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Rahtree: Flower of The Night aka : Buppah Rahtree (Hong Kong Version)
Sipparak Yuthlert (Director)
Comes with the horror and the laughsSometimes reminding me of the mix and match neighborhood in Kung Fu Hustle and sometimes of William Friedkin's 70s classic The Exorcist, Rahtree: Flower of The Night sums up as a horror movie I watched with a smile on my face. It all begins with a reflection by the main male lead, Ake (Krit Sripoomseth), who introduces the viewer to a mysterious girl called Rahtree (Laila Boonyasak). Ake attempts to win the interest of the girl, who is both an object of desire and a person veiled in secrecy because her good looks somehow don't match with her odd behavior. After he succeeds and wins her love, he reveals that his efforts to win her love are connected with a scam by a group of boys betting on... [read more]
November 16, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Life: Tears In Heaven (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Osawa Takao (Actor)
| Ito Misaki (Actor)
| Ishimaru Kenjiro
| Hakamada Yoshihiko
There's possibly nothing more terrible for me than watching a film about a romance overshadowed by a fatal illness, which makes my selection of Life: Tears in Heaven quite exceptional. The film tells the real-life story of Iijima Natsuki, from his sudden rise to the top as an international windsurfing champion to his demise at the hands of an invisible enemy he can't overcome. Osawa Takao portrays the ambitious windsurfer who competes with a true passion for the sport, moving from place to place with his lover Hiroko (Ito Misaki). Despite often being chased for outstanding rent, Hiroko is still convinced that Natsuki will become a top sportsman some day and supports him every step of the... [read more]
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The Way Home ....(Hong Kong Version)
Kim Eul Boon (Actor)
| Yoo Seung Ho (Actor)
Brings back some fond childhood memoriesNo doubt we all had our naughty moments when we were young, especially when things didn't go our way. Everyone has their own little story to tell about childhood, like female director Lee Jung Hyang's The Way Home. In The Way Home Yoo Seung Ho portrays Sang Woo, a small boy addicted to playing video games and eating junk food. His nightmare arrives in the form of a stay at his grandmother's (Kim Eul Boon) place far away from the heart of Seoul, where he was immersed in all the things he likes best. Told to behave while his single mother tries to find a job, Sang Woo isn't quite willing to oblige. Staying with his deaf and mute grandmother doesn't make things easier. Of course, he is just his... [read more]
November 3, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Princess Mononoke (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Miyazaki Hayao (Producer)
Honestly, I have already lost count of how many times Miyazaki Hayao has amazed me with his incredible creativity. Following in the tradition of Miyazaki's other features, Princess Mononoke is filled with all the essential ingredients you could expect in an animation of this scope including valiant heroes, man's ongoing struggle with nature, and bizarre and fantastic characters. The tale takes place in an ancient time when the forests are protected by animals with god-like strength. Caught in the middle of the fight between the forest's guardian animals and a tribe trying to conquer the forest are San and Prince Ashitaka. The former is a girl raised by a wolf deity who does everything to... [read more]
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Departures (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Hirosue Ryoko (Actor)
| Motoki Masahiro (Actor)
| Hisaishi Joe
| Yoshiyuki Kazuko
An unusual rendezvous with the deadEven though Departures revolves around a topic people normally avoid touching upon, this endearing and at times sentimental film kept me in a viewing mood. Departures essentially talks about Kobayashi Daigo who just got used to his position as a professional cellist when his conductor breaks the news that the orchestra he plays in is dissolved. Unable to entertain the cost for the apartment he shares with his wife in Tokyo, Daigo is forced to move back to the countryside home left behind by his deceased mother. The turning point arrives when he comes across a newspaper job advertisement concerning "departures", which he misinterprets as being linked to the tourism industry due to a printing... [read more]
September 30, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Police Story (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Jackie Chan (Director, Actor)
| Maggie Cheung Man Yuk (Actor)
| Brigitte Lin (Actor)
| Leonard Ho (Producer)
Jackie Chan stars, directs, and even sings the theme song "Story of a Hero" for the full-throttle action extravaganza Police Story, which also doesn't fall short on humor-injected scenes. Chan plays Chan Ka Kui, a passionate police officer who, in spite of his indulgent lifestyle, is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that law and order are maintained. Chan soon turns into a thorn in the side of drug trafficking mastermind Chu (Chor Yuen) who vows to get rid of the ambitious cop for good. With swift pace and action to match, Police Story presents itself as an exemplary genre work, starting with the opening chase scene that sees Jackie dangling at the side of a double-decker bus... [read more]
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Happy Flight (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Tanabe Seiichi (Actor)
| Ayase Haruka (Actor)
| Fukiishi Kazue
| Tokito Saburo
In today's fast-moving world, planes are the main means of taking people to distant travelling destinations. Yaguchi Shinobu makes a special film dedicated to the airliner in Happy Flight. The movie brings the whole airport industry alive in a charming way, with Ayase Haruka and Tanabe Seiichi caught in the middle as a stewardess and a co-pilot on their maiden flights. It was an absolute delight for me to observe the film's flight attendant group, including Mari (Fukiishi Kazue) who gets a kick out of having foot massages while devouring a meal during an excessively short on-flight break. I also found Terajima Shinobu as chief stewardess Yamazaki, who has the reputation of being a dragon but... [read more]
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Ong Bak - The Thai Warrior AKA Muay Thai Warrior (US Version)
Tony Jaa (Actor)
| Petchthai Wongkamlao (Actor)
| Pumwaree Yodkamol (Actor)
| Sukhaaw Phongwilal (Actor)
A Thai spin on bone crunching actionThai Boxing is brought to a whole new level by Tony Jaa in Ong Bak. While the tale is a very simple one, revolving around a mutilated Buddha statue at a remote village in Thailand and the attempted recovery of its missing part in hectic Bangkok, the fighting scenes put Ong Bak a cut above the usual martial arts fare. In general, the film is driven by two factors: Tony Jaa in the role of Ting, who causes all sorts of spectacular damage with his circus-quality martial arts, and supporting actor Petchtai Wongkamlao who is responsible for the acting. Before Tony gets to really take down his opponents in style, he first has to run for it, which is one of my favorite parts in the movie. In this... [read more]
September 2, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Handphone (DVD) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version)
Park Yong Woo (Actor)
| Uhm Tae Woong (Actor)
| Kim Han Min (Director)
| Park Sol Mi (Actor)
When daily routine turns into horrorIn our fast-lane modern society, owning a mobile phone and switching it on and off to receive and make calls is part of our daily habits. For the principal character of Handphone, the loss of this communication device turns into a horror trip of unthinkable proportions. Oh Seung Min (Uhm Tae Woong) is a star manager who likes to live a carefree life with lots of enjoyable parties. One day his life takes a 360 degree turn when he loses his mobile phone (that contains an explicit video of a new rising star under his wing) and is blackmailed to do some very dubious errands by the guy who picked it up. Handphone succeeds in keeping the viewers tied to their seats through its interesting... [read more]
August 27, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Gorgeous (Closed Captioned) (US Version)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Actor)
| Jackie Chan (Actor)
| Shu Qi (Actor)
| Elaine Jin (Actor)
Even though I consider myself a fan of Shu Qi and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, I never gave a second thought to watch any of Jackie Chan's movies. As luck would have it I came across Shu Qi, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, and Jackie Chan in their fabulously made collaboration Gorgeous which assembles various film genres including comedy, martial arts, and romance with surprisingly fresh results. Shu Qi portrays exuberant Abu who chases after her knight in shining armor after she receives a romantic message in a bottle from Hong Kong at her rather remote Taiwanese village. She heads for Hong Kong, not knowing that the message was meant for a guy as the sender (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, in an over-the-top role)... [read more]
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Howl's Moving Castle (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Miyazaki Hayao
I can't recall how, but sadly, I missed Howl's Moving Castle on the big screen. With the benefit of hindsight, it's another jewel from anime dream weaver Miyazaki Hayao. Miyazaki's impressive full-length feature tells the tale of Sophie Hatter, fittingly the operator of a hat shop. Her life is changed forever after she runs into the charming sorcerer Howl who helps her out of trouble when she is harassed by two problem-seeking guardsmen. The Witch of the Waste, who has a liking for Howl, does not like the way things are developing and casts a spell on Sophie that turns her into a 90-year-old woman. Heading out into the sphere where demons and magic rule, Sophie attempts to find a way to... [read more]
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The Big Boss (Blu-ray) (Hong Kong Version)
Bruce Lee (Actor)
| Nora Miao (Actor)
| James Tien (Actor)
| Yi Yi (Actor)
There are some movies that stick with you for a lifetime. Led by Bruce Lee's charismatic performance in his Hong Kong silver-screen debut, The Big Boss (a.k.a. Fists of Fury) fascinated me in my teens and still ranks high in my list of favorites. The legendary Bruce Lee rises to the occasion in his role as protagonist Cheng Chao An. Bound by an oath to stay out of fights and trouble, Cheng heads off to Thailand to try to make a living while he stays with relatives. Hired as a factory worker, his suppressed martial arts skills are soon tested when he uncovers that his company is involved in drug trafficking and will do anything to keep things as they are. Definitely worth a replay from time... [read more]
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Scandal Makers (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Cha Tae Hyun (Actor)
| Park Bo Young (Actor)
| Kang Hyung Chul (Director)
| Hwang Suk Hyun (Actor)
Every once in a while, Korean comedies unveil a firework of creativity and Scandal Makers hits the jackpot with a finesse all its own. Things couldn't be going better for Nam Hyun Soo (Cha Tae Hyun), a celebrated radio DJ who enjoys continuing success. Living the liberal life of a bachelor in a luxury apartment, he is constantly adored by the women of his choice. In spite of all this, he has one minor flaw in his profile, which is a daughter from an affair back in ninth grade. Now in his 30s, Hyun Soo is barely aware of this troublesome fact. His patience is severely tested after his grown-up daughter finds him and brings along another unsuspected surprise. Scandal Makers is loaded with... [read more]
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Please Teach Me English (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Jang Hyuk (Actor)
| Lee Na Young (Actor)
| Kim Sung Su (Director)
Korean humor and English vocabulary in motionIf you thought entering a classroom for Koreans trying to brush up their English couldn't be fun, I am afraid you will have to remodel your statement after watching Please Teach Me English whose charming humor is sure to make you smile. Young Joo (Lee Na Young), who works as a junior civil servant in a government office, lives a carefree life with her colleagues until an English-speaking person walks in the office looking for help. When she is unable to make head or tail of what he is saying, her boss sentences her to obligatory English lessons. Initially unwilling to accept her fate, she changes her mind when she runs into her hunk of a classmate Moon Soo (Jang Hyuk). The outstanding parts... [read more]
July 16, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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Ping Pong (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Kubozuka Yosuke (Actor)
| Sam Lee (Actor)
| Takenaka Naoto
| ARATA
When I was a kid, my younger brother and I used to be mad about table tennis. Even though I stopped playing in a team a long time ago, I would never say no to a live broadcast of an important table tennis game. Holding very low expectations for Ping Pong, I was surprised to find that the film elevates the game to all new levels. Ping Pong tells the story of two friends who have played table tennis ever since their early childhood days. Extroverted Hoshino Yukata (Kubozuka Yosuke), also called Peco, and Tsukimoto Makoto (Arata), who is called Smile because he never smiles, are behind the table tennis tables day in and day out as members of the Katase High School table tennis team. There's... [read more]
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Romantic Island (DVD) (Korea Version)
Yoo Jin (Eugene)
| Lee Seon Gyun
| Lee Min Ki
| Lee Soo Kyung
You probably have experienced it before: the point at which nothing seems to work in your life, and you feel as if you are on the verge of going insane. The protagonists featured in this feel-good comedy find just the right cure for their problems through a trip to Romantic Island. Romantic Island is perhaps the perfect promotion film for Boracay island in the Philippines where all the leading characters of the film are headed for various reasons. Fittingly, the film also starts with exuberant Soo Jin (Lee Soo Kyung), standing in front of a holiday advertisement for the tropical island resort. Later it becomes obvious that in spite of Soo Jin's joyous nature, she feels the need to escape... [read more]
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Spy Girl (Hong Kong Version)
Jadu
| Nam Sang Mi
| Kim Jung Hwa
| Gong Yoo
What images appear in your head when you think of South Korea's neighbor North Korea? Likely candidates that come to mind are stoic behavior, dictatorship, and sad faces. Maybe you'll change your mind a little bit after you meet a unique North Korean super spy who shows us a somewhat different side of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Spy Girl. Clinging to the recipe made popular through My Sassy Girl, Spy Girl introduces its male protagonist Ko Bung (Gong Yoo) with his narration of events that have occurred earlier. We get to know him as a shy somewhat silly high school student who is still looking for the girl that will change his life. He is invited to a party under the... [read more]
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Games Gamblers Play (DVD) (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version)
Samuel Hui (Actor)
| Michael Hui (Director, Actor)
| Raymond Chow (Producer)
The Hui brothers are comedians you can bet your money onOn the Hong Kong music scene, Sam Hui has earned his eternal place as Godfather of Canto-pop through such evergreen songs as "Genius and Fool", "Paper Boats", and "The God of Fortune Has Arrived". Teaming up with his brothers Michael and Ricky, he shows that his acting skills also deserve attention. In Games Gamblers Play Hui portrays Kit, a small-time criminal whose luck is in a critical phase. To make things worse, after trying to outsmart a thief of stolen gambling money at a casino, he gets caught red-handed and is put behind bars. As luck would have it, he runs into professional con man Man (Michael Hui) with whom he hopes to get his hands on some extra money after their prison term is... [read more]
June 9, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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City On Fire (DVD) (Digitally Remastered) (Hong Kong Version)
Chow Yun Fat (Actor)
| Danny Lee (Actor)
| Chuen Yet (Actor)
| Karl Mak (Producer)
If you thought Tony Leung Chiu Wai's undercover role in Infernal Affairs offered viewers an unprecedented role model, think again. In City on Fire veteran actor Chow Yun Fat encounters his share of criminal hell as an undercover cop up against all odds. Chow Yun Fat plays Ko Chow, a do-all police officer who finds himself in the uncomfortable presence of a merciless gang of jewel robbers after he is assigned to take up the role of a former undercover cop who was killed in the line of duty. Originally planning to put down his gun for good to marry his beloved girlfriend Hung, Chow, to his dismay, is soon assigned to tread the line between good and bad again. Moving deeper and deeper into the... [read more]
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If You Are The One (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Shu Qi (Actor)
| Ge You (Actor)
| Feng Xiao Gang (Director)
| Vivian Hsu (Actor)
Shu Qi and veteran actor Ge You experience an extended blind date on the sea, in the air, and on land in Feng Xiaogang's romantic comedy If You Are The One. Ge You plays inventor Qin Fen whose financial situation couldn't look any better thanks to his latest invention. His personal life however is somewhat of a problem as he enters a stage in his life in which he becomes increasingly tired of being alone. He posts an online ad to finally find the right person to spend the rest of his life with him. As a result, he meets all kinds of women, few of whom he really considers to be the right choice. When he runs into sympathetic stewardess Smiley (Shu Qi), he seems to have found his match, or has... [read more]
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