high strung is a 2016 american drama film directed by michael damian and written by janeen damian and michael damian .

the film stars keenan kampa , nicholas galitzine , jane seymour , sonoya mizuno , richard southgate and paul freeman .

the film was released on april 8 , 2016 , by paladin .

high strung ( 2016 film )

dance film ' high strung ' picked up by paladin for u . s . release
april 8th , 2016 ( wide ) ( lithuania ) april 14th , 2016 ( wide ) ( singapore ) april 15th , 2016 ( wide ) ( south africa ) august 5th , 2016 ( wide ) , released as high strung - ao ritmo do sonho ( portugal ) august 19th , 2016 ( wide ) , released as new york academy ( italy ) . . . show all releases
dance film ' high strung ' picked up by paladin for u . s . release | hollywood reporter
united states distributed by paladin «high strung» in the united states theaters released on april 8 , 2016 and has grossed over $ 53k worldwide ; dvd and blu - ray release date was set for august 2 , 2016 . netflix by mail is not scheduled . redbox kiosks release date is september 20 , 2016 .
paladin has inked a deal to release michael damian’s dance - driven film high strung in the u . s .
dave scott on set of ‘high strung . ’ photo courtesy of riviera films .
nobody walks in l . a . official trailer 1 ( 2016 ) - kim shaw movie
nicholas galitzine as british violinist johnnie in ‘high strung . ’ photo courtesy of riviera films .
look out for high strung in theaters on april 8 , and flip through our list of the best prom dance scenes in film history .
the movie , which made its world premiere at the 2016 santa barbara film festival , will be released theatrically on more than 100 screens in april .
what it loses in thematic richness , the uncynical high strung makes up for in pure joy .
high strung opens in u . s . theathers on april 8 . find international release dates here .
keenan kampa as ruby in ‘high strung’ , performing a ballet solo . photo courtesy of riviera films .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing high strung near you .
film inquiry is a progressive , independent film magazine that aims to redefine film journalism . we publish in - depth , high quality articles written by a diverse group of people ; without falsely baiting your attention , we offer genuine , passionate insight into the world of film .
high strung is proud to support the work of nigel lythgoeâ€™s and adam shankmanâ€™s dizzy feet foundation . click below to make a donation .
the film’s tagline is “see the music . hear the dance . ” overall , would you say the film is more about dance or music ?
“high strung” is rated pg ( parental guidance suggested ) . if everyone in manhattan were this wholesome , it would be called salt lake city .
united kingdom «high strung» in the uk has no theatrical release date . dvd and blu - ray release date is not available at this time .
what’s interesting about high strung was that its story is loosely based on the real life experiences of its writers , michael damian and janeen damian . janeen’s history of ballet and michael’s skills as a musician were the inspiration for high strung and the film is a coming together of their respective arts . it is a personal re - telling of their talents and experiences but the way the film is made makes it seem like a fairy tale .
high strung
wears its tired let ' s - put - on - a - show clichés as if they were neon turquoise leg - warmers .
arts movie high strung has a goofy script and a clichéd plot , but the dance sequences and musical performances are memorable , ambitious , and highly enjoyable .
arts movie ‘high strung’ has a goofy script and a clichéd plot , but the dance sequences and musical performances are memorable , ambitious , and highly enjoyable .
paladin has acquired rights to michael damian’s dance - driven drama high strung after the pic premiered over the weekend at the santa barbara film festival . the plan is to release the film theatrically on more than 100 screens nationwide april 8 . the orchard has home entertainment rights and will launch the film later this spring . bloom media handled worldwide sales , with disney international acquiring the majority of international rights .
rachel is an ma film and screen graduate from goldsmiths , university of london . her interests lie in cinematic landscapes , interactive media , documentary film and general screen stuffs .
the movie contains romance , high - energy dancing ( both classical and contemporary ) , fantastic music , and the theme of pursuing a dream . the acting in the movie is excellent , and we are pleased to award “high strung” our dove “family - approved” seal for ages 12 - plus , and a high rating of four doves !
the lineup for the 2016 santa barbara film festival has been unveiled . the 31st edition runs february 3 - 13 and showcases 52 world premieres and 53 u . s . premieres from over 60 countries . among the u . s . bows : terrence malick’s knight of cups , which has been set as the festival’s centerpiece film on february 7 at the arlington theater .
when you ' re met with dance off challenge , sometimes you might have to fake your smooth moves ! in our latest fuse interview , keenan kampa and nicholas galitzine from the cast of high strung revealed what went on behind - the - scenes of their dance film .
high strung stars ballerina keenan kampa , nicholas galitzine , jane seymour and sonoya mizuno . dave scott ( step up 3d , so you think you can dance ) did the choreography .
opinions expressed in our articles are those of the authors and not of the film inquiry magazine .
subscribe to indie & film festivals : urltoken subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken high strung official trailer 1 ( 2016 ) - jane seymour movie hd in a city where only the best succeed , two radically talented people from opposite sides of the tracks need to find harmony to achieve their dreams . you ' re quite the artsy one , aren ' t you ? fandango movieclips film festivals & indie trailers is the destination for . . . well , all things related to film festivals & indie films . if you want to keep up with the latest festival news , art house openings , indie movie content , film reviews , and so much more , then you have found the right channel .
it sounds like quite the classic dance film , but where other films like step up have a serious undertones , high strung is pretty much a sugar - coated fantasy . the whole film plays out like a hyper exaggerated romance film ; the mid - western girl with bright blue eyes and blonde curls meets the dark and pouty mysterious boy , the slow - motion as our two protagonists make eye contact and ‘the power of music and dance saves the day’ narrative is sickly sweet .
it ' s been a major week for dance movie sequels . first we got wind of the upcoming youtube series inspired by step up —and now comes the news that there ' s going to be a second high strung movie , with a cast just as stellar as the original film ' s .
interested in a previously released film ? read our reviews of films already showing in your local theater .
the orchard has home entertainment rights and will launch the film after its theatrical release in the spring .
this isn ' t even a film but here ' s 2 stars for the last performance . .
high strung : free dance is filming this summer in europe and nyc , and dance spirit ' s got the inside scoop . stay tuned for more info and peeks at the behind - the - scenes action !
families can talk about how movies like high strung depict artistic talent . do you think it ' s realistic ? do you think people with artistic talent have more fulfilling lives than people with other kinds of skills and abilities ?
arabic movie , israel directed by eyal sagui bezawe and sara tsifroni this film traces how israelis became devoted fans of egyptian movies during a time of hostility between the two countries in the 1970s through the friday night “arab film” mania .
“well , the film was being independently funded and honestly , it was cheaper to shoot there ! [ laughs . ] ”
attractive performers , rousing music , energetic dancing . . . do you need anything else to make a good movie ? an incisive , original script would be helpful , but that is one thing missing from high strung , which had its world premiere at this year’s santa barbara international film festival . when the film opens in theaters in april , it hopes to catch the same audience that made the step up movies modest hits . it could definitely tap that audience , even with its failings .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
high strung follows the artistically charged lives of a hip - hop violinist , a classical dancer and an innovative hip - hop crew in new york city . directed by damian , best known as the broadway star of joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat and a regular on the young and the restless , the film was written and produced by damian and his wife , dancer janeen damian .
in this fantasy version of new york , everyone’s problems get solved and dreams really do come true . as we are all aware , in the real world , artists , dancers and musicians have to work for their talent , overcoming an overwhelming amount of pressures and stresses . it easy to say that high strung completely overlooks this struggle . but honestly , taking the film criticism hat off , maybe it’s a film that just wants to have a bit of fun , without statements or commentary , just a celebration of joining dance and music .
with the dull dialogue and cliché romance narrative , high strung is on the brink of being a deadbeat dance film . but its choreography and original score have saved it… only just . its mix and variety of styles make it unique and interesting . maybe take some of the dialogue choices and romantic aspects as a bit of fun and focus on its celebration of some amazing artists and their talents , instead .
vita activa : the spirit of hannah arendt was the only film in the $ 10 , 000 club with an opening of $ 13 , 244 over the weekend in one theater . from wednesday through sunday , the film pulled in $ 18 , 468 . more . . .
to give you the inside scoop on the film’s choreography , dance informa recently chatted with high strung choreographer dave scott , known for his work on step up 2 : the streets and so you think you can dance . ( you might have seen his hip - hop choreography on dancers neptune and alexia set to “flex ( ooh ooh ooh ) ” by rich homie quan on the sytycd top 16 episode recently . )
as in love with dance as the red shoes , this spinning , leaping and quite fun dervish of a film should prove an audience pleaser .
however , even with the overly syrupy narrative , high strung has some major moves and music to flaunt . director michael damian wanted ruby to be played by a real ballet dancer and found keenan kampa . kampa was the only american who had received a contract to the mariinsky theater , a worldly prestigious russian theater and ballet academy . kampa had never held a film role , and it shows , but her dancing skills are stunning .
there’s really only one reason to see “ high strung ” — michael damian’s wishy - washy nod to “ fame ” ( 1980 ) — and that’s the ebullient choreography of dave scott , whose accelerated and witty hip - hop routines have long been highlights of movies and reality television shows .
high strung , usa directed by michael damian cast : jane seymour , keenan kampa , sonoya mizuno , paul freeman , david lipper , maia morgenstern , nicholas galitzine when a hip hop violinist busking in the new york subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the manhattan conservatory of the arts , sparks fly .
high strung is a movie starring keenan kampa , nicholas galitzine , and sonoya mizuno . when a hip hop violinist busking in the new york subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the manhattan conservatory of the arts , sparks fly . with the help of a hip hop dance . . . see full summary »
dave danced his way
straight outta compton
into hollywood , a career in dance , choreography and artist development spanning music , film , tv and commercials .
the movie , which made its world premiere recently at the santa barbara film festival , will be released theatrically on more than 100 screens nationwide on april 8 .
the film takes place in new york city ( of course ) and focuses on two dissimilar young artists who eventually fall for each other ( of course ) and have to prove their skill and their relationship to their peers ( of course ) . this is all pretty typical stuff for the dance movie genre – think of “step up” and “make your move” – but “high strung” hits the right notes and the right steps to entertain audiences , even if the material is overly familiar .
the fest’s closing night film is xavier giannoli’s marguerite , and it opens with the u . s . premiere of mark osborne’s the little prince which had already been announced .
“you’re right – i’ve done a lot of dance movies ! i’m very blessed ! it’s been great ! but this film has been different . you can have 90 million dance movies and they’ll all be great , but then one comes along that stands out . for me , this film has been revolutionary . it brought me into the classical world .
high strung seems to be aiming a little higher than step up . it would like to be a 21st century fame or flashdance , but it doesn’t have as intriguing an assortment of characters . aside from our two leads , none of the other characters in the script by janeed and michael damian stand out from the background . jane seymour , also one of the film’s executive producers , plays one of ruby’s strict instructors , and although it’s nice to see seymour on screen , her part and the other adult roles are underwritten .
that good stuff can only cancel out so much hokey stuff , like ruby lecturing her roommate that “dancers dance” and a wealthy society patron gasping “who are these people ? ” when her mostly - minority catering staff break out into a routine . the clichés are certainly prevalent in “high strung , ” but at least the genre movie knows its strengths , and sticks to them .
the mix of dancing styles is complemented with the creative cocktail of music composed by nathan lanier . his blends of classical orchestration with hip hop sound awesome , plus , with his violinist history , some of the violin solos are quite remarkable . the performances in high strung all feature a mix of dance and music styles , the best one being saved for the end in the final electrifying performance .
high strung : free dance will follow a talented contemporary dancer and an innovative classical pianist as they join the cast of an international live tour called free dance . and the contemporary dancer ? she ' ll be played by juliet doherty , who ' s becoming quite the movie star these days . ( british actor harry jarvis will play the pianist , and descendants 2 ' s thomas doherty—no relation to juliet—will play free dance ' s young choreographer . )
full financial estimates for this film , including domestic and international box office , video sales , video rentals , tv and ancillary revenue are available through our research services . for more information , please contact us at research @ urltoken .
janeen damian won a ballet scholarship at the school of american ballet , went on to enjoy a prolific dance career in film and tv working with artists michael jackson and prince to name a few and has written and produced 12 films .
it feels unfair to fault dance movies for being bad at things that aren’t dancing . the genre is so single - focused , so committed to one thing only , that it seems wrong to knock dance movies for not paying as much attention to their scripts or their characters . who cares about all that stuff if the people in the movie can really dance ? and so it goes with “high strung , ” in which the protagonists are pretty silly but the music and dance performances are pretty good .
instead of actors they cast dancers , but instead of characters they wrote cartoons , so it all works out . the dancing is out of this world , by the way - just too bad they dressed it up in what probably should resemble a film .
high strung follows ruby ( keenan kampa ) , a scholarship dance student , as she arrives in new york to study ballet . she immediately falls for johnnie ( nicholas galitzine ) , a poor british street violinist who needs a visa to avoid deportation . a can - do girl , ruby tries to rescue johnnie from homelessness and comes up with a plan to get him legal status . and , naturally , it means teaming up with a crew of hip - hop dancers to compete for money and a scholarship .
there is an unintentionally hilarious moment at the start of “high strung” in which a shirtless male violinist ( nicholas galitzine ) plays music furiously in bed after waking up ; “if it stays trapped inside , ” he narrates , “i will be consumed . ” this onanistic allusion is the raciest moment in this teen dance movie , which makes up in exuberant energy what it lacks in original plot or plausibility ( its new york subway scenes were apparently shot in romania , whose enviably modern stations look nothing like ours ) .
dave , you have worked on so many dance films – from you got served in 2004 to step up 2 : the streets in 2008 ( winning awards for both ) plus fresh , stomp the yard , dance flick and coach carter . what about this film was different ?
filmbuff has acquired worldwide rights to jane wants a boyfriend starring louisa krause , eliza dushku and gabriel ebert . the film centers on sisters jane , a bright - eyed twentysomething living with aspergers , and bianca , her overprotective and recently engaged older sibling . when their parents announce they are moving out of their brooklyn brownstone , they propose the sisters move in together — a suggestion that throws bianca’s newly engaged life for a loop and forces her to re - examine her relationship with her sister . filmbuff will release the film in theaters and on all major digital platforms march 25 .
but perhaps that’s because there is so much passion for dance and music in “high strung , ” which is what you want from a genre movie like this anyway . there are various dance crews and all of their face - offs are invigorating , especially one set in the subway and another that breaks out during a fancy dinner party . kampa’s performances during ballet class are stunning , and the fluidity of her movements are unforgettable . and how galitzine holds his own against the conservatory’s top violin player during a violin - off – yes , that happens ! – will make you root for the underdog .
as predictable as the candles - and - roses - strewn loft where the couple’s matching pouts first collide , “high strung” prefers penciled - in stereotypes — the queen bee ; the risk - taking roommate — to real characters . yet tween girls will swoon for mr . galitzine’s broody cheekbones and ms . kampa’s ingénue sweetness . the dialogue may be dire , but the dancing is delightful . ( ms . kampa formerly danced with the mariinsky ballet in russia . ) and who can complain about a manhattan where subway platforms are filled with gyrating hard hats in muscle shirts and tight jeans ? certainly not me . jeannette catsoulis
in classical art forms each specific field has one or two areas that have a more prestigious status . in dance it is ballet , and in the orchestra it is the violin . these two have a reputation of being highly difficult to master , being rigid in both technique and discipline . when these two classical arts step outside their rigid structure they can create something new and inspiring . high strung takes this idea and runs with it , focusing on combinations of classical and contemporary styles in music and dance . but together with a story about young romance and achieving your dreams , does it cheapen this core concept ?
director michael damian does not bring any special spark to the film , but he recognizes the talents of his cast and allows them to shine . it isn’t hard to predict how the story will end , but there are worse ways to while away a couple of hours than to spend time with these gifted players .
rounding out the dancer cast are familiar names like desmond richardson ( casual ! ) , philip chbeeb , kerrynton jones , and makenzie dustman . the choreographic team , led by tyce diorio , also includes myles thatcher and nakul dev mahajan . oh—and # bosslady jane seymour will reprise her role from the original film , too .
midnight return , usa / uk / turkey directed by sally sussman morina featuring : billy hayes , alan parker , oliver stone , giorgio moroder join billy hayes on a daring journey as he returns to turkey thirty years after his escape from prison and faces the country still haunted by the film based on his life , midnight express .
“i think everyone should see this film . it will touch every emotion on the spectrum . from music to dance , emotions are felt through the characters’ art and their relationships . it shows the struggle in training and working hard for something , as well as the journey of falling in love . the story really captures all your emotions . ”
“high strung” centers on dancer ruby ( keenan kampa ) , who arrives in the city from a small country town and is immediately taken with new york . although she excels at ballet , she struggles with contemporary dance , and is concerned about maintaining her scholarship at the manhattan conservatory of the arts . one day on the subway she crosses paths with the british violinist johnnie ( nicholas galitzine ) , who is busking in the train station to make rent . in the united states illegally and hoping to obtain a visa , johnnie steps in to protect ruby from a scuffle and turns around to find his priceless violin stolen . they don’t exactly start off on the right foot .
a classy broad , usa directed by anne goursaud cast : tony bill , james carabatsos , glenn close , rob cohen , john dean , lucy fisher , lawrence kasdan , marcia nasatir , michele nasatir , daniel petrie jr in 1974 marcia nasatir made history by becoming the first woman vice - president at united artists . this film tells how a jewish girl from san antonio shattered hollywood’s glass ceiling .
this entertaining display of talent mixes classical and contemporary music and dance techniques , exposing enthusiasts of either one to the other genre . and the movie argues that mastering contemporary skills requires just as much hard work , drive , and talent as mastering classical technique - - equal admiration and respect are given to both disciplines . energetic and imaginative choreography shows how much the performers in each category can learn from one another when artists collaborate , rather than compete . in fact , high strung is at its best when it showcases the fun and exhilaration of following a passion . for example , musicians in a bar turn country - inspired fiddling into riffs on swan lake . and a swanky party devolves into a toe - tapping fiddle - off as competing violinists play variations on ernesto lecuona ' s malaguena .
payback , brazil directed by andré moraes cast : deborah secco , lúcio mauro filho , júlio andrade , bruno torres , ana carolina machado , marcos veras , tadeu mello , tonico pereira , thogun , joão guilherme ávila a film director meets his old team to make a “road movie . ” with no money , they will have to scam in order to make the production possible while at the same time plotting revenge .
dance informa recently caught a sneak peek of the film at an exclusive screening held at dancerpalooza in long beach . it follows ballet student ruby ( kampa ) as she starts training at a prestigious performing arts school in new york . ruby soon collides with fresh - off - the - boat british violinist johnnie ( galitzine ) , who is playing in the subway for spare change . as expected , a romance ensues , but not without drama and struggle .
parents need to know that high strung is a celebration of the artistic life , looking at the hard work , perseverance , and dedication that make musicians and dancers become great , whether they ' re classically trained or hip - hop street performers . the emphasis is on working to improve your performance ; to that end , dancers ' bodies are shown off while they do their thing ( clothed , but sometimes suggestively so ) . male characters are also shown shirtless , and there ' s some kissing . characters don ' t always make the smartest decisions ( one student parties so much that it initially impacts her ability to perform , for instance ) , but many grow and learn key lessons over the course of the movie . the language is on the mild side - -
bitch ,
butt ,
screwed ,
etc . - - and there ' s some social drinking .
“it is dance and music married together… yet , at the same time , it’s not a mish mash . it’s not a big mixture of styles and sounds . it’s all these separate art forms being put together and honored individually… one of the film’s strengths is that it highlights classical music . i bet those dancers who watch this will be moved to start listening to classical , to start choreographing to the violin . i think it will influence many people . ”
i ' m not typically one for this kind of film , but i did enjoy the mix of music and dancing , along with the mixing of the different styles together . the scenes of dueling violins , dances , and the especially the show at the end were fun and entertaining to watch . for sure the leading female can dance ballet , and if the leading man can ' t play violin he made it look like he could . so after seeing it on a movie site i added it to my collection .
christian bale , natalie portman and cate blanchett star and the pic centers on rick ( bale ) , a writer whose quest to break the spell of his disenchantment takes him on a series of adventures with six alluring women . frieda pinto , isabel lucas , imogen poots , wes bentley , brian dennehy and teresa palmer co - star .
a single frame , usa directed by brandon dickerson featuring : jeff bowden , alexandra boulat , gary knight , ron haviv , wade goddard visiting dubrovnik in 2007 , jeff bowden encounters a photograph of a refugee boy taken during the war in kosovo . driven by this haunting image , bowden sets out to find the child .
alex and eve , australia directed by peter andrikidis cast : richard brancatisano , andrea demetriades in suburban sydney , australia , a greek man and a muslim woman fall in love . when things start to get serious , they must somehow make their prejudiced families see the world differently .
bad seeds ( les mauvaises herbes ) , canada directed by louis bélanger cast : alexis martin , gilles renaud , emmanuelle lussier - martinez , luc picard an indebted man flees montreal and finds himself in an isolated farmhouse that belongs to a misanthropic hermit who cultivates marijuana plants–leaving them no choice but to collaborate .
battlecreek , usa directed by alison eastwood cast : bill skarsgård , paula malcomson , claire van der boom , delroy lindo , toby hemingway , dana powell , jeremy sande , susan mcphail , amye gousset , henry–a loner and night owl–has been sheltered by his fiery mother his entire life . one night , a young woman’s car breaks down , and henry’s life changes forever .
being george clooney , usa directed by paul mariano featuring : francesco pannofino , detlef bierstedt , samuel labarthe , marco antonio costa , tamer karadagli , shakti singh , martin umbach meet the many voices of george clooney in this documentary that goes behind the scenes to the world of audio dubbing , where american hits are translated into international blockbusters .
bizarre : a circus story , usa directed by meg pinsonneault cast : master lu yi this magical tale shows the extraordinary life of master lu yi , the father of modern acrobatics , and the vast community of big top lovers who share his dream of a thriving us circus industry .
the challenge , uk directed by peter williams featuring : alex smith , donna smith , harrison smith , william smith , kay davies in june 2015 , alex smith completed an ironman , known as the toughest single day challenge you can undertake , carrying his disabled son the whole way .
craft : the california beer documentary , usa directed by jeff smith this documentary explores the exciting world of craft beer told by the brewers that are setting the standards .
crossing bhutan , usa / bhutan directed by ben henretig featuring : terri schneider , david kelly , tony lillios , greg thomas four veteran athletes explore bhutan’s enigmatic policy of gross national happiness by making the first 485 - mile crossing entirely by foot and bike .
floyd norman : an animated life , usa section : documentary , global hollywood directed by erik sharkey and michael fiore featuring : floyd norman , whoopi goldberg , sergio aragones , richard sherman , don hahn , ralph guggenheim , leonard maltin , paul dini , gary trousdale , scott shaw this intimate journey through the life and career of 80 - year - old floyd norman , the first african - american animator at disney studios , shows that this disney legend is still influencing animation .
interlude , argentina directed by nadia benedicto cast : leticia mazur , lucía frittayón , sofía del tuffo sofia , recently separated , travels with her daughters irina and pachi to a coastal town out of season . the time they spend there mark a turning point in their relationship .
the lost city of cecil b . demille , usa directed by peter l . brosnan featuring : cecil b . demille , charlton heston , jesse lasky jr . , peter l . brosnan in 1982 peter brosnan heard about an ancient egyptian city buried in the guadalupe dunes in santa barbara county , which was constructed as the set for cecil b . demille’s the ten commandments ( 1923 ) . bronson embarked on what turned out to be a thirty year battle to unearth these sphinxes .
miso hungry , australia / japan directed by tim delmastro featuring : craig anderson miso hungry chronicles one man’s journey towards a healthier lifestyle through eating nothing but traditional , authentic japanese cooking for 12 weeks .
the pickle recipe , usa directed by michael manasseri cast : jon dore , lynn cohen , david paymer , eric edelstein desperate for cash , a down - on - his - luck party emcee is corrupted by his shameless uncle to steal his grandmother’s top secret pickle recipe .
stereotypically you , usa directed by benjamin cox cast : aaron tveit , abby elliott , lauren miller , kal penn , shane mcrae , kelen coleman , annaleigh ashford , lewis black , chris elliott this nyc dating comedy follows one man , who quit his job and his girlfriend in the same day , in his hallucination - fueled , post - breakup quest to find new love…and himself .
vinyl generation , czech republic / usa directed by keith jones featuring : otto m . urban , ondřej šturma in 1980s czechoslovakia an emerging generation took inspiration from alternative culture to create their own worldview , politics , and eventually , a revolution .
wheels over paradise , usa directed by paul mathieu featuring : thomas flinchbaugh skateboarders battle negative public perception and a recent ban on the sport while pushing their limits on the dramatic and dangerous mountain roads above santa barbara , california .
who’s driving doug , usa directed by david conley cast : rj mitte , paloma kwiatkowski , daphne zuniga , ray william johnson in this coming - of - age drama , a sheltered wheelchair - bound college student changes his life when he goes on a spontaneous road trip where drugs , gambling , and romance await .
10 billion : what’s on your plate ? , germany directed by valentin thurn featuring : valentin thurn given our limited resources , how can we meet every person’s need for healthy food ? with almost 10 billion humans on earth by 2050 , we must decide now how to shape the future of agriculture .
25 april , new zealand directed by leanne pooley cast : fraser brown , andrew grainger , chelsie preston - crayford , gareth reeves , tainui tukiwaho , matt whelan in this animated documentary , the tragic 1915 gallipoli campaign of wwi is told through the letters and diaries of six new zealanders who were involved .
a los 40 , peru directed by bruno ascenzo cast : carlos alcántara , carlos carlín , katia condos , lali espósito , gianella neyra , wendy ramos , johanna san miguel , stefano salvini , gabriela velasquez a group of friends face their past , present , and future at a twenty - fifth school reunion that leads them to wonder where their lives are heading .
a matter of time , canada directed by casey cohen featuring : kathryn calder , blaine thurier , brooke gallupe , carl newman the story of kathryn calder ( of the new pornographers ) and her mother’s battle with als .
against your will , israel directed by assaf banitt cast : gilles alexandre , esther alexandre gilles and esther alexandre struggle with the loss of two sons to suicide and launch a public campaign to reshape jewish orthodoxy’s discourse on suicide .
amerika , czech republic directed by jan foukal featuring : jan foukal , barbara adler amerika tells the story of the czech men and women who , in search of a “better and freer world , ” adopted the lifestyle and music of the american wild west .
the assistant ( la volante ) , france / belgium directed by christophe ali and nicolas bonilauri cast : nathalie baye , malik zidi , jean - stan du pac , johan leysen , sabrina seyvecou , pierre - alain chapuis , hervé sogne , aïssatou diop as he is driving his wife to the maternity ward , thomas runs over and kills a young man . nine years later , the boy’s mother becomes thomas’s assistant , and she begins to exact her revenge .
chucks , austria directed by sabine hiebler and gerhard ertl cast : anna posch , markus subramaniam , thomas schubert , steffi reinsperger , susi stach , lola khittl mae roams the streets of vienna as a punk , only interested in extreme experiences . when sent to an aids center for community service , she meets and falls in love with an aids patient .
the culpable ( verfehlung ) , germany directed by gerd schneider cast : sebastian blomberg , kai schumann , jan messutat the culpable tells a story about the controversial behaviour of the catholic church , examining friendship , responsibility , faith , betrayal .
the dark side of the ocean , usa directed by rick rosenthal billions of bizarre and beautiful animals migrate from the ocean’s depths to its surface each night . this documentary reveals this rarely seen world of exceptional beauty .
dream land , usa / cambodia directed by steve chen cast : lida duch , hak kim , sokun nhem , sambath sem , kanitha tith in the metropolis of phnom penh , lida sells modern real estate developments . with her relationship deteriorating , she escapes to the beach , but finds that specters from the past haunt in beautiful ways .
early winter , canada directed by michael rowe cast : suzanne clément , ambrosio de luca , paul doucet david , a man in his forties , who has sacrificed his life to his wife and kids fights to keep them close to him .
eva doesn’t sleep ( eva no duerme ) , argentina / spain / france directed by : pablo agüero cast : gael garcía bernal , denis lavant , imanol arias the embalmed corpse of eva peron is taken to various cities throughout europe before returning to her home in argentina , where it is ultimately abducted .
the final lesson , france directed by pascale pouzadoux cast : marthe villalonga , sandrine bonnaire , antoine duléry , gilles cohen , grégoire montana , sabine pakora , jonas dinal ninety - two - year - old madeleine has decided to set the date and the conditions for her demise , but to her family it is a shock , and conflicts ignite .
guaraní , argentina / paraguay directed by luis zorraquín cast : emilio barreto , jazmin bogarín , hebe duarte desperate to pass on his cultural heritage to the next generation , atilio goes on a long journey to convince his daughter to give birth to his grandchild on guaraní land .
hotline , israel / france directed by silvina landsmann hotline gets to the heart of the small - scale ngo hotline for refugees and migrants in tel aviv that deals with enormous issues as well as an enormous number of people seeking help .
i eat , therefore i am , south korea directed by cheol - ha lee cast : young - mi an , min - woo nho in her journey in achieving her dream to become a writer , despite the desperation and challenges , yoo yang never misses a meal . this isn’t a story about food , but about the people who eat .
isla bonita , spain directed by fernando colomo cast : olivia delcan , fernando colomo , nuria román , miguel ángel furones , lilian caro , tim betterman , lluís marquès in menorca , a man stays at the guesthouse of a female sculptor and her daughter and interacts with both of them in this charming , wonderfully cheerful comedy full of misunderstandings .
knight of cups , usa directed by terrence malick christian bale , cate blanchett , natalie portman , brian dennehy . antonio banderas , freida pinto , wes bentley , isabel lucas , teresa palmer , imogen poots a screenwriter living in la tries to make sense of the strange events occurring around him .
koza , slovakia / czech republic directed by ivan ostrochovský cast : peter baláž , zvonko lakčević , ján franek , stanislava bongilajová , nikola bongilajová , tatiana piussi this subtle fusion of documentary and fiction follows a young roma boxer as he embarks on a tragicomic return to the ring in order to pay for his girlfriend’s abortion .
lazar , republic of macedonia directed by svetozar ristovski cast : vedran živolić , goran navojec , dejan lilik , nataša petrović , vlado jovanovski , toni mihajlovski , krasimira kuzmanova , aleksandar sano , aleksandra balmazovič while smuggling immigrants into europe , lazar will face an impossible choice .
the little prince , france directed by mark osborne cast : jeff bridges , rachel mcadams , paul rudd , marion cotillard , james franco , benicio del toro , ricky gervais , bud cort , paul giamatti , riley osborne , albert brooks a little girl lives in a very grown - up world with her mother , who tries to make sure she is prepared for it . her neighbor the aviator , introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible , the world of the little prince .
mad dogs , brazil directed by roberto studart three pioneer surfers have risked their lives for years to prove to the world it was possible to paddle surf in jaws , the world’s largest and heaviest wave , retiring laird hamilton and the entire “tow in” gang .
making an ancient forest , austria directed by rita schlamberger cast : andrew solomon ( narrator ) unmanaged for over a quarter of a century , the forests of the kalkalpen national park have relied on natural dynamics–luring the lynx to return “home” after 115 years of absence .
the midwife ( kätilö ) , finland directed by antti j . jokinen cast : krista kosonen , lauri tilkanen , pirkka - pekka petelius , leea klemola , seppo pääkkönen , elina knihtilä , tommi korpela , johannes brotherus based on a novel by katja kettu , a finnish midwife falls in love with a german soldier during the lapland war in the aftermath of ww2 .
modris , latvia / germany directed by juris kursieti cast : kristers pikša , rezija kalnina in this tough but compassionate coming - of - age drama , a latvian teenager with a serious gambling addiction sets out to find his long - lost father .
monitor , italy directed by alessio lauria cast : michele alhaique , valeria bilello , riccardo de filippis , davide grillo , caterina e . capodilista , ettore nicoletti , claudio gioè in an alternate present , paolo’s job is to anonymously counsel the employees of his company–but an employee’s suicide attempt might call into question his life as he knows it .
oyster factory ( kaki kouba ) , japan directed by kazuhiro sôda featuring : shinsuke hirano , koichi watanabe , yukiko watanabe this documentary observes the rich and complex world of small oyster factories , closely following fishermen’s and workers’ daily lives as they face gradual , inevitable changes .
pikadero , spain / uk directed by ben sharrock cast : bárbara goenaga , joseba usabiaga , lander otaola , zorion eguileor , itziar lazkano , peio arnaez a quirky take on a young couple’s ability to nurture their relationship in the context of an economic crisis .
she walks ( la marcheuse ) , france directed by naël marandin cast : yannick choirat , lan qui , louise chen lin daiyu , an illegal chinese immigrant is a prostitute living on the streets of belleville with her teenage daughter . their life changes when one night when a wounded stranger brutally breaks into their home .
showroom , argentina directed by fernando molnar cast : diego peretti , roberto catarineu , andrea garrote , pablo seijo without work , diego has a single goal : to live in the capital again . he becomes a seller in the showroom of a new building , almost driven to madness living in a mock - up apartment .
silent heart ( stille hjerte ) , denmark directed by bille august cast : ghita nørby , paprika steen , danica curcic , morten grunwald , jens albinius , pilou asbæk , vigga bro , oskar sælan halskov a sick mother’s wish to die before her disease worsens gets harder to handle as old conflicts come to the surface .
spear , australia directed by stephen page cast : aaron pedersen , hunter page - lochard , djakapurra munyarryun a young man reconciles ancient tradition with the modern , urban world in this debut feature from stephen page , artistic director of australia’s renowned bangarra dance theatre .
standing on water , denmark directed by peter alsted featuring : casper steinfath in this story of overcoming fears and following passions , casper steinfath becomes the only danish professional stand up paddle surfer and waterman–despite his fear of water .
talión , chile directed by martín tuta cast : viviana rodríguez , tiago correa , ramon gonzález , manolo cruz a masked vigilante deals out punishment for pedophiles and a journalist is determined to uncover the truth behind the mask–leading her to doubt whether she is on the right side .
too close to our son , france directed by yves angelo cast : sylvie testud , gregory gadebois , mathilde bisson , zacharie chasseriaud the biological mother of an adopted teen feuds with his adoptive mother–a magistrate investigating a case involving her–and begins an affair with his adoptive father .
the translator ( il traduttore ) , italy directed by massimo natale cast : claudia gerini , kamil kula , silvia delfino , anna safroncik , marcello mazzarella when andrei’s tutor puts him in touch with someone who wants to translate the diary of her german husband who died , andrei is thrown into a world he did not dare to dream .
un - wished ( nakhaste ) , iran directed by borzu niknejad cast : mehrdad sedighian , elnaz habibi , mahtab keramati , farhad ghaemian , setareh eskandari , seyed mohamad seyedzadeh as a young woman and her brother travel in a taxi to their hometown five hours from tehran , we learn that the young woman has rejected an older man’s offer for marriage , which results in a series of unexpected situations .
ville - marie , canada directed by guy édoin cast : monica bellucci , pascale bussières , aliocha schneider , patrick hivon , louis champagne , frédéric gilles , stéphanie labbé an actress tries to mend ties with her estranged son , but after an unexpected tragedy , their lives intersect with those of an ambulance driver and a nurse–and all four lives are changed .
vita activa : the spirit of hannah arendt , israel / canada directed by ada ushpiz a documentary about hannah arendt , one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century , who coined the controversial phrase “the banality of evil . ” with an abundance of archival materials , arendt’s insights into the nature of evil , totalitarianism , ideologies , and the perils faced by refugees are more relevant than ever .
voice of the eagle : the enigma of robbie basho directed by liam barker featuring : will ackerman , liam barker , robbie basho , pete townshend a documentary on the extraordinary life and visionary music of the american guitarist and singer robbie basho .
wild sri lanka , sri lanka directed by mike birkhead and joe loncraine sri lanka is smaller than the state of west virginia , yet it’s one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet . this documentary explores the land of the largest mammal on earth , the blue whale , to the smallest , the etrusan shrew , and discovers how sri lanka has always been ruled by one unstoppable force : water .
you carry me ( ti mene nosis ) , croatia / slovenia / serbia / montenegro directed by ivona juka cast : helena beljan , lana barić , nataša dorčić , vojislav brajović , filip križan , goran hajduković , juraj dabić , nataša janjić , sebastian cavazza three daughters battle for acceptance , redemption and new opportunities , as they are living plots more intricate than the soap opera interconnecting them .
an unexpected history : the story of hennessy and african americans , usa directed by llewellyn smith featuring : jason p . chambers , phd , herbert p . douglas jr . , noel hankin , rhonda mcdonald , rodney williams
the champions , usa directed by darcy dennett featuring : susan weidel , rebecca j . huss , donna reynolds , tim racer , nicole rattay
fire birds , israel directed by amir i . wolf cast : oded teomi , gila almagor , devora keidar , miriam zohar , amnon wolf
golan : a farewell to mr . cinema , uk / israel directed by christopher sykes cast : menahem golan , christopher sykes , naomi golan
projections of america , usa directed by peter miller featuring : john lithgow ( narrator ) , victoria riskin , robert riskin jr . , susan riskin , david rintels , kenneth turan , ian scott , cecile starr , marja roholl
sparrows ( þrestir ) , iceland / denmark / croatia directed by rúnar rúnarsson cast : atli óskar fjalarsson , ingvar e . sigurðsson , kristbjörg kjeld , rade šerbedžija , rakel björk björnsdóttir
we monsters ( wir monster ) , germany directed by sebastian ko cast : mehdi nebbou , ulrike c . tscharre , janina fautz , ronald kukulies , britta hammelstein , marie bendig , daniel drewes
a filmmaker’s odyssey , usa / jamaica ( u . s . premiere ) directed by david garonzik and arthur gorson featuring : perry henzell , david garonzik , justine henzell , wayne jobson ( narrator )


wu dang is a 2012 chinese-hong kong martial arts fantasy film directed by patrick leung , starring vincent zhao , yang mi , louis fan , dennis to and xu jiao .

it was first released in mainland china on 6 july 2012 .

wu dang ( film )

kung fu star zhao wenzhuo ( l 2nd ) attends a press conference for new film wu dang .
wu dang marked the first time yang mi played a
fighter girl
in a martial arts film .
the chinese martial - arts film
wu dang
is set to debut at the 65th cannes international film festival , urltoken has reported .
the chinese film
wu dang
, which offers a combination of action , adventure and comedy , has premiered in beijing .
comicsonline gives wu dang 3 . 5 out of 5 romantic arena dance - fights between lovers .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing wu dang near you .
comicsonline strongly recommends new zealand and australian residents purchase their copies of wu dang directly from the madman entertainment website .
chinese films has more details , with wu dang slated for a july 17th , 2012 release date in china .
actors chiu cheuk man and to yu - hang attended a premiere press conference for the upcoming film
wu dang
in hangzhou on june 30 , urltoken reports .
( 大武当之天地密码 ) is the first martial arts film that captures the treasure of wu dang kung fu and the mysticism of ying yang . the director is patrick leung (
a man looking to steal the treasures hidden at wu dang mountain enters his daughter into a martial arts tournament being held there .
mysterious island
actress yang mi will showcase her potential talent for martial arts for the first time in the action - heavy film
wu dang ,
urltoken reports .
mainland martial arts practitioner zhao wenzhuo leads two younger kung fu stars in a new film called wu dang , a comedy about hunting for treasure to be released on july 6 .
cast members of the film
wu dang
( from left to right ) vincent zhao , yang mi and louis fan promote the film at a press conference in beijing on july 2 , 2012 . [ photo : urltoken
set in the republic of china ,
wu dang
tells the story of top martial artists hunting for treasure on wudang mountain .
directed by patrick leung and with choreography by corey yuen ,
wu dang
also stars fan siu - wong and xu jiao .
wu dang was directed by patrick leung , who’s other notable films include born wild and blade of kings . key collaborators on wu dang include cinematographer tony cheung ( legend of the drunken master , white vengeance ) and composer kin law ( twins mission , dragon blade ) .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken wu dang exclusive trailer ( 2012 ) martial arts movie hd no synopsis available .
breaking news : guess that final trailer wasn’t so final after all . wu dang opens in china in just two days . check out the latest trailer .
vincent zhao and yang mi attended a press event in beijing on 30 may 2012 to promote the film . wu dang was released in mainland china on 6 july 2012 and in hong kong on 17 july 2012 .
all might be forgiven if “wu dang” succeeded where we expect most chinese - language action pictures to excel : the fight scenes . and to director patrick leung’s credit , he secured one of the best talents in the industry by assigning corey yuen to choreograph the action in “wu dang . ” sadly , he must have caught yuen on an off day . with “wu dang , ” we’re a long ways from corey yuen’s “so close” and an even longer way from “ righting wrongs . ”
wu dang comes on a 25 gb single layer bluray . the film is presented in a 1080 progressive anamorphic widescreen . colors and flesh tones look accurate , black levels look consistent good and there are no problems with compression .
wu dang / patrick leung ; chan khan ; yaoqing wang ; mini yang ; wenzhuo zhao ; shaohuang fan ; mei ah film production co . ; ; [ collingwood , vic . ] : madman entertainment [ distributor ] , ©2012 .
wu dang is a movie based around a bit of treasure hunter in a slightly indiana jones / operation condor style of fiction that is a bit of disappointment . we follow tang , played by vincent zhao as he tries to steal several treasures from wu dang mountain – along the way he meets a girl named tianxin who is also a thief .
‘vincent zhao and the treasure of the wu dang mountains’ – i guess that title is a bit of a mouthful , but it would have likely given viewers a better idea of what to expect from this movie than “wu dang . ” this 2012 chinese - language picture is a light , breezy martial arts fantasy with a bit of an indiana jones flavor .
chinese cinema is exploding onto the scene , mirroring the financial successes that mainland china is currently experiencing . with the second largest film industry second only to the united states , mainland china is churning out some big budget and highly polished cinema . introducing wu dang .
( 2013 ) , as johnny wu , a motivational speaker . jeong completed his internal . . .
special features included a lengthy behind the scenes component , as well as trailers for tai chi o , kill ‘em all and painted skin : the resurrection , as well as a trailer for wu dang itself .
taking place during the days of republican china , the main portion of the film takes place in the wu dang mountains , where the paths of several individuals converge . professor tang is entering his daughter tang ning in a prestigious martial arts tournament that takes place in wu dang only once every five hundred years . his daughter just wants to do her best and win for her father , while the professor wants to slip away to search for the ten ancient treasures rumored to be hidden throughout the mountains .
the film is expected to hit cinemas during next year ' s summer holidays .
note : this film is also being released by well go usa on dvd .
expectations : another shitty found footage film with a good premise but crappy execution .
wu dang was directed by hong kong film director patrick leung , who previously directed other films such as la brassiere ( 2001 ) and the twins effect ii ( 2004 ) . the action scenes were choreographed by hong kong action director corey yuen , who also worked on the twins effect ii with leung .
on their way to wu dang mountain , father and daughter stop off to help an acquaintance paul chen ( shaun tam ) identify an ancient sword that , according to legend , is made from meteoric stone and has magical powers .
gui wu grabs the phoenix lute and fires into their attackers injuring many of them and causing them to retreat .
note : thanks to madman films for releasing this film in australia . much appreciated .
the trailer is online for wu dang , a new fantasy - based chinese martial arts film from the director of twins effect ii and featuring action choreography by the legendary corey yuen . the film stars vincent zhao , who is probably most famous at the moment for dropping out of donnie yen’s special identity , alongside siu - wong fan ( riki - oh : the story of ricky ) and yang mi .
i thought you might be interested in this item at urltoken title : wu dang author : patrick leung ; chan khan ; yaoqing wang ; mini yang ; wenzhuo zhao ; shaohuang fan ; mei ah film production co publisher : [ collingwood , vic . ] : madman entertainment [ distributor ] , ©2012 . oclc : 837523903
set atop the beautiful chinese mountains , this tale about a teen girl skilled at martial arts plays out with magical swords , secret scrolls , and the living spirit of wu dang mountain , creating a paranormal experience that’s a kickin’ good time .
it feels like forever since i have watched a good kung fu flick in the vein of so many hong kong classics . finally , i get to experience another taste of sweet fighting bliss with the blu - ray release of wu dang .
set somewhere around 1930 in mainland china , wu dang tells the story of tang yunlong , a chinese archaeologist who has just returned from the usa . upon his return , he finds himself in the middle of a dodgy second hand deal before punching his way out the back door , taking with him and ancient and seemingly mystical map . he and his daughter , tang ning , scarper away into the sacred mountains of wu dang where shenanigans and a healthy dose of fisticuffs ensue .
all in all wu dang was a rather enjoyable film . while the subtitle implementation was frankly dreadful , and some of the “serious” moments were slightly dull and boring , each slow part of the film was really just a lead up to a spectacular fight sequence , which is always fine in my books . fans of jet li , jackie chan or bruce lee will most likely lap up the fight scenes in this movie .
electrochemical reduction and voltammetric determination of metronidazole at a nanomaterial thin film coated glassy carbon electrode .
patrick leung , a long - time assistant for director john woo , helms the film .
while promoting wu dang in beijing yesterday , actor vincent zhao spoke out about the controversy surrounding his departure from the donnie yen aciton film special identity . says zhao : “ i’ve been in this industry for over 20 years . i was taught to treat people with respect . but he [ yen ] destroyed everything i knew about him . ”
zhao has been a kung fu star since his debut in 1995 . an accomplished martial art practitioner and national contest champion , zhao plays a master in wu dang , one of the two most influential kung fu schools in china . the other is shao lin .
however most of yang mi’s 2012 films received mixed to low critical reception . aside from love in the buff < 春嬌與志明 > , a majority of her films received a below average rating . her worst film was the action epic , wu dang < 大武当之天地密码 > , which received a rating of less than 4 out of 10 in most professional movie review websites .
xiao xiang film group mei ah media ( beijing ) mei ah films production co . ltd .
expectations : an action - packed film compensating from lack of character with gallons of forced nostalgia .
„wu dang“ ist ein eigentlich schon ein klassischer wireworks film , so gibt es hier zwar kaum realtische kampfszenen , dafür sind die kämpfe wunderschön choreographiert und in szene gesetzt , dazu gibt es bei dem turnier und den hauptfiguren unterschiedliche stile der kampfkunst und dies macht auch die abwechslung aus . denn die handlung ist so typisch wie sie eigentlich nur sein kann , ein turnier der kampfkünste in…
wu dang /  mei ah film production co . , ltd . ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung . [ china zhong dian media co . , ltd . . . . [ et al . ] ] ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung .
wu dang [ videorecording ] / mei ah film production co . , ltd . ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung . [ china zhong dian media co . , ltd . . . . [ et al . ] ] ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung .
two younger kung fu stars , louis fan and dennis to , support him in the film , which also stars mainland actress yang mi . the film contains yangs first fighting sequences seen on the big screen .
when wu dang , the head of a famous martial arts school , is viciously murdered after having defeated his evil adversaries , his daughter xue jaio seeks revenge . she heads for the hills to study a unique form of boxing which will enable her to revenge her father ' s murder .
the production company behind the treasure hunt film hosted a launch ceremony yesterday on wudang mountain in hubei province .
mainland kung fu star zhao wenzhuo will show off his skills in wudang martial arts in his new film .
zhao says he will take his children to see the film , which is family - friendly and hilarious .
expectations : a sequel not as good as the first ( in my opinion , overrated ) avengers film .
wu dang [ videorecording ] / mei ah film production co . , ltd . ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung . [ china zhong dian media co . , ltd . . . . [ et al . ] ] ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung . - version details - trove
extras for this release include a trailer for the film ( 1 minute 33 seconds – anamorphic widescreen ) and a ‘behind the scenes’ featurette ( 31 minutes 13 seconds – anamorphic widescreen , in chinese with english subtitles ) . the bulk of this ‘behind the scenes’ featurette is made up on set footage , with some comments from those involved in the film interspersed throughout . also included with this release are trailers for other titles also available from well go usa . overall wu dang gets a first rate release from well go usa .
electrochemical reduction and voltammetric determination of metronidazole at a nanomaterial thin film coated glassy carbon electrode . - pubmed - ncbi
* comes with reviews , personal thoughts on film and extra sauce all wrapped up in a sesame seed bun .
the first film i watched and became enraptured was “the princess bride” . i remember watching it on the school bus one the way home from an excursion . i was one of those kids that would complain about girls , as kids would do , and i immediately thought that the film was a girly film , just due to the title .
wu ma , lee ho , chang pei - shan , tang chia , liu chia liang , liu chia yung as members of the flying tiger clan .
tien feng , ku feng , cliff lok , chen hung - lieh , chang pei - shan , wu ma , and violet pan ying - zi .
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the costumes in the film were designed by emi wada , who won the academy award for best costume design in 1985 .
the film ' s locations include the wudang mountains in hubei province , which is believed to be where the school originated .
gute martial arts filme aus china / hong kong werden immer weniger , vor allem wenn man bedenkt , was vor jahrzenten dort an filmen erschienen sind . zwar gibt es dafür aus dem rest von asien immer wieder perlen und genre highlights . doch ab und an gibt es auch noch eine perle aus china , so eine ist „wu dang“ .
wants to go . i really do . the film ' s ambition exists somewhere between a traditional tournament - style romp , an
note : thanks to madman films for releasing this film ( as well as the second part ) in australia . much appreciated .
on 16 july 2012 , netease stated that the plot of wu dang not only closely resembles that of tiandao mima ( 天道密码 ) , a novel by sima changxiao ( 司马长啸 ) published in august 2011 , but its chinese title ( da wudang zhi tiandi mima ) is also very similar to that of the novel . this led to suspicions of plagiarism .
yeah , it’s actually not that bad – but not really that good either . the movie’s pace is decent and the action is… well , ‘decent’ – it also and provides a little bit of entertainment value despite the fact it really doesn’t break new ground . the performances are done well and we’ve got a talented lead in vincent zhao , who plays a pretty likeable character and has a decent introduction at the beginning of the film when he steals the map to the treasures at wu dang .
that being said , it all builds to an exciting cliffhanger , filled with many revelations , battles and over - the - top acting that make it a riot . it’s a shame that the film doesn’t thrill in an emotional level . i still had a hell of a fun time watching this film and i hope the second film carries that sheer thrill and maybe , a little emotional touch .
expectations : an energetic family friendly spy film that thrills and stirs similar to kick - ass and x - men : first class .
from a premise stand point this film should have been so much better then what ended up onscreen . first off , there is little if any regard given to character development and back - story . this film is determined to flush any substance in favor of showcasing the spectacle . this film at its core is style of substance and then some . also if you are looking for anything that remotely resembles reality , you should look elsewhere . since there is not a single moment in the film that comes close to being rooted in reality .
as for my reviews coming up , they will be just random ones that i’ve seen , with some cinema releases and a whole pack of japanese film reviews coming soon , due to personal acquaintances . my first review will be released on monday and i hope the film is good enough for a good start . i will also have other plans like special articles about film in general and other fun stuff .
it has been revealed that actress yang mi has arrived in france to help promote the film , which is her first kung fu debut .
another plus to this film is the actors . in films like this , all i ask is that the actors are genuine within the film’s context and in this regard , the film succeeds . all the actors give life to their stereotypical roles and although not all of them are exceptionally likable , they add to the realism of the tale , since the story involves horrific bullying that these people may or may not have done .
at present , some of the film ' s scenes are being shot on the mountain . later , the shooting location will transfer to shanghai .
wu dang , a place where the treasure of martial arts tai chi originated . in early republican china , rumors were going around about the treasure in wudang mountain . an american conspirator took his well - trained kung fu daughter to wudang by sponsoring a taoist martial arts competition , to steal the treasure . out of expectation , a disciple represented wudang to compete with other martial arts masters for the
wu dang , a place where the treasure of martial arts tai chi originated . in early republican china , rumors were going around about the treasure in wudang mountain . an american conspirator took his well - trained kung fu daughter to wudang by sponsoring a taoist martial arts competition , to steal the treasure . out of expectation , a disciple represented wudang to compete with other martial arts masters for the championship .
re : so close : i’ve been meaning to watch that film for quite a while . * give me a few weeks ( i do own it ) and i’ll report back . i have a ton of 2012 films i’m trying to take care of ( good film year this year though ) .
mei ah film production co . , ltd . ; produced by chan khan , david wang ; screenplay , chan khan ; director , patrick leung .
while on his way back to wu dang , he stops at a very small in guandong province for a rest . from the room next door he overhears a planned robbery of the household of retired commander - in - chief , liu xian . the bandits planning the robbery are persuading the younger son of the flying fish island clan chief named tu hu , to help them because of the superior martial arts of the liu family .
the movie wu dang is a bit of an example to the above – the fantasy kung fu and wirework and a visual style with cgi to top off the ‘expensiveness’ of it’s look . but not really heavy on the messages , it tends to rely more on excitement and action . honestly , wire fu just doesn’t do it for me and , i think it’s safe to say , most people who read my blog are the same !
along the way all sorts of plot thickenings and mucky - stuff hitting the fan occurs . the professor and tian xin are often caught in the act of trying to steal the treasures ( with their actions resulting in fast - paced fighting sequences ) . several fights are carried out as part of the tournament , while tang ning falls in love with the caring and compassionate commoner shui heyi . towards the end of the film , all sorts of hell slowly begin to break loose as a traitor amongst the wu dang ranks activates the mystical powers of the ten treasures to become a being of godlike power .
as for glitches flaws , the film does have a reliance on jump scares , although not as much as previous horror films and the characters do sometimes resort on stupid decisions ( i . e the chatroulette scene ) . the characters are still horror stereotypes ( i . e the “virgin” , the promiscuous one , the jock , the stoner , the saintly boyfriend ) and , to be honest , i wished the film ended five seconds earlier . when you see the film , you’ll know .
simultaneously , a mysterious woman named tian xin likewise seeks to compete in the competition and also has ulterior motives for being there : she wishes to recover an ancient sword made of meteoric stone that once belonged to her ancestors . the final player in this tangled tale of intrigue is shui heyi , a common man who only wants to look after his ailing mother but is chosen by the grand taoist master of wu dang to compete in the tournament .
a 2012 wushu film directed by patrick leung about a pair of thieves using a martial arts competition to steal seven treasures from the legendary taoist temple at wudan mountain .
the article said “highest grossing film” not “highest paid” actress . well , of course , she would be considered “highest grossing film” actress since she’s in 9 films . but the credits of most of the films didn’t go to her since she was only cast as supporting so the article is somewhat misleading . a publicity stunt from her camp .
co - production china - hong kong ; mei ah films production co . ltd / mei ah media ( beijing ) / xiao xiang film group / china zhong dian media
keep your comments focused on the film . don ' t post randomness / off - topic comments . jokes are fine , but don ' t post tactless / inappropriate ones .
as you may have guessed , this is my first post , and i am so happy to finally start my own blog of film reviews . for as long as i remember , i’ve always loved film . from my first memories ( vivid , anyway ) of watching films when i was 9 years old to exploring fantastic directorial work from spielberg , miyazaki and discovering foreign films from hong kong ( stephen chow fanatic ) , japan ( my first live - action film i watched was hana and alice ) , korea and others .
unfortunately , the filmmakers feel like they’re on autopilot for what should have been a spirited journey . since the audience is kept in the dark about vincent zhao’s motivations for most of the movie , his character comes across as more of a grave robber than a hero we can actually root for . the plot is built around the mystery of the wu dang temple’s artifacts , but when the characters aren’t fighting over them the movie’s runtime is devoted to two playful romances with ridiculous age gaps .
the guy ' s film career is finished . he had the biggest opportunity ( working with donnie yen ) in his whole career in he blew it . oh well . . .
promotional posters featuring two of the lead actors  kung fu star man cheuk chiu , and yang mi  were released today to build momentum for the film ' s release at cannes .
score : 9 / 10 ( director matthew vaughn gives the spy genre a real shot of adrenaline , creating a roller - coaster of an action film that is sure to thrill . )
yang mi is no newcomer . she was a child star and had a role in a stephen chow film at age 4 . her fan base is huge which drives her popularity and exposure .
update : some very brightly colored promotional posters over at chinese films . actress yang mi has actually arrived in france to help promote the film at cannes since this is her first martial arts role .
the film is set in china , early 20th century , following an american who brings his well - trained kung - fu daughter to compete at the martial arts tournament in wudang mountain . in order to find the treasure of this place . starring vincent zhao , recently seen in true legend . the film seems to really want to focus on the martial arts spirit & the ying / yang philosophy .
the fighting style in this film is uniquely chinese for its expression of so much more than anger or competition . like dance , the fight choreography expresses romance and love as well as respect and hierarchy .
fortunately , the action thrills and excites , with every character having their memorable moment and that may be worth the price of admission . i also liked the fact that the avengers actually avenged ( the first film doesn’t count ) . it may seem that i am coming down a bit hard on the film , but considering the films that came before it , the sequel should have been a lot better .
vincent zhao , who recently made headlines by dropping out of donnie yen’s action movie “special identity , ” stars in the lead role of a studied professor and treasure hunter . his latest adventure sends him to a combat tournament in the middle of the wu dang mountains . in a display of questionable parenting skills , zhao tows his plucky daughter , portrayed by xu jiao ( who played a boy in stephen chow’s “ cj7 “ ) , along for the ride while he contends with a rival hunter in the form of pop music and tv sensation yang mi .
yang , who wore a costume by oscar - winning japanese designer emi wada , said she would play a role of a young woman from an exotic land with high - level martial arts in the film .
fortunately , the film is foreboding in its atmosphere and with the clever storytelling , the director’s realistic approach and the game actors , unfriended is a surprisingly above - average entry in the found - footage genre .
there’s nothing particularly awful about the fighting in “wu dang” ; then again there’s nothing particularly inspired about it either . the actors are clearly assisted by wires and stand - ins – but what’s worse is that the editing is simply too fast to really appreciate the moves onscreen . the action here seems designed around what the actors could or couldn’t do , rather than in the interest of choreographing some truly show - stopping fights . it’s a bit of a shame when we know actors like vincent zhao and louis fan still have the moves even though they’re nearing middle - age .
the young actress came to prominence after starring in the 2011 time - traveling drama palace < 宫 > . she subsequently scored a leading role in the 2011 horror film , mysterious island < 孤岛惊魂 > , which raked in 90 million rmb in the mainland chinese box office despite is meager critical ratings . nonetheless , her eye - catching performance in mysterious island drew the interest of many famous chinese and hong kong film producers .
reports are now out indicating that 2012’s highest grossing film actress in china is not zhou xun ( 周迅 ) or zhao wei ( 赵薇 ) , but the 26 - year - old yang mi ( 杨幂 ) .
a final , and generally more impressive , trailer is now online . this trailer puts more emphasis on the film’s slick production values and corey yuen’s action choreography . now this looks like something we’d actually want to see !
simple and sensitive electrochemical method for the determination of metronidazole , based on a nanostructured film coated glassy carbon electrode ( gce ) , is described . multi - walled carbon nanotubes ( mwnt ) was dispersed into water in the presence of a hydrophobic surfactant to give very stable and homogeneous mwnt suspension , and a mwnt - film coated gce was achieved via evaporating solvent . metronidazole yields a well - defined reduction peak whose potential is - 0 . 71v at the mwnt - film coated gce in ph 9 . 0 britton - robinson buffer . compared with bare gce , the mwnt - film modified gce significantly enhances the reduction peak current of metronidazole . all the experimental parameters were optimized for the determination of metronidazole . the detection limit is 6x10 ( - 9 ) mol / l at 2min accumulation . this method has been successfully used to determine metronidazole in the drugs . furthermore , results obtained by the proposed method have been compared with spectrophotometric method .
encompassing all genres and succeeding them with aplomb , the princess bride will remain one of my favorite films and the film that got me into the world . another film that got to me was “the karate kid” . a true underdog story that got me wanting to imitate larusso with his crane kicks at people , and injuring myself a lot in the process . it taught me that life really is all about balance and that we should all stand up for ourselves against adversity .
other areas in which this film is often lacking include its cheaply realized cgi that often calls attention to itself . and its inconsistent action set pieces which range from good to average , with the bulk of them falling into the latter category .
kung fu and fantasy can work hand in hand quite well . mixed with wire fu it can create glorious looking film with an artistic style that conveys a message and delivers some meaning . but really , i just wanna see some cool fights !
speaking of genuine threats , the horror tone rarely permeates to the characters , as they all act in the iconic over - the - top fashion that hearkens back to godzilla films of old . apparently that irked a lot of the viewers , but it sometimes makes perfect sense within the film , especially when the scouting regiment fights back against the titans . most of the group are not soldiers and they are clearly not capable of combat so when they do , they are scared out of their wits and behave in irrational ways . sometimes , the characters are appropriately cynical like eren , claiming , at one point , “paradise seems like a prison if one sees its walls . ” , adding to the nightmarish film . the meshing of the tone and the characters it makes the film bizarrely entertaining , filled with unexpected surprises ( like the development of mikasa ) and unintentional laugh - out - loud moments ( eren’s standoff against the titans ) but it makes the film schizophrenic , creating emotional whiplash .
yangtze river daily ( 长江日报 ) reporter wan xuming ( 万旭明 ) wrote ,
based on the immense response at the auditions held in hengdian world studios , the audience probably regard this film as one that showcases the grandeur of the wudang mountains .
yang mi has appeared in a total of nine blockbuster films this year , including the highly successful painted skin : the resurrection < 画皮ii > , which earned 702 million rmb at the box office , the second highest - grossing chinese film in history .
but i’m with you on the rating . i liked it more than some of the comments i read on kungfucinema , i could finish the film no problem , i had issues of course and i still feel overly disappointed with the majority of mainland releases .
the film revolves around six teenagers blair , mitch , jess , ken , val and adam who are skyping over for a group chat as they plan to go to a concert . but during the chat , a mysterious user joins in , annoying the group . assuming that it is a technical glitch , they ignore it until it supposedly reveals itself to be laura barns , a former classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago . as the group try to get rid of her , the user exposes all of their dirty secrets and lies . i admit , i was surprised at how much i enjoyed this film , especially when i watched it in the cinema . the film is surprisingly immersive despite the fact that it is set on a computer screen for 80 minutes .
sounds pretty appealing on paper , full of adventure and high - stakes through wu dang mountain in fictionalized ' 20s china . up in the range ' s peaks , a tournament has been orchestrated to promote taoist martial arts among children , bringing together combatants from all across china for a celebratory exhibition . conveniently , a history professor ( vincent zhao ) discovers a map of sorts to several valuable relics among the mountain ' s peaks , so he brings his ailing martial - arts protégé daughter to partake in the events while he searches . he ' s not without competition , though : a rival female warrior ( yang mi ) , who had to fight tooth - and - nail through unsavory means to get to
a story like this would be really dark and almost downright depressing to go through , but both director levan gabriadze and writer nelson greaves litter the film with nice dark humour like well - timed uses of songs or pop - up ads . one song in particular had me laughing mainly because of the timing it was used . the film does not fall into the trap of overusing blood and gore , with some kills that pack a punch and are cleverly foreshadowed . the scares that do work effectively come from the well - worn trope that is the power of suggestion . like the film jaws , the reasons for its effective scares is that you don’t see what the fearful characters see and it is through the power of suggestion ( i . e our minds ) that make the scares work .
when i first heard that matthew vaughn passed on directing x - men : days of future past for this , i was very skeptical , assuming that this would be a family friendly film . and seeing the first trailer didn’t sway my expectations . but my expectations were knocked out . this film is as r - rated as it gets . even more provocative than kick - ass . yet vaughn has grown more experienced over the years and he finally gets the consistency right . unlike kick - ass , we can revel in the comical violence of kingsman but we can get swept up by the drama of the stakes without jarring us out of the movie . also unlike kick - ass , vaughn also gets the balance between parody and homage right , without becoming a film that it is legitimately spoofing .
review : when i first heard of this film in development , i was pumped , despite the lack of mel gibson . tom hardy was cast as max ? i was sold . charlize theron was cast , i was sold . george miller came back to continue the franchise , double sold . but what made me hesitant , even recently before i wrote this review , was that continuations of dormant franchises have been very mixed , mostly disappointing . movies like terminator genisys and jurassic world were incredibly reliant on people’s nostalgia of the franchises that it comes off as lazy and derivative , and i was scared that mad max : fury road would come off as the same way . another fear i had was that i was scared that this film would be more of an advertisement to future films , instead of an actual film itself , like iron man 2 and the amazing spider - man 2 . well , guys , i was wrong . mad max : fury road is one of the loveliest action films this year . fuck it , probably the loveliest action film this decade .
as for flaws , and there are few , is that there is some obvious green screen in the climax and the character of immortan joe could be more developed as a character . but overall , i’ve never been more satisfied watching an action film this year . go see it .
in terms of the story , i was neither blown away nor disappointed . while i felt that the sudden supernatural elements towards the end of the film felt like they somewhat came out of nowhere , and while nothing out of the storyline is particularly mind - blowing or amazing , i enjoyed following the plot of this film . the acting was solid , and the use of following the narrative from the different perspectives of the three different characters was a nice plot device that helped add some much appreciated creativity to what otherwise would have been an average - at - best storyline .
on their way to the gan residence to use the invincible sword to destroy the phoenix lute , gui wu suggests they cut through the woods , doing so they run right into an ambush by the flying tiger clan intent on robbing whomever would pass that area of the woods . the yin yang swordsmen are highly skilled but the flying tiger clan is present in great numbers . seeing the men surround his wife ,
is not as popular as other shaw brothers films of this period and while i have read other reviews of this movie there is not a lot of information on the making of the film and the audience’s reception of it . so we will just dig in and experience it for ourselves , in other words – let’s get busy !
that man in chang - an ( 1967 ) has no fight choreographer credited . i counted eight ( 8 ) fight scenes scattered throughout the movie . for the most part they are short scenes with the exception of the four - minute finale . these fight scenes are basically by the numbers “one , two , three – kill” sword fights , rarely ( there are exceptions , mostly during the finale . ) more that two attackers at a time no matter how many soldiers enter the scene . there is also some last minute under cranking during the finally that just adds to the humor of the entire film , believe me , you do not watch this film for the fights .
i see what you’re saying about corey . the only thing is – i remember “so close” having some of his best fight choreography and action of the past 12 years . and shu qi and zhao wei aren’t exactly trained martial artists . i wonder if it’s just my rosy memory of that movie , though . how would you rate that film in terms of corey yuen’s work ?
unfortunately , there was one rather annoying flaw throughout this film that really detracted from the overall experience . instead of being displayed in the lower black “letter - boxed” portion of the screen , the subtitles used a yellow font and were displayed in front of the footage . this was a very poor choice as half of the text was unreadable as it became indistinguishable against the similar colors of the footage .
as much as i wanted to like this film , i just couldn ' t stand the slow - mo aerial ballet they try to pass off for kung fu nowadays . i really hate this new trend of emphasizing camera tricks and special effects over good old fashioned choreography . i love older kung fu movies from hong kong but nowadays , it seems the best martial arts movies are coming out of thailand .
this is one of those old classic gems , like dragon gate inn . it is dubbed in english , but reasonably well - done . the film quality is is grainy and mediocre , the color washed out , the editing choppy ; but that doesn ' t matter . the fight choreography is quite good , most of the actors seem to have genuine wushu skills and athletic capabilities - there is no wirework or fancy camera tricks here to substitute for real abilities . the fights are more gritty and realistic than most of this genre . the wushu is not flowery , the fights are not exaggerated push - hands exercises ; this is a more honest rendering of martial skills . quan lin is not just a pretty face - she appears to be practiced in her martial skills and as the star of the film she sets the bar for the others to meet . for all its imperfections , this movie always leaves me inspired .
! thankfully , the excellent choreography combined with the high levels of martial arts skills of the combatants made every fight scene a pure joy to watch . initially a put off to me , this is one of those “wire - fu” movies where cables are used a lot , sometimes in a very over - the - top fashion . i eventually warmed up to the slightly unbelievable gravity of the film , and was glued to the screen every time there was a punch or kick taking place .
footage that features interviews and scene - anatomy glimpses . director patrick leung and the producers / actors / crew offer their input , discussing the movie ' s elaborate action style and how corey yuen ' s perspective impacted it , the characters and the actors portraying them , and the complexity of film shoots . don ' t let the beginning of the piece fool you , though : the behind - the - scenes material gets pretty engaging , while emotional post - modern rock music drives it along .
chan chi - kit ( wu jing ) is a drug - addicted undercover cop who is sent to prison due to his job working under a human trafficking ring run by hung man - kong ( louis koo ) , which he and his uncle chan kwok - wah ( simon yam ) are investigating . as wah is trying to save kit , kong is trying to kidnap his brother because he has something valuable that he wants . alongside this story is chatchai ( tony jaa ) a security guard at the prison kit goes to . he has a terminally ill daughter , who needs a bone marrow transplant and has a rare bombay phenotype , which means that only one in a million people can be her donor . coincidentally , one of those people is kit and chatchai cannot contact kit yet chatchai sees him everyday in prison .
, 1966 , the magnificent trio ( 1966 ) reunites the cast and crew of tiger boy ( 1964 ) . tiger boy was “an experiment” sir run run shaw permitted chang cheh to engage in to produce a new genre in films provided mr . cheh kept expenses low . to that end mr . cheh used all new actors in the starring roles , used no martial arts action directors and filmed the movie in black and white . chang cheh also wrote and directed the film that was not released until sir run run shaw was convinced that the new genre was indeed a success . tiger boy was given a limited release february 16
like a lot of viewers , especially children , we were the very the audience surrogate of fred savage’s character in the film . pessimistic , quick - to - judge , plain cynical . but when we opened our minds , we were rewarded with riches upon riches . i was fist pumping when i saw the first sword fight between westley and montoya . i was laughing my head off whenever fezzik started to rhyme . i thought buttercup was incredibly beautiful ( and she still is ) and i thought the climax was perfect , although my friends thought otherwise . why fight people when you don’t have to ? a razor sharp wit should more than suffice .
as for the action scenes , they are well - shot and well - conceived ( the church scene mentioned above is a highlight ) , but they sometimes suffer from a digital sheen that is quite distracting , particularly in the final fight between eggsy and gazelle . but what gives the action scenes their oomph is the use of music . much like kick - ass , vaughn uses music to spectacular effect , with a great musical score by henry jackman ( who also scored kick - ass and x - men : first class ) especially with the use of “freebird” by lynrd skynyrd and “give it up” by kc and the sunshine band . they give the film a great sense of fun and an amusing off - kilter edge that makes the delicate balance between parody and homage stand out .
unfortunately the first movie ever directed by chang cheh : tiger boy ( 1964 ) is out of print and unavailable so i may never see , let alone review this movie in my lifetime . this review of the second movie ever directed by chang cheh , the magnificent trio ( 1966 ) demonstrates the how skilled mr . cheh was at characterization . since it is an adaptation and not an original script i am not comfortable giving an opinion on his writing skills based on this movie but history speaks volumes about mr . cheh’s writing talent so there is no need for me to add my silly two cents on the matter . i can say that i was thoroughly entertained by all aspects of the film and so i can recommend it wholeheartedly to collectors and casual viewers alike . see you next time !
with a sumptuous environment that ' s ideal for mythical cinematography and engaging production design , an area where the film legitimately excels . weatherworn structures wedged into the forested mountainside enhance that vast - removed essence of the taoist monastery , where rich blue - green stone and thriving vegetation create a sense of age and protected seclusion to the adventure that transpires . tattered garments for the meager monks and bold , rich costumes for the heroes and villains often engage the eyes as they weave through the monastery and navigate the mountain ' s roads ad caverns by night ( there ' s an absolutely stunning shot of mini yang ' s face covered by a silken cowl ) . these are the components for a more ample , polished legend than the one patrick leung delivers , rendering the shots as hollow images that make one yearn for more substance .
as for the new characters in the supporting cast , katey segal ( from “married with children”…damn i’m old ) is underused as emily’s mum , but keegan - michael key ( of key and peele ) steals all the scenes he’s in as beca’s boss and the supposed villains played by birgitte hjort sørensen ( from borgen , a great show ) and flula borg ( a youtube star ) are great , particularly when anna kendrick confronts the two and loses herself . even a cameo from snoop dogg was hilarious to witness , particularly on what he’s actually singing and how enthusiastically he sings it . elizabeth banks’ direction isn’t as smooth as jason moore’s in the first film as her directions towards actors are inconsistent ( anna camp’s performance , while amusing , is more over - the - top than usual ) , but some scenes are really funny , like a scene where all the bellas are in a tent .