February 23rd, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Taiwan, Director Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Cast Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Janine Chang Chun-Ning, Christine Ke Huan-Ju and Chan Hei-Sing, 95 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?! (2007)
What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?! (2007)
February 23rd, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Taiwan, Director Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Cast Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Janine Chang Chun-Ning, Christine Ke Huan-Ju and Chan Hei-Sing, 95 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles.
February 23rd, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Taiwan, Director Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Cast Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Janine Chang Chun-Ning, Christine Ke Huan-Ju and Chan Hei-Sing, 95 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Centre Forward (1978)
Centre Forward (1978)
February 16th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
One of the first things an experienced viewer of North Korean cinema notices when watching a Pak Chong Song film is the technical skill of the director. North Korean cinema was shaped by the Soviet social realist cinema. This was due to the Soviet film advisers and a practice of sending film makers to the USSR to learn about film production. This created a straightforward style with a minimalist approach to cinematography.
Centre Forward is a sports film less about the competition of sport, and more the battle with oneself in a struggle against their own endurance in a story that transcends nationality.
North Korea, Directors Pak Chang Song, Kim Kil In, Cast Kim Chol, Choi Chang Su, Pak Tae Su, 75 minutes, in Korean with English subtitles
February 16th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
One of the first things an experienced viewer of North Korean cinema notices when watching a Pak Chong Song film is the technical skill of the director. North Korean cinema was shaped by the Soviet social realist cinema. This was due to the Soviet film advisers and a practice of sending film makers to the USSR to learn about film production. This created a straightforward style with a minimalist approach to cinematography.
Centre Forward is a sports film less about the competition of sport, and more the battle with oneself in a struggle against their own endurance in a story that transcends nationality.
North Korea, Directors Pak Chang Song, Kim Kil In, Cast Kim Chol, Choi Chang Su, Pak Tae Su, 75 minutes, in Korean with English subtitles
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Heavenly Kings (2006)
The Heavenly Kings (2006)
February 2nd, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Blurring the lines between reality and satire, four Hong Kong B-list celebrities decided to comment on the absurdities of the then recent boy band craze by creating their own fiction band Alive. This film is that story, told in the style of a mockumentary/behind the scenes video.
The band sold tickets, toured around East Asia and created elaborate fan groups to promote their band with at its hart is an amalgamation of all of the excesses of the boy band model. They are joined by a wide range of other major and minor celebrities playing themselves. But not just playing themselves, they are playing to their media image, typically in an exaggerated and self deprecating manor that further blurs fantasy and reality.
The tittle is a reference to a group of four individuals who were known as the Heavenly Kings of Cantopop back in the 1980's and early 90's including Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai, with the term itself taken from Chinese mythology. And like mythology, the lines between fantasy and reality are tenuous at best.
Hong Kong, Director Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Cast Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Terence Yin Chi-Wai, Andrew Lin Hoi and Conroy Chan Chi-Chung, 83 minutes
February 2nd, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Blurring the lines between reality and satire, four Hong Kong B-list celebrities decided to comment on the absurdities of the then recent boy band craze by creating their own fiction band Alive. This film is that story, told in the style of a mockumentary/behind the scenes video.
The band sold tickets, toured around East Asia and created elaborate fan groups to promote their band with at its hart is an amalgamation of all of the excesses of the boy band model. They are joined by a wide range of other major and minor celebrities playing themselves. But not just playing themselves, they are playing to their media image, typically in an exaggerated and self deprecating manor that further blurs fantasy and reality.
The tittle is a reference to a group of four individuals who were known as the Heavenly Kings of Cantopop back in the 1980's and early 90's including Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai, with the term itself taken from Chinese mythology. And like mythology, the lines between fantasy and reality are tenuous at best.
Hong Kong, Director Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Cast Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Terence Yin Chi-Wai, Andrew Lin Hoi and Conroy Chan Chi-Chung, 83 minutes
February Schedule
-February 2nd
The Heavenly Kings (2006)
In Cantonese with English subtitles
A group of Hong Kong minor celebrities came together to make a documentary style comedy about boy bands. To do so they form their own, Alive. The Heavenly Kings is a biting comedy dealing with celebrity and the creation of pop culture. Various other celebrities make appearances as themselves in exaggerated performances referencing their own pop image including Karen Mok, Nicholas Tse and Jacky Cheung.
Hong Kong, Director Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Cast Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Terence Yin Chi-Wai, Andrew Lin Hoi and Conroy Chan Chi-Chung, 83 minutes
-February 9th
Japan Sinks aka The Sinking of Japan (1973)
In Japanese with English subtitles
Based upon the Sakyo Komatsu novel, Japan sinks is a disaster film that became one of the major hits of the 1970's. The story involves the emanate collapse of the Japanese islands into the continental trench. Similar in concept to the American big budget, effects heavy films of the same era especially 1974's Earthquake.
Japan, Director Shiro Moritani, Cast Keiju Kobayashi, Ayumi Ishida and Hiroshi Fujioka, 143 minutes
-February 16th
Centre Forward (1978)
In Korean with English subtitles
There are few North Korean directors who have been noticed internationally, Pak Chong Song is one of them. This sports film follows a soccer team as they push themselves in a struggle against their own endurance in a story that transcends nationality.
North Korea, Directors Pak Chang Song, Kim Kil In, Cast Kim Chol, Choi Chang Su, Pak Tae Su, 75 minutes
-February 23rd
What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?! (2007)
In Mandarin with English subtitles
As something of a philosophical companion piece to The Heavenly Kings (2006), this Taiwanese comedy is a mockumentary in which director Doze plays a comic version of himself as he encounters scandal and the darker side of celebrity.
Taiwan, Director Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Cast Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Janine Chang Chun-Ning, Christine Ke Huan-Ju and Chan Hei-Sing, 95 minutes
The Heavenly Kings (2006)
In Cantonese with English subtitles
A group of Hong Kong minor celebrities came together to make a documentary style comedy about boy bands. To do so they form their own, Alive. The Heavenly Kings is a biting comedy dealing with celebrity and the creation of pop culture. Various other celebrities make appearances as themselves in exaggerated performances referencing their own pop image including Karen Mok, Nicholas Tse and Jacky Cheung.
Hong Kong, Director Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Cast Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, Terence Yin Chi-Wai, Andrew Lin Hoi and Conroy Chan Chi-Chung, 83 minutes
-February 9th
Japan Sinks aka The Sinking of Japan (1973)
In Japanese with English subtitles
Based upon the Sakyo Komatsu novel, Japan sinks is a disaster film that became one of the major hits of the 1970's. The story involves the emanate collapse of the Japanese islands into the continental trench. Similar in concept to the American big budget, effects heavy films of the same era especially 1974's Earthquake.
Japan, Director Shiro Moritani, Cast Keiju Kobayashi, Ayumi Ishida and Hiroshi Fujioka, 143 minutes
-February 16th
Centre Forward (1978)
In Korean with English subtitles
There are few North Korean directors who have been noticed internationally, Pak Chong Song is one of them. This sports film follows a soccer team as they push themselves in a struggle against their own endurance in a story that transcends nationality.
North Korea, Directors Pak Chang Song, Kim Kil In, Cast Kim Chol, Choi Chang Su, Pak Tae Su, 75 minutes
-February 23rd
What on Earth Have I Done Wrong?! (2007)
In Mandarin with English subtitles
As something of a philosophical companion piece to The Heavenly Kings (2006), this Taiwanese comedy is a mockumentary in which director Doze plays a comic version of himself as he encounters scandal and the darker side of celebrity.
Taiwan, Director Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Cast Doze Niu Cheng-Tse, Janine Chang Chun-Ning, Christine Ke Huan-Ju and Chan Hei-Sing, 95 minutes
Monday, January 23, 2012
Return
The series is set to resume next week. This will be my final semester as part of the series. Because of this it is my goal to fill this semester with a range of particularly interesting and unexpected films. Hopefully the series will continue after my departure. The complete February schedule will soon be unveiled, both through this BLOG and the weekly email announcements for the series. I have enjoyed running the series and hopefully Spring 2012 will not disappoint.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
From Riches to Rags (1979)
From Riches to Rags (1979)
December 15th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Hong Kong, Director John Woo, Cast Ricky Hui Koon-Ying, JoJo Chan, Tong Jing and Yik Ga, 98 minutes, in Cantonese with English subtitles
December 15th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
November 8th of this year witnessed the passing of a man who became a comic legend throughout East and South East Asia, Ricky Hui 許冠英. Mastering comedy from television to film, he, along with the other Hui brothers, would dominate Hong Kong comedy. This series usually shows a major Hui Brothers film every semester, but because of this death it seems more appropriate to showcase one of his star roles.
Like his other brothers he appeared in a large number of his own projects, although frequently playing second fiddle such as Mr. Vampire (1985) as well as gaining major success for creative efforts behind the camera. His persona was one of the odd, strange looking man who seemed to be out of touch with what was going on, living in his own dream world. He rarely got the girl, saved the day or helped the hero. But his characters always dreamed, usually of power, dignity or wealth.
In From Riches to Rags (1979) he is another working class nobody. Only this time through random chance, he becomes fabulously wealthy. As he begins to live out his fantasies he repeatedly comes face to face with his own limitations as well as the natural variety of freak occurrences, Triad gangs and scheming friends. Directed by John Woo who what then known as a director of Cantonese dialect comedies, the film is a showcase of the kind of comic style that evolved from Hong Kong television of the early 1970’s with all of its energy and inventiveness.
Hong Kong, Director John Woo, Cast Ricky Hui Koon-Ying, JoJo Chan, Tong Jing and Yik Ga, 98 minutes, in Cantonese with English subtitles
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Flying Man of Ma Lan aka Flight Man (1973)
The Flying Man of Ma Lan aka Flight Man (1973)
December 8th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Taiwanese director Ting Shan-Hsi returned home after making his name in Hong Kong to direct an unusual tale of the Japanese era. In 1934 a man falls afoul of a crackdown by the Japanese authorities. Forced to flee he eventually find his way to the aboriginal people who life in the mountainous interior.
This Hong Kong financed Taiwanese film is unusual in sever ways. Firstly it is a rarity for Taiwanese films of this period to showcase, or even acknowledge the aboriginal inhabitants. Secondly it deals with politically sensitive material with respect to the Japanese, again a rarity. Although these elements are handled with a caviler sensibility it is still interesting to watch how viewpoints are portrayed in 1973's look back into the recent past.
Flight man is perhaps most notable for casting Ivy Ling Po as the central aboriginal character. Throughout the 1960's she became wildly popular in a particular kind of opera film literally translated as Yellow Plume opera, mostly for playing male roles. But by this time the genre was on the decline and she was attempting to carve out a career in swordplay and drama films. But this film also sees her return to a musical role, and where better to do it in then Taiwan, arguably the place in which she was best loved in her Opera days.
Taiwan, Director Ting Shan-Hsi, Cast Ivy Ling Po, Wong Yung, Shan Mao and Yee Yuen, 90 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles
December 8th, 7:00PM in Garland 104 (2441 E. Hartford)
Taiwanese director Ting Shan-Hsi returned home after making his name in Hong Kong to direct an unusual tale of the Japanese era. In 1934 a man falls afoul of a crackdown by the Japanese authorities. Forced to flee he eventually find his way to the aboriginal people who life in the mountainous interior.
This Hong Kong financed Taiwanese film is unusual in sever ways. Firstly it is a rarity for Taiwanese films of this period to showcase, or even acknowledge the aboriginal inhabitants. Secondly it deals with politically sensitive material with respect to the Japanese, again a rarity. Although these elements are handled with a caviler sensibility it is still interesting to watch how viewpoints are portrayed in 1973's look back into the recent past.
Flight man is perhaps most notable for casting Ivy Ling Po as the central aboriginal character. Throughout the 1960's she became wildly popular in a particular kind of opera film literally translated as Yellow Plume opera, mostly for playing male roles. But by this time the genre was on the decline and she was attempting to carve out a career in swordplay and drama films. But this film also sees her return to a musical role, and where better to do it in then Taiwan, arguably the place in which she was best loved in her Opera days.
Taiwan, Director Ting Shan-Hsi, Cast Ivy Ling Po, Wong Yung, Shan Mao and Yee Yuen, 90 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)