Posts by Dr. Craig D. Reid
Craig started off in the biz in 1979 as a stuntman/actor in Chinese Kung Films in Taiwan, the token white dude that got his butt kicked in by a different kung fu star every few months. A former writer for Rueters of Asia, he's written over 1000 articles for magazines (when they truly were in vogue), is an award winning screenwriter, was a fight choreographer in Hollywood for 10 years and his critically acclaimed first book The Ultimate Guide to the Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s was published by Black Belt Books 12/10.
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SDAFF 2016: CLOSING NIGHT – Mifune: The Last Samurai
Posted November 11th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
Eek, yikes, and OMG…SDAFF 2016’s 10-day film festival has gone by faster than a squirrel on a rocket ship. Closing night over, America has a new President, who in high school never visited the principle’s office, and half the country feels like doing the samurai warrior, i.e., committing hara kiri. Bad idea. Yet those that […]
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SDAFF 2016: Going Home to Korea – Last Princess, First Parents
Posted November 10th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
Often times without realizing it, some stories write themselves. I have been moved by two Korean films during the festival: Sunday’s (Nov. 6) centerpiece film Aka Seoul and last night’s (Nov. 9) The Last Princess. Both films are about Koreans who had no choice in leaving Korea and how they struggled to find their way […]
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SDAFF 2016: To-Two Three – Not the Right Time But Balletic Time
Posted November 8th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
Just like the English titles of Chinese films, where the meaning of the Chinese title gets lost in the translation to where Western filmmakers may not get it, such is the coinage of an English wordsmith, as the title of this blog makes sense if you look beyond the words, yet the meaning may get […]
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SDAFF 2016: Mike Siv’s Documentary “Daze of Justice”: A Lesson for the World
Posted November 7th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
A short while ago, I wrote a TEDx Talk for a friend of mine entitled Give the World a Peace of Your Global Mind who recently presented it in Japan. The core of the speech centered around the development of a global mindset and how that could become an impetus toward creating world peace. As […]
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SDAFF 2016: The Travesty of “The Mermaid,” Biggest Film You’ve Never Heard Of.
Posted November 6th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
It’s a hot November 5, Saturday afternoon in San Diego and I’m waiting in line to watch this most far out film. I strike up a conversation about Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid with a group of all-festival pass folks, who are usually across the board more into Asian films as a whole compared to filmgoers […]
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SDAFF 2016: OPENING NIGHT, TAKE TWO – “Call of Heroes”
Posted November 5th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
To me, and I’m biased, the true opening night of the 17th annual SDAFF is the first screening of a martial arts film. Briefly, in 1973, when I was 16 and days away from dying from the incurable, progressive and deadly disease cystic fibrosis (CF), my brothers forced me to go to the local Drive-in. […]
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SDAFF 2016: Luna Khan’s “Tiger Hunter” Gives Opening Night Lunar Light
Posted November 4th, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
The Pacific Arts Movement is about forwarding the cause of Asian arts and artists regardless of country, gender, sexual proclivity, race, color and this year more deliberately…religion. Look no further than at the 17th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Guide, it’s cover art a chic representation of a Muslim woman wearing a multi-colored […]
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TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE 2016 SDAFF
Posted November 2nd, 2016 by Dr. Craig D. Reid in Uncategorized
It’s the 17th SDAFF, an event more solid than a red bean ice bar at the North pole, which is ultra cool. In preparation for the cinematic festival season, tradition is an integral part of many people’s lives. Thus keeping with tradition, I open this holiday bloggiday with a version of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Reid…I mean Moore. It’s slightly […]
