Kung Fu Cult Master - 倚天屠龍記之魔教教主

Kung Fu Cult Master (倚天屠龍記之魔教教主) is a 1993 movie starring Jet Li. The movie is loosely based on an Jin Yong's novel, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre (倚天屠龍記).

The movie has to tell a 2 hour movie what a drama series can do in 40-50 episodes. Like "The Brave Archer", this movie is a mess. Characters are popping up left and right. People of friends, enemies, and for what reason? Super martial arts is obtained so quickly. Its a mess. But oh so good. The fighting is like a video game. The characters bounce around the screen, shoot fireballs, and the swords fire bolts. Its early 90s HK movies at its best. You don't have to expect a good story, but its gonna be super fun. It also features some actors that show up in the 2003 drama adaption.

If you know the novel's story or have seen the drama before, the story totally throws a lot of stuff out in order for events to happen. But the main plot points are followed. The characters are not "good" like they are in the dramas too. They are cut throat and show no mercy.

The movie stops when Jet Li saves Wu Dong school. Leaving you scratching your head going, "what, that's the end?" Do not fret, there's suppose to be a sequel to finish the story. But if you know the story, its only 1/3 into it. They would need a another 2 movies to finish the story, even by cutting out a lot of stuff. Its 2009 and no sequel in sight! I've given up. Due to its poor box office performance, no sequel was ever made. But someone else can try it again!

I watched a Taiwan version of this while washing the dishes recently. As it only has Mandarin and the original subs of Chinese and the English right under it. I occasionally check out the English subs and they suck. Haha. Or the translation may be truer to the Cantonese.

亂青春 - Beautiful Crazy - Upcoming

亂青春 (Beautiful Crazy) is being released Friday, April 10th in Taiwan.

The movie title is translated for me to "messed up youth". Look at the movie poster. Its suggesting something. However, its about 3 girls, but only 2 are pictured.

From the trailer, its a tale of some girls trying to figure out friendships, men, and suggested lesbianism.

I am not sure I am up for watching this. But since its a Taiwan movie, I thought I give it a holla here.

The Detective - C+偵探

The Detective (C+偵探) is a 2007 film out of Hong Kong based in Thailand starring Aaron Kwok (郭富城), directed by Oxide Pang of The Pang Brothers.

Aaron Kwok plays a private investigator named Tam. Tam is approached by a bar buddy to investigate a girl. The bar buddy, now client, says that the girl is trying to kill her. At first Tam, rejects the request saying that the client is just trying to get a girls phone number. But when he drops a stack of bills, Tam quickly changes his mind. The investigation happens and that's where the fun begins. The movie seems to be based in a "Chinatown" type area of what I presumed to be Bangkok. However, I first thought he was in Vietnam when the movie started.

The movie is gritty and dark. Which added to the appeal. It presented a slice of Chinese immigrant life in Bangkok that I've never seen (hey, I live in LA). If there were more scenes at night and a love interest, I'd classify this film as film noir.

But its a thriller suspense mystery movie all rolled up into one. Aaron Kwok gives another stellar performance after his turn as a degenerate father in 父子 (After This Our Exile).

一八九五 - 1895

一八九五 (1895) is a 2008 film out of Taiwan starring Cheryl Yang and Wen Sheng Hao. My local Chinese media store AMAX got it about a month ago, but it's taken quite a few days for my wife and I to finish it.

The movie is the telling of Hakka resistance in the wake of the 1985 Japanese invasion of Taiwan. It intertwines the lives of the the 2 leaders of the Hakka resistance with their family, wives and servants.

Along with the telling of the lives with the families, there's also a Japanese perspective. That perspective has the Japanese Prince compassionate toward the Taiwanese. It is one that shows compassion and one that tries to avoid conflict.

However, in times of war, there is a losing side and a winning side. Both sides have causalities and in this case, it was the Taiwanese that suffered the most.

Having just seen Nanking recently, war seems like a lot of suffering. Lots and lots of people die. The numbers are staggering. It saddens me to think about it and to appreciate the relative calm and quite of my life.

The language is mostly Hakka and some Taiwanese. You'll notice actors that you've seen in Taiwanese dramas.

If you're in the US, you can only get a bootleg or an imported version. I don't know if it'll get a US release.

Nanking - 被遺忘的一九三七

Nanking (被遺忘的一九三七) is a 2007 film documenting the 1937 Nanking Massacre in Nanjing, China.

The film revolves around the formation of the Nanking Safety Zone set up by foreign missionaries, professors, and businessmen that did not flee when the Japanese started its seige on Nanjing in 1937. The style of the film is contemporary actors reading (facing the screen) letters, journal entries of highlighted characters. They include readings from the non-Chinese, Chinese, and Japanese readings. Interwoven into these readings are interviews with survivors of the Nanking Massacre and Japanese soldiers. Footage and pictures are prominently added during the readings.

I've known about the Nanking Massacre since the 90s when I saw "Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre" out of Hong Kong (I am actually guessing that's the film I watched as I don't remember it too well). I was shocked and angry at the brutally of war. In recent years, its been a subject that's come up a few times. Including the movie Tokyo Trial with Ken Chu and Kelly Lin. The 2005 Japanese Textbook Controversy that sparked demonstrations in China. Around that same time, "The Rape of Nanking" was getting a second wind of sorts because of this.

I was a little apprehensive about watching this as its a very serious subject matter and talks about lot of suffering. War is never a easy thing, especially the suffering that it brings to the areas affected. In my lifetime, I've not experienced war or conditions remotely close to it. So, I have no context to wrap my feeling around. I've lived in the comforts of Los Angeles since the age of 4. I had to remind myself that the anger and sadness I felt of the events are valid, but not based on anything I've experienced. It was the Japanese soldiers and army in that era and time of war that allowed it to happen. It is not the Japanese people. Just as the PRC is not representative of the Chinese as a people, but the governing party of China.