Author Archives: JJ Bona

U.S. Trailer for Mike Tyson’s Expendables-esque ‘Desert Strike’

"Pharaoh's War" Theatrical Poster

Early next year, ITN Distribution is releasing the Egyptian-made, Expendables-esque Desert Strike (aka Pharaoh’s War or Hamlet Pheroun) to U.S. audiences. Desert Strike features Mike Tyson (Ip Man 3), Game of Thrones star/pro strongman Hafthor Bjornssen (Kickboxer: Retaliation) and Egyptian pro bodybuilder Big Ramy, appearing alongside local stars Amr Saad, recording artist Rouby and Mohamed Lotfy. An ex-military man, Rick (Tyson), with a mysterious past leads and protects a group of Egyptian refugees … Continue reading

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Runaway Train | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

Runaway Train | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021 On March 16, 2021, Kino Lorber is releasing the Blu-ray for Andrey Konchalovskiy’s 1985 thriller, Runaway Train. The film stars Jon Voight , Eric Roberts (Best of the Best), Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle), Kyle T. Heffner (Flashdance), John P. Ryan (The Delta Force 2) and is based on an original story by Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai) Tearing up the tracks at 100 … Continue reading

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Watch Silver Harvest Films’ Shaw Brothers-esque throwback ‘Battle of Brothers’

If you enjoyed the recently released Dragon of the Law and Tiger Cop: Toilet Paper Hero and still want more of that “old school Hong Kong action” nostalgia, then you don’t want to miss Battle of Brothers, a new Shaw Brothers-esque action short from the independent creatives at Sydney Australia’s Silver Harvest films. Battle of Brothers is written and directed by David Vuong, produced by Therese Chen (who also handles cinematography … Continue reading

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Skylines | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

Skylines | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2021 On January 12, 2021, the third film in Brothers Strause’ Skyline saga, titled Skylines, will be released on Blu-ray & DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The XYZ Films production will take place after the events of 2017’s Beyond Skyline, which revolved around a detective (played by Captain America: Civil War’s Frank Grillo) embarking on a relentless pursuit to free his son from an alien warship with the help of The Raid … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles, News |

Here’s what’s streaming on Hi-YAH! for the month of December

Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Release line up for the month of December, which includes a New film added to Hi-YAH! every Friday! Some of the highlights includes two HK crime classics, Johnnie To’s PTU and Ringo Lam’s Full Alert – and a whole lot of Donnie Yen! Continue reading for the full list

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Oscar Isaac to star in Sony’s Live-action adaptation of ‘Metal Gear Solid’ for ‘Kong: Skull Island’ director Jordan Vogt-Roberts

"Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" Poster

Sony Entertainment has reportedly enlisted Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, A Most Violent Year) to star in Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ (Kong: Skull Island) live-action adaptation of Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid. In the film, Isaac will take on the role of the iconic video game character Solid Snake, a highly skilled special operations soldier whose speciality is destroying models of the bipedal nuclear weapon-armed mecha known as Metal Gear. The script … Continue reading

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Fasten your seatbelt for Dante Lam and Eddie Peng’s big budget, CGI-induced thriller ‘The Rescue’

On December 18, 2020, CMC Pictures is finally releasing The Rescue (aka Emergency Rescue) to U.S. theaters. This big budget thriller is directed by noted Hong Kong action director Dante Lam (Operation Red Sea). In the film, a rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis. The Rescue (read our review) reunites Lam with his To the Fore, Unbeatable and Operation Mekong star, Eddie Peng (Call of … Continue reading

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Deng Chao and Wu Jing to face off in ‘Ping-pong of China’?

"Ping-pong of China" Teaser Poster

Actor/filmmaker Deng Chao – who is perhaps best known for his roles in Shadow, The Mermaid and Assembly – will direct and star in Ping-Pong of China, an upcoming sports drama that will also star Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2, SPL II: A Time for Consequences). According to AFS, the movie will center on the Chinese national ping-pong team’s victory in 1995. Here’s hoping Ping-Pong of China will be as fun … Continue reading

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Versus + Ultimate Versus: 2-Disc Special Edition | Blu-ray (Arrow Video)

RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2020 On December 8, 2020, Arrow Video is releasing a 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray for Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus, which will include the original 2000 and expanded 2004 Ultimate Versus iterations, in a brand new, director-approved restoration. Read the official details below: A relentless one-of-a-kind sensory assault chock full of hyper-kinetic fight scenes, gangster shootouts, sword-slashing violence and gory zombie horror, Versus was a key title amongst the … Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles, News |

Netflix to release Takeshi Kitano biopic ‘Asakusa Kid’ in 2021

Director/actor/comedian Gekidan Hitori (A Bolt from the Blue) is set to direct and write Asakusa Kid, an upcoming biopic that follows the early years of the legendary, multi-talented Japanese celebrity Takeshi Kitano (Outrage Coda, Battle Royale, Hana-Bi). Asakusa Kid will star Yagira Yuya (Gintama) as Kitano. Also starring is Oizumi Yo (I Am a Hero), who will play Fukami Senzaburo, a comedian who is also known as Kitano’s mentor. The film will … Continue reading

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Max Cloud | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: January 19, 2021 Martial arts star Scott Adkins (Ip Man 4, Seized, The Debt Collector, Incoming) is taking a second trip to space in Well Go USA’s Max Cloud (aka The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud) a sci-fi actioner that hits VOD on December 18, 2020, then arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on January 19, 2021. Directed by Martin Owens (Let’s Be Evil) and written by Sally Collet (Twist), Max Cloud centers on Sarah, … Continue reading

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Wu Jing may yet again go balls deep into sci-fi territory with ‘Ball Lightning’ from ‘The Wandering Earth’ author

"The Wandering Earth" Teaser Poster

Another live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s (writer of The Wandering Earth) sci-fi novel, titled Ball Lightning, is currently in-the-works from actor/writer/director Chen Sicheng, who is perhaps best known for the Detective Chinatown franchise. The novel follows the experiences of a first-person protagonist, Chen, whose family was killed by a ball lightning while he was in high school. Both traumatized and inspired by that experience, he makes the investigation of ball lightning his … Continue reading

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The ‘Storm’ stops for director David Lam with ‘The Tipping Point’

"The Tipping Point" Teaser Poster

Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker David Lam (Street Angels) is finally putting a cork on his ever-growing crime franchise (2014’s Z-Storm, 2016’s S-Storm, 2018’s L-Storm, 2019’s P-Storm and this year’s G-Storm – all of which were produced consecutively) with The Tipping Point. As you probably would have guessed, its plot bracket is within the crime/thriller territory. The upcoming film will star Qin Hailu (Tale of Three Cities), Julian Cheung (Extreme Crisis), Eric Tsang (Golden Job), Ray … Continue reading

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The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone | Blu-ray (Paramount)

RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2020 On December 8, 2020, Paramount Home Media will release the Blu-ray for Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The film is described as a re-working of The Godfather III, that has been re-edited with new scenes and re-arranged music cues. Read the official details below: Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is an acknowledgement of Mario’s and my … Continue reading

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Tony Leung Chiu-wai and former James Bond girl Olga Kurylenko go on a ‘Fox Hunt’ in this New Trailer

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Bullet in the Head, Europe Raiders) and French actress/model Olga Kurylenko (former Bond girl from Quantum of Solace) are teaming up for Fox Hunt (aka The Hunting), an upcoming spy-thriller from director Leo Zhang, who is perhaps best-known for helming the 2017 Jackie Chan flick, Bleeding Steel. Fox Hunt takes place in Paris and follows a pair of cops going up against an international money trafficking … Continue reading

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