Virtual Recall (2010) Review

"Virtual Recall" Theatrical Poster

“Virtual Recall” Theatrical Poster

Director: Larry Cheung
Cast: Stephen Fung, Cherrie Ying Choi Yi, Tang Yi Fei, Samuel Pang King Chi, Sammul Chan Kin Fung, Lemon Zhang Meng, Mandy Chiang Nga Man, Simon Lui Yue Yeung, Astrid Chan Chi Ching, Tin Kai Man, Li Hui
Running Time: 95 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Back in the late 2000’s it kind of felt like director Roy Chow’s 2009 production Murderer placed an exclamation mark on the Hong Kong cinematic output of the decade. The Aaron Kwok starring murder mystery is best remembered for its oblivious descent into levels of ridiculousness and absurdity that audiences (and likely a few filmmakers as well) weren’t even aware existed until that point. I bring up Murderer, because I have a theory that the then long-retired director Larry Cheung was one of those filmmakers, and it woke something inside him that said – “You have a Murderer inside you too, let it out!”

The result was 2010’s Virtual Recall, which saw Cheung return to the directors chair for only the third time in his career, with the previous time being for 1993’s entertainingly unhinged wuxia The Sword Stained with Royal Blood. Here Cheung does away with the period setting, instead choosing contemporary Hong Kong for a tale of parallel universes and characters floating through space in bubbles. The moment the opening credits appear onscreen, which look like they’re based on a late night 1980’s infomercial, there’s already a sense that the next 90 minutes are going Continue reading

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Superhero flick the Takashi Miike way! Media Blasters Blu-ray for ‘Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack’ arriving in June 🦓

Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

On June 11, 2024, Media Blasters is releasing the Blu-ray set for Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack, from cult director Takashi Miike (First Love, Blade of the Immortal). The set contains 2004’s Zebraman and 2010’s Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City.

Zebraman – It’s 2010 and Shinichi (Sho Aikawa, Rainy Dog) is a down-trodden third-grade teacher who gets little respect from his own family let alone from his wise-ass students. Back in 1978 he became obsessed with a TV superhero named Zebraman, a show that was cancelled after only a few episodes. Since the Zebraman show was set in 2010, Shinichi decides the time is right to make a crude Zebraman costume and slink around the city at night to fulfill his childhood fantasy. His seemingly harmless escapism takes Continue reading

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It’s ON! Hong Kong stars Andy On and Waise Lee collide in ‘Blind War’ arriving on Blu-ray in June from Well Go USA

Blind War | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Blind War | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

On June 11, 2024, Well Go USA will be releasing the Blu-ray and DVD for Blind War (read our review), a 2022 martial arts actioner headlined by Hong Kong action stars Andy On (Kung Fu League, Undercover Punch and Gun) and Waise Lee (To Be Number One, The Big Heat).

Directed by Suiqiang Huo (The Nine Talisman Tower), Blind War tells the story of the former SWAT captain Dong Gu, permanently injured during a failed mission for which he took responsibility. After gradually getting out of the haze, his old enemy reappeared and threatens his daughter.

The film also stars Jane Wu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) and Vincent Matile (The Eight Hundred).

If you haven’t already, don’t Continue reading

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Who’s ready to rock? Rothrock, that is! ‘China O’Brien’ Parts 1 and 2 hits 4K UHD and Blu-ray next week from Eureka

China O’Brien 1 & 2 | 4K UHD (Eureka)

China O’Brien 1 & 2 | 4K UHD (Eureka)

Releasing next week is Eureka’s 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray (Region B) for 1990’s China O’Brien and 1991’s China O’Brien, two Golden Harvest cult martial arts classics starring the one, the only Cynthia Rothrock (Manhattan Chase, Blonde Fury).

The inimitable martial arts superstar Cynthia Rothrock stars in two of the most gloriously entertaining films of her career!

In China O’Brien, city cop and formidable martial artist Lori “China” O’Brien (Rothrock) is forced to resign from the force and return home to a small Utah town after her involvement in an accidental death. But upon arrival in Beaver Creek, she finds that her lawman father – Sheriff John O’Brien (David Blackwell) – is desperately trying to bring down local crime boss Edwin Continue reading

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Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka Entertainment

Black Mask | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Black Mask | Blu-ray (Eureka)

On April 22, 2024, Eureka will be releasing a Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Black Mask, 1996 sci fi actioner directed by Daniel Lee (Code of the Assassins, Dragon Blade) that stars Jet Li (League of Gods, Last Hero in China).

Jet Li stars in an action-packed superhero spectacle produced by the legendary Tsui Hark!

Tsui Chik (Li) is a librarian who leads a quiet, unassuming life – or, at least, that’s what he wants people to believe. In truth, he was once a member of the 701 Squad, a group of elite combatants produced by a failed super-soldier project. In kind with his former comrades, his central nervous system has been altered to render him impervious to pain. When several of his fellow test subjects resurface and embark on a crimewave under the leadership Continue reading

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Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 | aka Digital Warriors (2000) Review

"Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2" Theatrical Poster

“Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2” Filipino Poster

AKA: Digital Warriors 
Director: Philip Ko Fei
Cast: Darren Shahlavi, Lee Kwang-su, Yukari Oshima, Zoren Legaspi, Jimmy Ko, Man-Kei Lin, James Jim-Si Ha, Philip Ko Fei, Winston Ellis, Thorsten Nickel
Running Time: 93 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Let’s address the elephant in the room – I’m convinced nobody was clamouring for a sequel to the 1997 sci-fi action mashup Techno Warriors. Philip Ko Fei’s incomprehensible Philippines shot action flick gave us a dystopian future (set in 2020!), where a villain called the Black Ninja escapes from the Cyber World into the real world, and cops from both worlds team up to stand a chance of taking him down. What Techno Warriors lacked in narrative cohesion it did make up for in its energetic pacing and high kicking action sequences, so much of which were shot Ko Fei decided to make a follow-up, ensuring the scenes that were left on the cutting room floor didn’t go to waste. The result would come 3 years later in the form of Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 (or as it was released in some territories, Digital Warriors).

In my review for Techno Warriors I complained that “Explaining the plot…could easily be described as headache inducing”, however compared to Lethal Combat I can safely take that back, as almost nothing make sense from the first scene. Essentially a thematic sequel rather than a direct continuation (even though characters names remain the same, and scenes from Techno Warriors are frequently shown in flashback, albeit in a different context to how they first appeared!), Lethal Combat opens with returning cops Darren Shahlavi and Lee Kwang-su. Neither Tamara Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! The Foreigner | Blu-ray | Only $9.98 – Expires soon!

The Foreigner | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

The Foreigner | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for The Foreigner (read our review), starring Jackie Chan (Bleeding Steel).

Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan star in The Foreigner , a timely action thriller from director Martin Campbell of Casino Royale and Goldeneye.

Chan stars as humble London businessman Quan, whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love — his teenage daughter — is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan is forced into a cat- and-mouse conflict with a British government official (Pierce Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues Continue reading

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John Travolta and Nicolas Cage to return for a sequel to John Woo’s ‘Face/Off’?

"Face/Off" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Face/Off” Japanese Theatrical Poster

It was originally planned as as reboot, but now a sequel to John Woo’s 1997 actioner Face/Off is currently in-development from Paramount Pictures.

The original film centered on an FBI agent (John Travolta) who undergoes a facial transplant surgery to take on the physical appearance of a terrorist (Nicolas Cage). According to CBR, there are some solid rumors within the industry that Travolta and Cage will be returning, as their respective characters, for the sequel.

Adam Wingard – of Death Note, The Guest and You’re Next – is attached to direct, with his frequent collaborator, Simon Barrett, to write. The film will be produced Continue reading

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Acclaimed ‘Versus’ filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura is getting into the amusement park business with ‘Thrill Ride’

"Versus" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Versus” Korean Theatrical Poster

Action filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Doorman, Downrange) will be directing Thrill Ride, an upcoming rollercoaster thriller from writers Chad Law and Christopher Jolley, who previously worked with Kitamura on Lights Out and Remember Be, respectively

The English-language film – spearheaded by Film Bridge International – will tell the story of a group of people, including two young women, who are trapped upside down on a roller coaster taken over by a mysterious saboteur threatening to drop them all one-by-one to their deaths (via Deadline).

The same source adds: “As a hardcore rollercoaster fan since I was young, I immediately fell in love with this script filled with suspense, action, crazy ups and downs, turns, loops, and corkscrews at maximum Continue reading

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Lama Avenger, The | aka The Three Avengers (1979) Review

"The Lama Avenger" Theatrical Poster

“The Lama Avenger” Theatrical Poster

Director: Wong Wa-Kei
Cast: Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Chin Yuet Sang, Michael Winston, Chui Fat, Lee Hoi San, Baan Yun Sang, Ching Chu, Sham Chin Bo, Austin Wai 
Running Time: 85 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Looking back at the careers of the Bruceploitation genres big three – Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee – eventually all of them would step out of the Little Dragon’s shadow, admirably pushing for their own onscreen identities to come to the fore. However it was Bruce Li who took the initiative first, and understandably so, since he holds the record for how many times he’d portray Bruce Lee onscreen in numerous biopics of varying quality (if you’re wondering, the one worth tracking down is 1976’s Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth). By the late 70’s Li had seemingly had enough of the Bruce Lee association, and started appearing in productions billed using his actual name of Ho Chung Tao, headlining a number of gritty contemporary kung-fu flicks (and even venturing into some Jackiesploitation territory with the Drunken Master inspired Blind Fist of Bruce).

The evolution of Chung Tao as a kung-fu leading man is one of determination and learning on the fly. The difference from the stiff and uninspired performance he’d clock in for his debut lead role in 1974’s Super Dragon (unsurprisingly playing Bruce Lee, in what many consider to be the first Bruceploitation movie), to 5 years later when he’d transformed into a performer who fully understood how to convey power and intensity onscreen, is like night and day. Chung Tao would headline Continue reading

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Sam Seed-ploitation? Watch the Trailer for Terror Vision’s ‘An Old Kung Fu Master’ arriving on Blu-ray in May

An Old Kung Fu Master | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)

An Old Kung Fu Master | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)

Next month, Terror Vision is releasing the Blu-ray for 1981’s An Old Kung Fu Master. This kung fu classic is directed by Cheng-Liang Kwan (Showdown at the Equator) and stars Simon Yuen Siu-Tin (Drunken Master), Charles Heung (Deadly Kung Fu Factor) and Cecilia Wong (Stranger from Shaolin).

Official details:

From actor/director Cheng-Liang Kwan (The Eight Robbers) comes An Old Kung Fu Master! A drunken master takes on some new disciples from a Kung-Fu school and he teaches them his secret styles of martial arts to take on a greedy warlord that is trying to take over the Continue reading

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Quentin Tarantino has dropped his 10th and final project: does this mean a ‘Kill Bill Vol. 3’ is back on the table?

“Kill Bill Vol. I” Theatrical Poster

“Kill Bill Vol. I” Theatrical Poster

Now that Quentin Tarantino has dropped The Movie Critic as his 10th and final project (he simply changed his mind, Deadline has been told), there’s a chance that a Kill Bill Vol. 3 is still possible. Sure, we’re aiming high here, but in the world of Hollywood, anything can happen.

The 3rd installment of Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga – and even some prequels – have been rumored for years. Tarantino himself mentioned the possibility, stating that Uma Thurman was definitely up for another round as The Bride. According to Thurman, an unfinished script does exist. There was even some talk of it being done entirely in Anime-form.

While promoting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019 (via Josh Horowitz’ HSC Podcast), Tarantino had this to say: “Me and Uma have talked Continue reading

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Lionsgate teams up with Park Chan-wook for an English-language series remake of his 2003 masterpiece ‘Old Boy’

"Oldboy" Theatrical Poster

“Oldboy” Theatrical Poster

Lionsgate Television is teaming up with Park Chan-wook (Thirst, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) for an English-language series adaptation of the director’s own 2003 cult masterpiece, Old Boy, which itself was based on Garon Tsuchiya’s manga of the same name.

The movie followed Oh Deasu (Choi Min-sik), who wakes up only to find himself locked in a room for 15 years, until he finally wakes up in the same place he was abducted from a decade and a half earlier. What follows is a phone call as his first clue as to the identity of his abductor and the reason for his incarceration. In his search for revenge, he falls in love with a younger woman which becomes a key element in his twisted story.

In 2013, Old Boy was the Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Hard Target 2 | Blu-ray | Only $8.95 – Expires soon!

"Hard Target 2" Blu-ray Cover

“Hard Target 2” Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on fire is the Blu-ray for the Jean-Claude Van Damme-less sequel to 1993’s Hard Target.

Disgraced and retired mixed martial artist Wes “The Jailor” Baylor (Scott Adkins) couldn’t refuse the million dollar purse offered to fight in Myanmar. When he arrives to fight, he learns he’s been tricked into becoming the target of a human hunt. Carrying only water and a ruby-filled money belt for the last person standing, Wes must outsmart the heavily armed group who’s paid to kill him. As Wes fights for his life in the treacherous jungle terrain, the hunters become the hunted.

Hard Target 2 also stars Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Rhona Mitra (Shooter), Ann Truong (Sonnigsburg), Temuera Morrison (Green Lantern), Adam Saunders (A Heartbeat Away), Jamie Timony Continue reading

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Veteran HK director Billy Chung is back in action in the Trailer for ‘Operation Black-Ops’ starring Shawn Yue and Celina Jade

"Operation Black-Ops" Theatrical Poster

“Operation Black-Ops” Theatrical Poster

Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Billy Chung Siu Hung (Hong Kong Bronx) returns to the director’s chair for Operation Black-Ops (aka China Top Arms: Mission Top Secret or Alpha Solider).

Chung’s credits include 1993’s The Assassin and 2000’s Undercover Blues (as well co-directing duties on 2009’s To Live and Die in Mongkok and 2016’s From Vegas To Macau 3).

Described as a “military action film” by AFS, the upcoming action-thriller stars Shawn Yue (Mad World, The Brink), Celina Jade (Triple Threat, Wolf Warrior 2), Kelly Yu (Moonfall) and Jiang Luxia (Coweb).

Operation Black-Ops releases domestically on June 15, 2024. Here’s hoping for a U.S. release. Until then, don’t miss the film’s New Continue reading

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