News

“Miracle: Letters to the President,” directed by Lee Jang-hoon, was Saturday named as the best film winner at the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine, following an audience poll. The South Korean-made film was described by festival organizers as “a sweet-natured hymn to the power of dreams.”

Second and third places belonged to Chinese-produced pictures, Li Ruijun’s “Return to Dust” and Xing Wenxiong’s “To Cool to Kill,” respectively. The festival’s Black Dragon season ticket holders voted for “Return to Dust,” while users of the MYmovies service championed Korea’s “Kingmaker” by Byun Sung-hyun.

The jurors for the best debut film awarded the festival’s White Mulberry award to “Too Cool to Kill.” The Mulberry Award for best screenplay Jojo Hideo’s “Love Nonetheless.”

If the order of the prizes seemed like a return to pre-covid normality, so too did the operation of the event, Udine’s 24th.

The extraordinary Jonathan Ross discusses his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Kick-Ass (2010)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) – Dennis Cozzalio’s 2015 year-end list

The Woman in Black (2012)

Stardust (2007)

The Green Knight (2021) – Our podcast interview with director David Lowery, Dennis Cozzalio’s best-of-2021-so-far list

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

The Astro-Zombies (1968) – Dennis Cozzalio’s drive-in director list

The Corpse Grinders (1971) – Dennis Cozzalio’s drive-in director list

Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Zombies (1964) – Dennis Cozzalio’s drive-in director list

Blood Feast (1963) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

The Wizard of Gore (1970)

Police Story (1985) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

Re-Animator (1985) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Society (1989)

Eraserhead (1977) – Karyn Kusama’s Blu-ray review

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (1965) – Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Randy...

Twenty-two years ago, no one could avoid “Smooth,” that unlikely combo of Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas that won multiple Grammys, sold millions, and haunted all of us at weddings. But neither man seemed to take the idea of a sequel all too seriously. “We always talked about doing something,” Thomas says. “Usually I’d get a text from Carlos at 3 in the morning with Otis Redding doing ‘Day Tripper’ and Carlos saying, ‘We’re gonna do this song!’ It was always two guys drinking too much wine and having...

With the Dark Souls series being notorious for its demanding difficulty, many gamers may be hesitant to either try out the acclaimed franchise for the first time or to dive back in for a replay of an old favorite. Fortunately, Miracles provide players with a wide variety of healing, damage, buff, and debuff spells, as well as other handy magic for an easier playthrough.

Related: 10 Best Anime Like Dark Souls

While the best Miracles will only be available to those with Faith builds, some cost little to acquire and use, and their benefits should be taken advantage of by gamers of any playstyle.

When Merry Clayton woke up in the hospital, she just had one question. In June 2014, three months after Twenty Feet From Stardom, the documentary telling the story of the legendary backup singer, won an Oscar, Clayton suffered a near-fatal car accident in her Los Angeles hometown, resulting in months of hospitalization and the amputation of both her legs. A team full of doctors and nurses surrounded her bed to inform Clayton of her life-altering surgery.

“When they gave me the news, I asked them, ‘Well, did anything happen to my throat?...

Reviewing Hong Sang-soo’s films is actually an effort in finding the elements that separate each movie from the rest, since the Korean’s oeuvre is rather homogenous. This time, the difference derives from some role-reversals elements, and the function of the female protagonists in the narrative, who, in this case, frequently act as men.

Woman on the Beach is streaming on Mubi

Film director and screenwriter Kim Jung-rae asks his friend Won Chang-wook to drive with him from their homes in Seoul to the resort town of Shinduri, on the western coast of South Korea. Chang-wook initially resists, but accepts the request on the condition that he can bring Kim Mun-suk, a composer and aspiring singer whom he describes as being his girlfriend. Jung-rae is writing a treatment for a film titled “About Miracles,” concerning the mysterious connections that secure everyday life. That Jung-rae does not care particularly that...

Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy have revealed their latest cover, performing a rendition of Johnnie Frierson’s “Miracles” with Ty Segall.

Directed by Sai Selvarajan, the video features vintage, sepia-toned photos of automobiles and American life, as Callahan takes the lead on vocals. “If you believe and if you try/You can do anything,” he sings. “You can do miracles/Things than seem impossible.”

“Ty Segall turns the party up to 11 as only he can, with a synth and rhythm box rebuild of Johnnie Frierson’s late-period Memphis outsider-gospel,...

The Batman director and Felicity co-creator Matt Reeves has signed an exclusive, multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. The rich pact had quietly closed months ago, and is now being confirmed.

Under the overall agreement, Reeves will develop new television programming for all platforms via his 6th & Idaho production company: streaming services, including HBO Max; broadcast, premium and basic cable networks. The projects will be produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Warner Bros. Animation or Blue Ribbon Content, depending on the platform. Beyond the U.S., Warner Bros. International Television Distribution will distribute 6th & Idaho’s shows to the global marketplace.

Under the deal, 6th & Idaho has tapped veteran television/film producer and executive Daniel Pipski as EVP and Head of Television. Pipski, who has been at 6th & Idaho since February, is working alongside EVP Adam Kassan and VP Rafi Crohn.

“Matt has been making...

“The Batman” director Matt Reeves is expanding his relationship with Warner Bros.

Reeves and his 6th & Idaho production company have signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. The multi-year deal will make WB home for all of 6th & Idaho’s future TV projects. The deal encompasses all platforms, including broadcast, cabel, and WarnerMedia’s flagship streaming service, HBO Max. The projects will be produced in association with Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Warner Bros. Animation or Blue Ribbon Content, depending on the platform. Beyond the U.S., Warner Bros. International Television Distribution will distribute 6th & Idaho’s shows to the global marketplace.

6th & Idaho is currently under a first-look film deal at Netflix and was previously under a TV overall deal at 20th Century Fox Television.

With the announcement, Daniel Pipski will now join the company as executive vice president and head of television. Along with Reeves,...

This week is filled with good news and bad news.

God Friended Me comes to an early end on CBS, and When Calls the Heart airs its finale without another season waiting in the wings, but Blindspot returns for its final season, too, and from what we know, it's finished and will get a satisfactory ending.

Premiering this week are Hollywood on Netflix, Upload on Amazon Prime (so fun!) and a special one-time-only reunion from Parks and Rec for charity.

Saturday, April 25

8/7c Bad Education (HBO)

This movie starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney is a darkly comedic look at a real-life embezzlement scandal at New York' Roslyn School District.

Jackman and Janney are terrific as always, and you won't go wrong tuning in for this well-reviewed feature.

9/8c Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance (Hallmark/Hmm)

Danica McKellar is back as matchmaker and amateur sleuth Angie Dove!

This time out,...

The upcoming Chinese period drama “The Diary”, written, produced and directed by Jackie Chan is expected to be released in autumn 2020.

About the soundtrack:

American composer Nathan Wang and French composer Alan Tyler will curate the score for “The Diary”. The film will also contain original soundtracks. Nathan Wang has already worked several times with Jackie Chan in movies including: “Rumble in the Bronx”, “Who Am I”, “First Strike” or the upcoming “Vanguars”. Alan Tyler is a French composer who works in Los Angeles; he contributed to the music of films and TV like “Curb your Enthusiasm” and “Nurses”, and more recently on Jackie Chan’s production “Project X-Traction” (Sparkle Roll Media). Jackie Chan has chosen the composers himself and in addition to the main theme, the director/actor will sing for the movie’s soundtrack

About the movie:

“The Diary” will be a musical drama set in China and Europe during the 1930s.

God Friended Me has been canceled by CBS.

It's sad, but it's true.

The two-hour series finale is slated to air Sunday, April 26, and we're not prepared to say goodbye.

The official trailer teases some high-stakes moments that would make many people believe this is a planned conclusion.

Given the way the cast has reacted to the news, it certainly seems like these final two episodes were constructed to set up a potential third season.

What we can tell from the clip is that Cory allowed the God Account to be destroyed thanks to the virus, meaning that the gang has just one friend suggestion remaining.

On a show filled with happy moments, it's hard to imagine the account not being restored in some capacity.

Then again, a wild development could have been planned to shake the show up for a potential third season.

The series was canceled less than a week ago by CBS,...

Hey, "God Friended Me" fans. We are back to give you guys the final spoiler session for "God Friended Me" forever. That's right, guys. This is the very last two episodes that will ever air for "God Friended Me." CBS recently gave the show the axe recently. So, it has indeed been canceled. CBS is going to air the final two episodes 21 and 22, back-to-back next Sunday night, April 26, 2020. We have a couple of teaser descriptions for both of them via ABC's episodes 21 and 22 press release. So, we're going to run those by you guys right now. Let's get started. First off, episode 21 is officially titled, "Miracles." It sounds like episode 21 will feature some pretty interesting scenes. In the new episode 21, Miles will surely enough get a new friend suggestion from the God account. This new friend suggestion will have Miles helping out a young boy named C.J.

Time takes its toll on all of us … even Jackie

Jackie Chan is arguably one of the most important action /martial arts stars to ever grace our screens. As happens to us all … time takes it’s toll and sadly over the years the quality of his films has degraded.

But whilst the quality of his output my have decreased , it’s not difficult to spot moments of brilliance in even his most recent movies (i.e final fight scene in Chinese Zodiac ).

2016 is a very busy year for Jackie Chan

This year is going to be a very busy one of Jackie Chan, soon we will see the release of Skiptrace followed by another 3 confirmed releases (Railroad Tigers, The Foreigner, Kung Fu Yoga) and even more films which have either been announced or are currently in production (Rush Hour 4, The Karate Kid 2, Shanghai Noon Sequel).

Unfortunately none...

Kirsten Howard Dec 19, 2017

One-time Superman Dean Cain has made lots of Christmas movies, mainly with dogs in them. This year, we've watched even more...

Warning! This article contains spoilers, the kind of swearing you'd expect from someone who's sat through thirteen Dean Cain Christmas movies, and mild peril in the form of ailing sanity.

If you’re anything like me you might have some fairly warm, fuzzy memories of Dean Cain. He was Superman! He brought Superman back! Supes! So fun to watch on Saturday afternoons or after school, saving Metropolis from do-badders and waiting for Lois to notice him without his cape on just once.

Okay! Soooo, what has Cain been up to since The New Adventures Of Superman finished? I mean, sure, you saw him in an episode of that one show. And then there was that other time. More recently, he's had a role in Supergirl. Naturally!

Anita Mui 1963-2003

Anita Mui had a fantastic screen presence, an actress and a musician, she also did lots of work for charity. In the 80′s she became a household name within the music world and was dubbed the “Madonna of Asia”. She had a series of shows entitled the “Anita Classic Moment Live Concert” that consisted of eight shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6 to 11 November and 14 to 15 November 2003, which were to be her last concerts before her death.

Anita made some great movies and was always surrounded by a great cast. Some movies you should check out are Behind the Yellow Line, Rouge, The Heroic Trio, Drunken Master 2, Miracles, Saviour of the Soul, Moon Warriors and many more.

Mui was originally cast in Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (2004), but she resigned only two weeks before her death. Zhang had reserved her scenes to be shot...

I feel as though it’s become an ugly thing to say, but I’m a Jackie Chan fan. And while I can see why people might feel like the elder statesman of Hong Kong action cinema has little to offer the world anymore (they might have actually seen him team up with Billy Ray Cyrus for The Spy Next Door), the good - and great - truly outweighs the bad.

Go watch Miracles (aka Mister Canton and Lady Rose), and tell me it isn’t one of the most perfect films you’ve ever seen. Tell me that Drunken Master 2’s martial arts aren’t the greatest demonstration of physical prowess you’ve seen from any one man ever.

Read more...

When they name the greatest action stars ever to grace the movie screen, who would they mention? Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Willis? Well there is only one guy who stands out above all, and his name is Jackie Chan. If Chinese Zodiac is his final big action movie, then we need to sit and watch this legend at the age of 58, show what he can do for one last time. It will be a sad when Jackie finally calls it a day and stays behind the camera, but at least his choreography and directing will still be on gong for many more years.

Jackie Chan does not need a gun to win a battle, all he needs are his fists, feet and the occasional object Ie. Ladders, chairs, chains, you name it, Jackie can use it. But that’s not all, if you think you can corner him and win that way,...

Other names: 周比利

Billy Chow

Billy Chow Bei Lay

Zhou Bi Li

Birth date: 24/9/1958

Nationality: Canada, Hong Kong

Workplace: Hong Kong

Style: Kickboxing

Selected Filmography:

1986:Paper Marriage

1987:Eastern Condors

1988:Dragons Forever

1989:Pedicab Driver

1990:Magic Cop – Mr.Vampire 5

1994:Fist Of Legend

2004:Hero Youngster

Billy Chow is one of them guys, when you look back at some of the best martial art movies made in the 80′s and 90′s, he more or less pops up in them with a great performance. Mainly known as a movie villain and a great one at that, billy actually started his path to stardom as a kick boxer.

Kickboxing career

Chow was the Wka super welterweight kickboxing champion of the world from 1984 to 1986, his final match came on November 20, 2007, in which he lost via decision to Akarn Sanehha of Thailand.

Movie Career

Billy Chow first started off in his movie career in a film called Winner Takes All...

Bigger Than the Sound guesses Sunday's big winners.

By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga and Eminem onstage during last year's MTV Video Music Awards

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner — and by "corner," I mean Sunday at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. This is great news for pretty much everyone, particularly Lady Gaga fans and those with an unquenchable thirst for the art of wagering (or, as some people call it, "a dangerous and destructive gambling addiction").

See, the VMAs are arguably the greatest gambling event of the year, although winners are voted on by fans, which makes predicting the show's outcome nearly impossible. Still, none of that has stopped me from making my Vma predictions for two straight years now, with varying degrees of success. What can I say? I like to live dangerously. So I've decided to throw on the old prognostication...

Bigger Than the Sound guesses Sunday's big winners.

By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga and Eminem onstage during last year's MTV Video Music Awards

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner — and by "corner," I mean Sunday at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. This is great news for pretty much everyone, particularly Lady Gaga fans and those with an unquenchable thirst for the art of wagering (or, as some people call it, "a dangerous and destructive gambling addiction").

See, the VMAs are arguably the greatest gambling event of the year, although winners are voted on by fans, which makes predicting the show's outcome nearly impossible. Still, none of that has stopped me from making my Vma predictions for two straight years now, with varying degrees of success. What can I say? I like to live dangerously. So I've decided to throw on the old prognostication...

On Wednesday (April 7), a huge underground rap sensation debuted a brand new music video. No, it wasn't Kid Cudi, Gucci Mane or Wacka Flocka Flame — it was Detroit's own Insane Clown Posse, who dropped the clip for "Miracles," a track that comes from their most recent album Bang! Pow! Boom!

The video is amazing for a handful of reasons. First of all, for a group as obsessed with violence, mayhem and nihilism as Icp, it's a remarkably low-key, almost spiritual affair. The clip itself is sort of a psychedelic special effects extravaganza that is sometimes really literal (like when the boys are transported to San Francisco Bay to feed a pelican) and sometimes just confusing (anything involving that weird tower). But the thing that jumped out at us the most was the fact that most of the things Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J talk about aren't really miracles (much...

Although Stephen Chow is obviously best known for his comedic genius and hits such as “Kung Fu Hustle” and “Shaolin Soccer”, as a young actor he paid his dues in a variety of genres. Inevitably, as with pretty much every other performer of his generation, this saw him making a number of appearances in that most enduring of 1990s trends, namely the Triad drama. The unimaginatively titled “Triad Story”, directed by Shum Wai, better known as a bit part actor who turned up in the likes of “Police Story 3”, was one such early role, which saw him star alongside an impressive cast of veterans including Ng Man Tat, Wu Ma, Shing Fui On and Billy Chow. The film begins in familiar style with Triad boss Feng (Ke Jun Hsung, another instantly recognisable face who featured in a number of Jackie Chan films including “The Canton Godfather” and “Island of...