ratio of action to dialogue....
- 10/29/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Search ‘Martial Arts Movies’ on Amazon Prime and you’ll get over a thousand results ranging from the classics to the campy, to the critically acclaimed. It’s an overwhelming library for the uninitiated and the mother lode for stalwart fans of the genre. There are so many gems buried in Amazon Prime that digging out the favorites is dirty challenging work but extremely rewarding.
When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu...
When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu...
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Disney’s long-awaited, live-action remake of Mulan is full of legends. There’s the historic warrior Hua Mulan herself, of course, the hero of Chinese folklore immortalized in the 6th-century poem “The Ballad of Mulan,” who disguised herself as a man to go into battle in her father’s stead. Her story was given renewed life in Chu Renhuo’s 17th-century novel Romance of Sui and Tang, and tributed, from then on, ad nauseum: with historical accounts, movies (not only by Disney!), plays, poems, a crater on Venus.
But the...
But the...
- 9/4/2020
- by K. Austin Collins
- Rollingstone.com
Back in my younger days I would once a month take a trip to London’s Chinatown. Celestial had been re-releasing the whole Shaw Brothers back catalogue and so excitedly I would hop on a train to see what hidden gems I might find. It was not always the easiest task with one particular owner determined to sell me “Crazy Disciples of the 36th Chamber no matter what I was looking for. Two decades later, I am finding them now out on Blu ray and so revisiting my youth with a more critical eye.
Yung (Cheng Pei-pei) lives with her uncle Fang (Ku Feng) in semi recluse. After a visit into town sees Yung confront several martial artists, she is followed back by a swordsman (Yueh Hua) who believes her uncle to be the infamous Shadow Whip, responsible for a security details robbery some years prior. As more become involved,...
Yung (Cheng Pei-pei) lives with her uncle Fang (Ku Feng) in semi recluse. After a visit into town sees Yung confront several martial artists, she is followed back by a swordsman (Yueh Hua) who believes her uncle to be the infamous Shadow Whip, responsible for a security details robbery some years prior. As more become involved,...
- 6/26/2020
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
It is always a pleasure to watch documentaries about the golden age of Hk action cinema and Serge Ou provides a very entertaining, if somewhat rushed exploration of the whole concept, in a style that matches the speed of those movies.
In that fashion, the movie begins with Run Run Shaw and the Shaw Brothers Empire, which is proclaimed as “The Death Star of Hong Kong movie studios”, due to its hoarding of actors, stages and equipment. Through a number of interviews with people such as Cheng Pei Pei and Wilson Yip, whose names barely stay on screen, the documentary deals with all aspects and stories of the era, from the way they implemented the sound, to the choreographies that were inspired from the Chinese opera, to the music. The way directors like Chang Cheh and Lau Kar Leung reinvigorated, changed and eventually shaped the genre is presented next. The...
In that fashion, the movie begins with Run Run Shaw and the Shaw Brothers Empire, which is proclaimed as “The Death Star of Hong Kong movie studios”, due to its hoarding of actors, stages and equipment. Through a number of interviews with people such as Cheng Pei Pei and Wilson Yip, whose names barely stay on screen, the documentary deals with all aspects and stories of the era, from the way they implemented the sound, to the choreographies that were inspired from the Chinese opera, to the music. The way directors like Chang Cheh and Lau Kar Leung reinvigorated, changed and eventually shaped the genre is presented next. The...
- 5/15/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
One of the highlights of the last year in the United Kingdom has been the release of several King Hu movies on blu ray allowing one of the true craftsman of Asian cinema to be re-appreciated. Given the prodigious output of his contemporaries, it seems astonishing that his whole canon only amounts to 14 Features, yet some of these are undeniably masterpieces.
Like “Dragon Inn”, this is more of a traditional wuxia movie as opposed to more fantastical works like “A Touch of Zen” but that is not to belittle it in any way.
The plot on the surface is quite simple. A bunch of rebels seek to capture the map that official Lee Khan is carrying, detailing the location of the rebel army. Awaiting him at the Spring inn lies a handful of rebels and a bunch of ex convict waitresses.
Action cinema is not strictly renowned...
Like “Dragon Inn”, this is more of a traditional wuxia movie as opposed to more fantastical works like “A Touch of Zen” but that is not to belittle it in any way.
The plot on the surface is quite simple. A bunch of rebels seek to capture the map that official Lee Khan is carrying, detailing the location of the rebel army. Awaiting him at the Spring inn lies a handful of rebels and a bunch of ex convict waitresses.
Action cinema is not strictly renowned...
- 11/20/2019
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Bridges Past, Present And Future With Its 2019 Lineup
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada’s premier pan-Asian festival, today announced its full 2019 programming lineup which will offer festival goers the opportunity to experience the evolution of Asian representation in cinema. First, the Festival will pay tribute to the past with a 100th anniversary screening of the silent film classic The Dragon Painter. Stephen Gong, film historian and Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media will bring the film to Reel Asian for a special screening, presented with a live performance of a reimagined score by singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura. Then, looking to the future of storytelling in media, the Festival presents East of the Rockies, an augmented reality (Ar) experience written by one of Canada’s most acclaimed and celebrated literary figures, Joy Kogawa. The Reel Asian Film Festival will take place November 7 to 15, 2019. For the full programming lineup and ticket information, visit reelasian.
- 10/10/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Perhaps one of the most legendary titles in the genre, King Hu’s iconic martial arts epic “Come Drink with Me” was a revelation when it first premiered in the mid-60s. Being one of the first films to adapt a stylish bent to the martial arts scenes while still keeping it’s artistic touch, the film essentially launched Shaw Brothers as a studio for adrenaline-charged, hard-hitting action films.
“Come Drink With Me” screened at the Old Kung Fu Fest
In the middle of the countryside, a group of bandits takes the imperial envoy Chang hostage in order to demand the return of their leader. Although she is really a girl, the renowned fighter Golden Swallow who claims to be Chang’s brother, arrives to secure his release. Tracking them down, she takes on the bandits in their hideout at a Buddhist temple, massacring dozens before she’s wounded by a poison dart.
“Come Drink With Me” screened at the Old Kung Fu Fest
In the middle of the countryside, a group of bandits takes the imperial envoy Chang hostage in order to demand the return of their leader. Although she is really a girl, the renowned fighter Golden Swallow who claims to be Chang’s brother, arrives to secure his release. Tracking them down, she takes on the bandits in their hideout at a Buddhist temple, massacring dozens before she’s wounded by a poison dart.
- 9/5/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Chang Cheh’s Golden Swallow (aka The Girl With The Thunderbolt Kick- (1968) screens in 35mm at
Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) Thursday May 23rd, The screening begin at 7:30. Facebook invite can be found Here
Initially released in America under the (more fun) title The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick, Cheng Pei-Pei here reprises her role as Golden Swallow for director Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms) after first appearing as such in Come Drink with Me (also playing the Wfs in May). Working with cinematographer Lau Kar-leung (36th Chamber of Shaolin), Chang cited Golden Swallow as his personal favorite of his films in his memoirs.
Screening from a 35mm print courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive.
Admission is:
$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
The post...
Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) Thursday May 23rd, The screening begin at 7:30. Facebook invite can be found Here
Initially released in America under the (more fun) title The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick, Cheng Pei-Pei here reprises her role as Golden Swallow for director Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms) after first appearing as such in Come Drink with Me (also playing the Wfs in May). Working with cinematographer Lau Kar-leung (36th Chamber of Shaolin), Chang cited Golden Swallow as his personal favorite of his films in his memoirs.
Screening from a 35mm print courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive.
Admission is:
$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
The post...
- 5/28/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A 35mm print of King Hu’s Come Drink With Me (1966) screens at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) Thursday May 23rd, The screening begin at 7:30. Facebook invite can be found Here
The first feature film from master of the wuxia King Hu and his only collaboration with Shaw Brothers, Come Drink with Me introduces us to the character of Golden Swallow, a general’s daughter who finds herself rescuing her brother from bandits. As portrayed by burgeoning Shaw star Cheng Pei-Pei, Golden Swallow is a feminist action heroine for the ages.
Screening from a 35mm print courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive.
Admission is:
$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
The post Come Drink With Me – Chinese Action From 1966 Screening in 35mm at Webster University...
The first feature film from master of the wuxia King Hu and his only collaboration with Shaw Brothers, Come Drink with Me introduces us to the character of Golden Swallow, a general’s daughter who finds herself rescuing her brother from bandits. As portrayed by burgeoning Shaw star Cheng Pei-Pei, Golden Swallow is a feminist action heroine for the ages.
Screening from a 35mm print courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive.
Admission is:
$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
The post Come Drink With Me – Chinese Action From 1966 Screening in 35mm at Webster University...
- 5/20/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Winter Vacation” is a Chinese Independent film, an absurdist comedy, with a stark streak of pessimism. Winter Vacation is an extremely arty film too, with long static visuals punctuated with explosions of intelligent humour that can be laughed out loud. All the generations feature in this mini odyssey into perplexed ennui of an Inner Mongolian town. Children, teenagers, middle-aged adults and the elderly are all in a state of existential angst, all going nowhere with nothing to do; they’re all bored out of their minds. Traditionally, the Chinese winter vacation is a time of the year when families get together for a big celebration. With the itinerant nature of migrant work in China, family members can travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles to re-join their families for this celebration. Li Hongqi deconstructs this celebration and family relations, where in this mysterious town, the celebration seems to be occurring at some unknowable distance.
- 5/11/2019
- by Jonathan Wilson
- AsianMoviePulse
After decades lost in the darkest corners of video distribution, on samizdat VHS tapes haphazardly dubbed and cropped, or edited by companies like Miramax and even less reputable organizations, the 21st century has been pretty good for the classics of Chinese-language cinema. At least, for those films in the kung fu genre, kickstarted by Celestial Pictures remastering and restoring the original audio of much of the 60s and 70s Shaw Brothers library in the early 2000s. This has led in turn to a growing recognition in the West of the work of directors like Lau Kar-leung and Chang Cheh, thanks to quality releases through imprints like the Weinsteins' sadly defunct Dragon Dynasty label. Recently the U.K. company Eureka Video has picked up where they left off, releasing restored version of 80s and 90s classics like the Police Story (1985), Project A (1983) and Once Upon a Time in China (1991–7) movies,...
- 4/4/2019
- MUBI
Craig Lines Oct 7, 2018
In the 2000s, a run of martial arts hits that started with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon changed cinema for good.
Wuxia, in one form or another, has been around for nearly two millennia. The word itself – coined in the early 20th century – simplistically translates to “Martial Heroes” and Wuxia stories tell epic adventures, full of martial arts, romantic tragedy, high fantasy and eastern philosophy. Through books, poems and comics, Wuxia perpetuated through the centuries so it’s unsurprising that it made the leap into film as soon as it had an opportunity. Some of the earliest examples of Chinese cinema are Wuxia films and, to give you an idea of how epic I mean when I say epic, the (sadly now-lost) Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928) clocked in at roughly 27 hours long…
As a cinematic force, Wuxia exploded in the 1960s, thanks largely to a trio...
In the 2000s, a run of martial arts hits that started with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon changed cinema for good.
Wuxia, in one form or another, has been around for nearly two millennia. The word itself – coined in the early 20th century – simplistically translates to “Martial Heroes” and Wuxia stories tell epic adventures, full of martial arts, romantic tragedy, high fantasy and eastern philosophy. Through books, poems and comics, Wuxia perpetuated through the centuries so it’s unsurprising that it made the leap into film as soon as it had an opportunity. Some of the earliest examples of Chinese cinema are Wuxia films and, to give you an idea of how epic I mean when I say epic, the (sadly now-lost) Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928) clocked in at roughly 27 hours long…
As a cinematic force, Wuxia exploded in the 1960s, thanks largely to a trio...
- 10/4/2018
- Den of Geek
Vengeance Is His: Chang Cheh’s Martial Lore runs May 23 - 29, 2018 at the Quad Cinema in New York.As if the riches of the New York repertory scene weren’t embarrassing enough already, on Wednesday, May 23 the city’s second massive retrospective of a director with the surname Chang in less than a week opens, with the Quad Cinema’s 14-film exploration of the career of martial arts director Chang Cheh.1 An extraordinarily prolific director, credited with 76 films during his 1967-1982 heyday at the Shaw Brothers studio, Chang was the defining director of the era, establishing many of the dominant modes of the wuxia and kung fu genres, as well as launching the careers of dozens of stars, choreographers and directors. The Quad series is but a small sample, yet nonetheless a fine cross-section of his work, touching on all the various phases of his career: his early wuxias, his...
- 5/23/2018
- MUBI
In the late 1960’s, the Wu Xia Genre was elevated to a new level of sophistication through the release of two very influential movies. The first came in 1966 with King Hu’s seminal work “Come Drink With Me” to be followed swiftly the year later, with “One Armed Swordsman”. Fifty years on the movie, and it still retains a good deal of its power despite the inevitable dating. Voted the 15th Best Chinese Language Film in a Hong Kong movie poll in 2005 and loosely reimagined by Tsui Hark with “The Blade” in 1995, “One-Armed Swordsman” remains one of Hong Kong Cinema’s most ground breaking works.
Master Chi Ju Fung (Tien Feng) comes under attack, only to be rescued by his servant who loses his life in doing so. Chi Ju Fung agrees to look after his son as though he were his own, to repay the debt.
Master Chi Ju Fung (Tien Feng) comes under attack, only to be rescued by his servant who loses his life in doing so. Chi Ju Fung agrees to look after his son as though he were his own, to repay the debt.
- 4/8/2018
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Weinsteins investing in Asian films
Setting their sights on Asia, Bob and Harvey Weinstein are setting up a $285 million fund, with the help of Goldman Sachs, to invest in movies with Asian themes and elements.
The fund, first reported Thursday by Bloomberg News, will be used to finance the production, acquisition and marketing of about 31 Asian films to be distributed by the Weinstein Co. over six years. The offering summary said the target is 21 theatrically released films and 10 direct-to-video titles.
With Goldman Sachs serving as the private placement agent, the fund is to be capitalized with $200 million of senior debt, $45 million of mezzanine debt and $40 million of equity, including a $15 million contribution from the Weinstein Co. and $25 million from third-party investors.
The movies will have strong Asian themes, use Asian talent, will be produced or filmed in Asia or will have major story lines that take place in Asia.
Titles that the fund is expected to handle include Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights, the opening-night film at the Festival de Cannes, and a remake of the Hong Kong martial arts movie Come Drink With Me, directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The fund, first reported Thursday by Bloomberg News, will be used to finance the production, acquisition and marketing of about 31 Asian films to be distributed by the Weinstein Co. over six years. The offering summary said the target is 21 theatrically released films and 10 direct-to-video titles.
With Goldman Sachs serving as the private placement agent, the fund is to be capitalized with $200 million of senior debt, $45 million of mezzanine debt and $40 million of equity, including a $15 million contribution from the Weinstein Co. and $25 million from third-party investors.
The movies will have strong Asian themes, use Asian talent, will be produced or filmed in Asia or will have major story lines that take place in Asia.
Titles that the fund is expected to handle include Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights, the opening-night film at the Festival de Cannes, and a remake of the Hong Kong martial arts movie Come Drink With Me, directed by Quentin Tarantino.
- 4/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Celestial, Spectrum pact to put Shaw Bros. in Korea
MILAN -- A deal signed Monday at MIFED means Korean audiences will soon be able to see many of the hyperkinetic kung fu classics from Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studio. Celestial Pictures, which distributes the Shaw Brothers catalog internationally, said Monday that it has sold a package of titles to Spectrum DVD, one of South Korea's leading video and DVD distributors. The five-year agreement will give Spectrum video and DVD rights in the territory to the Shaw catalog, which includes such titles as Come Drink With Me, One-Armed Swordsman and 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Earlier this year, Celestial Pictures signed a similar deal with Miramax Films for U.S. video rights and DVD rights to 50 Shaw Brothers titles (HR 4/4).
- 11/11/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.