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Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
Leung Kar-yan in a still from “The Postman Fights Back”, directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu. The film features Leung as a courier in Republican China tasked with delivering a mysterious cargo to a violent mountain bandit, whose motley crew of associates includes a young Chow Yun-fat.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Ronny Yu’s The Postman Fights Back is an unusual wuxia gem

Starring Leung Kar-yan and with a young Chow Yun-fat on the cast, 1982’s The Postman Fights Back is an intriguing mix of Western and wuxia.

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What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 16-18

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Nancy Sit went from child star to Hong Kong’s most beloved TV matriarch

Asian cinema

Loved Back to the Past? 10 Asian time travel gems you may also enjoy

After the success of Louis Koo’s Back to the Past, here are 10 other Asian time-travelling movies that are well worth checking out.

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Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past. In celebration of the film’s success, here are 10 more of the best examples of big-screen time-travel escapism from across Asia.
Fame and celebrity

Who is Bruna Marquezine – and is she really going out with Shawn Mendes?

The Brazilian star of the movie Blue Beetle has been spotted out and about with singer Mendes – here is everything you need to know about her.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Unexpected Family: Jackie Chan trades kicks for tears in sentimental drama

Chan excels as a man with Alzheimer’s disease in this well-meaning but ham-fisted film about the importance of family.

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Hong Kong entertainment

Hong Kong Cantopop singer Raymond Lam cancels 2 concerts in Japan

Lam’s shows scheduled for January 31 and February 1 at the Tokyo Garden Theatre have been postponed indefinitely.

Hong Kong actor and singer Raymond Lam will not be performing in Tokyo. Photo: Handout
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Finch & Midland: Anthony Wong and Patrick Tam can’t save grim diaspora drama

A strong cast is wasted in this undignified tale about Hong Kong immigrants struggling in Canada, which mistakes grimness for profundity.

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European cinema

Review | 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – Ralph Fiennes leads savage sequel

Fiennes plays a bigger role alongside Jack O’Connell in this unsettling follow-up that sets the franchise up for a grandstand finish.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Back to the Past is fuelling nostalgia for 2000s Hong Kong

From viral TVB drama clips to 2000s TV veterans dominating ratings, Hong Kong is looking back fondly following Back to the Past’s success.

Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past. The film, a sequel to the 2000s TVB drama series A Step into the Past, is setting records at the local box office.
Hong Kong culture

Editorial | Amid Back to the Past’s success, Hong Kong cinema should look to the future

Although its heyday may be over, the city’s film industry must focus on quality over quantity as it adapts to the changing world of entertainment.

Hong Kong filmgoers look at a poster advertising “Back to the Past” in Causeway Bay, on January 2. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan loses its only cinema amid wave of movie theatre closures

Emperor Cinemas shuts down its MOSTown shopping centre theatre on Monday, saying vouchers and coupons still valid at other branches.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 of Gong Li’s surprising 1990s Hong Kong movie roles

Gong switched gears after making it in Chinese art-house films, starring with Stephen Chow, Brigitte Lin and others in lesser-known movies.

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Robert Wun

Style according to … Hong Kong designer Robert Wun

A fan of dramatic, horror-inspired gowns, Wun was the first Hong Kong designer to show at Paris Haute Couture Week back in 2023.

Designer Robert Wun. Photo: Zhong Lin
American cinema

Why From Dusk Till Dawn starring George Clooney has aged poorly as it turns 30

George Clooney’s charisma can’t mask the flaws of this 1996 gorefest written by Quentin Tarantino, from bad effects to treatment of women.

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(From left) Quentin Tarantino, Salma Hayek and George Clooney in a still from From Dusk Till Dawn. While the 1996 vampire movie remains a cult favourite among certain viewers, it contains problematic elements that do not hold up well.
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, January 9-11

Make your own instant noodle cups before it is too late, check out a street dance festival, join a run and more in Hong Kong this weekend.

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European cinema

Review | The Thing with Feathers: Benedict Cumberbatch carries moving tale of grief

Benedict Cumberbatch and Sam Spruell star in this touching drama about a father struggling to bring up his two boys after his wife dies.

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Crime

Lawyer for Rob Reiner’s son withdraws, delaying arraignment for parents’ murder

Alan Jackson, who has defended clients like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, would not reveal why he could no longer represent his client.

Lawyer Alan Jackson exits the courthouse during Nick Reiner’s arraignment on charges of murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Fame and celebrity

Meet Amy Madigan, who just took home an award for Weapons

Madigan won the best supporting actress award for playing Aunt Gladys in Weapons; she’s married to fellow actor Ed Harris and was once a musician.

American cinema

Hollywood in 2026: what to expect, from movies and China focus to ‘Dunesday’

Hollywood faces a pivotal year of change in 2026, with the potential Netflix/Warner deal, AI actors and nostalgia fever among key factors.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

Korean film icon Ahn Sung-ki remembered: 5 of his best films

Known affectionately as ‘The Nation’s Actor’, South Korea’s Ahn Sung-ki starred in more than 100 feature films during his long career.

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Ahn Sung-ki poses on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the 26th Busan International Film Festival in 2021. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korean ‘nation’s actor’ Ahn Sung-ki dies at 74

Ahn collected over 40 major movie awards in his lifetime, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times.

South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki attends the 11th Busan International Film Festival in 2006. Photo: AP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Jet Li and Wong Jing’s The New Legend of Shaolin is underrated

The 1994 cult classic The New Legend of Shaolin blends comedy, action and child martial artists in a fresh take on the Shaolin myth.

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Singapore

Small market, global competition: can Singapore’s filmmakers break out abroad?

The government has rolled out a US$155.6 million programme to help local filmmakers reach wider markets amid shrinking cinema audiences.

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Hong Kong economy

Back to the Past, starring Louis Koo and Raymond Lam, smashes Hong Kong record

Historical sci-fi action film earns HK$10.91 million in debut, the most for a Chinese film opening in city.

Louis Koo and Raymond Lam star in a new historical sci-fi film Back to the Past. Photo: Nora Tam
China consumption

China’s box office up 22% in 2025 to US$7.4 billion, led by smash hit Ne Zha 2

World’s second-largest movie market sees domestic films capture nearly 80 per cent of sales, while Disney’s Zootopia sequel sets new high for imported titles.

A display promoting the record-breaking animated hit Ne Zha 2 is seen in China’s Liaoning province on February 13. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Jordan Chan went from Hong Kong bad boy to patriotic family man in China

Jordan Chan came from poverty in Guangdong, moved to Hong Kong as a child and worked odd jobs before joining TVB as a dance apprentice.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Back to the Past: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic film sequel

This big-budget sci-fi fantasy may be an emotional watch for fans of the 2001 Hong Kong show A Step into the Past, even if it falls short.

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