Access All Asia

FRIGHTFEST DOOMSDAY - FOR LOVERS OF POST-APOCALPyTIC INSANITY!

2008-04-28T10:39:00.002+01:00

The FILM4 FrightFest, the UK's biggest and brightest fantasy and horror film festival in association with Universal Pictures, is delighted to present the first London screening of Neil Marshall’s apocalyptic DOOMSDAY at the Odeon West End on Saturday May 3. The futuristic road

Review Of THE ASSEMBLY: RELEASED 7th MARCH

2008-03-05T11:47:00.000Z

THE ASSEMBLY Feng Xiaogang seems to be turning out very impressive pictures at the moment. His last one The Banquet was a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and impressed both critics and audiences all around the world. For this project he chose an entirely different time period and subject matter: The Chinese Civil War. The Assembly tells the story of Gu Zidi (played magnificently by

MIIKE'S 'RYU GA GOTOKU' AVAILABLE ON ENGLISH DVD

2008-02-29T14:27:00.002Z

Takashi Miike had a good year in 2007, with three major releases - Sukiyaki Western Django, Crows 0 and Like A Dragon -Like A Dragon is due out next week on Korean DVD with English subtitles. Based on the Playstation 2 game of the same name, this is a colorful, Miike-style adaptation with lots of violence, lots of fighting and some fantastic set design. Watch the trailer and decide for yourself:

SLIT- MOUTHED WOMAN SEQUEL ALL READY TO ROLL OUT!

2008-02-25T14:34:00.002Z

'A Slit-Mouthed Woman' or 'Carved' as it was known in the USA was a middling, weak , Japanese horror film from 2007. However it must have made enough to please someone somewhere because a sequel is already completed in Japan and gearing up for a release in March.The story this time around will apparently deal with the origins of the slit-mouthed ghost woman. Rin Asuka will be taking the lead as

'CHOCOLATE' TRAILER - WATCH AND WEEP

2008-02-20T17:14:00.003Z

Thai action flick 'Chocolate' released in Thailand on Valentine's Day (14th February for those souls who don't know) looks amazing. I can't say anymore because trying to explain how I feel watching the high-kicking, table-sliding antics of heroine Jeejah. I am stunned. I wanna see this so very much right now. (In the meantime do enjoy the trailer)http://youtube.com/watch?v=4lTbFcHWJEoPs. Tony Jaa

PERIOD FILMS GALORE! RED CLIFF!AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS!

2008-02-18T10:17:00.003Z

First: Trailer for John Woo new, expensive, problematic and intriguing epic Red Cliff is up: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rbx9oPfFNFsAnd next a trailer for Donnie Yen's upcoming period epic, An Empress and The Warriors: http://youtube.com/watch?v=I_H2mCqMuo4And finally a sneak peek at Thai action extravaganza that is sweeping Thailand at this very moment: Chocolate - Tony Jaa has serious

REJOICE,REJOICE,REJOICE ALL AROUND - CHANK WOOK PARK HAS A NEW LADY FOR HIS FILM!

2008-02-15T14:33:00.003Z

Finally - after a long to and fro, Chan Wook Park has apparently chosen the leading lady for his new film 'EVIL LIVE'. And the star is to be....drum-roll here, clash of cymbals, james stewart running through:KIM Ok-Bin.Chan Wook Park had a lot of trouble because of the amount of nudity required for the role: apparently it is almost as explicit as the recent Ang Lee sexathon 'Lust,Caution'. (i'm

Mourn For The Passing Of Kon Ichikawa

2008-02-14T09:57:00.002Z

One of the greatest humanitarian directors ever to grace the lands, Kon Ichikawa sadly passed away yesterday. For those who have never seen his work, he can easily be classed alongside Ozu or Kurosawa. Following is a brief biography of the (sadly-gone) great man!Kon Ichikawa has been influenced by artists as diverse as Walt Disney and Jean Renoir, and his films cover a wide spectrum of moods,

BANGKOK DANGEROUS: PANG BROTHERS GALORE - NEW BLOG PROMISES!

2008-02-13T14:52:00.003Z

Well, hello, Firecracker readers, I know it's been so bloody long since there has been an update but it is finally back: I'd like to send my millions of apolgies and start the month of February with a promise: Firecracker will be updated from now on every day even if it is one piece of news! Please come back and start re-reading and I'll make sure that promise is kept!Today's news is that tholse

D-WARS or How Not To Make A Succesful Movie In Ten Infinte Steps

2007-11-21T16:08:00.000Z

Ahhhh- D-War, a film which has, to date, made so much money, it has become Korea's most successful film ever! Cha-chinging a very respectable 20.3$ million in its first five days over 689 cinema screen, it went to make a further $44 million in Korea, another $10 million in the world and grossing $5 million in USA on its' opening weekend.However the reason why the hell D-War , a Z-Grade, painful

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL AT THE BARBICAN! THURSDAY 2 TO FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER! FULL PROGRAMMw!

2007-10-18T11:14:00.001+01:00

A dazzling showcase of Korean cinema, The London Korean Film Festival 07 spotlights the quality and diversity of Korean film and offers a cinematic insight into contemporary Korean culture. Opening with Cannes 2007 favourite Breath (Soom) from acclaimed director Kim Ki-duk, the festival includes classics from the Korean Film Archive, a day of Korean Animation for all the family, the best

MADE IN HONG KONG SEASON AT THE ICA - WIN TICKETS!

2007-10-04T11:44:00.000+01:00

In conjunction with ICA, Firecracker is proud to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to Ringo Lam's explosive 'Full Alert' showing at 8.45 on the 12th October and 'Perhaps Love' a Bob Fosse style musical which will be showing on at 9.00 on the 16th October.And all you have to do to enter is answer a simple question:Ringo Lam recently co-directed a film with two other masters of Asian

MADE IN HONG KONG OVER AT THE ICA!

2007-10-03T17:10:00.000+01:00

ICA presents: MADE IN HONG KONG A season of seven Hong Kong movies from 1997-2007 12 – 16 October, ICA, The Mall, SW1 FULL ALERT / MY LIFE AS MCDULL / PERHAPS LOVE / MADE IN HONG KONG / AFTER THIS OUR EXILE / GOLDEN CHICKEN / ORDINARY HEROES For five days in

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL! UPDATE SOON!

2007-10-03T16:30:00.000+01:00

Barbican will be hosting 'The Korean Film Festival' this year between Friday 2nd to Thursday 8th November.THE LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 07 Friday 2 to Thursday 8 NovemberBarbican Film is delighted to present this year's London Korean Film Festival in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, through the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korea Culture and Content Agency. A dazzling

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ON ITS WAY!

2007-10-03T16:25:00.000+01:00

London Film Festival – Pre-Festival Round-up This year’s The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival’s full programme includes 184 features and 133 shorts as well as a host of screen talks, masterclasses and live events. Opening the Festival on Thursday 17 October is the UK premiere of David Cronenberg’s EASTERN PROMISES with Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel, whilst Wes

RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NOW ON!

2007-10-03T16:12:00.001+01:00

The U.k.'s premier independent film festival 'Raindance' is once again on! Starting on 25th September with wonderful 'Weirdsville' and closing off on 7th October with gus Van Sant's new film 'Paranoid Park' the festival is aiming to bring the best of independent cinema to the U.K.As part of the festival, Raindance is also screening a number of new and unknown titles from Asia: Some of the

REMAKE TIME: ONE MISSED CALL

2007-09-04T10:09:00.001+01:00

The trailer for the remake of 'One Missed Call' is finally online. Directed by Eric Valette (who was behind the French horror film ''Malefique' a few years back), 'One Missed Call' is a remake of the Takashi Miike directed horror film of the same name from 1999. The film was very succesful both in Japan and worldwide and even inspired two more sequels!So it is no surprise to see it being re-made

COMPETITION RESULTS!

2007-09-04T10:06:00.000+01:00

Our DVD giveaway competition is now over. Thanks to all those who entered.The winners are:Edward AshbyAnthony AntoniouNick TaylorIf you haven't already e-mailed us your address, please do so. The DVD's will be on their way to you as soon as possible. Many thanks to Cine Asia and Premier Asia who made this exciting event possible.

Competition Time: Celebrating All Asia

2007-08-21T12:37:00.000+01:00

Hello Folks;A great competition to celebrate the release of two wonderful films: 'The Duelist' and 'Dragon Tiger Gate' We have x3 copies of 'Dragon Tiger Gate' courtesy of Cine Asia and x3 copies for 'Duelist', courtesy of Premier Asia.3 Lucky winners will win a copy of each movie. And all you have to do win is answer a simple question:What is the name of the upcoming movie from Wilson Yip that

New York Korean FF

2007-08-09T03:10:00.000+01:00

New Yorkers have been given the opportunity to binge on Asian movies over the last couple of months with the NY Asian Film Festival followed by the Asian American International Film Festival, and the feast doesn't stop there. August 21 sees the opening of the NY Korean Film Festival, with a line up featuring some of the latest and greatest Korean flicks from A Dirty Carnival to You Are My

Reanimated: The Return of Kaiju Shakedown

2007-08-09T02:52:00.000+01:00

Followers of the late-lamented Variety Asian film blog Kaiju Shakedown will be pleased to hear of its Lazarus-like return, once again presided over by Subway Cinema's Grady Hendrix. Add to Twitch and you've got your essential daily Asian cinema fix... Check it out here.

Rumblings

2007-07-23T11:44:00.000+01:00

Two pieces of news to discuss on this new week: First the very much yo-yo'in Chow Yun Fat on John Woo's new historical epic 'Battle Of The Red Cliff'. First he was in, then he was out, then he was in again and now...it seems that Chow Yun Fat is out for good. A recent report from the set suggested that Chow Yun Fat would not be allowed to 'Battle Of The Red Cliff' because of the fears that his

Rumor Mill: Stephen Chow to star in 'GREEN HORNET'

2007-07-23T11:39:00.000+01:00

According to a recent report on the Los Angeles Times last week, 'Stephen Chow' will be starring in the Green Hornet film alongside star 'Seth Rogen'More details as they become available

Sonny Chiba Retires From Stylish Ass-Kicking

2007-07-19T10:10:00.001+01:00

Action icon Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba announced his retirement from action thesping under his Japanese stage name at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, citing his age, 68, and physical decline. He also said that he intends to teach at his alma mater, Nippon Sport Science University, and launch his own acting school in Japan. Chiba said he realized he'd reached his limit filming a period drama

JAPAN EXPO LONDON 21st -22nd of JULY

2007-07-16T17:11:00.000+01:00

Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, or sleeping in a capsule hotel, you need to visit Japan with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised.Somewhere between the elegant formality of Japanese manners and the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take place over a few drinks, between the shopping malls and the

A Fistful of Fen

2007-07-05T02:19:00.000+01:00

The Cambridge Film Festival starts today and runs until July 15th. It's the 27th such event to illuminate the Fenland and goes from strength to strength. Among a small number of Asian titles, a definite highlight is the UK Premiere of Studio Ghibli's latest Tales From Earthsea, from Goro - son-of - Miyazaki, as is the UK Prem of anticipated Pakistani zombie flick Hell's Ground (Zibahkhana).Other

Edward Yang (1947-2007)

2007-07-02T15:58:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend news services reported the death of Taiwanese director Edward Yang. He was 59 and had been suffering from colon cancer for several years. Best known for the lengthy masterworks A Brighter Summer Day (1991) and A One And A Two (2000), Yang spent the last few years working on an animated feature film in collaboration with Jackie Chan. Self-described as having been the initial

D for Digital: Skip to the City

2007-06-25T08:53:00.000+01:00

The Skip City International D-Cinema Festival takes place in Kawaguchi City, Japan, July 14-22...An important regional showcase for digital works, the jury for the international feature film competition this year is presided over by HK director Mabel Cheung (Beijing Rocks, The Soong Sisters). Among the global line-up of ten features are films from Japan, China and the Philippines: respectively

Firecracker supports NYAFF 2007 - Starts Tomorrow

2007-06-21T06:34:00.000+01:00

Firecracker is delighted to be on board as a media sponsor for this year's New York Asian Film Festival. Kicking off tomorrow, this year's line-up once again confirms the event's place as the best Asian movie event in the Big Apple, with juicy titles such as I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, The Banquet, Exiled, Nightmare Detective and City of Violence among the highlights, and there's an awesome

Dragon Tiger Gate and The Duelist arrive in the U.K.

2007-06-20T14:56:00.000+01:00

Two great films of Eastern Cinema are fianlly arriving on UK DVD:Action superstar Donnie Yen (Seven Swords, Hero, Blade II) blasts back on to the screen in inimitable fashion as both star and action director in one of the most highly anticipated Hong Kong movies in recent years, Dragon Tiger Gate. Released on DVD on 25th June 2007, Dragon Tiger Gate comes packed with over two hours of extra

Sequels Galore - Nightmare Detective 2 And The Host 2 announced

2007-06-20T14:35:00.000+01:00

Straight off the press: Two of this year's big hits are getting a sequel. Whilst Nightmare Detective will be helmed once again by Shin'ya Tsukamoto , the director for Host 2 is yet to be announced.More details can be found on the Twitch website:Nightmare Detective 2The Host 2

PiFan Reveals its Lineup

2007-06-20T11:22:00.000+01:00

PiFan - or to use its full title, the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival - is Korea's second biggest film fest (after Pusan) and the biggest genre-based fest in Asia. Its line-up is always worth a look and this year - the 11th edition - is no exception, with titles in the competition including the latest from Nobuhiro Yamashita, the acclaimed Japanese director of No One's Ark (2003) and

Johnny To 'Exiled' to... the UK?!

2007-06-19T10:01:00.000+01:00

Also out in the UK this week is Johnny To's superb semi-sequel to The Mission : ExiledProving that he is still one of the best and most masterful directors out there, Johnny To gathers his actors from the first film to weave a tale of past, present, friendship, honour and looking as cool as possible whilst blasting a gun.Anyone who is not accustomed to Johnny To's usual quirkiness will be in for

News: Pakistani Zombie Splatter Movie Ahoy! Revisited

2007-06-19T09:56:00.000+01:00

Keen eyed readers may remember a post from 30th of April by Mr. David announcing a new Pakistani Zombie Splatter called Zibahkhana.Well now, UK readers can rejoice in the fact that so very soon after our brief report, the film will be playing as part of the Frightfest Xtra day in the Cambridge Film Festival on Saturday 7th Of July.Although ticket arrangements have not been announced yet , can you

On The Case in Shanghai

2007-06-15T07:00:00.000+01:00

The 10th Shanghai International Film Festival kicks off this weekend with a line-up stuffed to the gills with new Chinese movies, plus a number from Japan and Korea for good measure. Festival-goers may have to look beyond the main competition for the goods however - although the international Jin Jue Award nominees include some strong titles, movies such as Yau Nai-Hoi's Eye in the Sky and Yoji

Made in Hong Kong, Showing in Manchester

2007-06-14T09:35:00.000+01:00

Mancunians are currently getting the chance to enjoy some recent gems from HK at the Cornerhouse cinema in a season running until Monday 30 July. Entitled Made in Hong Kong: A Decade of New Cinema, and marking ten years since the handover, the season is led by Johnnie To's Exiled (pictured, reviewed by Firecracker here, and which a pedant might point out is actually shot largely in Macau rather

Metro Manila Rematch?

2007-06-14T08:41:00.000+01:00

While indie eyes are on the line-up for Cinemalaya (post below) some of the movies competing in the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival have been chosen and there's potential for a repeat of the controversy that coloured last year's event, when Star Cinema's wedding rom-com Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (check out the site, where you can download some fetching wallpaper) lost out on the Best Picture award to

Tribes Go To War

2007-06-12T07:45:00.000+01:00

Buzz is building ahead of next month's Cinemalaya Film Festival in the Philippines, with a strong looking competition line-up, and one title in particular piquing the interest of the local press. Jim Libiran's debut feature Tribu [Tribes] looks set to be a raw, hard-hitting portrayal of teenage gangs in Manila's tough district of Tondo, which earned some coverage in the papers when it transpired

Ambroisine Videos Online

2007-06-11T06:04:00.000+01:00

French Asian movie expert Frederic Ambroisine has spent the last few years travelling the festivals of the world building up a library of filmed interviews with almost everyone who's anyone in Asian cinema.While his own site remains under construction over at www.fredambroisine.com, it looks like he's now started making some of his treasure trove available on Youtube, here. Early days perhaps,

And Grand Bell Winners Announced...

2007-06-11T05:27:00.000+01:00

The weekend's Grand Bell awards left Kim Tae-yong's acclaimed family drama Family Ties with the Best Film award, The Host's Bong Joon-ho awarded Best Director, it's been announced over at Screen Daily... Family Ties is only the second film from writer-director Kim after 1999's unconventional horror Memento Mori, which formed the second part of the Whispering Corridors "school horror" trilogy.

Grand Bell Nominees Announced...

2007-06-08T12:34:00.000+01:00

KOFIC is reporting the nominees for this year's Grand Bell awards, Korea's rough equivalent to the Oscars. As with its American counterpart perhaps, the Grand Bells place a value on commercial fare, which often means the year's biggest box office hit ends up scooping the Grand Bell itself, which is exactly what happened last year with The King and the Clown. No surprise, then, that this year sees

One Love: Cinema One Originals announced

2007-06-06T03:27:00.000+01:00

Firecracker favourite the Filipino filmmaker Rico Maria Ilarde - whose movies Beneath the Cogon (left) and El Kapitan were among the UK Premieres at the last Firecracker Showcase - is among the five finalists of the Cinema One Originals competition, with features going into production as we speak. Cinema One is the movie channel of big Filipino TV network ABS-CBN, and the initiative is one of

Blackout Coming Out

2007-06-05T10:02:00.000+01:00

June 13 sees the slightly delayed Manila release of the new movie by one of the Philippines' up-and-coming movie talents, Ato Bautista, whose coruscating self-produced debut Awaken (Sa Aking Pagkakagising Mula sa Kamulatan) is soon to be available on demand on Firecracker TV. Blackout is a taut and atmospheric psycho-thriller that marks an important development in the current wave of impressive

The Censor Syndrome

2007-06-05T07:48:00.000+01:00

If you haven't come across this before, there's still a chance to add your name to the petition of the Free Thai Cinema Movement here.Apichatpong Weerasethakul's latest Syndromes and a Century (pictured) has - despite warm critical reception at a number of international film fests - met with the disapproval of the Thai censors, and the resulting controversy has provided a rallying call for the

Malaysia Now... Well, from June 16

2007-06-01T10:16:00.000+01:00

Looks like Malaysia is continuing to press its case as an up-and-coming filmmaking nation - we've already got a bunch of the latest and greatest Malaysian movies available on demand on Firecracker TV, and now London-dwellers are being given the chance to check some out on the big screen as well.Asia House and Zehan Albakri Verden are presenting Malaysia Now, featuring five recent gems. As well as

They Called it... Tiger Beer Grindhouse

2007-06-01T08:17:00.000+01:00

Great feedback coming in from this week's Tiger Beer Grindhouse double bill of Firecracker TV's very own Bobby A. Suarez retro cult classics They Call Her Cleopatra Wong and One Armed Executioner, presented in association with... us. London was last night; Glasgow took place on Tuesday. Pictured is a poster from the London venue - full report to follow... Were you at either event? Let us know

Tiger hits Sussex

2007-06-01T07:25:00.000+01:00

Anyone fortunate enough to reside in balmy Brighton, England, might fancy checking out the Tiger Festival, ongoing at the Duke of York Picturehouse, sponsored by long-time Firecracker supporters Tiger Beer.After kicking off last night with a opening party, the films start tonight with Satoshi Kon's PAPRIKA.Other classy movies showing over the next few days include:Zhang Yimou's RIDING ALONE FOR

Summer Palace takes the Golden Durian at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival

2007-05-28T18:16:00.000+01:00

On May 5th a jury at the 9th Barcelona Asian Film Festival unanimously awarded Lou Ye’s controversial Summer Palace the Golden Durian award. The jury was made up of actors Eduard la Fernandez and Vicenta Ndongo, theatre director and playwright Carol Lopez, Chinese director Zhang Lu (Against the Grain), and film critic and founder of Midnight Eye Jasper Sharp. Lou Ye first came to attention with

Shoeless Wonder: To's Tribute To Chang Cheh

2007-05-22T00:26:00.000+01:00

The Qing Dynasty. Innocent country bumpkin Kuan arrives in town, to take a job with Uncle Tuan, friend of his late father, at the dyeing workshop owned by the beautiful wi . His own naiveté gets him into the kind of trouble that reveals his superior fighting skills. Oblivious to external politics or his uncle’s past as a skilled fighter, Kuan’s own abilities and his desire to protect his new

Crossover time!

2007-05-09T22:10:00.000+01:00

Those of us raised on comics got so used to seeing superhero team-ups that we love to see the same thing in cinema. Ensemble casts are always fun, but classic leading combos (Redford & Newman, Eastwood & Van Cleef, etc.) can be even better. Within action, however, there is an additional element, taking competitiveness to a new level with the addition of combat. So it is that in recent years we

News: Pakistani Zombie Splatter Movie Ahoy!

2007-04-30T23:20:00.000+01:00

Never thought I would write that headline one day... As a long-time horror movie fan, as well as a member of the Asian diaspora, that this film has come to exist at all seems somehow completely natural to me. The brilliant crew over at Twitch posted this, and having now watched the trailer, I feel duty-bound to blog it. The trailer is pure 70s U.S./Italian horror in a way that recent attempts

News: New UK R2 DVD Label for Asian Films

2007-04-30T23:02:00.000+01:00

This month's UK home entertainment industry magazine RRP carries both an article and advert for Third Window Films, who supplied a number of titles to the 2006 Firecracker Festival. It appears their titles are being distributed via Metrodome, and the initial line-up includes the UK premiere of 2001 Korean action-comedy Guns and Talks. I mention this to the wider international audience because

A Different Kind Of Magic

2007-04-29T15:44:00.001+01:00

Over thousands of years, the Good Force and Evil Force are unable to ever live in peace. The Head of Kun Lun Sect is Dawn (Cecilia Cheung), who has fallen in love with her disciple King Sky (Ekin Cheng). However, Insomnia, leader of the Evil Force, attacks Kun Lun and destroys Dawn and the entire Sect. Two hundred years later, the Evil Force is on the rise again. King Sky swears to destroy

News: Why I Love Region 3 DVDs

2007-04-20T00:12:00.000+01:00

Over the coming months you will see a lot of region 3 DVDs reviewed here, for a number of reasons. One, because Korean & Chinese (amongst others) DVDs are region 3; two, because they usually get to the DVD release long before the film on it is close to a theatrical release here in the U.K. (let alone a UK r2 DVD); and three, because they can be cheaper than UK DVDs, with better packaging and

News: Casting Cliff-hanger for Woo, Shaolin Soccer Sequel

2007-04-19T23:18:00.000+01:00

What has to be the highest-profile news for internationally recognised Asian cinema this week was Chow Yun-Fat's departure from his old friend John Woo's next directorial project, The Battle of the Red Cliff. With a pretty solid cast outright - Variety lists Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chiling Lin, Chang Chen, Vicky Zhao and Hu Jun - it seems that losing both Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Chow Yun

A Sumptuous Feast From Familiar Ingredients

2007-04-15T19:37:00.000+01:00

There are undoubtedly those who, in the wake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers, would balk at yet another sumptuous wuxia film which appears to tread well-worn creative territory, albeit with western budgets. Looking at the Cannes Promo Trailer included on the second disc of HK label Mega Star’s superb region 3 2-disc DVD set, jaded western reactions seem