With scenic views from the foothills of Mount Tibidabo in Catalunya, Tsasha Olivier shoots nymphlike, Icelandic beauty Svala Lind wearing pieces by designers such as Chloé, Prada, Alexander McQueen and Zakary le Stéle, styled together by Abri Ferebani. Svala appears as a personification of her natural surroundings for issue #8 of Bast Magazine.
In a black and white series, with natural set make-up and hair American beauty Jacquelyn Jabłonski who is of Polish, German, and Irish descent, whom poses in black and white attire, shot by Eric Guillemain.
Having just seen and reviewed TAI CHI ZERO, I was psyched and ready to pop my theatrical screener of TAI CHI HERO (obtained from the generous folks at Well Go USA) into my Blu-ray player. When we left our main characters, Lu Chan was lying helpless in a semi-coma after aiding in the defeat of the misguided Fang Zi Jing.
Unable to defend himself in any sense, its up to Master Chen and his daughter Yu Niang to plead on Lu Chan's behalf, as he stands accused of stealing Chen-style kung-fu. Nothing seems to change the mind of the village council who prepare to make it impossible for Yang to practice kung-fu ever again.... by severing his tendons with a fig bucking sword!
Luckily Yu Niang steps in and declares that she will marry the lovably moronic Lu Chan; by making him family, he will have technically broken no sacred laws! The two are quickly wed, only to have their wedding crashed by Zai Yang, Yi Niang's older brother, and his mute Japanese wife. Zai Yang's arrival kicks off yet another plot to peacefully clear out Chen Village by acting on the superstitious beliefs of the villagers. Naturally the plan doesn't quite work out, leading to another invasion by the misguided Fang Zi Jing, who shows up with an army and a half dozen cannons.
Will the fully trained Lu Chan (now seemingly healed of his "Three Blossoms of the Crown" and no longer an idiot), his wife Yu Niang, and his father-in-law, Grand Master Chen, be able to foil another violent attack on the peace-loving village? Will Western military technology and training trump ancient martial arts wisdom? Will aid come from an unexpected source? Or will Fang finally triumph and have his revenge against the people he blames for the death of his lover? Well.... all I can tell you is that this movie is set up for yet another sequel, and I greatly welcome it!
TAI CHI HERO is a much tonally different movie from the first one; it's definitely a more serious film. In the first movie, Lu Chan was none too bright and constantly getting his butt kicked. You really wanted him to succeed, but at the same time you couldn't help but enjoy his failures. In this film, he's attained his quest for the most part, healed himself, and is now really.... dull. He's totally calm, cool, collected, serene, and not in danger of randomly going into "demon mode" or dying from his affliction. Now he's just a two-dimensional good guy that makes me want to yawn.
Luckily the wayward villains of this film keep things going. Stephen Fung (Fang Zi Yang) yet again turns in a good performance as Fang Zi Jing. With his career decimated, his honor in question, and the women he loved now dead, Fang is in a pretty dark place in his life and it shows. Using the knowledge that Lu Chan was once a part of the Divine Truth Cult (a rebel sect that fought against the imperial troops of China), Fang manages to gather himself an army and some big guns. He then marches on Chen Village in force to "arrest" Lu Chan and those that aided and abetted him in the destruction of TROY NO.1, which caused the accidental death of his lover.
Then there's Zai Yang, who is only trying to scare off the locals with an ancient prophecy, partially because he has a chip on his shoulder (daddy issues), but mainly because he wants to find a peaceable solution to getting a railroad through the village. He provides us with a character we can relate to, as he left Chen Village in his youth to make his way in the world. Rather than stay home and learn martial arts (which he was never very good at), he leaves to be his own man and become an inventor. This didn't sit well with his father, Grand Master Chen, and it provides for a bit of tension whenever the two of them share the screen.
All in all, I enjoyed TAI CHI HERO, but didn't like it as much as the previous film. It's got a few cool twists, great action sequences, and has a very talented cast. Though the hero has sadly become rather boring, its the other characters in the film that keep things interesting and moving forward. And once the smoke clears during the climactic struggle at the gates of Chen Village during the final act, the film teases us with a really cool setup for the intended third part of this Tai Chi trilogy! (Spoiler: As the film fades to black, we get a very brief look at a STEAMPUNK-THEMED SKULL FORTRESS!)
Though it lacks the fun and energy of the first film, TAI CHI HERO is still a really solid martial arts flick that delivers the goods, and promises us some big things in the next installment. It's definitely worth a look and worthy of:
Hart-throb - 'Aussie export, Victoria's Secret babe and supermodel stunner Jessica Hart has tanned legs for miles, Bardotesque locks and a gap-toothed grin we covet. We get to know this It Girl with innately Chic summer style.' Doria Santlofer styles the swim/beachwear looks with pieces from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Karen Walker & Charlotte Olympia as Hart poses by a colourful, geometry tiled siwmming pool, photographed by Eric Guillemain for the june issue of Foam Magazine.
All That Jazz - ' Channel the grown-up glamour of the Gatsby era with a gritty urban spin.' Stylist Kelly Hume choose pieces from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Topshop, Chanel & Moschino to create modern twenties' look on beauty Lydia with photography by Darren McDonald for the 28th of April issue of Sunday Style Australia. Hair by Julianne McGuigan, Make-up by Sarah Tammer.
Memoirs of A Geisha - Walking through rural streets chinese beauty Tian Yi is a modern day geisha girl for Elle Vietnam May issue with photography by Oliver Stalmans. Styled by Anna Katsanis, Hair by Adrian Clark, Make-up by Daniel Martin.
Viva Naomi - For the cover of the May issue of Vogue Brazil and celebrating its 38 years in publishing the magazine choose British supermodel Naomi Campbell as its cover-star. Whom sports blonde luxurious locks and in a nineties feel styling, shot by Tom Munro. Styled by Carlyne Cerf De Dudzeele, Hair by Oribe, Make-up by James Kaliardos.
The Rev. John Shearman, of the United Church of Canada, has said: “The history of the Christian Church from the very beginning is the story of how the Spirit continually challenges the faithful to carry the gospel to the world...” Today’s readings from Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, from Revelation, and from John’s Gospel all confirm the truth of that statement.
The reading from Acts (11:1-18) deals with a reality common to any organization of two people or more, especially if the organization has set up any sort of established procedures. It could be summed up in the oft-repeated exclamation frequently heard from longstanding members of church congregations: “We’ve always done it this way!” “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’”
It must’ve been very difficult for Jews who had come to believe that Jesus was truly the expected Messiah to come to terms with realities which challenged their long-held Jewish loyalties. Though there was a long and ancient history of Jewish tradition, Jesus made no excuses in interpreting it in a fresh way. The bottom line was all about ritual purity. How often had Peter’s critics prayed: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts...” (Psalm 24:3-4)
Pastor Shearman says that “The whole of Israel's liturgical practice and the architecture of the temple itself as well as the accepted customs of eating rested on the right answer” to the questions posed by Psalm 24.The Temple structure was designed to preserve the purity of the Temple through a series of courts: the Inner Sanctuary of the Temple itself was divided into the Court of the Priests, the Court of the Israelites, and the Court of the Women. The separate area, outside the Temple, was known as the Court of the Gentiles whose purpose was to exclude all non-Jews and those who didn’t perform the strict ritual observances to purify themselves and their offerings before entering.And even among the priests, ritually purified men who had the sole right to offer sacrifices, it was the high priest alone who could, only on the Day of Atonement, enter the Holy of Holies, the symbolic dwelling place of the invisible God.
Jesus of Nazareth, however, believed otherwise. Professor George B. Caird ("The Apostolic Age." Studies in Theology, London: Duckworth & Co., 1955. p.83-84.) notes that strict Jewish orthodoxy demanded appropriate ritual practice rather than belief. Jesus and his band of followers were at first viewed as just another of many Jewish sects. Their beliefs were common to most other Jews: e.g., about the Messiah, the resurrection, and the final age to come. Thus no one accused them, at least at first, of religious disloyalty, because they continued to observe the ancient ritual laws prescribed by the Torah. But Judaism was a nationality more than a religion, a religious precept, combining both social customs and civil laws, a sort of national ideology. A faithful Jew who abandoned the Torah as a national way of life effectively became denationalized.
Jesus felt that every Jew had the right to come before God in worship and to make his/her own offering. He didn’t necessarily observe all the strict dietary laws. When he cleansed the Temple, driving out the money-changers, he acted out a clear challenge to the exclusive priestly establishment’s authority, as well as to the ancient traditions. The result: betrayed by one of his own, Judas Iscariot, perhaps because even Judas disagreed with his convictions, Jesus was hauled by the Jewish authorities before the Romans and eventually executed.
Jesus had shown even more disregard for the ancient traditions by including notorious sinners, prostitutes, and non-observant Jews in his day-to-day dealings, especially in his frequent table fellowship, which was intentionally meant as an example for the community of his disciples. In his own mind there was no doubt that these gatherings were made sacred and acceptable, by and for God, as pure and holy worship. This was eventually what separated the followers of The Way from the Jewish community. Luke’s story in Acts of Peter and Cornelius’ household was part of this coming to terms with Jesus’ vision.
The “Aha!” moment for Peter came, at two points. The first was as a result of the vision, repeated three times, at Joppa, and recounted in today’s first lesson. Peter, obviously, as on other occasions, was a slow learner! When he meets the gathering of Cornelius’ family and friends, in Chapter 10, Peter says, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean...” (10:28) Then in today’s passage, Peter says that “The Spirit told me to go...and not to make a distinction between them and us...” (11:12) The second moment of recognition came, as Acts 10 describes it, “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles... Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’” (10:44-45; 47) Today’s reading describes Peter’s reaction: “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?...” (11:17)
The Spirit’s presence and outpouring, confirming Peter’s actions, is the driving force behind the transformation of the Jerusalem community, and once Peter explains it to his critics, “when they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God...” (11:18)
So how does all this speak to the Resurrection mystery which we celebrate and contemplate, especially during these 50 days after Easter, but also throughout all our lives? During Easter time I read a book called Immortal Diamond, by Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr. It’s a follow-up on one of his previous books, Falling Upward, both of which I heartily recommend to you. Fr. Rohr emphasizes what an incredible grace humankind was given in the way God led Saul of Tarsus, later Paul, step-by-step to his mission of bringing Christ to the Gentiles, such as you and me! Chapter 9 of Acts, just two chapters before today’s passage, tells us of Paul’s conversion. God tells Ananias, whom he sends to Paul, “...I have chosen [him] to bring my name before Gentiles...”, and Ananias advises Paul that he’s been sent partly so that Paul can “be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Fr. Rohr exults in the reality of God’s unboundedness, and in the fact that, as he says, “God is very clearly not a mere tribal God...” God can’t be fenced in or boxed up; no organization, not even the Church, can ever confine or control God, though we still, foolishly, try do it. My dear friend, the late Lutheran monk, Fr. Arthur Kreinheder, once exclaimed to me, “God is so lavish!” God’s Spirit blows where it will!
After his conversion, Paul wrote that from the creation of the world onward, God’s everlasting power and divine nature, even though invisible, are accessible to everyone “through the things God has made.” (Romans 1:19-20) God isn’t so stingy as to have to squeeze Godself, who is Being itself, into any “specific time frame, culture, or vocabulary”. If God, who is Being itself, can be understood and seen through the things God has made, then creation’s timeless message will be evident to us: viz., that all things live, then die, then live again in new ways. You and I voice this each time we use Eucharistic Prayer A to proclaim “the mystery of faith”: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” Many people of faith, even the many disciplines of science, philosophy, mysticism and poetry, confirm this, using different metaphors.
The point of the mystery of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is that, through our face-to-face relationship with Jesus the Christ, initiated in Baptism, the Incarnation has become the Resurrection in you and me. Eastertide through Pentecost, meaning the span our whole lives rather than just the annual seasons of the Church year, is, in Fr. Rohr’s words, like a “laboratory for resurrection” where you and I learn the ultimate truth: that Love is stronger than death. He says “The Crucified One is God’s standing solidarity with the suffering, the tragedy, and the disaster of all time, and God’s promise that it will not have the final word.” Because of that you and I can face all the evil, all the tragedies, all the wars, all the failures and sufferings of our lives, a sampling of which we endured just two weeks ago in Boston. We can even learn to cope with our personal deaths, whenever and however we will pass through them.
Note how curious it is that in the Gospel passage (John 13:31-35), Jesus, speaking to his followers the evening before he is to die, is focussed on “glory”: the Son of Man being glorified, and God being glorified in him. Jesus is fully aware of what lies ahead the next day, and Scripture attests to his predictable human reactions to that prospect. Yet, he’s given the inner wherewithal, by the Father with whom he knows himself to be one, to look beyond tomorrow, and to see that death will not be the final word.
The reason that this is possible for us, says Fr. Rohr, is that “The Risen One is God’s final word about the universe and what God plans to do with all suffering.” The Book of Revelation, in the second reading (21:1-6), speaks of “a new heaven and a new earth...See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them...God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more...I am making all things new.” The price of all that is having to first “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4) with Jesus, and perhaps to wait at other people’s tombs, family or friends, as the Marys of the Gospel do.
In John’s Gospel Jesus tells his friends, “I give you a new commandment...Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (11:34) A little later he tells them that, if they can accept this, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth...You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you...” (14:16-17)
Fr. Rohr identifies “the human problem” as: 1) “we fear, and 2) we kill what we should love.” Think about that for a minute. The dysfunctions of the world, of our nation, of our community, of our family and home, come down to fear and violence to the other, in some form. But Love, as Jesus has shown us, is the Holy Spirit who is God. God only and always loves: everyone, always -- no exceptions. In the Letter to the Romans St. Paul claims that our sufferings in the present aren’t worthy to be compared to “the glory about to be revealed to us.” He says that you and I and all creation are waiting, during this time between the Resurrection and the coming of God’s reign, “on tiptoe” for the ability to recognize the love already abiding in us, which is the Holy Spirit. Paul says our groaning during this time is like labor pains, though us men wouldn’t know much about that...unless, of course, you’ve had kidney stones, as I have! Nevertheless, says Paul, “...the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words...” (8:26) Fr. Karl Rahner wrote: “...[The Risen Jesus] is in the ineffable yearning of all creatures who, without knowing it, yearn for a share in the transfiguration of his body. He is in the history of the earth...He is in all the tears as hidden joy, and in every death as the life that conquers by seeming to die. He is in the beggar, to whom we give a coin, as the secret rich reward that returns to the giver. He is in the miserable defeats of his servants as the victory that belongs to God alone. He is in our weakness as the strength that dares to let itself seem weak, because it is invincible. He himself is even right in the midst of sin as the mercy of everlasting life that is prepared to be patient to the end. (The Eternal Year, p. 93)
And all this comes to pass through the Holy Spirit with us and in us, whom he sends, who is the Love challenging you and me each day to “cry the Gospel with our lives”.
MOVIE REVIEW: With TAI CHI HERO getting a limited theatrical release this weekend, I wanted to make sure I saw it's predecessor first. Luckily TAI CHI ZERO is relatively cheap on Blu-ray (around ten to twelve bucks), so I bought myself a copy and sat down to watch myself a good ole fashioned kung-fu flick. What I got instead was a crazy martial arts movie chock full of steampunk technology and video game references. It's like a Chinese Scott Pilgrim vs. the World!
The film centers on Yang Lu Chan, a young man who was born with a strange deformity. He has a small horn growing out of his forehead, and whenever it is struck, he goes into "demon mode" and demolishes anyone that stands in his way. Unfortunately for Yang, every time this is done, it gives him a brain aneurism and his little "horn" changes color. If it is struck enough times, his "forehead-pinky" will turn black and he will die.
To cure himself, Yang is told that Chen-style kung-fu will do the trick, so he heads out to the distant and isolated Chen Village to find a teacher. However, Chen-style is not taught to outsiders (for reasons discovered in the next film), but Yang remains determined to learn the forbidden fighting style. Though no one directly teaches him, Yang has the ability to memorize and mimic the movements made by each person he fights. (Kind of like Marvel's "Taskmaster," or the autistic girl from "Chocolate.") With every loss to the common villagers (including women and children), Yang is inadvertently gaining the knowledge he has come for.
Yang's martial arts "training" is soon interrupted when a former resident of Chen village named Fang Zi Jing, arrives to clear a path for an oncoming railroad. Fang attempts to do so peacefully at first, but when he fails, he returns to the gates of Chen Village in a giant steam-powered death machine! Will Fang destroy the village before Yang Lu Chan fully learns the secrets of Chen-style kung-fu? Will someone rise to the occasion and fight off the steampunk invaders? Looks like you'll have to rent or buy it to find out!
TAI CHI ZERO is a surprisingly fun action film that has interesting characters, cool kung-fu battles, full-size steampunk-inspired machines (they actually built "TROY NO. 1" to scale!), romance (got to have something for the ladies), and a great (and rather eclectic) soundtrack. It's a movie that tries to put a fresh spin on all the classic tai chi films that have come before it, and it totally succeeds. It's also funny as hell at times (I particularly like the sequence where Yang tries to repeatedly sneak back into Chen Village after getting booted out) because our hero isn't all that bright, plus his frequent "what the hell?" reactions to the implausible events he witnesses totally mirrors the audience's.
And Yang is a great character because he's one you can root for. He's an idiot to be sure, but he's tenacious and has an unbreakable spirit. He can die at any moment because of his "horn" (referred to as "Three Blossoms on the Crown"), and his mother's dying wish was that he become the best at martial arts, therefore failure is not an option for this guy. And when he finally manages to best one of the villagers using the skills he learned from getting trounced time after time, you feel as vindicated as he does.
Conversely there's Fang, who is only slightly less of a black sheep in the villagers' eyes than Yang is. He grew up in the village, but he never learned Chen-style and has a love for technology and Western culture (and women). Fang's considered a wimp and gets no respect from his peers, which is why he resorts to threats of violence and destruction. But he doesn't truly become a bad guy until his machinations get someone he loves killed. That event flips a switch and makes him the tragic villain of this tale.
I could go on and on about TAI CHI ZERO, but I'll cut myself off here and assure you once again that it's a great movie! I had a blast watching it, and highly recommend it to all you action/kung-fu movie fans out there. TAI CHI ZERO hit all the right notes with me, and though I've already seen it twice, I'm ready and willing to give it another viewing already. I really enjoyed this movie and I'm more than happy to give it:
FOUR 'RADS'
BLU-RAY REVIEW
The Packaging: TAI CHI ZERO comes in a standard Blu-ray case with cardboard slipcover. The cover art (seen above) is OK; definitely more exciting that the majority of the Chinese and international posters that were released for the film.
Audio & Video: TAI CHI ZERO is featured in 1080p HD in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and the movie looks fantastic, which is not a total surprise since it was released last year. The disc offers up Mandarin Chinese and English dubbed audio tracks both available in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby Digital 2.0. I watched the film in its original language with English subs, and I have no complaints. I have yet to try out the English dubbed version, which I avoided since I despise most dubbed foreign films. All in all though, the audio and video presentation here is damned near perfect.
The Extras: There's not much to get excited about here. The disc has a handful of cool trailers for the film (rather effective ones too if I may say so; they make me want to watch TAI CHI ZERO again), a music video for a Chinese rap/rock song called "The Stand" (watch it HERE), and a short six-minute behind the scenes featurette.
Final Ruling: The audio and video presentation of the film is pristine, but the disc is lacking in the extras department. Maybe I'm just super spoiled by companies like Shout!/Scream Factory, but I expected a bit more effort from Well Go USA. A few more in-depth cast & crew interviews, or a few featurettes about the making of the film and the fight choreography would have been very much appreciated. Still, this is a rather inexpensive Blu-ray, and the movie is certainly worth a look, so I suppose I shouldn't judge this disc too harshly, especially since the movie looks and sounds so good. You're getting off easy this time Well Go USA, because I'm giving your TAI CHI HERO Blu-ray:
THREE 'RADS'
TAI CHI ZERO is available on DVD & Blu-ray wherever discs are sold. It's sequel, TAI CHI HERO will be available on DVD & Blu-ray on July 23rd, and is currently playing in select theaters across the country!
Dreamland - In colourful, cinematic stills with likeness to space adventurer 'Barbarella', Milou Sluis poses as a sexy, sultry, almost like an sci-fi character. Franck Benhamou styles with labels such as Lanvin, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu & Burberry, with photography by duo Warren Du Preez & Nick Thornton-Jones for the may issue of Numero Magazine. Hair by Ali Pirzadeh, Make-Up by Sharon Dowsett.
Codes of Seduction - 'They are the protagonists of a fairy tale or a Hollywood romantic comedy, on the contrary, the couple formed by the top model Anja Rubik and her husband, Sasha Knezevic, show the world you are a real marriage and needless to mention, stylish.' The model, stylish couple wear the likes of Fendi, Costume Nacional, Bottega Veneta & Givenchy and shot in a glamourous, lavish hotel in Lisbon, Portugal by Marcin Tyszka for the may issue of Vogue Mexico. Hair by Christoph Hasenbein, Make-up by Cristina Gomez.
