"No Man's Land" Chinese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Directed by Ning Hao (Crazy Racer), No Man’s Land (aka Western Sunshine) is about a young lawyer from the city who travels to the Gobi desert where he embarks on a series of adventures and challenges. No Man’s Land stars Huang Bo (Police Story 2013), Yu Nan (The Expendables 2), Xu Zheng (Lost in Thailand), Wang Shuangbao (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate), Ba Duo (Midnight Beating) and Yang Xinming (Book). The film will be released domestically on December 3, 2013.

Updates: Teaser trailer. | According to Film Combat Syndicate, although the film wrapped in 2010, its release was haulted because the ARFT’s own Zhao Baohua described the film as “trash,” “depraved,” “gratuitous” and “out of touch with reality.” In addition to Baohua deeming the film as reflective of Ning’s narcissism in abandoning his responsibility as an artist.

BREAKING NEWS: Watch the latest trailer, which was released last week. Although the film doesn’t seem to take place in the post-apocalyptic future, I definitely see some Mad Max inspiration.

Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey & Pursuit of the Dragon | DVD (MVD Entertainment)

If you’re a die hard Bruce Lee fanatic and you’re sick and tired of all the countless Bruce Lee documentaries that contain the same footage, usual interview clips and a bunch of other “talking heads,” then In Pursuit of the Dragon is a film you don’t want to miss. It may not have any new or rare visuals of Bruce, but it does contain fascinating content that most fans will find both unique and educational.

We rarely provide screen shots for films we review, but for In Pursuit of the Dragon, visuals were an absolute must.

To read our review, click here.

"The Raid 2: Berandal" Teaser Poster

The highly anticipated sequel to The Raid: Redemption made waves online when it was announced that three high-profile Japanese actors – Ryuhei Matsuda (Nightmare Detective), Kenichi Endo (Visitor Q), and Kazuki Kitamura (Azumi) – would be joining the cast. It’s clear that the scope of The Raid 2: Berandal has widened beyond the claustrophobic confines of the first film to encompass an entire gang war on the streets of Jakarta. It only makes sense that the Yakuza should get in on the action!

Much in the same way that The Raid 2 has gone global, so far has the English football scene. The English Premier League is the richest football league in the world – and it’s also by far the most international. This is perhaps why there is so much interest in the Premier League in Asia – and particularly so in the performance of Asian players.

Of course, betting on football in England and other countries is also an enormous industry in Asia and every game really comes under the spotlight. In particular, the performances of Man United’s Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa have come in for an enormous amount of scrutiny since the 24 year-old signed him from Borussia Dortmund in July 2012.

Kagawa played 20 times for Manchester United during last year’s title-winning season under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. But since Ferguson stepped down and David Moyes took over at the Old Trafford helm in time for the new season, Kagawa has struggled to make the first team line-up on a regular basis.

Manchester United are around 9/2 to retain their title with Betfair, the world’s largest betting exchange which is proving so popular in South East Asia. And whenever Kagawa plays – there is a huge upsurge of interest.

And there are signs that the Japanese midfielder is beginning to get a real toe-hold. He has put in a few excellent performances of late playing in behind Rooney and Van Persie. Kagawa is undoubtedly a raw talent but he will need games to develop and to prove his ability under the new system under Moyes. Whether he will be able to get that experience, though, is quite another matter.

But it’s not only crucial for Kagawa himself that he does play – it’s also essential for the development of Asian footballers at the highest level. Japan is the world’s third-largest economy with a population of 120 million. If a player from Japan can star at the top level in the world’s most competitive league – then it will work wonders for South East Asian player development and interest in the game in general – and 10 or 20 years from now, we could see the Premier League with scores of top level players. Then again – things could go the other way; so there’s a heck of a lot riding on this!

"Cold Eyes" Korean Theatrical Poster

Currently breaking box office records in South Korea is Cold Eyes, a crime-thriller directed by Jo Eui-seok (World of Silence) and Kim Byeong-seo (cinematographer of Dangerous Liaisons).

Han Hyo Joo (Masquerade) and Seol Kyeong-gu (The Tower) are two special crime unit cops who team up to track down a leader of a criminal organization, played by Jeong Woo-seong (The Good, The Bad and the Weird), in his first role as a bad guy.

Cold Eyes is the latest example of a Korean film that stands toe-to-toe with the best of any Hollywood crime flick. Watch the trailer.

Updates: DDDHouse has the Region A Blu-ray for sale.

"Caught in the Web" Promotional Poster

Back in the 90’s, Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige made a name for himself with lush period dramas such as the Palme d’Or-winning Farewell My Concubine and 1999’s The Emperor and the Assassin. After more recently taking a stab at the wuxia genre with The Promise and Sacrifice, the filmmaker is turning his lens on modern Chinese society. His new media-centric thriller Caught in the Web takes a look at how the internet is used to expose – and often publicly humiliate – those who break social taboos in China.

The 2012 film is finally making its way stateside with an official North American theatrical release. Asian film fans can expect Caught in the Web to land in limited release this November 27th, 2013. In the meantime, a North American trailer is now online for your viewing pleasure.

"Rounders" Japanese Theatrical Poster

If you have a hobby that you’re passionate about, it can be good to watch a movie that focuses on the same interest. There’s a great film out there for all poker players that, even though it wasn’t a massive box office hit when it was released in 1998, has now gained something of a cult status amongst poker aficionados. The film is Rounders, starring Matt Damon, Ed Norton and John Malkovich, and it’s all about the world of underground poker.

Today, if you like playing poker, you can play whenever you want online – with no need to join illegal and risky games like those featured in Rounders. The introduction of online gaming into the world of gamers and the sheer diversity available online nullified many of the risk associated with gambling. Big multi-million dollar online casinos such as BGO, 32Red and 888 are offering many promotions and options from the safety of one’s home. Table poker and video poker features in the selection casino games at bgo and other online sites and there are lots of different poker varieties to choose from there. But in the world of Rounders, poker was a game played illegally and underground.

The film begins with Damon’s character Mike McDermott, a poker playing law student, losing his $30,000 bankroll to a Russian gangster called Teddy KGB (Malkovich). Rounding is when you move from city to city, playing illegal, high stakes poker games. As McDermott’s finances are wiped out by this loss, he promises his girlfriend he will quit poker and concentrate on his studies instead.

The plan changes, though, when McDermott’s childhood friend Lester ‘Worm’ Murphy (Norton) gets released from prison but only has five days to clear debts and wants McDermott to team up with him using ‘rounding’ as a way of getting the money together. McDermott agrees to help, but insists on not cheating, as Worm wants to do. Just as they almost reach the target amount, Worm is caught cheating (even though he agreed he would play straight) and does a runner, leaving his mate to deal with the consequences.

Of course, it turns out that the person Worm (and now McDermott) owes the money to is Teddy KGB, so McDermott again faces him in a showdown game of Texas Hold’em. This time he wins, not only paying off Worm’s debt but also getting back the original $30,000 that he lost. The film ends with McDermott leaving university and his girlfriend and heading off to the World Series of Poker main event in Vegas.

This leaves a perfect opening for a sequel and it’s been on the cards (excuse the pun!) for a while. Originally set for release in 2012, and then postponed to 2014, it seems that the project has been put on hold due to the fact that Miramax doesn’t think it will do well at the box office. Both Damon and Norton have been said to be keen to take part in a sequel, but it’s one of those where we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Until then, here’s the original trailer for the original Rounders.

"Vendetta" Theatrical Poster

There’s some serious buzz surrounding Stephen Reynolds’ upcoming feature simply titled Vendetta. This gritty UK action flick has been called “Death Wish for 2013″ (Loaded Magazine) and “A Brit answer to First Blood” (Total Film). I don’t know about you guys, but these bold quotes alone make me want to watch it right now.

Here’s the official brief plot: Special ops interrogation officer Jimmy Vickers (Danny Dyer) tracks down a gang who slaughtered his parents. With police closing in and his old unit on his trail, he has to to evade capture long enough to complete his gruesome crusade.

Vendetta also stars Vincent Regan, Nick Nevern, Bruce Payne, Josef Altin and Tony Denham. Anchor Bay’s UK Blu-ray has a December 31, 2013 street date, so a North American release should be just around the corner. Until then, check out the trailer at Film Combat Syndicate.

"Kick Ass Girls" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Our friends from Film Combat Syndicate have the scoop about a new martial arts-comedy called Kick Ass Girls, directed by newcomer Cheuk Wan Chi. We feel the title is a bit misleading, because the film looks extremely light hearted and goofy, even for a “martial arts-comedy.”

Here’s the official synopsis: Bao co-founds a boxing gym with her intimate friend TT. But their friendship is broken over a boyfriend. Bao invites Miu to be the real precedent of “Girl Boxing Company”. They intend to attract male customers with their beauty. TT with grudge comes back and makes trouble. Meanwhile, the mystery Lady Zhuge is looking for female bodyguards for her business trip in Malaysia. Three girls decide to protect her for the generous rewards. Beyond their expectations, they are sold by human traffickers and forced to participate in the underground boxing games held by a local gang.

Kick Ass Girls stars Chrissie Chau (Men Suddenly in Love), Hidy Yu and Dada Lo (Bruce Lee, My Brother). So, a bunch of attractive girls kicking ass (kinda)… what’s not to love? Watch the trailer and see for yourself.

Updates: New trailer has been released. – Thanks to Film Combat Syndicate for the heads up!

"Grudge Match" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout — 50 years after their last match. Rocky’s Sylvester Stallone and Raging Bull’s Robert De Niro star in Grudge Match, an action-comedy directed by Peter Segal (Get Smart) and written by Entourage creator Doug Ellin and

With Stallone, 65, and De Niro, 68, Grudge Match will be interesting. Does this mean De Niro is going back to the gym? Remember how cut he was in 1991’s Cape Fear? Sure, it was 21 years ago, but with the right trainer, we all know the wonder capable of anything. Rocky Balboa vs. Raging Bull… how cool is that?

Updates: In semi-related news, MGM is taking action against the upcoming Raging Bull II, based on the novel of the same name by Jake LaMotta. MGM claims that LaMotta has a contractual obligation that gives MGM rights to make a film based on his book.

The currently in-production unofficial sequel to Raging Bull, which has William Forsythe playing the aging LaMotta (Mojean Aria plays him as a younger man) is directed by Martin Guigui (Benny Bliss and the Disciples of Greatness). The film also stars Cloris Leachman, Penelope Ann Miller, Joe Mantagne, Tom Sizemore and Paul Sorvino. The director and star of the original film, Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, are not involved in the sequel in any way, shape or form.

Look for Grudge Match in theaters on November 15, 2013. | Check out the first ‘behind the scenes’ photo of De Niro and Stallone in boxing gear. | The Playlist has a handful of new photos. | Watch the first trailer. Also, Grudge Match now has a Christmas Day release. | First poster. | Second poster is now available. | De Niro, Stallone, Hart and Arkin character posters.

BREAKING NEWS: Watch the newest trailer!