Shadow Magic

Customer Reviews:

Shadow Magic.......2006-11-10

What an interesting movie - a real find. Very intelligently written and beautifully executed, the movie "reflects" the birth of motion pictures and how mysterious and wonderful it appeared to people experiencing it for the first time.

I really wanted to like this movie.......2006-05-25

And there really is nothing wrong with it, other than I was maybe hoping for something really spectacular and intriguing, and what I got was kind of... dull. Shadow Magic is about one of the first introductions of movies to China. In SM the person doing the introducing is Raymond Wallace, an englishman who's wife had just recently left him. A young man named Liu, who is continually fascinated with western technology, allies himself next to Wallace to bring the movies, aka Shadow Magic, to China. Of course life is not easy, and it is tradition and the arranged marriage to the wrong woman that complicates matters. As I said earlier, I really wanted to like this movie. And honestly, I can't quite pin down what it was that disappointed me about it. It flows along at a considerable pace, and has that sweet sentmentality that countries like Ireland and England have practically put a copyright on. But I suppose I was expecting something more, and I was let down. Either which way, I would recommend this film for a historical aspect. But don't expect anything above average.

For everyone learning to speak Chinese a real blessing.......2006-05-25

I enjoyed the heck out of this movie, but even if I did not, the best part is that the Chinese spoken is easy to understand. The actors speak very clearly and the captioning actually is in the frames where the speaking occurs. The sound tracking is very clean. I have been watching a lot of Chinese films while I learn to speak Chinese.Too many times it is impossible to follow the voices. This film is great for voice clarity. speed of speaking, lack of complex sentences, and tracking. You can even hear the tonality of the language. A real blessing to begining suffering student.

Universal themes wrapped in a unique package.......2005-04-27

Only at the beginning of this movie do you strain with captions. As you progress they become almost second nature and you are transported into the story.

I was surprised as the basic story on the surface seems to tell of how people deal with new technology. This is the introduction of moving pictures or "Shadow Magic."

The reality of the story is the friendship of two people Raymond Wallace (Jared Harris), Liu Jinglun (Xia Yu), and their relation ship to others. Raymond is dumped by his wife for someone with money; yet finds his self and future in the making of film. Liu is in a rigid culture, including family and friends, which is trying to force him into marring a rich widow instead of the young aristocrat girl Liu Jinglun (Yufei Xing) he loves.
Can Liu over come the culture and individual prejudices or will he re-assimilate?
And what is to become of Raymond?

Though, short of a tear jerker, you will still get involved with their lives and marvel at the cinematography.

Cinema Paradiso Chinese Style.......2004-08-30

The material for this movie is good: a Westerner trying to strike it big in the Middle Kingdom a.k.a China by introducing Chinese to motion picture. The movie was set in the early 20th century as China was on the verge of Industrial Revolution and prior to destruction of Ching Dynasty. It was difficult for him to set up the business at first but through the help of a pro-Western and curious Chinese, motion picture gradually made its headway into the local scene. Personally, I feel that the motion picture is a metaphor of modern time. Naturally, there were Chinese who were reluctant to embrace motion picture because they felt that Chinese Opera Theatre had been going on since the beginning of time and thus, that should continue. Anyway, the movie touched upon the cultural difference between East and West. The Chinese character was coerced by his father to marry a wealthy widow who was significantly older than him. In the olden times, the son had no option but conformed out of obligation. However, the Western fellow (played by Jarred Harris) convinced the Chinese who had since become his best of friend that he should follow his heart, to pursue his dream lady the daughter of a revered Opera Singer of the time. Jarred's character explained further that it's perfectly okay to display his affection for the opposite sex. Then, there was mentioning about hierarchy difference. Whereas the Opera singer's daughter was rich, the Chinese was poor. Again, in the olden times, it was an impossibility to bridge the gap somewhat. As a movie would have it, it would build to a climax where circumstances tried the friendship between the Chinese and the Western guy, the new against the old, complacency against courage. Being a feel good movie, you can guess the rest. I really feel that this movie is much aligned with "Cinema Paradiso" as the scenes of Chinese watching motion picture for the first time was exactly how it set up in the Italian movie. Furthermore, the soundtrack utilised here is very much an Ernio Morricone rip-off. It is expected for such kind of movie to be slow-moving. It's unjust to compare this movie against Cinema Paradiso. Yet, it's also unfair that the story is put to us in a condescending way suggesting that that's exactly what's going on in China during that time. Naturally, there were touching moments but it's as if we have been down the same track before. I question the accuracy of the depiction. Is it the right kind of gramaphone used for the time? There's never any display of chaos when the country was supposed to be filled with soldiers of both East and West trying to curb the civil war and the colonisation of various Western powers. In this instance, Jarred Harris is THE only Westerner in the movie. Overall, a well-made movie but in a shallow kind of way. Recommended watching but not for everyone.

Average customer rating:

Loved it!
Wow... Just wow.
Really Bad
like a broken record....
Good flick but horrible ending.

Birth Rite
Starring: Natalie Sutherland , Danny Wolske , Laura Nativo , Brinke Stevens , and Larry Dirk
Director: Devin Hamilton
Manufacturer: SHADOW ENTERTAINMENT
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009MEG8
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-06-28

I was actually really impressed. Sure, it's pretty cheesy, but aren't all Shadow Entertainment movies? I mean, really, "Puppet Master?" I thought Rebecca, the lead girl was very good with what she did with the script. You have to remember, these actors did not write the movie.....they had o make do with what was given to them and in all honesty, it's not easy to break into films in Hollywood so I take my hat off to all of them for giving it a shot and actually doing good with what they had. Also, the lead girl, Natalie did really damn good considering she's actually a Scot that has a thick accent in real life! Maybe I'm biast...after all I'm sure she and I could be related... we have the same last name:-)

Wow... Just wow........2006-07-09

Um, yeah. If you want to watch a movie with really bad acting and special effects, then have a party and invite all your friends. But seriously, that's all it is. Another thing: Usually the main character is the prettiest one, but no. In this movie, the main character's sister is really pretty while she's like... what some would call second rate. She's just average. Her sister takes the spotlight away from her when they're in a scene together. It's like... what's the point? Oh, and the ending is like so abrupt and stupid. I was like "Really... that's it?" Not worth the time...

... but if you know about all of this stuff (like acting and special effects and stuff), it's a really funny movie to watch. Especially at 1:30 in the morning.

Really Bad.......2005-05-26

I watched about ten minutes of this before I had to turn it off. I agree with the other reviewers that the acting does suck. In fact, it's so bad that it was like the actors were actually trying to do such a terrible job. I've seen better acting on an episode of Sesame Street.

The main characters are two high school seniors, I think. They both look about thirty. At first glance, I was hoping this would be one of those underground gems that simply didn't get much publicity like "Ginger Snaps".

Yeah, don't buy this. Don't even rent it. Go buy yourself a candy bar with that money instead. Or rent "Ginger Snaps", which is far superior.

like a broken record...........2004-07-02

this type of plot has been done over..and over..and over again! the gun shot effects in the beginning are cheesy enough to turn you away yet i kept watching it, its a low budget film. And i have nothing wrong with that, but the plot was so over done and the acting was close to horrible. i'm only 15 and i could have acted WAY better than they did! And the sex scenes were so un nessisary and overdone. it seems they only had those in there to attract stupid horny guys...and its STEAL cheesy...i dont know WHERE these places get their actors but damn..i know ppl that could of have put more heart into it, atleast make up for its cheesyness..that aspect is just...sad...ya x_x!

Good flick but horrible ending........2004-06-05

This is a low-budget, direct-to-video horror movie but still a very good one nonetheless. It is about a witch who turns 18, discovers she was a witch since birth by meeting a warlock where she is given an amulet. She uses the amulet to increase her physical powers & get revenge on people who've been mean to her in the past. Her little sister gets sick & possesed by evil spirits so she & the warlock team up to fight the evil together.
The movie's camerawork is great, the special effects are pretty good, the acting is good most of the times, the music is also good for this flick.
The ending where the battle the evil seems more like a Power Rangers show than what you'd want to see in a movie. It seems too forced & staged to be taken seriously.
Natalie Sutherland is Rebecca, the 18-yo. with the amulet, she's the best-looking of the 3 & also has the most uneven moments, especially when she first uses the amulet to exact some revenge. Danny Wolske is Roman the warlock, he's good-looking but nothing like the other 2 lead women in the flick. Laura Nativo is Erin, Rebecca's little sister, she does the best acting job of the 3.
I only found out about this by digging around in the bargain at my place looking for some cool titles & got this one.

Average customer rating:

Shadow Hunters
Starring: David Simmons , Ted Taylor , Liam Smith , and Rebecca Taylor
Director: John Johnson
Manufacturer: Razor Digital Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BITVFG
Release Date: 2005-11-15

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