“A TENSE AND RIVETING PIECE OF ACTION CINEMA… IMPRESSIVE FIGHT SEQUENCES… BONE-CRUSHING VIOLENCE.” – TWITCH.
Winner of eight honours at the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Action Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-up Design and Best Original Film Score, and the winner of the Best Actor (Wang Xueqi) and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholas Tse) prizes at this year’s Asian Film Awards, the epic, period action movie Bodyguards And Assassins is a dramatic fictionalized retelling of the suspenseful events of 1906 that eventually led to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China.
Directed by Teddy Chan (The Accidental Spy) and featuring an impressive cast of Hong Kong and China’s biggest stars, including Donnie Yen (Ip Man; Kill Zone), Leon Lai (An Empress And The Warriors; Seven Swords), Xueqi Wang (Forever Enthralled; Warriors Of Heaven And Earth; The Red Suit), Tony Leung Ka Fai (Missing; The Myth), Nicholas Tse (Dragon Tiger Gate; New Police Story; The Medallion) and Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Bodyguards And Assassins is a sumptuously staged, action-packed blockbuster, full of political intrigue, tragedy and drama that will appeal as much to lovers of quality cinema as it will to martial arts aficionados.
On October 15th 1906, the man destined to become the Father of Modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is due to arrive in the British Colony of Hong Kong to discuss plans to overthrow the corrupt Qing Dynasty with a group of leading anti-Qing revolutionaries. Aware of Sun’s intentions, the Qing Court dispatches an elite army of assassins to the port where Sun is due to arrive, with orders to see to it that he never makes it to his appointment and does not leave the colony alive.
Receiving news of the proposed assassination, a newspaper editor and a local tycoon, both sympathetic supporters of the revolution, take it upon themselves to protect Dr. Sun at any cost. To help ensure his safety they recruit a motley band of fellow sympathisers, friends and acquaintances, all skilled in martial arts combat to act as Sun’s bodyguards. Additionally, they devise a risky plan to secretly replace the assassins’ target with a human decoy in an attempt to lead the killers away from their quarry.
As Sun arrives on the fateful day, the stage is set for a bloody confrontation in which a small group of selflessly courageous men and women will risk their lives fighting against hundreds of adversaries in a conflict that will determine the fate of millions.
Cleverly taking his time to establish his characters, their back-stories, motives and sub-plots in the deliberately paced first half of the film, director Chan expertly unleashes a barrage of non-stop, action set-pieces in a final hour that will leave viewers breathless.
Among the many standout sequences in a film that manages to be as emotionally involving and moving as it is exciting are a brilliantly directed sequence that echoes Brian De Palma’s homage (from “The Untouchables”) to Eisenstein’s famous Odessa Steps sequence from “Battleship Potemkin”, an extended free-running duel involving Donnie Yen and Cung Le, and a ‘man versus horse’ confrontation that is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Bodyguards And Assassins will be released on DVD (£12.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by E1 Entertainment on 31st May 2010.
With more than 50 vehicles debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the latest advancements in automotive technology and design are sure to find their way into driveways across the country very soon. Micah Muzio, editor for the car-shopping website Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, provides a wrap-up of what was hot from the first auto show of the 2012 season.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/52609-la-auto-show-2011/
McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), today announced the appointment of Cathleen McGuigan as editor-in-chief of Architectural Record. Essential to the profession for over 120 years, Architectural Record’s award-winning magazine and website (http://www.architecturalrecord.com) provide industry news and analysis, as well as coverage of design trends, building science, and professional strategies for architects and design professionals. McGuigan most recently was a contributing architecture critic and cultural correspondent for Newsweek.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/mcgraw-hill/50083/
Over 200 public relations and communications professionals gathered at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel in central London to hear Doug Wills, Managing Editor of the London Evening Standard give a talk on the recent changes at the paper, its long term plans and insights into the future of the newspaper publishing industry.
The evening event hosted by PR Newswire and CorpComms Magazine brought together two great London icons - The London Evening Standard and the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (formerly The Midland Grand) a magnificent Gothic building that was opened by Queen Victoria in 1873, left to ruin and now painstakingly restored to stand proudly as one of London’s most stunning architectural offerings.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/prnewswire/48900/
More magazine and Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour hosted the Reinvention Convention on May 17 in Chicago, bringing together more than 600 women interested in revitalizing their careers, finances, style and health.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/moremagazine/44308/
DesktopCalc is an enhanced, easy-to-use and powerful scientific calculator with an expression editor, printing operation, result history list and integrated help. Desktop calculator gives students, teachers, scientists and engineers the power to find values for even the most complex equation set.
DesktopCalc uses Advanced DAL (Dynamic Algebraic Logic) mechanism to perform all its operation with the built-in 38-digit precision math emulator for high precision.
A host of public relations and communications professionals flocked to the London Film Museum on the 29th June to hear Robin Elias, Managing Editor of ITV news, give an interactive presentation on the challenges of being an editor as well as dispense some invaluable tips on getting your story into the news.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/prnewswire/50530/
Arianna Huffington, founder and chief-executive editor of the Internet-newspaper “The Huffington Post”, was honored with the Aenne Burda Award during the last day (January 24) of the international digital conference DLD in Munich. Dr. Maria Furtwängler-Burda consigned the trophy, a statue of Pallas Athene. The award honors successful and creative female entrepreneurs with visionary ideas from the digital world, this year for the seventh time already. Maria Furtwängler pleaded in her laudatory speech for female empowerment as start-up founders. Arianna Huffington could serve as a role model here: “Arianna Huffington experienced backstrokes and was never deterred by them – her fearlessness is a stimulus for women, to get active themselves.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53749-hbm
Chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and others from Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay set a new Guinness World Record by uncorking 308 bottles of Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon simultaneously. Amidst flying corks and free flowing wine, the crowd shattered the previous record of 252 in celebration of Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit.
“Today we’re making history with some of the world’s best chefs, sommeliers and mixologists,” said Adam Rapoport, Bon Appétit’s Editor-in-Chief. “Setting this Guinness World Record is just the beginning of all the great programming and truly memorable moments you’ll see at Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit in May.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54917-vegas-uncork-d-by-bon-appetit-showcases-finest-culinary-and-wine-talent
It's no secret that traveling during the holidays is one of the most stressful travel seasons of the year. Long waits and winter weather present unexpected challenges for travelers nationwide. Whether you’re traveling by car or plane, they both have their share of annoyances and risks. However, don't let the winter holiday travel season make you blue. Nationally recognized travel expert and Editor-in-Chief of Travel Girl Magazine Stephanie Oswald comes to rescue. Stephanie will provide insider travel tips and tricks to help you navigate the rough waters of winter holiday travel.
WHILE IT’S NO SECRET THAT BEING A MOTHER PROVIDES ENORMOUS JOY IT CAN ALSO BE QUITE A CHALLENGE. PEG MOLINE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF FIT PREGNANCY MAGAZINE, HAS A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD.
