Movie Recommendation

If you haven't seen the Jet Li movie "Hero" - SEE IT!!! It's not simply a kung fu or action movie. In fact, while the fight scenes are impressive - well except the one that got so much hype in the HK Fan circles between Li and Donnie Yen (this one is OK but not as great as I expected) - they are not the anchor of the Film. Note that I used Film with a capital F - this is fine cinema. The director, Zhang Yimou, is a veteran HK director who specializes in highly stylized dramas. He didn't skimp on his stylized vision with "Hero". WOW! The cinematography is stunning, the sets and action choreography are intertwined with the camera work to produce simple beautiful images. Yimou's use of color and backgrounds is breathtaking. Three examples stand out: 1) the 'red' fight between Maggie Cheung (aka, Flying Snow) and up-and-coming starlet Ziyi Zhang (aka, Moon) in the leaves; 2) the 'green' fight between Tony Leung (aka, Broken Sword) and Daoming Chen (aka, the King) in the palace; and 3) the 'blue' fight between Leung and Li (aka, Nameless) over the mountain lake. If you are an old skool Fu fan (like myself) be aware that this movie is 'wire-fu' all out, but it's done well. I felt the 'wire-fu' in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a bit too much, but in "Hero" it was more tolerable, and in large part this was due to Yimou's asthetic senses. "Hero" is a great story, told well through both dialog and visuals. This is a movie that both Fu fans and non Fu fans can enjoy. Watch it with or without the English dub (which is quite well done), but watch it - really watch it. You will be impressed. HK cinema kicks Hollywood to the curb!

Cool seminar...

As an academic and science geek I go to many seminars (although fewer now that I'm the "manny" for my kids afer school), but tonight I had the pleasure of attended a really different but thoroughly enjoyable seminar (at it was for me). No not scientific in any way, rather it satified my love for Second World War history; Sir Ian Kershaw was on campus to give a lecture on 'How and Why the Nazi's Fought on to the Bitter End'. Kershaw is a renowned historian/author who is a Professor in Sheffeld UK. His talk was truly captivating (again for me) and I guess all my reading has been doing some good because I wasn't at all lost in the mix of dates, personalities, political discussions, etc. I found it quite intellectually stimulating. Here's hoping MU gets a few more greats like Kershaw in the near future (apparently he has a friend at MU and has been here before a couple times - although I suspect he is also attending the WWII Conference at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans 10-12 April - I wish I could go!!).