Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Sam Voutas, the film was inspired by his experience of growing up in Beijing in the 1980s and 1990s and the bootleg film industry that blossomed around that period.
Stream This Title
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
Big Wong and Little Wong are an inseparable father-son duo, who travel around China projecting Hollywood movies for villagers, with the father acting as the projectionist and the son as the promoter. Both of them seem to be quite good at their job, with the kid appearing as a top salesman, and the two making enough money to be happy. However, one fateful night, Little Wong's mother, Lei Lin, appears in the screening and demands Bong Wong starts paying spousal support, while the projection machine catches fire and is completely ruined. When he realizes that taking a loan is impossible, Big Won decides to...
Stream This Title
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
Big Wong and Little Wong are an inseparable father-son duo, who travel around China projecting Hollywood movies for villagers, with the father acting as the projectionist and the son as the promoter. Both of them seem to be quite good at their job, with the kid appearing as a top salesman, and the two making enough money to be happy. However, one fateful night, Little Wong's mother, Lei Lin, appears in the screening and demands Bong Wong starts paying spousal support, while the projection machine catches fire and is completely ruined. When he realizes that taking a loan is impossible, Big Won decides to...
- 9/3/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The 24th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival has announced the 30 official selections from 21 countries for this year’s Naff project market. The selections consist of 19 projects for the It Project (including one Korean-Vietnamese co-production) and 11 projects for Project Spotlight Korea. A total of 181 projects from 40 countries were submitted for consideration this year. Selected projects are listed in the table below.
Projects from South Korea and other parts of Asia captured the philosophy that lies deep within the framework of genre films by exploring a variety of topics, such as tradition and political/social conflict, gender identity, and class distinction. (Project Spotlight highlights projects from one Asian country each year; this year’s spotlight will be on South Korea.)
The judges for this year included Kini S. Kim, Kim Young, Jonathan Kim (CEO of Hanmac Culture Group), and Joyce Heeyoung Cho.
The 30 official selections will be candidates for the Naff awards,...
Projects from South Korea and other parts of Asia captured the philosophy that lies deep within the framework of genre films by exploring a variety of topics, such as tradition and political/social conflict, gender identity, and class distinction. (Project Spotlight highlights projects from one Asian country each year; this year’s spotlight will be on South Korea.)
The judges for this year included Kini S. Kim, Kim Young, Jonathan Kim (CEO of Hanmac Culture Group), and Joyce Heeyoung Cho.
The 30 official selections will be candidates for the Naff awards,...
- 5/27/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Work in Progress strand will also return for a second year.
The Iffam Project Market (Ipm) has unveiled 14 films that will be presented during the three-day event in Macao, which runs December 6-8.
They include supernatural revenge thriller Nocebo from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, who’s Vivarium was in Cannes Critic’s Week this year, and The Day And Night Of Brahma, a family drama by South African director Sheetal Magan, whose short Paraya was presented in Cannes Directors Fortnight.
Other titles include coming-of-age feature Uk Kei from Portuguese director Leonor Teles, the youngest director to have ever won the...
The Iffam Project Market (Ipm) has unveiled 14 films that will be presented during the three-day event in Macao, which runs December 6-8.
They include supernatural revenge thriller Nocebo from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, who’s Vivarium was in Cannes Critic’s Week this year, and The Day And Night Of Brahma, a family drama by South African director Sheetal Magan, whose short Paraya was presented in Cannes Directors Fortnight.
Other titles include coming-of-age feature Uk Kei from Portuguese director Leonor Teles, the youngest director to have ever won the...
- 10/28/2019
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Review by Peter Belsito
Big Wong and Little Wong are a close knit father-son duo. Together, they travel around as a mobile cinema projecting Hollywood movies for local villagers.
When Big Wong’s ex-wife demands he start paying spousal support, he realizes he may lose custody of his son. In order to raise enough money to stay together, Big Wong takes up a job as a janitor in an old Beijing movie theater.
When Big Wong happens upon an old DVD recorder in a junk store, he comes up with a business plan that he hopes will make him enough money to maintain custody of Little Wong: creating and selling bootleg DVDs.
Together, they secretly run their new business — which they name King of Peking — out of the basement of the movie theater. As business booms, Little Wong starts to question the moral and ethical implications of their scheme and...
Big Wong and Little Wong are a close knit father-son duo. Together, they travel around as a mobile cinema projecting Hollywood movies for local villagers.
When Big Wong’s ex-wife demands he start paying spousal support, he realizes he may lose custody of his son. In order to raise enough money to stay together, Big Wong takes up a job as a janitor in an old Beijing movie theater.
When Big Wong happens upon an old DVD recorder in a junk store, he comes up with a business plan that he hopes will make him enough money to maintain custody of Little Wong: creating and selling bootleg DVDs.
Together, they secretly run their new business — which they name King of Peking — out of the basement of the movie theater. As business booms, Little Wong starts to question the moral and ethical implications of their scheme and...
- 7/30/2018
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
New arrival has been based in Seoul since 2012 and founded 2Mr Films with Lee Sang-woo.
Xyz Films has expanded its international ranks with new South Korea executive Pierce Conran, who is in Hong Kong attending Filmart with the company this week.
Conran joins James Marsh (Hong Kong), Simon de Bruyn (Australia/New Zealand) and Todd Brown and Mike Sherman (Toronto) on the company’s international roster.
Based in Seoul since 2012, he edits the Korean Film Council’s English website, founded the site Modern Korean Cinema, and writes for Screen Anarchy and Time Out Seoul.
In 2014, he founded 2Mr Films with Lee Sang-woo,...
Xyz Films has expanded its international ranks with new South Korea executive Pierce Conran, who is in Hong Kong attending Filmart with the company this week.
Conran joins James Marsh (Hong Kong), Simon de Bruyn (Australia/New Zealand) and Todd Brown and Mike Sherman (Toronto) on the company’s international roster.
Based in Seoul since 2012, he edits the Korean Film Council’s English website, founded the site Modern Korean Cinema, and writes for Screen Anarchy and Time Out Seoul.
In 2014, he founded 2Mr Films with Lee Sang-woo,...
- 3/21/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017, a five-day documentary celebration in the nation’s capital. Each year, the festival is committed to providing artists with the opportunity to present powerfully told, artfully constructed stories — and to connect audiences and filmmakers with policy leaders. AFI Docs 2017 runs June 14 – 18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.
“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI Docs’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.
Lineup Announcements
– The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the full slate of films for AFI Docs 2017, a five-day documentary celebration in the nation’s capital. Each year, the festival is committed to providing artists with the opportunity to present powerfully told, artfully constructed stories — and to connect audiences and filmmakers with policy leaders. AFI Docs 2017 runs June 14 – 18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.
“The 2017 slate of films reflects AFI Docs’ mission to celebrate powerfully told stories and the people at the heart of them,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Docs. “Documentaries continue to play an important role in our country regardless of partisan lines. No matter your background, these human stories have the power to inform and inspire. We look forward to another year of dynamic nonfiction cinema.
- 5/19/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“King of Peking” is the second Chinese-language feature film directed by Sam Voutas, following his 2010 debut “Red Light Revolution.” In his newest drama, Big Wong and Little Wong are a father-and-son traveling projectionist crew and extremely close, but their ties also illustrate the risks of doing business with family.
After learning that his ex-wife is demanding spousal support, fearing he might lose custody of Little Wong, Big Wong picks up a second job as a janitor at a movie theater in Bejing. Barely making ends meet, Big Wong comes up with an alternative plan to sell bootleg versions of films from the basement of the theater under the business title King of Peking. Although his business may be lucrative, Big Wong begins to notice the distrust Little Wong has developed towards his father’s business venture.
Read More: A Film Projectionist Pirates Movies in ‘King of Peking’
Australian-born, Voutas grew...
After learning that his ex-wife is demanding spousal support, fearing he might lose custody of Little Wong, Big Wong picks up a second job as a janitor at a movie theater in Bejing. Barely making ends meet, Big Wong comes up with an alternative plan to sell bootleg versions of films from the basement of the theater under the business title King of Peking. Although his business may be lucrative, Big Wong begins to notice the distrust Little Wong has developed towards his father’s business venture.
Read More: A Film Projectionist Pirates Movies in ‘King of Peking’
Australian-born, Voutas grew...
- 4/13/2017
- by Kerry Levielle
- Indiewire
It was back in 2010 that we first came across writer-director Sam Voutas in these pages. An Australian living in China, Sam was poised to release his debut feature at the time - a Mandarin language comedy about a man starting a sex toy shop in Mainland China titled Red Light Revolution - and we knew instantly that we'd found our kind of filmmaker. Well, Voutas is back now with a second China-set comedy - one that reunites most of the cast and crew from his debut - and will soon be making his world premiere at Tribeca with King Of Peking. Here's how they describe it: Big Wong and Little Wong are a close knit father-son duo. Together, they travel around as a mobile...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/21/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Festival receives record number of submissions as top brass trim roster by 20%.
World premieres of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip To Spain (pictured), Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal’s Whitney. “can I be me,”, and Hell On Earth: The Fall Of Syria And The Rise Of Isis by Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested are among the line-up at the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival (April 19-30).
Festival top brass led by new director of programming Cara Cusumano and artistic director Frédéric Boyer unveiled on Thursday 82 of the 98 features that will screen at this year’s edition.
Trimmed down by 20%, the festival received a record number 8,700 submissions, of which 3,362 were features – and includes 32 films in competition comprising 12 documentaries, 10 Us narratives and 10 international narratives. Films in competition will compete for cash prizes totalling $160,000.
Spotlight Narrative section features 15 fiction films, while Spotlight Documentary includes 16 non-fiction films. Five fiction and one documentary film play in Midnight.
The 2017 roster...
World premieres of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip To Spain (pictured), Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal’s Whitney. “can I be me,”, and Hell On Earth: The Fall Of Syria And The Rise Of Isis by Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested are among the line-up at the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival (April 19-30).
Festival top brass led by new director of programming Cara Cusumano and artistic director Frédéric Boyer unveiled on Thursday 82 of the 98 features that will screen at this year’s edition.
Trimmed down by 20%, the festival received a record number 8,700 submissions, of which 3,362 were features – and includes 32 films in competition comprising 12 documentaries, 10 Us narratives and 10 international narratives. Films in competition will compete for cash prizes totalling $160,000.
Spotlight Narrative section features 15 fiction films, while Spotlight Documentary includes 16 non-fiction films. Five fiction and one documentary film play in Midnight.
The 2017 roster...
- 3/2/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress -- at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. King of Peking Tweetable Logline: Rather than get mad when our last movie was bootlegged, we went out to make a movie about bootlegging. Elevator Pitch: Inspired by a true story about fake movies, this is a feature film made by a group of friends whose last movie was widely pirated in Beijing. Set in 1998, "King of Peking" follows a traveling film projectionist who, with the advent of DVD, starts a small pirated movie business from home in order to keep custody of his son. Production Team: Sam Voutas (Writer / Director): An Australian, Sam was raised in Beijing. His films and documentaries have screened on TV...
- 4/15/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
The Blood Stream mines the Internet for horror gold so you don’t have to, delivering streamable horror titles never before featured on Dread Central. Occasionally I’ll dredge up something good, maybe even great. To find those gems, I’ll have to sift through a lot of breathtakingly bad cinema. Enjoy!
If you still haven't gotten enough of Ringu clones, allow me to recommend a humble amateur knockoff you’ve probably never heard of: Watch Me.
The story is your basic viral video infected with a supernatural presence that kills anyone who watches it. But it’s totally not the same as The Ring at all because instead of a VHS cassette, this killer vid is an email attachment. Totally Different. Plus, rather than a montage of random avant-garde images this video is a snuff film. Yikers.
From the looks of the home video caliber recording I’d say...
If you still haven't gotten enough of Ringu clones, allow me to recommend a humble amateur knockoff you’ve probably never heard of: Watch Me.
The story is your basic viral video infected with a supernatural presence that kills anyone who watches it. But it’s totally not the same as The Ring at all because instead of a VHS cassette, this killer vid is an email attachment. Totally Different. Plus, rather than a montage of random avant-garde images this video is a snuff film. Yikers.
From the looks of the home video caliber recording I’d say...
- 6/9/2014
- by adamdileo
- DreadCentral.com
A couple of years ago we shared some photos from the set of a crazy looking fantasy film called Empires of the Deep. We've had nothing to report on the movie between then and now, with the first trailer for it popping up online. It looked like it had potential early on, but unfortunately, it looks absolutes terrible in every way you can imagine.
The 3D movie had a budget of around $130 million, and apparently it had a lot of issues during production. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. It was "the dream project of Chinese real estate tycoon Jon Jiang, who wrote the script himself and partially financed with his own money, the film was originally announced with Monica Bellucci as the star, Catwoman director Pitof helming and Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner on board as a producer. All three left the project every bit as quickly as they signed up.
The 3D movie had a budget of around $130 million, and apparently it had a lot of issues during production. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. It was "the dream project of Chinese real estate tycoon Jon Jiang, who wrote the script himself and partially financed with his own money, the film was originally announced with Monica Bellucci as the star, Catwoman director Pitof helming and Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner on board as a producer. All three left the project every bit as quickly as they signed up.
- 10/23/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Ausfilm, the Australian organisation aimed to entice international productions to Australia and promote Australian film-makers abroad, is preparing for Ausfilm Week, beginning Wednesday, in Los Angeles.
The organisation has also announced the 17 Australian producers attending one-on-one meetings with Us producers and studios.
The announcement:
Ausfilm, together with representatives of the Australian film industry will converge in Los Angeles from 24-31 October for Ausfilm Week 2012. Ausfilm Week aims to create, build upon and develop international relationships between Ausfilm members and Australian producers with key clients in La to encourage international production to Australia.
Ausfilm Week Los Angeles 2012 will comprise a series of interactive panel sessions highlighting Australia’s production incentives schemes, post production and filmmaking talent, networking experiences, producer collaboration meetings and learning opportunities between the Australian and Us film industries to encourage access to Australia’s Screen Production Incentives. These incentives available include the 40% Producer Offset, 30% Post, Digital and Visual Effects incentive and 16.5% Locations incentive.
The organisation has also announced the 17 Australian producers attending one-on-one meetings with Us producers and studios.
The announcement:
Ausfilm, together with representatives of the Australian film industry will converge in Los Angeles from 24-31 October for Ausfilm Week 2012. Ausfilm Week aims to create, build upon and develop international relationships between Ausfilm members and Australian producers with key clients in La to encourage international production to Australia.
Ausfilm Week Los Angeles 2012 will comprise a series of interactive panel sessions highlighting Australia’s production incentives schemes, post production and filmmaking talent, networking experiences, producer collaboration meetings and learning opportunities between the Australian and Us film industries to encourage access to Australia’s Screen Production Incentives. These incentives available include the 40% Producer Offset, 30% Post, Digital and Visual Effects incentive and 16.5% Locations incentive.
- 10/22/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The Sundance Institute has selected the Australian film project Partisan for the 2012 Directors and Screenwriters Lab. It is among 13 projects included in what will be an intensive, hands-on workshop, where experimentation and risk taking is encouraged. Partisan is about an 11-year-old boy who is starting to think for himself after being raised to see the world through his parents' eyes; co-writers Ariel Kleiman and Sarah Cynglar have worked together on over 15 productions and closely collaborated throughout. Ariel Kleiman has already had success at the Sundance Film Festival, with his short film Young Love winning an honorable mention in 2010. Another of his short films, Deeper Than Yesterday, has won over 20 awards at film festivals including a jury prize in international filmmaking at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The labs encourage filmmakers to be innovative and visionary. The projects supported receive financial support through project specific grants and ongoing creative and strategic advice.
- 5/11/2012
- by Kara Gorey
- IF.com.au
Director: Sam Voutas. Review: Adam Wing. Lets start with some interesting facts, shall we? In 1996 there was only one sex shop in Beijing, by 2010 there were over 2000. 70% of the world’s sex toys are made in China and 1.3 trillion condoms are made there every year. Here’s the fun part though, so I hope you’ve been paying attention. How many films have been made about Beijing sex shops? That’s right folks, just the one. Welcome to Red Light Revolution, a new film by Sam Voutas. With the movie failing to secure a release date in China, the U.K is officially the first territory in the world to see it. Which might seem a little strange, as Voutas himself has stated, “In my neighbourhood alone, there are three adult stores within a block of me. Business, it seems, is booming.” In the real world perhaps, but not on the big screen.
- 1/30/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
Billed, quite accurately, as ‘China’s first sex shop comedy’, “Red Light Revolution” marks the directorial debut of Australian born Sam Voutas, who also scripted as well as playing a small role as a Western porn baron. Long time Beijing resident Voutas, who mainly plies his trade as an actor, appearing in the likes of Lu Chan’s superb “City of Life and Death”, spent years bringing the film to the screen, working with local crews and actors. As well as proving extremelly popular via online video websites in China, the film has been enjoying considerable success on the international festival circuit over the last few years, from winning Best Unproduced Screenplay at Australia’s 2008 Inside Film Awards to more recently picking up the Audience Award at the 2011 Terracotta Film Festival in London. Terracotta have since picked up the film for distribution in the UK, with a nationwide cinema campaign...
- 1/27/2012
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
The selling point of Sam Voutas’ “Red Light Revolution” is that it’s China’s first and only sex shop comedy, which, I guess, is something to be proud of. After all, every culture needs a sex shop comedy in order to truly be considered civilized. All kidding aside, the film actually looks pretty amusing, despite the fact that the premise sounds a little sophomoric. If the movie has as much heart as the trailer suggests, I think it could be something special. Check out this synopsis: Unemployed Beijinger, Shunzi, fresh from being fired from his cab company and still wounded by news of his wife running away for another man, decides to risk it all and follow his friend, and opens a sex store, much to the disappointment of his parents. At first battling with blow up dolls, and getting to grips with some of the vibrating merchandise, he...
- 1/9/2012
- by Todd Rigney
- Beyond Hollywood
Sex! Yeah that woke you up. Terracotta Distribution have announced the UK theatrical release of “China’s first Sex Shop Comedy,” Sam Voutas’s Red Light Revolution on Jan 20th. Following its big opening (no one said we were immune to innuendo!) in London, Red Light can been seen selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year then hits DVD on 13th February 2012. Synopsis: Unemployed Beijinger, Shunzi, fresh from being fired from his cab company and still wounded by news of his wife running away for another man, decides to risk it all and follow his friend, and opens a sex store, much to the disappointment of his parents. At first battling with blow up dolls, and getting to grips with some of the vibrating merchandise, he soon realises that not only has he become a victim of a high pressured sales operation (with a gangster like supplier), but...
- 1/7/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
UK Release Date: 20th January 2012
Opening in London & selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year.
‘ Red Light Revolution ’ is the story of a laid off cab driver who opens an adult-toy store to make ends meet.
Director Sam Voutas references ‘ The Full Monty ’ in terms of the economic backdrop and the financial toils of the every day man -
“Our film aims to strike a universal chord in terms of the struggles to get by with one’s head held high in tough economic times”.
This movie is based on fact. Beijing possibly has more sex shops per square kilometre than anywhere on Earth; why shouldn’t there be movies about this?
Sam Voutas says:
“Red Light Revolution offers, I hope, an entertaining wake-up call. China is traditional, yes—but it’s also a nation that is embracing capitalism like it’s going out of style, overhauling virtually every industry and activity.
Opening in London & selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year.
‘ Red Light Revolution ’ is the story of a laid off cab driver who opens an adult-toy store to make ends meet.
Director Sam Voutas references ‘ The Full Monty ’ in terms of the economic backdrop and the financial toils of the every day man -
“Our film aims to strike a universal chord in terms of the struggles to get by with one’s head held high in tough economic times”.
This movie is based on fact. Beijing possibly has more sex shops per square kilometre than anywhere on Earth; why shouldn’t there be movies about this?
Sam Voutas says:
“Red Light Revolution offers, I hope, an entertaining wake-up call. China is traditional, yes—but it’s also a nation that is embracing capitalism like it’s going out of style, overhauling virtually every industry and activity.
- 1/6/2012
- by Tiger33
- AsianMoviePulse
Sam Voutas' independent Chinese sex shop comedy Red Light Revolution has one of its first distribution deals, and this one is in the UK. The venerable Terracotta Distribution, home of Ik-Yang June's Breathless and Johnnie To's Sparrow among others, has taken up the challenge of bringing Red Light Revolution to UK screens. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Terracotta founder Joey Leung said, ""We want to show the U.K. that there's more to Asian film than just guns and ghosts," a noble cause.Red Light Revolution recently screened at The Terracotta Far East Film Festival, one of the UK's premiere showcases for new Asian films, where it won the audience award just weeks ago. The director likens the film to something along the lines of The Full...
- 6/30/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
- 6/17/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
- 6/17/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
The 34th São Paulo International Film Festival (site), which opened on Friday and runs through November 4, is partnering with Mubi to make a dozen shorts and over 50 features it's screening available online — for free — to viewers in Brazil.
A sampling of the highlights would include Red Light Revolution (the site has a trailer), written and directed by Sam Voutas (who appeared in Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death) and flying in the face of expectations many might have of Chinese cinema — it's a comedy about opening a sex shop in a conservative Beijing neighborhood.
Back in January, John Anderson wrote in Variety that "William S Burroughs has been overripe for the kind of substantive, stylistically simpatico docu treatment he gets from helmer Yony Leyser, whose William S Burroughs: A Man Within does real justice to the Beat writer, gun nut and literary icon."
Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas's Jean Gentil,...
A sampling of the highlights would include Red Light Revolution (the site has a trailer), written and directed by Sam Voutas (who appeared in Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death) and flying in the face of expectations many might have of Chinese cinema — it's a comedy about opening a sex shop in a conservative Beijing neighborhood.
Back in January, John Anderson wrote in Variety that "William S Burroughs has been overripe for the kind of substantive, stylistically simpatico docu treatment he gets from helmer Yony Leyser, whose William S Burroughs: A Man Within does real justice to the Beat writer, gun nut and literary icon."
Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas's Jean Gentil,...
- 10/25/2010
- MUBI
Here's a collection of behind the scenes set photos from a new fantasy film being made called Empires of the Deep which stars Olga Kurylenko from Quanum of Solace and the upcoming film Centurion. The movie looks like it could be a pretty big epic film.
The movie is being directed by Michael French (Heart of a Dragon), and also star stars Jea Choe, Sam Voutas, Alec Su, Jean-Michel Casanova, William Shriver and Maxx Maulion. The movie is set to come out sometime in 2011.
The synopsis boasts that this is a fantacy movie about magic and demons, with spectacular battles and an epic story transcending a thousand years. It will will introduce audiences to an entirely brand-new style of huge action set-pieces, a host of fantastical creatures and amazing underwater fight scenes. It will combine mystery and intrigue with incredible sea battles.
Sounds good to me! Thanks to isaacada1 for the tip!
The movie is being directed by Michael French (Heart of a Dragon), and also star stars Jea Choe, Sam Voutas, Alec Su, Jean-Michel Casanova, William Shriver and Maxx Maulion. The movie is set to come out sometime in 2011.
The synopsis boasts that this is a fantacy movie about magic and demons, with spectacular battles and an epic story transcending a thousand years. It will will introduce audiences to an entirely brand-new style of huge action set-pieces, a host of fantastical creatures and amazing underwater fight scenes. It will combine mystery and intrigue with incredible sea battles.
Sounds good to me! Thanks to isaacada1 for the tip!
- 7/15/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
We have added the first set photos from the upcoming epic 3D underwater adventure/fantasy film Empires of the Deep previously entitled Mermaid Island.
Plot Details: Mermaid legends have existed all over the world for thousands of years, attracting people from all over the world. Many questions remain unanswered regarding this bewitching and enigmatic race. Why do mermaids tempt humans with their seductive songs? What secrets lie hidden deep within their legends? Empires of the Deep will provide the answers in spectacular style.
Empires of the Deep is a unique undersea fantasy adventure, which uses the latest in CGI to shape a new and exciting underwater world. This world is inhabited by mermaids, giants, an evil mage and dozens of different undersea kingdoms and races: each with their own cultural traits. The giants are more powerful than the mysterious mermaids but both must ally together to battle an ancient evil...
Plot Details: Mermaid legends have existed all over the world for thousands of years, attracting people from all over the world. Many questions remain unanswered regarding this bewitching and enigmatic race. Why do mermaids tempt humans with their seductive songs? What secrets lie hidden deep within their legends? Empires of the Deep will provide the answers in spectacular style.
Empires of the Deep is a unique undersea fantasy adventure, which uses the latest in CGI to shape a new and exciting underwater world. This world is inhabited by mermaids, giants, an evil mage and dozens of different undersea kingdoms and races: each with their own cultural traits. The giants are more powerful than the mysterious mermaids but both must ally together to battle an ancient evil...
- 6/9/2010
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Australian born, China based director Sam Voutas is taking a risk with his new comedy Red Light Revolution. How so? In a nation where films are routinely censored and blocked for including sexual content, the ex-pat Voutas has created a comedy set entirely in the world of Beijing's sex shops.
Nominated for Best Unproduced Screenplay at Australia\'s 2008 Inside Film Awards, Red Light Revolution is the first feature film centered on China\'s multitude of adult stores, and the everyday people who run them. Red Light Revolution follows a luckless Beijinger who risks it all to open a shop, sparking a sexual revolution in his conservative neighborhood.
The film stars Zhao Jun, Vivid Wang, Jiang Xiduo, Masanobu Otsuka ("City of Life and Death", "Tiananmen"), Tess Liu ("The Karate Kid"), Tian Huimin ("Mao's Last Dancer"), and Ji Qing ("Gasp"). The film is written & directed by Sam Voutas (actor, "City of Life...
Nominated for Best Unproduced Screenplay at Australia\'s 2008 Inside Film Awards, Red Light Revolution is the first feature film centered on China\'s multitude of adult stores, and the everyday people who run them. Red Light Revolution follows a luckless Beijinger who risks it all to open a shop, sparking a sexual revolution in his conservative neighborhood.
The film stars Zhao Jun, Vivid Wang, Jiang Xiduo, Masanobu Otsuka ("City of Life and Death", "Tiananmen"), Tess Liu ("The Karate Kid"), Tian Huimin ("Mao's Last Dancer"), and Ji Qing ("Gasp"). The film is written & directed by Sam Voutas (actor, "City of Life...
- 5/28/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Monica Bellucci has become a mother for the second time. The "Tears of the Sun" actress welcomed her second daughter with actor husband Vincent Cassel on Friday evening, May 21 in Rome, Italy, People confirmed.
According to a member of Bellucci's entourage, both the 45-year-old actress and the newborn baby girl are doing "marvelously." The baby daughter, who is named Leonie, will be a little sister for Bellucci and Cassel's first daughter, 5-year-old Deva Cassel.
Bellucci and Cassel wed in 1999. Bellucci was previously married to fashion photographer Claudio Carlos Basso but they divorced in January 1990.
Professionally, Monica Bellucci will be seen starring opposite Olga Kurylenko, Steve Polites and Sam Voutas in Michael French-directed movie "Empires of the Deep", which is slated for 2011 release. Bellucci's other film which will hit U.S. theaters is "Get It at Goode's", in which she plays Magda.
According to a member of Bellucci's entourage, both the 45-year-old actress and the newborn baby girl are doing "marvelously." The baby daughter, who is named Leonie, will be a little sister for Bellucci and Cassel's first daughter, 5-year-old Deva Cassel.
Bellucci and Cassel wed in 1999. Bellucci was previously married to fashion photographer Claudio Carlos Basso but they divorced in January 1990.
Professionally, Monica Bellucci will be seen starring opposite Olga Kurylenko, Steve Polites and Sam Voutas in Michael French-directed movie "Empires of the Deep", which is slated for 2011 release. Bellucci's other film which will hit U.S. theaters is "Get It at Goode's", in which she plays Magda.
- 5/25/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
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