THE HOUSE THAT NEVER DIES: REAWAKENING

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

The House That Never Dies: Reawakening

Directed by Joe Chien

Starring: Joan Chen, Julian Cheung, Gillian Chung

China, 2017, 98 minutes

Mandarin with English subtitles

The sequel to the 2014 hit film The House That Never Dies and based on true events that took place at the spookiest of Beijing’s Four Oriental Haunted Houses, The House That Never Dies: Reawakening

debuts on digital and DVD December 4th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Starring Joan Chen (The Last Emperor, Judge Dredd), Julian Cheung (The Grandmaster), Mei Ting (Blind Massage) and Gillian Chung (Ip Man: The Final Fight), the story takes place a hundred years after a mutiny by warlords in Beijing when an expert in cultural relics encounters supernatural phenomena at the mansion on 81 Chaoyangmennei Street.

Synopsis:
A hundred years after the mysterious murders of the entire Zhisheng household, a cultural relic restorer Song Teng experiences strange events at the ancient mansion. After discovering baby skeletons and weird spells, the intricate weaving of the past and present begin to emerge and reveals a haunting tale of the wrongly deceased still seeking justice from the living world.

KILL ZONE 2 making home video debut on July 19th from Well Go USA

Well Go USA

Presents

Kill Zone 2 (a.k.a. SPL 2: A Time for Consequences)

Directed by Pou-Soi Cheang

Starring Tony Jaa, Zhang Jin, Simon Yam and Louis Koo

Hong Kong/China, 2015, 120 minutes

In this giddily frenetic follow-up (though not a sequel) to modern martial arts epic Kill Zone (aka SPL: Sha Po Lang), action icons Tony Jaa (Furious 7, the Ong Bak franchise) and Zhang Jin (Ip Man 3) team up with Hong Kong megastars Simon Yam (Ip Man), Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior) and Louis Koo (Drug War) for the critically-acclaimed, action-packed martial arts extravaganza Kill Zone 2, debuting on Blu-ray™ and DVD July 19 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Directed by Pou-Soi Cheang (Accident, Motorway), the film is a breakneck story of dirty cops, prison riots, and black market organ transplants, all brought together by a non-stop series of inventive, bone-crunching setpieces. Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Kill Zone 2 was named a “Film of Merit” at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards and Chung Chi Li (Ip Man: The Final Fight) won a Golden Horse at the 2016 Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Action Choreography. Bonus materials include a deleted scenes and a 3-part making-of featurette.

Synopsis:
When an undercover cop gets too close to revealing the mastermind of a drug syndicate, his cover is blown. Double-crossed and under a false identity, he's thrown into a Thai prison, where a guard discovers the inmate - claiming he’s a cop - is a bone marrow match for his dying daughter ... and his warden may have an even deadlier operation hidden within the prison walls.

Home video debut of IP MAN 3 today

Well Go USA

Presents

Ip Man 3 / Yip Man 3

Directed by Wilson Yip

Starring Donnie Yen and  Mike Tyson

Hong Kong, 2015, 105 minutes

Ip Man 3, the final entry in the action trilogy directed by Wilson Yip and starring Donnie Yen, debuts today, Tuesday, April 19th on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Well Go USA Entertainment. (It has been available on Digital HD since April 5th.) My review is based on watching the Blu-ray version.

The Ip Man collaboration of action star Donnie Yen and director Wilson Yip began with Ip Man in 2008 which was followd by Ip Man 2 in 2010. The Wing Chun master was also the subject of two films by Herman Yau, The Legend is Born: Ip Man (also 2010) and  Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) and of Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster (also 2013).

Beginning in Hong Kong in 1959, Ip Man 3 finds the titular character facing two opponents. One is Frankie, a ruthless real estate developer played by Mike Tyson (! More on that later.) He sends his minions to "convince" the principle of the school that Ah Ching, Ip Man's younger son, attends to sell him the property. Led by Ma King Sang (Patrick Tam) they use any and all means to achieve their assignment, including beatings, setting fires and kidnapping children. As a result Ip Man and his students guard the school.

Ip Man's other opponent is Cheung Tin-chi (Zhang Jin), a rickshaw driver whose son also attends Ah Ching's school. Cheung is also an expert in Wing Chun. If I understand the genealogy correctly, his teacher and Ip Man's teacher both studied with the same master. Because of differences in the Wing Chun of their two teachers, Cheung is convinced that his is the true, and therefore superior, Wing Chun as compared with Ip Man/s

There are plenty of fine action scenes, which is what one would expect with Yuen Woo-Ping serving as action director and Donnie Yen and Yuen Shun-Yee serving as action choreographers. We're talking numerous fight scenes of both the one-against-many and one-on-one variety. There is staff fighting, knife fighting and unarmed combat.

Before it opened theatrically this past January, I watched an online screener of the film. In my initial review of Ip Man 3, I was bothered by the gimmick of using Mike Tyson, who's billed in the credits as a "Special Appearance."  I must confess that I was put off because Tyson is a convicted rapist and because of his biting Evander Holyfield's ears in their second fight. (See the entry on  Tyson in Wikipedia if you're not familiar with these events.)

Furthermore, I found the idea of a black man with a huge facial tattoo as a ruthless real estate developer and promoter of an illegal fight ring in Hong Kong in 1959 rather ludicrous. Not even his being protected by the other "foreign devils" (i.e., the British) can make this remotely believable. However, on re-watching the film, I found myself more accepting of his presence. I also must say that I was amazed by how well spoken and articulate Tyson was in his solo interview in the bonus features. I was blown away by his description of the Shaw Brothers' film Crippled Avengers (1978).

Another problem I initially had with the film concerned the two main fights, the first with Ip Man against Tyson, the second with him against Cheung.  Both end in what I considered a lame and unsatisfying manner, as if the film was promoting political correctness, or maybe that should be "kung-fu correctness." I still feel that way, though was less bothered by it on my second viewing.

My final problem was that the film does a real number in putting down Bruce Lee. This is not the first time this has happened in a recent Ip Man movie (see Herman Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight), but it's pretty harsh here. Fortunately Bruce is slightly redeemed by his teaching Ip Man how to dance so he can please his wife, Cheung Wing Sing, again played by actress Lynn Hung.

Disc Specs
-- Audio
  -- Cantonese dtsX
  -- English DTS 5.1 HDMA
  -- Spanish DTS 5.1 HDMA
  -- French DTS 5.1 HDMA
-- Subtitles
  -- English
  -- Spanish
  -- French
  -- Off
-- Bonus Features
  -- "Making Of" featurette
    -- The Story (2:29)
    -- The Action (2:52)
  -- Interviews
    -- Donnie Yen (6:04)
    -- Mike Tyson (7:27)
    -- Yen and Tyson (5:27)
    -- Director Wilson Yip (9:05)
  -- Behind the Scenes (2:19)
  -- Teaser
  -- Trailer
  -- International Trailer
-- Previews
  -- Hi-yah! Sizzle (a trailer about www.hiyahTV.com, a forthcoming streaming site for Asian action films)
  -- Kill Zone 2
  -- Rise of the Legend
  -- Kill Your Friends

If it's action you're after, Ip Man 3 will totally satisfy you. The disc also offers real value in terms of the bonus features.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very highly recommended

Ip Man 3 Official Website.

RISE OF THE LEGEND coming to home video on May 24, 2016

Well Go USA

Presents

Rise of the Legend / Huang feihong zhi yingxiong you meng

Directed by Chow Hin Yeung

Hong Kong/China, 2014, 132 minutes

Martial Arts legend Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2) takes on Eddie Peng (Unbeatable), pegged by The Hollywood Reporter as “a serious contender for Next Great Martial Arts Star,” in Director Chow Hin Yeung’s epic action drama Rise of the Legend, debuting on Blu-ray™ and DVD on Tuesday. May 24th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The story follows a powerful martial arts master (Peng) returning to the town where his father was murdered to take on a ruthless crime boss (Hung) in this origins story of the revered folk hero Wong Fei Hung, a martial arts master whose life has passed into Chinese folklore.

The film also stars Wang Luodan (The Continent), Jing Boran (The Guillotines), Jin Zhang (Kill Zone 2), Wong Cho Lam (Ip Man: The Final Fight), Qin Junjie (Painted Skin: The Resurrection), Byron Mann (“Arrow”), newcomer Gao Taiyu, Tony Leung Ka-Fai (Tai Chi Hero) and Angelababy (Tai Chi Zero). Bonus materials include a five-part making-of featurette.

Synopsis:
A martial artist with extraordinary power (Eddie Peng) returns to the town where his father was murdered to face off against a ruthless crime boss (Sammo Hung) and bring justice back to the people. In Chinese with English subtitles.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:
-- “Making of” Featurette
  -- Characters
  -- Eddie Peng
  -- Injuries
  -- Cinematography
  -- Stunts

AsianCineFest already has received its Blu-ray screener, so look for our review on or just before the May 24th release date.

Home video debut of IP MAN 3 set for April 19th, 2016

Well Go USA

Presents

Ip Man 3 / Yip Man 3

Directed by Wilson Yip

Hong Kong, 2015, 105 minutes

The final installment of the internationally-acclaimed trilogy, starring Donnie Yen (Special ID, Kung Fu Killer) and legendary boxer Mike Tyson, Ip Man 3 debuts April 5 on Digital HD and April 19 on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Well Go USA Entertainment.

This iteration of the Ip Man epic trilogy takes place in 1959 Hong Kong and finds Ip Man (Yen) attempting to save his son’s school from an intimidating property developer (Tyson). With the police unable to help, Ip Man recruits his students to face off against the developer’s lackeys in an action-packed fight sequence that ends with the school’s headmaster being kidnapped. After solving this crisis, Ip Man faces another opponent in a fight to decide the true Grandmaster of Win Chun.

Directed by Wilson Yip and featuring action choreography by Yuen Wo Ping, Ip Man 3 takes martial arts to the next level. Bonus materials include a making-of featurette and interviews with the Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson.

Synopsis: Donnie Yen (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2) ignites the screen in a return to the role that made him an icon - as Ip Man, the real-life Wing Chun grandmaster who mentored Bruce Lee. In this explosive third installment of the blockbuster martial arts series, when a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer (Mike Tyson) make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand. Fists will fly as some of the most incredible fight scenes ever filmed play out on the big screen in this soon-to-be genre classic.

Bonus Features Include:
-- Making of Featurette
-- Interview with Donnie Yen & Mike Tyson
-- Behind the Scenes

IP MAN 3 reviewed; opens tomorrow

Well Go USA

Presents

Ip Man 3 / Yip Man 3

Directed by Wilson Yip

Starring Donnie Yen and  Mike Tyson

Hong Kong, 2015, 105 minutes

Action star Donnie Yen and director Wilson Yip are back with the third -- and last? -- installment of their Ip Man series which began with Ip Man in 2008 which was followd by Ip Man 2 in 2010. The Wing Chun master was also the subject of two films by Herman Yau, The Legend is Born: Ip Man (also 2010) and  Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) and of Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster (also 2013).

Beginning in Hong Kong in 1959, the film finds Ip Man facing two opponents. One is Frankie, a ruthless real estate developer played by Mike Tyson (! More on that later.) He sends his minions to "convince" the principle of the school that Ah Ching, Ip Man's younger son, attends to sell him the property. Led by Ma King Sang (Patrick Tam) they use any and all means to achieve their assignment, including beatings, setting fires and kidnapping children. As a result Ip Man and his students guard the school.

Ip Man's other opponent is Cheung Tin-chi (Zhang Jin), a rickshaw driver whose son also attends Ah Ching's school. Cheung is also an expert in Wing Chun. If I understand the genealogy correctly, his teacher and Ip Man's teacher both studied with the same master. Because of differences in the Wing Chun of their two teachers, Cheung is convinced that his is the true, and therefore superior, Wing Chun as compared with Ip Man/s

There are plenty of fine action scenes, which is what one would expect with Yuen Woo-Ping serving as action director and Donnie Yen and Yuen Shun-Yee serving as action choreographers. We're talking multiple fight scenes of both the one-against-many and one-on-one variety. There is staff fighting, knife fighting and unarmed combat.

So action aficionados need not worry; there's plenty here to keep you happy.

On the other hand, there were several things about the film that didn't work for me. First off, I found Mike Tyson's presence (billed in the credits as a "Special Appearance") a cheap gimmick that suggests how bereft of ideas the filmmakers were. We're talking about the ludicrousness of a black man with a huge facial tattoo as a ruthless real estate developer and promoter of an illegal fight ring in Hong Kong in 1959. Not even his being protected by the other "foreign devils" (i.e., the British) can make this remotely believable.

The second problem is with the two main fights, the first with Ip Man against Tyson, the second with him against Cheung, both end in what I consider a lame and unsatisfying manner, as if the film was promoting political correctness, or maybe that should be "kung-fu correctness."

Lastly, the film does a real number in putting down Bruce Lee. This is not the first time this has happened in a recent Ip Man movie (see Herman Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight), but it's pretty harsh here. Fortunately Bruce is slightly redeemed by his teaching Ip Man how to dance so he can please his wife, Cheung Wing Sing, again played by actress Lynn Hung.

If it's action you're after, Ip Man 3 will totally satisfy you. Just don't expect to learn much about the real Ip Man.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars for the action, 2 out of 4 for story.

Ip Man 3 opens tomorrow, Friday, January 22nd. For information about the cities and theaters where it will open on the 22nd and in its subsequent wider roll-out, go to the Ip Man 3 Official Website.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN SHANGHAI will be available Tuesday, January 13

Well Go USA Entertainment

presents

Once Upon A Time In Shanghai

Directed by Wong Ching Po

Starring Philip Ng, Andy On & Sammo Hung

China/Hong Kong, 2014, 96 minutes

From Director Wong Ching Po (Revenge: A Love Story) and acclaimed Action Director Yuen Wo Ping (The Grandmasters, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) comes Once Upon A Time In Shanghai, debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital this coming Tuesday, January13 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The modern action-packed fable features rising martial arts star Philip Ng (Young and Dangerous: Reloaded) as a country bumpkin who moves to 1930’s Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich, but ends up honing his kung fu skills to become a lethal fighting machine.

After a series of eye-catching small roles, Philip Ng finally is given center stage with this rebooted look at the hero Ma Yung-Chen, who was immortalized in the 1972 Shaw Brothers film Boxer from Shantung and in the 1997 Hero. Ng, a master of martial arts, trained in Ving Tsun Kung Fu under the late Sifu Wong Shun-Leung and is also a 6th generation disciple of Choy Li Fut Kung Fu, training under his father, Sam Ng. Ng also excels in Hung Gar Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Jiujitsu and Escrima. 

Once Upon A Time In Shanghai also stars the legendary Sammo Hung (Ip Man franchise), Andy On (As the Light Goes Out, White Vengeance), Michelle Hu (Mr. & Mrs. Player), Luxia Jiang (Ip Man: The Final Fight), Mao Junjie (Jackie Chan Presents: Wushu), Chan Koon-Tai (The Man with the Iron Fists), Yuen Cheung-Yan (Kung Fu Hustle, Charlie’s Angels franchise) and Fung Hak-On (Tai Chi Zero).

Synopsis: Everyone wants to make their fortune in Shanghai, and Ma Yongzhen (Philip Ng) dreams of making an honest living – not with his fists. But the town is torn apart by rival gangs and when Boss Long Qi (Andy On) learns of Ma’s formidable martial arts skills, he’s brought into the family. Opposed to drug trafficking and leaking government secrets, Qi makes powerful enemies. And soon, Ma won’t have a choice. Fight or lose everything - including his friend (Sammo Hung) and his love, Tie Ju (Michelle Hu).

Bonus materials include the behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of Once Upon a Time in Shanghai.”

Happy Birthday Wishes to Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong Chau-Sang

Anthony Wong in "Ip Man: The Final Fight"

Anthony Wong was born in Hong Kong on September 2, 1961. His filmography at IMDb lists 187 credits as an actor, and two each as writer and director. I believe the first film I saw him in was The Heroic Trio (1993). He played Kau, who as I recall used a flying guillotine.

Wong's early career was marked by several appearances as a crazed madman. These included The Untold Story (1992, co-directed by Danny Lee and Herman Yau) and Yau's Ebola Syndrome (1996). In recent years he's tended to be cast as more respectable personages, in such films as the Infernal Affairs trilogy (2002-2003), Exiled (2006, helmed by Johnnie To), and Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013, again for Yau).

I think it's fair to say that with his many and diverse rolls. for which he's won several awards, WOng is a highly beloved Hong Kong actor, both there and among Asian film fans in the West.

So best wishes for a happy 53rd birthday, Mr. Wong. May you have many more and may we be delighted by your presence in films for many years to come.

ACF 2108: IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT streets today, November 12th

Well Go USA

presents

Ip Man: The Final Fight / Yip Man: Jung gik yat jin

Directed by Herman Yau

Screenplay by Erica Lee

Starring Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang

Hong Kong, 2013, 100 minutes

Ip Man: The Final Fight debuts today on Blu-ray and DVD from Well Go USA. (This review is based on my watching the Blu-ray version.) It's the second Ip Man film by veteran director Herman Yau. Previously he helmed The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010), which like Final Fight has a screenplay by Erica Lee. Yau's earlier effort was concerned with Ip Man's younger years. Final Fight is about the 23 year period from 1949, when Ip Man came from the north to live in Hong Kong until his death there on December 1, 1972.

Anthony Wong as Ip Man

Here Ip Man,  a grandmaster of the martial art of Wing Chun, is portrayed by another Hong Kong veteran, actor Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, who previously worked with Yau on such films as The Untold Story (1993; a.k.a. The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story) and Ebola Syndrome (1996). He brings a sense of serene dignity to sifu Ip, showing him to be a person who cares greatly about his family, his students, and the integrity of his martial art. He refuses to have a sign put up indicating that he's teaching Wing Chun, because a sign means business. As Ip says: "You can't buy kung fu like a bowl of rice."

Eric Tsang as Ng Chung

The film also stars Eric Tsang as Ng Chung, head of the Pak Hok Kung Fu Academy. At first there is conflict between the two because of an incident involving their respective students. However, after the two masters test their skills against one another, their animosity changes to mutual respect and friendship. This is deepened when Ip comes to Ng's aid at a Lion Dance that has been rigged for Ng to loose. These are just two of several terrific action sequences in the film that were created by action choreographer Kwok Lam Sin.

The supporting cast acquits themselves quite well also. Among Ip's students, Gillian Chung plays Chan Sei Mui, a prominent member of the Restaurant Workers' Union who provides Ip with the rooftop setting where he initially teaches in Hong Kong. Jordan Chan is Tang Sang, a basically decent cop who is tempted by the corrupting influences in the city.

Zhou Chuchu, in her cinematic debut (at least according to IMDb) portrays Jenny, a lovely young singer. Ip comes to her aid when she is molested by some unruly patrons at an outdoor restaurant. She develops romantic feelings for him and takes cares of him for awhile after Ip's wife dies, much to the disapproval of some of his female students. Ip Man's son Ip Chun, who was able to immigrate to Hong Kong from Communist China in 1961, calls her "Northern Lady" in the film, though I must confess I have no idea why.

Ip Chun, second from left, and some of his students

Xin Xin Xiong is Dragon, the legendary gang boss of The Walled City, a section of Hong Kong totally ruled by the criminal elements. The police themselves dare not go into this area. It is with Dragon, who has incredible facial scars, that Ip has the climactic "final fight" of the film, which happens to take place as Typhoon Wanda hits the city!

The one person who does not come off well in the film is Bruce Lee, who had studied with Ip Man. That connection is most certainly the main reason why there has been such cinematic interest in Ip Man recently. In The Final Fight, Bruce comes off as too materialistic, too "Hollywood" if you will, for Ip Man's taste. There also seems to be a disconnection, if not outright disapproval, because of Bruce's development of his own Jeet Kun Do. This seems to be regarded by Ip Man as a movement by Bruce that is too far afield of Wing Chun, raising the question of whether or not Bruce is still his student.

Ip Chun as the store owner

There are two other points worth noting. First off, pay attention to the elderly owner of the store where an important telephone call to Ip Man is received. The "actor" is none other than Ip Chun, Ip Man's son. He also appeared, in a larger, more significant role in Yau's The Legend is Born: Ip Man. Also be sure to watch the credits: included with them is some actually footage of Ip Man working out with a wooden Wing Chun dummy.

The disc is packed with terrific bonus features:

- A very fine “Making of “ Featurette
- Numerous Cast & Crew Interviews
  -   Checkley Sin, Producer
  -   Marvel Chow, Wang Dong
  -   Liu Kai-chi, Lee Yiu-wah
  -   Eric Tsang, Ng Chung
  -   Li Chung-chi, Action Choreographer
  -   Xiong Xin-xin, Dragon Head
  -   Wong Cho-lam, Blind Chan

  -   Anita Yuen, Cheung Wing-sing

  -   Gillian Chung, Chan Sei-mui  

  -   Jordan Chan, Tang Shing

  -   Anthony Wong, Ip Man

- Trailers

  - International Trailer

   - US Trailer

My only problem with the bonus features -- and it seems to apply to all Well Go USA releases -- is that they stream. After whatever feature one selects has played, the following features play without interruption. Often there's no indication that you've moved on to something else. While not a major problem, I sometimes find this disorienting, leading to a "what is it that I'm watching now?" feeling. I'd prefer the standard procedure of going back to the appropriate menu screen after the selected feature has finished.

As I've mentioned, there's been considerable cinematic interest in Ip Man in recent years. Donnie Yen portrayed Ip in Wilson Yip's Ip Man (2008). Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grand Master, also directed by Yip and starring Yen, followed in 2010, the same year as Yau's aforementioned The Legend is Born: Ip Man. Besides Ip Man: The Final Fight, 2013 also witnessed Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmaster.

Each of these are great films in their own way. I've seen all of them (including The Grandmaster in both it's original 130 minute version and the truncated 108 minute version dictated by Harvey "Scissorhands" Weinstein for the U.S. theatrical -- and presumably Blu-ray & DVD -- release). Each has a lot going for it.

But Ip Man: The Final Fight is my favorite. Not only are the action sequences top drawer, with Wong and Tsang in particular doing their own stunts, but the film has a compelling human narrative. As stated in one of the bonus features, Wong "was able to get inside the character of Ip Man." This gives the film real heart.

ACF rating: 4 out of 4 stars; most highly recommended.

ACF 1976: NYAFF Awards Announced

12th NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL announces

HENTAI KAMEN: FORBIDDEN SUPERHERO as the Audience Award Winner

and IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT as recipient of the inaugural

Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema

Here's what I consider a "must share" item from the the fantastic people at Subway Cinema who, in con-junction with Film Society of Lincoln Center and Japan Society, brought us the 2013 NYAFF:

The New York Asian Film Festival 2013 ended Monday night with the sold-out North American Premiere of Jay Chou’s THE ROOFTOP, but there is still news to report.

Every year the New York Asian Film Festival gives an Audience Award. This is voted on by the audience who fill out ballots after each eligible screening. Then our team of top scientists go to work and use complicated math to figure out the most popular movies at the festival.

HENTAI KAMEN: FORBIDDEN SUPERHERO

The audience has spoken and the winner of the NYAFF 2013 Audience Award is...HENTAI KAMEN: FORBIDDEN SUPERHERO (Japan, 2013)!

Based on a popular manga series, and directed by Yuichi Fukuda, this motion picture about a young man born to a dominatrix and a masochist, who uses perversion to fight evil while wearing panties over his head and a mankini was originally intended to be a direct-to-DVD release in Japan. Accidentally unleashed in theaters by a hentai-liberation group, it became a box office hit and turned out to be the most popular film of this year’s festival.

Previous Audience Award winners include: ACE ATTORNEY (NYAFF 2012), A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI (NYAFF 2011), CASTAWAY ON THE MOON and GALLANTS (NYAFF 2010), THE MAGIC HOUR (NYAFF 2009), FINE, TOTALLY FINE (NYAFF 2008), MEMORIES OF MATSUKO (NYAFF 2007), ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET (NYAFF 2006), THE TASTE OF TEA (NYAFF 2005), PLEASE TEACH ME ENGLISH (NYAFF 2004), PING PONG (NYAFF 2003), and MY SASSY GIRL (NYAFF 2002).

The runners-up for this year’s audience award were:
HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS (South Korea, 2013)
THERMAE ROMAE (Japan, 2012)
COMRADE KIM GOES FLYING (UK/Belgium/North Korea, 2012)
THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN (China, 2010)
RUROUNI KENSHI (Japan, 2012)
EUNGYO (South Korea, 2012)

In addition, this year the New York Asian Film Festival has initiated another award. The Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema is designed to celebrate the memory of longtime Subway Cinema member, Daniel Craft, who passed away this January, and to celebrate kick ass action movies, a genre too often dismissed or looked down on by the kind of people who usually give out movie awards.

IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT

This year, the inaugural Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema goes to Herman Yau’s IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT, written by Erica Li and choreographed by Nicky Li Chung-Chi and Checkley Sin Kwok-Lam.

This is the third film Checkley Sin Kwok-Lam has choreographed, the other two being Herman Yau’s THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN and THE WOMAN KNIGHT OF MIRROR LAKE. Nicky Li Chung-Chi was a longtime member of the Jackie Chan Stuntman Association and he was the action choreographer on 50 films including SHAOLIN (2011), LET THE BULLETS FLY (2010), NEW POLICE STORY (2004), GEN-X COPS (1999), RAPED BY AN ANGEL (1993), and PROJECT A II (1987).

And that’s it for 2013! This year saw us take on a double-barreled blast of movie madness with the “Jackie Chan Experience” event right before the New York Asian Film Festival, which was probably unwise from a logistical point of view, but we’ve always wanted to bring Jackie to NYC and give him an award. As things turned out, tons of people showed up, nothing caught on fire, and no one lost any major body parts. In other words, it was an outrageous success.

So sit back and enjoy spending the rest of the summer melting and we’ll see you next year for the New York Asian Film Festival 2014!!! (and possibly for another edition of the Old School Kung Fu Fest next April).

ABOUT NYAFF & SUBWAY CINEMA
The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is North America’s leading Festival of popular Asian cinema, which the New York Times has called "...one of the city's most valuable events..." Launched in 2002 by Subway Cinema, the Festival selects only the best, strangest, and most entertaining movies to screen for New York audiences, ranging from mainstream blockbusters and art-house eccentricities to genre and cult classics. It was the first North American film festival to champion the works of Johnnie To, Bong Joon-Ho, Park Chan-Wook, Takashi Miike, and other masters of contemporary Asian cinema. The Festival has been produced in collaboration with the Film Society of Lincoln Center since 2010.