It has announced that Dragon Dynasty will be releasing Jacob’s Cheung’s 2006 period war epic "A Battle Of Wits" on DVD September 8th under the name "Battle Of The Warriors." The film is a Hong Kong historical action drama film based upon a Japanese historical novel of the same name which was in turn inspired by Warring States history in China. The epic starring Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, House Of Flying Daggers, Warlords), Fan Bingbing (Forbidden Kingdom, Shinjuku Incident), Ahn Sung-ki (The Divine Weapon), Wang Zhiwen, Nicky Wu, and newcomer Choi Siwon. Also based on the sensational Japanese manga series called "Bokko," "Battle of the Warriors" features a gritty, realistic style, with an incredible level of historical detail that highlights each of its unparalleled, ferocious battles.
Plot: The film is set in the Warring States Period of China. The state of Zhao invades the (fictional) city-state of Liang. Ge Li (Andy Lau), a Mohist, comes to Liang to help protect the city. He warns of the dangers of surrendering to an invading Zhao army that intends to conquer Liang. The king of Liang (Wang Zhiwen) worries about Ge Li inciting war amongst the public, but decides to allow him to temporarily aid in defending Liang.
Ge Li's creates a bulwark and various traps to slow down the invading army. The Prince (Choi Siwon) and Generals of Liang question his leadership and skills as a tactician, but time after time, his tactics proved successful. The Prince of Liang eventually develops a high level of respect for Ge Li's wisdom and experience. After Ge Li successfully defends the kingdom from superior numbers, he becomes highly revered by the local populace.
Feeling threatened by Ge Li's popularity, the king of Liang plots to have him be deposed of rank and executed on false charges. Ge Li returns from a scouting mission and is charged with starting a war under false pretenses. The Prince of Liang fakes a fight against Ge Li so that he can use himself as a hostage to help free Ge Li. The improved arrows that Ge Li used to help defend Liang were then ironically used against him. The Prince of Liang is killed in the incident. Ge Li's sympathizers are falsely accused of being part of a rebellion against Liang, and they are tortured and executed.
The King of Liang foolishly believes the Zhao army has already left, but the Zhao army raids the city in a surprise attack. Ge Li returns with a surviving group of the Liang army to restore power to the people of Liang. After the conflict, Ge Li leaves with some orphans of Liang to promote peace among kingdoms. The King of Liang would be killed five years later, and eventually the Qin army would unite China and became the Qin Dynasty.
Last year, South Korea released a suspense thriller that became the year's surprise hit, "The Chaser." The film was not only popular at the box office but also critically acclaimed, won seven awards at the Korean Film Awards 2008, and had concluded agreements with Hollywood's major studio, Warner Bros. for a remake copyright. The idea to the thriller film is actually inspired by a true story of serial killing, a topic that’s quite common in Korean films recently like in "Our Town,""Seven Days", "Rainbow Eyes", "Black House", etc), and then it was made into a film noir with a serious message, but is entertaining despite being ridden with social criticism from beginning to end. How about this year, is there any South Korean thriller which can equal “The Chaser” which came as a pleasant surprise and garnered almost unanimous praise due to the movie's heart-pumping pace and air-tight storytelling? The expectation is come from “Missing” aka “Sil Jong” (literal translation “Disappeared”), and like the previous title it’s also based on a true story. The film is based on a media shocker about a 70 year old South Korean fisherman who killed four women between August & September, 2007 in Bosung, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Getting fictionalized for the movie, in basic, the storyline of this big screen adaptation is that a girl comes to a small countryside town in a coincidence and meets a 60-year-old man at a restaurant. She is kidnapped and bondage in fear and horror. Now, "The Missing" is become available on home video shelf with its First Press Edition Korean Version DVD, you can purchase it via YesAsia.
Plot: Hyeon-jeong's sister is missing and she fears for the worst. Via her sister's cellphone, Hyeon-jeong learns that her sister stayed in a countryside vaillage. She goes to the village to find her sister and stops at the local police station for help. Because of the little evidence she has, the police refuse to offer help. Hyeong-jeong then finds a witness who thinks she saw her missing sister near the home of an elderly man Pan-kon. When Hyeong-jeong eventually arrives at the elderly man's home, her worst nightmares are to begin.
“The Missing” is helmed by Sung-Hong Kim, the man behind the hard gore thriller “Say Yes” (2001) which bares some similar plot points with 1986's “The Hitcher” but is not a re-make. The film was more of a revision of Robert Harmon's classic film and more reminiscent of the old HK thrillers with exploitational violence and disturbing twist and turn. Other than that, the director has long history of making thrillers, his works also including the nerve-wracking “Black Hole” (1997) and “Deep Scratch” (1994), as well as the comic/horror “The Opening” (1999). After several years, now he’s back with “The Missing.” Mainstay of 90s Korean cinema, actor Moon Seong-geun (Road to the Racetrack, Green Fish), grabs top billing actor in this film. Also appearing are Chu Ja-hyeon (Portrait of Beauty, Bloody Tie) and Jeon Se-hong (Temptation of Eve).
As its title suggests, “More Than Blue” (a.k.a. A Story Sadder Than Sadness) is a film about heartbreaking, unrequited love. The main actor is kwon Sang-woo from the tearjerker TV soap "Stairway to Heaven", who returns to the romance genre after foraying comic or tough guy parts, such as in "Fate". The project also garnered interest for marking poet Won Tae-yeon's directorial debut. Also starring in the drama are Lee Bum Soo (Death Bell), and Lee Bo Young (Once Upon a Time in Seoul). Though featuring typical elements of the South Korean melodrama, "Blue" does not attempt to squeeze out tears from viewers. Rather, the director crafts a film that is poetically sparse, and also witty and hilarious as much as it is heartbreaking. “More Than Blue” is already available in a 2-Disc Korea Version DVD which you can purchase at YesAsia.
Plot: Having both lost their families at a young age, radio producer K (Kwon Sang Woo) and lyricist Cream (Lee Bo Young) complete each other's lives in ways that only they can understand. Sharing a home, they watch over each other like family, and give each other weird nicknames. K has silently loved Cream for many years, playing the supportive friend as she flits from one boyfriend to another. They know everything about each other, except for one thing: K has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has less than 200 days to live. Worried that Cream will be alone after he leaves, K's final wish is that she can find a good husband. And it looks like they've found the right man in kind-hearted dentist Joo Hwan (Lee Bum Soo), who is already engaged but falls for Cream at first sight.As expected of a movie by a poet, it teems with imagery of time hanging still in the air and things are left simple. Even though the film's Korean title "A Story Sadder Than Sadness" is perhaps an overstatement, it allows the viewer to peruse not so much the abstract meaning of love but what it means to be in love and to care for someone.
