News

From his secret lair deep within the South American jungle, international super-villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) and his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin) reveal their latest diabolical plot for world domination: ten beautiful women are infected with an ancient poison so deadly that one kiss from their lips will bring instant death and lead to a global plague. Now the Asian madman’s nemesis, Nayland Smith (Richard Greene), must desperately hunt an antidote in a savage land where rape and torture reign and the ultimate evil lies in 1968’s The Blood of Fu Manchu.

For 1969’s The Castle of Fu Manchu, Lee returns as the diabolical super-villain, who, along with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang, creates a fiendish new chemical weapon that will turn the seas into a giant block of ice. But when his archenemy Nayland Smith tracks the madman’s trail of kidnapping, murder and massive global destruction,...

1968’s The Blood of Fu Manchu and 1969’s The Castle of Fu Manchu will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on July 29 from Blue Underground.

They’re the final two films in which horror legend Christopher Lee plays the titular Chinese supervillain, preceded by 1965’s The Face of Fu Manchu, 1966’s The Brides of Fu Manchu, and 1967’s The Vengeance of Fu Manchu.

Both movies are directed by Jess Franco (Vampyros Lesbos) and written and produced by Harry Alan Towers (The Mangler).

They’ve each been newly restored in 4K from the uncut original camera negatives with Dolby Vision Hdr and DTS-hd Master Audio.

Also known as Kiss and Kill and Against All Odds, The Blood of Fu Manchu co-stars Tsai Chin, Maria Perschy, Howard Marion-Crawford, and Richard Greene.

Special Features:

Audio Commentary with Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson (new) The Rise of Fu Manchu – Interviews with Director Jess Franco,...

There's an interesting parallel between 1997's "Batman & Robin" and 2002's "Die Another Day." The former almost killed off the Batman cinematic saga before it had even existed for more than a decade, while Pierce Brosnan's swan song as James Bond almost put an end to what had been, ever since 1962's "Dr. No," cinema's most enduring franchise. Then, in 2005, Batman got what became known as a "gritty reboot," with Christopher Nolan reinventing the iconic hero for his "Batman Begins" origin story. The following year, Bond would get the same treatment, with what remains the best Bond movie ever made: "Casino Royale."

Both movies turned around flailing franchises, and both movies took a more grounded approach to their protagonist, ditching much of the traditions that had come to define both franchises in order to introduce something truly fresh. In 007's case, Daniel Craig gave us all a version...

The box office record-breaking success of "Wicked" is once again proving the crowd-pleasing chops of Jon M. Chu, who had previously demonstrated them via the massive success of a certain swanky romantic comedy to which he was connected long before becoming its director. Based on the eponymous novel by Kevin Kwan, 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians" topped the box office in its release week and went on to gross over $239 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. It's safe to say that it's a movie with a lot of fans.

Thankfully, there are several other films you can queue up if you count yourself as one of those fans. Whether you're drawn to the perfectly executed rom-com plotting, to the Asian American representation, to the themes of familial displacement and culture clash between North America and Asia, to the snarky sense of humor, or to the ritz and sumptuousness of the wedding...

Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel Three-Body Problem is being adapted into a new movie. The movie will be helmed by Hero and The Great Wall director Zhang Yimou. The movie will likely have to compete with the upcoming seasons of Netflix's splashy adaptation 3 Body Problem.

Three-Body Problem is being adapted into a new movie. The 2008 Liu Cixin sci-fi novel, which follows multiple timelines of Earth's interactions with extraterrestrials, is the first installment in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. Most recently, the novel has been adapted into a Netflix show created by Alexander Woo with Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. 3 Body Problem season 2 and season 3 have already been renewed, allowing the show to adapt the complete trilogy.

Per Deadline, a new adaptation of the Three-Body Problem novel was announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival by Enlight Media chairman Wang Changtian. The movie,...

The new Netflix series 3 Body Problem is continuing to tell the story of its first season through some “additional episodes” that the streamer has ordered, which will seemingly segue into new seasons as the show has been renewed for two more. The 3 Body Problem was the title of the first novel in Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. The second novel was titled The Dark Forest and the third was Death’s End. The first season of 3 Body Problem did pull in a sizeable audience, but the show wasn’t exactly the massive hit Netflix was hoping it would be, especially when you factor in the price tag of over $20 million per episode.

The property will now also be getting a feature film treatment as Deadline has revealed that renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, known for the Jet Li film Hero and the Matt Damon...

When Game of Thrones TV series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss set out to craft an epic series called 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of a trilogy of sci-fi novels written by Chinese author Liu Cixin, for the Netflix streaming service, they were hoping to get four seasons out of the material. But when the first season of 3 Body Problem started streaming in March and pulled in a sizeable but underwhelming number of views, some began to question whether or not Netflix would want any more episodes of the big budget show. Now The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Netflix has indeed ordered more episodes – but just enough to allow Benioff, Weiss, and co-creator Alexander Woo to wrap up the story. Exactly how many episodes that will be has not yet been revealed.

The showrunners provided the following statement: “We’re thrilled that we get to tell...

Netflix's 3 Body Problem adaptation premiered recently, but the creators are already looking forward to the future. Coming from the creators of Game of Thrones, D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, and True Blood's Alexander Woo, all already familiar with adapting a multiple-book story, the trio addressed what the future would look like for the show.

3 Body Problem is already a huge hit on streaming, which could translate into further seasons. Before its release on Netflix, 3 Body Problem had its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival, where it was very well received. The series is based on Liu Cixin's bestselling trilogy, and has already been adapted into a series in China. However, the creators have big plans for the show.

Related Game of Thrones Star Addresses Shockingly Different Role in Netflix's 3 Body Problem John Bradley comments on his role in 3 Body Problem...

Game of Thrones TV series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are now set to bring viewers an epic Netflix series called 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of a trilogy of sci-fi novels written by Chinese author Liu Cixin. The premiere date for this one is March 21st – and with that date just two weeks away, a final trailer for the show has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above.

The 3 Body Problem was the title of the first novel in Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. The second novel was titled The Dark Forest and the third Death’s End. The novels tell the story of what happens when humanity discovers that we are not alone in the universe and prepares for an alien force arriving from a distant and inhospitable world. The title refers to the aliens’ star system, which...

Game of Thrones TV series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are now working on bringing viewers an epic Netflix series called 3 Body Problem, an adaptation of a trilogy of sci-fi novels written by Chinese author Liu Cixin – and a teaser trailer has arrived online to not only show us some dazzling imagery from the show, but also to reveal that it’s going to reach the Netflix streaming service sometime in January of 2024! You can watch the teaser trailer in the embed above.

The 3 Body Problem was the title of the first novel in Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. The second novel was titled The Dark Forest and the third Death’s End. The novels tell the story of what happens when humanity discovers that we are not alone in the universe and prepares for an alien force arriving from a distant and inhospitable world.

The best new movies on Peacock offer a mix of genres and eras for audiences. Peacock is the rookie of streaming services, only gaining its start in 2020. However, Peacock is in full swing, regularly releasing a host of great movies from a variety of time periods and genres. It doesn't seem like it'll be long until Peacock is right up there with the big dogs such as Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. Every month, Peacock adds a huge crop of movies on the first, then sprinkles more new releases throughout the following weeks to keep streamers with plenty of new content.

While many of Peacock's television shows are original content for the streaming service, the movies are more likely to be classic favorites. May 2023 is full of such favorites as the streamer updates its catalog with what are known as "library" movies, not new releases. There is a healthy mix...

Edward Yang began filmmaking while he was in his 30’s, and died of cancer at the young age of 59. Throughout his all-too-brief filmography, the seven full-length titles he produced are arguably some of the most retrospective films to ever grace the world theater. Yang’s sophomore feature film ‘Taipei Story’ is no exception; working alongside prolific director Hsiao-Hsien Hou, this depiction of young adults navigating a dreadfully uncertain new time is so universally relatable that even viewers in 2021 are bound to experience a palpable sense of melancholy throughout its two hour runtime.

“Taipei Story“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival

Set in mid-80’s Taiwan, ‘Taipei Story’ tells the tale of childhood-sweetheart-turned-adult lovers Lung (in a rare acting performance from Hou Hsiao-Hsien) and Chin as they try to build a life for themselves. Lung is a washed out former member of a Little League baseball team who compromises...

Amy Tan's iconic exploration of identity, friendship, and womanhood is getting the sequel treatment. In collaboration with Oscar-winning screenwriter Ron Bass, the bestselling author is releasing a sequel to 1993's "The Joy Luck Club," inspired by her 1989 novel of the same name. Like the original movie, the new film - which will also be produced by Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment Group and producer Jeff Kleeman - will tell the multigenerational story of Chinese and Chinese American mothers and daughters as their lives intertwine. Expanding on the source material, the sequel will also see the daughters become mothers and the mothers become grandmothers, adding a new generation of women to the saga.

"Now more than ever it is important to share authentic stories about the Asian-American experience."

"I am thrilled to work with Amy, Ron and Jeff to bring this special film to the screen," Amritraj told Deadline.

A sequel to “The Joy Luck Club” is on its way.

According to Variety, novelist Amy Tan and screenwriter Ron Bass are working on the upcoming flick, which will be a followup to the 1993 movie.

A synopsis for the groundbreaking, ’90s Asian-American film reads, “Four Chinese women along with their mothers delve into their past and try to find answers. Slowly, this search helps them to understand the complex relationship they share with each other.”

The original flick starred Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, and Kieu Chinh, as well as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, and more.

The sequel will see “the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture, heritage, love, womanhood and identity,” Variety reports.

Read More: Meghan Markle’s Podcast Returns To Unpack Misrepresented ‘Caricatures’ Of Asian Women In Film And Media

The...

Almost 30 years after the original’s 1993 release, a sequel to The Joy Luck Club is on the way. Amy Tan and Ron Bass will write the script, with Jeff Kleeman and Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment Group producing. The original film, directed by Wayne Wang, focuses on the life histories of four East Asian women and their daughters. Through their richly-detailed life experiences, the women pass their knowledge onto a new generation, hoping to shape them into strong and independent individuals. Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, Ming-Na Wen, and Lauren Tom, who starred in the original, are in talks to reprise their roles for The Joy Luck Club sequel.

The Joy Luck Club is a well-respected film often credited with changing the face of Asian cinema. The heartfelt drama helped launch the career of Ming-Na Wen, the badass you know from Marvel’s Agents of S.

“The Joy Luck Club” is reconvening for a sequel three decades after the adaptation of Amy Tan’s award-winning novel became a milestone for Asian American representation onscreen.

Tan and “The Joy Luck Club” screenwriter Ron Bass are teaming up to develop the project, with Tan, Jeff Kleeman and Hyde Park Entertainment Group’s Ashok Amritraj and Priya Amritraj producing. A director has not yet been named.

The original leading cast of the Wayne Wang-directed film – which included Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita, Lisa Lu, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom and Ming-Na Wen – are in talks to star.

Also Read:

Randall Park’s Directorial Debut ‘Shortcomings’ Sets Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki as Stars

Released in 1993, “The Joy Luck Club” revolved around a San Francisco-based group of Chinese immigrant mothers and their Chinese American daughters who navigate the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships, cultural...

Novelist Amy Tan and Oscar-winning “Rain Man” screenwriter Ron Bass are on board to deliver a sequel to “The Joy Luck Club,” the 1993 movie that broke new ground for Asian American representation.

The new film, “Joy Luck Club 2,” is set up at Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group, with Ashok and Priya Amritraj producing alongside Tan, Bass and Jeff Kleeman. A director hasn’t been announced yet.

The original “Joy Luck Club,” directed by Wayne Wang, was an epic, multigenerational saga of Chinese and Chinese-American mothers and daughters, whose histories, stories and lives interweave as they navigate life. Club members included characters played by Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu and Kieu Chinh. The ensemble cast also included Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao and Russell Wong.

In “Joy Luck Club 2,” the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture,...

Eiza González is getting ready to put up her dukes as she prepares to join the cast of La Máquina, Hulu‘s limited series that takes place inside the squared circle. González joins Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, who already star in the Spanish-speaking series. According to La Máquina’s official synopsis, the story follows an aging boxer (García Bernal) whose crafty manager (Luna) secures him one last shot at a title. But to make it to fight night, they must navigate a mysterious underworld force.

According to her character’s description, González will play Irasema, an aspiring sports journalist who approaches boxing as more of an art form. She’s the ex-wife of Esteban (García Bernal), who she still deeply cares for, and mother to their two children. She’s known Esteban and Andy (Luna) since they were teenagers.

González stars in various fan-favorite films, including Edgar Wright...

Exclusive: The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions announced the four winners of the inaugural Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge, which awards a 15,000 production grant to four Aapi women or non-binary filmmakers.

Selected from a pool of over 400 applicants, four grantees will be offered networking opportunities with Emmy and Golden Globe-winning producer Janet Yang and the Cape network, as well as the chance to submit films to potential buyers and platforms.

Julia S. Gouw, a former member of the board of directors of East West Bancorp, Inc. and East West Bank, helped fund the Short Film Challenge to uplift Aapi and non-binary filmmakers.

“There was no better team than Janet [Yang] and the all-women-led team at Cape to fulfill my vision to create more representation in the Aapi community,” Gouw said. “I hope this Film Challenge will provide more opportunities, particularly for Aapi women and non-binary filmmakers,...

“The 3-Body Problem” series at Netflix has officially added a dozen cast members, Variety has learned.

The cast now includes: Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Tsai Chin, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly (“Dare Me”), Alex Sharp (“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”), Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng, Saamer Usmani, and Benedict Wong.

News of the castings comes a little over a year after the series was first announced in September 2020. It is based on the award-winning Chinese book series of the same name, with the series order covering all three books — “The Three-Body Problem,” “The Dark Forest,” and “Death’s End.” All three books were written by Liu Cixin. They tell the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization

“Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss co-created the series under their Netflix overall deal. They will also serve as co-showrunners and executive producers.

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, a series adaptation of Liu Cixin’s sci-fi trilogy, has set a cast of 12 actors including Benedict Wong (Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Tsai Chin (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Game of Thrones alums John Bradley and Liam Cunningham. The series hails from Game of Thrones‘ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who serve as showrunners and executive producers under their overall deal with Netflix. Alexander Woo co-created the series with the GoT duo and will serve as executive producer and writer under his deal with Netflix.

Also joining the cast are Jovan Adepo (When They See Us), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Jess Hong (Inked: The Brokenwood Mysteries), Marlo Kelly (Dare Me), Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Sea Shimooka (Arrow), Zine Tseng and Saamer Usmani (The Mauritanian).

3 Body Problem is a dramatic series inspired by...

Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi drama 3 Body Problem has announced its first castmembers.

The series from Emmy-winning showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss (Game of Thrones) revealed 12 actors who have signed on for key roles.

Here they are in alphabetical order:

Jovan Adepo (Watchmen; When They See Us; Fences)

John Bradley (Game of Thrones; upcoming Moonfall; Marry Me)

Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma; Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Liam Cunningham (The Last Voyage of the Demeter; Game of Thrones; Hunger)

Eiza González (Baby Driver; I Care A Lot; Ambulance)

Jess Hong (Inked; The Brokenwood Mysteries)

Marlo Kelly (Dare Me)

Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

Sea Shimooka (Pink Skies Ahead; Arrow; Berlin)

Zine Tseng (Her series ...

Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi drama 3 Body Problem has announced its first cast members.

The series from Emmy-winning showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss (Game of Thrones) revealed 12 actors that have signed on for key roles.

Here they are in alphabetical order:

Jovan Adepo (Watchmen; When They See Us; Fences)

John Bradley (Game of Thrones; upcoming Moonfall; Marry Me)

Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma; Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Liam Cunningham (The Last Voyage of the Demeter; Game of Thrones; Hunger)

Eiza González (Baby Driver; I Care A Lot; Ambulance)

Jess Hong (Inked; The Brokenwood Mysteries)

Marlo Kelly (Dare Me)

Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

Sea Shimooka (Pink Skies Ahead; Arrow; Berlin)

Zine Tseng (Her ...

Spoiler alert: This post contains massive spoilers from “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

“Shang-Chi and the Legends of the 10 Rings,” Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead and cast, is full of cultural and mythological references.

While the titular “Legend of the 10 Rings” is a tale created for the film, other elements are rooted in Chinese culture — both traditional and modern.

Here are the Chinese customs from “Shang-Chi” explained, in order of appearance:

Breakfast porridge

When Shaun (Simu Liu) visits Katy (Awkwafina), he joins the family for breakfast. Rather than cereal, they eat rice porridge, also called jook or congee. A simple and plain dish, jook is often paired with youtiao (Chinese donuts). Before entering their house, Shaun removes his shoes outside — a common custom in Asian households. The reason? To not track in outside dirt and grime. Oftentimes, residents will wear house slippers for use indoors only.

Gold Open has partnered with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment Cape to launch the inaugural Gold List which honors the most outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander (Api) achievements in film each year. Gold Open is part of Gold House, which bolsters multicultural movies to box office success — most notably, the movement brought shine to Parasite and Crazy Rich Asians.

Gold List was created to move the needle forward in regards to the fair inclusion of APIs in mainstream media by helping Api films secure major award nominations and recognition — and it’s about time. With anti-Asian racism surging during the pandemic, a celebration of this kind is more than welcomed to help eclipse all the toxicity faced by Asians as well as other underrepresented voices. It should be noted that Asians are the fastest-growing immigrant population, have higher-than-average consumers of digital media, and the second most-frequent moviegoers per year.

The Washington Post corrected a photo caption on Monday that misidentified nearly every actress in a photograph from the seminal 1993 film “The Joy Luck Club.”

The piece, “Why ‘The Joy Luck Club’ is the most interesting — and frustrating — addition to the National Film Registry this year,” featured Kieu Chinh, Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom, Lisa Lu and Rosalind Chao in a still taken from the film.

But when the piece was first published, the caption misidentified the actresses in order as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Ming-Na Wen, Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen and Lauren Tom.

“‘From left,’ nearly every name is incorrect. Tsai Chin seems to be the only one they accidentally got right,” Phil Yu, who runs the Angry Asian Man Twitter account, tweeted on Monday alongside a screenshot of the original caption.

The Post corrected the mistake, saying, “An earlier...

Three cheers for Lucky Grandma . Even if, as it turns out, she is not quite as lucky as she thought. Still, it is good to see a film that celebrates the contrary and cantankerous older woman and this one delivers on the contrariety and cantankerousness in spades. Or maybe eights, her lucky number, from which follows the rest.

Grandma (Tsai Chin) has not had an easy life. Her husband has passed on, leaving her nothing. Her well-meaning son would like to look after her, but such care comes at a price: her independence!

Still, her favourite fortune teller informs her that she is about to experience great good fortune, so she withdraws all her savings and heads off on a bus, with other hopeful oldsters, to her local casino. At first all goes well. Betting on eight throughout, she multiplies her initial stake many times over. But then disaster strikes and.

Former Bond girl Tsai Chin confounds expectations brilliantly as an older woman who gets mixed up with the Chinese mafia

Sentimentalising, patronising and generally disrespecting our elders is by now enough of a movie trope that any title including the words “grandma” or “grandpa” causes an involuntary shudder. That Lucky Grandma isn’t one of those films is mostly down to its star, Tsai Chin, whose many attributes include the ability to conduct full conversations with a lit cigarette suspended from her bottom lip. One look at Grandma’s stern face tells us she did not come to play.

Related: Tsai Chin: 'What was it like being in bed with Sean Connery? Fine'...

From Bond girl to badass grandmas, Tsai Chin has had an extraordinary career. She talks about her battles with racism, predatory producers – and farting leopards

‘I have lived on my own since 1963,” says Tsai Chin down the phone from her home in Los Angeles. “It doesn’t mean I haven’t had a sex life.” But it does mean that the 87-year-old actor brings something special to her latest role as a beguilingly irascible, chain-smoking widow who faces down triad thugs over stolen money in the comedy Lucky Grandma. Apart from the smoking, Grandma Wong is my new role model.

“I’m tough but my heart is very soft,” she says. And that is the key to Grandma Wong, a woman who projects to the world the opposite of what she is inside. In the film, she has a shrine to her late husband in her meagre Chinatown apartment in New York.

The Fu Manchu Cycle—1965-1969

Blu ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1965 – 1969 / 96, 93, 91, 94, 92 min. / 2:33:1, 1:85, 1:66

Starring Christoper Lee, Tsai Chin

Cinematography by Ernest Steward, John Von Kotze, Manuel Merino

Directed by Don Sharp, Jeremy Summers, Jesús Franco

Arthur Henry Ward was born in Birmingham in 1883—at the age of 20 he adopted the pen name of Sax Rohmer, specializing in standard issue crime fiction and otherworldly tales of terror. In 1912 he folded both genres into one sinister figure from the East, a so-called “devil doctor” named Fu Manchu. The book covers alone were xenophobic horror shows and if there was any doubt the stories themselves were wildly racist, the author confirmed it in the description of his star villain: “the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man.”

An authority on philosophy, medicine, and idiosyncratic torture devices, Manchu made his debut in The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu which was quickly followed by The Return of Dr.

All bets are off as acting veteran Tsai Chin swindles a ruthless gang in wildly chaotic crime-ridden comedy “Lucky Grandma“.

Fast-paced and full of heart, laughs and wicked black humour set in the belly of New York’s Chinatown, “Lucky Grandma” tells the story of a cardigan clad, chain-smoking Chinese grandma who, in an attempt to get some cash, goes all in at a casino but lands herself on the wrong side of luck and the law. Having gambled away more than just chips after stealing money from a dead criminal boss, ‘Grandma’ hires a rival gangland bodyguard to protect her from a band of violent crooks who are hot on her tail and ready to reclaim the loot.

With a film career stretching back to the fifties, actor Tsai Chi starred alongside Christopher Lee in the cult favourite “Fu Manchu”-film series, was a Bond girl alongside Sean Connery...

Rob the Mob: Sealy Pushes a Grandmother into a Gang War in Enjoyable, Slight Debut

Geriatrics involved in criminal activities have become something of a comedic niche, though examples showcasing them, or cinematic senior citizens in any capacity, are few and far between. The numbers dwindle even further by various intersectionality, and so something like Lucky Grandma, which allows actress Tsai Chin one of her most notable performances in a lengthy filmography, definitely feels like an anomaly for many reasons.

The directorial debut of Sasie Sealy, co-written by first-time scribe Angela Cheng, showcases an elderly Chinese woman in the teeming microcosm of New York City’s Chinatown and.is…...

If last year’s massively successful “The Farewell” taught the film industry anything, it’s that American audiences have an appetite for stories that haven’t been seen before. Lulu Wang’s debut feature was a major boon for Asian-American indie film, and Wang’s success an inspiration to all marginalized filmmakers. While it may seem reductive to compare two films directed by Chinese-American women, both films revolve around a Nai Nai, the Mandarin word for “grandma.” Of course, where Wang’s Nai Nai was sweet and naive, the Nai Nai in “Lucky Grandma” is a grizzled, cantankerous chainsmoker — and a total badass.

The feature debut of filmmaker Sasie Sealy, “Lucky Grandma” is This is precise and confident filmmaking, and if there is any justice in Hollywood, Sealy’s name will soon be as ubiquitous as Wang’s. Co-written with Angela Cheng, Sealy’s dynamic script is deeply funny, heartfelt,...

Traditionally, the long Memorial Day weekend is the territory where Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies — or else massive tentpoles such as “Mission: Impossible” and “Aladdin” — plant the stake for a blockbuster summer season. But there’s nothing traditional about the release schedule this year. With the coronavirus pandemic still posing a public health threat, Hollywood studios are holding their big offerings for a future date. But there are still a few big-budget movies to watch — including “The Lovebirds” and Mary J. Blige’s “Body Cam” — and no shortage of smaller streaming titles. Here are the week’s new releases, with excerpts from reviews and links to where you can watch them.

High-profile on-demand studio and indie offerings:

Body Cam (Malik Vitthal)

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Where to Find It: Rent on Amazon, iTunes and other on-demand platforms.

With the ongoing coverage of the killing of Kentucky Emt Breonna Taylor by Louisville police,...

Director and cinematographer Benjamin Ree injected his deep interest with art theft in his latest feature The Painter and the Thief, which drops in virtual cinemas as well as VOD platforms starting Friday.

The documentary debuted at Sundance earlier this year and went on to win the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Storytelling before being acquired by Neon. In the film, two paintings by Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova are stolen from an Oslo art gallery. The thieves are identified with a quickness but the paintings are nowhere to be found.

Barbora reaches out to one of the thieves (Karl-Bertil Nordland) and she ends up painting a portrait of him. After a series of portraits the two form a bond and become unlikely friends.

“I’ve always been fascinated with art theft,” said Ree. “I think it’s because of the contrasts. The socially elevated art industry with...

Chicago – Both the Music Box Theatre and the Gene Siskel Film Center have continued their at-home screenings, due to the physical theaters having to close during the pandemic quarantine. Below are the updates to their current offerings.

Music Box Theatre Presents Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 6, Alice, Deerskin, Straight Up, Lucky Grandma and Magnolia Pictures Documentaries

Chicagoland Shorts Vol 6

Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com

The Music Box Theatre will get a percentage of the proceeds from any screening. Click site link below for details.

Scheduled: Now until the theater re-opens.

Description: Chicagoland Shorts Vol 6 is the annual Windy City overview of local short films works, presented by Full Spectrum Productions. See the Music Box website for a list of the films.

Alice Emilie Piponnier is the perfect wife and mother, living happily with her husband Francois and their son in an apartment in Paris. When her credit cards are declined one day while shopping,...

Two women, of different ages, cultural backgrounds, and different time periods, in New York, form a tidy lesson in tableau poster design.  The first, coming at you with bold yellow typesetting, is Lucky Grandma, where "an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck - and in the middle of a gang war in New York City's Chinatown." Key lighting on Tsai Chin, in a cramped kitchen sitting on the floor with a lot of band-wrapped stacks of cash. That's an easy sell in the 'would you like to know more?' department. Even though 'old lady with a huge windfall of cash' is a great hook. The red shopping bag, which curiously dominates the frame,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

In today’s film news roundup, the documentary “House of Cardin” and crime thriller “Devil’s Night” find distributors and “Lucky Grandma” is raising funds for New York Chinatown.

Acquisitions

Utopia has acquired the North American rights to the fashion documentary “House of Cardin” by filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes.

The film, centering on the life and work of designer and entrepreneur Pierre Cardin, held its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and was set for a North American tour at the San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, and Seattle Film Festivals before the widespread Covid-19 cancellations and postponements.

Ebersole and Hughes produced under their banner, The Ebersole Hughes Company, alongside Cori Coppola. Utopia will release the film in August ahead of September’s New York Fashion Week and a subsequent Paris premiere hosted by Cardin himself.

“’House of Cardin’ brings a fresh understanding of just how incredibly groundbreaking...

A grandma gets caught in a Chinatown gang war after stumbling on a bag full of money. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, or the premise of an unexpectedly thrilling neo-noir directed by Sasie Sealy. Thankfully, Lucky Grandma is the latter, though this heist movie is not without laughs. Tsai Chin stars as the recently widowed […]

The post ‘Lucky Grandma’ Trailer: Tsai Chin’s Gambling Widow Gets Caught in a Chinatown Gang War appeared first on /Film.

"Why do these messy things keep happening?" Good Deed Ent. has debuted the first official trailer for a film called Lucky Grandma, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Sasie Sealy. This already premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, and also played at the London, Montana, Leiden, Hawaii, and San Diego Asian Film Festivals last fall. Set in New York City's Chinatown, an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandma goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck - and in the middle of a gang war. Starring Tsai Chin as the titular "lucky grandma", along with Wai Ching Ho, Hsiao-Yuan Ha (aka Corey Ha), Michael Tow, Woody Fu, Yan Xi, and Clem Cheung. Okayyy, whaaat?! This looks so badass! A Chinese Grandma taking on everyone and giving no f**ks about it. I'm down. Respect your elders! Here's the first official Us trailer for Sasie Sealy's Lucky Grandma,...

Sometimes it's the people you least expect who have the most cash. And the most trouble! Therefore, from its new trailer, we can anticipate that the titular character in Lucky Grandma will experience a bit of trouble before she can reap the rewards she has earned. Newly-widowed Grandma (Tsai Chin) may be 80 years of age, yet she is determined to live on her own as an independent woman. One day, "a local fortune teller (Wai Ching Ho) predicts a most auspicious day in her future," according to the official synopsis. Does trouble follow? You betcha. "Grandma decides to head to the casino and goes all in, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck ... suddenly attracting the attention of some local...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Good Deed Entertainment is partnering with the Kino Marquee virtual theatrical exhibition platform as part of buying worldwide distribution rights to the black comedy “Lucky Grandma.”

Showings will begin on May 22 through more than 200 theatrical partner sites on KinoMarquee, including the Alamo Drafthouse and Laemmle Theater chains. The movie, starring Tsai Chin as a chain-smoking grandmother, is the feature directorial debut of Sasie Sealy.

“Lucky Grandma” held its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival as the second recipient of the AT&T Presents: Untold Stories $1 million grant initiative and went on to an international premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

Set in New York’s Chinatown, Chin portrays an ornery, newly-widowed 80-year-old eager to live life as an independent woman, despite her family’s concern. When a local fortune teller (Wai Ching Ho) predicts a most auspicious day in her future, she decides to head to the casino, only...

While Lulu Wang’s emotional family drama “The Farewell” may have broken through last year, and upcoming comic book adaptations “Birds of Prey” (by Cathy Yan) and “The Eternals” (from Chloé Zhao) spell fresh opportunities for filmmakers of Chinese descent in 2020, a rollicking little follow-the-money caper called “Lucky Grandma” from first-time feature director Sasie Sealy and co-writer Angela Cheng proves there are plenty more emerging Chinese American talents just waiting for their shot. All it takes is a little good fortune — and the support of a few encouraging festivals, like the Tribeca team that gave this film a boost — and they should be on their way.

, Sealy’s high-attitude debut stars Tsai Chin of “The Joy Luck Club” as a surly, age-toughened widow who, reluctant to accept that it’s time to move in with her son (Eddie Yu), follows her fortuneteller’s advice and takes her life savings to the casino.

It’s no secret that Asians are woefully underrepresented in American Cinema, but that thinking has started to shift in the last few years. This is especially true afer the majority-Asian cast Crazy Rich Asians became the most successful rom-com in decades. According to Vice.com, there are a slew of blockbuster movies coming out soon with Asian lead characters. We’re even about to see our first Asian Marvel Super Hero. In the past, Hollywood has seen backlash for constantly whitewashing films, removing Asian actors from source materials and casting white Americans to take their places. It seems that Hollywood is starting to see the power of the Asian American market. Here are 6 Asian actors who have appeared in gambling and casino movies over the years.

#1. Aaron Yoo

Aaron Yoo is a Korean American actor who was born in Dallas, TX. He has been in several feature films such as Disturbia,...

Abominable has been frozen out of theaters in Vietnam.

The animated adventure from DreamWorks Animation and Shanghai-based Pearl Studios ran afoul of the Vietnamese government because of a map in the film illustrating China’s claims to a vast portion of the South China Sea, the BBC reported Monday.

The scene that touched off the controversy shows what’s known as China’s “nine dash line” in the background.

Journalist Mike Tatarski tweeted a picture of the scene.

'Abominable,' the animated movie produced by Dreamworks & Shanghai-based Pearl Studio, has been pulled from theaters in Vietnam after viewers noticed a map apparently depicting China's 9-dash line in the East Sea. (Screenshot & 'X' via Zing.) pic.twitter.com/S2OUR6xyu2

— Mike Tatarski (@miketatarski) October 14, 2019

China and Vietnam have been locked in a dispute over the sea, and tensions escalated in July when the Chinese conducted an energy survey in waters Vietnam claims.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada’s premier pan-Asian festival, today announced its full 2019 programming lineup which will offer festival goers the opportunity to experience the evolution of Asian representation in cinema. First, the Festival will pay tribute to the past with a 100th anniversary screening of the silent film classic The Dragon Painter. Stephen Gong, film historian and Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media will bring the film to Reel Asian for a special screening, presented with a live performance of a reimagined score by singer-songwriter Goh Nakamura. Then, looking to the future of storytelling in media, the Festival presents East of the Rockies, an augmented reality (Ar) experience written by one of Canada’s most acclaimed and celebrated literary figures, Joy Kogawa. The Reel Asian Film Festival will take place November 7 to 15, 2019. For the full programming lineup and ticket information, visit reelasian.

After its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, an 85-year-old grandma is now conquering the London Film Festival. The charming dark comedy “Lucky Grandma” is a pleasant addition to the recent stream of American films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Farewell”, representing both the Asian Community and women in the cinema industry. Directed with an almost all-female crew by Sasie Sealy, who also co-wrote it with Angela Cheng, the film was aided by the AT&T funding scheme “Untold Stories” that granted $1 million to the lucky project.

“Lucky Grandma” is screening at the BFI London Film Festival 2019

Chain-smoker Grandma Wong (Tsai Chin) lives alone in New York City’s Chinatown despite her son’s insistence to go and live in leafy suburbia with him and his typical Chinese/American family. What he doesn’t really understand is that Grandma is finally having her “me-time” after a life raising the kids,...

Chicago – The changing view on yetis goes to show just how different my childhood was from kids growing up today. Back in my day, yeti’s were elusive creatures meant to be feared, much like Big Foot or Loch Ness. Films like “Smallfoot” and “Abominable” are paving the way towards acceptance were we ever to encounter a yeti, but the latter is more of a step back than forwards.

Rating: 2.5/2.5

It is impossible to completely dislike something that is so morally good and good-hearted. “Abominable” should be stomping into our hearts, but it feels more like it tip-toes past us. The story follows young Yi (Chloe Bennet) as she deals with the grief over the loss of her father by working constantly so that she can save enough money to take the trip they had been planning to take together. Her self-imposed isolation brings her in contact with an escaped...

“Abominable” is edging out its box office competition, following $5.69 million in Friday’s domestic ticket sales.

If estimates hold, the DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio’s co-production should take home around $20 million come Sunday — the biggest opening for an original animated film this year and only the third original film to open at No. 1 in the North American box office (Universal’s “Us” and “Good Boys” also opened in first place).

Written and directed by Jill Culton, “Abominable” follows Chinese teenage Yi who embarks on a journey to the Himalayas after discovering a lost Yeti named Everest on the roof of her apartment building. Chloe Bennet voices Yi alongside fellow cast members Joseph Izzo, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin and Michelle Wong.

Coming in second place is last weekend’s winner “Downton Abbey,” which continues to hold strong in its sophomore outing with $4.3 million in Friday’s ticket sales.

Animated adventure film “Abominable” is heading for a moderate but dominant $18 million opening weekend at 4,242 North American sites, early estimates showed on Friday.

The second weekend of Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey” is leading the rest of the pack with about $14 million, which will give the big-screen version of the British TV drama around $58 million in its first 10 days. A trio of holdovers are battling for third place in the $9 million to $11 million range: Stx’s third weekend of “Hustlers,” Disney-Fox’s second frame of Brad Pitt’s “Ad Astra” and Warner Bros.’ fourth session of horror sequel “It: Chapter Two,” which will finish the weekend with about $192 million domestically in its first 24 days.

“Abominable,” produced by Universal’s DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studios, is coming at the middle of the range of pre-release forecasts. The film centers on the relationship between a modern Chinese teenager and a Yeti...