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Thread: Call of Heroes

  1. #1
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    The Deadly Reclaim

    Gene Ching
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  2. #2
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    Gonna be ca good one!

  3. #3
    Greetings,

    Not one Kick Clapper. Because of that, I know this movie will suck major and it will be the kibosh to any hope of rekindling the Hong Kong action film industry


    mickey

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    Quote Originally Posted by mickey View Post
    Greetings,

    Not one Kick Clapper. Because of that, I know this movie will suck major and it will be the kibosh to any hope of rekindling the Hong Kong action film industry


    mickey
    It doesn't look like a Hong Kong film; it looks more like a mainland China production, in spite of Sammo's presence. I hope it'll be good, but kind of hard to tell. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Sammo's action directing used to be a guarantee of top-notch quality MA action, but like all things, even his choreography has lost some of its luster and creativity in more recent years.

  5. #5
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    Call of Heroes

    Good cast, great choreographer. Promising. Look forward to WellGo USA's release.

    FilMart: WellGo USA Answers Benny Chan’s ‘Call of Heroes’
    Shirley Lau


    AP IMAGES
    MARCH 14, 2016 | 03:50PM PT
    WellGo USA has bought North American rights to “Call of Heroes,” an upcoming period action film from Hong Kong’s Benny Chan.

    The veteran director said that the deal and other pre-sales were proof that the under-pressure Hong Kong film industry has still got what it takes.

    Produced by Universe Films Distribution on a budget of $32 million, the film has also been licensed to Trinity Film for the U.K., Splendid Film for Germany and Benelux, Golden Screen Cinemas for Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam; Clover Films for Singapore; Sky Films Entertainment for Taiwan; and Teguh Bakti Mandiri for Indonesia.

    “Call of Heroes” has a starry cast featuring Sean Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo and Eddie Peng. Sammo Hung is the action choreographer. Set in 1914, the story features a pack of villagers who stand up to a young warlord.

    “The sale points to the fact that our action flicks, which have long been the staple of Hong Kong cinema, have not lost their appeal among international audiences, despite years-long competition from Hollywood,” said Chan on Monday, the first day of FilMart.

    Quote Originally Posted by mickey View Post
    Greetings,

    Not one Kick Clapper. Because of that, I know this movie will suck major and it will be the kibosh to any hope of rekindling the Hong Kong action film industry
    It's Clap Kicker.



    Gene Ching
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  6. #6
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    A tiny update

    Jason Wu and Eddie Peng Had a “Domestic Fight”
    TPG
    13 hrs ago


    Jason Wu and Eddie Peng Had a “Domestic Fight”

    (Beijing May 24, 2016) At the promotion of “Call of Heroes” directed by Benny Chan and Sammo Hung (as action director), Jason Wu and Eddie Peng showed up together to present a “fight between brothers”.
    There are more press pix behind the link, but the lead one is really the best one, unless you like bearded children.
    Gene Ching
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    【危城 call of heroes】 香港 i 級版預告片

    Gene Ching
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    August 18

    Louis Koo, Sean Lau Star in “Call of Heroes”
    By huynh on July 8, 2016 in Movies, NEWS



    Set to premiere on August 18, Hong Kong action film Call of Heroes <危城>, stars Sean Lau (劉青雲), Louis Koo (古天樂), and Eddie Peng (彭于晏). Set in 1914, the film follows the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Warlord Era. The action film tells the story of a group of villagers suffering and eventually standing up to a cruel young warlord. Starring as the main protagonist, Sean will lead a group of villagers in a rebellion.

    The three main actors, along with director Benny Chan (陳木勝) and action director Sammo Hung (洪金寶), attended a promotional conference for Call of Heroes earlier. Sean, who has shied away from taking part in action films for nearly 20 years, expressed his excitement in participating in Call of Heroes. Louis, who will portray a villainous warlord, joked that this was the most heinous role he has portrayed to-date.

    Louis laughed and joked that he had advised Eddie not to talk too much during the conference. Louis jested, “I am afraid of talking to him [Eddie]. Once he starts talking, he wouldn’t stop. During an interview, he only got done with answering the first question after a full half hour!”

    Eddie quickly defended himself. “I typically just talk to myself. They [Louis and Sean] often times do not really pay attention to me. The director likes to give us a lot of freedom [when filming], hoping that we would incorporate our perspectives and ideas on to the characters. I shared a lot of ideas. Then Sean joked that if I liked acting so much, why not just go and portray [all the characters] myself. So cold!”

    “Call of Heroes” Trailer
    I wonder if WellGoUSA will do a U.S. theatrical release. The nice thing about WellGoUSA is that most of their titles go to Netflix eventually.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #9
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    Opens Friday

    ...just in China though...

    Hong Kong Director Benny Chan Reveals Inspiration Behind Upcoming Martial Arts Movie 'Call of Heroes'
    Erika Villanueva-Miranda | Aug 12, 2016 01:17 AM EDT


    "Call of Heroes" director Benny Chan (Photo : Getty Images)

    Chinese director Benny Chan explains his inspiration for "Call of Heroes" in an interview prior to the official release of the epic martial arts movie on Friday.
    Featuring superstars Sean Lau Ching-wan, Wu Jing, Louis Koo, and Eddie Peng, the "Call of Heroes" is set in 1914 after the end of the Qing dynasty, Asian Movie Pulse revealed.
    The "Call of Heroes" follows the story of a group of villagers who proceed on a quest to administer justice and put an end to the tyrannical reign of a cruel young warlord.
    Talking to China Daily, the film's helmer Benny Chan revealed where he got the inspiration for the epic film which showcases his love for martial arts.
    "As a child, I always hid inside a blanket and used a flashlight (at night) to read martial arts books by Louis Cha," said Chan during a press conference held in Beijing recently.
    The 55-year-old Hong Kong-based film director worked alongside Hong Kong action director Sammo Hung to create a film that would showcase how justice can be served despite apparent dangers in upholding it.
    "The biggest crisis in that place is not the intrusion of a notorious criminal but the change of attitudes among the local people. They don't trust one another anymore, which shows the ugly side of humanity," Chan explains, referring to the conflict of the movie.
    Because most of the villagers are not sure how to exact justice for the three people including one child that were slaughtered by the cruel warlord, the fate of the town is laid down in the hands of only a few people: a wandering swordsman portrayed by Peng, a local sheriff played by Lau, and a couple of others.
    The film which had a budget of 200 million yuan or about $30 million was shot in a 20,000-square-meter area in Shaoxing located in the eastern province of Zhejiang where the "town" was built.
    "It took the crew five months to build the sets. But we had to smash them as the story was developed in that way," Chan revealed.
    Gene Ching
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    Line Walkers

    We didn't take notice of Line Walker here, but this can go on our Time Raiders and Call of Heroes threads. I suppose it could go on our Suicide Squad and Jason Bourne threads too, but I'm not going to bother.

    China Box Office: 'Line Walker' Leads Another Quiet Weekend
    9:04 PM PDT 8/14/2016 by Patrick Brzeski


    'Line Walker'
    Media Asia

    Universal's 'The Secret Life of Pets' added $6.6 million for a two-week total of $49 million in China.
    Hong Kong crime thriller Line Walker, a big screen adaptation of a hit TV series, crept its way to the top of the Chinese box office during another downbeat late-summer weekend.

    Line Walker opened to $8.9 million Thursday, before slipping slightly to $7.1 million Friday, as a wave of other local new releases joined the fray. It went on to win the weekend with a solid but unexceptional $27.1 million, taking its four-day total to $36 million, according to Beijing-based box office tracker Ent Group.

    Starring Nick Cheung and Louis Koo, the film is an official China-Hong Kong co-production, made by Shaw Brothers Pictures, Media Asia, TVB and several mainland Chinese partners.

    Coming in second, youth romance Love O2O cashed in on Qixi, or Chinese Valentine's Day, which landed on Tuesday (Aug. 9). The movie proved the date-night picture of choice for many, earning $18.2 million from Friday to Sunday. Referring to the tech-world buzzword "online-to-offline" in its title, the film follows two young people, played by stars of the moment Angelababy and Jing Boran, who meet and fall in love through an online role-playing game.

    Hong Kong martial arts flick Call of Heroes landed in third place with a weekend debut of $13.6 million. The film is set in 1914 following the collapse of the Qing dynasty, and tells the story of a group of villagers standing up to a cruel young warlord. Starring Sean Lau, Louis Koo (again) and Eddie Peng, it was produced and financed by Universe Entertainment, Bona Film Group and iQiyi Motion Pictures, among others.

    International Weekend 8/14/16
    Comscore for Weekend of 8/14/16
    WEEKEND CUME
    1. Suicide Squad $58.7M $242.5M
    2. The Secret Life of Pets $40.0M $256.7M
    3. Line Walker $26.0M $35.0M
    4. Jason Bourne $18.6M $119.4M
    5. Love O2O $17.5M $17.5M
    6. Tunnel $15.1M $15.2M
    7. Call Of Heroes $12.7M $12.9M
    8. Time Raiders $12.3M $121.0M
    9. Finding Dory $8.1M $420.6M
    10. The Last Princess $7.8M $25.0M
    Last weekend's winner Time Raiders fell to fourth, taking $13.1 million from Friday to Sunday after opening to $71 million the weekend prior. Young fans had come out in force for the film's stars, idols Lu Han and Jing Boran, but poor word-of-mouth about the film's quality quickly caught up with it.

    Hollywood holdover Secret Life of Pets added $6.6 million for a 13-day cume of $49 million in China.

    Hong Kong rom-com I Love That Crazy Little Thing pitched itself to the Qiyi date crowd with lesser success, opening to $4.32 million.

    Disney nature's co-production with Shanghai Media Group, Born in China opened to just $2.3 million. An ode to the natural wonders and rare animals of the Middle Kingdom, the doc was directed by leading Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan (City of Life and Death; the upcoming River Town). Disney plans to give the film a limited North American release next year.

    Hollywood's next releases in China will be Jason Bourne and Ice Age: Collision Course, both on Aug. 23.
    Gene Ching
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    Variety review

    This just jumped to the top of my list for films to see next.

    Film Review: ‘Call of Heroes’
    Maggie Lee Chief Asia Film Critic @maggiesama


    'Call of Heroes' Review

    AUGUST 19, 2016 | 06:54PM PT
    With echoes of classic Westerns and old-school Hong Kong kung-fu films, this period samurai action film boasts sinewy martial arts.

    A dauntless sheriff and a roving bladesman defend a city under siege in “Call of Heroes,” a solid, muscular action period film with an apt if overstated political allegory. Hong Kong action blockbuster director Benny Chan (“The White Storm”) gamely riffs on Westerns and samurai films, while Sammo Hung’s sinewy action choreography is a glorious throwback to the rustic vigor of Shaw Brothers films of the ’80s.Overseas buyers from multiple territories have responded favorably to “Call,” but its China opening hasn’t quite taken off. If anything, the lukewarm response confirms that mainland audiences either prefer contemporary subjects or like their period films larded with fantasy and visual effects. The film can be viewed as a 3D conversion in China.

    The setting is China’s Warlord Era (1916-1928), when military strongmen commanding armies of thugs ran rampant in the north. Early on, warlord Cao Ying seizes Stone City, prompting residents to flee as his private militia rapes and pillages. School teacher Bai Ling (Zhang Shuying) escapes to the neighboring city of Pucheng with her orphaned pupils, seeking refuge at a noodle shop run by her cousin Tieniu (Philip Keung). En route, they are rescued from bandits by scruffy drifter Ma Feng (Eddie Peng). Reminiscent of “Rio Bravo,” the governing Republican forces have quit Pucheng for an expedition, leaving sheriff Yang Kenan (Sean Lau Ching-wan, “The Mad Detective”) and his small but loyal brigade to protect the civilians.

    Trouble soon comes a-knockin’ when a mysterious man (Louis Koo) patronizes Tieniu’s noodle shop in the dead of night. Casually drawing blood, he reveals himself as General Cao’s son Shaolin. Yang decrees that Shaolin will be executed the day after, but Cao’s colonel Zhang Yi (Jacky Wu Jing) arrives, giving them one day to free his young master or else his army will decimate the city. Shaolin, who loves to kill for sport, relishes the chance to taunt Yang. His pet phrase, “My father is Cao Ying,” clearly refers to an incident in China that went viral, when the son of a provincial party leader showed no remorse after running over two girls, responding, “My dad is Li Gang, arrest me if you dare.”

    In a plot development that recalls “High Noon,” citizens betray their cowardice and self-preservation instincts, even as Yang stakes his own family’s safety to defend their lives. In a disheartening conversation with his follower Liao (Liu Kai-chi), Yang argues that “even if we kneel before the enemy, they may not spare us.” To which the weak-kneed man replies, “Let’s just kneel first and see what happens.” While the film delivers a cutting satire of how the masses fear, or else ingratiate themselves to, authoritarian power, it lets Yang spend too much time pontificating on the ideal of justice and righteous law enforcement, when his actions already embody his values.

    Though the crisis supposedly unfolds over one day, the amount of plot turns appears to have evolved over a longer period, with action scenes alternating evenly with drama. Standout set pieces include a skillfully-constructed and expertly-lit group fight on a drawbridge where Yang wards off a firebrand-wielding gang, and a mano-a-mano between Ma and Zhang, while perched on stacks of giant wine jars. The largely effects-free balancing act is a graceful throwback to the hardcore, authentic martial arts of Lau Kar-leung’s masterpieces. While Hung’s finest action choreography dazzles with dangerous moves and inventive props, here he turns his attention more to designing weaponry that mirrors the characters’ physique and personality, such as a gold pistol for the show-off Shaolin, a whip for domineering Yang, long spear for assertive Zhang, and twin blades for brawny Ma.

    Casting brings together actors who boast martial-arts training (Wu), acting chops (Lau), star voltage (Koo), or pin-up looks (Peng), but this catch-all approach results in varying degrees of screen chemistry and performance standards. As a principled yet humane guardian of the people, Lau’s restrained performance balances sternness with humility. He has warm rapport with his wife (Yuan Quan, of “Breakup Buddies”), whose impressive fighting helps offset the male-oriented action. The history between Ma and Zhang, who once served the same master, is not explored enough to give their conflicted loyalties the intended emotional impact. Consciously styled as a ronin figure, Peng oozes boyish cheekiness when he should be displaying maverick bravado.

    Production values are visibly high, as seen in Ben Lau’s authentic-looking set of the walled city and the ancient architecture inside, all built from the ground up in a empty lot in Shaoxing province. Wong Kin-wai’s score rips off Ennio Morricone’s classics to the point where homage becomes more like derivation. Scenes such as Ma rolling into town on horseback, in a poncho, or of Yang and his gang riding into the sunset à la “The Magnificent Seven” are also more cheesy than camp.

    Film Review: 'Call of Heroes'
    Reviewed at Metroplex Cinema, Hong Kong, Aug. 10, 2016. Running time: 119 MIN. (Original title: "Ngai Sing")
    Production
    (Hong Kong-China) A Universe Entertainment (in Hong Kong), Bona Film Group Co. (in China), Well Go USA (in U.S.) release of a Universe Entertainment presentation and production, in association with Bona Film Group Co., Sun Entertainment Culture, iQiyi Motion Pictures, Yinming Culture Communication Co., Long Motion Pictures, Alpha Pictures (Beijing) Co., CL Motion Pictures, Beijing Monster Pictures Co., Zhejiang Viewguide Film Co. (International sales: Universe Entertainment , Hong Kong.) Producers: Benny Chan, Alvin Lam. Executive producer: Daneil Lam. Co-executive producers: Yu Dong, Alvin Chau, Ben Yuan, Cai Dongqing, Liang Wei.
    Crew
    Director: Benny Chan. Screenplay: Chan, Doug Wong, Tam Wai-chin, Tim Tong, Chien I-chueh. Camera (color, B&W, widescreen, Screen X, HD), Pakie Chan. Editor: Yau Chi-wai.
    With
    Sean Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo, Eddie Peng, Yuan Quan, Jacky Wu Jing, Jiang Shuying, Liu Kai-chi, Philip Keung, Berg Ng Ting-yip, Sammy Hung, Shi Yanneng. (Cantonese dialogue)
    Gene Ching
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    First forum review!

    I love wuxia films. It's my favorite genre. This is a solid wuxia film.

    First of all, it's Sammo choreographing. There's wire work as is his style nowadays, and it's very comic book at points, plus there's some CGI enhancement especially with a whip, but it's good Sammo fight scenes - inventive, brutal, and thrilling. There's a few extended shots and a lot of lovely weapon work. All of the fights explode when they happen. Good stuff. I've always loved Sammo's work and with Wu Jing, the action is tight. Also, former Shaolin Monk (and May+June 2011 cover master) Xing Yu is in it, playing a heavy as usual.

    The village set they built is shown off in a spectacular fashion. The whole look of the film is gorgeous, romantic in that old school wuxia sort of way. There's a decent amount of intrigue and story, akin to the old Shaw Brothers wuxia flix. The acting is solid - Koo and Lau are solid, and Peng delivers too. It starts off rather comical with an early drunken boxer fight, and then SPOILER takes a really dark turn into bloody ultraviolence END SPOILER. The soundtrack echoes Ennio Morricone, given the film an old tyme Western feel (Westerns, Chanbara and Wuxia all share that same wandering warrior sensibility). When the heroes finally assemble, when they finally heed the call, I was totally captivated. And the final fight is great cinematic mayhem.

    I really enjoyed this.
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  13. #13
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    Time for SDAFF 2016

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  14. #14
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    Our latest sweepstakes

    Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com's contest for Call of Heroes on Blu-ray Disc! Contest ends 5:30 p.m. PST on 12/08/2016.
    Gene Ching
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    Our winners are announced!

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