Author Archives: JJ Bona

The Most Influential Asian Movies

Thousands of movies get released every year in Asia, but only a few dozens of them get the popularity and recognition they deserve. Today we look back and honour some of the most influential Asian movies in order to shine a spotlight on the best movies that come from the East. Action Movies: Asian action and crime movies differ from Western-made movies. Asian action movies have a real and gritty … Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! The Adventurers | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for The Adventurers (read our review). The film is a reworking of John Woo’s Once a Thief, the 1991 Hong Kong classic about art thieves, famously played by Chow Yun Fat, Cherie Chung and Leslie Cheung. For the remake, Stephen Fung (Gen-X Cops) is at the helm of an all-star international cast that includes Andy Lau (The Bodyguard), Shu Qi (The Assassin), Tony Yang (Cold War 2), Jean Reno (Leon: … Continue reading

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Hasi Chaolu’s fantasy epic ‘Genghis Khan’ gets a New Poster

There have been countless films made about Mongol leader Genghis Khan (including 2007’s Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea), and now, a heavy CGI take, simply titled Genghis Khan, is on the horizon. This Hasi Chaolu-directed fantasy epic will tell the tale of how Temujin would become the titular fearless leader after his father’s passing and the death of his entire tribe. Genghis Khan is produced by French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud, mostly known for The Name of … Continue reading

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The Debt Collector | DVD (Sony Pictures)

RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2018 On June 5th, Sony Pictures is releasing The Debt Collector (aka The Pay Up) on DVD (read our review). This “buddy pic” actioner teams Scott Adkins (Savage Dog) with filmmaker Jesse V. Johnson (Accident Man) for a 4th time (5th if you count 2005’s Pit Fighter). French (Adkins) is running a martial arts gym – but it hasn’t exactly been paying the bills. To make ends meet, he begins working for the notorious … Continue reading

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Korean revenge thriller ‘Seven Years of Night’ hits the U.S.

From Choo Chang-Min, the director of Masquerade, comes Seven Years of Night (read our review), a new thriller reminiscent Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mister Vengeance and Lee Kyoung-Mi’s The Truth Beneath. Based on a Jung Yoo-jung’s novel of the same name, Seven Years of Night explores the evil in humanity, drawing viewers deep into the emotions of the complicated characters. The film stars Ryoo Seung-Ryong (Roaring Currents), Jang Dong-Gun (No Tears for the Dead), Song Sae-Byeok (Sector 7), Ko … Continue reading

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Once Upon a Time | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018 On May 1, 2018, Well Go USA will be releasing the Blu-ray for Once Upon a Time, a fantasy thriller from Zhao Xiaoding (filmmaker best known for his acclaimed cinematography work for films such as House of Flying Daggers and The Great Wall). Based on the best-selling fantasy novel “To the Sky Kingdom,” Once Upon a Time is a story of epic battles, deep passion, and the powerful forces that drive mortals … Continue reading

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

Ridley Scott to produce Chinese actioner ‘Amman Mission’?

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott (Alien, Black Rain, Blade Runner) is in-talks to produce Amman Mission (or Goodbye, Kuwait in Chinese) for China’s Zhejiang Talent Television and Film Co. According to THR, Amman Mission is an action-thriller based on the evacuation of Chinese nationals in 1990 during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Budgeted at $35 million, the film will be shot in the Chinese regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang, as well as in Kuwait. The same source … Continue reading

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A sequel to Jet Li’s ‘Shaolin Temple’ in the works?

Okay, this is definitely the strangest news to come out of the Filmart 2018 event. Apparently, a sequel to Jet Li’s 1982 debut film, The Shaolin Temple, is in-the-works. As Hong Kong film historian Ricky Baker (of Eastern Heroes) says: “It’s official. The Shaolin Temple sequel NOT starring Jet Li,” followed by a shot of the film’s preliminary poster, which features what appears to be shadowy figure of Li. In other words, don’t get your hopes up … Continue reading

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As the Gods Will | Blu-ray & DVD (Funimation)

RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2018 On June 5, 2018, Funimation will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD combo for As the Gods Will (read our review), directed by the one, the only Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Blade of the Immortal). If you’ve seen the Battle Royale and Hunger Games movies, and you still can’t get enough of teenagers killing one another, then look no further than As the Gods Will (aka As God Says). In … Continue reading

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

Peng Zhang’s fantasy actioner ‘Asura’ gets a New Trailer

This summer will see the release of the fantasy-adventure Asura (not to be confused with the Korean crime film), the directorial debut of noted stunt coordinator Peng Zhang (The Wrath of Vajra, Kick-Ass). The big budget film is said to be the first in a trilogy to be released at a later date. The story is set in Asura, the dimension of pure desire according to ancient Buddhist mythology. The mythical realm is … Continue reading

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Legend of the Mountain | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018 On May 1st, 2018, Kino Lorber will be releasing a 4K restoration Blu-ray of Legend of the Mountain, a 1979 wuxia thriller directed by King Hu (Come Drink with Me, A Touch of Zen). In the film, a travelling scholar, intent on translating a Buddhist sutra, loses his way in the mountains. Time and space collapse around him as he continues his journey, encountering ghostly visitations amid a haunting fantasia of color, … Continue reading

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

‘Beyond Skyline’ helmer to do Silat martial art film ‘Last Savage’

Liam O’Donnell’s Beyond Skyline, the sequel to the Brothers Strause’ panned sci-fi flick Skyline, wasn’t supposed to be a good movie, but somehow, it ended up being good. We can only speculate if the film’s modest success was because of the buzz surrounding the addition of Indonesian martial arts stars (Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian) from The Raid and The Raid 2 –or if O’Donnell simply knows how to deliver the goods as a filmmaker. Whatever the case, … Continue reading

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New Trailer for Yu Nan and Simon Yam’s ‘Justice in Northwest’

Hong Kong legend Simon Yam (Operation Red Sea, Mrs K, The Midnight After) and Yu Nan (The Expendables 2, Wolf Warrior, Wolf Warrior II) partner up for Huang Huang’s Justice in Northwest. This upcoming thriller tells the story of the female drug narcotics office and her personal war with cross-border smuggling and drug trafficking. The film also stars Samuel Pang King-Chi (New Police Story) and Jack Kao Kuo-Hsin (The Assassin, Wild City). Justice in Northwest releases domestically on April 13, 2018. … Continue reading

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Seven: Uncut | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2018 On May 8, 2018, Kino will be releasing the uncut Blu-ray for 1979’s Seven, by cult director Andy Sidaris. In Seven, a government agent discovers a plot by a cartel of seven gangsters to take over the state of Hawaii. He hires a team of seven hitmen to stop them. The film stars William Smith (Any Which Way You Can), Barbara Leigh (Terminal Island), Guich Koock (American Ninja), Christopher Joy … Continue reading

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Hong Kong’s Andy Cheng leaps into ‘Qi : Spacetime Warriors’

Rising star Wesley Wong (Pacific Rim Uprising), son of legendary Hong Kong actors Angie Chiu (Private Eyes) and Melvin Wong (Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit), will star in the GenFilms’ original production Qi : Spacetime Warriors, an upcoming sci-fi actioner directed by Jessie Kerry and renowned Hong Kong/Hollywood action director/stunt coordinator Andy Cheng (Red Line, End Game, Rush Hour). The following information is from the film’s official press release: Qi takes … Continue reading

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