It’s a dire week for Asian cinema lovers. We’ll keep on trucking, cause that’s the Chicago way, and maybe you’ll find something to enjoy. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 6/19/12: ASIAN CINEMA The Hidden Blade (Blu-ray+DVD) – Palisades Tartan brings Yoji Yamada’s meditative 2004 samurai drama to Blu-ray Ninja Champion/Weapons Of Death (DVD) – the 36 Chambers of Wu Tang presents 172 minutes of ninja action. Be … Continue reading →

AICN hits us with some truly cool news today, as reports indicate Joe Cornish of Attack the Block fame has been given the greenlight from Paramount to write and direct an adaptation of the acclaimed cyber-punk novel Snow Crash. If you’ve ever been bitten by the cyber-punk bug in your life, chances are you’ve read Neal Stephenson’s 1992 tale of a not-so-distant future in which a sword-slinging pizza delivery guy … Continue reading →

Deadline has the scoop on an in-development period action piece called The Great Wall. The film will star Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as two British adventurers who happen upon the Great Wall of China as it’s being built during the 1400’s. They soon realize the hasty construction of the Wall is not just to keep the invading Mongols out, but to seal … Continue reading →

6/12/12, that’s gotta mean something, right? Actually, probably not. But at least we have a decent selection of Asian films to choose from this week. So let’s get cracking. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD new releases for the week of 6/12/12: ASIAN CINEMA Accident (Blu-ray/DVD) – Louis Koo stars in this 2009 Hong Kong thriller produced by Johnnie To Devilman (DVD) – the 2004 live-action “Devilman” movie, based on … Continue reading →

You may or may not have caught the Mark Wahlberg action-vehicle The Shooter when it landed in theaters back in 2007. The movie came across as something like a Southern-fried spin on The Bourne Identity but it was actually an adaptation of a novel by author Stephen Hunter, who has a whole slew of books about the gun-toting hillbilly named Bobby Lee Swagger. Now the Hollywood Reporter gives word that … Continue reading →

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from 5 Points Pictures for their August 21st, 2012 release of the Korean film Moss on a  2-Disc DVD set. Film distributor 5 Points Pictures is pleased to announce the special-edition 2-Disc DVD release of Moss will be available on August 21, 2012. Based on the award-winning web comic by Yoon Tae-ho (2007 Korea Cartoon Awards, 2008 Bucheon Cartoon Awards)! Also known as Iggi, … Continue reading →

I love sushi. Chances are, you do too. But how does our sushi feel about us? If the new film from director Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl, Robogeisha) is any indication, they’re pissed off and tired of being eaten. Yes, the premise of Iguchi’s new ultra low-budget splatterflick Dead Sushi appears to be that the sushi of Japan has become sentient – and now they’re out for revenge. Fortunately, on … Continue reading →

Over at Beyond Hollywood, Todd Rigney reports that CJ Entertainment America, the US branch of Korea’s biggest movie studio, is planning to release a couple of its films in North America. No Mercy and Hindsight will both hit DVD in North America on July 31st, 2012. A Blu-ray release for both titles is expected to follow shortly thereafter. Traditionally, Asian movie studios have licensed out their films to American distributors. … Continue reading →

June is upon us. There’s not much happening this month in regards to Asian cinema but at least the one film being released is a good one. Meanwhile, Universal continues to shuffle out their back catalog via Blu-ray+DVD+digital combo packs. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 6/5/12: ASIAN CINEMA 13 Assassins (The Thirteen Assassins) (DVD) – the great folks from AnimEigo offer this 1963 samurai … Continue reading →

Online now is the teaser trailer for a steamy new Korean period piece titled The Emperor’s Concubine. The film arrives from director Kim Dae-seung (Blood Rain) and tells the story of what happens when King Sungwon’s concubine becomes embroiled in a love affair with another man. This all takes place during the Chosun Era, which would be helpful except that Wikipedia tells me that this period of Korean history lasted over 500 … Continue reading →

Last year, Chinese film distributor China Lion made great strides in releasing more Chinese-language films in North America by partnering with AMC theaters. Chinese Films reports that the company has acquired 5 films at the Cannes Film Festival with the express purpose of screening them in American theaters. Granted, the hardest part of putting out foreign films in the West is securing enough screens to reach an audience – I’m … Continue reading →