CELLULOID BURNING

Let the controversy begin… Numbers 20-11 have been revealed from the top 50 Hong Kong films of the decaded as voted by the readers of Lovehkfilm.com and this batch presents equal parts allause and headscratches. 2046 comes in at #20…. and I’m sorry but I really couldn’t stand this movie. I personally feel that when Wong Kar Wai spends too much time on a movie (this and Ashes of Time) he ruminates far too long on his obsessions and the resulting movie tends to drown in them.

On a happier note, there were 3 Johnnie To movies here: Mad Detective, Throwdown and PTU. All great movies… I found the quote from Grady Hendrix in regards to Throwdown to be very on point, “If I had to pick one Johnnie To film to watch forever, this would be it. He’s made better movies, he’s made more successful movies but he’s rarely made a more philosophically dense and moral movie.” Throwdown is a hard movie to describe other than on an intellectual level it doesn’t quite work… but it does and it will stick with you and haunt you.

Lovehkfilm.com Top 50 Hong Kong Films of the Decade #20-11

Another day…another 10 movies.  Kozo over at lovehkfilm.com keeps going and I keep coming back for more. The next set of movies were released today and I am largley in agreement. Every movie here is great and worth a watch. Personally, I wish Election 2 had made it higher as this was #1 on my personal list. Election 2 (and Election 1) are a highwater mark in Hong Kong Cinema. Director Johnnie To is making the most interesting and innovative gangster movies in the world, bar none. It’s refreshing to watch a gangster movie that, in no way, draws any lineage or influence from either the Godfather movies or Goodfellas. The Election movies are gritty and completely unromanticized…hell when was the last time you saw a gangster movie where NO ONE was shot with a gun. Contrary to many a John Woo movie, guns are very rare and almost impossible to comeby in Hong Kong. So when gangsters go after eachother they do it in a much more civilized way…namely with knives, bats and metal poles.

Lovehkfilm.com Top 50 Hong Kong Films of the Decade #30-21

I watched over 60 new films this year, more than 5 a month. This is what I consider the cream of the crop for 2009.

(continue reading…)

The fellas over at AV Club have painstakingly put together a list of the top 50 films of the decade. Their list was well thoughout and well organized. Out hats off to them.

Check out the full article:

AV Club Top 50 Movies of the ’00s

There are a couple head scratchers on both lists, but everyone is entitled to their opinions….never more so than here:

via press release:

BEST OF THE DECADE FILMS REVEALED ON “AT THE MOVIES”

Co-Hosts A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips’ #1 Picks Announced

Burbank, CA (December 28, 2009) – Film critics A.O. (Tony) Scott of the The New York Times and Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune have revealed their individual number one “best of the decade” films on At the Movies. For the past ten consecutive weeks, Scott and Phillips have identified and discussed films that fall into this unprecedented category. With more than 5,000 movies produced over the last ten years, the countdown culminated this past weekend on At the Movies.

A.O. Scott’s “Best of the Decade” Top Ten:
10. MILLION DOLLAR BABY
9. 25TH HOUR
8. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
7. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS
6. THE BEST OF YOUTH
5. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
4. THE PIANIST
3. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
2. A.I.
1. WALL-E

Michael Phillips’ “Best of the Decade” Top Ten:
10. MINORITY REPORT
9. GOSFORD PARK
8. MULHOLLAND DRIVE
7. UNITED 93
6. ZODIAC
5. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
4. ONCE
3. CLIMATES
2. RATATOUILLE
1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD

At the Movies is currently in its 24th season in national syndication. ABC Media Productions oversees production of the series, which is distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The series is produced at WLS-TV in Chicago. Check local listings for time and channel at AtTheMoviesTV.com.

The countdown to number 1 continues. Today we have films #40-31. I am much in agreement with the list so far with the exception of July Rhapsody coming in at #32…sorry should I have put a spoiler warning before that? For those of you who haven’t seen July Rhapsody it is truly an underappreciated gem. It was in my top 10 when I submitted my list and will pop up again in a coming feature.

Check out the updated list below:

Top 50 Hong Kong Films of the Decade #40-31

The Kevin Bacon of martial arts movies is at it again. The man, the myth, the over-actor is set to burn up 2010 with a flurry of martial arts movies including: Ip Man 2, Bodyguards and Assassins, The Legend of Chen Zhen and this 14 Blades due out in early Feb. 14 Blades is directed by Danny Lee, which pretty much promises that the movie will have stars, be polished and probably completely hallow and over-edited. Make your own choices as the trailer is below.

When we think of countries now producing Martial Arts films, China, Japan, and (thanks to Tony Jaa) Thailand come to mind. It may now be time to add Indonesia to the mix. Merantau directed by Gareth Evans is the first modern martial arts film from Indonesia that showcases the not widely known art of Pentjak Silat, specifically Harimau Silat which emulates the stalking postures and actions of a tiger. This is the first film I can recall since the chop socky fantasy films of Barry Prima in the 80’s to showcase silat on the big screen. Here’s the trailer. Enjoy.

A few weeks ago Kozo over at the awesome Lovehkfilm.com polled his readers to vote for the top Hong Kong movies of the decade.  Starting today and going into the new year Kozo will post the next movies leading up to the top 10.

Check out the full article below:

http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/damnyoukozo/category/top-50-movies-of-the-decade/

Yuen Woo-Ping  recently showed off a 3D montoage for his upcoming film, True Legend, due for release in various asian territories on Feb 9 of this coming year.  The film stars Vincent Zhao, star of many Chinese TV series along with the criminially underappreciated and hard to see The Blade by Tsui Hark.  True Legend is the first directorial effor by Yuen since Tai chi 2 in 1996 and is shapping up to be pretty good.

Full article is available at wu-jing.org below:

http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/753-True-Legend-in-3D-Partially.html

Trailer: