The 11th Annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas starts this Thursday and lasts all week.  There will be a lot of good films this year and I will be there, press badge in hand, to watch them and review them.  Can I view them all?  We shall see.

Here is a trailer that showcases a few seconds from each film at this years festival.

So which films am I most looking forward to?  Well honestly, everything looks great this year, but if I’d have to choose…. my top ten anticipated films of the festival, in no specific order, are;

PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY

Directed by Takashi Miike and based on a popular video game series this movie looks like it will bring the laughs and the strange charm most Miike films have.

DRAGON (WU XIA)

This movie stars Donnie Yen.  Do I really need to say anything else?

HEADSHOT

A movie about a cop turned hitman who takes a bullet to the head and views the world upside-down.

LET’S GO

Okay, so I honestly I have no idea what’s going on in this trailer, but it looks sweet.

THE GREAT MAGICIAN

“Derek Yee’s THE GREAT MAGICIAN offers up a similar throwback to grand and elaborate tales of mystery and drama.  The new film, which matches warlords, revolutionaries and businessmen against a mysterious magician with a secret agenda, results in trickery, humor, action and the return to AFFD screens of the great Tony Leung.” – AFFD’S Website

GUNS AND ROSES

A Chinese heist film.  Hellllllllllllllllll yes.

SCABBARD SAMURAI (SAYA-ZAMURAI)

An old, forsaken samurai must make a little girl laugh within 30 days or he shall be executed.  This premise sounds like it will lend itself to a great movie in my opinion.

I AM A GHOST

Considering the trailer for this made me jump half way out of my chair, I am hoping the movie will scare the hell out of me too.

DEATH OF A CEMETERY

A documentary about a whole community living in a cemetery in the Philipines and the political, health, and liberal issues brought up by it.

DOOMSDAY BOOK

This is really three films in one dealing with the end of the world in very creative ways ranging from a piece of trash causing a zombie outbreak, a robot that gains self-awareness, and a girl who possibly destroys earth through an act of kindness.  And one of the directors is Kim Ji-Woon, director of I Saw The Devil (One of my favorite films), so you know I am gonna be all over this movie.

If you would like to see the full schedule for the Asian Film Festival of Dallas head over to this link HERE.  It will be at the Magnolia Theatre near West Village in Dallas, Texas.  If you are in the area come see a great movie!!