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Kung Fu Chefs (DVD) (2-Disc Edition) (Hong Kong Version)
Sammo Hung (Actor) | Vanness Wu (Actor) | Cherrie Ying (Actor) | Fan Siu Wong

Kung Fu in the Kitchen
October 30, 2009 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
After Kung Fu Fighter, it's understandable to want to run away screaming at the mere thought of another Ken Yip-directed Kung Fu-titled movie starring the tagteam of Vanness Wu, Fan Siu Wong, and those Kung Fu Hustle guys. I certainly went in expecting the worst, but Kung Fu Chefs turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. The film has way better production values than Kung Fu Fighter, and there's a feel-good, self-effacing wackiness to the whole thing that makes it hard to hate on. Plus, Sammo Hung is in it! As a kung fu-in-the-kitchen action movie, Kung Fu Chefs is as silly and chop-socky as the premise and production pedigree promise. Sammo Hung plays a master cook who gets kicked out of... [read more]
Nagareboshi (Japan Version)
Nakashima Mika

Sing to the stars
November 15, 2009 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Nakashima Mika made her debut with Stars eight years ago, and since then, whether coincidentally or otherwise, she has returned to the theme of stars in her music multiple times, including Will, Mienai Hoshi, and Orion. After last month's funky circus-inspired Candy Girl, Mika goes back to the ballad and to the stars for her newest single Nagareboshi ("Shooting Star"). Nagareboshi is the kind of soaring, emotional ballad that Mika has become known for, and this one has particularly sweet and melancholic lyrics about gazing at the same stars and wishing for love. The lyrics are simple yet touching, direct in sentiments: "Look up at the sky, hand in hand/I hope we see the same future." The... [read more]
Life: Tears In Heaven (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Osawa Takao (Actor) | Ito Misaki (Actor) | Ishimaru Kenjiro | Hakamada Yoshihiko

A windsurfer's proud fall
November 9, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
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]
Castaway On The Moon (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Jung Jae Young (Actor) | Jeong Ryeo Won (Actor) | Lee Hae Joon (Director)

Hope is a bowl of black bean noodles.
October 31, 2009 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Seoul's Han River should be familiar to anyone who's watched The Host as the breeding waters for monster entertainment. But did you know there's also a nature preserve island smack in the middle of the river? That's where Mr. Kim (Jung Jae Young) ends up when he attempts to drown himself, and instead wakes up a castaway on the deserted island. The cityscape shines brightly from the opposite bank, but Kim - who can't swim - is preposterously stranded. Desperation and suicidal thoughts, however, give way to glee when he realizes that he's found his escape from all the debt, heartbreak, and worldly problems that drove him to seek death. Enjoying a newfound life of "perfect boredom", he lives by... [read more]
Damo (DVD) (End) (English Subtitled) (MBC TV Drama Series) (US Version)
Ha Ji Won | Lee Seo Jin | Kim Min Joon | Lee Jae Kyu

Fusion Drama at its Best
November 16, 2009 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Fusion period dramas are ratings gold in South Korea, but for the most part, it's a genre I've avoided. The combination of long, serious, and complicated really doesn't appeal to me after a long day's work. Though I am periodically tempted to see what the fuss is all about, the thought of investing myself in an 80-episode monster is just too tiring. Damo, however, comes in a nice digestible size - 14 episodes. If only all period dramas could be this length and this good. Damo packs a very meaty, wrenching, and constantly evolving story into its short length. Ha Ji Won stars as the titular Damo, Jang Chae Ok, an able, no-nonsense female detective who can swing her sword with the best of men.... [read more]
The Way Home ....(Hong Kong Version)
Kim Eul Boon (Actor) | Yoo Seung Ho (Actor)

Brings back some fond childhood memories
November 3, 2009 Picked By A-Xiang Joe See all this editor's picks
No 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]

Feature Articles

Sono Sion - Sharing the Poetry of Perversion
Written By YumCha! Editorial Team

Japan has more than its share of controversial filmmakers, but it takes a certain audacity to kill 54 schoolgirls at once with a smile as director Sono Sion did in his 2001 cult hit Suicide Club. Even Fukasaku Kinji, whom Sono cites as an influence, took out his students one at a time in Battle Royale. One of Japanese Cinema's most interesting and inventive filmmakers over the last two decades, Sono is a familiar name on the international festival circuit and a cult favorite to fans of extreme cinema. From Suicide Club to Strange Circus to Love Exposure, Sono's films tackle ills like family dysfunction, suicide, youth disaffection, cult obsession, and social decay with a gripping collage of... [read more]

Review Highlights

Entertainment News

Donnie Yen seeks to reinvent Chen Zhen

The Lady Iron Chef (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)

There's no stopping Donnie Yen, who has cemented his superstar status with his acclaimed portrayal of the eponymous Wing Chun master in the blockbuster Ip Man. With the anticipated Bodyguards and Assassins, 14 Blades, and the Ip Man sequel in the pipeline, Donnie is... [Read More]