shadow

SHADOW: Win A Copy Of Zhang Yimou’s Latest Masterful Wuxia Epic

Well Go USA is just a few weeks out from the upcoming home release of Zhang Yimou’s latest, Shadow. The film is set to arrive on DVD, Blu-ray Combo, 4K Ultra Blu-ray Combo and digital August 13 while we can now defer to our latest giveaway of three pristine new copies of the celebrated wuxia epic. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a “shadow”, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want. There’s been a great deal of press for the film and the challenges it endured, especially for the film’s star who takes on the dual role of both the actual military commander and his more youthful, soldiering […]

SHADOW: Zhang Yimou’s Wuxia Epic Arrives On DVD, Blu, 4K Ultra HD And Digital Next Month

Lee B. Golden III

Zhang Yimou’s masterful watercolor wuxia paean, Shadow, was one of the best received titles in the past year both locally and abroad. The film is currently scheduled to hit Fantasia in Montreal this summer while the good and kind-hearted folks at Well Go USA are lining-up something mighty special with a DVD, Blu-Ray combo, 4K Ultra HD combo and digital HD release on August 13. Billed as one of the influential directors in filmmaking of the last two decades, Zhang makes his stellar return to the fray with a sweeping visual delight that stars Deng Chao in a hypnotic dual role that saw the actor tackle one of the most challenging performances of his career. Rounding out the cast are Ryan Zheng and Sun Li, with Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu and Wang Qianyuan. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a […]

Review: Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW Brims With A Climatic Equilibrium Of Bi-Colorful Wuxia Mastery

Lee B. Golden III

May 3 is gonna be a pretty stacked start of the weekend for regular moviegoers, and director Zhang Yimou’s latest success story, Shadow, will surely add to the pile. It’s certainly a redeeming effort following the director’s clumsy, albeit sizeable creature epic, The Great Wall, although you can certainly defer to its greater promise given all the current reviews that have run viral since its film festival run last year. If you’re like me and have been gripped by Zhang’s artillery of storytelling and visionary caliber in grand feats like Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and Curse Of The Golden Flower, you believe that Shadow far from disappoints. Penned by Zhang and co-writer Wei Li, Shadow is based on the ancient folkloric “Three Kingdoms” saga, prefaced with the story defeat of Pei kingdom at the hands of Yan. After losing Jing territory to the kingdom of Yan, Peiliang (Ryan Zheng), […]

SHADOW: Watch The Exquisite New Trailer For Zhang Yimou’s Extravagant New Wuxia Epic

Lee B. Golden III

Zhang Yimou’s latest epic tale of sultry watercolor swordplay drama now lands stateside with an official U.S. trailer for Shadow. It matters that this latest feat from the man who brought us some of the best turn of the century work ever in projects like Hero and House Of Flying Daggers has earned this new feature gem nearly a dozen awards to its credit which should make Shadow more than worthy of your support upon its May 3 release. With SHADOW, director Zhang Yimou (HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) once again pushes the boundaries of wuxia action to create a film like no other, masterfully painting a canvas of inky blacks and greys punctuated with bursts of color from the blood of the defeated. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a “shadow”, a look-alike who can fool both his […]

Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW Opens In U.S. Theaters May 3

Lee B. Golden III

Director Zhang Yimou drew largely positive reviews with his latest swordplay feat, Shadow. The film was also a winner at the 55th Golden Horse Awards with several Bests on its belt, including granting Zhang a Best Director victory. Following its release in China with festive outings at Venice and TIFF in Toronto, North America will then see a theatrical release of the film on May 3 according to Well Go USA’s official website. Deng Chao leads the cast along with Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Wang Jingchun, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong and Leo Wu. In Pei, a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander faces peril both inside and outside the palace walls. But he has a secret weapon: a “shadow”, a look-alike who can fool both Pei’s enemies and the King himself. In his obsessive quest for a long-sought victory over a rival kingdom, […]

FIVE-A-DAY COUNTDOWN: Asura, Nezha, Shadow, Invisible Tattoo, and Dynasty Warriors

Lee B. Golden III

Continuing the countdown, we’re listing 100 movie titles at five per day going into the holidays and the coming year. Today’s five brings us to the quartermile! Asura: As far as expenses go, stunt professional Peng Zhang’s directorial debut was an ambitious feat aimed for this past summer that should have gone off without a hitch. After being pulled from its two-day theatrical run with a commerical bomb in its wake, the film’s backers hyped a hopeful re-release thereafter for the fantasy epic starring Leo Wu and Zhang Yishang. Could those hopes be prospective this year? We’ll find out soon enough. Nezha: Jeffrey Lau, best known for his work on the TV/film franchise circling A Chinese Odyssey, is the man shepherding this particular fantasy comedy featuring Asura star Leo Wu in the title role. Based on a Chinese deity, the film also has Michelle Yeoh, Winston Chao and Collin Chou […]

Well Go USA Casts Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW Into 2019

Lee B. Golden III

On the eve of it’s forthcoming premieres at TIFF and in Venice, Zhang Yimou’s wuxia action epic, Shadow has officially landed at Well Go USA. Andreas Wiseman exclusively confirmed the news at Deadline on Wednesday with territories to include North America, UK, and Australia/New Zealand for its 2019 release. Here’s the lowdown from the Toronto programme: Master filmmaker Zhang Yimou brings a completely original cinematic style to an epic battle story, contrasting visuals that draw on China’s centuries-old tradition of ink-wash painting against next-level fighting sequences to dazzling effect. Zhang Yimou has long been acclaimed as one of cinema’s great masters. His Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou brought the world’s attention to the majesty of Chinese filmmaking. He launched the careers of two of China’s major stars, Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi. From the big screen to the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, Zhang’s artistry is well known. But […]

Zhang Yimou Casts SHADOW With A Stunning New Trailer And Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

Majestic drama, action and watercolor aesthetics are the eye-pleasing theme for director Zhang Yimou’s new wuxia epic, Shadow. The film is currently readying a September 30 release and a new official trailer is now in our midst and presented in stunning and gorgeous fashion. Director Zhang Yimou’s reimagining of a classic Three Kingdoms epic, the action/drama SHADOW tells the story of a great King and his people who have been displaced from their homeland and long to win it back. The King is wild and ambitious, but his motives and methods are mysterious. His great general is a visionary who fervently desires to win the ultimate battle, but needs to lay his plans in secret. The women of the palace struggle to find redemption in a world in which they have no place. And then there is a commoner, the “everyman” around whom the inexorable forces of history swirl, always […]

Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW: Politics, Intrigue And Danger Shrouded In Darkness In Mystifying First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Far from anymore watching and waiting to see what auteur Zhang Yimou has accomplished since earlier feats on The Great Wall, the first official trailer for Shadow is here and fully immersed in its own dark hues and contemplative drama. You can’t see much in terms of action but the imminent violence and gore only fitting for a film of this kind is hinted at plentily with Zhang typically crafting beautiful shots and high-speed lensing to amp up the brooding and allure overall. Director Zhang Yimou’s reimagining of a classic Three Kingdoms epic, the action/drama SHADOW tells the story of a great King and his people who have been displaced from their homeland and long to win it back. The King is wild and ambitious, but his motives and methods are mysterious. His great general is a visionary who fervently desires to win the ultimate battle, but needs to lay […]

AFM 2017: Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW Goes To Bloom For Buyers

Lee B. Golden III

Bloom is taking The Great Wall helmer Zhang Yimou’s new movie, Shadow to the American Film Market this month. The film is currently in post-production according to Wednesday’s exclusive at Screendaily, with a story set in the Three Kingdoms era about a king who attempts to lead his displaced people out of exile, and those who play a role in his mysterious plans. Starring are Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Guan Xiaotong, Wu Lei and Wang Jingchun from a script by Zhang and co-scribe Wei Li, and hails from Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (VRPA) and Le Vision Pictures who are co-producing the pic with Ellen Eliasoph and Catherine Pang serving as producers. Endeavor Content, forged early last month from WME Global and IMG has North American rights.

Martial Grace And Grit In Four New Photos From Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW

Lee B. Golden III

Life has been good to acclaimed director Zhang Yimou whose latest mild stumble with fantasy thriller, The Great Wall still earned enough to maintain his relevance. He’s since kept afloat with the production of Mandarin-language Three Kingdoms era-set pic, Shadow, for which attendees at the Shanghai International Film Festival had the opportunity to get a glimpse of with Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Guan Xiaotong, Wu Lei and Wang Jingchun starring. Written by Zhang and co-scribe Wei Li, Shadow hails from Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (VRPA) and Le Vision Pictures who are co-producing. Plot specifics and other details are pending while in the wake of the film’s first look offering at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Saturday, Screendaily has since provided a quartet of pics that further hint at the balletic style and grace so often utilized in Zhang’s model approach to action in films like […]

SHADOW: Zhang Yimou Commences Filming On The New Three Kingdoms-set Pic

Lee B. Golden III

Head over here to check out Marc Walkow’s piece at the Outtake column on Zhang Yimou’s 2002 Jet Li epic, Hero. Frankly I think it’s one of the better films from the director and it’s unfortunate that his most recent film undercuts some of his more glorious work according to some critics. No, I haven’t seen The Great Wall yet and I’m not holding my breath and penciling it in anytime soon – if it happens, it happens. The film did ultimately earn $171 million dollars in China while scraping some extra change in the U.S. and other territories to top well over $320 million, and so it’s earned Yimou another directing prospect now already underway. For this, reports of the new film, Shadow, are now abound with an unreleased plot line that otherwise denotes its setting within the Three Kingdoms era. Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Le Vision Pictures […]