Author Archives: JJ Bona

Herman Yau delivers more blood with ‘Always Be with You’

Considering that he’s gone all respectable with historical action pictures like The Legend is Born: Ip Man and The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake – not to mention edge-of-your-seat blockbusters like Shock Wave – it’s easy to forget that director Herman Yau (Taxi Hunter) got his start in the grimy, nasty world of Category III. Movies like The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome made Yau famous and now the filmmaker is once … Continue reading

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Ann Hui’s war epic ‘Our Time Will Come’ gets a July release

China Lion is releasing Our Time Will Come on July 7th in 16 cities in North America. Based on a true story, this action-filled wartime epic is directed by award-winning filmmaker Ann Hui (A Simple Life) and stars Zhou Xun (The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate), Eddie Peng (Operation Mekong) and Wallace Huo (Fatal Countdown: Reset). Our Time Will Come portrays a chapter in the history of Hong Kong’s wartime era … Continue reading

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Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So | Blu-ray & DVD (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: August 8, 2017 Warner Brothers presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Guo Jian-Yong’s Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So (read our coverage about the film), starring Zhi Hui Chen, Jun Cao and Mei Ying Wang. The film is part of the HBO Asia Original Film series (other being Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying), produced by Corey Yuen (Righting Wrongs). Due to a conspiracy, the wealthy So Chan loses … Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Ran | Blu-ray | Only $9.59 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (read our reviews), a 1985 “interpretation” of Shakespeare’s King Lear. In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other… and him. Ran stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Masayuki Yui, Kazuo Kato, Peter, … Continue reading

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Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying | Blu-ray & DVD (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: August 8, 2017 Warner Brothers presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Guo Jian-Yong’s Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying (read our coverage about the film), starring Mou Li, Zhi Hui Chen and Hao Ran Sun. The film is part of the HBO Asia Original Film series (other being Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So), produced by Corey Yuen (Righting Wrongs). Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying tells a tale … Continue reading

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Seijun Suzuki’s Taisho Trilogy | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow)

RELEASE DATE: August 8, 2017 On August 8, 2017, Arrow Academy will be releasing Seijun Suzuki’s The Taisho Trilogy, which will include the following three films: Zigeunerweisen, Kageroza and Yumeji. Read the full details below. After over a decade in the wilderness following his firing from Nikkatsu for Branded to Kill (1967), maverick director Seijun Suzuki (Voice Without a Shadow) returned with a vengeance with his critically-praised tryptic of cryptic supernatural dramas set during the … Continue reading

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Racial tensions reach a boiling point in Justin Chon’s ‘Gook’

Justin Chon (Revenge of the Green Dragons) writes, directs and stars in Gook, an upcoming thriller that examines the relationships between Korean and African American communities set around the 1992 L.A. Riots. Eli (Chon) and Daniel (David So) are two Korean American brothers that run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up an unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American … Continue reading

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Catch Scott Adkins in ‘American Assassin’ if you can…

On September 15th, Lionsgate will be releasing American Assassin into the theaters. This upcoming action thriller is directed by Michael Cuesta (Kill the Messenger) and based on a series of novels by the late Vince Flynn. The film stars Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) as a special agent who carries out covert counter-terrorist operations. Co-starring is Michael Keaton (Jackie Brown), who plays Stan Hurley, Rapp’s instructor/mentor. According to Deadline, the pair are enlisted by CIA Deputy Director (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a … Continue reading

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City on Fire will be returning shortly…

We here at City on Fire enjoy passing along the latest news, features, interviews, and reviews for our readers. But we need a break. Not a long one! We promise. We’ll be back in a couple weeks, probably less – just enough time to relax and recharge. Watch some good movies while we’re gone and be sure to tell us about ’em when we get back. This will also be a good … Continue reading

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‘Cannonball Run’ gets help from ‘Central Intelligence’?

Despite the departure of director Etan Cohen (Get Hard), a remake of Cannonball Run is still in gear. According to Deadline, Warner is now negotiating with Night At The Museum’s Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant to write and Central Intelligence’s Rawson Thurber to direct the film. The remake is being spearheaded by producer Andre Morgan (Man from Hong Kong), who has been making movies at Warner Bros and Golden Harvest since Enter the Dragon in … Continue reading

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S.W A T.: Under Siege | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2017 Sony Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for S.W A T.: Under Siege, an upcoming actioner directed by Tony Giglio (Chaos). When a D.E.A. and S.W.A.T. cartel takedown ends in a shootout, S.W.A.T. Agent Travis Hall (Sam Jaeger) seizes a mysterious prisoner and takes him into custody. Before long, the S.W.A.T. compound is under siege by wave after wave of assault teams attempting to recover the prisoner … Continue reading

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

Deal on Fire! JCVD Triple Feature | Blu-ray | Only $7.45 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is for the JCVD Triple Feature Blu-ray set, which includes the following films: Cyborg (read our review), a 1989 post-apocalyptic film from Albert Pyun, the director of 1990’s Captain America. Death Warrant (read our review), a 1991 “prison flick” written by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight). And finally, Double Impact (read our review). This 1991 Sheldon Lettich production most likely gave Jackie Chan the inspiration for Twin Dragons (1992). Order … Continue reading

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5 New Posters for the Live-action adaptation of ‘Contra’

A live-action Chinese film adaptation of Konami’s 1987 arcade hit, Contra (aka Kontora or Gryzor), is in the works. The film will be produced by Wei Nan (Soul Transfer Station) and backed by Beijing Starlit Movie and TV Culture. The highly popular video game involved two Rambo-like characters who take on an alien army. The character design of the boss aliens were highly influenced by H.R. Giger’s Necronom IV, which were the source for the Xenomorphs in the Alien film franchise. The original … Continue reading

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Karate Kill | Blu-ray & DVD (Dark Cuts)

RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2017 On July 18, 2017, Dark Cuts is bringing Karate Kill to Blu-ray & DVD, a new martial arts film directed by Kurando Mitsutake (read our interview with him). When a mysterious loner and Karate master Kenji’s (Hayate) little sister goes missing in Los Angeles, whoever stands in his way of finding her will face the wrath of a lethal Karate Kill! Karate Kill also stars Asami (Prison Girl), … Continue reading

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Cynthia Rothrock’s Fists of Fury | DVD (Full Moon)

RELEASE DATE: October 17, 2017 Martial arts film legend Cynthia Rothrock (The Martial Arts Kid, Righting Wrongs) is hosting Fists of Fury, a new, butt-kicking DVD documentary by Charles Band and Full Moon Entertainment. Synopsis: Class is in session as your seductive sensei, Cynthia Rothrock, gives you the hardest hitting lessons of your life! Courses include a study on the greatest ‘Martial Arts Movie Masters’, ‘Deadliest Weapons”, and the many failed attempts … Continue reading

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