THE MOVIE: In Keith Parmer’s (Mob Rules) action-thriller Swelter, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a member of a bank robbing gang that manages to steal a cool $100 million before some of them are apprehended by the police. In the vein of the brutal heist drama Reservoir Dogs, the modern crime thriller A History of Violence, Swelter is a violent story of greed and retribution. Also starring Josh Henderson, Brad Carter, Alfred Molina and … Continue reading →

Since its inception in 2002, the Japanese video game series Fatal Frame has been one of the most popular and enduring franchises in the ‘survival-horror’ genre. Known as Zero in Japan, the series typically follows plucky young women as they investigate ancient tragedies and defeat ghosts using a supernatural camera that has the ability to expel spirits. Now Fatal Frame is coming to the big screen. A live-action adaptation of the … Continue reading →

Ever since 2000’s The Isle caught the attention of the international cinema scene,  director Kim Ki-duk has been known as an iconoclast and provocateur of Korean cinema. Although his 2012 effort Pieta earned him the coveted Golden Lion at that year’s Venice International Film Festival, the controversial filmmaker hasn’t decided to play it safe. His upcoming film Moebius is set to land in select North American theaters this August 15th, … Continue reading →

Last summer’s ‘giant monsters vs. mech’ film Pacific Rim proved to be a modest hit worldwide, grossing $400 million on a budget of about half that. The movie arrived in theaters with plenty of internet buzz, thanks in part to the reputation of director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Blade II). Now Del Toro is assuring fans that, if they keep their fingers crossed, we might just get Pacific Rim 2. … Continue reading →

Got a Netflix subscription? If so, you’ve got a gateway to some of the latest and greatest in Asian cinema, as well as related martial arts titles. Let’s take a look at some of the titles that have found their way to Netflix’s streaming service in the last month or two. Journey to the West (2013) – from director Stephen Chow comes this special FX-fueled martial arts flick about the … Continue reading →

There’s no rest for the wicked – or for a wicked, musclebound Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Fan favorite actor Cung Le has made a name for himself in and out of the ring, thanks to co-starring roles in films like Bodyguards & Assassins and Dragon Eyes, and the man shows no signs of slowing down. In a recent video interview, Cung Le teased several new projects on his horizon. Two … Continue reading →

If you were wondering what it’d look like if a professional baseball player lost everything in a gambling scandal and had to start working for the Korean mob, apparently the answer is ‘a lot of stylishly photographed ass-kicking.’ That’s the premise behind the upcoming Korean action/drama For the Emperor and you won’t want to miss the trailer. Lee Man-ki plays the lead role and you may remember him from 2011’s … Continue reading →

What do you get when you combine Dario Argento’s giallo classic Opera with the Academy Award-winning Black Swan, adding a dash of Asian horror creepiness? You just might find out by watching the trailer for Hungry Ghost Ritual, an upcoming Hong Kong horror picture starring Nick Cheung. The hard-working actor was last seen in Dante Lam’s psychological crime thriller That Demon Within. In Hungry Ghost Ritual, which hits Hong Kong … Continue reading →

Can’t say I ever saw this coming. John Woo is reportedly planning to direct a remake of Seijun Suzuki’s 1963 film Youth of the Beast. Woo’s version will carry the title Day of the Beast. Here’s where things get crazy (and multi-national): the remake is set in Tokyo and sees a Western outsider become involved in a turf war between the Yakuza and the Russian mob. Day of the Beast will … Continue reading →

THE MOVIE: Written and directed by Gareth Evans, The Raid 2: Berandal picks up right where the first film left off and follows Rama (Iko Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force. Additional cast members include Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Alex Abbad, Julie Estelle, Ryuhei … Continue reading →

Dante Lam is arguably the leading action director in Hong Kong right now (sorry, Wilson Yip) thanks to movies like Fire of Conscience and The Stool Pigeon. Lam is a veteran of the industry going all the way back to 1998’s Beast Cops, but he’s managed to invigorate his career of late by taking well-worn Hong Kong action tropes and reenergizing them with an immediate, Bourne-esque visual style. Dante looks … Continue reading →

Back in 2007, former 21 Jump Street star Dustin Nguyen managed to reinvent his image by playing a nearly invincible martial artist bad guy in the Vietnamese hit The Rebel. Now, Nguyen is parlaying his status in the burgeoning Vietnamese action scene by stepping behind the camera for an ambitious project. Previously titled Monk on Fire, but now known under the title of Once Upon a Time in Vietnam (AKA … Continue reading →

THE MOVIE: Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) squares off against the Rhino (Paul Giamatti) and the powerful Electro (Jamie Foxx) while struggling to keep his promise to leave Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) out of his dangerous life. Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is expected release date for this 3D sequel is May 2, 2014. Updates: Official look at Spider-Man’s new mask | First set photos. | Spidey’s nemesis Norman Osborn is back and ready to wreak some havoc. … Continue reading →

Comic book movies continue to do blockbuster business around the globe, but there’s also a sense that audiences might be suffering from superhero fatigue. Some analysts suggest that video games may be the next undiscovered country for Hollywood to mine for gold. Sure, there have been a few video game adaptations here and there – Mortal Kombat and Silent Hill come to mind – but lately we’re seeing high-profile game … Continue reading →

After the ultra-violent, ultra-bleak bloodbath that was 2010’s I Saw the Devil, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Korean revenge movie has seen and done it all. Well, at least one movie is out to prove that the genre still has a few tricks up its sleeve: opening this Friday, March 13th, in South Korea is a twisted new thriller titled Monster. The movie follows a somewhat developmentally … Continue reading →