AUGUST 27-30, 2006

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27: KUNG FU 101

4:00 PM   COME DRINK WITH ME

(1966, King Hu)

“Rates as one of, if not the greatest, martial arts film of all time.”
– Kung Fu Cinema

Unlike modern martial arts movies, Come Drink with Me features no special effects whatsoever; all the fight scenes are actually performed by the actors. Maybe that’s why this movie is revered as one of the best kung fu movies of all time, 40 years after it first burst on the scene. The fantastic story line doesn’t hurt either: a mysterious swordswoman in drag joins forces with a singing and dancing drunk to defeat the gang that’s kidnapped her brother. Lead actress Zheng Peipei was a mere 16 years old when she appeared in this movie, and later went on to star in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
95 minutes

6:00 PM   FIST OF LEGEND

(1994, Gordon Chan)

“If movies were dogs, Fist of Legend would be a Doberman Pinscher: a sleek, black juggernaut with its ears taped back.”
– YesAsia.com

Fist of Legend features action star Jet Li in a remake of Bruce Lee’s Fist of Legend. And while conventional wisdom says it’s sheer madness to tinker with a masterwork, Gordon Chan managed to make an even better movie. It’s the classic story of a student avenging his master’s death, this time set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the days leading up to World War II. The directors of The Matrix were so impressed by martial arts master Woo-ping Yuen’s work in this movie that they brought him over from Hong Kong to do the fights in their films. By comparison, though, the fight scenes in Fist of Fury make their Hollywood counterparts look like lame schoolyard scuffles.
Dubbed in English. 103 minutes

8:00 PM   JACKIE CHAN'S THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER

(1994, Chia-Liang Lu)

“This is the movie that made Jackie Chan Jackie Chan.”
– LA Times

“Some of the most amazing stunts ever filmed.”
– New York Times

Jackie Chan may be best known in America for his buddy movies with Owen Wilson, but The Legend of Drunken Master is the movie that made him a legend everywhere else in the world! Here he plays a mild-mannered action hero who relies on “drunken style” kung fu to combat thieves who are trying to smuggle antiquities out of China. This brilliant mixture of slapstick, action, and drama proves that Chan’s is more than just an onscreen action hero – he’s a bona fide movie star. He exudes warmth, grace, and humor throughout. And you won’t believe your eyes during some of the fight sequences. It’s the most dazzling martial arts performance ever to grace the screen.
Dubbed in English. 99 minutes

MONDAY, AUGUST 28: MODERN CLASSICS

7:00 PM   THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA

(1993, Tran Anh Hung)

“A film of great visual beauty. It’s like watching a poem for the eyes.”
– Chicago Sun Times

Winner of the Golden Camera prize at Cannes, The Scent of Green Papaya is a feast for the senses. Directed by Vietnamese wunderkind Tran Ang, the movie depicts prewar Saigon as a lush and lovely paradise. It’s a deceptively simple story of a young orphan girl named Mui who works as a servant in an upper-class home. Although the household is unraveling and steeped in drama, the hardworking girl manages to take pleasure in simple things – like the scent of fresh papaya. Simple, stately, and elegant, this movie is a soothing balm for troubled hearts, an unforgettable portrait as delicate and evocative as its name.
104 minutes

9:00 PM   CHUNGKING EXPRESS

(1994, Wong-Kar Wai)

“One of the Top 100 Movies of All Time.”
– Time Magazine

“A genuine wonder, intoxicating from its first frame to its last. A film about time, serendipity, the hard shimmer of night and the erotics of camerawork.”
– LA Weekly

These days, everybody from Nicole Kidman to Jude Law wants to work with director Wong-Kar Wai, and this movie is one of the main reasons why. Set in Hong Kong, Chungking Express is an utterly charming and innovative movie about a lovesick cop, a mysterious blonde assassin, and a stewardess who’s in love with a man who doesn’t even know she exists – despite the fact she keeps breaking into his apartment! It’s a visual knockout, a romantic film that prompted Quentin Tarantino to enthuse, “I’m happy to love a movie this much.”
102 minutes

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29: GREAT DIRECTORS

7:00 PM   THRONE OF BLOOD

(1957, Akira Kurosawa)

“Most directors have one masterpiece by which they are known, or possibly two. Kurosawa has at least eight or nine.”
– Francis Ford Coppola

“Throne of Blood is among the supreme creations of cinema. It is the most brilliant and original attempt ever to put Shakespeare on the screen.”
– Time Magazine

Directed by the legendary Akira Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai), this film is considered the best Shakespeare adaptation ever made. A thrilling adaptation of “Macbeth” set in feudal Japan and done Kabuki style, the movie culminates in hero Toshiro Mifume having hundreds of flaming arrows shot at his head – in real time! Martin Scorsese was absolutely right when he said, “The term ‘giant’ is used too often to describe artists. But in the case of Akira Kurosawa, it fits.” Come see Throne of Blood and discover why.
105 minutes

9:00 PM   THE RECORD OF A TENEMENT GENTLEMAN

(1947, Yasujiro Ozu)

“Ozu is one of my three favorite directors ... He is not only a great director but a great teacher, and after you know his films, a great friend.”
– Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

How director Yasujiro Ozu manages to pack such an emotional wallop into simple stories is beyond comprehension, but it’s one of the many reasons he’s considered a master. Record of a Tenement Gentleman is the story of a street urchin who follows a poor man to his tenement apartment. Nobody wants to take the strange, silent boy in, but finally a widow manages to do so with bad grace. Lest you start hearing strains of “The Odd Couple” right about now, be assured that the ensuing relationship is anything but trite or predictable. This is a movie that will delight, surprise, and captivate you.
72 minutes

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30: ACTION EXTRAVAGANZA

7:00 PM   A HERO NEVER DIES

(1998, Johnnie To)

“Johnnie To is the best thing since John Woo to happen to action, Asian movies or otherwise.”
– Cinemasie.com

Hong Kong action maestro Johnnie To directs this action film about two gang leaders from rival factions. Although they’re pitted against each other, they manage to form an uneasy friendship based on respect. That doesn’t stop them from opening fire on each other when the situation demands it, though. Riveting shootouts and hilarious barbs are all part of this smart, nuanced and involving story about the pitfalls of blind loyalty. A huge hit throughout Asia, this movie is not well known here. We’re proud to present it.
WARNING: THIS FILM CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND IS NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.
86 minutes

9:00 PM   BATTLE ROYALE

(2000, Kinji Fukasaka)

“A movie impossible to overpraise.”
– Quentin Tarantino

“Battle Royale is not just a fantastic film, but an important work on the precipice of the most dangerous period facing cinema in the past 40 years.”
– Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool News

The biggest blockbuster ever in Japan and the final work of acclaimed director Kinji Fujisaka, this controversial movie updates Lord of the Flies for the 21^st century and beyond. The plot: A classroom of unruly kids are put in an island and pitted against one another for the televised pleasure of adults. First prize is your life. Second prize ... well, there is no second prize. The extreme violence depicted in this movie is not for everyone, but is by no means gratuitous. Battle Royale is a stirring and unforgettable social commentary that ranks right up there with Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, and Brazil.
WARNING: THIS FILM CONTAINS EXTREME VIOLENCE AND IS NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN.
122 minutes