New ‘Eagle Shooting Heroes’ series coming to US

Hong Kong and North American-based distributor Tai Seng has announced their DVD line-up for September and it includes the Fan Bing-bing starring drama HOME RUN (2008), Chinese opera comedy ONE FOOT OFF THE GROUND (2006), producer Johnnie To’s TACTICAL UNIT – PARTNERS (2008), and the 50-episode TV wuxia series THE EAGLES SHOOTING HEROES (2008).

Below are edited descriptions of each release with some editorial content from the distributor.

HOME RUN (2008)

Chapman To (INFERNAL AFFAIRS) and mainland Chinese actress Fan Bing-bing (A CHINESE TALL STORY, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM) are the leads in this poignant drama from director Fang Gang-liang. To boost the sagging ratings of her reality TV show, producer/host Tien (Fan) decides to bring five-year-old Lu (newcomer Zou Yan-wen) to the studio and sends him off to find his way home alone. Lu finds help from his divorced father Fong (To) whenever he runs into obstacles and as the journey progresses, Lu makes up his mind to also find his long lost mother. HOME RUN is an arresting look at China’s fascination with reality television and how children can be hurt by the discord between family and career. (16:9 widescreen. Cantonese 5.1, Cantonese DTS and Mandarin 5.1 audio. English and Chinese subtitles. 93 minutes.)

ONE FOOT OFF THE GROUND (2006)

A struggling Chinese opera troupe has to be disbanded by its director after its sponsorship money has dried up. Each troupe member is forced to take on odd jobs to make ends meet, adding friction to their preexisting problems such as marriage and friendship. ONE FOOT OFF THE GROUND is not only a colorful, whimsical tale of a dying Chinese cultural art affected by the realities of economic hardship, but also an exquisite ensemble comedy-drama about the importance of celebrating life, on or off the stage. Directed by Chen Dai-meng. Starring Xu Fan, Li Yi-xiang and Xiao Xiang-yu. (16:9 widescreen. Mandarin 5.1 and Cantonese 2.0 audio. English and Chinese subtitles. 106 minutes.)

TACTICAL UNIT – PARTNERS (2008)

PTU leaders Sam (Simon Yam) and May (Maggie Shiu) are on full alert upon receiving rumors that “Black Molly,” the long-lost Indian gang leader, is back in town and that he has assigned his right-hand man Sonu to assassinate Sam and May’s superior. Directed by Lawrence Lau (LEE ROCK and once again produced by Johnnie To, this final installment of the five-part spin-off film series from PTU concludes in explosive fashion with nonstop firepower action. (19:6 widescreen. Cantonese 5.1, Cantonese DTS and Mandarin 5.1 audio. English and Chinese subtitles. 91 minutes.)

THE EAGLE SHOOTING HEROES (TV Series 7-disc set) (2008)

The latest adaptation of the classic Jin Yong wuxia novel, “Legend of the Condor Heroes” is the definitive one. The production features a stellar cast with talents from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, taking on the colorful characters in a new light. With eye-dazzling fight choreography, spectacular visual effects, and a storyline more faithful to the original, this epic martial arts series is unlike anything you have seen before! Directed by Li Kwok-lap. Starring Hu Ge, Lin Yi-seng and Yuen Hong. (4:3 full screen. Cantonese and Mandarin audio. English and Chinese subtitles. 2000 minutes.

Tags: DVD, Tai Seng, The Eagle Shooting Heroes