John Woo
"Life in 24 Frames a Second" is a film about hardship, misfortune, perseverance and triumph. The personal stories of John Woo (The Killer), Anurag Kashyap (Sacred Games), Rithy Panh (The Missing Picture) and Lav Diaz (The Woman Who Left), who survived extreme poverty, disease, sexual abuse, genocide and civil war to go on to become maestros of world cinema. 'Survivors' united by their abiding love of the movies.
A story of three couples and their intertwining love stories set in 1940s Taiwan and Shanghai, centered around the 1949 sinking of Taiping.
During the Chinese Revolution in 1949, three couples flee from China to an island of Taiwan.
[SINGLE ONE-CUT VERSION] Warriors of the Rainbow depicts the Wushe Incident, which occurred near Qilai Mountain of Taiwan under Japanese rule. Mona Rudao, a chief of Mehebu village of Seediq people, led warriors fighting against the Japanese.
Mouna Rudo was born and raised among the Seediq people, an indigenous tribe in Taiwan, and as he grew to be a man he became a member of the Seediq Bale, a courageous band of native warriors. However, Rudo's way of life is threatened under the yoke of occupying forces from Japan, who took over the nation in 1895. As Rudo sees the traditions and honor of his people stripped away, he realizes the time has come to fight back, and in 1930 he brings together a group of former Seediq Bale soldiers, many of whom have been reduced to infighting, and molds them into a revolutionary army. Rudo and his comrades make their stand when they confront Japanese occupation troops at a youth athletic event, leading to a violent confrontation between the Seediq forces and their oppressors. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag is Part one of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Mouna Rudo was born and raised among the Seediq people, an indigenous tribe in Taiwan, and as he grew to be a man he became a member of the Seediq Bale, a courageous band of native warriors. However, Rudo's way of life is threatened under the yoke of occupying forces from Japan, who took over the nation in 1895. As Rudo sees the traditions and honor of his people stripped away, he realizes the time has come to fight back, and in 1930 he brings together a group of former Seediq Bale soldiers, many of whom have been reduced to infighting, and molds them into a revolutionary army. Rudo and his comrades make their stand when they confront Japanese occupation troops at a youth athletic event, leading to a violent confrontation between the Seediq forces and their oppressors. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge is Part two of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Eleven major film makers from Europe, America and Asia talk about Akira Kurosawa and discover surprising influences on their own work.
A chronicle of the events that led to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
A Korean remake of the John Woo Classic. One brother is a criminal. One brother is a cop. Both will fight to the death.
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.
More than just a biography, this film explores Bruce Lee's global impact to see how he has influenced all areas of popular culture including fitness, cinema, music, sport, dance, video games and philosophy. A journey across the United States, Asia and Europe, takes Shannon Lee on a trip back to her father's roots in Hong Kong and China. With unique access to the family's photographic archive, home movies and all material owned by the Bruce Lee Foundation.
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
The Founding of a Republic is a Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group (CFG) to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The film retells the tale of the Communist ascendancy and triumph.
Short focusing on the collaboration between John Woo and Shinji Aramaki in Appleseed Ex Machina.
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
Fung (Daniel Wu) and his best friends, brothers Kang (Liu Ye) and Hu (Tony Yang), leave the countryside together to make it big in Shanghai. Things aren't so easy in the city, however, and the brothers stumble and toil until opportunity brings them to Club Paradise and ruthless mob boss Hong (Sun Honglei). While Kang embraces his newfound power in the Shanghai triad, Fung and Hu are less comfortable with the crime and violence, sending the brothers slowly but surely down opposite paths. Fung falls for Hong's woman, sassy nightclub singer Lulu (Shu Qi) who is also involved with Hong's top henchman Mark (Chang Chen). When Hong catches scent of the betrayal, he sends Kang to finish off business, leading the brothers to meet at gunpoint on a cold Shanghai night. Set in Shanghai during the 1930s, the story is inspired by John Woo's classic work Bullet in the Head, released in 1990.
As members of ESWAT, the elite forces serving Olympus, Deunan and Briaereos are deployed anywhere trouble strikes. Olympus finds itself under a stealth attack - cyborg terrorism, deadly nanotech zealots, and rioting citizens are just some of the threats that Deunan must contend with as she fights to save Olympus!
Revisit 100 years of Chinese cinema through the RTHK TV program A Century of Light and Shadow. Aired in 2005, this interesting and informative documentary traces the development of the Chinese film industry from the pioneering years to contemporary times. From the volley between Mandarin and Cantonese films to the rise of the New Wave, this program touches on all the major trends and developments that have helped define Chinese cinema and explores different genres and representative figures and films. From actors to directors, over 200 film industry names, including Jackie Chan, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Connie Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, and Lau Ching Wan, appear in the program, bringing their intimate knowledge of the industry and providing insight about what lies ahead for Chinese cinema.
Seven short films - each one focused on the plight of a different child protagonist.
In the year 2082, the Earth was invaded by aliens after it was long determine that existence of extra terrestrials was long thought to be science fiction. Major cities crumbled from the destruction of the beings from beyond the stars. The invasion came to a halt when Earth's own armed forces led by Col. John Robinson fought off the invaders and thus Earth won the battle which came to be known as "Robinson's Raid". 15 years have passed by and John Robinson attends a ceremony for his retirement from his services in defending the Earth from alien threat. This disfunctional family is one of the fewest families chosen to be part of the space program that is heading for a planet called Nova which will become occupied with a new farming colony.
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the end of a three-year job, he's told he isn't getting a paycheck and instead receives a mysterious envelope. In it are clues he must piece together to find out why he wasn't paid – and why he's now in hot water.
Filmmaker Ian Taylor examines the impressive legacy of Hong Kong cinema -- specifically, how martial arts crossed borders and become an international phenomenon -- with the help of footage and interviews with the stars who made the genre what it is today. Director Lau Ka Leung (who helmed The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) joins in, sharing his thoughts on how certain cinematic technologies have improved martial arts films and expanded their appeal.
Featuring clips of legendary martial-arts movies including Lau Ka Leung's "Heroes Two" and "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin", Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master", Jet Li's "Once Upon A Time In China" and Chang Cheh's "The Five Venoms". The series traces back to the early heydays of martial-arts movies on screen. Interviews with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Lau Ka Leung and Gordon Lau Ka Fai depict the development of Kung Fu films.
A full journey from the beginning of "Swordplay" movies in Shanghai, growth in Hong Kong cinemas in the 60's and 70's and Ang Lee's epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000. The series also features interviews with such luminaries including John Woo, Chu Yuen, Lau Ka Leung, Gordon Lau Ka Fai, Sammo Hung, David Chiang and Cheng Pei Pei.
A mysterious and immortal Tibetan kung fu master, who has spent the last 60 years traveling around the world protecting the ancient Scroll of the Ultimate, mentors a selfish street kid in the ancient intricacies of kung fu.
The Driver is hired by the FBI to help defuse a hostage situation. A disgruntled employee has kidnapped a CEO and has hidden her, demanding $5,088,042. The Driver delivers the money, writing the sum on his hand as instructed by the hostage taker. After he is told that he holds the life of a person in his hand, he is ordered to burn the money. As he complies, the federal agents break in and attempt to subdue the man, who shoots himself in the head before he reveals where the woman is hidden. The Driver then tries to find the hostage before she drowns in the trunk of a sinking car. As a twist, the kidnapped woman is revealed to be the hostage taker's lover. She coldly taunts the dying man in the hospital.
Joe Enders is a gung-ho Marine assigned to protect a "windtalker" - one of several Navajo Indians who were used to relay messages during World War II because their spoken language was indecipherable to Japanese code breakers.
Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, this in-depth documentary offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the martial arts film -- from the genre's rebellious beginnings to high-flying modern epics. Jackson takes you through the best moments of 100 movies, including Charlie's Angels and Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Interviews with martial arts film veterans Sammo Hung, John Woo and Ang Lee round out the video.
BMW film presents "The Hire", a series of eight short films produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002. A form of branded content, all eight films feature popular filmmakers from across the globe, star Clive Owen as the "The Driver" and highlight the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles. The series made a comeback in 2016, fifteen years after its original run ended.
With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
Affable hit man Melvin Smiley is constantly being scammed by his cutthroat colleagues in the life-ending business. So, when he and his fellow assassins kidnap the daughter of an electronics mogul, it's naturally Melvin who takes the fall when their prime score turns sour. That's because the girl is the goddaughter of the gang's ruthless crime boss. But, even while dodging bullets, Melvin has to keep his real job secret from his unsuspecting fiancée, Pam.
After saving Casey, a daughter of his friend, from hired assassins, Jack Devlin is hit with a strange phobia - fear of white color. But when his other friend, who works as a bodyguard for a supermodel, is wounded, Jack decides to step in for him. Now he must confront his fear and the assassin, who seems to be well aware of Jack's problem.
Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
Jackie Chan is one of the world's biggest action stars, famed for his wacky sense of humor, remarkable martial arts techniques, and willingness to perform incredible stunts without the use of doubles -- or a net. This video takes a personal look at Chan as he works on screen projects in Hollywood and Beijing and candidly discusses his life and work.
This highly personal film essay demonstrates that Chinese cinema has dealt with questions of gender and sexuality more frankly and provocatively than any other national cinema. Yang ± Yin examines male bonding and phallic imagery in the swordplay and kung fu movies of the '60s and '70s; homosexuality; same-sex bonding and physical intimacy; the continuing emphasis on women's grievances in melodramas; and the phenomenon of Yam Kim-Fai, a Hong Kong actress who spent her life portraying men on and off the screen.
Lin is a plain-clothes cop in the crime-riddled district of Mongkok who bungles a vice operation directed at mainland prostitues. He falls for a ditsy hooker who tells him the love of her life is a killer who once svaed her life in a shootout.
Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Hong Kong underworld crime lord who raised and trained them. After being imprisoned in Hong Kong, Mac is forcefully recruited into a clandestine international crime-fighting unit by a hard-nosed, menacing Director. He is teamed in Vancouver with Li Ann, who thought Mac was dead, and her new fiancé Victor Mansfield, an ex-cop who is attracted to the unorthodox methods of the agency. Conflict flares between Mac and Victor as the trio take on their assignment. They soon learn that their principal target is their foster brother Michael Tang, who had been given Li Ann as his future wife and who has vowed to hunt down the pair for their disloyalty to the "family".
When rogue stealth-fighter pilot Vic Deakins deliberately drops off the radar while on maneuvers, the Air Force ends up with two stolen nuclear warheads -- and Deakins's co-pilot, Riley Hale, is the military's only hope for getting them back. Traversing the deserted canyons of Utah, Hale teams with park ranger Terry Carmichael to put Deakins back in his box.
After his wife's murder, widow Wong A Ping (Chow Yun-Fat) sets up a Peace Hotel to act as a sanctuary for anyone who needs protecting. One day a mysterious women (Cecilia Yip) shows up who seeks shelter from a gang hunting her. Vowing to never turn anyone away, Wong A Ping must decide whether to help the women or risk confronting the gang.
A documentary study of martial arts films and their leading protagonists. Included are profiles of such artists as Bruce Lee, Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Woo favourite Chow Yun Fat.
When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.
Twins, separated at birth, end up as a Hong Kong gangster and a New York concert pianist. When the pianist travels to Hong Kong for a concert, the two inevitably get mistaken for each other.
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Three art thieves try to re-steal a painting after their crime boss double-crosses them.
Developer Tsang Siu-Chi (Eric Tsang) and his agent (Jacky Cheung) have bought two of a group of four properties. Rival developer, Boss Hung (Sammo Hung) has secured the other two properties. Both aim to buy all four so they can knock them down and build hotels.
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Prolific action director Woo proves his thespian mettle on screen as a destitute, desperate Chinese defector who, with his brother in tow, tries to find a foothold in the Hong Kong underworld.
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
The assassination of a gang lord triggers a power struggle amongst his men. Who will win the game the righteous or the villain?
The year is 1974. A young Hong Kong Chinese, Mark (Chow Yun-Fat), travels to Saigon to make his fortune. There, he encounters a mysterious femme fatale, the lovely Kit. As he becomes more involved in her various underworld deals, a tragic romance develops. On the eve of the outbreak of war, Kit's past returns to endanger her, and Mark must risk everything for the one true love of his life...
As Cai Mei, a single 40 year old woman and a social worker starts a relationship with a teen-ager Tian-Ah, she remembers her relationship when she was young with her professor, a married man older than her.
Treasury employee Fatty (Eric Tsang) discovered that bags of used 30 million in Hong Kong Dollars have not been incinerated due to a system error; therefore, he hatches up a plot to grab the doe before they are burned. He seeks his friends Mark (Mark Cheng) and Tomboy (Anglie Leung) to help him with the heist; but, they also enlist actual thief Baldy (Karl Maka), who had just been released from prison, to double the assistance with his thievery skills. But, Baldy wants the money for his own and to share it with love interest Siu-Fung (Paula Tsui). Hot on their trail is a hothead inspector (Ching Wong) and a nun, Sister Maria (Brigitte Lin), who wants to save them for redemption.
A restaurant owner his ex-con brother and a policeman team up to avenge the murder of his old friends daughter by the Triad.
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
The Thai government hires a group of Chinese mercenaries to capture a powerful drug lord from the Golden Triangle. The mercenaries manage to capture the drug lord, but soon find themselves pursued by his forces, and the forces of a bitter Thai officer. The Chinese mercenaries are vastly outnumbered, and as their numbers begin to dwindle, their desperation pulls them into a corner as their enemies close in on them.
John Woo's melodramatic tragicomedy The Time You Need a Friend (1985) stands at the crucial crossroads in the director's career. Woo had been churning out innocuous comedies for more than a few years, and after establishing the "heroic bloodshed" genre, he'd never look back. But this tale of two comedians - estranged former pals who bury the hatchet for one last show together - blends the pathos and male-bonding of Woo's later dramas with the silliness and pratfalls that marked his early works. At their peak, Ku Ren and Shem Bien were an unstoppable screen comedy team, the undisputed stars of the silent era. But a major falling out has kept the duo offstage for decades. Despite the urgings of family and friends, Ku and Shem refuse to reconcile. As both men approach their twilight years, one last chance for a reunion presents itself in the form of a televised charity benefit. Ku Ren and Shem Bien struggle to come to terms with years of bitterness, and bring the house down once again.
Wau Fong and Pak Yuk are attractive hostesses in a cabaret with a great following. One of Wan's suitors, Or Ah Chun is a powerful and prominent figure with strong Japanese connections. But she is reluctant to accept his affection and offer of good life. A postgraduate returning from Japan, Lin San Lon is deeply in love with Pak. The musically talented Lin composes the song LOVE, LONE FLOWER for her. But an American bomber puts an end to their relationship, killing Or and Pak in the debris of the cabaret. Wan becomes "Chieftain" of May Flower Restaurant after the liberation. Among the girls under her supervision, she is surprised to see the late Pak...
Two street urchins meet up with a sad and lonely rich kid. They become friends when the kid's shady uncle mistakes them for his nephews.
Jane, with plain looks but a heart of gold, is always in between jobs. Once she gets a job, her knack for creating awkward situations immediately loses it for her. Ricky is her suitor, but he gets nowhere as the girl has no time for love. So Ricky goes along with her in job hunting. Somehow, Jane lands on a job as governess. Not to a child, but to an uncouth very old, very rich man who still wants to lead the life of his poor, uncivilized youth. His son is now running the old man's millions. He wants to bring up the father the civilized way. And he wants to take over the whole city through take-over deals. He is ruthless and has thrown thousands into the streets.
A shmo makes a deal with the devil so he can become a great Pop star just to impress his dream girl. After he makes the deal, a catholic priest hangs around him to try and convince him that he screwed up and he needs to get his soul back or he'll be damned for eternity. Well, everything goes bad for the shmo and he wants his soul back. But, the devil's lacky doesn't want to give it back. So the priest and the devil's lackey go at it mano y mano.
Ricky and Fatso are friends in need. They are in dire need of money since they are only paid slave wages at the bottling factory. However, they become millionaires overnight after buying a winning lottery ticket. During one of their swingin' nights on the town, Ricky is suddenly attacked by an upset stomach; and in no time, a quack doctor diagnoses the seizure as terminal cancer. Ricky seriously considers suicide. But he is appalled by the drawbacks inherent in the available methods of doing himself in--primarily the pain! It is on a rooftop from which he is supposed to make a plunge that he saves a poor man from suicide by giving the latter all the money he has. In gratitude, the newly rich man promises to hire a killer to finish off his suffering benefactor...
Kao has purchased a new wife, but an enemy has paid her more money to kill him. Kao must recruit a pair of swordsmen to help defend himself and his family from his ruthless enemy. But Kao has his dark side as well. A complex early action film from master director Woo.
Biggie (Roy Chiao) and Tiny (Richard Ng) grow up together. They fight all the time. Biggie is a detective and Tiny is a thief. Biggie has the satisfaction of catching Tiny and putting him behind bars. When Tiny is released, he is approached by Daigau who wants Tiny's help to steal the world famous diamond.
An omnibus of tales from the three directors, Sit, Maka and Woo. Each dealing with true love and romance. The third and the best one of the tales deals with a hen-pecked husband trying to kill his wife. An action packed tale written and directed by John Woo who lets the fireworks fly!
On that side of the track is Ah Sing (Roy Chiao), uncouth, unkempt, a garage repairman, a bravado with plenty of tricks up his overall sleeve. And on the other side of the track is rich, young recording artist Gayle (Rowena Cortes), idol of the young with her songs and dances, but an orphan. Harry is her manager. They should not meet, least to say forming some kind of partnership, but they do. Gayle goes to Ah Sing's garage for repairs. When Harry and she drive off, the car's undercarriage Ah Sing and drags him along. Fate steps in the form of five toughles who stop the car and kidnap Gayle to a farmhouse. It so happens that Gayle's father and the five were robbers but the father took off with all the money while the five were caught. They want the money back now they have served the time...
Ducky is hired by Rich Chen to transport the "diamonds" he stole from Uncle Pai Mary. Uncles Tough Guy and Mary would like to get the diamond from Ducky, so volunteering to relieve Ducky of his responsibility. Somehow Tough Guy subdues the gunman and finds out the diamonds are just paste. Tough Guy and Ducky are now partners and promise Uncle Pai to recover the real diamonds. Many times they try but they get nothing more than trouble. Ducky finally works out a plan to get the real diamonds back to Uncle Pai and sell the fake ones to Rich Chen. Uncle Pai gets his diamonds. Mr. Chen is now known as Poor Chen. Tough Guy gets his cut and, eh, Mary.
A beautiful Cantonese opera about the forbidden love between a princess and a scholar. The backdrop is Ming dynasty China and the two would rather die than be apart.
A survivor of an attack on a rebel group opposing the Manchu invasion of China creates the Goose Fist fighting technique and tries for revenge on a traitor.
The powerful mobster Leung, who is protected by the dangerous and wicked Huan Fai, sells two hundred Japanese weapons and ammunition to a Chinese gang. He uses the smuggler Luy Fu to bring the weapons but the smalltime thief Kim and his gang heist the shipment on the road and dump the cargo into the sea. However, he lures Luy Fu and asks a large amount to return the weapons with the intention of traveling abroad with his brother. Meanwhile Kim befriends Fan Ming, an undercover police office from Shanghai that is investigating the illegal activities of Leung. When the mobster finds that Fan Ming is a policeman, Leung ambushes him and Huan Fai and his men stab the officer that falls from a cliff into the sea. Kim brings Fan Ming's fiancée Ipi Feng to the house of his lover, the prostitute Hung, and tells Ipi Feng that her fiancé was murdered by Leung. She decides to revenge the death of her beloved Fan Ming with tragic consequences.
Carter Wong plays a young chinese martial arts student who travels to Korea to learn Taekwondo. Soon he comes up against a vicious gang who want all the local martial arts schools to join their evil association. But before he can defeat the bad guys, he has to learn to master his own strong desire to fight.
It's got kung fu. If this was available in English, I'd be able to tell you the plot. But it isn't. So... it's got kung fu.
A young police cadet graduates from the academy, and is sent to a small town run by gangsters - one of whom betrayed the hero's father and left him to die.
John Woo's experimental short film, made during his time in college. The line between genuine love and violent obsession is blurred when a man falls for a girl and proceeds to tie her up with rope to him, making her follow him around and bend to his whims until tragedy ultimately befalls them both.
An ordinary father heads into the criminal underworld to avenge his young son’s death.
