Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Watch: Tony Zhou Tackles Jackie Chan's Action Comedy

I am ashamed that this is my very first post about Tony Zhou's now infamous film channel Every Frame a Painting, which showcases a plethora of incredibly thorough and informative video essays dedicated to the analysis of film form that has focused on various topics ranging from Edgar Wright's Visual Comedy to A Brief Look at Texting and the Internet on Film. I suggest future film majors to quit school and just watch more of Zhou's videos if they truly want to be educated on film because once you watch one of his videos, it'll radically change how you consume and analyze film. Yeah, it's THAT great. It's the combination of his smooth and zen-like voice and the acutely edited video that provides a concise, contemplative, and detailed assessment on the film or filmmaker at hand.

Zhou's newest video tackles Jackie Chan's distinct acrobatic fighting style and how he managed to blend action and comedy, two seemingly incompatible genres, to reinvent a new form of filmmaking. I grew up watching everything Jackie Chan did from The Legend of Drunken Master to all the Rush Hour films to even the animated series, Jackie Chan Adventures. So, just when I thought I had known basically everything I needed to know about Chan's signature fighting style, Zhou swoops in and serves me a sweet dish of knowledge and wisdom. Zhou is quickly becoming one of the best film essayist out there, joining the ranks of Kevin B. Lee and Kogonada, who has already been widely praised by critics and fans alike for their immaculate and pensive take on various auteur's visual style. Definitely check out Zhou's video down below, you won't be disappointed.

Follow Tony Zhou
YouTube // Vimeo // Twitter // Tumblr