johnnie to

RUNNING ON KARMA (2003) Eureka Blu-Ray Review: A Myriad Of Bewildering Excellence

Eureka Entertainment’s Running On Karma arrives on Blu-Ray on January 28. Order it today at the MVD Shop. Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai’s Running On Karma hit me differently twenty years ago, so I wasn’t too keen on it. Nowadays my mind is more open to different types of films in the field I cover, and I’ve come to realize that it’s a film that holds a little something for several kinds of audiences. Andy Lau wears an albeit convincing muscle suit in his second role after donning a similar suit for a portly character in Love On A Diet, a 2001 rom-com from the same directing duo. The muscular build for the role Lau plays this time around takes a life on its own as an aspect to the inherently transformative nature of the story To and Wai proffer to viewers. The long and short? Lau stars along with […]

RUNNING ON KARMA Blu-Ray Gets The Masters Of Cinema Treatment Through Eureka In January

Lee B. Golden III

Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai’s 2003 hit film, Running On Karma, is coming to the U.S. on Blu-Ray re-release on January 28. Rolling out through Eureka Entertainment’s Masters Of Cinema line, the film will come in the form of a Limited Edition Blu-Ray package with 2000 copies (per territory), exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase. A lot has happened in the last two decades since this title, and I’m old enough to remember that Asian news outlets and adjacent websites like this one picked up on word of a sequel that was in the works that would have also starred Jacky Heung (100 Yards). Eventually Heung and To did collaborate on one other fantastic venture which managed to pull off a North American festival premiere. It really has been that long, though, that it feels like a Running On Karma sequel would hardly happening at all. I’m open to be proven […]

Streaming Sleepers: Johnnie To’s BREAKING NEWS Is All The Buzz On HiYAH!

Lee B. Golden III

I’ve been on a bit of a Nick Cheung spell since last week having only recently been able to import a Hong Kong blu-ray of Dante Lam’s MMA action drama, Unbeatable, and reliving his role opposite Louis Koo and Sean Lau in the late Benny Chan’s The White Storm. Cheung is one of today’s most formidable film stars and you can certainly gather as much from his 2004 flick in which he stars opposite a charmingly menacing Richie Jen and a stern and bristling Kelly Chen in Breaking News, another you can throw in your list of whats-what faves in modern Hong Kong action. Hailing from director Johnnie To out of his Milkyway Films banner, To’s Cannes-selected 2004 hit crime thriller pits killers and thieves against law enforcement in a battle of both wits and will that explodes across the city and spills into the confines and dark halls of […]

THE HEROIC MISSION: JOHNNIE TO RETROSPECTIVE Kicks Off In London Next Month

Lee B. Golden III

UK-China Film Collab and Trinity CineAsia are joining forces with the Prince Charles Cinema in London to host The Heroic Mission: Johnnie To Retrospective. Running from July 7 to 14, fans will have a rare chance to see three of the most influential cinema made in Hong Kong from a master of the game on the big screen. Life Without Principle (2011) – Thursday 7 July, 6.00pmStarring Lau Ching Wan (Mad Detective, Call of Heroes), Richie Jen (The Sniper, Exiled) Running on Karma (2003) – Tuesday 12 July, 6.30pmStarring Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs), Cecilia Cheung (Legendary Amazons, The Promise) Breaking News (2004) – Thursday 14 July, 8.30pmStarring Richie Jen, Kelly Chen (An Empress and the Warriors, Infernal Affairs), Nick Cheung (Beast Stalker, Connected) Curated by MA Film Curating student, Birbeck University’s own Riley Wong, the title of the series takes after two of To’s films, The […]

THROW DOWN: Johnnie To’s 2004 Thriller Slams Onto Blu-Ray From Criterion This Fall

Lee B. Golden III

Criterion’s latest Hong Kong cinema flex comes by way of Johnnie To’s 2004 crime drama, Throw Down. Pre-orders are now up and running for the fully-loaded Blu-Ray releasing on September 21, 2021. Louis Koo plays a former judo champion-turned-alcoholic forced to mitigate his debts with loansharks as he struggles to operate his evening bar and lounge. Crossing paths with an eager and gifted judo fighter looking to challenge him to a match, and an aspiring singer looking for fame and a way out of Hong Kong, the trio embark on a journey that runs wild with brooding drama, comedy, martial arts thrills and cinematic poetry. This one is a cult favorite among Johnnie To collectivists and Asian movie fans. It took a while for me to see it myself at some point and thankfully, you can find the film streaming at Hi-YAH! if you live in the states. Otherwise, Criterion’s […]

SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG Official Trailer Narrates With Culture And Soul

Lee B. Golden III

Months since the first teaser launched, the official trailer is out for Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong. Years in the making and once bearing the title “Eight And A Half” when there were indeed more than seven directors on board, the long-awaited omnibus is getting a 2021 release featuring respective shortfilm segments from directors Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, each contributing a story to pay tribute to the city’s “golden era” during which all the directors emerged. Johnnie To ropes in six fellow veteran Hong Kong filmmakers for this highly anticipated omnibus. Each one of the short films covers a different period in the city’s recent history, including Sammo Hung’s nostalgia-tinged piece about his martial arts training, the late Ringo Lam’s poignant tribute to his hometown, Ann Hui’s quietly moving ode to the educators, and To’s dark comedy […]

SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG Trailer Explores The Omnibus Project From Seven Legendary Directors

Lee B. Golden III

With the scaled-back 25th Busan International Film Festival set to launch next month, we now have a look at the long-awaited omnibus, Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong, formerly known as Eight And A Half by most outlets. The project is billed as the work of seven directors: Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, each contributing a short film to pay tribute to the city’s “golden era” during which all the directors emerged. The project also marks the last piece of cinema from Lam, who sadly passed away in December of 2018. Formerly announced as part of the since-delayed Cannes 2020 festival, the film will now open Busan on October 21. Head over to the festival website for more info.

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A MOMENT OF ROMANCE Review: Remembering Benny Chan and his eternal Moment of Romance.

Mike Garcia

With the recent passing of Benny chan, the Hong Kong movie fandom have lost one of the most prolific and interesting directors that the British ex-colony have gave us in the last 30 years. But moaning is always useless, specially in this hopeless world that we live in, and the best way celebrate his life and timeless legacy is remembering the unforgetable work that he has left in this world. This eternal “Moment of Romance” was his impressive debut behind the cameras back in 1990, backed up by Johnnie To as producer, Benny delivered one of the most beloved and most representatives titles in Hong Kong movie history. A heartbreaking love story between two misfits that find each other by coincidence just to share a moment of romance in a world of triads and ruthless violence, where there is no place for happy endings. Andy Lau in the early years […]

NYAFF XIX Review: CHASING DREAM Is A Spry Redemption Tale Full Of Budding Romance And Bloody Knuckles

Lee B. Golden III

Love, music and brutal pound-for-pound action go hand-in-hand in Johnnie To‘s latest romantic action drama, Chasing Dream. The casting of Jacky Heung and Keru Wang brings a festive entry into a tale layered with action and sprinkles of romance and interwoven drama, as we meet Tiger, an MMA legend in the making, and Cuckoo, a ringside cheerleader. After a failed attempt to escape the arena, both characters stumble upon each other in a chance meeting that finds the elusive Cuckoo caught in the clutches of Tiger’s manager, gangster and loanshark Gao Qiang (Bin Zi). Tiger, who is in Gao’s camp, decides to put Cuckoo to work in order to help pay off her debts, and it soon turns into an opportunity for reprisal when Cuckoo she spots her ex-boyfriend-cum-music superstar Qu Fengfeng (Ma Xiachui) in a commercial launching the next talent search for a hit program called The Perfect Diva. […]

THROW DOWN: Johnnie To’s 2004 Action Drama Gets A 4K Bodyslam Onto UK Blu-Ray In May

Lee B. Golden III

One of UK-based Eureka Entertainment’s more recently-announced titles now comes with a new trailer in Johnnie To’s 2004 action drama, Throw Down. The company is rolling it out on Blu-Ray from a 4K restoration on May 18, 2020, as part of their Masters Of Cinema collection. In this visually arresting action drama from acclaimed director Johnnie To (MAD DETECTIVE, ELECTION), legendary Judo fighter Szeto Bo (Louis Koo; FLASH POINT, THE LEGEND OF ZU) unexpectedly gave up the sport and now lives the life of an alcoholic gambler who runs a pub. However, cocky Judo newcomer Tony (Aaron Kwok) wants to challenge him, while old foe Kong (Tony Leung Ka Fai, ASHES OF TIME) demands Szeto to finish the match that never took place, Soon Szeto’s pub becomes the ultimate arena where the greatest Judo fighters challenge one another. Filled with brutal, no-holds-barred Judo fight scenes, THROW DOWN is director To’s […]

CHASING DREAM: Don’t Miss The First Teaser For Johnnie To’s New Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

It’s interesting that I’m just off of Takashi Miike’s First Love and now the re-emergence of director Johnnie To (Don’t Go Breaking My Heart films, Mad Detective, Three) is back and bringing some of those same True Romance feels with his latest film, Chasing Dream. Actor Jacky Heung makes his latest lead outing having come a long way since his acting debut in Jet Li’s inspired martial arts biopic, Fearless. He joins actress Keru Wang from multi-award winning period drama, Youth, for the story of a MMA champion hopeful and an aspiring singer who share the common goal of helping each other out of their respective debts. The official teaser arrived online this week (hat tip to Subway Cinema via First Showing) ahead of its November 8 release. Three years since Johnnie To directed cop thriller Three, while it might have been awesome to see him circulate a bit at […]

GIVEAWAY: Win A Copy Of Johnnie To’s New Crime Thriller, THREE, On DVD Before April 4!

Lee B. Golden III

Johnnie To’s newest intriguing crime pic, Three, is currently available on Digital HD as of last week. In the meantime, the forthcoming DVD and Blu-Ray go on sale on April 4 which provides one of a few ways you can acquire either copy. Alas, Film Combat Syndicate has ponied up three DVD copies now up for grabs for participants limited only to residents in North America. All you have to do is send your name and mailing address to filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com and share with us your favorite film from director To, or actress Vicky Zhao or actor Louis Koo. The contest expires on April 3 whereupon winners will be drawn at random and e-mailed to confirm their prizes! When a police sting goes bad, a cornered criminal (Wallace Chung, Drug War) makes a desperate choice: he shoots himself, forcing the officers to cease fire and rush him to the hospital. Once […]

Review: Johnnie To’s THREE, And The Intricacies Of Character

From acclaimed Hong Kong action director Johnnie To, this well-crafted action-thriller is set in a hospital environment. Where Hollywood can be bogged down in cliche when it comes to hospital drama, this director imparts his inimitable visual style as an artist brushes the canvass with precision and passion. To‘s brushes on this particular canvass are at once gritty, real, and eventually winds up as a battleground where people are caught in the crossfire. We start off with the introduction of our three major characters with brain surgeon Doctor Tong Qian (Vicki Zhao/Wei Zhao) among a group of doctors evaluating patients, who is vilified by a young man (Jonathan Wong) that is paralyzed from the waist down. She had taken a risk with saving the young man’s life but keeps a stoic yet firm belief he would get better in a few months. But the man is not cooperative and even […]

THREE: Johnnie To’s Explosive Suspense Thriller Gets DVD, Blu-Ray And Digital Release Dates

Lee B. Golden III

My own viewing of Johnnie To’s suspenseful crime thriller, Three, wasn’t a hugely favorable one, though a modestly entertaing spectacle with intrigue and grit. Other critics have given it some pretty favorable reviews in all fairness, and so on that note, folks will finally releasing in the U.S. courtesy of Well Go USA and so folks can now finally pre-order their DVD or Blu-Ray copies (links pending) before April 4. The film is also coming to Digital HD and VoD on March 7, and with that, we have a trailer as seen above, as well as a gallery full of stills and artwork. Catch on to it all below and stay tuned for giveaway details! PLANO, TEXAS. (February 6, 2017) – Tensions mounts and bullets fly in master filmmaker Johnnie To’s (Drug War, Exiled, Election) THREE, his latest showdown between cops, robbers and everyone else caught in the crossfire. When […]

Screener Review: THREE (2016)

Lee B. Golden III

Director Johnnie To’s new movie, Three, plays like an adequately-balanced hybrid of genres than a crime thriller in some ways, but you still get a lot of what you’ll be looking for, save for just a few holes and some bad CG and cardboard performances among other things. It’s also the first Johnnie To film I’d seen in a long while so I’m sort of coming at this with somewhat of a fresh perspective and from an experience that gladly wasn’t entirely for nothing. The film picks up at a hospital where we meet a doctor (Vicky Zhao) belaguered by the pressure to be a successful surgeon, and a Hong Kong inspector (Louis Koo) under the duress of an overbearing press crowd as he escorts a high-profile robbery suspect with a bullet in his head (Wallace Chung). The suspect awakens and decides to exercise his right not to be treated […]

Watch The New Trailer For Johnnie To's THREE

Lee B. Golden III

Director Johnnie To’s latest, Three, gave a good showing at Cannes last month upon nabbing several English-speaking territories, including the ever-reliable Well Go USA for North America. Advancing into the summer, the film is poised for a June 24 release in Asia and we now have a new trailer circulating which you can view below. SYNOPSIS: Realizing that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hospital. In the hospital, he claims human rights to refuse immediate treatment in order to bide time for his underlings to rescue him. The detective in charge sees through his scheme but decides to play along so as to capture his whole gang once and for all.

Johnnie To's THE WAR BETWEEN HUANG DI AND CHI YOU Gets A Glossy Teaser Announcement

Lee B. Golden III

We still have a ways to go with Hong Kong film auteur Johnnie To’s Three, Election 3, and the upcoming ensemble Hong Kong cinema anthology, 8 And A Half among others. In the meantime, you can expect more from To’s ongoing work schedule in the wake of a new announcement for The War Between Huang Di And Chi You, which is brandishing a new banner and teaser. Some history records place the events (and to be honest, I mean Wikipedia) during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era with the reigning Yellow Emperor warring against the titular ancient tribal leader of the Nine Li. Judging by the teaser, it looks as if To’s approach will be a more of a fantasy-based nature, which is nonetheless welcoming for To fans. Wai Ka Fai will also write and produce the film with a 2018 release date and casting info currently pending. Check […]

The First Teaser For Johnnie To's THREE Brings Orchestral Demolition

Lee B. Golden III

The folks over at Media Asia are off to a great start following their slate unveil at HKFilmart last month. Moving onward and with an eye a little closer on acclaimed filmmaker Johnnie To, we now come to with the first bits footage from the new crime thriller, Three, and in stunning fashion with actors Louis Koo and Wallace Chung, and actress Vicky Zhao headlining. SYNOPSIS: Realizing that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hospital. In the hospital, he claims human rights to refuse immediate treatment in order to bide time for his underlings to rescue him. The detective in charge sees through his scheme but decides to play along so as to capture his whole gang once and for all. The film opens this June and with To […]

RUNNING ON KARMA 2 Is In The Works!

Lee B. Golden III

Well, with regard to anyone’s desire to see actor Andy Lau in a prosthetic muscle body suit, I leave that to the viewer. At any rate though, fans of the multi-award winning and nominated 2003 flick, Running On Karma, can finally look forward to a 3D sequel releasing next year with Lau set to return. Yahoo! Singapore forwarded the news citing murmurs from Hong Kong presses of Lau‘s return as the film currently remains in development. The first film, opposite actress Ceilia Chung, showcased Lau in the role of Biggie, a fallen Buddhist monk who forces himself to come to terms with his past and his ability Karmic abilities whilst protecting rookie cop from ruthless killer. While the details are still being finalized, directing and producing duo Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai are returning to the project which will also foresee Mainland actress Gao Yuanyuan replacing Chung with actor […]

Johnnie To Headlines Alongside List Of Acclaimed Directors For An Eight-Part Hong Kong History Epic

Lee B. Golden III

It’s imaginable to be excited these days if you’re a fan of acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To. The Triangle and Blind Detective helmer is already the prime subject of a remake effort over at Sony for his 2009 crime pic, Vengeance these days, although if a wee bit of Hong Kong history and some martial arts are your preference these days, then you’re in luck. Word from Twitchfilm states that To will be heading an 8-part anthology ensemble project, focusing on Hong Kong’s history within the last seven decades, with each portion attributed to seven other legendary directors, namely reuniting with fellow Triangle co-helmers Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, in addition to attaching Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, John Woo, Sammo Hung and Yuen Woo-Ping. The project is reportedly one of three newly announced titles in development under To‘s watch, including a new crime pic with Drug War star Louis […]