There was a time when Tsui Hark’s name was enough to get me to drop good coin on a new film. Between his role as producer of most of John Woo’s best work and his stint directing the classic Once Upon a Time in China films Hark was, justifiably, a legend in Asian film. But that time has passed and Hark has been behind the wheel for a string of staggeringly bad films – there’s a good reason why I’ve never once brought up Zu Warriors when ranting about Miramax burying Asian films – thus shaking my confidence in the man so badly that I had been completely ignoring all the news about his upcoming Seven Swords project until just now.
Based on a classic wuxia novel Seven Swords will be a seven film project – there’s also apparently a television show in the offing – revolving around seven brothers staging a political rebellion. So why has this got my attention? Two reasons. First, it’s a period martial arts piece which is where Hark has done his best work as a director. Second, the outside talent. How can you not like a film project starring Donnie Yen with martial arts choreography by Lau Kar-Leung? Kar-Leung was one of the key figures in the Shaw Brothers production house, directing The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, among others. Yen and Leung together is old school meeting new school in the best possible way. And between this, Twins Effect 2 and the new flick he’s doing with Sammo Hung, Yen’s finally getting back in front of the camera on a regular basis which is certainly good reason to be happy.
Thanks to Monkey Peaches for the info …
