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HEROIC CINEMA @ MERCURY CINEMA
Week Two: Tai Chi Master plus Love Hina (11 October 2002)
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Well, the magic held up for the second session of the Heroic Cinema season
at the Mercury: the crowd wasn't quite as large, but it was a respectable
number nonetheless (121, for those who care about such things), and looked
to be quite different in composition than the crowd of the previous week. So
we're reaching hundreds of people in Adelaide, and satisfying their urge for
Asian films. Hurrah for us, and for the crowd (and more about them later).
Apologies in advance if I mis-spell any names: it's solely due to the fact
that my fingers are shaking from the excitement (honest, trust me, I'm a
mathematician).
Once again, Mark P. had organised a demo from the lads from Lee's Tae
Kwon Do Academy, and this time they gave us audience participation: 3 brave
(insane?) souls risked life and limb at the hands (and legs) of Laurence Lee
and Yoji Yokoo. While the audience held their breath and silently urged Dan
not to move, Yoji made a couple of scary feints then kicked a chupa-chup
from between Dan's trembling lips. Without, I might add, sending any teeth
flying after the chupa-chup. Laurence then staked a claim to being the
Adelaide version of Ken Lo And His Amazing Legs, by dint of a succession of
flying kicks (some roundhouse, some I couldn't identify, partly because they
were so fast and I was chewing my poster in excitement) that took some paper
cups from the heads of a couple of guys who are probably glad they survived
(whose names, alas, were on the bit of paper I was chewing).
The selection of films for this evening was superb, with the anime
feature Love Hina drawing almost constant laughter from a fairly
relaxed audience. Drat you, Madman, I'll have to get the rest of this series
too, to see how it pans out (astute readers will recall that I commented
something like this about last week's episode of Boogiepop Phantom. Astute
readers will probably be happy to hear that I've already rented the first 2
volumes, giving 6 episodes of a total of 12, and am eagerly awaiting the
rest).
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Love Hina
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But the main feature, oh, the main feature: I had something of an epiphany
this time regarding Tai Chi Master.
I've seen it numerous times on video, and always enjoyed it in a mild sort
of way, but this time I loved it. Perhaps it was because the size of the
screen allowed me to see the film in it's full glory: action scenes in
panorama, background all visible and highly detailed, everything. Plus, of
course, Jet Li larger than life and twice as funky.
Then again, perhaps it had something to do with seeing it in the company
of over a hundred other film fans, who all laughed at the funny bits, held
their breath in the exciting bits, and went "ow-wow-wow" in the
that-must-really-hurt bits. It's a feeling that I rarely experience, and
it's truly uplifting. Gives me hope that one day, dear friends, we'll have
regular screenings of Asian films (yes, including anime) all across
Australia, nay, the world, bwa-hahahahaha!
Ahem, sorry, got carried away there. Anyway, it was more fun than it's
usually possible to have in Adelaide, so get yourselves along to the
remaining 3 sessions if you know what's good for you.
Alison Jobling reporting
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Tai Chi Master
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H E R O I C * C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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