Category Archives: News

‘Riki-Oh’ star Fan Siu Wong gets his own ‘Special Mission’

In the tradition of Wolf Warrior, Extraordinary Mission and Operation Mekong comes Special Mission (no relation to the 1976 South Korean film of the same name), an upcoming actioner starring Fan Siu Wong (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky). Special Mission tells the story of the daring rescue of a princess in the Middle East by the King of Scorpions. The film also stars Yang Ming, Xu Jiawen, Guo Zhen and Si Li. Special Mission is getting a domestic release on April 27, … Continue reading

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Merciless, The (2017) Review

"The Merciless" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Byun Sung-Hyun Writer: Byun Sung-Hyun Cast: Sol Kyung-Gu, Siwan, Kim Hee-Won, Jeon Hye-Jin, Lee Kyoung-Young, Jang In-Sub, Kim Sung-Oh, Choi Byung-Mo, Heo Jun-Ho, Kim Ji-Hoon Running Time: 120 min. By Martin Sandison Since its inception in the mid-90’s, the Korean noir genre just keeps producing gems. Movies such as Lee Chang-dong’s Green Fish, Kim Jee-woon’s A Bittersweet Life and Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy are a few of the all-time classics; … Continue reading

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Score (1995) Review

"Score" Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Atsushi Muroga Cast: Shu Ehara, Hiroshi Miyasaka, Ryushi Mizukami, Hitoshi Ozawa, Kazuyoshi Ozawa, Miyuki Takano, Takashi Ukaji, Masahiro Yamashita, Ryuji Minakami  Running Time: 88 min.  By Paul Bramhall While Japanese cinema in the 1990’s was already a far cry from its golden age, one of the best genres to come out of this era was that which would become known as V-Cinema. Kicked off by Toei’s 1989 feature Crime Hunter, … Continue reading

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Two Films By Hong Sangsoo | Blu-ray (Arrow Academy)

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2018 On July 17, 2018, Arrow Academy will be releasing the Blu-ray for Two Films By Hong Sangsoo, which includes Woman is the Future of Man and Tale of Cinema. Check out the official details below: This collection brings together Women is the Future of Man and Tale of Cinema, the fifth and sixth films by Hong Sangsoo, the masterful South Korean filmmaker who has been favorably compared to that great … Continue reading

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Steven Seagal and Fan Siu Wong fight in the ‘Attrition’ Trailer

We’ll soon see Steven Seagal (Above the Law) kicking some ass in Attrition (read our review), a Kurosawa-esque project that Seagal wrote years ago. At once point, Seagal was attached to helm the project (it would have been his first directing gig since 1994’s On Deadly Ground, 22 years ago), but directorial duties were switched over to Mathieu Weschler, the filmmaker behind Covert Operation (aka The Borderland). Hong Kong cinema fans will be delighted to learn that Fan Siu Wong … Continue reading

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Selina Lo, Michelle Yeoh level up to Mel Gibson in ‘Boss Level’

Michelle Yeoh (Reign of Assassins, Royal Warriors) and Selina Lo (Triple Threat, Debt Collector) are joining Frank Grillo (Wolf Warrior 2, Beyond Skyline) and Mel Gibson (Edge of Darkness, Blood Father) in Boss Level, an upcoming action thriller from director Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces, Narc). According to THR, Boss Level centers on a retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran (Grillo) trapped in a never-ending loop, resulting in his death every day. In order to stop his … Continue reading

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Sleeping Beast Within, The (1960) Review

"The Sleeping Beast Within" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Seijun Suzuki Writer: Ichiro Ikeda Cast: Hiroyuki Nagato, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Shinsuke Ashida, Kinzo Shin, Kojiro Kusanagi, Keisuke Noro, Hisano Yamaoka, Ko Nishimura, Shoichi Ozawa Running Time: 85 min.  By Kelly Warner After two years away on business, Mr. Ueki returns home on a ship from Hong Kong to meet his family at the Yokohama pier. None of his business partners are there to meet him and the family thinks this suspicious. After … Continue reading

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The Housemaid | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2018 On July 17, 2018, Shout! Factory will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for The Housemaid, an acclaimed Vietnamese horror movie from director Derek Nguyen. Vietnam, 1953: Linh (Nhung Kate), a poor, orphaned young woman, finds employment as a housemaid in a crumbling rubber plantation presided over by the emotionally fragile French officer Sebastien Laurent (Jean-Michel Richaud). Soon, a torrid love affair develops between the two — … Continue reading

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Watch the tense New Trailer for Ryuhei Kitamura’s ‘Downrange’

When director Ryuhei Kitamura hit the scene in 2000 with his low budget zombie kung fu hybrid, Versus, critics were quick to announce the arrival of a new talent on the Japanese movie scene, and it was easy to see why. Versus had a certain energy about it that belied its humble budget, and it was great to see Japan once again returning to the fight movies that guys like Sonny Chiba and … Continue reading

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I Am a Hero | Blu-ray & DVD (Funimation)

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018 On July 24, 2018, Funimation will be releasing the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for I Am a Hero (read our review), a Japanese zombie movie by Shinsuke Sato (Gantz, Gantz II: Perfect Answer). Based on the celebrated horror manga, I Am a Hero, comes a live-action film adaptation that’s bound to get your blood flowing! Thirty-five-year-old assistant manga artist Hideo Suzuki leads an unsatisfying, tedious life. But when a virus … Continue reading

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Osaka Badass: Snake of Violence (2013) Review

Director: Takahiro Ishihara Writer: Takahiro Ishihara Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Maya Fukuzawa, Rikiya Kaido, Takashi Nishina, Tomoko Tabata, Taichi Suzuki Running Time: 110 min.  By Paul Bramhall The yakuza movie is my favorite of all the Japanese genres, and while its heyday of the 1970’s has long since passed, they are still being made, albeit in more of a trickle than the constant stream of a bygone era. With this in mind, Osaka Badass: Snake … Continue reading

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Goldstone | Blu-ray & DVD (Gravitas Venture)

Goldstone | Blu-ray & DVD (Gravitas Ventures)

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2018 On August 28, 2018, Gravitas Ventures is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Ivan Sen’s contemporary western thriller Goldstone.  Indigenous Detective Jay Swan arrives in the frontier town of Goldstone on a missing persons enquiry. What seems like a simple light duties investigation opens a web of crime and corruption. Jay must pull his life together and bury his differences with young local cop Josh, so together they … Continue reading

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Dragon Inn | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2018 On July 10, 2018, The Criterion Collection will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Dragon Inn, a 1967 wuxia classic from director King Hu (A Touch of Zen). Dragon Inn stars Polly Shang-Kuan (The Ghostly Face), Shih Chun (A Touch of Zen), Bai Ying (Royal Warriors), Han Ying Chieh (New Fist of Fury) and Miu Tin (Seven Man Army). Check out the official details below: The art of martial arts filmmaking … Continue reading

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Vampire Clay (2017) Review

Director: Soichi Umezawa Producer: Yoshihiro Nishimura Cast: Ena Fujita, Asuka Kurosawa, Yuyu Makihara, Ryo Shinoda, Momoka Sugimoto Running Time: 80 min. By Kyle Warner Horror fans like to convince themselves that they’ve seen it all. ‘That new horror film everyone loves is actually a more mainstream take on a similar horror movie made 20 years ago that nobody paid attention to at the time, don’tchaknow?’ But then something like Vampire Clay … Continue reading

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Kung Fu Traveler 2 | DVD (Cinedigm)

RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2018 On July 10th, 2018, Cinedigm Entertainment will be releasing the DVD to Zhang Xianfeng’s sci-fi actioner Kung Fu Traveler 2, the sequel Kung Fu Traveler, which was also recently released by Cinedigm. The film stars Tiger Chen (Monk Comes Down the Mountain) and Wang Zhi (Drug War). Southern Style kung fu was unsuccessful in defeating the invading enemy aliens. General Chen has no choice but to be go back in … Continue reading

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