Author Archives: Z Ravas

Wilson Yip brings a little ‘Magic’ into your life on Hong Kong Blu-ray and DVD

Hong Kong director Wilson Yip may be best known in the West for his martial arts collaborations with Donnie Yen, like Ip Man and Flash Point, but he’s no stranger to special effects-laden blockbusters either. In 2006, he brought a Chinese manga to life with Dragon Tiger Gate, starring Donnie Yen and Nicolas Tse. That effort only won him mixed reception but now Yip is back with another film full … Continue reading

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‘Let’s Go’ kick some ass on Hong Kong Blu-ray

Once I saw the trailer for this film, I just had to post about it. From acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Ching Po (Jiang Hu AKA Triad Underworld, Revenge: A Love Story) comes Let’s Go, an over-the-top action yarn about a group of everyday individuals who band together with a common goal: to kick evil in the ass. This slick, stylized, and commercial flick is inspired by Japanese superheros and … Continue reading

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Well Go USA unsheaths the ‘Blade of Kings’ on March 6th

“Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan Blow Up the Screen in an Epic Battle.” – RedCarpetCrash.com BLADE OF KINGS Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan and Bing Bing Fan Star in an Epic Tale Combining Romance, Fantasy, Comedy and Cutting Edge Hong Kong Style Martial Arts on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack and DVD March 6th Bonus Materials Include a Making-Of Featurette and a Music Video Donnie Yen (IP Man), Jackie Chan (Shaolin, … Continue reading

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Mainland China embraces the horror genre

We’re not even a month into 2012 and already two gruesome, blood-splattered horror films are slated for release in…Mainland China?! Sure, Hong Kong has always be known for their goofy horror comedies and supernatural-tinged romances, but I for one never expected to see full-on “this is comparable to Saw“-style horror flicks coming out of the Mainland. Over at Beyond Hollywood, you can check out the two posters and the Not … Continue reading

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Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 1/24/12

Can you believe that January is almost over? Well, there are plenty of great titles to choose from this week, whether you want to see Donnie Yen kick ass in Flash Point or witness Johnnie To’s next crime movie masterpiece with Punished. So let’s get started. Here are your blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/24/12: ASIAN CINEMA Punished (DVD) – this 2011 Hong Kong thriller about a … Continue reading

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Last Man Standing (1996) Review

Director: Walter Hill Writer: Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, Walter Hill Producer: Walter Hill, Arthur M. Sarkissian Cast: Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, Alexandra Powers, David Patrick Kelly, Karina Lombard, Bruce Dern Running Time: 101 min. By HKFanatic With a $67 million price tag, the box office failure of “Last Man Standing” in 1996 put a momentary end to Bruce Willis’ Hollywood clout and effectively derailed director Walter Hill’s career. It’s not … Continue reading

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‘United Red Army’ marches onto Netflix Instant

United Red Army, the 2007 Japanese-language film that Sight & Sound magazine called “one of the best films of the decade” is now streaming on Netflix Instant in HD. Director Koji Wakamatsu’s (Caterpillar) epic docudrama explores the political unrest of 1960′s Japan, when mass student uprisings coincided with the beginnings of the far-left United Red Army group, which tortured and murdered its ”deviant” members during a 1972 training session. An … Continue reading

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Blu-Ray and DVD Releases for 1/17/12

This week leaves us with plenty to talk about so I’ll cut my speech short and get started. Here are your Asian and genre movie blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/17/12: Gantz II: Perfect Answer (blu-ray/DVD) – Viz Media presents the final installment in the live-action Gantz series! This 2011 film is based off the popular – and very dark and violent – anime The Coast Guard … Continue reading

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‘District 13: Ultimatum’ leaps onto Netflix Instant

Looking to add a little excitement to your life? Well, you know that producer extraordinaire Luc Besson always has you covered in that regard. As of today, his 2010 film “District 13: Ultimatum” has been added to the Netflix Instant catalog and is available in HD. Like it’s predecessor it’s another mix of high-octane martial arts and death-defying parkour, set in a near-future Paris that’s not unlike the world of … Continue reading

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‘War of the Arrows’ ready to rain down on blu-ray and DVD on February 21st

“… one helluva chase movie.” – Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter “… nonstop action and excitement.” – Richard Kuipers, Variety “Character development in writer-director Kim Han-Min’s thrilling War of the Arrows … is economic, precise and efficient, grounding whirlwind action sequences in an emotional connection to the characters. “ – Ernest Hardy, LA Weekly A Hero is Born. The Legend Begins. WAR OF THE ARROWS The $40MM International Box Office … Continue reading

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South Korea gets faster and furiouser with ‘Quick’

Early on, Quick was billed as South Korea’s answer to the Fast and the Furious franchise: a slick, big-budget action thriller with enough vehicular destruction to make Michael Bay stand up and applaud. The 2011 film, about an ace motorcycle driver who must transport explosives all over Seoul in order to rescue his ex-girlfriend, earned over $10 million at the Korean box office. Now Quick completes its victory lap onto … Continue reading

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Mission: Impossible II | aka M:I-2 (2000) Review

"Mission: Impossible II" American Theatrical Poster

Director: John Woo Cast: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, William R. Mapother, Brendan Gleeson, Anthony Hopkins, John Polson, Dominic Purcell Running Time: 123 min. By HKFanatic “Mission: Impossible II” is one of those films that debuted to big money at the box office (it’s still the most successful film in the franchise, although “Ghost Protocol” is getting there), only to later be regarded with great critical and … Continue reading

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Media Blasters lays off 60% of staff

It’s a sad sign of the times: Anime News Network posted the exclusive report that Media Blasters has laid off 60% of their full-time staff. This means they’re down from fifteen to 5 or 6 full-time employees. Some of the fired staff will be asked to work for the company on a freelance basis, if they are so inclined. CEO John Sirabella says: “All of the small publishers are going … Continue reading

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Well Go USA brings audiences to ‘The Front Line’

Distributor Well Go USA via Indie Wire announced today that they’ve obtained the rights to the Korean war drama The Front Line which is Korea’s submission to the Academy Award category of Best Foreign Picture. The film tells the story of the fierce struggle to establish a border between North and South Korea at the end of the Korean War and is currently a box office smash in its native … Continue reading

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Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 1/10/12

Welcome to the new year! Finally, a week that’s got a decent variety of Asian films to choose from. Anyone picking up Jackie Chan’s 100th movie just cause it’s his 100th movie? Well, here are your Asian and genre movie blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/10/12: ASIAN CINEMA 1911 (blu-ray/DVD) – Jackie Chan marks his 100th film with this tale of the Chinese public’s revolt against the … Continue reading

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