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Heroic Bloodshed
Heroic bloodshed is a genre invented by Hong Kong action cinema revolving around stylized action sequences and dramatic themes, such as brotherhood, duty, honour, redemption, and violence that has become a popular genre used by different directors worldwide. The term ''heroic bloodshed'' was coined by editor Rick Baker in the magazine ''Eastern Heroes'' in the late 1980s, specifically referring to the styles of directors John Woo and Ringo Lam. Baker defined the genre as "a Hong Kong action film that features a lot of gun play and gangsters rather than kung fu. Lots of blood. Lots of action." Heroic bloodshed films often feature gun fu action sequences. Motifs Protagonists in these films are often good-willed criminals, typically Triad members, hit men, or thieves with a strict code of ethics, which in some cases leads to the betrayal of their employers and the saving of many intended victims. The police officer with a conscience, who cannot be corrupted in any way, is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hong Kong Action Cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures, including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong Kong filmmakers combined with elements from Cinema of the United States, Hollywood and Japanese cinema along with new action choreography and filmmaking techniques, to create a culturally distinctive form that went on to have wide transcultural appeal. In turn, Hollywood action films have been heavily influenced by Hong Kong Film genre, genre conventions, from the 1970s onwards. The first Hong Kong action films favoured the ''wuxia'' style, emphasizing mysticism and swordplay, but this trend was politically suppressed in the 1930s and replaced by kung fu films that depicted more down-to-earth unarmed martial arts, often featuring folk heroes such as Wong Fei Hung. Post-war cultural upheavals led to a sec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Brothers (1979 Film)
''The Brothers'' (Cantonese: 差人大佬搏命仔 ''Cha yan daai liu bok meng chai'', Mandarin: ''Cha ren da lao bo ming zai'') is a 1979 Hong Kong action crime-drama film directed by Hua Shan, written by Lam Chin Wai and Yuen Cheung, and produced by Runme Shaw under the Shaw Brothers Studio. The film stars Tony Liu, Danny Lee Sau-Yin, Chau Li Chuan, Ku Feng, and Nam Hung. It is a remake of Indian action crime-drama film '' Deewaar'' (1975), written by Salim–Javed. In turn, ''The Brothers'' inspired John Woo's ''A Better Tomorrow'' and played a key role in the creation of the heroic bloodshed crime genre of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema. Plot '' Hong Kong Cinemagic'' provides the following plot summary. Cast The following are the film's main cast members. * Tony Liu (Lau Wing) as Zhang Zhigang * Danny Lee Sau-Yin as Inspector Zhang Zhiqiang *Chow Lai-Kuen as Yanfen * Ku Feng as Boss Qian Laosan *Nam Hung as Mother Zhang *Chiang Tao as Zhou Hei / Blackie *Ricky Wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reservoir Dogs
''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, and Edward Bunker as diamond thieves whose heist of a jewelry store goes terribly wrong. Kirk Baltz, Randy Brooks, and Steven Wright also play supporting roles. The film incorporates many motifs that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling. The film is regarded as a classic of independent film and a cult film. Although controversial at first for its depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, ''Reservoir Dogs'' was generally well-received, and the cast was praised by many critics. Despite not being heavily promoted during its theatrical run, the film became a modest success in the United States after grossing $2.9 million against its scant budget. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to popular culture. His work has earned a cult following alongside critical and commercial success; he has been named by some as the most influential director of his generation and has received List of awards and nominations received by Quentin Tarantino, numerous awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. His films have grossed more than $1.9 billion worldwide. Tarantino began his career with the independent film, independent crime film ''Reservoir Dogs'' (1992). His second film, the crime comedy-drama ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), was a major success and won numerous awards, including the Cannes Film Festival's and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He next wrote and starr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
City On Fire (1987 Film)
''City on Fire'' () is a 1987 Hong Kong action film directed by Ringo Lam. It stars Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, and Sun Yueh. Following ''A Better Tomorrow'' (1986), ''City on Fire'' helped establish Chow's popularity as an action star in Asia and to a lesser degree North America. Plot An undercover cop, Chan Kam-wah, investigating a group of jewelry thieves, is killed by three attackers. Inspector Lau assigns Ko Chow, another undercover officer, to continue the investigation. Chow hesitates due to a past experience where he had to betray a friend during an undercover mission. The thieves attempt to rob a jewelry factory but are interrupted by the police which ends with one of the robbers killing a police officer. A task force led by Inspector John Chan is formed to investigate the gang, leading to a rivalry between Chan and Lau. Chow offers the gang weapons for sale through Tai Song, a middleman, but is followed by Chan's team during the meeting. Chow successfully plants a reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Diplomat (magazine)
''The Diplomat'' is an international online news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Indo-Pacific region. It is based in Washington, D.C. It was originally an Australian bi-monthly print magazine, founded by Minh Bui Jones, David Llewellyn-Smith and Sung Lee in 2001, but due to financial reasons it was converted into an online magazine in 2009 and moved to Japan and later Washington, D.C. In 2020, ''The Diplomat'' has a monthly unique visitor count of 2 million. The magazine is currently owned by MHT Corporation. History ''The Diplomat'' was originally an Australian bi-monthly print magazine, founded by Minh Bui Jones, David Llewellyn-Smith and Sung Lee in 2001. The first edition was published in April 2002, with Bui Jones as the founding editor and Llewellyn-Smith the founding publisher. The magazine was acquired by James Pach through his company Trans-Asia Inc. in December 2007. Pach assumed the role of executive publisher and hired former '' Pent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cinema Of The United States
The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Hollywood cinema, a filmmaking style developed in the 1910s, continues to shape many American films today. While French filmmakers Auguste and Louis Lumière are often credited with modern cinema's origins, American filmmaking quickly rose to global dominance. As of 2017, more than 600 English-language films were released annually in the U.S., making it the fourth-largest producer of films, trailing only India, Japan, and China. Although the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand also produce English-language films, they are not directly part of the Hollywood system. Due to this global reach, Hollywood is frequently regarded as a transnational cinema with some films released in multiple language versions, such as Spanish and French. Contemporary Hollyw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Cinema
World cinema is a term in film theory in the United States that refers to films made outside of the American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial American cinema.Nagib, Lúcia. "Towards a positive definition of world cinema." ''Remapping world cinema: Identity, culture and politics in film'' (2006): 30-37. The Third Cinema of Latin America and various national cinemas are commonly identified as part of world cinema. The term has been criticized for Americentrism and for ignoring the diversity of different cinematic traditions around the world. Types World cinema has an unofficial implication of films with "artistic value" as opposed to "Hollywood commercialism." Foreign language films are often grouped with " art house films" and other independent films in DVD stores, cinema listings etc. Unless dubbed into one's native language, foreign language films played in English-speaking regions usually have English su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hard Boiled
''Hard Boiled'' ()Elder, 2005, pg. xxviii is a 1992 Hong Kong action thriller film directed by John Woo from a screenplay by Gordon Chan and Barry Wong based on a story written by Woo. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Anthony Wong. It follows a police inspector whose investigation of a brutal Triad leader entangles him in the complex world of undercover policing. The film was John Woo's last Hong Kong film before his transition to Hollywood. After receiving criticism for making films that glamorized gangsters, Woo wanted to make a '' Dirty Harry''-styled film to glamorize the police. With the death of screenwriter Barry Wong, the film's screenplay underwent constant changes during filming. New characters such as Mad Dog and Mr. Woo were introduced, while the original plotline of a baby-poisoning psychopath was cut. ''Hard Boiled'' was released in Hong Kong in 1992 to generally positive audience reception. Though it was not as commercially succ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Killer (1989 Film)
''The Killer'' () is a 1989 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo, and produced by Tsui Hark. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, and Sally Yeh. Chow plays Ah Jong, a professional assassin for the Triads who wants to retire, but accidentally damages the eyes of singer Jennie (Yeh) during a shootout and sets out to perform one last hit to pay for her treatment. After the financial backing from Hark became problematic following the release of Woo's film '' A Better Tomorrow 2'', Woo had to find backing through Chow Yun-fat's and Danny Lee's financing companies. Woo went into filming ''The Killer'' with a rough draft whose plot was influenced by the films ''Le Samouraï'', '' Mean Streets'' and ''Narazumono''. Woo wanted to make a film about honour, friendship and the relationship of two seemingly opposite people. After finishing filming, Woo referred to ''The Killer'' as a tribute to directors Jean-Pierre Melville and Martin Scorsese. ''The Killer'' was not an immed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Better Tomorrow 2
''A Better Tomorrow 2'' is a 1987 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo, produced by Tsui Hark, and co-written by both. A follow-up to its popular predecessor, ''A Better Tomorrow'', the film stars returning cast members Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung alongside new cast member Dean Shek. The film was released in Hong Kong on 17 December 1987. Due to the popularity of Chow's break-out performance in the previous instalment, he was cast in a new role as the twin brother of "Mark", who was killed in the previous film. ''A Better Tomorrow 2'' is known for its over the top violence, exaggerated blood and gore, and body counts nearing the hundreds. Film director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark had disagreements over the focus of this film. Tsui felt that the film should focus more on Dean Shek's character. This led to the film being edited by both Tsui and Woo. Their disagreements would lead to a split after this film, with Hark directing '' A Better Tomorrow 3'' a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, distribution, and education. It is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and partially funded under the British Film Institute Act 1949. Activities Purpose The BFI was established in 1933 to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and the moving image generally, and their impact on society, to promote access to and appreciation of the widest possible range of British and world cinema and to establish, care for and develop collections reflecting the moving image history, heritage and culture of the United Kingdom. Archive The BFI maintain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
