“A TENSE AND RIVETING PIECE OF ACTION CINEMA… IMPRESSIVE FIGHT SEQUENCES… BONE-CRUSHING VIOLENCE.” – TWITCH.
Winner of eight honours at the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Action Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-up Design and Best Original Film Score, and the winner of the Best Actor (Wang Xueqi) and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholas Tse) prizes at this year’s Asian Film Awards, the epic, period action movie Bodyguards And Assassins is a dramatic fictionalized retelling of the suspenseful events of 1906 that eventually led to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China.
Directed by Teddy Chan (The Accidental Spy) and featuring an impressive cast of Hong Kong and China’s biggest stars, including Donnie Yen (Ip Man; Kill Zone), Leon Lai (An Empress And The Warriors; Seven Swords), Xueqi Wang (Forever Enthralled; Warriors Of Heaven And Earth; The Red Suit), Tony Leung Ka Fai (Missing; The Myth), Nicholas Tse (Dragon Tiger Gate; New Police Story; The Medallion) and Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Bodyguards And Assassins is a sumptuously staged, action-packed blockbuster, full of political intrigue, tragedy and drama that will appeal as much to lovers of quality cinema as it will to martial arts aficionados.
On October 15th 1906, the man destined to become the Father of Modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is due to arrive in the British Colony of Hong Kong to discuss plans to overthrow the corrupt Qing Dynasty with a group of leading anti-Qing revolutionaries. Aware of Sun’s intentions, the Qing Court dispatches an elite army of assassins to the port where Sun is due to arrive, with orders to see to it that he never makes it to his appointment and does not leave the colony alive.
Receiving news of the proposed assassination, a newspaper editor and a local tycoon, both sympathetic supporters of the revolution, take it upon themselves to protect Dr. Sun at any cost. To help ensure his safety they recruit a motley band of fellow sympathisers, friends and acquaintances, all skilled in martial arts combat to act as Sun’s bodyguards. Additionally, they devise a risky plan to secretly replace the assassins’ target with a human decoy in an attempt to lead the killers away from their quarry.
As Sun arrives on the fateful day, the stage is set for a bloody confrontation in which a small group of selflessly courageous men and women will risk their lives fighting against hundreds of adversaries in a conflict that will determine the fate of millions.
Cleverly taking his time to establish his characters, their back-stories, motives and sub-plots in the deliberately paced first half of the film, director Chan expertly unleashes a barrage of non-stop, action set-pieces in a final hour that will leave viewers breathless.
Among the many standout sequences in a film that manages to be as emotionally involving and moving as it is exciting are a brilliantly directed sequence that echoes Brian De Palma’s homage (from “The Untouchables”) to Eisenstein’s famous Odessa Steps sequence from “Battleship Potemkin”, an extended free-running duel involving Donnie Yen and Cung Le, and a ‘man versus horse’ confrontation that is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Bodyguards And Assassins will be released on DVD (£12.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by E1 Entertainment on 31st May 2010.
MP Duncan Gurney talking about violent video games - and then something terrible happens. We shouldn't laugh at this but it's SO funny - does playing video games really make us violent? Or is it people like this? Duncan Gurney - what a legend! Check out Duncan's nemesis here http://bit.ly/c6CyuB
Vital Voices (www.vitalvoices.org) and The Avon Foundation for Women (www.avonfoundation.org) today announced The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women, a new innovative collaboration with the U.S. State Department to combat the most destructive types of violence against women and help ensure justice for women and girls worldwide. In response to the nearly one billion women worldwide who will be affected by violence in their lifetime, The Global Partnership will address the need for serious, sustained on the ground research and development, as well as actionable, collaborative, culturally-sensitive local solutions that can change these statistics in a measurable way.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/avon/42564/
Rebellyus, the Palestinian-born rapper who spent his first seven years living in war-torn areas of the Middle East, goes deep for his and all people in his new track and video for
Bombs are more precious than children Hamas Children's Education (US Senate, Feb 8, 2007) Announcer: Hilary Clinton at a press conference with Palestinian Media Watch in the US Senate criticized Palestinian television and school books: Hilary Clinton: It must stop the propaganda to which Palestinian children are being exposed. Because it basically profoundly poisons the minds of these children. Announcer: Hamas uses its television station to indoctrinate Palestinian children to value violence, hatred and martyrdom. Subtitles: Violence Hatred Martyrdom Violence (Al Aqsa TV (Hamas) 2007) These are the acts of Martyrdom-Seekers Palestine one of its leaders is Ahmad Yassin (Hamas founder) Its children carry the knife. Its children carry machine guns. The land is filled with furious lions Hatred Announcer: Palestinian children are exposed on Hamas television to charming characters who poison them with hatred. Subtitles: [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) Feb 8, 2008] Why is your name Assud (lion) since you are a rabbit? A rabbit is (a term) for a bad person and a coward. And I, Assud, will finish off the Jews and eat them, Allah willing. [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) Feb 22, 2008] Did you see the West's attack against the Messenger (Muhammad)? We will all boycott Danish products We can fight them because they cursed Allah's Messenger. If they repeat it we will kill them, by Allah. I will bite them and eat them! Martyrdom Announcer: Children are encouraged to seek death as heroic martyrs for Allah. Subtitles: Machine-gun and Quran in our hands We've grown and so has the right in the eyes of the wronged We have come! We have come! The pure blood will produce honor and glory Indoctrination Announcer: Even in kindergarten children are indoctrinated to aspire to violence and martyrdom. Subtitles: [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) May 2007] Al-Jihad! Allah Akbar! Your role model? The Prophet (Muhammad). Your path? Jihad! Your aspiration? Death for Allah. Your movement? Hamas Your movement? Hamas Bombs are more precious than children Announcer: This music video simulates the reaction of a five year old girl to her mother's suicide terror attack. The young girl concludes: Bombs are more precious than children. Subtitles: [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) May Nov. 2007] Mommy, what are you carrying in your arms? Mother prepares bomb Mommy, what are you carrying in your arms instead of me? Mother hides bomb A toy or a present for me? Come back quickly, Mommy Girl sees news about her mother's bombing Instead of me you carried a bomb in your hands. Only now, I know what was more precious than us My love (for Muhammad) will not be (merely) words. I am following Mommy in her steps! Picks up explosives in mother's drawer My mother! My mother! Subjugation under Islam Announcer: Hamas teaches their children to see themselves as the ones who will subjugate the entire world under Islam. [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) May 11, 2007] Subtitles: We are setting with you the cornerstone For world leadership under Islamic leadership. We will win, Bush! We will win, Sharon! Ah, Sharon is dead. We will win, Olmert! We will win! We will win, Condoleezza! [Al Aqsa TV (hamas) Mar. 30, 2008] Bush: Who are you, what brings you here to my home? Child: My daddy, you killed him in the Iraq war. And mommy, you killed her with the criminal Zionists, in Lebanon. Bush, I must take my rights with the sword of Islam. Bush: I repent, just don't kill me. Where are my guards? Guards! Child: (Laughing) There are no guards, and your people surrendered, oh Bush. I'm coming with billions of children from Palestine, Iraq, children from Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Bush: I will give you whatever you want. Come with me to the White House, you and your friends. Child: (Laughing) Bush, you are impure, and it won't help you to go to the White House. It turned into a big mosque for the Islamic nation and Muslims. I will kill you, Bush. It is your fate. I will kill you. (Stabbing Bush) I killed him. (US Senate, Feb 8, 2007 Clinton at press conference with Palestinian Media Watch) Hilary Clinton: It must stop the propagan
Madworld is an imaginative third-person action game exclusively for Wii and was produced by Atsushi Inaba. MadWorld has a unique black and white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MadWorld will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.
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Vertigo Films will release the movie in Spring 2009
Nicholas Winding Refn will direct the movie. His previous films include the highly controversial and acclaimed PUSHER Trilogy and Fear X with John Turroro.
BRONSON is the evolutionary journey of Mickey Peterson into Britain’s most notorious and dangerous living prisoner CHARLES BRONSON. Originally sentenced to 7 years in prison for burglary, Charles Bronson has been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. Charlie has forged an outrageous reputation through violence, hostage taking and rooft protests to become a notorious figure in the British public’s conscious.
Taking the title role of BRONSON will be Bafta nominated actor Tom Hardy (Black Hawk Down, WAZ, RocknRolla) who has been described by critics as one of the most promising young actors today.
