“Ezra,” the story of a stand-up comic embarking on a road trip with his autistic son, is the kind of movie that Hollywood doesn’t make much anymore. It’s not based on a toy or a comic book; instead it’s a warm-hearted, deeply human story without much in the way of special effects. But the movie, which opened last weekend in the height of summer popcorn season, is exactly what Closer Media, the new film and television company that backed the production, was founded to champion.
“We want to tell stories from all over the world that are meaningful and that can bring people closer together,” says Zhang Xin, noting that Closer’s mission statement is right there in its name. “When a project comes to us, we ask does it move our heart and does it open our eyes?”
It’s a new challenge for Zhang, a...
“We want to tell stories from all over the world that are meaningful and that can bring people closer together,” says Zhang Xin, noting that Closer’s mission statement is right there in its name. “When a project comes to us, we ask does it move our heart and does it open our eyes?”
It’s a new challenge for Zhang, a...
- 6/4/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Giving the traditional, star-driven period epic a gloss-coating of topicality, Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s “She’s Got No Name” is based on a notorious real-life murder case that unfolded against the turbulent backdrop of 1940s China. And although it’s probably most notable for providing Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi with a remarkably de-glammed central role, it is the setting, rather than the sincere but only tentatively feminist storyline, that will likely give this handsome, lengthy movie its international appeal. The re-creation of mid-century Shanghai remains impressive even as Chan’s evident admiration for his heroine’s survival instinct starts to become rote, locking Zhang into a screenplay that gives plenty of depth to her character’s anguish, but little breadth to grow.
Zhang plays Zhan-Zhou, a poor, illiterate working-class woman with a birthmark grazing her forehead and cheek, whom we meet as she scurries from her alley tenement and onto a trolley car,...
Zhang plays Zhan-Zhou, a poor, illiterate working-class woman with a birthmark grazing her forehead and cheek, whom we meet as she scurries from her alley tenement and onto a trolley car,...
- 6/3/2024
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
The Shanghai International Film Festival unveiled the competition selection for its upcoming 26th edition Wednesday, featuring a lineup characteristically heavy on Chinese titles. As in recent years, the lineup also includes a bevy of European, Japanese and Central Asian movies, but not a single film from the U.S. or South Korea.
The most anticipated film from the festival’s 14-title main competition in 2024 is undoubtedly Chinese director Guan Hu’s drama A Man and a Woman, featuring a pair of lead performances from the big local stars Huang Bo and Ni Ni. Guan wowed critics at the Cannes Film Festival just a week ago with his darkly comic thriller Black Dog, which took home the French festival’s prestigious Un Certain Regard prize. Guan also is no stranger to the Shanghai festival. His WWII tentpole The Eight Hundred was scheduled to open the 2019 edition of the event, but it...
The most anticipated film from the festival’s 14-title main competition in 2024 is undoubtedly Chinese director Guan Hu’s drama A Man and a Woman, featuring a pair of lead performances from the big local stars Huang Bo and Ni Ni. Guan wowed critics at the Cannes Film Festival just a week ago with his darkly comic thriller Black Dog, which took home the French festival’s prestigious Un Certain Regard prize. Guan also is no stranger to the Shanghai festival. His WWII tentpole The Eight Hundred was scheduled to open the 2019 edition of the event, but it...
- 5/30/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By the time Chinese star Zhang Ziyi walked the Cannes Film Festival’s red carpet on the event’s penultimate night last Friday, it was already clear that Chinese cinema was back on the international stage in a major way. The world’s most glamorous movie event premiered five films from China across its official selection this year, ending a long period of relative obscurity that began with the pandemic. The two most prominent Chinese films to unfurl in Cannes this year — Jia Zhangke’s acclaimed drama Caught By the Tides and Peter Chan’s commercial powerhouse She’s Got No Name, starring Zhang and a slew of big-name Chinese actors — were both backed by rising studio Huanxi Media.
Founded in 2015 by veteran producer Dong Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and former attorney Steven Xiang, Huanxi Media has climbed to the forefront of the Chinese industry thanks to a streak of...
Founded in 2015 by veteran producer Dong Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and former attorney Steven Xiang, Huanxi Media has climbed to the forefront of the Chinese industry thanks to a streak of...
- 5/28/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
German filmmaker Nele Wohlatz’s “Sleep With Your Eyes Open,” which had its world premiere on Saturday in the Encounters section of the Berlin Film Festival, tells a story about the search for a sense of belonging in a foreign country.
It starts with Kai, a young Taiwanese woman with a broken heart, arriving at a Brazilian beach resort for a holiday. Here, her life crosses paths with a group of Chinese migrants living in a luxury tower block, and in particular a young woman called Xiaoxin, who accepts her fate, and Fu Ang, who is working in an umbrella store when we meet him but harbors ambitions to become wealthy.
Xiaoxin writes about her life on a series of postcards, which are never sent and are eventually discarded. Kai finds them and reads them, provided a connection between the two women. At one point, we stop following Kai and...
It starts with Kai, a young Taiwanese woman with a broken heart, arriving at a Brazilian beach resort for a holiday. Here, her life crosses paths with a group of Chinese migrants living in a luxury tower block, and in particular a young woman called Xiaoxin, who accepts her fate, and Fu Ang, who is working in an umbrella store when we meet him but harbors ambitions to become wealthy.
Xiaoxin writes about her life on a series of postcards, which are never sent and are eventually discarded. Kai finds them and reads them, provided a connection between the two women. At one point, we stop following Kai and...
- 2/21/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
“Railway Heroes” is a historical action spy thriller produced by the Huayi Brothers and set during the 1939 Sino-Japanese War in China in which a group of brave railway workers and resistance groups take on the Japanese to make life difficult for the foreign invaders. They are fronted by railway foreman Lao Hung who, together with his followers, are willing to risk their lives to fight for their freedom.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
First time director Yang has a great eye for details and it shows in his film. The harsh winter landscapes he portrays are amazing and beautiful to behold. But underneath, there is hostility, danger and death hidden in the shadows ready to strike. In addition, the way in which he pays great attention to the trains, their close-up shots of the wheels plus his creative use of steam and slow motion,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
First time director Yang has a great eye for details and it shows in his film. The harsh winter landscapes he portrays are amazing and beautiful to behold. But underneath, there is hostility, danger and death hidden in the shadows ready to strike. In addition, the way in which he pays great attention to the trains, their close-up shots of the wheels plus his creative use of steam and slow motion,...
- 2/21/2024
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
While it’s hardly news that most of us are under some form of surveillance any time we’re in public, the extent of Big Brother’s activities still has the capacity to astound. That’s nowhere truer than in the People’s Republic of China, whose efforts to monitor its citizens’ every action (public or otherwise) would make Orwell blush. “One Child Nation” co-director Jialing Zhang once again turns the camera on her home country in “Total Trust,” the kind of eye-opening documentary that makes you realize you know far less about its subject than you thought you did — however bad you may think China’s surveillance state is, Zhang can assure you it’s far worse.
Taking its title from a dubious news report claiming that public trust in the government reached a staggering 98% at the height of the pandemic, the film’s very existence runs counter to that claim.
Taking its title from a dubious news report claiming that public trust in the government reached a staggering 98% at the height of the pandemic, the film’s very existence runs counter to that claim.
- 12/15/2023
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
In his 2013 book “Who Owns the Future?” author, scientist and musician Jaron Lanier states that only few “people realize the degree to which they are being tracked and spied upon”. It is certainly true that with the advent of big data and tracking technology, following a flu outbreak, for example, is much less time-consuming and more reliable, but on the other hand, we are experiencing the abuse of such technology all over the world. Authoritarian states and employers have been caught using said technology to monitor other people, often under the pretense of national security or increasing efficiency. In her new documentary “Total Trust”, director Jialing Zhang takes a look at how big data and the Chinese government work hand in hand to perfect their control over Chinese citizens, and how this example may serve as a grim vision of a possible future going far beyond the borders of the country.
- 12/11/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The number of people credited as “Anonymous” in Jialing Zhang’s documentary “Total Trust” is chilling. Banned from China after making the documentary “One Child Nation,” Zhang relied on those in the country to help bring to life this examination of life in a surveillance state. The fear is real; in a coda at the end, we’re told that Sophia Xueqin Huang, a reporter critical of the government and one of the three women upon which the documentary focuses, was arrested on her way to study in the U.K. on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.”
In ways big and small, “Total Trust” tells audiences, the Chinese government is watching its citizens. Cc TV does its part; biometrics also plays a major role. But the true villains turn out to be the Chinese citizens who eagerly police their own neighbors.
Zhang doesn’t spend enough time on...
In ways big and small, “Total Trust” tells audiences, the Chinese government is watching its citizens. Cc TV does its part; biometrics also plays a major role. But the true villains turn out to be the Chinese citizens who eagerly police their own neighbors.
Zhang doesn’t spend enough time on...
- 12/7/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Clockwise from top left: It Lives Inside (Neon), Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Sony Pictures Releasing), The Matrix Resurrections (Warner Bros. Pictures)Image: The A.V. Club
For the holiday season, Hulu is adding some genre favorites and promising new movies to its library. The streaming platform in December welcomes...
For the holiday season, Hulu is adding some genre favorites and promising new movies to its library. The streaming platform in December welcomes...
- 11/30/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
In a surprise development, former Alibaba Group Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang has stepped down as head of the e-commerce giant’s cloud division, the media reported on Monday. His resignation from the Cloud unit came as he was scheduled to hand the reins of the parent company to co-founder Joe Tsai, reports the South China Morning Post.
The news led to shares of Alibaba Group slipping 3 per cent at the close of trading in Hong Kong — touted as the biggest setback since August 18.
“Alibaba’s new CEO Eddie Wu Yongming has also taken over for Zhang as acting chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group on the same day,” the report said, quoting an Alibaba spokesperson.
Alibaba “will continue to execute its previously announced plan to spin off Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group under a separate management team to be appointed”, the spokesperson added.
Alibaba announced in June that...
The news led to shares of Alibaba Group slipping 3 per cent at the close of trading in Hong Kong — touted as the biggest setback since August 18.
“Alibaba’s new CEO Eddie Wu Yongming has also taken over for Zhang as acting chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group on the same day,” the report said, quoting an Alibaba spokesperson.
Alibaba “will continue to execute its previously announced plan to spin off Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group under a separate management team to be appointed”, the spokesperson added.
Alibaba announced in June that...
- 9/11/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
2022 US Open finalist Ons Jabeur surprisingly lost already in the fourth round of the 2023 tournament, losing to China's Qinwen Zheng .
After last year's success, the Tunisian certainly had high hopes ahead of the 2023 US Open, but soon, those were dampened by an illness . Jabeur admitted that she had to take a lot of medicine , something that could have prevented her from delivering the best performance on the tennis court.
At this year's US Open, multiple players struggled with a mysterious illness, as Christopher Eubanks had to rush off the court , while Dominic Thiem retired from his match . Jabeur has also been one of the affected players, and the journey of Wta 's former world no. 2 ended already in the fourth round of the event.
Taking on the 23rd-seeded Qinwen Zheng, Jabeur knew that she wouldn't be facing an easy task, as the Chinese player beat her last year in Toronto,...
After last year's success, the Tunisian certainly had high hopes ahead of the 2023 US Open, but soon, those were dampened by an illness . Jabeur admitted that she had to take a lot of medicine , something that could have prevented her from delivering the best performance on the tennis court.
At this year's US Open, multiple players struggled with a mysterious illness, as Christopher Eubanks had to rush off the court , while Dominic Thiem retired from his match . Jabeur has also been one of the affected players, and the journey of Wta 's former world no. 2 ended already in the fourth round of the event.
Taking on the 23rd-seeded Qinwen Zheng, Jabeur knew that she wouldn't be facing an easy task, as the Chinese player beat her last year in Toronto,...
- 9/4/2023
- Tennis Infinity
Jinan, China, Aug 19 (Ians) A last-gasp goal saw Shandong Taishan edge Tianjin Jinmen Tigers 1-0, while Shanghai Port drew 1-1 with Meizhou Hakka in the 2023 Chinese Super League.
In the first half, both Shandong and Tianjin kept enough pressure on each other, as fouls always occurred and a total of four yellow cards were recorded, reports Xinhua.
Neither side managed to break the deadlock, though Shandong had several shots, and made substitutions in the second half.
In the 83rd minute, Zhang Chi’s goal was disallowed as Var ruled against Cryzan Barcelos’ handball earlier. Six minutes later, Zhang’s second shot found the net.
Elsewhere, Meizhou Hakka took the lead in the 66th minute when Andrej Kotnik scored after good work from Ye Chugui. Shanghai Port managed to find the equaliser in the 89th minute.
In another game, Zhejiang Fc drew with Qingdao Hainiu 0-0.
–Ians
cs...
In the first half, both Shandong and Tianjin kept enough pressure on each other, as fouls always occurred and a total of four yellow cards were recorded, reports Xinhua.
Neither side managed to break the deadlock, though Shandong had several shots, and made substitutions in the second half.
In the 83rd minute, Zhang Chi’s goal was disallowed as Var ruled against Cryzan Barcelos’ handball earlier. Six minutes later, Zhang’s second shot found the net.
Elsewhere, Meizhou Hakka took the lead in the 66th minute when Andrej Kotnik scored after good work from Ye Chugui. Shanghai Port managed to find the equaliser in the 89th minute.
In another game, Zhejiang Fc drew with Qingdao Hainiu 0-0.
–Ians
cs...
- 8/19/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The following contains major spoilers for The Meg and Meg 2: The Trench.
Sharksploitation movies live and die based on the strength of their bite. In order to make us afraid to go in the water, genre filmmakers usually deploy a barrage of visual and practical effects to bring to life the ocean’s most feared predator: the shark. Of the many aquatic horror films to hit the screen, few have featured teeth so big and vicious as The Meg.
Jon Turteltaub’s action-packed shark film brings to life Otodus megalodon, the largest predator the world has ever known. Thought to be extinct, a group of oceanic explorers discover this prehistoric shark species lurking beneath the thermocline, a temperature barrier near the ocean floor. A box office hit, The Meg won over audiences with its splashy energy, dynamic special effects, and a captivating performance from action star Jason Statham. Five years later,...
Sharksploitation movies live and die based on the strength of their bite. In order to make us afraid to go in the water, genre filmmakers usually deploy a barrage of visual and practical effects to bring to life the ocean’s most feared predator: the shark. Of the many aquatic horror films to hit the screen, few have featured teeth so big and vicious as The Meg.
Jon Turteltaub’s action-packed shark film brings to life Otodus megalodon, the largest predator the world has ever known. Thought to be extinct, a group of oceanic explorers discover this prehistoric shark species lurking beneath the thermocline, a temperature barrier near the ocean floor. A box office hit, The Meg won over audiences with its splashy energy, dynamic special effects, and a captivating performance from action star Jason Statham. Five years later,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Italy’s Far East Film Festival unveiled a power-packed lineup Wednesday for its 25th anniversary edition. The largest cinema event in Europe specializing in popular moviemaking from Asia, Feff will open April 21 with an inspired double bill, He Shuming’s hit Korea-Singapore co-production Ajoomma followed by first-time Taiwanese director Kai Ko’s black comedy Bad Education. And on April 29, the curtain will come down on the festival with the Italy premiere of legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s latest blockbuster, Full River Red. Between those dates, the festival will screen 78 Asian films from 14 countries, including nine world premieres.
The organizers of Feff, founded in 1999 in the picturesque northern Italian city of Udine by festival pioneers Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, say the 2023 selection “aims to showcase the immense complexity of Asia more than ever before.” The lineup indeed presents a compelling snapshot of a wildly diverse content’s commercial cinema in flux.
The organizers of Feff, founded in 1999 in the picturesque northern Italian city of Udine by festival pioneers Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, say the 2023 selection “aims to showcase the immense complexity of Asia more than ever before.” The lineup indeed presents a compelling snapshot of a wildly diverse content’s commercial cinema in flux.
- 4/6/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bhopal, March 26 (Ians) Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra won a bronze medal in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event on the final day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (Issf) Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy range, here on Sunday.
Sift, a medical student and the reigning national champion in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) won bronze — her first individual World Cup medal – after she shot 403.9 in the top-eight ranking round. China yet again won both the golds on offer on the day.
China ended the competition with eight golds, two silver and two bronze medals to top the competition while India were second and Germany third with one gold, one silver and one bronze each.
In the women’s 3P, the first medal event of the day, China’s Zhang Qiongyue defeated Aneta Brabcova of the Czech Republic 16-8 in the gold medal clash.
Sift, a medical student and the reigning national champion in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) won bronze — her first individual World Cup medal – after she shot 403.9 in the top-eight ranking round. China yet again won both the golds on offer on the day.
China ended the competition with eight golds, two silver and two bronze medals to top the competition while India were second and Germany third with one gold, one silver and one bronze each.
In the women’s 3P, the first medal event of the day, China’s Zhang Qiongyue defeated Aneta Brabcova of the Czech Republic 16-8 in the gold medal clash.
- 3/26/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Zhang Yimou is undoubtedly one of the foremost names in Mainland Chinese cinema, one of the first names that would come up in a discussion on cinema from the country and one that is synonymous with quality mainstream works that range from period pieces painted on the largest canvas, to small, personal human dramas and everything in between. Despite working on large scale productions, he manages to frequently put out quality features that boast of big-name star-casts and top-drawer production values that never lose out in showcasing his superior storytelling abilities, making him a darling of the audiences and critics alike, both of who look forward for his newest works, including the latest “Full River Red” with great anticipation.
Full River Red is released in North American theatres by Niu Vision Media
Set in the Southern Song Dynasty and five years after heroic general Yue Fei was executed by prime minister Qin Hui,...
Full River Red is released in North American theatres by Niu Vision Media
Set in the Southern Song Dynasty and five years after heroic general Yue Fei was executed by prime minister Qin Hui,...
- 3/26/2023
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Megan Fox, Vanessa Angel, Avan Jogia, Ajani Russell, Tyson Ritter, Armen Garo, Bai Ling, Robert Lasardo, Charles W Harris III, Nick Principe | Written by Tom DeNucci, Nick Principe | Directed by Tom DeNucci
It’s no coincidence that Johnny & Clyde sounds a lot like Bonnie and Clyde. Helping to usher in a new level of violence in mainstream film Arthur Penn’s film is one of the most influential and imitated films of its time. One can draw a line from Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker to Mickey and Mallory Knox, Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers. And from there to the latest film from director Tom DeNucci and co-writer Nick Principe who is probably better known for lending his imposing presence to films like Laid to Rest and FP2: Beats of Rage.
Alana Hart owns a casino in Ocean City, she also owns the gun used to kill...
It’s no coincidence that Johnny & Clyde sounds a lot like Bonnie and Clyde. Helping to usher in a new level of violence in mainstream film Arthur Penn’s film is one of the most influential and imitated films of its time. One can draw a line from Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker to Mickey and Mallory Knox, Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers. And from there to the latest film from director Tom DeNucci and co-writer Nick Principe who is probably better known for lending his imposing presence to films like Laid to Rest and FP2: Beats of Rage.
Alana Hart owns a casino in Ocean City, she also owns the gun used to kill...
- 3/24/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Documentary filmmaker Jialing Zhang, who was nominated for an Emmy for “One Child Nation,” spoke to Variety about her latest film, “Total Trust,” which is running in the main competition at Cph:dox, the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Festival.
It tells the chilling story of three women and their families fighting for their human rights in China, where state control is ubiquitous thanks to high technology surveillance, such as facial recognition, big data analysis and points systems that mean citizens gain or lose points depending on their behavior.
Zhang’s intimate footage offers unprecedented access to the impact of this all-controlling system on the protagonists’ everyday lives.
“We didn’t just want to do a film about surveillance but about the people living in this kind of society. We wanted to reach a certain emotional depth and complexity – to try to grasp the anger, the horror, but also the hope, through the...
It tells the chilling story of three women and their families fighting for their human rights in China, where state control is ubiquitous thanks to high technology surveillance, such as facial recognition, big data analysis and points systems that mean citizens gain or lose points depending on their behavior.
Zhang’s intimate footage offers unprecedented access to the impact of this all-controlling system on the protagonists’ everyday lives.
“We didn’t just want to do a film about surveillance but about the people living in this kind of society. We wanted to reach a certain emotional depth and complexity – to try to grasp the anger, the horror, but also the hope, through the...
- 3/17/2023
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore, March 17 (Ians) Chinese paddlers have secured the women’s singles and doubles titles of the World Table Tennis (Wtt) Singapore Smash here on Friday.
Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Qian Tianyi and Zhang Rui took up all four spots in the women’s singles semifinals.
Top-ranked Sun came out the winner in a seven-set thriller against Joo Cheon-hui of South Korea. World No. 104 Joo gave her all to drag the match into a decider, where Sun eventually won 11-5, reports Xinhua.
Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin had a better start to the game with an 11-7 win in the first set, but the fourth-ranked Wang quickly made her response by taking the next four games: 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-2. Sun and Wang will vie for a spot in the final.
Qian won in a similar manner as Wang, recovering from her loss in the first set to dispatch Sofia Polcanova of...
Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, Qian Tianyi and Zhang Rui took up all four spots in the women’s singles semifinals.
Top-ranked Sun came out the winner in a seven-set thriller against Joo Cheon-hui of South Korea. World No. 104 Joo gave her all to drag the match into a decider, where Sun eventually won 11-5, reports Xinhua.
Monaco’s Yang Xiaoxin had a better start to the game with an 11-7 win in the first set, but the fourth-ranked Wang quickly made her response by taking the next four games: 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 11-2. Sun and Wang will vie for a spot in the final.
Qian won in a similar manner as Wang, recovering from her loss in the first set to dispatch Sofia Polcanova of...
- 3/17/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Named after one of China’s most famous poems––one the film says the nation can still recite by memory today––Zhang Yimou’s Full River Red takes us back to the Southern Song Dynasty, four years after Prime Minister Qin Hui (Lei Jiayin) framed legendary general Yue Fei and had him executed to solidify a newly formed alliance with their enemies, the Jin Dynasty. The poem is attributed to Fei despite discrepancies which some believe push its origins well past his death. As such, Zhang and co-writer Yu Chen use artistic license to concoct an elaborate suspense comedy to confirm it via the fictionalized surviving witnesses of his martyrdom: true patriots who refuse to forget what happened and those they’d risk everything to murder and avenge their hero.
They’re all at the border for a planned meeting between Song and Jin leadership. Before it can start, however,...
They’re all at the border for a planned meeting between Song and Jin leadership. Before it can start, however,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Murder, treachery and political intrigue are the juicy ingredients of Zhang Yimou’s “Full River Red,” an entertaining if overlong mystery-comedy set in the narrow passageways and dark chambers of a Song dynasty military compound in 1146. With a twist-packed plot to match its labyrinthine location, Zhang’s fast-paced film motors along nicely as an engaging “Knives Out”-style whodunnit before stumbling a little in the protracted final act. A Lunar New Year smash hit in China, “Full River Red” will be released on 150 North American screens by specialty distributor Niu Vision Media on March 17.
The biggest commercial success of Zhang’s distinguished 35-year career, “Full River Red” has already grossed a whopping $671 million at home since Jan. 22. The 157-minute blockbuster continues the string of hits he’s delivered since big-budget international co-production misfire “The Great Wall” in 2016. Much less ornately decorated and colorfully photographed than Zhang’s famous wuxia epics...
The biggest commercial success of Zhang’s distinguished 35-year career, “Full River Red” has already grossed a whopping $671 million at home since Jan. 22. The 157-minute blockbuster continues the string of hits he’s delivered since big-budget international co-production misfire “The Great Wall” in 2016. Much less ornately decorated and colorfully photographed than Zhang’s famous wuxia epics...
- 3/14/2023
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese director Zhang Hanyi takes an unexpected turn with his latest feature film effort, “The Walking Bird,” which makes its appearance as an in-development project at the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), which takes place alongside the FilMart rights market.
His previous film, 2017’s “Dragonfly Eyes,” was one of the most unusual and stylish films of the year from anywhere in the world. It told a disturbing (fictional) narrative through extraordinary found-footage obtained from hundreds of real-world CCTV cameras, and won the Fipresci and Ecumenical Jury prizes at the Locarno Festival that year.
While playing in a different register, “The Walking Bird” may be no less sinister.
“The story focuses on a 28-year-old woman who has difficulty handling the changes in her life. She returns to her hometown, faces up to her past and to her family and learns that her grandmother had used a special method to commit a murder.
His previous film, 2017’s “Dragonfly Eyes,” was one of the most unusual and stylish films of the year from anywhere in the world. It told a disturbing (fictional) narrative through extraordinary found-footage obtained from hundreds of real-world CCTV cameras, and won the Fipresci and Ecumenical Jury prizes at the Locarno Festival that year.
While playing in a different register, “The Walking Bird” may be no less sinister.
“The story focuses on a 28-year-old woman who has difficulty handling the changes in her life. She returns to her hometown, faces up to her past and to her family and learns that her grandmother had used a special method to commit a murder.
- 3/13/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
After three long years of pandemic drift and deterioration, China’s movie box office was back in booming form over the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday. Total ticket sales over the six-day festive period, China’s most lucrative moviegoing window of the year, climbed to 993.8 million this year, up 14 percent from the equivalent stretch in 2019, the last holiday prior to the pandemic. This year’s bonanza also easily topped the 2022 Lunar New Year, which brought in 888.2 million.
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
- 1/30/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix is making 2023 the year of the popular fantasy drama series, ‘The Witcher’. Announced at the streamer’s fan event Tudum on Saturday (U.S. Pacific Time), its spinoff series, ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’, will debut on December 25, and Season 3 of the main show will follow in the summer of 2023.
Fans last visited ‘The Witcher’ universe nearly a year ago, when Season 2 of the Henry Cavill-led series dropped in December 2021.
Since then, it has spawned even more spinoffs. In addition to the ‘Blood Origin’ limited series, an anime feature is on the way and a family-friendly ‘Witcher’ series is in the works, notes ‘Variety’.
Not much is known about ‘The Witcher’ Season 3, but it will continue the story of Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra).
Joining the cast are Robbie Amell, Meng’er Zhang, Hugh Skinner and Christelle Elwin. Amell plays an elven fighter named Gallatin,...
Fans last visited ‘The Witcher’ universe nearly a year ago, when Season 2 of the Henry Cavill-led series dropped in December 2021.
Since then, it has spawned even more spinoffs. In addition to the ‘Blood Origin’ limited series, an anime feature is on the way and a family-friendly ‘Witcher’ series is in the works, notes ‘Variety’.
Not much is known about ‘The Witcher’ Season 3, but it will continue the story of Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra).
Joining the cast are Robbie Amell, Meng’er Zhang, Hugh Skinner and Christelle Elwin. Amell plays an elven fighter named Gallatin,...
- 9/25/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Netflix is making 2023 the year of “The Witcher.”
Announced at the streamer’s fan event Tudum on Saturday, the “Witcher” spinoff series “The Witcher: Blood Origin” will debut on Dec. 25, and Season 3 of the main “Witcher” show will follow in the summer of 2023.
Fans last visited “The Witcher” universe nearly one year ago, when Season 2 of the Henry Cavill fantasy series dropped in December 2021. Since then, it’s spawned even more spinoffs. In addition to the “Blood Origin” limited series, an anime feature is on the way and a family-friendly “Witcher” series is in the works.
Not much is known about “The Witcher” Season 3, but it will continue the story of Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). Joining the cast are Robbie Amell, Meng’er Zhang, Hugh Skinner and Christelle Elwin. Amell plays an elven fighter named Gallatin, who leads an army of guerrilla Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard.
Announced at the streamer’s fan event Tudum on Saturday, the “Witcher” spinoff series “The Witcher: Blood Origin” will debut on Dec. 25, and Season 3 of the main “Witcher” show will follow in the summer of 2023.
Fans last visited “The Witcher” universe nearly one year ago, when Season 2 of the Henry Cavill fantasy series dropped in December 2021. Since then, it’s spawned even more spinoffs. In addition to the “Blood Origin” limited series, an anime feature is on the way and a family-friendly “Witcher” series is in the works.
Not much is known about “The Witcher” Season 3, but it will continue the story of Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). Joining the cast are Robbie Amell, Meng’er Zhang, Hugh Skinner and Christelle Elwin. Amell plays an elven fighter named Gallatin, who leads an army of guerrilla Scoia’tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard.
- 9/24/2022
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Tokyo, Sep 24 (Ians) Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen extended her rapid rise up the rankings by claiming a spot in her first Wta Tour singles final at the Pan Pacific Open with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3) win over 13th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova in a 3 hours and 4 minutes long semi-final, here on Saturday.
The victory over No 4 seed Kudermetova marks Zheng’s fifth win over a Top 20 player in her career, all coming this season.
“After the match when I won the last point, the feeling was incredible. The opponent, she’s playing unbelievable tennis. She has a really good serve and hits the ball hard, she moves well,” Zheng said.
“I’m so glad in the tiebreak I sometimes choose the right ball and make a good effort to win the match. It’s my first time in the final. I’m so happy,” he added.
In Sunday’s final, Zheng will meet Liudmila Samsonova,...
The victory over No 4 seed Kudermetova marks Zheng’s fifth win over a Top 20 player in her career, all coming this season.
“After the match when I won the last point, the feeling was incredible. The opponent, she’s playing unbelievable tennis. She has a really good serve and hits the ball hard, she moves well,” Zheng said.
“I’m so glad in the tiebreak I sometimes choose the right ball and make a good effort to win the match. It’s my first time in the final. I’m so happy,” he added.
In Sunday’s final, Zheng will meet Liudmila Samsonova,...
- 9/24/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Tokyo, Sep 23 (Ians) Two days after saving match point and withstanding a barrage of 27 aces from No 2 seed Caroline Garcia, No 28 Zhang Shuai on Friday booked her place in the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Petra Martic, here.
Playing Tokyo for the first time in over a decade, Zhang is now into her third semifinal of the season. Earlier this year, she captured her third career singles title in Lyon and made the final in Birmingham.
The 33-year-old came into the fall season after a successful summer hard court season, which saw her make back-to-back quarterfinals in Cincinnati and Cleveland before making her first US Open Round of 16.
Zhang came into the quarterfinals looking for her first ever win over Martic. The Croatian had beaten her twice on hard courts. In their last match at 2019 Miami, Martic lost just three games.
Zhang was...
Playing Tokyo for the first time in over a decade, Zhang is now into her third semifinal of the season. Earlier this year, she captured her third career singles title in Lyon and made the final in Birmingham.
The 33-year-old came into the fall season after a successful summer hard court season, which saw her make back-to-back quarterfinals in Cincinnati and Cleveland before making her first US Open Round of 16.
Zhang came into the quarterfinals looking for her first ever win over Martic. The Croatian had beaten her twice on hard courts. In their last match at 2019 Miami, Martic lost just three games.
Zhang was...
- 9/23/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Some of Asia’s most popular performers are headed to Brooklyn this November for a new music festival celebrating Asian excellence.
Exo’s Lay Zhang, f(x) star Amber Liu, Chinese soul singer Tia Ray, and Hong Kong-based punk artist Tyson Yoshi are among the headliners for the inaugural MetaMoon Music Festival, which will bring together almost a dozen Asian artists from around the world on one stage.
The day-long festival takes place on Nov. 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the lineup also includes Taiwanese jazz/R&b singer 9m88, Taiwanese-American singer Karencici,...
Exo’s Lay Zhang, f(x) star Amber Liu, Chinese soul singer Tia Ray, and Hong Kong-based punk artist Tyson Yoshi are among the headliners for the inaugural MetaMoon Music Festival, which will bring together almost a dozen Asian artists from around the world on one stage.
The day-long festival takes place on Nov. 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the lineup also includes Taiwanese jazz/R&b singer 9m88, Taiwanese-American singer Karencici,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Tim Chan
- Rollingstone.com
Tokyo, Sep 20 (Ians) Mexican qualifier Fernanda Contreras Gomez defeated 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 7-6(7), 6-4 in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open here on Tuesday.
The victory was Contreras Gomez’s first career win in a Hologic Wta Tour main draw match. Ranked No.131, Contreras Gomez will face No.4 seed Veronika Kudermetova in the next round.
Despite her position as a qualifier, Contreras Gomez was the higher-ranked player in her Tokyo opener. Kenin, who reached a career-high No.4 in 2020, has seen her ranking slip to No.315 as she works her way back from injury.
After saving a set point late in the first-set tiebreak, Contreras Gomez dominated the second set to build a 5-1 lead. Kenin fought valiantly to put the set back on serve, but Contreras Gomez broke the American one last time to seal the win after 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Contreras Gomez, 24, made her...
The victory was Contreras Gomez’s first career win in a Hologic Wta Tour main draw match. Ranked No.131, Contreras Gomez will face No.4 seed Veronika Kudermetova in the next round.
Despite her position as a qualifier, Contreras Gomez was the higher-ranked player in her Tokyo opener. Kenin, who reached a career-high No.4 in 2020, has seen her ranking slip to No.315 as she works her way back from injury.
After saving a set point late in the first-set tiebreak, Contreras Gomez dominated the second set to build a 5-1 lead. Kenin fought valiantly to put the set back on serve, but Contreras Gomez broke the American one last time to seal the win after 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Contreras Gomez, 24, made her...
- 9/20/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
The (sub)genre that has been carrying Japanese cinema to the international stage for years, was one of the main components of the explosion of Korean cinema during the last decades, and has given some of the most iconic Hong Kong titles, is not other than the serial killer movie. In this list, we tried to include some of the most memorable titles that include the particular type of murderers in their scripts, in a list, that as you can see, is filled with masterpieces, not only from the aforementioned countries, but also from India, China, Iran, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Without further ado, here are 35 Great Asian Serial Killer Moviers, in alphabetical order.
1. Baishe Srabon
For those who associate Bengali cinema just with Satyajit Ray, it should be a must-watch. A captivating neo-noir crime thriller that combines formulaic genre elements with subtleties for nerdy bookworms. We have two cops,...
Without further ado, here are 35 Great Asian Serial Killer Moviers, in alphabetical order.
1. Baishe Srabon
For those who associate Bengali cinema just with Satyajit Ray, it should be a must-watch. A captivating neo-noir crime thriller that combines formulaic genre elements with subtleties for nerdy bookworms. We have two cops,...
- 9/11/2022
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Cincinnati (Ohio), Aug 20 (Ians) World No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus relied on her strong return of serve to overcome the challenge of China’s Zhang Shuai 6-4, 7-6(1) and make her maiden hard-court semifinal in nearly a year at the Western & Southern Open here.
The strong Belarusian beat Zhang for the fourth time in five meetings, including a second time this year, in 1 hour, 49 minutes.
All five matches between the two have been decided in straight sets, and to do so this time, Sabalenka needed to fight back from several deficits. She won the first set from a break down at 4-3, and was also a break down four times in the second set.
This is the 24-year-old Sabalenka’s first hard-court semifinal since last year’s US Open, and her second last-four in Cincinnati having first reached the stage in 2018.
“It was a tough match and she played unbelievable tennis,...
The strong Belarusian beat Zhang for the fourth time in five meetings, including a second time this year, in 1 hour, 49 minutes.
All five matches between the two have been decided in straight sets, and to do so this time, Sabalenka needed to fight back from several deficits. She won the first set from a break down at 4-3, and was also a break down four times in the second set.
This is the 24-year-old Sabalenka’s first hard-court semifinal since last year’s US Open, and her second last-four in Cincinnati having first reached the stage in 2018.
“It was a tough match and she played unbelievable tennis,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Cincinnati (US), Aug 16 (Ians) China’s Zhang Shuai advanced to the second round of the Western & Southern Open with a 6-4, 7-5 win over 2020 finalist Naomi Osaka in 75 minutes, here on Tuesday.
The result levelled the pair’s head-to-head at three wins apiece. Zhang had previously beaten Osaka at Tokyo 2016 and Madrid 2018, but Osaka had won their only meeting since she became a Grand Slam champion, edging Zhang 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the 2018 Beijing quarterfinals.
Zhang had not defeated a major winner since the first round of the 2020 Australian Open, where she took out Sloane Stephens 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. The 33-year-old has enjoyed a solid season to date, though, including capturing her third career title in Lyon in February and also reaching the Birmingham final in June.
Word No 44 Zhang will next meet Ekaterina Alexandrova as she bids to reach the third round in Cincinnati for the first time.
Osaka’s first serve was clicking.
The result levelled the pair’s head-to-head at three wins apiece. Zhang had previously beaten Osaka at Tokyo 2016 and Madrid 2018, but Osaka had won their only meeting since she became a Grand Slam champion, edging Zhang 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the 2018 Beijing quarterfinals.
Zhang had not defeated a major winner since the first round of the 2020 Australian Open, where she took out Sloane Stephens 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. The 33-year-old has enjoyed a solid season to date, though, including capturing her third career title in Lyon in February and also reaching the Birmingham final in June.
Word No 44 Zhang will next meet Ekaterina Alexandrova as she bids to reach the third round in Cincinnati for the first time.
Osaka’s first serve was clicking.
- 8/16/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
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