As the 2019 San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) speeds toward the horizon, their 20th anniversary partnership with the city of San Diego shines with the bright light of cinematic delight where like any successful marriage…it isn’t always about looking at each other, but looking in the same direction. One of those directions that is […]
NE ZHA: Worthy of Disney/DreamWorks Animation, Yet Distinctly Chinese with Impassioned Chinese Style Action
With a beautifully constructed allegory mirroring William Ernest Henley’s 1875 poem Invictus that asserts, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul,” the record breaking Chinese 3-D animated feature Ne Zha, which is loosely based on a Chinese mythological martial arts legend drawn from the Ming Dynasty novel The […]
SHADOW: Zhang Yimou’s Brolly Blades In Ancient China
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 […]