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…
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‘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…
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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…
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‘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…
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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…
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China’s greatest propaganda film: Zhou Enlai’s historical musical ‘The East is Red’
The story behind the Chinese Communist Party’s best propaganda musical.
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‘Iron Moon’: A beautiful portrait of China’s working-class poets
Is there room for poetry in contemporary society? Iron Moon, an award-winning documentary that splices together the working-class life…
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‘Poet on a Business Trip’: An offbeat odyssey through Xinjiang with poetry
April is National Poetry Month, and we’re celebrating with a series of articles that looks at Chinese poetry, both past…
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The brief and scandalous film career of Madame Mao
Before she became the most powerful woman in China and imposed her vision of art and culture…
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‘City on Fire’: Behind the story and influence of Ringo Lam’s classic
City of Fire, the film that inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, is a masterclass in the Hong Kong crime…
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Film Friday: Humanity amid massacre: ‘City of Life and Death,’ reviewed
What filmmaker Lu Chuan does that his predecessors were unable or unwilling to do is bring multidimensionality…
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The tragic end of Shi Hui, Maoist China’s most promising actor-director
Persecuted and misunderstood, Shi Hui was one of many individuals swept up and destroyed by the Anti-Rightist…
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Film Friday: Taiwan’s gay-themed ‘Dear Ex’ touches on acceptance, love, and humanity
A pleasant surprise of a movie that’s arrived at the appropriate time.
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The People’s Republic of Desire, reviewed
A dark and provocative glimpse at China’s celebrity streaming culture
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The Unfinished Comedy: How a brave satire in Maoist China destroyed its creator’s career
In the 1957 satirical film The Unfinished Comedy, made during Mao Zedong’s Hundred Flowers Campaign, one…
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