Wild Horse from Shangri-La (命懸800公里)
An ethnic Tibetan “boy” — who looks more like a young man, possibly even Daniel Day Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans — refuses to let his sister lie down and die when she is afflicted with a life-threatening condition. Nicknamed “Wild Horse” for his running prowess, our hero learns of a marathon to be held in Kunming whose first prize is just enough to cover his sister’s medical expenses ... but he has to run there before he can compete. Any Chinese film with Tibetan content instantly raises red flags, but this one seems more aimed at kids than anyone else. Amusingly, and apparently without irony, the English-language trailer uses a snippet from Run Like Hell by Pink Floyd.
Bottle Shock
This is based on a true story of a clever wine taste test in 1976 that saw French judges unwittingly declare an American wine to be superior. Alan Rickman plays an elite British wine merchant in Paris who sets up the competition, Bill Pullman is the eccentric winemaker in Napa, Chris Pine is Pullman’s maturing son and co-worker and Dennis Farina is Rickman’s loyal customer and cheerleader. This film was in the cellar for more than a year before securing a release here, but its dividends should be no less bountiful.
Le Secret
Possibly taking advantage of today’s more permissive censorship regime, this obscure French drama has been dusted off after nine years for a release in Taiwan. An encyclopedia saleswoman does the dirty on her husband and child with (gasp) an American choreographer. He’s a recluse ... but he sure knows how to push her buttons. Possibly a feature-length warning against such behavior, the way Le Secret is packaged is more likely to trigger mid-life crises throughout the theater. Stars Tony Todd (Candyman) as the illicit lover; his presence makes this worth a look.
Phobia 2
The original Phobia was a Thai compendium of four horror tales; in English it was also called 4bia. But Thai audiences were not at all phobic about seeing it, hence this energetic sequel, which offers a bonus fifth tale of fear. Sinister religious practices and figures, zombie attacks, murderous vehicles and ghosts enter the frame in a selection that pleased audiences and critics, claiming the highest-grossing Thai horror movie crown.
The Triumphant Return of General Rouge
A sequel of sorts to The Glorious Team Batista, a Japanese hospital murder-mystery released here 18 months ago, Rouge places put-upon medicos in a more bureaucratic fix as the government investigators from the previous installment probe dodgy budgeting and claims of unethical practices involving a surgeon gruesomely tagged “General Rouge.” This has to be more entertaining than it sounds, especially as it stars Yuko Takeuchi (Ringu, Spring Snow) and the prolific Hiroshi Abe (Hero). Also known as The Triumphant General Rouge.
Twin Daggers
Shades of Kill Bill at the Baixue in Ximending this week as the latest DVD promo gets a run in this most inelegant of theaters. Aussie journeyman Rhett Giles stars as “Scholar,” a chappie who spends more time unraveling assassin intrigue and kicking butt than producing refereed publications. He joins a number of other would-be killers hired by a sultry lady (Coco Su) to off her identical twin (Coco Su again) before things start getting really complicated. This derivative Chinese production starts tomorrow.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
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