Ip Man Directed by Wilson Yip Written by Edmond Wong and Chan Tai-Li Hong Kong, 2008 In this biopic, Donnie Yen is Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents and the man credited to have elevated its popularity in the early parts of the 20th century. Best known for his …
It’s almost impossible to consider the U.S. cut of The Grandmaster without wondering what’s been lost, to the point of regretting that either Harvey Weinstein or director Wong Kar-Wai (depending on which story you read) doesn’t trust American audiences to pick up on simple nuances, character titles and motivations, and historical context.
In the last several years, Hong Kong cinema has had a fascination with legendary Wing Chun martial artist Ip Man that borders on manic obsession, to the point where it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that Hong Kong cinema spent a week secretly living in Ip Man’s pool house and going through his garbage.
With the release of The Raid: Redemption, I’ve asked Sound On Sight contributors Edgar Chaput and Michael Ryan to help me put together a list of 15 classic martial arts films that we consider essential viewing. Here are my five choices. 11- The Blade (Doa) Directed by Hark Tsui Inspired by the 1967 Shaw Brothers …
Fantaisa has expanded its programming in the past five years and with that the festival has become even longer – perhaps too long. Ranging anywhere from three to four weeks, it leaves me pretty much brain-dead by the end of the month. Bloodshot eyes, Sleep deprivation and repetitive dinners at Al-Taib aren’t exactly a recipe …
Embodiment Of Evil Directed by Jose Mojica Marins *** 1/2 José Mojica Marins’ demonically anticipated Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe) comeback film is everything you could hope for. Embodiment cleverly explains Zé ‘s absence over the years by opening with the character being released from prison after serving decades of time for the crimes depicted …