From Publishers Weekly
Yang, the founder of the Asian-American periodical aMagazine, fell in love with the "guilty pleasure" of Chinese movies as a child, when his uncle took him to see "epic tales of blood, thunder, and magic." His account, enlivened by his innocent enthusiasm and his eye for pertinent detail, begins with a 1905 one-reeler, Dangjun Mountain. With a keen historical perspective, Yang introduces such early film icons as Ruan Lingyu, a "mistress of melodrama" who starred in the eerily prophetic Suicide Contract and then killed herself. He describes the evolution from women's pictures to martial arts movies, from the late 1910s to today. Action star Chang Cheh said in the 1960s that he wanted to put the spotlight on "real men who'd tear off their own legs and gleefully use them to beat their enemies to death," and this macho stance is reflected in Enter the Dragon and others in the Bruce Lee series. Yang crisply chronicles Lee's career from his minor Hollywood success, loss of the lead in TV's Kung Fu and eventual Hong Kong stardom. The contrast between the "vengeful, stone-faced" Lee, who died of cerebral edema at 32, and the mischievous, clownish Jackie Chan provides enjoyable reading. Yang also extensively covers John Woo's "bullet-riddled mayhem," the popularity of Hong Kong sex films featuring Chinese mythology, and a battle against piracy that made Chan take to the streets in protest. Capsule reviews offer an all-inclusive portrait of releases over half a century, and Yang clinches his case by reminding readers "they've had only the merest taste of the banquet that is yet to come. Save room for dessert." Photos.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Savvy film buffs know that Chinese directors are responsible for a disproportionate number of the most highly praised and entertaining recent movies. Others wishing to explore Chinese cinema's staggering variety will do well to consult this valuable guide. After a single chapter on the first half-century of Chinese film, Yang offers a decade-by-decade look at the cinematic output of the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Hong Kong's crowd-pleasers, particularly the kung fu classics of the 1970s and the "poetic violence" gangster films of the '80s, predominate, but other trends get their due, including the Fifth Generation mainland directors of the '80s, such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, and the New Taiwanese Cinema, also of the '80s, exemplified by Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-Hsien. The book's second half contains succinct, informative capsule reviews of nearly 300 films. If Yang's treatment seems somewhat cursory, that may be the result of trying to chronicle three separate national cinemas. Hardcore cineastes may want more scholarly coverage, but for most filmgoers, this is just the ticket. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
From Jackie Chan to Ang Lee, from Supercop to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Chinese cinema has truly arrived in the United States. Whether one is speaking of Jet Li martial arts blockbusters, historical epics like Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, or evocative art films like Edward Yang's Yi Yi and Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love, the astonishing variety, quality, and inventiveness of movies from the three filmmaking regions of Greater China have caught the imagination of film buffs and Hollywood studios alike, ensuring that more and more works from these dynamic industries will find an eager American audience. But this startling diversity springs from common roots. Once Upon a Time in China is the first time that the unique cinemas of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Mainland have been explored in parallel, showcasing the feuds and family ties, the epic confrontations and subtle machinations, through which contemporary Chinese film has evolved. With wit and a true passion for the subject, author Jeff Yang, former publisher of aMagazine -- the nation's premier Asian American periodical -- and coauthor of action icon Jackie Chan's autobiography, offers a colorful journey through the history of Chinese cinema, its standout stars, moguls, and icons, and more than 350 of its most distinctive works.


About the Author
Jeff Yang was the founder and original editor of aMagazine, and is the author of Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture. He lives in New York City with his wife, Heather, and their son, Hudson.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Yang, the founder of the Asian-American periodical aMagazine, fell in love with the "guilty pleasure" of Chinese movies as a child, when his uncle took him to see "epic tales of blood, thunder, and magic." His account, enlivened by his innocent enthusiasm and his eye for pertinent detail, begins with a 1905 one-reeler, Dangjun Mountain. With a keen historical perspective, Yang introduces such early film icons as Ruan Lingyu, a "mistress of melodrama" who starred in the eerily prophetic Suicide Contract and then killed herself. He describes the evolution from women's pictures to martial arts movies, from the late 1910s to today. Action star Chang Cheh said in the 1960s that he wanted to put the spotlight on "real men who'd tear off their own legs and gleefully use them to beat their enemies to death," and this macho stance is reflected in Enter the Dragon and others in the Bruce Lee series. Yang crisply chronicles Lee's career from his minor Hollywood success, loss of the lead in TV's Kung Fu and eventual Hong Kong stardom. The contrast between the "vengeful, stone-faced" Lee, who died of cerebral edema at 32, and the mischievous, clownish Jackie Chan provides enjoyable reading. Yang also extensively covers John Woo's "bullet-riddled mayhem," the popularity of Hong Kong sex films featuring Chinese mythology, and a battle against piracy that made Chan take to the streets in protest. Capsule reviews offer an all-inclusive portrait of releases over half a century, and Yang clinches his case by reminding readers "they've had only the merest taste of the banquet that is yet to come. Save room for dessert." Photos. Agent, Ling Lucas. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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