The recent release of Erik Matti’s Buy Bust is still making waves in the industry, which makes Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids a welcome addition into the world of Filipino martial arts cinema. In the film, an avenging aswang killer teams up with a hybrid and a team of demon hunters to attack the lair of the most powerful underworld warlords, only to find themselves in a twisted trap and a fight to the death. “My … Continue reading →

And you thought South Korean martial arts films were dead!? Lee Seung-won’s debut film, Revenger (read our review), sees the return of super kicker Bruce Khan (Bridal Mask) in his first starring role since 2005’s The Last Eve.  Khan – who is perhaps best-known for his stunt/choreography work on films such as Beat, Gen-Y Cops and The Medallion – plays a man who heads out to Sura Island to locate those responsible for murdering his family. Revenger also … Continue reading →

South Korean superstar Song Kang-Ho (A Taxi Driver, Snowpiercer) is back in The Drug King (read our review), an upcoming crime/thriller from director Woo Min-Ho (Inside Men). Set in Busan in the the 70’s, The Drug King is the tale of two men on opposite sides of the law: A public prosecutor (Cho Jung-Seok of My Annoying Brother) and a notorious drug dealer, Lee Doo-Sam (Song Kang-Ho). Along for the ride are Bae Doo-Na (Tunnel), Lee Sung-Min (Kundo: … Continue reading →

A man kisses his wife and baby goodbye and seemingly heads away on business, with a plan to check into a hotel, call an escort service, and kill an unsuspecting prostitute… What you’ve just read is the plot synopsis for Piercing – starring Christopher Abbott (Vox Lux) and Mia Wasikowska (Stoker) – from director Nicolas Pesce (who is also working on a reboot/remake of Ju-on). Piercing is based on a novel by cult Japanese writer Ryu Murakami (Coin Locker … Continue reading →

Director Macoto Tezka (Black Kiss), son of the late Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy/Mighty Atom, often dubbed “The Godfather of Manga”) is currently preparing the release of Tezuka’s Barbara, a Live-action film adaptation of his father’s sexually-charged manga, Barbara. Tezuka’s Barbara stars Fumi Nikaido (The World of Kanako), Goro Inagaki (13 Assassins), Shizuka Ishibashi (Parks), Kiyohiko Shibukawa (Blue Spring), Eri Watanabe (Ichi) and Ryousuke Ohtani (Departures). Hong Kong film afficiendos will welcome the inclusion Christopher … Continue reading →

Director Ishihara Takahiro (Osaka Badass: Snake of Violence) has a new DTV thriller coming out titled Red Blade, a ninja flick starring Ogura Yuka (Werewolf Game: Inferno), Iwanaga Joey (Tokyo Tribe) and Tak Sakaguchi (Re:Born, Versus), who also serves as general director for the film. In Red Blade, Ogura is Mako, a school girl whose parents were once taken away by Yakuza. A victim of bullying by her peers, her escape into ninja-centric graphic novels manifests into reality as … Continue reading →

xXx 4 is at early stages of pre-production, but considering the xXx franchise has the potential to pull in high profile action stars from around the world, the possibilities are limitless! The latest is that Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou (The Viral Factor, The Green Hornet) is joining Vin Diesel, Zhang Lanxin (Railroad Tigers), and TF Boys member Roy Wang (Pound of Flesh). The last xXx sequel, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (read our review), grossed $346 … Continue reading →

After his notable stuntwork in films such as Lucy and Now You See Me 2 – not to mention his breakout starring role in Jailbreak, indie flick The Division and the recent Nightshooters – Jean-Paul Ly will soon be showing more of his amazing martial arts skills in the sci-fi actioner Rift, from writer/director Haz Dulull (2036: Origin Unknown). Rift follows a nihilistic police officer who goes to extreme measures to protect a young … Continue reading →

Kim Jee-woon (The Age of Shadows), the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the Devil and A Bittersweet Life, has released his next film, Illang: The Wolf Brigade (aka Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade), exclusively on Netflix for U.S. audiences. The movie is a live-action take on the popular 90’s anime feature Jin-Roh. The original Jin-Roh was noted for its fluid animation, stylish action, and political allegory. The screenplay, penned by legendary Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii, also … Continue reading →