“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.
One thousand women die daily due to pregnancy related causes and the majority of Americans (75%) believe that reducing these deaths should be a priority of President Obama and his Administration, according to a study just released by Americans for UNFPA, conducted by Harris Interactive². Further, over eight in ten agree that lack of adequate healthcare is one of the most serious global issues facing women (82%).
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/harrisinteractive/44730/
This is PinkleTank\'s Music Video for their
new song Cool To Be Cool. Look for PinkleTank\'s new EP to be released
soon! PinkleTank released Get Tankled last year and it is available on
iTunes.com and in your favorite music store. PinkleTank is now filming
a new pilot show in Nashville, TN, and it will be release early next
year. Eight-year-old Pinkle\'s two favorite colors were
pink and purple, so she combined the two to create her stage name. Tank
has been called Tank since birth, so it is easy to see how this band
came up with its name.
That’s When I Talk to God is a sweet story that will deepen the prayer lives of children four to eight. This charmingly illustrated tale steps beyond explaining prayer and models constant communication with God. Learn more about this book here, http://bit.ly/h8Cd9p and its author here, http://bit.ly/ea0Ddq Children’s Christian Fiction
Germany is witnessing a constant rise in the number of private schools – there are roughly 3000 at present. The reason: Many parents have lost faith in state-run education, not least after the damning verdict and the abysmal ratings of the so-called 2006 PISA report. They prefer to send their children to privately funded schools. The percentage of private students has reached eight percent nationwide and has doubled since the mid-1990s, regardless of monthly tuition fees of an average 150 Euros per child. Private schools may follow a variety of different educational approaches. Nevertheless they are united in their ultimate objective of providing a better and individually-tailored education to their pupils. Hamburg’s Bugenhagen College is one of the schools that are going down this route. It is particularly worth mentioning that the college does not differentiate between non-handicapped and disabled youngsters.
What do Channelview, TX; Costa Mesa, CA; and Rio, WI have in common? They’re home to the winners of teen retailer Aéropostale’s 2010 Real Teens Campaign, a nationwide online search for teenagers held earlier this year. “These eight remarkable young men and women define what it means to be a real teen,” says Scott Birnbaum, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Aéropostale, Inc. “They exude compassion and integrity while making a difference in their communities, all in unique ways. Aéropostale is excited to celebrate them and give them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/aeropostale/45987/
Sydney Festival opened its 2012 program with Australia’s largest free outdoor cultural event, Festival First Night, attracting hundreds of thousands of people into the city centre for eight hours of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Headlining the event was internationally-acclaimed music superstar Manu Chao, who had 60,000 people dancing to his unique blend of Latin reggae. Audiences thrilled to a mix of Australian and international entertainment including a 1950s swing dance, painted caravans, Australian singer-songwriter Meagan Washington, Indigenous singer Gurrumul and dapper Jamaican gents, The Jolly Boys. Keeping things at a lively pace were street performances by Tuba Skinny, Lewis Floyd Henry and Norman J and his Good Times Bus. Casper Babypants, Holly Throsby and Erth’s mythical puppet creatures kept the kids laughing and dancing throughout the afternoon.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/53512-sydney-festival-2012/
Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race returns for a third season this summer, with host Tyler Florence presiding over the cross-country culinary road trip with a brand-new twist: no longer a competition between current food truck operators as in prior seasons, this high-stakes battle is between eight teams who desperately want to be in the food truck business – they have a dream, a concept and insane culinary skills. Each three-person team is provided a vehicle for the race, but only the grand prize winner gets to keep their food truck and a $50,000 cash prize to start their dream business. From mobile mini-pies and authentic Aussie grub to specialty waffles, each team’s inspired cuisine and road strategy is put to the test in city-specific challenges that begin at a Long Beach, Calif. lighthouse and continue through the finale at the West Quoddy Lighthouse in Maine, the easternmost point of the United States. The seven-episode series premieres on Sunday, August 19th at 10pm ET/PT, after the finale of Chopped: Grill Masters, and beginning the next week will air in its regular timeslot Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/56970-food-network-the-great-food-truck-race/
An award winning author uses eight everyday items to tell the story of plastic, and how we can learn to live with the material that never dies. Learn more about this book here and its author here, www.susanfreinkel.com Non-Fiction
ABC of Sales offers eight secrets for consistently reaching high sales levels and lays out in clearly understandable language what it takes to be a Sales Superstar. The ABC of Sales is a guide for professionals who want to soar in sales, revive their sales careers, or position their companies among the elite. Learn more about this book and its author here, http://www.ABCofSales.com Non Fiction
Bank of the West has seen a rise in mortgage loan applications since April as homeowners seek to take advantage of low interest rates under the government’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) 2.0.
For consumers wanting to learn more about HARP, Bank of the West has published Eight Essential Harp Tips and introduced an educational video series on HARP loans that can be viewed on YouTube at YouTube.com/Bankofthewest.
“We are anticipating that one out of every five new borrowers will be a homeowner seeking a HARP 2.0 refinance loan this year,” said Karen Mayfield, Bank of the West’s National Sales Manager for the Mortgage Banking Division. “This program is providing real relief for homeowners who are current on their mortgage but have been unable to refinance due to a decline in the value of their home.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54577-bank-of-the-west-mortgage-loan-applications-refinance-harp-2-0
