There are plenty of films to cover this week, so let’s get started. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it! Here are your Blu-ray and DVD release dates for the week of 2/12/13: ASIAN CINEMA The Thieves (Blu-ray/DVD) – one of the most successful Korean films of all time, this heist thriller in the “Ocean’s 11” vein … Continue reading →

Preposterous but interesting – such is the premise for Library Wars, the new film from the acclaimed director of the live-action Gantz films and Princess Blade. This Japanese-language movie is based on a popular novel that ended up spawning a manga and anime series. Taking a page from Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, the movie is set in the near future in which Japan’s government organizes an armed military … Continue reading →

Today bears some potentially distressing news from the Hollywood trades. Film distributor Indomina, who brought Asian titles like Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Bodyguards & Assassins to North America, has closed up shop. More specifically, the US and Dominican Republic-based company is shutting down their North American operations. Recently, Indomina had begun to branch out from its Asian and genre-based lineup with arthouse titles like the acclaimed documentary The … Continue reading →

Welcome to February. Not much is happening yet in February for us Asian film buffs but we have a feeling that will change soon. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it! Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 2/5/13: ASIAN CINEMA The Ballad of Narayama (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents a new 4K … Continue reading →

Via a company newsletter, Well Go USA has officially announced their acquisition of director Andrew Lau’s historical actioner The Guillotines. Andrew Lau, famous for helming the original Infernal Affairs and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, is back with a a new Chinese-language film that pays homage to the classic Flying Guillotine movies of old. Here’s the first plot synopsis: During the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng established … Continue reading →

Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 film Le Samourai remains one of the most influential genre movies of all time thanks to icy, existential cool. The French riff on gangster cinema has inspired filmmakers as diverse as Walter Hill (The Driver) and Johnnie To (Vengeance). Now it looks like legendary Hong Kong director John Woo is planning to tip his hat to Melville’s film – even moreso than he did in The Killer … Continue reading →

THE MOVIE: After a lengthy detour into the world of family movies, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is getting back to doing what he does best: action movies. Much fuss has been made over G.I. Joe: Retaliation‘s delay to March 2013, but The Rock has another movie to tide us over in the meantime. Snitch is a gritty thriller from Summit Entertainment, featuring The Rock as a concerned father out to clear … Continue reading →

The last week of January brings slim pickings for Asian film fans, but let’s soldier on anyway. If you’re interested in any of the following titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it! Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/29/13: ASIAN CINEMA Bangkok Assassins (DVD) – Lionsgate presents this 2011 Thai action film about four young men who were trained … Continue reading →

Hideo Nakata is back! Sure, he never really went away, but the Ringu director’s career has taken slight a detour the past few years. Nakata made the jump to Hollywood by directing sequel to The Ring, which was not nearly as well received as the original American remake. In 2008, Nakata directed a spin-off of the live-action Death Note series titled Death Note L: Change the World. 2010 gave us Chatroom, … Continue reading →

Jang Joon-hwan made a name for himself  back in 2003 with his directorial debut Save the Green Planet. Part black comedy, part science-fiction, the movie was instantly held up as one of the best Korean films of all time, only slightly overshadowed by that same year’s Oldboy. Rather than get straight to work on a follow-up, Jang Joon-hawn decided to all but disappear from the movie industry. Ten years later, Joon-hawn is … Continue reading →

This week is jam-packed with Asian film releases. So let’s get started! If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it! Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/22/13: ASIAN CINEMA Tai Chi Zero (Blu-ray/DVD) – actor-turned-director Stephen Fung launches a new kind of action hero with this highly anticipated 2012 steampunk martial arts film … Continue reading →

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau is presiding over the Jury at the 2012 Asian Film Awards. Today the jury announced the nominees, which include a number of genre films from all over Asia. Says Andy Lau: “Asian films are spreading across the globe because of their diversity and innovation.” Nominees for Best Picture include Johnnie To’s “Drug War,” starring Louis Koo; Takeshi Kitano’s sequel to his violent Yakuza thriller “Outrage,” … Continue reading →

A Jackie Chan Double Feature…a Bruce Lee documentary…and low-budget kung fu. It’s a good week to be a fan of Asian cinema! If you’re interested in any of the following titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it! Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/15/13: ASIAN CINEMA Jackie Chan: Crime Story/The Protector (Blu-ray/DVD) – it’s a Jackie Chan Double Feature … Continue reading →