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Based on a true story, “All About Love” signaled an effort by Ann Hui to focus on the issues bisexuals face in Hong Kong (at the time) through an approach, though, that is quite commercial as the movie unfolds as an ensemble romantic comedy/drama.

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Macy is a bisexual solicitor, who is even being shamed by her lesbian friends for her changes in the sex of her partners, while also being pregnant as the storu begins. Soon, she stumbles upon old flame Anita at a pregnancy seminar, with her being in the exact same situation (pregnant and bisexual). The two start bonding again as they narrate to each other how they came to be with child, and soon they rekindle their relationship. What they are doing with their upcoming babies, however, as much as the presence of the “donors...

Signature Entertainment have announced the UK release of the Donnie Yen (John Wick 4) directed-and-led fantasy epic Sakra, which releases on Digital Platforms, DVD and Blu-ray on 24th July.

A fantastical action spectacular directed by and starring action legend Donnie Yen. When a respected martial artist is accused of murder and subsequently exiled, he must search for answers about his own mysterious origin story and the unknown enemies working to destroy him. Sakra is led and directed by Donnie Yen (John Wick 4) in his first directorial project in nearly two decades, and also stars Yuqi Chen (Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre) and Eddie Cheung (Throw Down).

Signature Entertainment presents Sakra on Digital Platforms, DVD & Blu-ray 24th July. Check out the UK trailer and poster below:...

Action icon Donnie Yen returns to the director’s chair for the first time in nearly two decades, while also playing the lead role, in the martial arts wuxia adventure Sakra. Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), the film stars Yen as Qiao Feng, respected leader of a roving band of martial artists called the Beggars’ Sect. After he’s wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story—and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows. With action direction by Kenji Tanigaki, Sakra also stars Yuqi Chen, Eddie Cheung, and Yase Liu.

Sakra is available on Blu-ray and DVD on June 13.

Enter for your chance to win a Blu-ray of Sakra, courtesy of Well Go USA. Five (5) winners will be selected at random.

Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has snapped up rights for the UK and Ireland to Hong Kong-China action picture Sakra, directed by and starring Donnie Yen, from Well Go USA.

The Hong Kong-China co-production, which is based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils by world-renowned novelist Louis Cha (also known by his pen name Jin Yong), marks the first time Yen has directed a film in nearly two decades. Yen recently starred in John Wick: Chapter 4 and is also known for his roles in Hong Kong’s Ip Man franchise.

Sakra is produced by China’s Wishart Media and Hong Kong’s Mandarin Motion Pictures, Shaw Brothers and Jing’s Production. Yen also produced with Zhe Liu and co-directed with Ka-Wai Kam (Big Brother).

In addition to Yen, the cast includes Chen Yuqi (Heavenly Sword And Dragon Slaying Sabre), Cya Liu (Limbo) and Eddie Cheung (Throw Down), with Kara Wai guest starring and special guest appearances by Ray Lui (Raging Fire) and Tsui Siu Ming (Kung Fu Jungle).

The actioner focuses on the fallout after a respected martial artist (Yen) is accused of murder and subsequently exiled, leaving him to search for answers about his own mysterious origin story and the unknown enemies working to destroy him.

The deal for UK and Ireland rights was negotiated between Signature Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer Jon Bourdillon and Well Go USA’s Executive Vice President of Digital and Theatrical Distribution Jason Pfardrescher.

Bourdillon said: “We are delighted to be the home of Sakra in the UK and Ireland and can’t wait for audiences to see the epic action sequences that Donnie Yen has expertly devised.”

“We are thrilled to have Signature on board to bring Sakra to fans across Ireland and the United Kingdom,” said Pfardrescher. “Undeniably created as a love letter to the genre, Sakra is overflowing with the smooth artistry that characterizes the very best of wuxia as well as the hard-hitting action that fans know to expect from Donnie Yen.”...

Donnie Yen just recently got his first truly substantial role in an American production where he and Keanu Reeves tear up baddies and each other in the freshly released John Wick: Chapter 4. Yen plays an assassin so skilled that even his blindness doesn’t hinder him. That movie is a love letter to Hong Kong action cinema and features a cute reference to a sub-genre of martial arts films, Wuxia. Yen starred in these Wuxia films that often blend fantasy and reality, and his newest non-John Wick film is a return to the genre. Sakra is a period piece action drama fantasy that will have Yen not only star but he steps behind the camera on this one. Blu-ray.com has just dropped a trailer for the U.S. release.

The official synopsis reads,

Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by...

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen) is the leader of the Beggars’ Sect who is forced to confront the dilemma of his fate and life experience. In the martial arts world, he relies on his formidable willpower to fight with all his might in the glint and flash of daggers and swords. This is a story of his journey of self-discovery as he gradually transforms into the most powerful and chivalrous hero. (Source: Translated from Douban)

After almost twenty years since his comedy feature Protégé de la Rose Noire (2004), kung-fu legend Donnie Yen is back in the director’s chair for Śakra. This time not only is he directing the wuxia epic, he’s also lead actor and co-producer with his longtime collaborator, Wong Jing (Chasing the Dragon).

This big-budget action blockbuster is adapted from the classic novel, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, by master wuxia novelist Jin Yong.

Last month’s Udine festival of all things East Asian was the launch pad for “Making Waves — Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema,” a collection of 13 films that will travel to a dozen cities in Europe and Asia. Billed as an “extravaganza,” mixing old and new talent, the event is pegged to the 25th anniversary celebrations of the return of Hong Kong to China after 150 years of British colonial rule.

But it is no longer clear to everyone that Hong Kong cinema has the energy, willpower or finance to face down its larger demons. Its problems range from the long-term drift of Hong Kong talent into the mainland Chinese industry to censorship and marginalization.

Last year began with Hong Kong cinemas under pressure from pro-Beijing media to change their releases, and raids on private screenings. These were followed by an amended law that introduces film censorship according to national security concerns...

Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema, a touring film programme to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hksar), will kick off during the 24th Far East Film Festival in Udine later this month. This unique cinematic extravaganza is presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with the Far East Film Festival (Feff) and supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels. Running from 22 to 30 April at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine and Visionario cinema, it showcases a specially curated 13-film screening programme, focusing on new and emerging talents, and a virtual photographic exhibition that showcases the works of four unit photographers, each telling a unique story of Hong Kong cinema in a new artistic dimension and fascination.

Schemes in Antiques

“We started Far East Film Festival with a zero edition completely dedicated to Hong Kong films...

Frequent Johnnie To collaborator Dennis Law is directing the film, which stars Eddie Cheung and Dada Chan.

Hong Kong-based Entertaining Power is launching sales at Filmart Online on crime thriller A Murder Erased, written and directed by frequent Johnnie To collaborator Dennis Law.

Also produced by Law, the film started shooting in Hong Kong on February 21 and is targeting release at the end of the year. Eddie Cheung (Our Time Will Come), Dada Chan (The Secret Diary Of A Mom To Be) and Maggie Shiu (Port Of Call) head the cast.

Cheung plays a narcotics officer who is assigned to...

Combining intense action with deep, sociopolitical context is quite a hard endeavor, but this is exactly what Johnnie To achieved with “Breaking News” as he deals with the media, apart from one of his trademark themes, gangsters and the police.

After the clash of the police with a band of ruthless criminals led by the ingenious Yuen ends up with a sound defeat of the former, the media are all over the officers of the law, particularly since one of them was caught on camera surrendering to the robbers, and actually being one of the few that manages to survive. Hard-nosed inspector Cheung and his crew are initially tasked with catching the criminals, but as soon as Superintendent Rebecca Fong becomes in charge of the case, she tries to take them off the case, as her purposes are completely different: To promote police work by having the...

Three

Stars: Louis Koo, Wei Zhao, Wallace Chung, Siu-Fai Cheung, Suet Lam, Hoi-Pang Lo, Michael Tse, Adrian Wong, Kathy Wu | Written by Ho Leung Lau, Tin Shu Mak | Directed by Johnnie To

When a cop, a wounded crime boss and a doctor are thrown together in the hustle and bustle of an emergency room, a hospital descends from a pristine sanctuary to an explosive battleground. Bullets fly in a when the crime boss’s gang turn up to try and rescue him, and the cop must prevent innocent lives from being caught in the crossfire.

Johnny To’s hospital-set thriller is a Die Hard-esque tale that instantly recalls the John Woo classic Hard Boiled and yet is in no way similar in story and action. Like a number of his films before this, To takes his time building his film – introducing his characters, exploring their motivations etc. – before finally getting...

Stars: Louis Koo, Nick Cheung, Louis Fan, Barbie Hsu, Ye Liu, Eddie Cheung, Gong Beibi, Carlos Chan, Flora Chan, Ankie Black, Ken Hung, Felix Lok | Written by Larry Cohen | Directed by Benny Chan

Engineer Grace Wong is kidnapped by thugs looking for her brother. Though her captors have destroyed the telephone in the room she is being held captive in, Grace is able to use her technical skills to repair the phone enough to call a random number. She gets through to slightly hapless debt collector Bob and implores him for help, setting Bob off on a mission to save a complete stranger from a mysterious group of conspirators, putting his life and relationship with his estranged son in danger.

This Chinese-Hong Kong remake of Cellular (and based on the same script by Larry Cohen) hits a lot of the right notes to make a satisfactory, dynamic thriller. Benny Chan...

Johnny To's Office (Hua Li Shang Ban Zou) is "without a doubt one of the best films of the year," declares Notebook editor Daniel Kasman. The 3D musical with songs by 80s Taiwanese hit-maker Lo Taiyu and starring Yun-Fat Chow, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan, Wei Tang and Siu-Fai Cheung, "is pure joy to look at, the sets (designed by Wong Kar-wai’s essential collaborator William Chang!) rendered as abstract stagecraft, a mix of Alain Resnais's last adaptations of Alan Ayckbourn plays, The Ladies Man, PlayTime and Tout va bien." We're collecting more reviews and we've got the trailer. » - David Hudson...

Johnny To's Office (Hua Li Shang Ban Zou) is "without a doubt one of the best films of the year," declares Notebook editor Daniel Kasman. The 3D musical with songs by 80s Taiwanese hit-maker Lo Taiyu and starring Yun-Fat Chow, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan, Wei Tang and Siu-Fai Cheung, "is pure joy to look at, the sets (designed by Wong Kar-wai’s essential collaborator William Chang!) rendered as abstract stagecraft, a mix of Alain Resnais's last adaptations of Alan Ayckbourn plays, The Ladies Man, PlayTime and Tout va bien." We're collecting more reviews and we've got the trailer. » - David Hudson...

If it's action overload you're craving, look no further. Whoever edited the trailer for Simon Yam's The Constable is clearly unfamiliar with the word restraint. Out now on Hong Kong DVD and Blu-Ray, Dennis Law's The Constable hits the ground running and doesn't stop. Law isn't known for subtlety either so this looks like it could be absolutely preposterous, the only question is, can Simon Yam keep The Constable from early retirement? Judging by this first look, the answer is a big fat no. Over the top, cheesy fun? It's amazing what a few beers can do... Synopsis: Dennis Law (Bad Blood) tackles fatherly love and righteousness in his latest police movie The Constable led by Simon Yam. A long-time vehicle commander in the police force, Lam Kwok Kuen (Simon Yam) raises a mentally challenged son by himself and is near his retirement days. Despite his age, he...

The latest in a string of big budget all-star thrillers from Hong Kong's Edko Pictures, Firestorm stars Andy Lau as a senior police inspector determined to bring down a violent gang of robbers responsible for a string of violent heists across the city. Hu Jun plays the leader of the gang, and Gordon Lam and Cheung Siu Fai also star.Written and directed by Alan Yuen, best known for his script work in Benny Chan's New Police Story, Connected and Shaolin, Firestorm looks pretty spectacular from this first action-packed trailer, that promises "all-out war" on the streets of Hong Kong when it hits cinemas this December. Check it out, together with a couple of new posters below! ...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Johnnie To takes his unique brand of action filmmaking to Mainland China with Drug War, his latest collaboration with writer Wai Ka Fai. A breathless game of cat and mouse between an elite anti-narcotics team and a conniving drug dealer trying to save his own skin, Drug War is a thrilling and surprisingly violent ride that offers an eye-opening look at China's drug trade and the methods Chinese law enforcement agencies use to bring it down. Starring Sun Honglei, Louis Koo, and an assortment of Milky Way regulars including Lam Suet, Eddie Cheung, Gordon Lam, Lo Hoi Pang, Michelle Ye, Philip Keung and Berg Ng, Drug War is available to buy in the U.K. from 28 October 2013. You can check out the trailer below, along with Chris Sawin's review of the movie. We're nice like that... Synopsis: After losing control of his car and crashing into a local restaurant, a...

Johnnie To takes his unique brand of action filmmaking to Mainland China with Drug War, his latest collaboration with writer Wai Ka Fai. A breathless game of cat and mouse between an elite anti-narcotics team and a conniving drug dealer trying to save his own skin, Drug War is a thrilling and surprisingly violent ride that offers an eye-opening look at China's drug trade and the methods Chinese law enforcement agencies use to bring it down. Starring Sun Honglei, Louis Koo, and an assortment of Milky Way regulars including Lam Suet, Eddie Cheung, Gordon Lam, Lo Hoi Pang, Michelle Ye, Philip Keung and Berg Ng, Drug War is available to buy in the U.K. from 28 October 2013. You can check out the trailer below, along with Chris Sawin's review of the movie. We're nice like that... Synopsis: After losing control of his car and crashing into a local restaurant, a...

Title: Drug War Well Go USA/Variance Films Director: Johnnie To Screenwriter: Wai Ka-fai, Johnnie To Cast: Louis Koo, Sun Honglei, Crystal Huang, Wallace Chung, Gao Yunxiang, Li Guangjie, Guo Tao, Li Jing, Lo Hoi-pang, Eddie Cheung, Gordon Lam, Michelle Ye, Lam Suet Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 7/2/13 Opens: July 26, 2013 In China the penalty for selling more than 50 mg of methamphetamine is death, which may not be the best idea. If you’re about to be caught, what would stop you from trying to kill the cops? You can’t be executed twice! That idea fuels the “Drug War,” Johnnie To’s movie said to be the first actioner to [ Read More ]

The post Drug War Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Written and directed by: Dennis King

Cast: Bernice Liu, Andy On, Luxia Jiang, Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Lok-yi Lai

King of Triads (Aka Bad Blood) would have you believe that police in Hong Kong would gladly put their guns aside to fight with criminals who possess mad fighting skills. In fact, it would appear that everyone in writer/director Dennis King’s fantastic world would rather fight to the death with any weapon but a gun. There also seems to be an unspoken code of honor that specifies large groups of fighters can never overpower a smaller group. One against 20 sounds insurmountable unless, as in Triad world, you’ve got an angry, stick-wielding mob with manners.

What exactly is going on in the mind of Thug #12 as he waits patiently in a corner while his peers are being beaten to a bloody pulp? Maybe he’s thinking that he needs...

Aaron Kwok returns as oddball private eye Chan Tam in “The Detective 2”, teaming again with director Oxide Pang for a sequel to their highly popular 2007 mystery thriller. Aside from a new case for Tam to solve, the film offers a different approach by aiming for a more psychological angle, venturing into some pretty dark and complex territory along the way. With Liu Kai Chi (“The Way we Were”) and veteran Patrick Tam (“The Storm Warriors”) also returning, the film adds several supporting cast members, including Eddie Cheung (“Vengeance”), Izz Xu (“Child’s Eye”), and upcoming Mainland Chinese actress Gong Beibi. Set again in Bangkok, the plot sees Kwok as private detective Tam being asked by police force friend Fung Chak (Liu Kai Chi) to assist him in investigating a particularly nasty serial murder case. The killings certainly seem to call for a man of Tam’s talents, involving three apparently unrelated victims,...

Acclaimed Hong Kong director and industry veteran Ann Hui returns with “All About Love”, a film considerably lighter in tone than her last outing, the depressing, Tin Shui Wai-set “Night and Fog”. Needless to say, although the film’s premise does suggest light romantic comedy, with a script by author and screenwriter Yang Yee Shan (responsible for the hard hitting “Whispers and Moans” and “True Women for Sale”), it also tackles a number of serious societal concerns. The film is headlined by a couple of top acting talents in Sandra Ng (currently enjoying a career renaissance thanks to the likes of “Echoes of the Rainbow”) and 1990s pop star Vivian Chow (making her first film appearance for 14 years), with support from Eddie Cheung (“Election”) and William Chan (“Beauty on Duty!”). The film revolves around two urbanite lesbians and former lovers, Macy (Sandra Ng) and Anita (Vivian Chow), who meet again...

What, there are still things about Bruce Lee’s life that we don’t know about yet? Apparently so, and this new take on the kung fu legend happens to be based on the memoir by Alex Lee, Bruce Lee’s brother, so you expect it to shed some light into the man, the legend, the asskicker that we haven’t known about. Maybe. The film stars Aarif Lee as Lee (no relations — at least, I don’t think there is), and co-stars Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Christy Chung as his parents, with Alex Man, Siu-Fai Cheung and Kar Lok Chin rounding out the cast. “Bruce Lee” (aka “Bruce Lee, My Brother”) purports to tell more of the family life of Bruce Lee, though judging by the English-subtitled trailer, that leaves plenty of room for Bruce Lee to deliver some asskicking to some dudes throughout the movie. They all had it coming,...

Property developer turned film maker Dennis Law continues his onslaught on Hong Kong cinemas with another genre outing in “Bad Blood”. As with his former outing “Fatal Move”, the triad thriller sees him working with acclaimed cinematographer Herman Yau and action choreographer Li Chung Chi, and reunites him with cast members and industry veterans Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, and Lam Suet. Law also manages to attract a few more action stars in the form of Andy On (recently in “True Legend”), Xiong Xinxin (“Once upon a time in China”), Ken Lo (also in the Jackie Chan films “Police Story 2” and “The Myth”) and rising martial arts talent Jiang Luxia (another “True Legend” alumnus), along with Tvb’s Bernice Liu and Chris Lai. The film kicks off in fine, action packed style with Tung Luen Shun gang boss Lok Cheung On (Eddie Cheung) being caught during a botched...

Vengeance is another thriller which will highlight the San Francisco International Film Festival. Showing April 27th, Vengeance is set in the dark underworld of Hong Kong, China. The film also involves revenge after a French chef loses his daughter's family to a violent attack (IMDb). These early shots are very violent, so fans need to take a look at the trailer for this latest Johnnie Toe production.

A synopsis for Vengeance here:

"A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia" (IMDb).

Release Date: April 27th (Limited Release, already available on Blu-Ray).

Director: Johnnie To.

Writer: Ka-Fai Wai.

Cast: Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Testud, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Ka Tung Lam, Suet Lam, Simon Yam, Siu-Fai Cheung, Felix Wong, Ting Yip Ng,...

Fatal Move director Dennis Law’s latest triad-themed offering Bad Blood is up for purchase on DVD. Much of the main cast of ‘Fatal Move’ including Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, and Lam Suet, returned for this latest offering of gangland violence, chock full of martial arts action stars. A hard core gangster who-dunnit, about bloody infighting within a triad clan, on DVD and its region free! It would be rude not to. Synopsis: Crime lord Lok Cheung runs a smuggling ring in Hong Kong. He gets caught during a failed counterfeit money operation in Mainland China and is executed. After he's gone, a deadly struggle for power breaks out within the gang, with a series of murders and assassinations aimed at members of the Lok clan. One by one, the various sons and daughters, wives and mistresses, brothers and cousins fall as they turn on each other in paranoia.

Fatal Move director Dennis Law’s latest triad-themed offering Bad Blood is up for purchase on DVD. Much of the main cast of ‘Fatal Move’ including Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, and Lam Suet, returned for this latest offering of gangland violence, chock full of martial arts action stars. A hard core gangster who-dunnit, about bloody infighting within a triad clan, on DVD and its region free! It would be rude not to. Synopsis: Crime lord Lok Cheung runs a smuggling ring in Hong Kong. He gets caught during a failed counterfeit money operation in Mainland China and is executed. After he's gone, a deadly struggle for power breaks out within the gang, with a series of murders and assassinations aimed at members of the Lok clan. One by one, the various sons and daughters, wives and mistresses, brothers and cousins fall as they turn on each other in paranoia.

With Hong Kong director Johnnie To having long been admired as an auteur by French film critics, his desired collaboration with European talent has been a much mooted and anticipated possibility. Finally, it arrives in the form of “Vengeance”, which sees To teaming with legendary French singer Johnny Hallyday for a thriller written by Milkyway regular Wai Ka Fai. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the film is heavily reminiscent of two of the director’s signature works, namely “The Mission” and “Exiled”, not least since its cast includes the likes of Anthony Wong, Lam Suet, Gordon Lam and Simon Yam, with support from other familiar faces including Michelle Yip, Eddie Cheung, Maggie Shiu, Felix Wong, Berg Ng, and Stanley Fung. Despite underwhelming some critics, the film played in competition at Cannes 2009, with To being nominated for the prestigious Golden Palm Award. All things considered, the narrative is pretty much standard fare for To and Wai Ka Fai,...

Director Benny Chan's (Invisible Target) action thriller Connected (an adaptation of the 2004 Hollywood film 'Cellular') is up for pre-order on DVD. The pic, a big hit with Asian audiences stars Hong Kong's Louis Koo (Rob-b-Hood) as the everyman hero - while as the film's black-clad villain, Liu Ye (Blood Brothers) exudes over-the-top entertaining menace. Rounding out the cast are Nick Cheung (Exiled) as a stalwart traffic cop, with Louis Fan (The Moss), Eddie Cheung (Election), Tvb actor Wong Cho Lam and model Ankie Beilke. This is Chan back at his very best.

Director Benny Chan's (Invisible Target) action thriller Connected (an adaptation of the 2004 Hollywood film 'Cellular') is up for pre-order on DVD. The pic, a big hit with Asian audiences stars Hong Kong's Louis Koo (Rob-b-Hood) as the everyman hero - while as the film's black-clad villain, Liu Ye (Blood Brothers) exudes over-the-top entertaining menace. Rounding out the cast are Nick Cheung (Exiled) as a stalwart traffic cop, with Louis Fan (The Moss), Eddie Cheung (Election), Tvb actor Wong Cho Lam and model Ankie Beilke. This is Chan back at his very best.