ACF 004: Martial Arts Films at the Film Society of Lincoln Center

Dirty Ho
(Image Courtesy FSLC)

The Film Society of Lincoln Center is doing it again, presenting the action/martial arts lover with a bunch of fantastic films from Chinese cinema. The main event is entitled Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film, Part II. It picks up from where the initial series left off in the early 70s. As was the case with Heroic Grace, Part I, the UCLA Film & Television Archive selected and organized this touring program. The ten films in Part II will run at FSLC's Walter Reade Theater July 12 - 20.

There's also a related screening of House of Flying Daggers on Thursday, July 13th @ 6:30 and 9:00 PM. While I prefer Mainland China director Zhang Yimou's Hero, HoFD is still a very good film and a must see, if only for Ziyi Zhang's "Echo Game" dance.

Following Heroic Grace II, from July 21 - 23, FSLC will be presenting a complementary series entitled Shaw Brothers Classics. This will offer a second opportunity to view four of the most popular titles from FSLC's own 2004 tribute to the Shaw Brothers studio. The mini-series includes not only martial arts films, but also other genres.

If you can, make it to The Walter Reade and check out at least some of these flicks. If you can't get there, perhaps the Heroic Grace II series will be coming to your town. If not, many of these films are available on DVD. Just be aware that, as far as I know, the Celestial Pictures DVD reissues of Shaw Brothers films are not coded for U.S. Region 1 players. So for them you'll need a DVD player, or a computer, that will play Region 3 discs.

And check back here at AsianCineFest freqently for reviews of many of the films.