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McDull Kung Fu Ding Ding Dong (DVD+AVCD Edition) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Anthony Wong
| Sandra Ng
| the pancakes
| Brian Tse (Director, Producer)
If I had to pick one movie character that most embodied Hong Kong, it would have to be McDull. On the outset, McDull seems an unlikely candidate. Hong Kong is fast, smart, trendy, materialistic, on the ball. McDull is slow, naive, emotional, and not very bright. Also, he's an animated kindergarten pig. And yet, one would be hard-pressed to name another figure that captures the local culture, sentiments, landscape, language, and lifestyle of Hong Kong as well as McDull does. The neverending urban redevelopment, the cycle of newfangled trends, the flurry of accents and colloquialisms, the obsession with success, and, yes, even the potty humor in McDull's world are all quintessentially Hong... [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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Breathless (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Kim Kkot Bi (Actor)
| Yang Ik Joon (Director, Actor)
Breathless might not leave you breathless, but it's bound to leave an impression. Yang Ik June's remarkable debut film about broken men and broken families provides a brutally honest look into the conditions and consequences of household violence. Many punches are thrown in Breathless, many of them by the story's uncontrollable (anti)hero, but it's no more violence than can be found in other films. There is, however, no thrill or excitement in Breathless's fierce beatings and casual cuffs, but rather an overwhelming sense of discomfort about how realistic and prevalent the film's flawed people and harrowing circumstances are. This unsettling realism at times makes the film hard to look at,... [read more]
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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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Kim Tae Woo - T-Virus
Kim Tae Woo (g.o.d)
In the midst of the girl group dance pop craze, some of K-pop's best idol ballad singers are making comebacks this month, including Tei, Park Hyo Shin, Lee Seung Gi, and Kim Tae Woo who completed his army service earlier this year. Kim Tae Woo's new solo album T-Virus picks up where he left off with the intro track "Words I Want to Say Part 2" (Track 1), the follow-up to his 2006 hit. This short and sweet R&B ballad sounds nothing like its predecessor though, leaving behind balladic dramatics for free-style tempo, self-referential lyrics, and... auto-tune. I actually groaned out loud when I realized the auto-tune abyss had claimed another K-pop singer, but its presence is limited and does... [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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The Starry Starry Night (Hardcover)
Jimmy Liao
Best-selling Taiwan artist-writer Jimmy Liao's latest illustrated storybook The Starry Starry Night is dedicated to kids who don't know how to communicate with the world, kids like the protagonists of this affecting tale of childhood friendship. The short and sweet story follows a lonely young girl who keeps to herself. She can't share her thoughts and fears with anyone, until the day she meets a boy as stubborn and lonely as her. In comparison to some of Liao's other works, The Starry Starry Night has a less fanciful premise but no less imaginative and spectacular artwork, and certainly no less heartful story. Even more so than his previous books, The Starry Starry Night pulsates with the... [read more]
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Smilife (SINGLE+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Stereopony
Girl rock trio Stereopony's fourth single Smilife is, true to its title, a bright and uptempo pop rock piece with plenty of spunky teen spirit. Written and composed by band vocalist AIMI, the energetic song draws fast lyrics and a positive message over a catchy melody and furious beats. The song is close in style to the girls' previous YUI collaboration single I do it, and should appeal to those looking for feel-good pop rock with a kick of youthful honesty and energy. Side track Cupido follows in the same vein with a chirpy pop composition and clapping vigor. Though the song is standard fare, it's dressed up well with interestingly varied drum beats and well-timed sentiments. There is a... [read more]
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The Blue Bird (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version)
Abe Hiroshi
| Ito Ayumi
| Nakanishi Kenji (Director)
| Hongo Kanata
School bullying has been a topic of great concern for many years in Japan where reports of youth suicides linked to ijime periodically splash news headlines. Nakanishi Kenji's debut film The Blue Bird explores this sensitive issue through the experiences of a school recovering from a major bullying incident, wrapping its message-driven narrative in teen drama angst, eccentric teacher heroics, and school politics. Based on Shigematsu Kiyoshi's novel, The Blue Bird is set at a typical junior high school with typical kids and the typical bullying problems that led to an atypical tragedy last semester. Oft-teased class clown Noguchi attempted to hang himself, leaving behind a note of despair... [read more]
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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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Model From Hell (DVD) (New Version) (Hong Kong Version)
Simon Yam (Actor)
| Maggie Q (Actor)
| Chiu Chan Keung (Director)
| Ram Chiang
Model From Hell has the letters B, A, and D written all over it, for it's plagued with below-par acting, an atrocious script, and some dreadful effects. So what makes this a keeper instead of a skipper? Why, Maggie Q of course! The American-Vietnamese model-turned-actress has risen to fame as a sex symbol and action starlet after appearing in Hollywood blockbusters like Mission: Impossible III and Die Hard 4.0 (a.k.a. Live Free or Die Hard), and Hong Kong cult hit Naked Weapon. But as is often the case, before majesty comes mediocrity. Maggie Q took her first (mis)step on her road to international movie stardom in this coarsely-made, low-budget little Hong Kong flick in 2000. That said, this... [read more]
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College New + Best Selection (CD+DVD)
Endy Chow (Singer)
Endy Chow's first solo album since 2005's Light, College is a long overdue release from one of Hong Kong's most talented new-generation singer-songwriters. Granted it's one of those "new + best" compilations that record companies like to put out to test fan patience, but there are actually five brand new songs so it's not a bad deal even for those who already own all of his previous albums (cough... me). Frankly, I'm just glad that Endy Chow is still working. All five of the new songs in College are fairly representative of Endy's rock and ballad style. "Gray Peter Pan" (Track 1) is typical of his rock offerings, a mid-tempo hardish pop rock number, particular notable for its growling guitar... [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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Big Bang - 2009 Big Bang Live Concert : Big Show (3-Disc) (Korea Version) (Poster In Tube)
Big Bang
Big Bang's Big Show 2009 opens not just with a bang, but with... opera?! A majestic intro of violins and operatic singing lays the carpet for Big Bang's grand entry. Dressed in dapper white, the guys kick off with their hit Haru Haru to orchestral accompaniment, followed by My Heaven. The energy level remains high for the entire concert as the group dance and groove through hit songs like Always, Lies, Stylish, Red Sunset and LaLaLa, as well as side tracks that they don't often perform live like Wonderful and A Nice Person. The stage and lighting design are pretty impressive, what with the crazy lasers, fireworks, fire, and light-up walkway stage that snakes among the audience. But the... [read more]
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Black & White (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Vol. 1) (To Be Continued) (Taiwan Version)
Vic Chou (Actor)
| Mark Chao (Actor)
| Ning Chang (Actor)
| Ivy Chen (Actor)
Tsai Yueh Hsun, the director who put Taiwan idol dramas on the map back in 2001 with Meteor Garden, redefines the genre in 2009 with the big-budget buddy cop mini-series Black & White. As Tsai's most expensive and large-scale project yet, Black & White lives up to the buzz and then some extra. Black & White is undoubtedly one of the best Taiwan TV dramas I've seen, and certainly the most ambitious and exciting police drama the island has ever produced. Set in a Chinese city where cops brandish American-style badges, Black & White revolves around its eponymous heroes, Chen Zai Tine (Vic Chou) and Wu Ying Xiong (Mark Chao), two police officers of vastly different personalities who get... [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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Akai Ito DVD Box (DVD) (Japan Version)
Matsuda Kenji
| Watanabe Noriko
| Ogi Shigemitsu
| Kawamura Taisuke (Director)
According to East Asian folklore, lovers are tied together by an invisible and unbreakable "red thread of destiny". This old-fashioned romanticism about red threads and fated love provides the wistful wrapping for the 2008 youth drama Akai Ito. Based on a mania cellphone novel about a schoolgirl's supposedly real-life experiences, the romantic mini-series about two teens who must overcome many roadblocks to be together squeezes buckets of Lifetime Television trials into its 11 episodes. Yet, it manages to stay fairly down to earth and affecting during its bumpy adolescent journey. Many serious revelations and responsibilities are thrown the way of Akai Ito's young protagonists, Mei... [read more]
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