zhao tianyu

ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL &THE DARK CRYSTAL: A CG-Enhanced Love Story That Will Leave You Soul-Searching

I choose to believe that better days are ahead for CG in Asian cinema. For now, what we get is a mixed-bag in at least one particular entry into fantasy wuxia with Zhao Tianyu’s latest, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl & The Dark Crystal, yet another foray into Chinese folklore that boldly goes all-in on visual spectacle to encompass its epic scope. It’s a noteworthy effort but it’s not without its stumbles. Actor Chen Kun steps into the fray in dual roles for this one, first as Zhong Kui, the appointed and celebrated Demon Slayer of the kingdom of Hu, who still secretly longs for a mysterious woman whom he met three years ago named Little Snow, played by Li Bingbing. The two fall into a bittersweet romance, an underlying subplot that subsides three years later in the storyline when Zhong Kui ventures into the bowels of Hell and recaptures The […]

Well Go USA Unveils The DVD/BD Trailer For SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is in great straits with its release line. And just to think that years ago, the only way to catch a film like Zhao Tianyu and Peter Pau‘s latest, Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal, would be to either live in the region or wait for it on bootleg. Gladly the latter no longer has to be an option, and with the evolution of our technology between filmmaking and home viewing, you can best be sure to be left dazzled by this one. It’s another stake in visually heavy territory for China as it adapts and branches out to other studios for more tools to hone in the craft of further manifesting Chinese mythology and folklore into such a lusterful fest of cinema – Definitely one to chalk up as a memorable big screen gem, but thankfully this one will be coming to DVD and Blu-Ray quite […]

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ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL 3D Bows In US Theaters Next Week!

Lee B. Golden III

China’s upward mobility in the world of CGI-heavy filmmaking is slowly gaining ground with its fair share of bigger-scale productions between several studios, and one of its latest is no exception. Zhong Kui: Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal bodes as a meaty and ferocious epic with nearly all the trimmings as seen in several of its trailers leading up to its release in addition to some of the stunning poster art now making the rounds and if you’re curious as to how a film of this caliber will be received in the U.S., then you’re in luck! Variety is exclusively reporting that the film will get a limited theatrical release in North America on February 27, courtesy of Well Go USA, following the film’s acquisition from international sales agent Arclight Films in Berlin earlier this month; The film’s release, in turn, repeats the process previously executed for the January […]

ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL Unelashes An Epic New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

China is definitely working it’s way up in the delivering VFX-heavy storytelling department with several projects as of late, with one of them being director Zhao Tianyu‘s Mandarin-language fantasy epic, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal. Actor Chen Kun leads the cast with leading lady Li Bingbing in a story filled with its fair share of demons, monsters, magic and mystics, coupled with romance, danger and spectactacular action. The film is getting its theatrical release in China on February 19, although I can certainly see the need for big screen treatment overseas. Some needed improvements in its CGI enhancements aside though, the film looks very stunning so far and I hope to see this myself when it gets across the pond in due time. In the meantime, a brand new English-subtitled trailer has arrived online as of earlier this month, and it looks seriously badass. Check it out […]

Illustrious Poster Art Paves The Way For 3D Fantasy Actioner, ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL

Lee B. Golden III

Director Zhao Tianyu is making some headway this week with the unveiling of some illustrious new character poster art for the pending release of Desen International Media’s upcoming fantasy action epic, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal. The film arrival next year comes in the good graces of being one of China’s first films to embrace technological advancements in 3D filmmaking and motion capture, thanks to the presence of Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau working the lens and producing, along with the folks over at Weta Workshop and Macrograph, collectivel known for dishing out their best film magic in a handful of Marvel flicks, in addition to Avatar, The Hobbit Saga, Dredd 3D and Journey To The West: Conquering The Demoms. Shot in scenic locations in Mainland China, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal depicts the story of Chinese legendary anti-hero Zhong Kui, a young man endowed […]