Author Archives: Z Ravas

City War (1988) Review

"City War" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Sun Chung Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Ti Lung, Norman Chu, Tien Niu, Lee Ka Ting, Lo Lieh, Teresa Carpio, Michael Chow, Ricky Yi, Mary Hon Lut Lee, John Ladalski, Robin Shou Running Time: 92 min. By HKFanatic City War will likely always hold a fascination for Hong Kong movie buffs, as it’s a vintage heroic bloodshed films featuring the fan favorite pairing of Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung, … Continue reading

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Graveyard of Honor (2002) Review

"Graveyard of Honor" DVD Cover

AKA: New Graveyard of Honor Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Narumi Arimori, Yoshiyuki Daichi, Hirotaro Honda, Harumi Inoue, Renji Ishibashi, Goro Kishitani, Takashi Miike, Ryosuke Miki, Yasukaze Motomiya, Mikio Osawa, Daisuke Ryu, Harumi Sone, Shun Sugata Running Time: 131 min. By HKFanatic “A Yakuza without honor isn’t worth sh*t.” So says a Yakuza Godfather towards the end of Graveyard of Honor, and the entire movie puts this notion to the test … Continue reading

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Wild Card | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2015 Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Wild Card, directed by Simon West (The Expendables 2) and starring Jason Statham. The film is a remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds movie Heat (No relation to the 1995 Michael Mann movie). When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play… and it’s all … Continue reading

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

Killers (2014) Review

"Killers" Theatrical Poster

Director: The Mo Brothers Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya, Ray Sahetapy, Ersya Aurelia, Epy Kusnandar, Mei Kurokawa, Denden, Motoki Fukami Running Time: 137 min. By HKFanatic Killers generated a great deal of buzz as soon as it was announced. Not only does the movie represent the first time the Indonesian and Japanese film industries have collaborated on a thriller, but movie also boasts a co-production credit from Gareth … Continue reading

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Angel Terminators (1990) Review

"Angel Terminators" Chinese DVD Cover

Director: Wai Lit Producer: Georges Lai Cast: Sharon Yeung Pan Pan, Kenneth Tsang, Carrie Ng, Michiko Nishiwaki, Alan Chui Chung San, Kara Hui Ying Hung, Cheng Yuen Man, Dick Wei Running Time: 91 min. By HKFanatic Here’s a full admission: I love “girls with guns” movies. Back in the late 80’s and 90’s, this sub-genre of Hong Kong action cinema saw women like Moon Lee and Cynthia Khan kicking and … Continue reading

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Falcon Rising (2014) Review

"Falcon Rising" Theatrical Poster

AKA: Favela Director: Ernie Barbarash Cast: Michael Jai White, Neal McDonough, Laila Ali, Lateef Crowder, Hazuki Kato, Millie Ruperto, Masashi Odate, Jimmy Navarro, Jazmín Caratini Running Time: 100 min. By HKFanatic Back in May of 2013, the producers of Falcon Rising boldly announced that the film – which hadn’t released a single image yet – would be the beginning of a series of action movies, with 1-2 entries planned for … Continue reading

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Beyond Outrage (2012) Review

"Beyond Outrage" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Takeshi Kitano Writer: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Beat Takeshi, Tomokazu Miura, Ryo Kase, Akira Nakao, Shigeru Koyama, Toshiyuki Nishida, Sansei Shiomi, Katsunori Takahashi, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yutaka Matsushige, Hideo Nakano, Kenta Kiritani, Hirofumi Arai, Tetsushi Tanaka Running Time: 112 min. By HKFanatic After delivering a modern update on the popular Zatoichi character in 2003, writer/director/actor Takeshi Kitano spent the rest of that decade on a detour into the world of avant … Continue reading

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Vigilante (1983) Review

"Vigilante" Theatrical Poster

AKA: Street Gang Director: William Lustig Cast: Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, Richard Bright, Rutanya Alda, Don Blakely, Joseph Carberry, Willie Colón, Joe Spinell, Carol Lynley, Woody Strode, Vincent Beck, Bo Rucker, Frank Pesce, Steve James, Randy Jurgensen Running Time: 90 min. By HKFanatic Vigilante opens with a scene of Fred Williamson (From Dusk Till Dawn, the original Inglorious Bastards) addressing a ‘neighborhood watch’-style meeting but more or less pointing his finger … Continue reading

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1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982) Review

Escape From the Bronx | Blu-ray & DVD (Blue Underground)

Director: Enzo G. Castellari Cast: Mark Gregory, Fred Williamson, Vic Morrow, Christopher Connelly, “Betty” Elisabetta Dessy, Stefania Girolami, Enzo G. Castellari, Carla Brait Running Time: 86 min. By HKFanatic By 1981, the Italian film industry was already showing signs that the bottom was about to fall out. Giallos, crime films, and spaghetti Westerns – once Italy’s filmic bread ‘n butter – had run their course with the public. Instead of innovating … Continue reading

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Join Liam Neeson for ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’

Liam Neeson is back in the kind of mode that audiences have come to love him in: playing a gravelly-voiced tough guy with ‘a particular set of skills.’ This September, Neeson is going for A Walk Among the Tombstones. Despite the Steven Seagal-esque title, this gritty thriller is the latest movie to bring author Lawrence Block’s private detective Matthew Scudder to life. The last Scudder film was 1986’s 8 Million Ways … Continue reading

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Suspect, The (2013) Review

The Suspect | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Won Shin-yun Writer: Lim Sang-Yoon Cast: Gong Yoo, Park Hee-Soon, You Da-In, Cho Seong-Ha, Jo Jae-Yun, Kim Sung-Kyun Running Time: 137 min. By HKFanatic When The Bourne Supremacy first hit theaters back in 2005, the close-quarters handheld camerawork and rapid editing during action sequences had some film-goers claiming they experienced motion sickness rather than popcorn thrills. Soon afterwards, the term ‘shaky cam’ began popping up in critical reviews, and … Continue reading

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New U.S. trailer for Van Damme’s heist flick ‘Swelter’

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

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Popular Japanese survival-horror video game ‘Fatal Frame’ coming to theaters

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

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Korean cinematic bad boy Kim Ki-duk is back with the disturbing ‘Moebius’

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

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Want a ‘Pacific Rim 2,’ kaiju fans? You’ll get it April 7, 2017!

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

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