Of course, before Soi Cheang could return to the Kowloon Walled City he had crank one out for the Mainland with PENG HU, depicting the 17th century Qing Dynasty naval battle to capture Taiwan which I’m sure has nothing to do with current political tensions.

I’ve wondered if this AMC didn’t ditch their 70mm projector after OPPENHEIMER then why didn’t they screen any other movie releases in that format until now? Oh well. Now seated for PROJECT HAIL MARY.

The laserdisc for A CHINESE GHOST STORY: THE TSUI HARK ANIMATION popped up on eBay recently and somewhat surprisingly, I won the auction easily. So now it joins the DVD and Blu-ray in my collection. It’s a delightful movie and it features some of Tsui Hark’s best voice acting.

Now seated for DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE.

Me (thinking): I’m going into a four-hour Indian movie, I better play it safe. Me (speaking): I’ll have the giant burrito! 🤦‍♂️

Now watching: SIRĀT

It was a nice day to minimize my time on social media and find some cool stuff at HPB as well as grabbing shabu-shabu lunch and KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE with an old friend. (Pictured are THE ISLAND Blu-ray, KICKBOXER 5-movie DVD set, the 1980 neo-noir UNION CITY, and THE WESTERNERS interview book)

PER ASPERA AD ASTRA at least delivers as a visually stunning “you’ve got to see this in a cinema” sci-fi adventure: 1/2 space drama, 1/2 virtual reality thriller, and the AI menace bridging both worlds. Energetic and clever in the first half but eventually it gets overly preachy by the end.

Now seated for PER ASPERA AD ASTRA (星河入梦)

Jeez, Leslie Cheung would’ve turned 70 this year? If I can make it back to Hong Kong over the next six months I’d love to attend one of these commemorative screenings, especially the 4K remaster of THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR.

A poster for MASTERMIND (偵戰), an upcoming HK police thriller starring Louis Koo, Ci Sha (THE SHADOW’S EDGE, BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS), and Simon Yam has been making its way around the internet. Director James Hung’s last film was the father/daughter tearjerker MY FIRST OF MAY, so this is different.

Herman Yau’s self-financed Category III drama WE’RE NOTHING AT ALL, which was originally set for release this past December, will premiere next month at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Ok, I guess I’ll watch this again.

This goes double for the people in Chicago who will have the opportunity to see THE FURIOUS, NORMAL, the 4K remaster of SPEED RACER, and Meiko Kaji in-person at Beyond Fest.

To the folks who will get to see THE FURIOUS on the closing night of the Boston Underground Film Festival:

I think the last third of PEGASUS 3 is just flat out racing like in this clip. I’m sure there’s CGI but the BTS footage shows an awful lot of on-location work with a variety of drones, helicopters, and various vehicle mounted rigs. It’s exciting stuff.

A fun night at the River Oaks Theatre with a rare screening of the 1997 comedy THE WRONG GUY, followed by a Q&A with actors and co-writers Dave Foley, David Higgins, and Jay Kogen. Plus I got some autographs.

It doesn’t happen too often (notable past examples include IRON MONKEY and FIRE DRAGON) but when Yuen Woo-Ping incorporates fire with fight choreography it’s pretty damn special. Dao Ma (Wu Jing) versus Shu the Jade-Faced Ghost (Yu Shi) in BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS.

It’s not like he’s one of my favorites but if I don’t see at least a couple of movies each year featuring Yoo Hai-Jin then I feel deprived. Now seated for THE KING’S WARDEN.

This was never going to make a ton of money but I’m glad indie sci-fi dramas like REDUX REDUX still make it to theaters. It follows in the tradition of others I’ve seen in recent years like APORIA, SYNCHRONIC, and PENALTY LOOP: exploring big ideas interestingly on a small scale.

Now watching: THE REVENANT (10th anniversary rerelease) in IMAX.

Physical media Monday: season 1 of BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS the animated series (or I guess “donghua” is the preferred nomenclature), followed with the Hong Kong films DUST TO DUST and VITAL SIGNS, and the Japanese films REVOLVER LILY and Obayashi’s THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME in 4K.

PEGASUS 3 continues the formula of the first two films: an immensely likable underdog sports comedy combined with some of the most thrilling rally racing sequences staged for a feature. Action director Norman Law carries the mantle established by his father Bruce Law for spectacular vehicle stunts.

Vroom vroom! Now watching: PEGASUS 3

It’s a long shot but if Well Go USA is expanding BLADES to more theaters they should try to book some in 4DX. That could be a fun experience. Or painful. Maybe both!

Shu Qi’s directorial debut GIRL is getting a disc release from Deltamac Taiwan at the end of March, so my preferred online shop in Hong Kong expects to ship in early April. Very good film, btw.

More screens for BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS? Bring it. deadline.com/2026/02/indi...

I found a free movie pass in my car. I know just what to do with it. Round two for BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS.

I finally got to see KOKUHO today. Yeah, excellent film. I should probably seek out the other works of director Sang-il Lee, the only one I’ve seen is his remake of UNFORGIVEN (which I also liked).

NIGHT KING (夜王) was a lot of fun, an appealing LNY comedy of the “slobs vs snobs” variety with the slobs being Dayo Wong, Sammi Cheng, and some of the hottest actresses currently working in Hong Kong. Alan Yeung Wai-Lun continues his streak of being a great scene-stealer.

Dayo Wong in NIGHT KING:

The heat is still big, it’s the disc that got small. THE BIG HEAT (1988, dir. Andrew Kam, Johnnie To) makes the leap from laserdisc to 4K in my movie collection.

Somehow, PEGASUS 3 managed to wrangle some IMAX screenings when it opens in North America next week. Not a complaint! The first two were very enjoyable racing comedies so I’ve reserved my seat.

Not on my LNY list is THE KING’S WARDEN from South Korea, which won’t be playing in Houston at all. Apparently living in a city with three H-Marts is NOT a good indicator of broader interest in Korean culture and entertainment .

Next up in my Lunar New Year schedule: not exactly a LNY movie but KOKUHO is finally opening in Houston so I’m definitely checking that out. Will likely skip Vietnam’s A GIFT FROM HEAVEN, go to Hong Kong’s NIGHT KING, and hopefully PEGASUS 3 next week.

BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS is a grand old time, an epic martial arts western absolutely worth seeing in a movie theater. SCARE OUT though, it’s okay. My takeaways from it are Shenzhen seems like a cool city to visit and Yang Mi could easily talk me into committing crimes against the state.

Going to my temple for Lunar New Year.

RIP Robert Duvall

R.I.P., Robert Duvall. So glad I got to talk to him for Decider a few years ago. It was truly an honor and a privilege, and he was a super nice guy.  decider.com/2022/03/25/r...

Lucky Luke returns in a new live-action series for Disney+ France March 23, starring LOST BULLET’s Alban Lenoir in the title role.

Now as I’m about to dig into this plate of eggs and barbacoa would be a great time for my parents to call and invite me to brunch, lol.

Master Lau Ka-leung's ashes have been recovered following their theft from Po Fook Hill late last year. One guy arrested and charged with extortion...apparently, Jimmy Heung's ashes were stolen at around the same time. www.hk01.com/%E7%AA%81%E7...

HUNTING JESSICA BROK was alright! A mashup of COMMANDO and SURVIVING THE GAME as the title character absorbs superhuman levels of pain before dishing out gleefully violent retribution on her pursuers with guns, booby traps, and hand-to-hand combat. Plus: Chekhov’s rhino horn.

Now seated for HUNTING JESSICA BROK.

Nice to see the promotion of The Rza’s ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE is finally starting up (though there’s still no actual release date shown).

Who would’ve thought we’d get treated to two “one crazy night to avert an apocalypse” movies in the same weekend and yeah, COLD STORAGE may not be as ambitious as GLHFDD but it’s still a lot of fun, with appealing lead performers, and a nice heaping of gooey, gross out effects.

Crime time

Welcome back, GV. Fun was had.

Watch out, Michelle! He’s trying to give you Provasic! (Michelle Yeoh, Paulo Branco (I think), and Jeroen Krabbé, jury members for the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival)

The nominees for Best Action Choreography in this year’s HK Film Awards are out. I haven’t seen GOOD GAME but of the remaining SOTNN and TSE are the strongest contenders. I thought GB and BTTP were good but those are more carried by sympathy votes for passion projects by their respective Louis-es.