Author Archives: JJ Bona

COF Presents: Martial Arts Film in Video Games: Part I

What do Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon), Chuck Norris (Slaughter in San Francisco), Jackie Chan (Wheels on Meals), Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport), Jet Li (Fist of Legend), Roger Yuan (Once Upon A Time in Vietnam), Ron Yuan (Ring of Fire), Richard Norton (City Hunter) and Chuck Jeffreys (Bloodmoon) have in common? They’re all martial arts stars who have appeared – sometimes inadvertently and/or subconsciously – in a video game. Note: This … Continue reading

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Chain of Command | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2015 Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Chain of Command (aka Echo Effect), an action-thriller directed by Kevin Carraway (7 Below) and starring Michael Jai White (Blood and Bone) and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (The Expendables). A special operative (White) witnesses the brutal slaying of his brother right after returning home from his third tour of duty. He finds himself a target of a deadly conspiracy so vast … Continue reading

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

‘Ghost in the Shell’ filmmaker gets brutal with ‘Nowhere Girl’

If you think Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) is all about Anime, sci-fi and all that other philosophical bullsh*t, think again! Introducing Nowhere Girl (or Tokyo Mukokuseki Shoujo), an upcoming action film starring Nana Seino (Tokyo Tribe). Judging from the film’s trailer, I can’t help but think a ghost-less Memento Mori meets a school girl-induced Die Hard. Here’s the plot (via NYAFF): The film centers on Ai (Seino), a student at an all-girls’ … Continue reading

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It’s not ‘Raid 3,’ but this new Indonesian flick is so ‘Gangster’!

Are you looking for more Indonesian-imported action after seeing The Raid and The Raid 2? If your answer is yes, then you’ll want to check out this new trailer for Gangster, an upcoming martial arts film directed by Fajar Nugro (Refrain). It’s not quite The Raid 3, but there’s definitely enough hand-to-hand (and foot-to-foot) brutality to win your interest! Gangster stars Hamish Daud (Supernova: The Knight, the Princess & Shooting Star) … Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Tarantino XX Collection | Blu-ray | Only $57.99 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray set for the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection. Tarantino XX includes Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds. The set also features 2 discs with 5 hours of bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and “20 Years of Filmmaking” that contains interviews with critics, … Continue reading

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

‘Jian Bing Man’ will battle Van Damme in the U.S.!

There’s another project Van Damme is lending his name to called Jian Bing Man, a Chinese production starring Da Peng (who is also directing), Ada Liu (Badges of Fury) and Yuan Shanshan (One Day). According to TB, Jian Bing Man is the story of a young man from a poor family earns his living selling jianbing (or Chinese pancake) and suddenly becomes a hero, presumably because he sells the best Chinese crepes in town. So … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Yu Cheng-Hui: Martial Artist and Film Star

Media outlets are reporting the death of Chinese martial artist and film star Yu Cheng-Hui (aka Yu Cheng Wai), who died at the age of 75 on July 4. According to SC36: Yu was born in China’s Shandong province on August 16, 1939, and began studying martial arts at the age of 11. Yu spent 14 years recreating the thought-to-be lost art of the “Double-Handed Sword” movement, a technique which was … Continue reading

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The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi | Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2015 No need to pay $60 for this out-of-print movie, because Lionsgate is bringing the Blu-ray for The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi back to life! Directed, written, co-edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano (Beyond Outrage), this is one film you’ll want to watch or revisit! In an empire ruled by fear, the people’s only hope is the ultimate weapon: Zatoichi (Kitano) – a blind, nomadic samurai whose sword … Continue reading

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

Blunt Force Trauma | DVD (Alchemy)

RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2015 Alchemy presents the DVD for Blunt Force Trauma (aka The Effects of Blunt Force Trauma), written and directed by Ken Sanzel (The Replacement Killers). Two duelists wearing Kevlar vests stand in opposing circles; face each other, draw, and shoot. The one left standing in the circle wins. John (Ryan Kwanten), a talented young shooter seeks the ultimate duel with the champion, Zorringer (Mickey Rourke), while … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Cross’ DVD Giveaway! – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 DVD copies of Simon Yam’s Cross to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, this classic trailer! We will be selecting a winner at random. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you for your home address. Additionally, you must ‘Like Us‘ … Continue reading

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‘Raid’ star Iko Uwais joins Wahlberg and Rousey in ‘Mile 22′

Mark Wahlberg (The Big Hit) and director Peter Berg (The Rundown) are in negotiations to re-team for Mile 22, an action movie co-starring UFC’s Ronda Rousey (The Expendables 3) and Iko Uwais (The Raid, The Raid 2). According to THR, Mile 22 tells the story of a CIA agent (Wahlberg) stationed in Indonesia who is tasked with transporting an informant to an airport 22 miles away. While en route, they must battle … Continue reading

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Showdown in Little Tokyo | Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2015 Warner presents the Blu-ray for 1991’s Showdown in Little Tokyo, directed by Mark L. Lester (Commando, Class of 1984). This martial arts action-comedy pairs Dolph Lundgren (Skin Trade) and Brandon Lee (Legacy of Rage, The Crow) as L.A. cops against a gang of Japanese drug dealers, headed by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Revenge). The film also stars Tia Carrere (True Lies), Toshishiro Obata (The … Continue reading

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

‘SPL 3′ (aka Sha Po Lang 3, Kill Zone 3 or whatever you want to call it) is happening!

Following SPL 2’s box office success, the possibility of an SPL 3 was inevitable – in fact, it’s in stone! According Twitchfilm, producer Paco Wong (Zombie Fight Club) announced that the next installment in the SPL franchise, titled S.P.L 3: War Needs Lord, has already been green-lit. The original SPL (aka Sha Po Lang) – helmed by Wilson Yip (Bio-Zombie), which was released in North America under the title Kill Zone … Continue reading

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The Dead Lands | Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia)

RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2015 Magnolia presents the DVD for To a Fraser’s The Dead Lands, an action film that utilized the Maori martial art Mau Rakau (the skilled use of weapons). The film has been described as Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto meets Tony Jaa’s Ong Bak. After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, the teenage son of a slain Maori chieftain looks to avenge his father’s murder and … Continue reading

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

1st explosive trailer for Gerard Butler’s ‘London Has Fallen’

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman are back for an Olympus Has Fallen sequel, titled London Has Fallen, which has a release date set for October 2, 2015. Babak Najafi (Easy Money II: Hard to Kill) is directing. Katrin Benedikt and Creighton Rothenberger, who both scribed Olympus Has Fallen, are writing the sequel. London Has Fallen also stars Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Sean O’Bryan, Radha Mitchell, Jackie Earle … Continue reading

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