 | Catacombs
Another suspense-horror feature to miss out on a US theatrical release, Catacombs is set under the streets of Paris, where a labyrinth of tunnels hosting a dance party turns into a claustrophobic nightmare for an American woman seemingly pursued by a killer. "Inspired by true events," whatever they were, it co-stars the singer Pink in a largely no-name cast. A surprise ending divided viewers, but most would seem to agree that if you really want to see a young-women-in-subterranean-peril movie, stay at home and rent The Descent. |
 | The Killer Snake
Properly known as Alien Incursion, this made-for-DVD horror flick is a hybrid retread of the human body as chest-bursting incubator from Alien and the rival hunter element from Critters, all set in a forest. Director Jeffery Scott Lando's first film was Savage Island, a 2003 action-horror effort that had some decent reviews despite a paltry budget. This, his third feature, seems to be gamely keeping up that momentum. Note: The deadly aliens start out small and snake-like but end up looking like mutant geckos with horns. Oddly, the English title appears to be exclusive to Taiwan. It's showing at - where else? - the Caesar grindhouse in Ximending. |
 | End of the Spear
In the words of Bullwinkle J. Moose, "This time for sure!" End of the Spear was set for release twice and twice pulled at the last minute. This time it really is showing - at the Scholar theater complex, to be exact. If you're interested in tales of religious conversion set amid deadly conflict in South America that barrack for the missionaries, then this saga might be for you. |
In the March 9 edition of the Taipei Times a piece by Ninon Godefroy ran with the headine “The quiet, gentle rhythm of Taiwan.” It started with the line “Taiwan is a small, humble place. There is no Eiffel Tower, no pyramids — no singular attraction that draws the world’s attention.” I laughed out loud at that. This was out of no disrespect for the author or the piece, which made some interesting analogies and good points about how both Din Tai Fung’s and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) meticulous attention to detail and quality are not quite up to
April 21 to April 27 Hsieh Er’s (謝娥) political fortunes were rising fast after she got out of jail and joined the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in December 1945. Not only did she hold key positions in various committees, she was elected the only woman on the Taipei City Council and headed to Nanjing in 1946 as the sole Taiwanese female representative to the National Constituent Assembly. With the support of first lady Soong May-ling (宋美齡), she started the Taipei Women’s Association and Taiwan Provincial Women’s Association, where she
It is one of the more remarkable facts of Taiwan history that it was never occupied or claimed by any of the numerous kingdoms of southern China — Han or otherwise — that lay just across the water from it. None of their brilliant ministers ever discovered that Taiwan was a “core interest” of the state whose annexation was “inevitable.” As Paul Kua notes in an excellent monograph laying out how the Portuguese gave Taiwan the name “Formosa,” the first Europeans to express an interest in occupying Taiwan were the Spanish. Tonio Andrade in his seminal work, How Taiwan Became Chinese,
Mongolian influencer Anudari Daarya looks effortlessly glamorous and carefree in her social media posts — but the classically trained pianist’s road to acceptance as a transgender artist has been anything but easy. She is one of a growing number of Mongolian LGBTQ youth challenging stereotypes and fighting for acceptance through media representation in the socially conservative country. LGBTQ Mongolians often hide their identities from their employers and colleagues for fear of discrimination, with a survey by the non-profit LGBT Centre Mongolia showing that only 20 percent of people felt comfortable coming out at work. Daarya, 25, said she has faced discrimination since she
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