‘Song at Midnight’: China’s brilliant take on Phantom of the Opera
We’re commencing the countdown to Halloween with a series of film columns about Chinese horror flicks. This week: Song at…
Continue reading
‘Love on Delivery’: Stephen Chow’s early comedy is breezy, surreal, and funny
Looking for a China-related film? There’s an untapped treasure trove on Netflix of all genres, from documentaries like American Factory…
Continue reading
The life and work of Dai Tielang, director of ‘Black Cat Detective’
A cat detective. A mouse with one ear. Zany gadgets and surprising violence. Welcome to the mind of animator Dai…
Continue reading
‘Secrets in the Hot Spring’: A horror-comedy more silly than scary
Secrets in the Hot Spring is a wacky, well-intentioned take at the haunted house genre. Compared to the genre’s heyday in…
Continue reading
‘A City of Sadness’: Hou Hsiao-hsien’s historical tragedy remains a masterpiece 30 years later
The first Chinese-language film to ever win the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion award, Hou Hsiao-hsien’s A City of Sadness is the…
Continue reading
Han Han’s racing film ‘Pegasus’ is the best Chinese movie of 2019 (so far)
For his third outing as a director, Han Han returns to his roots as a former race car driver to sculpt…
Continue reading
Project Gutenberg is a fun, wild ride with a divisive final twist
An award-winning Hong Kong crime thriller from the co-writer of Infernal Affairs and starring Chow Yun-fat and Aaron Kwok. What could go…
Continue reading
‘Beijing Bastards’: An unsavory portrait of ’90s Beijing with legendary rock star Cui Jian
It can seem slapdash and aimless — it is not a great film, after all — but Beijing Bastards, with…
Continue reading
‘Cities of Last Things’: A revenge story told backwards in a hodgepodge of genres
A three-part film told backwards, defying style and convention: Cities of Last Things is the first in our series of reviews…
Continue reading
‘The Kid’: A childhood artifact from Bruce Lee’s pre-kung fu days
The 46th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s death is tomorrow. While fans fondly remember his late-career kung fu movies that made…
Continue reading
1973: When kung fu ruled the American box office
In 1973, American movie-goers could not get enough of Hong Kong cinema, with the top three spots at the box…
Continue reading
‘The Crossing’: A crime-tinged teen drama that explores the Hong Kong-mainland China divide
The Crossing, director Bai Xue’s impressive film debut, is a stirring coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of crime and…
Continue reading
Remembering animator Hu Jinqing, father of the Calabash Brothers
Hu Jinqing, who passed away in Shanghai last month, was a legendary Chinese animator whose works include both the commercially…
Continue reading
‘The New King of Comedy’: A remake that shouldn’t have been made
A remake of a 1999 Stephen Chow classic, The New King of Comedy has hijinks galore and even some humor, but flops…
Continue reading
1990 documentary ‘Sunless Days’ is a rare snapshot of the post-June 4 Chinese community
A somewhat experimental piece from Hong Kong director Shu Kei, as free-wheeling as it is far-flung, Sunless Days combines archival footage…
Continue reading
