Skipping town to enjoy some of that famous British sunshine

Slowly updating my website. Not a lot of original content there, but a convenient one-stop-shop to post links to all my reviews. There's still a lot to add, reformat, and plenty of broken links if you dig deep enough, but do take a look if you have a minute, and it's free of course. marshattacks.com

Compiling my Best Asian Films of 2025 list. What do i absolutely positively have to make sure I see before I lock this thing down?

LEFT-HANDED GIRL: had the distinct pleasure of chatting with Tsou Shih-ching earlier this month - frequent Sean Baker producer turned solo director - about her fantastic new film, which opens in Hong Kong on Thursday: www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

LEFT-HANDED GIRL: had the distinct pleasure of chatting with Tsou Shih-ching earlier this month - frequent Sean Baker producer turned solo director - about her fantastic new film, which opens in Hong Kong on Thursday: www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Mind-boggling story here

so far...

THE APARTMENT: after a bit of a hiatus, @stevehackman1.bsky.social and I return to our Every Best Picture series, joined this episode by my longtime crony @pierceconran.bsky.social to discuss this seminal romantic comedy and all things Billy Wilder. Enjoy! youtu.be/8n0gvRblAD0?...

New pickups from @criterion.bsky.social @arrowvideo.bsky.social

HAD I NOT SEEN THE SUN: Netflix's latest Taiwanese drama series may present as a serial killer mystery, but is really a romantic teen drama, packed with blackmail, extortion, drug abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying and just a hint of the supernatural. www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Tonight:

AGAINST ALL ODDS: While smaller and scrappier than most recent Chinese war movies, Lau Ho-leung's Hong Kong-set WWII thriller punches well above its weight - and features Louise Wong with a skinhead and flamethrower! www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

New movies out today in Hong Kong: THE RUNNING MAN, NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T, AGAINST ALL ODDS, KOKUHO, THE FIRST RIDE

KOKUHO: Anchored by an astonishing central performance from Ryo Yoshizawa and a fastidious devotion to the traditional art of kabuki theatre, Lee Sang-il’s sumptuous saga emerges as the finest Japanese film of the year. www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Tonight:

R.I.P. Nakadai Tatsuya, one of the giant figures in history of Japanese cinema news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6558551

Action fans take note! LAST SAMURAI STANDING is a fantastic chanbara spin on Battle Royale & Squid Game starring Junichi Okada, who also produces and serves as action choreographer. Drops on Netflix this Friday: www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Action fans take note! LAST SAMURAI STANDING is a fantastic chanbara spin on Battle Royale & Squid Game starring Junichi Okada, who also produces and serves as action choreographer. Drops on Netflix this Friday: www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Turning into quite the Negative Nelly this weekend, after a decidedly luke warm reaction to PREDATOR, I got to vent with @stevehackman1.bsky.social about my disappointment with GDT’s FRANKENSTEIN. Great conversation all the same: youtu.be/qIR6kSBameI?...

PREDATOR: BADLANDS - Dan Trachtenberg continues to take the franchise is bold new directions, but this time - it pains me to say - many of his choices left me cold. I share a few thoughts here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyxA...

If you see this, post egg

Existential question time: is a prequel also a sequel?

Existential question time: is a prequel also a sequel?

As it turns out, what I didn’t need in a new Predator movie was more predator. While PREDATOR: BADLANDS certainly has its moments, it’s been so aggressively Disneyfied that it feels more like a Star Wars movie than anything, incl. redeemed villain, quest for self-worth, let’s all get along plot etc.

Tonight:

New movies out today in Hong Kong: PREDATOR: BADLANDS, GIRL, A WRITER’S ODYSSEY II

ETERNITY looks to put a hip A24 spin on a classic Capra-esque romantic fantasy but is ultimately left unable to choose who its target audience really is - those excited by the young cast (all good, esp Teller), or a considerably older generation, for whom the central dilemma might actually resonate.

This morning:

This scene chilled me to the bone as a child

Locally produced animation ANOTHER WORLD is causing quite the sensation right now, for its dazzling animated portrayal of a young girl's journey through the underworld, so I picked out 10 more animated features that dare to venture into the afterlife. www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Just announced as part of @vinsyn.bsky.social's Black Friday pre-order sale, @pierceconran.bsky.social & I get our hands, eyes and ears dirty with our audio commentary for pinku film director extraordinaire Hisayasu Sato's AN ARIA ON GAZES (aka THE BEDROOM). vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/...

I cannot think of a more genuinely terrifying watch this Halloween. Chilling to the bone and absolutely essential. youtu.be/Ykll4MWltsQ?...

With BUGONIA now in cinemas worldwide, I felt it was high time @stevehackman1.bsky.social checked out the original - one of my all-time favourite Korean films. Here's our review of Jang Joon-hwan's endlessly surprising SAVE THE GREEN PLANET: youtu.be/uNHsn0Cv788?...

@hkbiglychee.bsky.social thanks for the shout out! Nice to know someone out there is watching ;-)

Out today:

Out today:

Out today:

New movies out today in Hong Kong: BUGONIA, ANOTHER WORLD, 96 MINUTES, MISS KOBAYASHI’S DRAGON MAID, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

96 MINUTES: Taiwanese action thriller casts Austin Lin as a washed-up bomb disposal expert who finds himself on board a high-speed train targeted by a vengeful terrorist, but the thrills soon give over to buckets of tears. www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

Happy Monday! Bookending my day with a pair of contrasting new offerings from Taiwan:

You’d be forgiven for thinking Hosoda’s fantasy gender-flipped reimagining of Hamlet would be an easy win, but SCARLET is a disappointing misfire & quite possibly the director’s weakest feature yet, and that includes his Digimon offerings. Scattershot, meandering, under-developed & unattractive.

Today:

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY - HBO launches its new prequel series this weekend. I've been lucky enough to see the first five episodes and can confidently say that Andy Muschetti, Bill Skarsgard & co have absolutely nailed it. Some spoiler-free thoughts here: youtu.be/_slFvR47JEI?...

The 22nd Hong Kong Asian Film Festival announces its full line-up, boasting a tantalising selection of features from around the region. The festival runs from 22/10 - 9/11 and tickets go on sale from noon tomorrow. For the SCMP, I single out 12 titles not to be missed. www.scmp.com/lifestyle/en...

New movies out today in Hong Kong: REGRETTING YOU, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, BLACK SHOWMAN, TATSUKI FUJIMOTO 17-26 PT2

ANOTHER WORLD: an ambitious Hong Kong animated fantasy following a young girl's journey through the underworld. It's a big leap forward for local animation, but stylistically owes too much to JP anime to truly feel like a homegrown production. I share a few thoughts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GrQ...

Tonight:

Tonight:

For all you fans - and future fans - of Park Chan-wook's NO OTHER CHOICE, here you go, and you're welcome: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc87...