Yes. This is another post about Into the Badlands. Here are some other things I’ve written about the show. Let me get right to it: the Emmys announced their nominations for 2018, and Into the Badlands was snubbed completely. Forget the fact that they have some of the most amazing, beautiful, and original costume, makeup, and … Continue reading Into the Badlands Emmy Snub and Hollywood’s Misunderstanding of Martial Arts Action
Tag: China
Into the Badlands S3E1 – Some Quick Thoughts
Season 3, Episode 1: Enter the Phoenix Wow. What a season opener! I was thinking of writing something after each episode, but don’t want to make it too long either, so here’s where I landed. My goal will be to post some hopefully-weekly quick thoughts about what stands out, no more than 2-3 days after each … Continue reading Into the Badlands S3E1 – Some Quick Thoughts
An Appeal to Chinese Martial Arts Cinema
So I finally watched Yuen Woo Ping’s True Legend (2010) last night and had a thought. Well, I had many thoughts, most of them negative, but one main thought. Martial arts cinema – especially from Mainland China – seems to be adapting to the requirements of a globalized cinema audience in all the wrong ways … Continue reading An Appeal to Chinese Martial Arts Cinema
A Few Thoughts on Storytelling in Chinese Cinema
Just a quick post to briefly share/develop some thoughts on the current state of entertainment cinema in the People’s Republic of China. This is a result of my own ongoing research interests in the mainstream film industry of Mainland China as well as what I’ve read in some articles recently. One of the things … Continue reading A Few Thoughts on Storytelling in Chinese Cinema
China’s Homegrown Hit Films Don’t Need to Come Overseas
My sister shared this article with me today titled “China’s Homegrown Hit Films Getting Lost Overseas” and it made me want to offer somewhat of a response. Not because I think it’s wrong, but because I think there are other variables that continue to be ignored in these kinds of articles. So really, this response … Continue reading China’s Homegrown Hit Films Don’t Need to Come Overseas
BACK TO 1942 or: FLOWERS OF WAR 2
I recently read a film review, which I’ll discuss more below, and wanted to jot down some thoughts that I’ll probably return to and expand later. A lot of this connects back to issues I've discussed before. Do you know about Feng Xiaogang? He’s widely referred to as the PRC’s “Box Office King,” with almost … Continue reading BACK TO 1942 or: FLOWERS OF WAR 2
Keanu Reeves and the Future of Martial Arts Cinema
I am a fan of Keanu Reeves. The Bill and Ted movies and cartoons were a childhood favorite. Speed blew my mind, and I’ll never forget that movie’s score. I walked out of The Devil’s Advocate (I was way too young and should have never been allowed in that theater in the first place!). And … Continue reading Keanu Reeves and the Future of Martial Arts Cinema
THE FLOWERS OF WAR: A Non-Review
...or, The Eternal Burden of Chinese Cinema The other day I finally got around to watching Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War. It was alright. Christian Bale and Chinese movies are pretty high up on my list of favorite things, so the film didn’t have to try very hard to keep me interested. There are … Continue reading THE FLOWERS OF WAR: A Non-Review
On Historicizing Chinese Cinema
I recently read Lucy Montgomery’s China’s Creative Industries: Copyright, Social Network Markets and the Business of Culture in a Digital Age (2010). The book traces China’s shift from state-controlled cultural production and consumption to the rise of what she dubs “entrepreneurial consumers” in the country. What I really liked about this book was its treatment … Continue reading On Historicizing Chinese Cinema