In Zhang Yimou’s latest wu xia drama set during China’s Three Kingdom Period (AD 220-280), Shadow (mandarin Ying, translation Shadow), Zhang’s palace intrigue twisted tale of lies, deceit, power plays, doppelgangers and a wonky love triangle, features two purposely chosen kung fu weapons, da dao (a long handled big sword blade) and umbrellas that makes […]
EL CAPITAN MARVEL: A Mountainous Movie with Cliffhanger Acclaim and Waterfall Fights
By Drs. Craig and Silvia Reid. Of all the superhero movies I’ve seen as a film critic/fan, through a martial artist and fight choreographer’s eye, what started off as a poorly shot, jumbled, non-linear perfunctory directorial method approach to the first 40-minutes, with fight scenes akin to a local martial arts school putting them together […]
SDAFF 2018: Food, Martial Arts and Whaaat? — Part 2: Brian Hu
By Dr. Craig D. Reid In less than a week, in what USA Today says is one of the Top 10 things to do in San Diego, the 19th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (aka SDAFF 2018), which is the second biggest Asian Film Festival in North America, will be screening 160+ films from […]
SDAFF 2018: Food, Martial Arts and Whaaat? – Part 1: Kent Lee
By Dr. Craig D. Reid It’s that time of year again in San Diego, Fall, and if you’re a major fan of Asian films like me, then you’ll be chomping at the bit and ready to be surrounded my more bees that have discovered a city-sized flower garden full of peonies. These bees aren’t bugging you […]
BIG BROTHER DONNIE YEN (大師兄): School is in Session, Bullies and Abusers Be Aware
By Dr. Craig D. Reid Donnie Yen’s latest film, Big Brother, is a Hong Kong drama that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. Sound familiar? It’s a film influenced by To Sir, with Love (1967), which was directed by James Clavell, who is mostly known in Asia for his literary […]
THE ODYSSEY OF CHRIS YONG: Lion and Tiger and Beast…Oh My!
By Dr. Craig D. Reid If you happened to be trying to connect with the dance scene in the early 2010s at the renowned Trocadero Underground near London’s Piccadilly Circus, you might have bumped into the young dance major graduate from Westminster Kingsway, Chris Yong, who at that time would be freelancing and jammin’ using […]