Heroes of the East

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Heroes of the East

Film discussion and banter


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    A message from Cal. You remember me, right?

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    Post  Admin Sun Oct 27, 2013 2:25 pm

    Hey everybody. How's things?

    It's been quite some time since I was last in touch. Nice to see things are rolling along here and no one has killed anyone else.

    Some would say I've neglected my duties as an admin on here. They'd be right. I must admit time has flown without me realising it.

    So, what do I need to know? How is everybody?

    I checked into the HKMDB earlier and the forums are still locked. I guess some things never change.
    Brian T
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    Post  Brian T Wed Oct 30, 2013 5:45 pm

    Admin wrote:So, what do I need to know?  How is everybody?
    We've survived, reasonably speaking. Someone left the fridge open, so that's where that smell's coming from. And you should probably pay the goddamned phone bill, but other than that, good times. Oh, and I'm a bit worried that Shawn might've found your keys to that door under the rug in the basement. He hasn't been around in an awfully long time . . . Neutral 

    Admin wrote:I checked into the HKMDB earlier and the forums are still locked.  I guess some things never change.
    Indeed. At least new information is still gaining entry -- thanks to the generosity of those good folks who are still in the loop -- albeit not at the pace it once was. And then I look at the mountains of VCDs and DVDs I have sitting here . . .  But, what's done is done.  Wink 

    Shame about LoveHKFilm, too. Neutral
    Masterofoneinchpunch
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:47 am

    I saw time fly as well.  Apparently I stopped getting emails from new posts here, so I thought it was empty.  Coupled with the fact that I lost my summer to sickness (I worked but I barely moved) with a bizarre malady.  Got better after a few months but with work etc... things got hectic and patterns changed.  Took me awhile to get bench/weights back up (lost a little with recent flu, but that was nothing compared to the virus I had last year.)

    Good to hear from you Cal. I know this is a late reply.

    I still cannot believe that HKMDB has not opened up their forums again. It allows you to talk about movie entries but nothing more. I miss some of the conversations there.

    I have been posting a bit on kungfucinema, some recently on bullets and babes and some of my criterion site.
    Brian T
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    Post  Brian T Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:00 pm

    Good to know you're still kicking around, Shawn, and feeling better. I've been in the same boat regarding notifications from this place, so I've basically kept posting without any expectations of replies.

    Not too surprised at your comments about HKMDB. It seems like a few good folks still update the film entries and generally add new titles as they become known, but on the whole, those newer listings are often incomplete. Good to see the occasional review being added (including your own).

    I should probably check out those other sites you mention more frequently, though in the past it seemed to me like the discussions generally favoured martial arts/action shows, and/or largely the most well-known films, or films starring the most well known HK stars. Don't know, maybe I'm just too picky about what I want to discuss?  Neutral 

    Anyway, welcome back!
    Masterofoneinchpunch
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:29 pm

    This time the notification works as I got your message. I'm glad I'm feeling better as well. Had a violent sickness a few weeks ago, but it was gone quickly. I know so many people who have the flu (normal) now.

    Don't you want to discuss Drug War or 47 Ronin? Very Happy Well what do you want to discuss? Very Happy

    There is certainly issues with each site (bulletsandbabes not busy neither is my Criterion site; kungfucinema can have too much one line comments).

    I wonder if Cal has any comedy gigs.

    Brian T
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    Post  Brian T Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:08 pm

    I believe Cal is still on the comedy circuit. If you look him up on Facebook (if you use it), he usually mentions his gigs. Mind you, I do wish he'd say Hi here more than once a year or so. But I suppose the comedy thing doesn't leave a lot of time for movies, so . . .

    I'd love to talk more about Asian cinema, frankly, but I'm still keeping myself out of the loop on purpose, so I shouldn't really complain nor would I be much of a conversationalist. I just have this rare opportunity here these past couple of years to plow through the Toronto Library's exhaustive back catalogue of DVDs of "films one's supposed to see" as well as my own imposing piles of non-Asian purchases before diving back in wholesale. I do watch the occasional Japanese or Korean film, but largely because they come up in my library queue, i.e. lots of Criterion and Eclipse sets in the case of the Japanese films, though a few towers of contemporary J-cinema still sits waiting at home for the right time.

    I'm curious to see 47 RONIN, though the trailers did nothing for me. I'm aware of the backlash against it, too, and I agree that 'critics' (especially the amateur Joe-sixpack types on IMDB or Amazon that should just as often be avoided altogether) are often too quick to fault a picture for not being what they expected it to be.

    I'll probably be picking up DRUG WAR on DVD soon enough, but it will be filed away for a rainy day. Wink 

    Good point about forums and "one-line comments". I think that's probably the direction in which a lot of discussion forums are headed before they perhaps start disappearing and an increasing clip some day. Perhaps they're becoming passé in this age of Twitter-fied brevity and snark? Mind you, I don't look back fondly on some of the tedious, wasteful "debates" that would often erupt at places like HKMDB back in its heyday thanks to certain agitators and pompous experts who couldn't simply hold a decent conversation without talking down to people, so maybe the new age of forum brevity's a good thing!  Laughing 
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    Post  Admin Sat Feb 15, 2014 7:49 am

    Brian T wrote:I believe Cal is still on the comedy circuit. If you look him up on Facebook (if you use it), he usually mentions his gigs. Mind you, I do wish he'd say Hi here more than once a year or so. But I suppose the comedy thing doesn't leave a lot of time for movies, so . . .
     

    Aye, I know...sorry  Embarassed 

    Yes, I'm busy in other fields a lot these days, but I'm still movie watching. I just feel I haven't got a lot to say about them these days. And I have to admit my viewing habits have gone quite mainstream in recent years. I haven't watched (and enjoyed) a HK film for ages. I don't know what that's all about, to be honest. But I have just watched Melville's Un Flic, a director I think Shawn recommended to me years ago.

    I'll get back in the loop one day, I'm sure.

    Good to hear from you, Shawn, by the way  Very Happy 
    Masterofoneinchpunch
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:54 am

    He's Alive! Well what fields are you busy in Cal? How is the comedy field going? I miss your writing. I don't use Facebook so I need a Cliff Notes version of your happenings. Have you gotten funnier or has the doleful existence of life made your routine a melancholy expose of sadness?

    Yes I've recommended Melville to you, though Un Flic would not have been the first to recommend Smile. Melville is an important director to know to help understand either John Woo or Johnnie To.

    I've probably been watching a bit too many mainstream films (this is a relative statement, I still see lots of films most people do not know about), mainly because I am catching up on several different lists that are related. But I do like to go to the theater and if I'm going to talk about films with friends it has to usually be some mainstream film.

    Admin wrote:
    Brian T wrote:I believe Cal is still on the comedy circuit. If you look him up on Facebook (if you use it), he usually mentions his gigs. Mind you, I do wish he'd say Hi here more than once a year or so. But I suppose the comedy thing doesn't leave a lot of time for movies, so . . .
     

    Aye, I know...sorry  Embarassed 

    Yes, I'm busy in other fields a lot these days, but I'm still movie watching.  I just feel I haven't got a lot to say about them these days.  And I have to admit my viewing habits have gone quite mainstream in recent years.  I haven't watched (and enjoyed) a HK film for ages.  I don't know what that's all about, to be honest.  But I have just watched Melville's Un Flic, a director I think Shawn recommended to me years ago.

    I'll get back in the loop one day, I'm sure.

    Good to hear from you, Shawn, by the way  Very Happy   
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    Post  Admin Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:55 am

    Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:He's Alive!  Well what fields are you busy in Cal?  How is the comedy field going?  I don't use Facebook so I need a Cliff Notes version of your happenings.  Have you gotten funnier or has the doleful existence of life made your routine a melancholy expose of sadness?

    A bit of both  Razz 

    Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Yes I've recommended Melville to you, though Un Flic would not have been the first to recommend Smile.  Melville is an important director to know to help understand either John Woo or Johnnie To.

    Yes. It was ages ago that we discussed this, but I've seen a few of his films now since your recommendation. I agree Un Flic would have been a tough one to start with; it was a good enough film, I thought, but that train and helicopter model section...that was...erm...well. You know...

    Masterofoneinchpunch wrote: I miss your writing.

    I've no idea if this link will work, or even if it will let you in to read, but this is what I've been writing of late:

    http://wmcf.phpbbhosts.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=89&sid=adb61528f3d62063dd27c52d9939d231

    A couple of the earlier blog posts make reference to other posts I made, so will make little sense, and there's a few West Midlands comedy "in jokes", but some of the posts have received good feedback.

    In all, the comedy is going very well. It's a great creative output for me. I went and did the Edinburgh Fringe last year. It was not so great commercially or in terms of getting exposure (I had a run in with a reviewer who I thought said "Sorry, I have no money" when I went round with the collection bucket. It only dawned on me later that what he actually said was, "I really love your act". Still don't know how I did that, but suffice to say, I didn't get a review out of it) but I came back with a whole new act, which went on to win the West Midlands Comedy Best Breakthrough Act 2013. It's not the big break it appears, but it was nice to go to an awards ceremony and get a little trophy.

    I'm pretty busy on the circuit, which, believe it or not, is one of the best in the country in terms of innovation in comedy. Stuff London, the Midlands is where it's happening. I will probably never make an actual career out of it, but I've found I love getting on stage and making people laugh, and I find the mental process of "problem solving" to create material quite addictive.

    I will definitely come back here more often now, even if I don't contribute. I promise  Smile .

    Brian T
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    Post  Brian T Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:40 am

    Glad to know the comedy thing's working out. Great material at that link, although I'm not sure the 'forum' format does it justice. Perhaps a more formal Blogger-type space with your grinning mug up top, maybe a logo? Time to brand this bitch, i think. Or whatever they say in the trades. Very Happy 
    But just in case things really spike and we lose you for a time, can you adjust the forum here so my user name doesn't actually appear so publicly (and frequently) as a moderator? I won't speak for Shawn, but seeing both our names under every forum heading, as well as listed under "last post" probably 98% of the time really tends to make the place a bit uninviting. I don't mind still being a moderator -- not that I've ever wielded the benefits of the gig, but one never knows -- I'm just not fond of my user name being plastered everywhere! Wink Something tells me it's just an unchangeable part of the architecture of the site, but I figured it might be worth a shot.
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:06 pm

    Brian T wrote:...  Something tells me it's just an unchangeable part of the architecture of the site, but I figured it might be worth a shot.

    Usually the admin can take care of the structural issues since this software is flexible. Now just who is the admin?
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    Post  Admin Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:41 pm

    Yes, I know what you mean. I'm at a loss how to change it though. I've had a quick fiddle around and I'm non the wiser. Any suggestions?
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:17 pm

    Admin wrote:Yes, I know what you mean.  I'm at a loss how to change it though.  I've had a quick fiddle around and I'm non the wiser.  Any suggestions?

    It's probably somewhere in the templates. Warning messing these up can cause some big issues.

    I don't think it is that big of an issue, though it would be nice to remove what Brian is referring to. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing it, I would not worry about it.
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    Post  Admin Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:29 pm

    If I run around and make everything seem busy around here, I may removed Brian's name from every topic header. That's the best I can do at the moment. I'm embarking on the busiest week of my comedic life at the moment. I have a feeling that I'm being "talent spotted" on Sunday and I'm gigging on Saturday as well, so I'm prepping like mad at the moment. Rest assured, I love you all as well.
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:32 pm

    Admin wrote:If I run around and make everything seem busy around here, I may removed Brian's name from every topic header.  That's the best I can do at the moment.  I'm embarking on the busiest week of my comedic life at the moment.  I have a feeling that I'm being "talent spotted" on Sunday and I'm gigging on Saturday as well, so I'm prepping like mad at the moment. Rest assured, I love you all as well.

    Well I hope you can come to the Colonies one of these days. Lunch is on me after the several thousand you spend to get the Modesto.
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    Post  Brian T Tue Mar 04, 2014 4:20 pm

    A belated thanks to Cal for even attempting to fix things hereabouts. No worries that it didn't pan out. I can live with it considering there are only four of us that actually post here with any regularity!

    That said, now that it's a good week later, were you spotted? Genuinely intrigued about that. I'm likewise madly preparing my "I knew that swell guy/bastard when..." responses for when British reporters inevitably inquire into "the Toronto incident".  Wink 
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    Post  Admin Tue Mar 04, 2014 11:39 pm

    Yeah, I spent a good hour last week trying to figure things out. It turns out you can't do a lot with the forum. If anyone's permissions or anything have changed, let me know, but I was careful not to screw around too much.
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:19 am

    Admin wrote:Yeah, I spent a good hour last week trying to figure things out.  It turns out you can't do a lot with the forum.  If anyone's permissions or anything have changed, let me know, but I was careful not to screw around too much.

    It is understandable as this is a get-up and go type of forum (out of the box.) The one I work on can be manipulated so many different ways (as long as you know a bit of php and know how to manipulate the templates.) Of course mess up a template and whoosh things are gone or really funky (I will not comment on the things I have done wrong Very Happy).
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    Post  Admin Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:37 pm

    Brian T wrote:

    That said, now that it's a good week later, were you spotted? Genuinely intrigued about that. I'm likewise madly preparing my "I knew that swell guy/bastard when..." responses for when British reporters inevitably inquire into "the Toronto incident".  Wink 

    Well, as ever, things didn't go quite how you'd expect. Unfortunately, like a lot of the entertainment industry, there's an awful lot of "politics" about. The guy who ran the gig (who is a good friend of mine) doesn't get on with the organisation the "spotter" works for. I don't either, to be frank. A representative of the organisation turned up, saw that things were going a fair bit better than they expected (or would have liked) and left. Before I went on in the headline spot.

    And, of course, I had the gig of my life  Laughing .

    It's no big deal. I did a mate a favour, got some quality laughs, and will continue being what I am and no more  Cool .
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Wed Mar 05, 2014 1:37 pm

    Admin wrote: ... I did a mate a favour, got some quality laughs, and will continue being what I am and no more  Cool .

    A homicidal comedian.
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    Post  Brian T Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:09 pm

    Admin wrote:Well, as ever, things didn't go quite how you'd expect . . .
    Well, you're a good sport about it for sure, and I'm sure enough people saw your gig that word of mouth will keep the ball rolling. Wink  I'm always inspired by people who suddenly switch gears like this in life, so more power to ya!
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    Post  Admin Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:26 pm

    Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:
    Admin wrote: ... I did a mate a favour, got some quality laughs, and will continue being what I am and no more  Cool .

    A homicidal comedian.

    Absolutely  Razz . Although, for my next gig, I'm doing a show in front of families and children, so I've got to put the darkness on hold and be nice. Quite a challenge  Very Happy . Luckily, I'm only allowed to do 5 minutes...
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    Post  Masterofoneinchpunch Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:24 am

    Admin wrote:
    Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:
    Admin wrote: ... I did a mate a favour, got some quality laughs, and will continue being what I am and no more  Cool .

    A homicidal comedian.

    Absolutely  Razz .  Although, for my next gig, I'm doing a show in front of families and children, so I've got to put the darkness on hold and be nice.  Quite a challenge  Very Happy .  Luckily, I'm only allowed to do 5 minutes...

    You'll be as successful as Norm MacDonald around kids.
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    Post  Cash Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:47 pm

    I'm still around, too, Cal. I check-in every so often to drop off a list of recently reviewed titles before heading back out into the wilderness of life. I love the art of stand-up and have always been interested in hearing one of your sets. Obviously, I absconded from Facebook years ago (nothing personal mate) so how can we hear you on this side of the pond?
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    Post  Admin Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:34 pm

    Cash wrote:I'm still around, too, Cal. I check-in every so often to drop off a list of recently reviewed titles before heading back out into the wilderness of life. I love the art of stand-up and have always been interested in hearing one of your sets. Obviously, I absconded from Facebook years ago (nothing personal mate) so how can we hear you on this side of the pond?

    Hiya mate  Very Happy . I used to fastidiously record everything I ever did. Then I stopped. And then my hard drive blew up. This wasn't so bad, because I had it all on my PC. Which then also blew up. I will try to get my sh*t together one day though.

    You can hear bits in this interview here: Me on Radio. Our section starts at 18:00 exactly and lasts about 15 minutes. You won't follow what I'm doing due to the edit, and one joke has the punchline removed for reasons I can't even begin to understand (it's not even a rude joke).


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