James Marsh
Asian Editor;
Hong Kong, China
Originally from England, James has lived in Hong Kong since 2001. He is a programmer for Fantastic Fest, pretty nifty with a pair of chopsticks, yet harbours no aspirations to learn kung fu. When not attending film festivals, watching films, writing about films, or shopping online for Blurays, James is most likely out drinking somewhere, hogging the karaoke mic. Either that or he's asleep and snoring loudly, but that rarely happens. There are just too many films that remain unwatched and not enough hours in the day.
Johnnie To Sees Red in First BLIND DETECTIVE Teaser
Hong Kong's Johnnie To is showing no signs of restraint in the wake of his violent mainland-based thriller, Drug War, which has its domestic at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival later this week. The first teaser trailer for...
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Could Benny Chan's METAMORPHOSIS Spell Change For Universe?
Scouring the booths at Hong Kong Filmart, I saw that local production house Universe was teasing a couple of upcoming projects. The main focus is on the Pang Brothers' Inferno 3D, starring Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo and Lee Sinje,...
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HKIFF 2013 Review: IP MAN - THE FINAL FIGHT Displays Both Humility and Strength
Herman Yau directs Anthony Wong in this low-key but enjoyable drama focusing on the twilight years of Ip Man's life. Less an action movie than a love letter to 1950s Hong Kong, the film nevertheless cements the man's position as...
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CSI's Archie Kao Joins THE DEATHDAY PARTY
Best known for his role in CSI, American-born actor Archie Kao has signed on to Brightstar Cinema's Chinese thriller The Deathday Party, opposite Anita Yuen and mainland TV star Xiong Naijin. Written, produced and directed by Hang Tse, it follows...
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Review: THE CROODS Survives by its Wits
Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone head the voice cast of Dreamworks' latest animated odyssey, following the world's last surviving family of Neanderthals as they venture forth into an untamed and unexplored prehistoric world. Gorgeous visuals, frantic pacing and a...
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New UK Quad for SIMON KILLER Will Stare You Down!
The glowing reviews are piling up for Antonio Compos' Simon Killer, director of the critically acclaimed Afterschool. Brady Corbet (Melancholia, Martha Marcy May Marlene) stars as the eponymous US college student who heads to Europe looking for excitement following some...
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New Stills and Character Posters for Charlie Young's CHRISTMAS ROSE
Set to hit screens later this year, Christmas Rose sees Hong Kong actress Charlie Young step behind the camera for the first time to direct Aaron Kwok, Gwei Lun Mei and Chang Chen in a high-stakes legal thriller. Gwei plays...
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Get a Glimpse Behind the Scenes of IP MAN: FINAL FIGHT
It is only a matter of a few days now until the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival gets underway, with Herman Yau's Ip Man: Final Fight opening proceedings on Sunday 17 March. Starring Anthony Wong as the legendary wing...
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Review: SAVING GENERAL YANG is Solid with Glimpses of Greatness
Journeyman director Ronny Yu (The Bride With White Hair, Fearless) delivers his first film in seven years, a solid if unremarkable retelling of the legendary Yang family, with sporadic visual flourishes but a lightweight script that fails to develop its...
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Excellent UK Trailer for Murderous Indie SIMON KILLER
Simon Killer, the emotionally compelling and visually stunning new film from Afterschool director Antonio Campos, is coming to UK screens this April, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The film debuted at Sundance last year, where it collected a horde of positive...
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Masters of Cinema Brings Antonioni's LA NOTTE to Blu-ray!
We are huge supporters here of Eureka Entertainment, and reserve special love for their connoisseur label Masters of Cinema, which is proving to be every bit as good as its better-known Trans-Atlantic cousin, The Criterion Collection. In the latest in...
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Review: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING - THE UNTOLD STORY OF 007
When Stevan Riley's new documentary, made as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of James Bond in film, wasn't included as part of the big bumper blu-ray boxset that was released at the same time Skyfall hit cinemas, I was...
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Film4 FrightFest Invites New Filmmakers to TURN OFF YOUR BLOODY PHONE!
Last year's Film4 FrightFest, the UK's biggest genre film festival, caused something of a frenzy with a series of idents produced by a select group of young, upcoming filmmakers. Over the course of the weekend, festival-goers were repeatedly reminded to...
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Teaser For Charlie Young's Directorial Debut CHRISTMAS ROSE
Hong Kong actress Charlie Young, star of Ashes of Time, Seven Swords and most recently Cold War, is soon to unveil Christmas Rose, her directorial debut. Produced by Tsui Hark and Jacob Cheung, and starring Aaron Kwok, Gwei Lun Mei,...
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Full Disclosure: Twitch's Lists of Shame - February (Part 2)
Continued from here...Cinderella (dir. Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson/Hamilton Luske, 1950 USA)Winner of Golden Bear for Best Musical at Berlin International Film Festival, Nominated for 3 Academy Awards, including Best Original Score Charles Webb, Contributing Writer:First, a brief bit of personal biography before...
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Yubari 2013 Awards Round-Up
This weekend saw Japan's hardened genre fans head north to the wintry climes of Hokkaido for the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, an always-excellent parade of established and emerging talent from the country and surrounding region. Just moments ago, the...
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Full Disclosure: Twitch's Lists of Shame - February (Part 1)
The intention for February's edition of Full Disclosure was to acknowledge Valentine's Day and, where possible, have our team of writers tackle a romance from their respective Lists of Shame. Whether that means an epic melodrama like Gone With The...
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IP MAN - THE FINAL FIGHT Opens 37th HKIFF, Full Line-Up Announced
The full line-up of the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival was unveiled today, boasting over 300 titles hailing from 68 different countries and regions around the world. The 17-day festival will open its doors on Sunday, 17 March and...
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John Woo Finally Ready To LOVE AND LET LOVE
In a recent interview, Chinese actress Zhang Zi Yi, currently back in the limelight with the release of her new martial arts epic, The Grandmaster, has confirmed that cameras are finally ready to start rolling on John Woo's much-delayed period...
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China Beat: Re-Tooling Hollywood For The Mainland
Kung Hei Fat Choi. As we welcome in the Year of the Snake, it seems the perfect opportunity to kick start China Beat and bring back my regular reports on the industry and box office in Mainland China. Last time...
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