Swords, Sandstorms and Snow: What More Do You Need?

Dao Ma (Jing Wu), the "second most wanted fugitive," is entrusted by his benefactor, the chief of Mo family clan, to take on a mysterious escort mission - escorting the "most wanted fugitive," to Chang'an.

This sublimely edited teaser trailer makes Blades of The Guardians (aka Biao ren) look absolutely phenomenal.

Based on a popular manhua (Chinese comic), the wuxia film will be released in the States by Well Go USA Entertainment on February 17 in cinemas and via VOD.

Simultaneously, the film will be released in mainland China, during Chinese New Year.

The translated first volume of the manhua will be available in the UK in March, as Blades of The Guardians.

Wikipedia expands on the comic book's hook by telling us:

Hired fighters called Escorts protect targets, criminals for whom the government has issued an arrest warrant.

On the eve of civil unrest in the last years of the Sui dynasty, a government of fear and terror is gaining power in China, and feelings of hatred and enmity are emerging among some people.

A bounty hunter named Dao Ma travels throughout ancient China with his three-year-old son Xiao Qi and lives with the power of his sword.

One day Dao Ma accepts a mission for which he is guided to the city of Chang'an. He plans to pay off his debt to a therapist named Mo, and when he travels in the western desert, he accepts a simple mission that turns into a critical, dangerous issue.

Released on March 5 in trade paperback form: Blades of The Guardians, vol 1. 

CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE!

Just getting in there on its final day, Rachel, Alice, and I ventured out to Tonbridge Christmas Fest at the castle (and, no, I'll never tire of living in a town with a 13th Century castle) this evening .

We'd originally planned to go at the weekend but rain stopped play, and we decided it would be sensible to go once the torrential downpours had passed us by.

This evening's jaunt also happened to be my first trip out into the wild using just my old walking stick - rather than other, larger, walking aids - since June.

So, how better to celebrate that milestone than by embracing the spirit of Christmas?

The fair was a lovely little mix of food stands, carnival games, and geegaw sellers.

Rachel was most keen that we be there at 4pm for the daily spray of artificial snow.

We may have made tactical use of elbows and legs to get to the centre of the mosh pit under the snow fall - but it was worth it (even if I had flashbacks to attending a foam party in a nightclub during my hedonistic university days). 

As well as picking up a couple of bags of fudge (apparently it's the law that if you see a stand selling fudge you have to buy some), we also dined on foot-long sausages in baps from a food stand selling German sausages.

Rachel had a Bratwurst, while I had an absolutely delicious Krakauer (spicy sausage) that I coated in curry ketchup for that true Teutonic experience.

Rachel roasting a marshmallow

Beware the elves!

It's great to be walking with just a stick again

Happy Christmas!!!

Seraphim Falls (2006)

Mighty Mouse versus Superman, a polar bear versus a tiger, King Kong versus Godzilla... these are the fantasy match-ups that spark pub debates the length and breadth of the country. But who'd have thought of pitting James Bond against Qui-Gon Jinn?

Seraphim Falls is a revenge thriller and an epic chase set against the backdrop of the Old West in the years following the American Civil War.

Starring two of Ireland's finest actors, it follows Confederate Colonel Carver's (Liam Neeson) ceaseless hunt for Union Captain Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) for reasons that aren't made clear until about two-thirds of the way into the story.

The stunning scenery shifts from the snow-bound mountains, down through the flatlands and into the baking desert for a climax, assisted by the sudden appearance of Anjelica Huston's snake oil salesman Madame Louise Fair, that switches from the hyper-real to the slightly mystical and allegorical.

Brilliantly scripted by David Von Ancken (who also directed) and Abby Everett Jaques, Seraphim Falls isn't your run-of-the-mill gunfights and white hats/black hats Western but an examination of corrupting power of obsession (on one side) and a man trying to escape a past mistake (on the other). There is no definitive good guy or bad guy when it comes to the main characters.

The story also makes great use of its changing environment as man is first and foremost being pitted against the environment, rather than other men; particularly the extremes of cold or heat that you can feel from the screen safe and sound on your sofa. Star Wars fans should also look out for the interesting variation on the classic 'use of a dead tauntaun' sequence from The Empire Strikes Back.

Some have criticised the ending as a 'cop out' although, personally, I thought it was the only satisfying ending the tale could have.