The big news this week is the free screening of action maestro, Ryoo Seung-Wan’s, deubt feature, DIE BAD. (full info)

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At the Asia Society is the series “China’s Past, Present, Future on Film” from March 6 – April 16. First up is the Saturday, March 6 screening of XIAO JIA GOING HOME at 2:30pm. Here’s what they say:

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French-Algerian documentary filmmaker Damien Ounouri follows leading Chinese Sixth Generation film director Jia Zhangke to his small home town of Fenyang in Shanxi province after he won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival for Still Life (2006).

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Better yet, the movie is followed by a Q&A with Jia Zhangke and his muse, Zhao Tao. Live! They’re in New York! (Tickets are only $7) (more info)

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And Jia Zhangke is in town all weekend – after Asia Society he moves over to MOMA for a Jia Zhangke retrospective from March 5  – 20. It’s all of Jia’s films, from his earliest to his most recent (PICKPOCKET! PLATFORM! THE WORLD! and the amazing STILL LIFE!). Even better, on Monday, March 8 @ 7pm there’s An Evening with Jia Zhangke with clips from his latest film, SHANGHAI LEGEND, and a chit chat with Howard Feinstein. (more info)

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It’s the last days of BAM’s slice of art films fresh out of the Rotterdam Film Festival, including several Asian titles. (full info)

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Taiwanese freedom flick, FORMOSA BETRAYED, is still playing in NYC at the Village East theater. (full info)

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Amazingly, MY NAME IS KHAN (Bollywood, 9/11 film) and HOUSE (Japanese, psychedelic film) are both still playing in NYC (KHAN showtimes) (HOUSE showtimes)

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Comments (0) Mar 08 2010

As part of Korean Movie Night, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 9 @ 7pm, there will be a free screening of Ryoo Seung-Wan’s debut feature, DIE BAD. The screening will be at the Tribeca Cinemas (on the corner of Varick and Canal Streets) and tickets are free and given on a first-come, first-serve basis. The doors open at 6:30pm and there are about 130 seats, so there should be room for everyone who wants to come.

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This is part of the Korean Cultural Service’s Korean Movie Night series and while the first four screenings were dedicated to Indie films from Korea, this series will be all about remakes (next up is SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, slated for a remake by the team that make GI JOE and TRANSFORMERS 2; then THE PHONE, slated for a remake by the original director). DIE BAD is supposed to be remade by Marc Forster, director of MONSTER’S BALL and QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

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The original movie sees Ryoo weave together four storylines (each originally shot as its own short film) into a heavy metal action flick that allows he and his friends to go stunt crazy as they show the world how to make a fight film, Korean-style. Budgeted at just $55,000 it’s fast, it’s furious and it’s as brash and sudden as a fist to the face.

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Read a review. Or, read another review. And you can go here to read an interview with director Ryoo Seung-Wan.

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Comments (0) Mar 08 2010